Romance, Road Trips and Recipes with Nancy Lavo

 This week, we welcome Nancy Lavo to the Diamond Mine. Nancy writes contemporary romances. Keep reading to find out how you can enter to win a copy of her newest release.

About Nancy

A lifelong love affair with romance novels and a fiction writing course at the community college started Nancy on the road to publication. She’s published in sweet and inspirational fiction. After a decade-long hiatus to care for her family, Nancy decided to answer the tug of her heart and rejoin the ranks of writers.

When she’s not writing, which happens more often than it should, she can be found taking long walks or lunching with friends. She is married to her college sweetheart and they have three children.

Connect with Nancy: Website | Facebook | Instagram

Suzie: Welcome to the Diamond Mine, Nancy. It’s a pleasure to have you join us this week. I always like to start with a couple would you rather questions.

Would you rather live without internet for a year or without air conditioning and heating for a year?  

Nancy: Easy one! Goodbye, internet. I might survive without heat, but Texas air conditioning is a must.

Suzie: Same in Tennessee. Summers tend to get unbearable.

Would you rather give up social media or eat the same dinner for the rest of your life?  

Nancy: Tough call. I could cheerfully eat a diet of tacos the rest of my life, but if I wasn’t on social media I might get more writing done. I frequently gripe about social media, but the truth is I have a wonderful community there who I would miss terribly.

Suzie: I have a love-hate relationship with social media. Alright, that’s enough of those. Tell us a little about you—family, hobbies, day job, or whatever you’d like to share that’s not in your bio.

Nancy: I love a good road trip. I love to hop in the car, gps at the ready, and head to someplace new. And I’m a bit of a tea snob. My husband and I travel with an iced tea maker and tea bags to insure a decent glass or cup along the way.

Suzie: I enjoy a good road trip too. What are three books on your current tbr?  

Nancy: The Do-Over by Bethany Turner; Finding the Road Home by Tina Radcliffe; and The Right

Kind of Strong by Mary A Kassian

Suzie: And I just The Right Kind of Strong to my tbr. :)

What does your writing space look like? 

Nancy: Chaos. 

Nancy: I write out my manuscripts in longhand—I use pretty Vera Bradley notebooks, then I type it into the computer and print a hard copy. I make changes on the hardcopy and type them into the computer and print a new hard copy. And on and on. By midway through the book, I’ve created a mountain of papers. Chaos!

Suzie: I can imagine!

Would you share with us a little about your road to publication? 

Nancy:  I started writing back in the nineties. I published six books over the next ten years then quit writing completely. It felt like that season of my life was over. After that, I worked in a library, surrounded by books, and in time, felt the pull to come back to writing. I joined a critique group in 2015 and have been writing ever since. 

Suzie: What are some of your favorite things about writing romance? 

Nancy: I love watching the character’s relationship and attraction develop. The first time their eyes meet… the first time they kiss… I just love it. Funny that even though I’m writing the story, they sometimes surprise me. And I love happy endings.

Suzie: As a reader of romance, I love everything you just said (especially the happy endings).

Tell us more about your latest release. 

Nancy: A Slice of Paradise is a sweet, light-hearted romance—enemies to lovers. I had so much fun writing it. Some books are a battle to get down on paper and others just flow. A Slice of Paradise just flowed.

Suzie: In A Slice of Paradise, Eden is a baker. Would you share a favorite recipe from your kitchen (or Eden’s) with us? 

Nancy: Eden first wowed her new friends with blueberry muffins, so here goes:

6 TBSP butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP baking powder

Pinch of salt

Heaping ½ cup light brown sugar

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 TSP vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Grease a 12-hole muffin pan. (Or line pan with muffin papers)

Sift together flower, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Stir in sugar and blueberries.

Beat two eggs lightly in a large bowl, then beat in the milk, butter, vanilla extract.

Suzie: Yum! And it's berry season. The perfect time to try these out.

Thank you for spending some time with us and sharing more about yourself.

About the Book

Can a taste of love cure the scars of yesterday?

