Curling Up With A Good Book: Kismet Book Tours, Interview, & Giveaway: The Bride Wore Chocolate (Shirley Jump)

Enter the sinfully delicious universe of New York Times bestselling author Shirley Jump's Sweet and Savory Romances with the USA Today and Amazon Top 20 bestseller - The Bride Wore Chocolate!Life couldn't be more perfect for Candace Woodrow. Her gourmet gift basket company is thriving, and she's set to marry steady, dependable Barry. There's just one wrench in the fairytale. Two weeks before her wedding she wakes up in the wrong man's bed. Candace thinks she'll be able to run out the door and forget all about Michael Vogler, but the Boston millionaire has other plans for the jittery bride.
As the wedding approaches, Candace's life is further complicated by a thrill-seeking grandma and a meddlesome mother whose marriage track record rivals Elizabeth Taylor's. She attempts to drown her sorrows in chocolate, but with a sexy bachelor appearing on her doorstep at every turn - she finds herself wondering if there's enough of the sweet stuff in the world to stop her heart from racing every time he comes near.

*Special bonus material: Recipes written by the characters inside!*

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shirley Jump spends her days writing romance and women’s fiction to feed her shoe addiction and avoid cleaning the toilets. She cleverly finds writing time by feeding her kids junk food, allowing them to dress in the clothes they find on the floor and encouraging the dogs to double as vacuum cleaners.
Look for her new and improved re-released Sweet and Savory Romance series, including the USA Today bestselling book, THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE, on Amazon, and her Sweetheart Sisters series for Berkley, starting with THE SWEETHEART BARGAIN and continuing in April 2014 with THE SWEETHEART RULES. Visit her website at www.shirleyjump.com or read recipes and life adventures at www.eating-my-words.com.

About Shirley Jump:

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Eating My Words Website | Shirley Jump

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I love weddings, and always have! They’re always such fun events, and even more fun when there’s some kind of chaos involved ;-). I wondered what would happen if a rigid, list-making, type A planner bride had some chaos thrown in BEFORE her wedding by one mistake with Mr. Wrong. I know where I’d be if that was me—eating a whole lot of chocolate while I tried to figure it out. And that’s where Candace goes—on a quest, with chocolate in hand, to figure out if that one crazy night means she’s marrying the wrong man.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

Definitely the heroine’s grandma, who does all kinds of off-the-wall things and yet at her core, has a sweet and loving heart and a lot of wonderful advice for Candace. I love characters who are a little quirky, a little crazy, and who spout the things most of us keep to ourselves ;-)

What is your idea of the perfect wedding?

A casual wedding, where some things might go wrong, but there are a whole lot of laughs, good food and great people. I don’t need anything too fancy or too overdone. Just a fun celebration.

What about the perfect dress?

A comfortable one! My wedding dress had a giant skirt and a long train that seemed to weigh a TON. If I had to do it all over again, I’d wear something comfortable and easy to dance in ;-)

Would you rather marry Mr Right or Mr Sexy?? ;) why?

Mr. Right for sure. I want the man who will be there when the chips are down, the kids are screaming, the dog messed in the living room and dinner is burned. The man who will make me laugh and tell me it will all be okay. A man who will always have my back, no matter what comes our way.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

I wrote the first three chapters or so, then I came up with the title of the book, and that set the theme for everything that followed!

What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

There’s a scene between the heroine and her mother that I really love. Mother-daughter relationships can be so complicated, so fraught with emotion and conflict, and I love to see things work out and them understand and love each other.

Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

That it’s important to always learn and grow, and if I ever get to the point where I think I know it all, you should put me out to pasture. Part of the excitement for me as a writer is learning new techniques, or reading a book that totally knocks my socks off and makes me want to try harder as a writer to be the best author I could possibly be.

What do you like most about the cover of the book?

It perfectly captures the essence of the book—fun, flirty, a little sexy. And there’s cake. I love cake. Seriously love cake.

What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2014?

The third book in my Sweetheart Sisters series, THE SWEETHEART SECRET, is out in September (book 2 came out in April). I really, really love the matchmaking grannies in the Sweetheart Sisters series and the rescue dogs that are featured in each book. As a mom to a rescue dog and a rescue cat, I have a special place in my heart for those animals.

What was your favorite book in 2013?

I recently read WOOL by Hugh Howey and LOVED it. I also really loved THE WITNESS by Nora Roberts. I didn’t get to read that much last year (we moved to another state and that meant lots of my books were packed for a while) but when I do go on vacation, I read voraciously!

What’s up next for you?

I’m working on a new series set in Georgia right now that I really, really love. It won’t come out until 2015, and in the meantime, I’m kicking around another series idea. If I had more hours in my day, I’d write all those books floating around in my head!

Is there anything that you would like to add?

Thank you for having me and I hope everyone enjoys THE BRIDE WORE CHOCOLATE! If any of the readers have a question for me, ask it below! I love interacting with readers!