It Started With Paris by Cathy Kelly – Q&A (Prepared) & Giveaway (3 copies-US/Canada)

The final selection in the Grand Summer Reads from Hachette Book Group is It Started With Paris by Cathy Kelly and I can’t think of anything more perfect to relax with in the summer sun than a book from Cathy Kelly.  I’ve read many of her books over the years and really enjoyed them and I’m looking forward to this one too!  Please enjoy the Q&A with Cathy Kelly and be sure to enter for a chance to win a copy of It Started With Paris for yourself!

Q&A with author Cathy Kelly (prepared interview)

1. What, in your opinion, makes a Grand Summer Read?

A book that makes you feel as if you’re on vacation, even when you’re not – and a book that transports you to another world. For me, a Grand Summer Read is a book I simply can’t wait to dive into, like diving into clear blue water on a summer’s day.

2. Tell us about your own Grand Summer Read, IT STARTED WITH PARIS.

The novel is about a thrilling and romantic engagement on top of the Eiffel Tower, and what that forthcoming marriage means to three women at the heart of the story. For school principal Grace, the groom-to-be’s mother, it means spending time with her ex-husband, a man she still cares for, a man who has managed to forge a new life when her own is lacking in romance. Spending time with him again makes her wonder, “What if…?”  For movie-industry marketing boss, Leila, the bride-to-be’s best friend, it means being happy for her darling friend—and trying not to show how devastated she is about her own husband dumping her after six months of marriage. And for Boston-born widow Vonnie, who has made a new life for herself and her young son in a beautiful Irish town after the tragic death of her husband, it means another job for her wedding cake business. Vonnie has found new love but not everyone wants that love to succeed. My novels are about strong women and what they’ve got to go through to find love and peace—with plenty of humor, thrown in, plus the odd crazy dog who has a better choice in boyfriends than her owner! 

3. What have you read and/or plan to read this summer? 

I’m a huge fan of Elin Hilderbrand and plan to reread some of her glorious work on our holiday in Marbella in Spain. Plus, I adore thrillers, so am looking forward to getting stuck into the new Nelson DeMille, Radiant Angel. I also have Toni Morrison’s God Help The Child ready to pack. 

4. Where are some of your favorite places/spots to read during the summer? 

I live in a glorious Irish village about forty minutes from Dublin city on Ireland’s east coast, and we have a sloping garden where I can see both the sea and the Wicklow hills. Wicklow is Ireland’s Garden County, having plenty of glorious woods and hills beside the Irish Sea. I love sitting in my garden, under the huge trees, reading with my three darling Jack Russell dogs snoozing beside me with the sea in the distance. I don’t tan due to having skin cancer some years ago, but when my husband and twin sons and I are somewhere hot, I love sitting (with Factor 90 sunblock) in the shade on a sun lounger and reading. 

5. Finally, what books do you recommend to people looking for a Grand Summer Read? 

I’ve just read Elin Hilderbrand’s The Rumor and it’s unputdownable, particularly as it’s about a writer who discovers a thrilling new plot that’s about her best friend, whom she would destroy if she actually wrote the story. For psychological thrillers, I also recommend Jean Hanff Korelitz’s You Should Have Known, which is about a therapist who has just written a book about relationships. In it, the therapist explains the importance of knowing your mate before you marry, so you don’t spend years trying to fix the unfixable. And then she discovers that her pediatric oncologist husband is not who he appears to be. Thrilling.

About the Book

The new novel from #1 international bestselling author Cathy Kelly.

It all started with Paris. At the top of the Eiffel Tower, a young man proposes to his girlfriend. In that second, everything changes, not just for the happy couple, but for the family and friends awaiting their return in Ireland.

Leila’s been nursing a broken heart since her husband suddenly left her, but she’s determined to put on a brave face for the bride. Vonnie, a widow, has finally dared to let love back into her life, but a curveball arises that puts another’s safety at risk. And Grace, a school principal, finds that her son’s impending union brings her ex-husband back into her daily life, and starts to ponder past decisions and wonder if her divorce was in fact a mistake.

As these three women gather around the young couple to prepare for the wedding, they’ll each have to address their own demons and find a way to move forward, whatever the cost.

Listen to Cathy talk about her experience in the studio for IT STARTED WITH PARIS!
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Praise for It Started With Paris

“IT STARTED WITH PARIS is a huge bear hug of a novel. Cathy Kelly has written a warm hearted story of the inevitable roller coaster of romantic love and the more important task of loving one’s self. I savored every page of this book.” — Elin Hilderbrand, author of The Rumor

“Each character in this expansive cast is well-developed . . . Kelly is a skilled writer.” — Kirkus

“The ripples from a couple’s engagement reach out to others. Nobody can dictate what happens when it comes to love. By the end of Kelly’s novels, I always feel I’ve made new friends. As warm-hearted and wise as ever.” — Woman & Home

About the Author

Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of copies of her books in print. A #1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland and Australia, she is one of Ireland’s best-loved storytellers. She lives with her husband, their young twin sons, and their three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Find Cathy: Website, Facebook, Twitter

GIVEAWAY – OPEN TO US & CANADIAN RESIDENTS
3 copies up for giveaway!
*CLICK HERE* and fill out the form to enter
Draw Date August 23/15

Source: Post information received from the publisher as well as Cathy Kelly’s website. Giveaway sponsored by publisher.

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