Monday, August 4, 2014

Author Spotlight + GIVEAWAY: Anita Higman


It is a pleasure to welcome Anita Higman back to The Power of Words! I always enjoy the enchanting characters, storylines, humor and faith that are part of everything she writes - and she is a sweet, caring person.

Today, Anita will tell us about her short novella, A Matchmaker in Middlebury, which follows up on characters from A Marriage in Middlebury. Anita can certainly pack a lot into a short format - because it's highly entertaining, funny, and spiritually uplifting. You can see my review here.

Anita is giving away two print copies of the novel, A Marriage in Middlebury (reviewed here), and three digital copes of the novella, A Matchmaker in Middlebury. Entry details are at the end of this post.

These short-answer questions are a fun way to get to know a little about Anita . . .

Best present you ever received?
Recently, my husband bought me a Kindle for our 35 wedding anniversary. Not very romantic, but so appreciated!

Farthest place from home you’ve ever been? 
Melbourne, Australia. I loved it there!

What place or country would you like to visit? 
New Zealand and Norway

If you were a crayon, what color would you be? 
Lavender. It’s such a friendly color, don’t you think?

Biggest fear? 
Failure. Even the word has a nasty ring to it.

The last movie you watched and enjoyed? 
My Brilliant Career (oldie but goodie)

Favorite ice cream flavor? 
Licorice (black not red)

Biggest pet peeve? 
Unkind deeds, especially if they come from me!

If you were a given a gift card to any restaurant, where would you want to eat? 
My husband and I don’t eat out much anymore, but maybe it would be nice to go to a seafood place in Galveston.

What task do you dread doing each day (or week)? 
I hate housework of every kind. Don’t you? It requires no creativity, and when you’re finished you just have to do it all over again!

What are you currently reading for pleasure? 
Nothing right now, since I have two books under deadline. But I love to read the classics.



Q:  Tell us a bit about your novelette, A Matchmaker in Middlebury.

This novelette can be read as a standalone story, but it is also a sequel to the book, A Marriage in Middlebury. This new mini-tale is mostly comedy and could be considered dessert and coffee rather than a heavy meal. Matchmaker is priced at 99 cents. I hope you find it to be a tasty treat! Here’s a blurb:

"Meredith Steinberg takes the stage again in A Matchmaker in Middlebury and is given another chance to dance with destiny and meddle in the romantic affairs of two lovelorn singles. But Meredith’s skills as a yenta are stretched to the limit as she discovers that her golden egg-of-a-plan has a perilous crack. In the end, however, heartstrings are indeed knotted together as two singles find tender love—they’re just not the two people Meredith paired for marital bliss…"


Q:  Since A Matchmaker in Middlebury is a romantic comedy, do you consider yourself a funny person?

Sometimes I am. It depends on my mood. I don’t like hearing jokes or telling them, but I do like situation comedy, where people do and say off-beat things. I am a big fan of P.G. Wodehouse, and I’ve listened to hours of his work on CDs. He is an absolutely brilliant storyteller, and he’s hilarious. Anyway, his work sort of jangled my funny bone enough that I wanted to give comedy a try. I usually have some humor in my books, but this was a leap for me. I sincerely hope readers get some chuckles out of the story.


Q:  The heroine, Meredith, is a real hoot. Was her character inspired from someone you know?

It was a little bit. I have a lovely friend named Martha Marks, who’s done some stand-up comedy, and she inspired me to write this quirky and loveable character. In fact, I dedicated this novelette to her.


Q:  Do you think laughter is important in today’s culture?

Very much so. We seem to wake up angry and move way too fast. I think there is plenty of medical evidence now that shows we humans need to laugh more. It’s good for our health. And that’s what I hope to give readers—the gift of laughter.


Q:  What new projects do you have on the horizon?

I will have a new novel coming out later in 2014 entitled, A Question of Destiny. Here’s a sneak peek at the blurb for this book.

"Ian Chalmers, a multi-millionaire, is so captivated by Lucy O’Brien when he hears about her heroism that he decides to change Lucy’s life by giving her part of his fortune and by introducing her to his faithful and unmarried assistant, Andrew Whitfield. After Lucy accepts Ian’s ten million dollars, she struggles with the pressures and temptations that arise from living in the city with her newly acquired windfall. She wants to simplify her life by moving to the Texas Hill Country. But Lucy and Andrew have grown to care for each other, and with her move so far away, and his passion for living in the big city, they finds themselves at a crossroads. Through their menagerie of choices and follies, will Lucy and Andrew find their destinies in life and in love?"


