Sit-Down Saturday with Carol Ross



A CASE FOR FORGIVENESS by Carol Ross


The past has its place…in the past! 
Innkeeper Shay James has been telling herself for a decade that she's over her ex-fiancé, Jonah Cedar. But now the Chicago attorney's come home to care for his ailing grandfather, reawakening powerful feelings—along with painful memories. Shay can't afford to repeat history. 
At twenty-two, Jonah couldn't wait to trade his secluded Alaska hometown for big-city success. Shay was supposed to share that dream. Yet even with unresolved issues between them, their connection is stronger than ever. Jonah's visit was only going to be temporary…until a threat to Shay's beloved Faraway Inn gives him a reason to stay and fight for that second chance.
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Where did you get the idea for A Case for Forgiveness?

The idea for this one was definitely character based. The heroine, Shay James, has a bit part in the first book in the Seasons of Alaska series as owner of the Faraway Inn and cousin of Mountains Apart hero Bering James. There is just something about her…  She's spunky--loyal, generous and thoughtful, but she also has a quick temper and a stubbornness that can (does) get her into trouble.  She’s so lovably flawed while she valiantly struggles with the hand fate has dealt her… She just had to have her own story.  And I'm so grateful to my editor Kathryn Lye who helped me figure out some critical plot details.

In looking at the cover, if you could add a caption or captions, what would they say?

Thank you, Harlequin, for the perfect cover? Okay, that might not be that great as a caption, but I do love it.  How about…forgiveness is one of the most valuable gifts we can give to ourselves. 

Who was your favorite character and why?

I am going to pick two because they are pretty much a team--Gramps and Doc.  Gramps (aka Caleb) is the hero’s grandfather and Doc is his long-time friend. They are loosely based on my own dad (who was called Papa by his family) and his friend of roughly sixty years, Warren. The joking, teasing, bickering, and unwavering love and loyalty were a joy for me to write.  I think Papa may have had a hand in helping me with some of the dialogue from his favorite fishing hole up in heaven.

What music would match the mood of this novel?

Country music fans think Rascal Flatts…. The beginning is ‘What Hurts the Most’ and ‘Prayin’ for Daylight’ while the end is ‘Bless the Broken Road’, with touches of ‘I Melt’ and ‘Mayberry’ throughout the entire book.

What is your favorite scene?

I love the scene where Jonah is playing bingo with the Senior Circle. Cynical about returning to Rankins and used to his action-packed big-city attorney lifestyle, needless to say he’s very reluctant to attend. But he soon gets caught up in the spirit of it. I got the biggest kick out of writing it, and this is where Jonah first begins to see that maybe Rankins isn’t quite as bad as he remembers even as he realizes his connection to Shay is just as strong as he recalls...

Tell us one thing you learned during research.

One of the best things about writing this series is researching the state of Alaska. I’m always learning something new and getting lost in (and inspired by) the most stunning photographs.  But for this book in particular I’m going to go with estate law and the Alaska Homestead Act. I was fascinated to learn that homesteading was possible in Alaska until 1986 (no, that’s not a typo).

How many books does this make for you? Exactly what does that mean to you?

A Case for Forgiveness is my second published novel. This one is huge for me in terms of confidence. I kept thinking with the first one that maybe it was just a fluke, that there had been some kind of mistake, or that my editor hadn’t really read it… I also love this book because it was the first time I made myself cry while writing--that felt like a milestone, too!

What do you plan to work on next? 

I am just finishing up book four in the Seasons of Alaska series and waiting on revisions for book three, which is due to be released in October. So very excited!

What are you reading for pleasure right now?

John Sandford’s Deadline, number eight in his Virgil Flowers series. John Sandford is one of my all-time favorite authors--I read everything he publishes. (I dream of going fishing with Virgil…)

And don't forget! There's still time to enter the Heartwarming Spring Fling!

 Awesome prizes & easy to enter--I promise!
Enter Here!
 

Comments

  1. The intro for A CASE FOR FORGIVENESS has certainly captured my interest, Carol, and! I look forward to seeing more of Alaska through your writing.

    As for your next book . . . it looks like we'll be sharing a release date.

