It’s the day after what we call a Bank Holiday weekend here in England (Monday was a national holiday). Yesterday I spent the extra day tidying up the garden. My husband did a sterling job replacing our old rusting gate with a bright shiny new one. He wants me to point it out to all our visitors, so the first question I ask today’s guest as she walks up the path is “Do you like our new gate?” Luckily my guest today is very polite, and she tells me it looks lovely :)
Welcome, Melissa Keir – let’s go inside and put the kettle on!
Thank you for having me on your blog today, Helena. I’m excited to share my latest release, Chalkboard Romance, with your readers.
Where do you live, Melissa? I live in Michigan in the United States. *holds up hand* The lower part of Michigan is shaped like a hand and we use this to show where we live.
Well I never knew that! My sense of geography is very poor, but since having so many authors on my blog I’m learning so much!
Where is your favourite place in the world? My favourite place to be is wherever my husband is. We love to hang out at home or go camping together. He’s my home.
Sweet! :)
Being a writer is a great job. What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? The hardest job I’ve ever had was when I was a nurse’s aide in a nursing home. I used to care for elderly patients, assisting with baths, feeding and changing clothes and bedding. Some of the patients were a challenge. I’d been grabbed by the elderly men and hated walking into the home in the morning to find out a favourite resident had passed during the night.
I did a similar job a long time ago. I remember the worst thing was being overworked and not having time to chat with the residents, some of whom were obviously lonely. It was quite distressing at times.
What book do you wish you’d written? I wish I’d written Good Bones and Simple Murders by Margaret Atwood. I love the various short stories in the book. The best was “Gertrude Talks Back” where she gives Gertrude, the mom, from Hamlet a voice.
Oh I haven’t read those! I went to hear Margaret Atwood talk at the Edinburgh Book Festival last year, and she was absolutely brilliant. I must check out her short stories.
What’s your favourite song? That’s a tough one for me. My favourite song changes depending on my mood. Currently, I’m listening to a lot of country. I love Hold On by Derks Bently.
Lovely song!
If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them? You ask some tough questions. Of course, I’d love to meet some of my ancestors to see what life was like for them and what challenges they faced. I would enjoy having a conversation with Abe Lincoln about how he handled the pressures of the White House during a Civil War. I’d also love to talk with Sitting Bull and share with him how even though his fight ended, he will still be remembered today for his stand against the government and those who tried to obliterate the Indians.
If only we really could get in touch with the past. That’s a fascinating era in history.
What’s your happiest childhood memory? My happiest childhood memory is of playing outside with my sisters. We lived on a dead end street. Across from our house was an old quarry hole. We used to play over there and pretend it was our home. Those woods we knew like the back of our hands.
Great memories!
If you had to marry a fictional character, from film, television, or books, who would it be? I would marry Roarke from JD Robb’s Eve Dallas books. He has Irish charm, tech skills and is sexy as sin.
The perfect husband :) I expect Roarke can also hang a mean gate!
What’s the most important lesson life has taught you? Never give up. I’ve faced things that would have caused others to give up, but I was determined to not let things stop me from doing what I wanted.
And finally, please tell us about your latest book, where we can find it, and where we can find your blog/website!
Chalkboard Romance is the story of Lauren Walsh, an elementary teacher, whose husband dumped her because she wasn’t young enough or classy enough to be the top businessman’s wife. Her friend, Melanie Whitman, bugs Lauren to sign up for a dating service with Draikoh San, a legend for finding just the right date and often soul mate.
Mac Thomas is a widower. His wife was more interested in money and prestige. So he left her and his son to life in the States while he covered foreign conflicts. With his wife’s death, he comes home to care for the son he hardly knows. His sister signed him up for a dating service to help him see that not all women were like his wife.
Mac and Lauren meet and sparks fly. So many that Lauren runs out of fear for her own feelings. Fate has a way of setting things in order and Lauren finds out that Mac is a parent of one of her students. Mac asks her for another chance and as their romance heats up, Lauren is forced to choose between a job she loves and the love of her life.
Blurb:
Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wanted to feel sexy again, after her ex tossed her aside for a younger woman. Her teaching partner and best friend encouraged her to sign up for The Playhouse–a renowned dating agency.
Mac Thomas remained trapped in a marriage to a money grubbing socialite. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse.
Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing?
Buy links:
I love to hear from readers. They can find me at:
http://www.melissakeir.com/blog.html
http://www.facebook.com/melissaakeir
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelissaKeir
Thank you for having me Helena. I hope your followers enjoyed getting to know me a bit and thank you for sharing your space with me :)
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Thanks so much for coming, Melissa. It’s been lovely getting to know you, and I like the sound of the dilemma in Chalkboard Romance! Thanks also for the short story recommendations :) Wishing you a good trip back to Michigan!
If you have any questions for Melissa, or any comments at all, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you!
Helena Fairfax 
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