Author Interview- Alana Lorens

Starting our week off right, we have back with us author Alana Lorens. Last week she shared her suspense, ENCOUNTER. Today she has her heart tugging fiction, SECOND CHANCES.

Tell me three words that describe yourself starting with A, B, and C.

Adventurous

Barefoot

Creative

What are your three favorite things?

I love travel, good food and candlelight.

If you could spend the day with any celebrity, who would it be?

I confess, I’ve had a huge crush on Nathan Fillion ever since Firefly. So it would be amazing to be able to spend a day with him, even on the set of Castle. As long as I didn’t drool too much. J I’d hate to embarrass myself.

Squeee, I love Nathan as Richard Castle, all that charisma- "I really am ruggedly handsome!". He plays the role so well.

Favorite item of clothing in your closet?

Currently it’s a burgundy print fuzzy tunic—3/4 length sleeves, which are good for my fibromyalgia, not too heavy so it doesn’t hurt to wear it, and its velvety feel makes me feel extravagant. And it matches my new ruffle scarf PERFECTLY.

When not writing, what can you be found doing?

In addition to writing, I am practicing law, too, so I struggle to find writing time some days. It does make me feel good to help people, especially if they’re in a bad situation and something I can do helps them get to a place where they’re happy and safe.

Blurb:

When Inessa Regan gets a pink slip, laid off from her law firm at the age of 42, without prospects she’s sure her life is over. She hides from the world, until her neighbor brings her a client, a young Iraq war veteran dying of cancer.

Kurt Lowdon only wants to make sure his affairs are in order should the worst happen, but meeting Inessa gives him encouragement on the road to recovery. His quest to help her realize her self-worth leads them into dangers they never expected, as horrors from the war and long-hidden family secrets come back to haunt them.

Excerpt:

Inessa had visited the Pittsburgh IKEA store half a dozen times before, addicted to the simple, classic furniture designs and colorful décor items, but none of those experiences had ever been like this.

Perhaps the difference was because Kurt was a man, maybe it was the purpose of the visit, but she had fun. Negotiating the departments along the store’s one-way dictated path became an adventure different from any she’d had with a girlfriend.

The things that attracted Kurt’s attention! Forget the Swedish meatballs. He raved about a cushy pillow in shades of spring green and chocolate. He bought new towels in bright red and orange. Every gadget fascinated him, and he dug a sample out of the bins to test each one.

When they passed one bedroom set-up, the downy beige and green comforter was softly rumpled, as if the owner had just climbed out seconds before. “That looks comfortable.” he exclaimed, and he scrambled right in.

“Kurt!” She’d looked around, mortified. Several young couples passing by in madras Dockers and khakis stopped to stare; some smiled.

“What? This is a display bed. You’re supposed to try it out. Come on.” He held up the covers for her to join him. The mischievous expression on his face broke her up, embarrassed as she was.
                “I don’t think so. You rest. I’ll be looking at office supplies.”

“Spoilsport. No one will care if you romp in the bedroom department at IKEA. Look, now everyone else is, too.” He gestured to several displays around them as other customers climbed onto neighboring beds, laughing and teasing each other. When she still held back, he affected a pout and pushed himself out, smoothing the bedspread again. “All right. Business first. Let’s go.”

Over the next couple of hours and the seeming miles of displays, he thoughtfully helped her select what she needed—a desk, comfortable chairs for her consulting clients, bookshelves for her legal research materials—but also remained playful. He had to experiment with every one of the wheeled desk chairs, spinning them around until he found the one with the least traction. “Try this one. It’s better than Kennywood.”

She laughed and checked the growing list of items on the small screen of her Blackberry, and the total she’d be spending. The thought of invading her cushion money sent little electric quivers through her midsection, but now that she was committed to this, it had to be done. “I think that does it.”

“Pick-up downstairs.”

They went down to the first floor and traversed the long rows of cardboard boxes, loading the ones they’d chosen onto a flatbed cart. He grabbed a new desktop set in green and blue. “You need this.”

“I need it? For what?”

“Just for fun.”

“Fun? It’s for work. Work’s not about fun.”

“Every moment should be about fun, counselor. Every moment.”

Buy Links:   ALANALORENS.COM         Amazon

Be sure to drop by next Monday for another chat with Alana.