“BLANK” Makes Me Happy – Sarah Addison Allen
23 Mar 2011 100 Comments
in BLANK Makes Me Happy, Sarah Addison Allen Tags: friendship, magic, magical realism, romance, Sarah Addison Allen, The Peach Keeper
Hi there!
This month’s feature is with one of my very favorite authors. I discovered Sarah’s books early last year and she immediately moved to my ”must read everything she ever wrote right this minute… now… now… now” list. I think I would love to live next door to her, and have lunch with her once a week just to see what amazing things she’s come up with.
Here’s a list she sent me with some things that made her happy on a day not long ago…
Five Things that Made Me Happy Today:
- Hitting three green lights in a row. It’s like they knew.
- Overhearing a kid in the grocery store say, “I can hear the chocolate from here. It’s calling me.”
- Having my cat greet me when I came in the door. You have no idea how rare this is. Most of the time he doesn’t even know I’m gone. I think this had something to do with the fact that I was carrying his food.
- The ding my computer makes when I have a new e-mail.
- The Olive and Cocoa (www.oliveandcocoa.com) candy care package a friend just sent me. Grapefruit jellies and pink gumballs. How could that not make you happy?
**Can I just say that I LOVE she sent a list! When you read The Peach Keeper, you’ll know why that tickles me, lol.**
After I got the list, and read the new book… I had a few questions for her…
1) Did you blow at the lights to make them change (a la Whoopie Goldberg in the movie Corrina, Corrina)?
- No, but I did hold my breath. Maybe that helped.
2) Do you have a standard “ding” when you get email, or have you customized your sounds so a sexy-man-voice (or other lovely sound) introduces your incoming correspondence?
- I had no idea you could customize the sound! I just switched computers from PC to Mac. There’s nothing like trying to learn a new computer to make you feel about a hundred years old.
3) If you were to visit Au Natural Sporting Goods and Cafe, what drink would you order from Rachel, and what would she think your order said about you?
- Rachel would have a field day with me. I don’t actually like coffee.
4) There seems to be a good ending point for The Peach Keeper two chapters before the book actually ends. (Not to say I don’t appreciate the last two chapters, because I absolutely do. Just that it would have kept the secret a secret.) Was there ever a chance you would end the story WITHOUT the details in chapter eighteen?
- The only trouble I had with that secret was where to put it in the story — reveal it early or leave it until the end? But there was never a question of leaving it out. I thought it was too important.
5) I literally clapped a little when Claire Waverley showed up at Moira’s event. This is the first time, I think, that you’ve crossed a character over from another story. Was this something you intended to do, or did Claire just “appear” in the story? If it was planned, will we see more crossovers in future books?
- I didn’t plan it, but as soon as that party scene appeared, I knew who catered it. It was so much fun writing those characters from Garden Spells into The Peach Keeper. I don’t know if there will be more crossovers in future books, but if the opportunity presents itself, it could happen!
7) Can you give us a one sentence teaser from your WIP?
- “Never underestimate the power of scent. Just a whiff of something has the power to change someone’s mind.”
OOOHHHH… I love sneak peeks 
Not a lot to go on, but I know whatever Sarah’s got up her sleeve is going to be fantastic!
Before we get to the part where you can WIN SOMETHING FROM ME… here are a few awesome things Sarah has to offer…
- The Peach Keeper Book Trailer
- Monthly Facebook Contest For Limited Edition Yankee Candles With Book Cover Labels
- Extra Goodies & Tidbits From The Peach Keeper On Her Website
And in case you missed them…
Now is when I get to share this incredible story with one of YOU!! The major theme of The Peach Keeper is friendship. So… to win a brand new, hard cover copy of the book, tell me something about your best friend that makes you happy. Please also include your first name and email address so I can notify you if you win. Winner will be chosen by random drawing among all qualifying commenters. Deadline to comment is Thursday, March 24th, at midnight. Winner will have one week to respond or another will be randomly chosen.
I can’t wait to hear what you all think about Sarah’s books, and especially about The Peach Keeper! Be sure to come back after you’ve read it. Happy reading… and GOOD LUCK!
