Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Interview w/ Peggy Webb!

Ladies and gents we've got Peggy Webb joining us today for a little chat. Check it out and leave her some love!  ~Anna
Brick and Helen Sullivan had been a team, onstage and off. When she walked out of their marriage without an explanation, he swore he’d never play another role with her, in the bedroom or otherwise. But Fate brings them together to reprise their roles in The Taming of the Shrew, and the sparks begin to fly. Laugh – and cry – as the famous and lively lovers try to untangle a web of misunderstanding and find their way back to the place where they belong.

*FREE at the time the post went live*

Morning Peggy! So good to see you. I just pulled pastries from the oven and have coffee brewing so come on in and sit a spell and tell me about your re-release Can't Stop Loving You. I saw it's actually about a couple that's been married but had some troubles. Can you tell us a little about Brick, Helen and what they're going through?
Brick and Helen both carried a bit of baggage into the marriage. As often happens, they got caught up in the thrill of romance and never properly aired their differences.  The split was unexpected and dramatic. Would you expect anything less from a team of Shakespearean actors? The fun of this story is how they work out their differences, both onstage and off. 
LOL no, no I really wouldn't. Alright I'd love to know 3 fun behind the scenes facts about Can't Stop Loving You? Think Pop-Up video style.

  • I’ve done tons of community theater. That’s ME onstage with the handsome Brick Sullivan! 
  • I studied Shakespeare when I was earning my Master of Arts degree in English. My favorite Shakespearean play is The Taming of the Shrew. 
  • That’s also me in the kitchen eating chocolate with Brick Sullivan at midnight – and letting him drink from my shoe.  For reasons I’ll never tell!
Ooo intriguing ;) So, were there any surprises or difficulties writing about a couple that had been married compared to a couple just meeting?
Brick and Helen were easy and fun to write about, full of passion and complexity that translated perfectly to the page.  I drew on years of marital experience with those two. It was the minor characters who surprised me.  I never expected Barb Gladly to be more than a prop for Brick to make Helen jealous. It’s always wonderful to see a character like Barb turn into more than I had originally planned. She added another dimension to the story that I hope readers will love.
Ahh I love when a character does that! Can't wait to meet Barb. Now, I was being a little nosy (I so blame the Southern girl in me) and saw that you've actually done some theater. Was it fun incorporating some of the things you love in real life into your fictional world?
Indeed! I’m a born ham. I think that’s why I love both theater and comedic writing. Timing is crucial in both. I recall one of my first roles onstage was Chick Boyle in Crimes of the Heart.  One scene required that I change pantyhose onstage while talking a blue streak. Talk about timing! To this day, hometown folks say that’s the most memorable scene in the history of Tupelo Community Theater. 
I learned the value of comic relief playing the role of M’lynn in Steel Magnolias. Unlike the movie, which shows Sally Field in that role agonizing at her daughter’s bedside, then again at the graveside, the stage play takes place entirely in the beauty shop. Those scenes were combined into a very long monologue which I had to deliver with exactly the right timing. The audience had to be caught up in M’lynn’s angst in order to appreciate the comic relief.
“I’m so mad, I could hit something,” M’lynn says at the end of the monologue.

Quiser grabs Claree and says, “Here, hit this!”

“You’re a pig from hell,” Claree yells, and then the entire cast, as well as the audience, breaks up into laughter.
LOL Nice. I saw you're involved in a couple charities as well. I'd love to hear more about them and how you got involved.
Growing up, I learned from my daddy that kindness counts and giving back to the community that supports you is the right thing to do. I went to college with the director of the Regional Rehabilitation Center. She asked for my help many years ago for the annual telethon fundraiser, and I’ve been involved ever since.  
My involvement with the AZ Basset Rescue Society started in 2008 when I wrote the first Southern Cousins Mystery starring Elvis, the basset hound who thinks he’s the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll reincarnated. They have an annul fundraiser in the fall called Bucks for Ba$$ets. I contribute signed first-edition hardcover copies of the mysteries for the auction. Those books are becoming collector’s items and thankfully bring in hundreds of dollars at a whack for this charity as well as the American Cancer Society. (My daddy died of cancer, so that charity is also dear to my heart).  Alas, I’ve run out of first-edition hardcovers for Elvis and the Dearly Departed, so this is the last year I’ll be able to give a complete set of the five books that are in print. I will continue to give books, though, and whatever else I think will help the bassets. I’m a dog lover.  *aw that's really awesome of you! As the owner of an animal rescue I can tell you we really appreciate things like that more than we could ever say*
Some years ago, I learned the blessings of mission trips in La Joya, Mexico. Those were church-sponsored trips, and I’ll always cherish the time I spent helping build a little clinic there and playing the keyboard for their open-air church services. It was my niece Terry and her husband Lawrence from Houston, Texas, who got me involved in Faith in Practice. Though I no longer do hands-on mission work, I do my part in making folks aware of this wonderful charity which needs funds to provide medical care for the Mayans. The personal stories Terry and Lawrence tell are both heartbreaking and hopeful. All the money raised through Faith in Practice goes for supplies. Volunteers pay their own expenses.
That's really amazing. Thanks so much for sharing about them. [For anyone wanting more info]. Alright just a few fun ones then we'll let you get back to writing...