Single mother and baker Eden Lambert arrives in quaint Village Green looking for a home for herself and her 18-month-old son, Jake. Her warm welcome by her elderly hostess, Mary Jo Piermont, is offset by the cold disdain of Mary Jo’s self-appointed protector, Joe Wolfe.

At first, the long-legged blonde and her kid look like trouble to Joe. Mary Jo saved the builder’s life years ago, and he will do no less for the woman he considers a surrogate mother. But as he keeps an eye on the unwanted guests, Joe’s suspicions soon become replaced by admiration and respect for Eden’s resolve and dedication to her son. With his background of abuse and abandonment, Joe is aware of the dangers facing the vulnerable and wants better for Eden and Jake. He offers her a business arrangement—he’ll build her a bakery, and she can run it.

As they join forces to start the bakery, can they overcome the scars of the past to find a recipe for love?

Amazon | Goodreads

Giveaway

Nancy is giving one of our blog visitors a print copy of A Slice of Paradise. To enter, leave a blog post comment and let us know what you enjoy baking. Giveaway is valid with 5 entries. Open to US addresses only. Giveaway ends on 5/14/24.

Nashville, Writing Tribes, and More with Romantic Suspense Author Kathy Harris

Welcome back to the Diamond Mine. It's my pleasure to introduce you to a local-to-me author of romantic suspense, Kathy Harris.

About the Author

Kathy Harris is an author by way of a “divine detour” into the Nashville music business where she has worked for 30 years as a marketing director. She sold her first Christian nonfiction story in 2007. Her debut novel released in 2012. She writes romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Visit Kathy’s website, read her Divine Detour blog or follow her on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

SW: Welcome, Kathy. Thank you for taking time to visit with us this week. Let's dive right in to the interview with some would you rather questions.

If money were no object, would you rather buy your girlfriends a piece of jewelry or take them on a weekend getaway? 

KH: Definitely a weekend getaway. Memories last longer than jewelry! 

SW: Great answer (and I agree with you). Would you rather arrive overdressed or underdressed to an event? 

KH: That’s an interesting question for me because I’m always the one wearing jeans. I think I’ve worn a dress twice this year, and once was for a wedding.

SW: I am so grateful dressing down is acceptable in society these days. I'm not a dress wearer either. What are three books on your tbr pile? 

KH: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, The House of Sky by Ivan Doig, and Crosshairs by Patricia Bradley. 

SW: I've read one of those three. Let's talk about your books. How has your marketing work with The Oak Ridge Boys helped (or hindered) your work as an author? 

KH: It has definitely helped. I studied journalism/communications for four years in college. But I have studied marketing every day for more than 30 years at Oak Ridge Boys, Inc. I am blessed to continue to learn from some of the very best in the music industry, including Jim Halsey, who has guided the Oaks’ career for decades.

SW: Marketing is so daunting to many new writers, but I find it's something to embrace (then again, I'm the researcher in my crit group). Who are your writing mentors, supporters, and/or cheerleaders? 

KH: So many… and that list has grown through the years. My late husband was always my biggest cheerleader. My first crit partner, Rebecca Deel, taught me a lot about writing romantic suspense. I was writing women’s fiction at that time. 

My editor, Ramona Richards, is one of the best romantic suspense writers on the planet. She has also been my acquiring editor since 2012. First at Abingdon Press and now at Iron Stream Fiction. 

I’ve also been blessed with two amazing literary agents. It was because of the encouragement of my first agent, Kyle Olund, that I finished my first acquired manuscript. And when Kyle went back to corporate publishing, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Julie Gwinn. Julie is someone I have long admired and working with her has been a treat. 

I could go on and on and mention the support of many fellow authors, family and friends, and readers who’ve left encouraging reviews. The long-held idiom that writing is a lonely job couldn’t be further from the truth. Of course, we sit at a keyboard in a room by ourselves for hours/days/weeks at a time. But writing takes a village of supporters and encouragers. 

SW: It's so true there are people who come around us to make us better writers and encourage us when we're doubting ourselves. yes, there are those lonely hours when we write and edit our manuscripts but we also know we can reach out to our writing friends at any time.

