Twin Spin: Blog Tour: The Wrong Woman by Brenda J. Brown Giveaway & Guest Post

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The Wrong Woman by Brenda J. Brown presented by TWCS Publishing.

Norah Rothe dreams of being an actress—a real worth-the-price-of-admission actress. She wanted her name in lights and a life in the big city but just when everything she’d worked for was going according to script, a dramatic plot twist forces her to abandon the stage to fulfill family obligations in her tiny home town.
Settled and accepting her life as a single mom and co-owner of her parents’ café, Norah’s slumbering dreams are reawakened when Hollywood comes to her. A chance encounter leads to an epic opportunity when Norah discovers that the movie being shot on the outskirts of town is in trouble; the leading lady is out of commission, and the production team is scrambling to replace her. Two lunch specials and a limo ride later, Norah finds herself back in the spotlight.
David Raurke dreams of being more than just a big-screen heartthrob with throngs of screaming fans. He gambles his movie star status for a chance to direct an independent film, but when it seems as if everything that can go wrong will, David wonders if he’s about to become the lead in his own cautionary tale.
Norah sees past the gossip columns. In David, she sees kindness, a sense of humour, and a passion for his craft. David sees an undiscovered talent in Norah. The camera loves her, and he knows he’s found the match to ignite his directorial debut and bring it blazing onto the big screen . . . and something much, much more.
Can a romance between a talented small-town girl next door and one of Hollywood’s hottest stars survive the cutthroat world of the film industry? Come behind the scenes and see for yourself if dreams can become reality and what really happens once the lights fade to black.

Expected publication: April 17, 2014 by The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House
Genre: Contemporary fiction

Kristine's Thoughts:

* I received an advanced readers copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!*

The Wrong Woman is a typical but cute story of a small town girl (woman) with big dreams who finds herself living those dreams almost by accident alongside a hunky leading man. The story itself is not that original but the variety of characters more than makes up for it.

I'll start by talking about Norah. Her dreams were put on the back burner when she had to take over the family business and with the birth of her child Ella who is 2 when the story takes place. She is a strong, quit witted woman with a no nonsense attitude and some tiny insecurities buried deep down. I loved the fact that she was not the typical leading lady with the perfect "everything" that you read so much about. She felt more real because of it.

David, David, David...what can I say about David? Ummm...could a man be any more perfect? Not only were his physical attributes spot on but he had the personality to match. I kept waiting for something to dislike about him but it never came. Everything he said and did was perfect. Younger readers may be turned off by his age, thinking him too old, but age is just a number and he was pretty drool worthy.

Norah and David together screamed sexual chemistry. It was literally dripping off the pages. Not only was the sexual chemistry evident but so was the emotional chemistry. It made for some pretty satisfying reading. I was in their corner for the duration.

An honourable mention needs to be said for Norah's younger brother Brett. He was a hoot and I could have read about him all day. Notably his reaction to David when they first met and the struggle alongside Norah to get her journal back from David. It had me laughing out loud!

This book was exactly what I was in the mood for when I read it. With the main characters being in their 30's I would recommend it to readers in their mid twenties and older. Although I did not consider them old, younger readers may. I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book and was not disappointed.

Guest Post and Author Bio

Talk us through your writing process. How did you manage to finish this manuscript in three months?

I had a dream one night, not kidding, a really good dream. It stayed with me all the next day…and the next day.

And then it started to evolve. It expanded. The scene from the dream asked the question, “How did she get there?” and then “What happened next?” All the answers came, pictures painted themselves in my head, brief exchanges turned into pages of dialogue, new characters turned up asking to be let in. I expect that’s what it’s like to go insane. In fact there were moments that I wasn’t entirely certain that that wasn’t what was happening.

It got to the point where I’d be crossing the room and would come to a complete standstill as I tried to make sense of the words and imagery that pounded at me demanding attention. It was…intense.

Finally, my roommate, upon observing one of my little shutdowns, suggested that I “write the damned thing down”. So I did, intending only to lay down, in no particular order, the fragments that had surfaced so far.

But, once I started, it took me over. At first, I had bits and pieces from all over what would become my manuscript, with no idea how to connect them, or if they were even connectable. Then, in an attempt at disciplined writing, I worked back from that original scene (which ended up, slightly paraphrased, in chapter 1), found myself a beginning, and got down to it.

Every spare moment of every day, late into the night, I would write. It didn’t feel as obsessive as it had before, once I got going, but then, I didn’t ever try to stop. Writing it, finishing it, was simply the thing that needed doing. So I did; 130,000 words in three months.

When I write now, I feel a bit more in control. For good or bad I’ve not been ‘possessed’ by a story like that since. But I’m very glad it did. If it had been any ‘quieter’ I might not have succumbed to the riot, I’d never had gotten published, and I wouldn’t be talking to you. J

It’s all good.

Author Bio:

Before writing The Wrong Woman, Brenda dabbled in a myriad of professions. She’s been a waitress (back in the day before they were called servers), a security guard, a ballroom dance instructor, an interior decorator and design consultant, a set dresser for the film and television industry, where she is still a member in good standing, and a restaurant manager. She is currently working as a visual merchandiser for The Brick, a chain of furniture stores throughout the lower mainland.

In the midst of all that, she’s been an active part of the Community Theatre scene, doing set design but principally acting and studying most of the great works since her late teens. She currently lives in Coquitlam, British Columbia, with her beautiful daughter, one dog, and two cats.