by Kristan Higgins, author of All I Ever Wanted, on sale everywhere August 1!
Hello! It’s so nice to be here today! I’m very excited to chat about my new book, All I Ever Wanted. A romantic comedy set in a small town in Vermont…a brooding veterinarian…a sunny heroine…a couple of wicked cute dogs…a quirky family…I hope you’ll have a lot of fun with it!
One of the things I love about this book is, of course, the hero. Ian is a man incapable of lying, even when lying might be a good idea. Ian is honest to a fault…he can’t schmooze, he doesn’t sugarcoat anything, refuses to play along with anything. So different from Callie, who feels the need to make everyone like her. Callie will do just about anything to keep on the sunny side, overlook anything, go to any lengths to paint people in the most flattering light. No matter what life throws at her, Callie’s determined to make lemonade, as it were. Ian—well, Ian seems to prefer animals to humans. He’s a vet for a reason. Theirs is definitely a case of opposites attract. Ian’s been burned in the past, and not in the way you might expect, so he’s rightfully suspicious when Callie turns up in his office to check him out. A single guy in a small town is not going to go unnoticed by the female population, after all!
Another thing I had a lot of fun with in this book was the family, especially Callie’s grandfather, Noah. He’s a crusty old Vermonter who tells it like it is, and Callie adores the guy, even when she’s picking up his dirty dishes. Add Callie’s parents, who are attempting a reconciliation (well, sort of), her older sister, a fertility doctor with a grudge, and Fred, Callie’s wise-cracking baby brother…ah, families! No one loves us or knows us quite the way they do…but no one drives us quite as crazy, either.
As for the pets, well, I’ll admit that I love animals, so writing a vet hero was bound to happen. I’m the proud owner/best friend of Digger, a black lab mutt (I based the dog in my first novel on him). I’m also the obedient servant/doorman for our cat, Cinnamon. In this book, you’ll find Bowie, a dog as cheerful as his owner, and the rather perfect and elegant Angie, who fits Ian’s life to a T. Including pets in a story was a natural thing for me…owning a pet shows a commitment to another living creature, a selflessness and gives a person companionship, loyalty and friendship. Who doesn’t want all those nice things, right?
I hope you’ll enjoy All I Ever Wanted and can’t wait to hear some of your comments, answer some of your questions and hear about what you love in a romance. Thanks for dropping by!
To celebrate the upcoming release of All I Ever Wanted, we’re giving away five sample copies of the book, which includes an excerpt from both All I Ever Wanted and The Next Best Thing, as well as a coupon for $1 off the purchase price of All I Ever Wanted. To enter, please leave a comment about your favorite pet on this blog post before 12:00 AM EST Monday, July 26th. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to residents of the U.S. as the coupon is only valid there. Click here for full contest rules.
HI YOU KNOW I LOVE YA, ALL YOUR BOOKS HAVE BEEN AWSOME.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT MY CURRENT CAT IS THE MOST LOVING I’VE EVER HAD, AND I’VE HAD THEM MY WHOLE LIFE,
HE’S REALLY A DOG IN A CAT SUIT, NOT INDEPENDENT AT ALL, LET’S MY 4 YR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER CART HIM ALLLLL OVER
TOO SWEET TO BE A CAT REALLY
KEEP THE GOOD BOOKS COMING WE NEED YOU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My parents picked Luke, I just addled the little :O)
I like the cover. The dog’s color goes so well with the fall leaves. Our neighbor has 2 beautiful Irish Setters. I think I’d like a story with a crusty vet and a happy girl who turns his life right side up!
My DOG: We brought home a Shetland Sheepdog Sandie Mac(Sandie MacGregor) when I was in 2nd grade. I loved that dog. We played everyday. I took him on walks, cleaned up after him. The morning that I was to leave for college I found him dead at the end of my bed. It still upsets me when I think back on that day.
I’ve never owned a pet after that experience.
Tami, loved your description of your doggy! Sounds like a peach, OCD or no OCD…
Amelia, Dakota Lou is such a GREAT name! Don’t be surprised if it turns up in one of my books. I tend to steal pet names from my friends and readers!
Jennifer, in ALL I EVER WANTED, Callie’s dog is a Siberian Husky mutt. Hope you’ll like him! He’s a sweetheart.
Hi, Pam! So nice to see your name here! I’m working away on writing more books, not to worry (and thanks!).
Laurie G, isn’t that cover so pretty? The Harlequin art department is just the best. Must’ve been so hard to find your dog like that…but from his point of view, what a perfect end to a long and happy life. Still. Got rather weepy reading that.
Kristan,
YES!, Chai and Oliver get along and play together VERY well. They’re about the same size.
I have pictures of *BOTH* on my facebook page, with all my pictures, under *MY PETS*
My dog, Beau, would have been the perfect man, had he been able to stand on two legs. Lived 16 years, didn’t want to leave me. It really was true love for both of us. He used to diss my old man all the time. hehe what can i say, he was a good judge of character!
my mamerra shepherd nevada has stayed faithfully by my side for 14 years now, he’s seen me through disasters that would fell any man except my current husband and this is the first man he has accepted as part of the family. so i’m hoping the end of our travels has come. i have aspergers and without the unconditional love of my canine companion i would have given up on life