Q:  Where can readers interact with you?

I have a Contact Me button my website at anitahigman.com or you can catch up with me on my Facebook Reader page. I’d love to hear from you!


Q:  Where can we find this novelette, A Matchmaker in Middlebury?

Here’s the link!
http://tinyurl.com/pr4etdq



____________________

GIVEAWAY


To enter the drawing for Anita's books, simply answer ONE of the short-answer questions I asked Anita at the beginning of this interview and leave your e-mail in a safe format. Also indicate which book you'd like to receive if you win - a print copy of A Marriage in Middlebury or a Kindle copy of the short story A Matchmaker in Middlebury. If you're willing, it's also helpful to share about this giveaway on Facebook.

Please "like" my Facebook page, ThePowerofWordsBookReviews, if you haven't already. And new followers of this blog are always welcome!


  • E-mail required, one entry per person. Odds of winning are based on number of entries.
  • Contest ends at midnight PST on Monday, August 11. No purchase necessary.
  • Winner will be chosen by Random.org and contacted by e-mail on Wednesday, August 13. Respond within 48 hours of notification or another winner will be chosen.
  • Eligibility: US residents, 18 and older

33 comments:

  1. My favorite ice cream flavor is Blue Moon. I've never heard of Black Licorice flavored ice cream, but it sounds amazing!

    I would love to win the print copy of A Marriage in Middlebury.

    dlkamstra(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. You ladies are getting to me with your ice cream flavors! If you see my reply, please share what "Blue Moon" tastes like.

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    2. Oh my goodness! I have to laugh because that is what everyone asks. And to be totally honest, I have no idea how to describe it other than delicious! So I googled it and it said: "Blue Moon is an ice cream flavor with bright blue coloring available in the Upper Midwest of the United States. The Chicago Tribune has described the ice cream as "Smurf-blue, marshmallow-sweet, and tasting remarkably like Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles."

      I'll agree with the smurf-blue part, but I'm not totally sure about Froot Loops and Fruity Pebbles. I think I've also heard that Blue Moon is the blue flavor in Superman ice cream. I know there are a lot of differing opinions on what it tastes like, and there is some mystery surrounding the recipes for it. I just know it tastes good and I love it. If you are ever in Michigan, you should stop by an ice cream shop and try some!

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    3. Thank you for taking the time to look this up, D.L.! "Blue Moon" sounds wonderful and I'm intrigued by all the creativity in some of these flavors, but Breyers coffee ice cream is about as adventurous as I get.

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  2. Farthest place from home? Connecticut. Where I met my hubs! Its so gorgeous there in the fall.

    A Marriage in Middlebury sounds like a great one for me!

    debrastevens452@gmail.com

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    1. Debra, I've been blessed to visit New England in the fall and totally agree that it is gorgeous. And Connecticut must be even more special because of meeting your husband there!

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  3. I would love to win either one of these.

    Black licorice flavored ice cream? Why? I've had sweet corn ice cream in Asia. Pretty normal there.
    Carol
    cgdinasia@yahoo.com

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    1. Carol, that's so funny! Sweet corn ice cream - I absolutely cannot imagine that flavor, much less liking it! I assume you ate it...was it good?

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  4. The farthest place I have been away from home was Sioux Falls, SD.
    The country I would most like to visit is Scotland.
    csgolden@rose.net

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    1. I'm with you on wanting to visit Scotland!

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  5. If I was a crayon I would be Cerelean. It's such a beautiful color and it's very calming.
    I would love to win the paperback "A Marriage In Middlebury". My email address is cspicuzza83@gmail.com

    Thank you for the chance to win!!!

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    1. Good choice of color, Christina. Even the name "cerelean" is calming.

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  6. Hi Carole! Thanks for introducing Anita Higman to us! And also for the opportunity to enter the giveaway! If I had my choice, I would want the print copy of "A Marriage in Middlebury". And to answer one of the questions, my favorite flavor of ice cream would have to be MOOSE TRACKS!! yum yum My e-mail add is ratsmith140(at)gmail(dot)com God's Blessings to you and Anita.

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    1. Rats, I always enjoy Anita's writing and hope you get to read one of her books soon. I love hearing all these favorite ice cream flavors! I'm pretty simple in that my favorite is Breyers coffee ice cream.

