ABOUT THE BOOK: Pizza waitress, Gemma, must pass herself off as aristocratic Abbey Croxley for two weeks, in order to help struggling Applebridge Hall win the reality show Million Dollar Mansion. With the right clothes and accent, anyone could pull that off, right? Except that she wasn't counting on arrogant Lord Edward pulling her heartstrings - nor a most unexpected person unravelling her web of lies... Will the truth be revealed before the show's final and destroy Applebridge Hall's future, along with a secret romance?
Samantha Tonge lives in Cheshire, England, with her lovely family and two cats. When not writing, she spends the day telling herself to go swimming and willing cakes to rise. She has sold over 80 short stories to women’s magazines and is thrilled with the release of Doubting Abbey, her debut novel, published by CarinaUK Harlequin
Website: http://samanthatonge.co.uk/Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamTongeWriter
Q. What inspires your writing?
A. For short stories it is everyday occurrences, often humorous ones. But for novels it tends to be something that is grabbing the public imagination, like Downton Abbey or the cult of celebrity or the modern obsession with appearance...
Q. What is your favorite thing about being a writer?
A. Getting feedback from readers who have enjoyed or been moved by my writing. I sell regularly to the People’s Friend magazine and sometimes meet the readers on their Facebook page – the occasional lovely comment from one, after they’ve read a story of mine, means an awful lot.
Q. What is the toughest part of being a writer?
A. Unpublished, it is the rejection and continual self-doubt. Published, it is the amount of promotion necessary nowadays – not that I’m complaining! But it does eat into writing time.
Q. If you could not be writer, what would you do/be?
A. I’ve a degree in French and German, so perhaps a translator. I love cats, though, and have a secret dream of either fostering abandoned kitties or running a cattery!
Q. What would the story of your life be entitled?
A.‘You Got Mail’ because I am obsessed with checking my inbox!
Q. What is your favorite book of all time?
A. The whole of the Sophie Kinsella Shopoholic series! (I know, that is a bit
greedy). They are so easy to read, such fun and I love the main character.
Q. Which character from ANY book are you most like?
A. At the moment I am reading the 3rd Bridget Jones book, and whilst my lovely husband is thankfully still alive, and I don’t have a toyboy, she and I are a similar age and I can relate to things she says about children and technology.
Q. What character from all of your books are you most like?
A. I think Gemma from Doubting Abbey – I can be impulsive and then regret things I have said/done!
Q. Which book would you love to take a weekend vacation inside of?
A. It would have to be Pride and Prejudice, so that I could dance with Mr Darcy and beat Elizabeth to tapping his soft centre!
Q. What is your favorite season?
A. I am not a huge fun of really hot weather – it would have to be autumn. I love the orange/red autumn colours and dark nights. Plus, as a parent, I always enjoy the run-up to Christmas with Halloween and Bonfire Night.
Q. What inspired your book cover(s)? Or what is your favorite book cover and why?
A.I love the book cover to Doubting Abbey! CarinaUK produced it and it’s lovely and Christmassy, as is the end of the novel. Plus Applebridge Hall is exactly how I imagined it!
Q. Tell me something funny that happened while on a book tour or while promoting your book.
A. The funniest thing so far is my family’s faces when I try to convince them that me going on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest is actually work (
Q. Are you working on something new?
A. I am thinking of writing a sequel to Doubting Abbey, which is very exciting!
Q. Anything you want to say to followers of this blog or those that are just stopping by?
A. Thank you so much for reading my interview – why not pop onto Facebook or Twitter and say hello? And if you enjoy Downton Abbey or reality shows, you are bound to love Doubting Abbey. If you do read it, I hope you enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you xx
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