Favorite color shoes?
Red
Best "burning soup" moment?
Oh, my goodness. I have a literal “burning soup” moment. Years ago I had interrupted my writing to chop fresh veggies for soup. In a hurry to get back to the computer, I was slinging seasoning into the soup, and didn’t notice what I’d done until the soup started to bubble.  I’d added dish washing detergent!
Cats or dogs?!
Dogs!!! I’m literally allergic to cats. *aw bummer on the allergies!*
Weirdest thing in your purse right now?
A Redline flashlight that sends an SOS signal and in a pinch could break somebody’s nose.
Favorite "couldn't live without it" snack?
Hershey bars with almonds. Just ring the bell and leave them on the doorstep. I’m on a tight deadline, and am in desperate need of a chocolate fix!
Yard gnomes or flamingos?
Are you kidding? Pink flamingos for this Southern girl. I have two in my Secret Garden.  They could use a fresh coat of paint if anybody wants to stop by with a paint brush and Hershey bars.
Woot!! Another flamingo fan! Yes! I am not alone! lol Thanks so much for coming by for a chat Peggy! It was so nice getting to see you.

Join Peggy Webb, author of the romantic comedies, Can't Stop Loving You, Only His Touch, Bringing Up Baxter, and Angels on Zebras, as she tours the blogosphere June 3 - June 28, 2013 on her first virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!
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CAN'T STOP LOVING YOUBrick and Helen Sullivan had been a team, onstage and off. When she walked out of their marriage without an explanation, he swore he’d never play another role with her, in the bedroom or otherwise. But Fate brings them together to reprise their roles in The Taming of the Shrew, and the sparks begin to fly. Laugh – and cry – as the famous and lively lovers try to untangle a web of misunderstanding and find their way back to the place where they belong. (Forever Friends, Book 1).




Only His TouchKathleen Shaw has lost everything – the only man she’ll ever love, the husband who had rescued and adored her, her career, and now her eyesight and hearing. She has even lost the Forever Friends because she’s too proud to call for their help. That she survived the boat explosion is a miracle. When Hunter La Farge returns to Jefferson Parish searching for her, is it too much to ask for another miracle? (Forever Friends, Book 2.)

Bringing Up BaxterAttorney B. J. Corban’s fiancĂ©e is on their honeymoon – with another woman! When her zany sister packs her off to the mountains to get over being jilted at the altar, B. J. takes enough camping equipment to fight off mosquitoes, bears and famine. But she hadn’t counted on a heart-stealer on a Harley, appropriately called Crash. Nor had she counted on a little stray dog she calls Baxter. Crash lays claim to the dog – and her heart. She fights to keep both, but can Crash teach B. J. that to lose her heart is also to keep it?

Angels on ZebrasWhen her sister B.J. asks Maxie to be godmother to her son, the zany interior designer is happy to comply – until she learns she will be sharing god-parenthood with Mr. Perfect. Lawyer Joseph Beuregard is successful, drop-dead handsome and lethally sexy. There are only two problems: he’s the cause of Maxie’s Most Embarassing Moment and he’s B.J.’s brother-in-law. Maxie ruins every man she touches. She’s not about to follow her heart and in the process destroy her sister’s family. Besides, she and Joe can’t even see eye to eye on the christening party. How could they ever have a relationship? But Joe has other ideas. Can two people so totally opposite give their godson the best party in the world and find true love?

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Peggy WebbPeggy Webb, author of 70 novels and 2 screenplays, lives in a cottage in Mississippi surrounded by gardens she designed and planted. A musician and actress as well as writer, she sings in her church choir and has sung in musicals at Tupelo Community Theater as well as played dramatic roles in Steel Magnolias and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She started her career in 1985 with a romantic comedy that took the number one spot on romance bestseller lists. Romantic Times presented her with the prestigious Pioneer Award in recognition for her contribution to romantic comedy. Peggy is currently bringing the best of her romantic comedies back to fans as eBooks. In 2008 she turned her talents to mystery with the hilarious Southern Cousins series starring Elvis, the sleuthing basset hound who thinks he’s the King reincarnated. This multi-talented author also pens literary fiction as Anna Michaels and Elaine Hussey. Pat Conroy calls her literary work “astonishing” and former Disney exec Kathie Fong Yoneda calls it “brilliant.” The author composed the blues lyrics that appear throughout her literary novel, The Sweetest Hallelujah, Elaine Hussey, due in bookstores July 30, 2013.


Pump Up Your Book
Monday, June 3 - Book featured and First chapter reveal at Faerotic Prose
Wednesday, June 5 - Book featured at Miki's Hope
Monday, June 10 - Book featured at Bookingly Yours
Monday, June 10 - Book reviewed at Rainy Day Reviews
Thursday, June 13 - Interviewed at Review From Here
Monday, June 17 - Book featured at Authors and Readers Book Corner
Monday, June 17 - Book reviewed at Books+Beach=Escape
Tuesday, June 18 - Interviewed at Herding Cats & Burning Soup
Wednesday, June 19 - Interviewed at Digital Journal
Friday, June 21 - Interviewed at Examiner
Monday, June 24 - Book featured at Confessions of a Reader
Tuesday, June 25 - Book reviewed at Janna Shay
Thursday, June 27 - Book featured at CelticLady's Reviews
Thursday, June 27 - Guest blogging and First chapter reveal at Queen of the Night Reviews
Friday, June 28 - Bringing Up Baxter reviewed and Guest blogging at Melina the Reader

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