Where do you write? What does your writing space look like? 

KH: Before 2020, I wrote mostly in coffee shops. Now, I write at home, usually in a comfortable chair with my MacBook Air in my lap. But I also write at my desk in my home office, at the kitchen table, and on my back porch during warm months.

SW: Ah, 2020, the year we all want to forget but
can't. Your Deadly Secrets series is set in and around Nashville. What are the top three must-see places for visitors? 

KH: There are so many fun places to experience in Nashville! If you are someone who enjoys walking, as I do, I highly recommend Lower Broadway, especially at night. The sights and sounds are pure Nashville. If you can, park near Nissan Stadium and walk across the Cumberland River on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge. 

During the daytime hours, check out the new Fifth + Broadway shopping and entertainment complex, which also includes the new National Museum of African American Music. I haven’t been to the museum yet, but I have heard that it’s incredible. And, of course, when you’re downtown, you’ll want to visit the Ryman Auditorium, which is also known as the Mother Church of Country Music, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. 

Another walking adventure I recommend is Radnor Lake Park, a 1300-acre natural area inside the Metro Nashville City Limits. You can walk and hike there, and depending on the day you go, you will see anything from wild turkeys to turtles to eagles to deer. 

For a more urban walking adventure, and one that’s all under roof, check out the Gaylord Opryland Resort, which has acres of gardens under glass. While you’re there, grab a burger at Stax in the Delta Atrium. And if you are visiting at Christmas, which is a great time to be there, make reservations to see The Oak Ridge Boys Christmas in Tennessee dinner show, which runs from November 24-Christmas Day this year. 

SW: Oh, a couple new places for me to visit, too! Nashville is such a fun city to explore.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Deadly Connection? 

This book, which is the second in The Deadly Secrets series, has some interesting characters. It was fun writing them. There’s Dixie Grace, who may be a lot like your favorite aunt. She provides the fun, the food, and the spiritual foundation for the story. 

Hannah Cassidy is the heroine. She’s a successful singer-songwriter, who narrowly escapes being snatched from a parking lot in Nashville’s Hillsboro Village. But that’s just the beginning. Hannah’s hero is TBI Special Agent Jake Matheson, and together Hannah and Jake chase down a major player in human trafficking in Middle Tennessee. Along the way, they also find each other.

Other characters include Dixie’s six-year-old, autistic grandson, Brandon, and Dixie’s boyfriend, Roland Davis. They both play an important role in the story. But it’s the antagonist—whose identity isn’t revealed until near the end—who provides the biggest plot twist in the book.

SW: I enjoyed the book and loved Dixie and Roland (but really felt for the latter).

Let's wrap things up with the most important question: How can we pray for you? 

Thank you for asking! I’m always in need of wisdom and direction, not only for my writing, but for life in general. I love to stay busy, and I tend to take too much on. I would appreciate prayers for decision making. Not only for myself, but for my elderly mother. I’m her sole remaining family guardian, and I want to be the best daughter I can be for her. 

SW: We will certainly pray for you and your mother as well as direction in other areas of your life. Thank you again for taking the time out of your busy new release schedule to share a little about yourself with us.

About the Book

Will they uncover the secrets between them before it becomes deadly?

After fending off a would-be abductor, 27-year-old singer-songwriter Hannah Cassidy hides behind a car in the half-empty parking lot behind Pancake Pantry in Nashville. From there, she watches in horror as her attacker grabs another woman and pushes her into a nearby car. Within seconds, the vehicle speeds away.

TBI Special Agent Jake Matheson may have planned a quiet day off and a date with Shannon―the only name her online profile revealed―for an introductory lunch, but after pulling into a parking space on 21st Avenue South, he hears a scream. He races to the back of the building and finds a frightened young woman bent forward and gasping for breath.

Thrown together by uncanny circumstances and driven by the whys and what-ifs of secrets yet to be revealed, Hannah and Jake set out to find the connection between them before it becomes deadly.

Purchase Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | Christianbook