Title: Just for Fun
Author: Rosalind James
About the book: What if the person who broke your heart turned out to be the only one who could mend it?
Nic Wilkinson is a responsible, organized, disciplined rugby player at the top of his game. Emma Martens is a sometimes-scattered, often-emotional, and always-broke would-be designer with a big chip on her shoulder where Nic's concerned.
They have no history together, except one perfect week. Nothing in common anymore, except the most important thing of all. Getting together again would be messy. Complicated. Scary. And, just maybe, worth every risk.
My thoughts: I enjoyed reading this book and it taught me a little about rugby as well! Nic and Emma met on an airplane, under not the best of circumstances. Emma had just been jilted at the altar and was on her way to Fiji, for what was supposed to have been her honeymoon. She was young, emotional, and suddenly single. Nic was young, on a holiday from rugby, and when Emma fell in his lap - literally - there was nothing stopping them from having some fun. Unfortunately, that week of fun left some complications, namely, a son.
Emma tried for months to reach Nic, but was shot down by the team publicist every time. When she finally contacted a lawyer, he didn't even believe her story, so she admitted defeat and gave up. When Nic shows up years later, at a rugby practice of her son's, fate takes its course.
I loved the chemistry between Emma and Nic - and the way the author made it feel genuine - and not one of those "oh, nice to see you again, let's hop back into bed." They had to learn to trust each other, and Emma had to believe that it was the right thing for her - their - son.
If you are looking for a good romance to enjoy (on a snowy day if you are here in the midwest), then get yourself a copy of Just For Fun! Purchase links are below, or you can get a chance to win a copy at Reading Addiction Blog Tours.
~I received a complimentary Ecopy of Just For Fun from Reading Addiction Blog Tours in exchange for my unbiased review.~
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Please enjoy this interview with Rosalind James, provided by Reading Addiction Blog Tours.
Your series is called
“Escape to New Zealand.” Why New Zealand?
I spent 15 wonderful months living and working in New
Zealand, and fell in love with the country. The beauty and diversity of the landscape
(not to mention the seascapes), the Maori culture and its integration into the
country’s life, and, perhaps more than anything, the people: modest,
good-humored, unfailingly polite and hospitable, and so very funny. I think everyone would like to escape to New
Zealand—I know I did!
On the same note, why
did you decide on rugby players as heroes?
In New Zealand, being an All Black (a member of the rugby
team that represents the country in play against other nations) is the absolute
pinnacle of achievement—what every boy longs to be. But what’s different is
that the players are expected to be model citizens off the field as well. These
young men face so much pressure and are under such a spotlight—it’s a
completely different environment from the U.S. sports world. The combination of
superb athletic achievement and celebrity with the expectation that you’re
still a “regular Kiwi joker” or a “good bloke” makes for fascinating hero
material.
How many books have
you written and which is your favorite?
I’ve just finished my fourth book, Just for Fun. They are all my favorites while I’m writing them!
Here’s how they fall out for me:
Most cathartic to write/favorite hero: Just This Once
Snarkiest banter/most interesting research (Maori hero): Just Good Friends
Funniest/easiest to write: Just for Now
Sexiest/most heart-tugging: Just for Fun
Do you see yourself
in your heroines? Which of them is most like you?
There’s something of me in all my heroines. Most like me:
absolutely Hannah, in Just This Once. People
say “write what you know,” so I did! That book has a fair amount of
autobiography in it. The funny thing is that some reviewers haven’t liked her
as well as my other heroines (I try not to take it personally!). They’ve
thought her emotional issues should be resolved once she meets our wonderful
hero. If only life worked that way, huh?
Least like me: Kate, from Just Good Friends. I wish I
were that confident and tough.
What surprises your
friends about your books?
That they’re so steamy! J
When did you begin
writing?
I’d been a marketing writer for 10 years, but I never had a
thought of writing fiction.
I was on holiday in New Zealand with my husband almost exactly one year ago,
and I had a story unfolding in my head as I
so often do.
For some reason, instead of telling myself to stop daydreaming, I let the story
continue for days. I asked my husband, "Do you think I could write a
book?" and being the great guy he is, he said, "Of course!" So I
had him stop the car in Te Kuiti and bought a notebook, paper, and a pen. It
was Oh So Scary to write the first sentence of “Just This Once.” But within two
weeks, I was writing six hours a day on top of my regular job, and I knew this
was all I wanted to do.
How long did it take to complete your
first book?
Six weeks, while working at my “real job.” (I finished the
book and quit the job.) I think up/write/edit a book in about three months, but
that's because I've been a professional writer working to deadline for so
long--writing my own stories is so much more fun, it's just a matter of keeping
up on paper with what's in my head.
I notice that you’re
self-published. Did you try the traditional publishing route first? Any advice
for other writers considering self-publishing?
I queried agents for about 3 months with "Just This
Once," and got requests for more of the book from a few agents and one
publisher. One day in June, I heard back from a very prominent agent, who'd
requested the full manuscript, that she really enjoyed the story, but that
"New Zealand rugby" would be too tough of a hook. An hour earlier,
I'd heard from my doctor, who said, "I'm referring you to the oncologist,
because we can't tell what your tumor is." My first thought was, thank God
my children are grown. And my second was, thank God I have had the chance to
find out what I wanted to do in life, and to do it. The one thing I knew for
sure was that I didn't want to die without publishing my books.
And the other thing I knew for sure was that "New Zealand rugby" was
a GREAT hook! I finished writing "Just for Now" two days before going
into the hospital and started editing again seven days after surgery. I decided
that I still didn't want to die without publishing my books, so within a month,
I’d published all three! And by the way: I’m not dying anytime soon, unless I
get hit by a truck—lots more time, I hope, to write lots more books!
We’re living in a wonderful time when you can see for
yourself if your book has “sales appeal” or not. Why not give it a try and see?
The risk and cost are low--professional editing and cover design, an author
website. The dream, of course, is to get that lucrative publishing contract—but
whether or not that happens, doing it this way is working great for me so far,
and I’m so very thankful to have the opportunity to share my work with so many
people.
What have you learned
from writing and publishing your books?
Life is all about taking risks. Anything that’s worth doing
is going to be scary. The trick is to feel the fear and go ahead and do it
anyway. Fall in love, write a book, pursue your dreams. That’s the underlying theme
of my books, and my life.
You can connect with Rosalind at the following sites:
Website/Blog: http://www.rosalindjames.com
Twitter: @RosalindJames5
(https://twitter.com/RosalindJames5)
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rosalindjames/rosalind-james/
