**WIN A COPY OF ACT TWO BY LEAVING A COMMENT ON THIS POST. AND IF YOU HAVE A PIG STORY OF ANY KIND, I'LL PUT YOUR NAME IN TWICE FOR THE DRAWING!**I just finished reading Kimberly Stuart's book Act Two: A Novel in Perfect Pitch. I always hope I'm going to like a book that I'm reviewing--and I'm happy to say I thoroughly enjoyed Act Two. The faith angle was delicately woven through the plot and her characters were believable--some quirky, some appealing, some laugh-out-loud funny. I would have like to see Mac's character developed a bit more, but overall I heartily recommend Stuart's book as a great summer read!
An almost-has-been opera diva stranded on a pig farm in Iowa? Where did you get the idea for the book?
I can’t possibly reveal that to the blogosphere, and I say that only partly because I’ve always wanted to use the word blogosphere. The other reason is that this one percolated for awhile. There was no lightning bolt moment. But I will say that I’m always interested in putting quirky characters in situations that make them woefully uncomfortable and allow the reader to laugh with gusto both at and with the character. A New York opera diva on a farm seemed like a situation that might work for that purpose.
You've got arias versus country music and uptown versus rural. But what else is Act Two about?
Grace, redemption, my love and respect for both urban and rural dwellers, and the under-used gift of laughter.
What kind of research did you have to do for the book?
It was intense. Lots of dangerous, Indiana Jones-type adventures, plenty of nights under the stars and without food or running water. Actually, I traveled to New York and was shuttled around by dear friends who love their city and were infectious in their excitement.
I also relied heavily on dear friends who own a pig farm in northwestern Iowa. Anything I got right on this end is due to their diligence. Anything I goofed is my fault entirely. My husband will tell you I don’t always listen well.
Check out Kimberly's Web site. (Pssst! While you're there, enter her contest to win an iPod Nano!)
Here are the blogs featuring Kimberly during our June 30-July 11 tour.
A Christain Romance Writer’s Journey
Behind the Mountain
Blog Tour Spot
Book Nook Club
Book Room Reviews
Canadian Prairie Writer
Chatter Matters
FictionaryFootprints in the Sand
Gatorskunz and Mudcats
His Reading List
I Don’t Wanna Blog
In the Dailies
Kells Creative Musings
Life with Missy
Lighthouse Academy
Musings on This, That, and the Other
Net’s Notes
Real Women Scrap
Refresh My Soul
See Ya On the Net
Sips ‘N Cups Cafe
So Many Books. . . So Little Time
Sumballo
The Friendly Book Nook
The Law, Books and Life
The Surrendered Scribe
Toni V. Lee
Write by Faith
Writing on the Edge
4 comments:
Warning: my "pig story" is not for the faint of heart--or of stomach . . .
Living "off the land" in an African village meant that my first memories of pigs were of the annual village hog slaughter. I would watch my father and the other men, rowdy and lighthearted, as they hung hogs taller than themselves, upside down from the limbs of trees. They would then go about the unpleasant [but clearly enjoyable to them] tasks surrounding turning a recently-slaughtered hog into enough food to feed a village.
EEEEEEwwwwwwww!
the book looks interesting! so I have a pig memory...not a story, but I remember growing up we would go to a petting zoo each year with our school. one year there was a baby pig named piglet and I thought she was the cutest thing ever!
That's my pig memory! lol
Hi, All-
Thanks, Beth, for the kind words about ACT TWO. I'm so pleased you liked it and didn't have to fib OR dash my hopes to the literary rocks. :)
Love the pig stories--I'll pass the word among my farm peeps. Too bad we can't take a visual tour of the upcoming Iowa State Fair, during which the largest boars are crowned. Seriously. Last year's winner: Big Red, weighing in at 1203 pounds.
See why I write novels? All the material I neeed is in my backyard!
Best-
kimberly stuart
www.kimberlystuart.com
Visit and enter to win an iPod Nano!
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