BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Smoke: The Smokey Blues [2]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Emily Mims to talk about Smoke (21 November 2016, Boroughs Publishing Group, 180 pages), a Romantic Suspense, book two of The Smokey Blues series.

‘does a great job of bringing you there and showing the love of the musicians for their music’ - Night Reader

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Emily Mims; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Smoke, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"Below is a selection of old mountain tunes out of my own playlist. Cooper and Francesca play some of them in the book."

What was the inspiration for Smoke?

"I love the old bluegrass and mountain music of Appalachia. The series features members of a bluegrass/mountain music band and I thought it would be fun to tell the fiddler’s story as a ‘fish out of water’ story."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"A whole lot of me is in this book! I play the mountain dulcimer and the bowed psaltery (not the fiddle, however). Francesca and Cooper play the same tunes that I do and I have been to the same kinds of music festivals that they attend and play the same kinds of jam sessions."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Smoke - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"My artist is Chris Kesslar, the art director for Boroughs Publishing. He is a master at taking my description of the characters and coming up with a picture of them. The idea of having the instruments appear on the covers was mine."

Why should we read Smoke and what sets it apart from the rest?

"You should read this book because it’s good! Not too many writers who write about music actually play music themselves. I bring the music to life in these stories."

Can you tell us something quirky about Smoke, its story and characters?

") I got the idea for Francesca’s impatience with the slow pace of life in Tennessee from one of my editors, who is from New York the same as Francesca and nearly goes out of her mind when she travels in the south."

Who would you recommend Smoke to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to any romance lover over 18, particularly if they love music the way they love romance."

If you could / wished to turn Smoke and the The Smokey Blues series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"Wow. I don’t know. Complete unknowns to play my characters. The hottest young director going and shot of course on location in Tennessee!"

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"Reviving my career after a 28 year hiatus."

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

"Toughest criticism isn’t criticism at all. It’s when someone dismisses my work, or the genre as a whole, because it’s romance. The nicest compliment I ever received was when a friend of mine gave her daughters a copy of one of my books because ‘That’s the way love’s supposed to be.’."

What is your writing process?

"I plot the book in detail by chapter before I write it."

What is in store next?

"Bradley’s story (Evergreen) is already out. I just finished Sawyer and Timberlynn’s story (Indigo) and am working on plots for 4 more in the Smoky Blue series."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?