    Happy reading, everyone!

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    1. Thank you, Kate! That's awesome news--I'm looking forward to being your book release buddy(:

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  2. Carol, I loved your Mountains Apart and I'm really looking forward to this book. I'm also so very glad you are continuing with the characters. That's something I adore about our Heartwarming is that we don't have to leave a special group after a few books or even a half a dozen. There are so many stories to be told and I'm thrilled you are telling them. Good luck!

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    1. Catherine, thank you so much! That means the world to me, especially coming from you. I agree with you about these Heartwarming series. I am having a ball sticking with these characters and the setting, both of which I have come to love (maybe a little too much--it's like they're real to me sometimes(:

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  3. Carol, I have this on my TBR stack and now I'll have to make time for it soon, because you make it sound so great. Glad you're keeping them coming.

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    1. Thanks, Roz! I really hope you enjoy it. It was so much fun to write.

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  4. I love Alaska as a setting! I don't know how you stopped researching long enough to write!

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    1. Exactly, Liz! Lol! It's not easy sometimes....

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  5. Carol - as a young woman I used to think how exciting it would be to travel the Al-Can Highway and see what's out there. Of course, practicality took over and I never did it. Now cruise boats go by my window, headed for Alaska and that has a real appeal, too. (Except that I hear you can't wear t-shirts and whites, you have to be bundled up.) Anyway - it's a setting that really intrigues me, and I love second chance stories. Anxious to read it and to follow you through many more Alaska adventures. Congratulations!

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    1. Muriel, me too! I would LOVE to take that trip. My husband and I had a trip planned some years ago to take a cruise to Alaska and then drive back. But life interrupted as it often does. I'm not giving up the dream though...

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  6. Looking forward to another Alaska adventure!

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    1. Thanks so much, Marion! I am in love with my Alaska setting. I am looking forward to seeing what's next from you, too(:

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  7. I love your caption idea! Haha. I would say I agree you have been blessed with some of the most beautifup covers! But the stories are so deserving of great covers because theh are equally fabulous. Keep 'em coming :)

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    1. Thanks, Amy! It's such a thrill when you get a cover you love, isn't it? And thank you for your kind words--you know that means the world to me coming from you!

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  8. What can I say Carol. You just put me in further anticipation of reading A Case for Forgiveness. We both know how much I loved Mountains Apart. I can assure you it wasn't a fluke, and feel safe saying that your editor really read it and enjoyed it too. Congratulations on your second book. I can hardly wait to get started on it.

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    2. Laurie! Sorry, I somehow missed your comment... Thank you so much for your kind words! So excited to see you win one of the Spring Fling prize packs. How fun to add more Heartwarming to your TBR pile.

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  9. Beautiful cover! I can't wait to read this one, Carol! Congrats!!

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    1. Thank you, Christy! I really love that cover, too. Especially how it kind of connects with the first one. Hope you enjoy it!

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  10. I enjoyed the second book more than the first and can't wait for the next two in the series!

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    1. Ahh...thank you, Shelly. I can't tell you how happy that makes me!

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  11. I've wanted to go to Alaska ever since my friend and her husband took a 90-day tent camping trip there a few years ago. The photos they brought back! A Case for Forgiveness sounds so good! Can't wait to read it.

    ps. I put my comment in the wrong place the first time!

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    1. Okay, Patricia, this makes me jealous! I'd love to do a trip like that. Love camping and fishing.... Imagine how gorgeous the nights were out under the stars... I have heard that in some places the mosquitoes can pack off a small child so we'd have to pack the industrial-sized can of bug spray!

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  12. I have loved all the Harlequin Heartwarming books I have read.

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  13. Me, too, Cathy! I feel so blessed to be among such a bunch of incredibly talented individuals. (And they're all pretty darn nice, too!!)

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  14. I enjoyed your interview, Carol, and look forward to A Case for Forgiveness!

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    1. Thank you, Britney! I really hope you enjoy it. Thanks so much for stopping by(:

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  15. I say that we take a trip to Alaska and Carol can be our guide!

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    1. Pamela, I second this motion! I would LOVE that. Trip planning is one of the absolute joys of my life!!

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