Book Blurb:
Look up the word “nerd” and you’ll find Lily Bailey’s picture. She’s got one goal: first stop valedictorian, next stop Harvard. Until a stint in the hospital from too much stress lands her in the last place a klutz like her ever expected to be: salsa dance lessons.
Look up the word “popular” and you’ll find Stone Torres’s picture. His life seems perfect—star of the football team, small-town hero, lots of friends. But his family is struggling to make ends meet, so if pitching in at his mom's dance studio helps, he’ll do it.
When Lily’s dad offers Stone extra cash to volunteer as Lily’s permanent dance partner, he can’t refuse. But with each dip and turn, each moment her hand is in his, his side job starts to feel all too real. Lily shows Stone he's more than his impressive football stats, and he introduces her to a world outside of studying. But with the lines blurred, can their relationship survive the secret he's been hiding?
Find out more about the book on Goodreads and pick up a copy from Entangled Publishing
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I was recently able to pick Rachel's brain about romance, writing and reading and you can read her answers below!
1. What is your favorite thing about writing romances?
Oh, tough question! There is so much to love about romance, isn’t there? The warm, fuzzy, hopeful feeling you get being in that world. The escape from the everyday existence that can be filled with harsh words, cruel intentions, and where the good guy doesn’t always win. To me, romance is pure joy and it’s my happy place. I love reading it—even with a busy schedule homeschooling my girls and writing, I read 5-7 romances a week—and when it comes to writing, there’s no question that a romance has to be integral to the plot. I write what I like to read as I’ll always be a reader first.
That being said, my FAVORITE part of writing a romance has to be during the plotting phase of writing, where I’m fleshing out my characters, and I dig deep to find what types of personality traits will boost the other person…and which traits will poke at them. What will cause conflict and irritation, what will challenge them, and what will give them something they didn’t even knew they were missing. Determining those puzzle pieces is definitely my favorite part. Well, along with the casting 😉
2. Is it challenging to switch between YA and adult genres when writing?
I wouldn’t say it’s challenging, as I love writing both, and in my head, I’ll always be a bit of a teenager (*wink*), but I admit that sometimes I’m just not in the mood to write a particular genre. I go through phases. I also go through phases in my reading preferences so it shouldn’t really surprise me. While I pull on personal experience for both genres, my adult books tend to be more about my current experience or feelings or view on the world, although told in a much more humorous and idealized setting, where my YA books tend to be more fantasy/wish fulfillment. They both make me happy and give different elements to my creative outlet.
3. Are any of your characters based on real people in your life?
In EYES ON ME, the dance instructor is based on a real-life person who was actually one of my dance instructors. She’s one of those people you meet and think, you need to be immortalized in fiction. She’s fierce and sassy and so warm that I couldn’t help but smile whenever she “walked” onto the page.
Other than that, there are shades of me in every heroine I write, though I’d say Aly in THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING is the most like me. Her story was actually inspired by things that happened in my real life, though she ended up learning how to love herself a lot quicker than I did. Actually, writing her story helped to heal some of my own insecurities, so that was pretty awesome. Oh, and Tyler in ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE is the hero most inspired by my husband. He loves leaving Post-It notes on my mirror that I save and cherish, and he won my heart in college playing guitar. His loyalty and love for his family also come from him 😊
4. Are you a pantser or plotter in your writing style?
HUGE, HUGE plotter! Like, my plots are sometimes 40 pages. I’ve actually started calling them Zero Drafts, because that’s kind of what they become. Before I write a book, I need to know everything—I fully form my characters, I figure out all the plot points, I know scraps of dialogue, everything. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still surprises along the way. I may know what happens in a particular scene but there are still tons of ways to get to that same point. In fact, the only times I get writer’s block is when I accidentally write a scene the wrong way. Perhaps I made it too serious when I could’ve made it funnier or more romantic. Or maybe it’s the exact opposite. Once I go back and rework the scene—still working to and ending with the same result—I get unstuck and can move on.
5. What was your favorite book to write?
Ha! It sounds like such a cop-out answer, but they’re pretty much always my favorite right after I write them. They’re the closest to me at that moment, and honestly, they all challenge me or taught me something along the way.
That said, I can admit that there are certain books that have a slightly larger piece of my heart. THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING was the first book I ever wrote, although it came out a bit later. It is the one inspired by my real life and taught me a lot personally…and I just love those characters! ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED ON PURPOSE was just pure joy to write from start to finish. I don’t think I ever stopped smiling! And EYES ON ME, as obvious as that may seem, really inched out some of the others because of the journey I took with these characters. It’s the longest book I ever wrote, it covers deep, emotional, and important topics, yet it still has so much of that fun and romance that I love to write and read. There is hope in the pages and I’m really proud of the final product. I hope readers love it as much as I do!
6. What do you do when you get writers block?
(ha! Got ahead of myself there with question 4!)
7. Favorite book or author?
That’s almost as hard of a question as asking me my favorite book I’ve written! I can honestly say Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites that I re-read time and time again, but that’s almost a cliché with romance authors, right? For contemporary authors and works, I’d have to say Making Faces by Amy Harmon is a book that I cherish, and some of my favorite auto-buy authors are Ginger Scott, CM Owens, Kristen Ashley, Mariana Zapata, Tijan, and B.L. Brunnemer.
8. What are you currently reading or want to start?
I’m currently working through Aurora Rose Reynolds’ Until Her series, and on tap is Megan Brandy’s The Wrong Blaze.
9. Do you have a writing snack that you have to have when writing?
Peanut M&Ms are pretty vital when I’m at a hotel for an intense writing weekend, as is Diet Mountain Dew or Coke. I need that caffeine, y’all!
10. If you could be anything besides a writer, what would it be?
My main job is teaching my girls as a homeschool mom and I absolutely love it. But with them both teenagers now, my husband likes to tease me about what I’m going to do with myself once they are out of the house…well, other than cry lol. While writing more is probably high on the list, and reading even more than I currently do, I’ve thought about maybe going back to school for the next phase of my life. My degree is in Mass Communications, but I’ve always loved helping people, so going back for counseling or teaching would be fun.
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Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Harris writes humorous love stories about girls-next-door and the hot guys that make them swoon. Vibrant settings, witty banter, and strong relationships are a staple in each of her books…and kissing. Lots of kissing. Rachel’s books have been featured in USA Today and Glitter Magazine, and her stories have been finalists in the National Reader’s Choice Award, the Holt Medallion Award, and The Golden Quill.
An admitted bookaholic and homeschool mom, she gets through each day by laughing at herself, hugging her kids, and watching way too much Food Network with her husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult romances, and LOVES talking with readers!
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