AN UNLIKELY MATCH - Lisa Crane - One Free Ebook

Dear Readers, Lisa Crane is a dear, dear friend of mine. She’s been a member of the critique group that meets in my home for several years. My hairdresser daughter introduced her to me and we really clicked. I love her style of writing. She writes romantic comedy. And this book is marvelous. I think you’ll love it, too.

Welcome, Lisa. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

So many reasons. I’m a romantic at heart. I had a wonderful example in my parents, who were married nearly 57 years before they passed away. Their love shone through every word, every action. I specifically write Christian romance because I feel our society has lost the meaning of romance. I like to say I’m taking romance back, one love story at a time. I also feel very strongly about Christians being portrayed as human—flawed beings who face temptations just like everyone else.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

That would be a tie between the days my husband (fiancé at the time) and my two children were baptized into Christ. After that, the day I married the love of my life.

How has being published changed your life?

Well, for one thing, my teenage daughter likes telling people, “My mom’s a writer.” Seriously, though, my writing has brought so many people into my life that I’d never have connected with otherwise. I love making new friends, even if we only connect via social media.

What are you reading right now?

 I just started reading The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate. And by started, I mean I’ve had time to read the first few paragraphs.

You’ll love that book. What is your current work in progress?

I’m working on a novella called Thank Heaven for Little Girls. The heroine, Charley Jane, is a tomboy through and through. Raised by her widowed father and older brother, she doesn’t really even know how to be a girl. After finally admitting she’s in love with her boss, Jake, she allows her friends to give her advice on landing the man of her dreams. It’s going to be a wild ride for poor Charley. And Jake? Well, he’s not going to know what hit him.

What would be your dream vacation?

This is actually a tough question for me, because I’m such a homebody. I love my crazy, noisy, cluttered home with the dogs, the cat, the kids, and my husband. And I’m a born and bred Texan, so I’m pretty partial to staying in the Lone Star State. If I had to choose, I’d say a log cabin high on a wooded mountain. A big stone fireplace, lots of big windows to see the stars and snow through, gallons of hot chocolate … sounds like a setting for a good romance, doesn’t it?

Yes, it does. How do you choose your settings for each book?

As I mentioned, I’ve lived in Texas my whole life. Specifically, I’ve lived in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. I’ve traveled in all directions—south Texas, west Texas, east, and north. I write about the kinds of people and places I know. Oh, I may create a fictional town, like Cupid’s Hollow in Love’s Aim, but that town was still in Texas. I draw from my own life for most of my settings and characters.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

This is really hard to answer. After thinking about this for a couple of days, the answer I finally settled on surprised me. I decided I’d want to spend an evening with someone whose values seem to be directly opposite from my own. I’d like to understand why they believe some of the things they do, and if they truly do believe all of them. Specifically, the two people I thought of were Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. I’d like to know if our values and beliefs are really that far apart, or has the media so twisted what we all see until the truth is no longer clear.

Interesting. I’d like to be a fly on the wall in that meeting. What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

I love just about any type of craft. The problem lies in the fact that I have great vision, but am sadly lacking in the skills department. I know what I want my finished project to look like, but apparently there’s a disconnect between my head and my hands. It’s kind of comical sometimes.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Truly? I’d have to say finding the time. With a husband, a son, a daughter in high school, and a full-time job, it can be difficult to find the time. Fortunately, my family understands when I put my ear buds in and sit down at my laptop.

What advice would you give to a beginning author? Listen to more experienced authors.

This has been the one thing that has improved my writing more than any other thing I’ve done. And understand they’re trying to make you a better writer, not just trying to change your voice.

Tell us about the featured book.

An Unlikely Match centers around Abilene Townsend, who runs a successful matchmaking business. She loves helping other people find their happily-ever-afters, and she’s good at it. Enter Grayson McMormick, a reporter who’s been given a great story about a scam artist who runs a dating service. The problem arises when Gray is given the wrong name of the business in question. He sets out to investigate and hopefully bring the scheming cheat to justice. The more time he spends with Abilene, however, the more difficult he finds it to believe she’s the woman who cheated someone out of thousands of dollars. The more time he spends with her, the harder he falls.

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

Abilene Townsend wanted to pull her hair out in fistfuls. She wanted to throw things and kick furniture. To lie on the floor and scream. Instead, she rose, smoothed her skirt, and walked out to the reception area of My Other Half, Inc., where three individuals waited.

She offered a polite, remorseful smile, wondering if she appeared as stressed as she felt. “Good morning.”

The trio turned their eyes to her.

“I’d like to apologize up front for any inconvenience. My assistant’s husband was unexpectedly reassigned, and I haven’t found a replacement yet. I’ve been working with temps from an agency, and things are a little rough around here.” She raised her hands in a penitent gesture. “As a result, all three of you were scheduled for the same time. You’re certainly free to wait, but my appointments can run as long as an hour sometimes, especially since each of you are here for the first meeting. If you don’t want to wait—and I understand if you don’t—I’ll be happy to reschedule you for another time. And again, I am so sorry.”

“Which of us was scheduled first?” The slender woman’s brittle voice echoed her perturbed expression.

“There’s really no way for me to know. I believe Mr. McCormick was on the books first, but I’m not entirely certain.”

“I’m Gregg McCormick.” One of the two men in the waiting area rose. A bit taller than Abilene, with a slim build, he wore an immaculate suit, shoes so shiny she could see her reflection in the toes, and a perfectly knotted power tie. Each dark strand of his expertly trimmed hair lay exactly in its spot. He smiled, revealing—unsurprisingly—a set of perfectly even, white teeth.

And so it begins. Where does it go from here? Lisa, how can readers find you on the Internet?

I can be reached by email at happyheart1993@yahoo.com. I’m on Facebook as Lisa Miller Crane, and on Instagram and Twitter as @happyheart1993. My books are on Amazon (Kindle) under Lisa Crane. I’m also on Goodreads as Lisa J. Crane. I love, love, love to hear from readers.

Thank you, Lisa, for sharing this new book with us.

Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

An Unlikely Match

Comments Conversation Starter Questions: Do you like reading romantic comedy? Do you like books set in Texas?

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