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  7. I would first like to thank you for this wonderful interview. Anita is a new author to me and I can't wait to read her books. If I win I would like a print copy of " A Marriage in Middlebury ". The furthest I have been from home would be Florida to visit family. I also must add my favorite ice cream flavor is Black Raspberry from the Strasburg Creamery in Lancaster,PA. ~ Blessings ~ lisastifler(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Lisa, I can't stand the seeds in raspberries, but love the flavor. Strasburg Creamery sounds like a place we have here, called the Marble Slab, where they mix flavors and fruits, etc. together in front of you.

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  8. Thanks for the enjoyable interview, Anita and Carole!!

    "A Matchmaker in Middlebury" sounds like such a cute book, and I love the story line of "A Question of Destiny" also. Anita sounds like a lady after my own heart - as with her, I dislike housework, love the color purple and it's shades, would love to visit New Zealand and Norway (as well as Scotland, the Holy Land, Australia, and more of the Polynesian Islands). I've always heard, and agree, that laughter is good for what ails one - and thinking that Liz Curtis Higgs must be one of the healthiest people alive (LOL)!!

    I love all kinds of ice cream, but peanut butter is probably my favorite. Not sure of the mileages, so the farthest would be either Alaska, Hawaii, or the Bahamas. The greatest gift I ever received - outside of my salvation and children - would be the condo in which I reside.

    Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!!

    bonnieroof60(at)yahoo(dot)com

    I am a subscriber and follower, also shared this post!!

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    1. Bonnie, I didn't know you were such a world traveler! I'm a little envious of you getting to visit Alaska, and would love to visit Norway and Scotland also. My daughter leads a campus ministry in Germany and I've visited her twice, which has been wonderful.

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    2. Travel is one of my passions, Carole - unfortunately, I've traveled little for the past 6 years (due to health and other issues). I hope to be able to correct that in the near future.

      Have you seen the Oberammergau Passion Play, performed every 10 years, in Oberammergau, Bavaria, Germany?? I would love to see it!! I was a cast member of a passion play - which God used to turn my life around - so passion plays are special to me and I attend new ones as often as possible.

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  9. The best present I ever received was a homemade quilt for my birthday that my daughter made showing all the phases of my life, with handwritten blocks from family members and photos of my kids, grandkids and family. Loved it. Sonja dot Nishimoto at gmail dot com

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    1. Sonja, I love the quilts my mom bought me over the years, but there's nothing as precious as the one you described. I'd be afraid to use it!

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  10. Cracker Barrel is a chain of restaurants found in our area of the United States and I love to eat there so a gift card to CB is always appreciated. I would prefer a print copy of A Marriage in Middlebury.
    Thanks for this giveaway.
    Connie
    cps1950@gmail.com
    Cps1950 at gmail dot com

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    1. Connie, I LOVE Cracker Barrel!! I can almost taste their hashbrown casserole and sawmill gravy right now!

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  11. Great interview! I LOVE A Marriage in Middlebury and the new novella, A Matchmaker in Middlebury is starting out to be a great book too but I have never read a book of Anita's I didn't love! Shared all over, Carole, and exclude me from the giveaway because I have both books already. :)

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    1. Wanda, I'm the same way about Anita's writing, and I especially enjoyed the humor in A Matchmaker in Middlebury. Thanks for taking the time to comment and also for sharing.

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  12. The restaurant that I would like to have a gift certificate to is Panera. I just love soups and sandwiches. I would rather have a hot bowl of soup and a sandwich on some yummy fresh-baked bread than a steak or lobster. I would like the book since I have not had the chance to read it. donvelma@gmail.com

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    1. Velma, I probably love soup as much as you and will have to try Panera.

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  13. Anita Higman's books are wonderful reads, their is romance, humor, you will love her characters, its about everyday people living their lives in their own small town with family and/or friends. Would love to win another book. I've read most of Anita's books.

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    1. I totally agree with your description of Anita's books, Pat! Be sure to leave your e-mail address in order to enter the drawing.

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  14. This book sounds really good!!
    sierrafaith327(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Sierra. To enter the giveaway, be sure to follow the directions posted above. Thanks!

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  15. The farthest I have ever been from home is Stuttgart Germany from Texas. I was in the Army at the time. fishingjan(at)aol(dot)com

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  16. Congratulations to Carol and Lisa Stifler! You each won a print copy of A Marriage in Middlebury.

    No one actually indicated in the comments that they would like a digital copy of A Matchmaker in Middlebury. There are three copies available, so if anyone would like these, speak up now!

    And a special thank you goes to Anita Higman, who is always a delight to host on this blog. Anita, your writing is inspirational and enjoyable, and I hope you will visit The Power of Words again soon.

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