Authorsday: Nancy Naigle

What better place for a writer of love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense to hail from than the state with the motto: Virginia is for Lovers. Nancy now resides in Southampton County on a goat farm with her husband and more kids (the four-legged kind) than she can keep count of. In 2010, Nancy won several accolades including winning the mainstream category of both the Maryland Writers Association Novel Contest and the Connecticut-RWA-The WRITE STUFF Contest.

Join Nancy on Facebook, twitter (@nancynaigle) and on the web: www.NancyNaigle.com.

1. If you have a day job, what is it? I’m a Senior Vice President with Bank of America. This is where you find out that I’m right AND left brained. My position with the bank is as a Six Sigma Black Belt. I coach associates in the six sigma methodology and provide support to Corporate Audit in their assessments of processes in the bank to insure we have the right controls and rigor in place. Statistics and organizational stuff – all day long. Writing fulfills my creative side. It keeps me balanced.

2. Describe your book. Sweet Tea and Secrets is a love story from the crossroad of small town and suspense. This is my debut novel. It’s an easy read with characters I hope you’ll grow to love and remember. I live a busy life between my love for writing stories, my career, the goat farm, family and friends. Reading is an escape for me. I don’t want to have to have a spreadsheet to keep the characters straight or think too hard about fluffy sentences that were written just to wow me. I like to lose myself in the characters of a book. I like to escape for just a little while. I hope that’s what I’ve written. That was certainly my goal―to help other folks find a smile, a tear, a fond memory and a little life balance.

By the way, the second book in the Adams Grove series will be out in November 2011. It’s called Out of Focus.

3. What was your favorite scene to write?  Pearl Clemmons was the most fun to write. She’s embraced her right to say exactly what is on her mind at the age of 85. I especially enjoyed writing the scene where she’s made the DVD for Jill and Garrett to be played as the will is read. When she fusses out Connor who is actually filming it...that’s totally Pearl.  I love her. I bet you will, too.

4. What is your favorite word? Ya’ll...although I had to succumb to editor pressure and spell it y’all in the book. Where I come from, we spell it ya’ll, and it’s part of my everyday language. If I hadn’t seen that even Paula Deen spells it y’all...I’d have surely fought longer on it. Now, I just hope I never find out Paula gave in to the peer pressure, too!

5. What’s your favorite food? Krispy Kreme Chocolate Iced Kreme filled doughnuts. I can’t pass them by.

6. What do you do when you are not writing? When I’m not writing or doing the day job stuff, then you can find me playing with my dogs or out with the goats. Oh, did I not mention that my husband and I live on a goat farm? Oh yes, he’s a full time goat rancher. It’s a wonderful thing to look out my office window and see all the kids at play or the generations of goats lying about chewing their cud and soaking up the weather. My husband is the Virginia State Fair Meat Goat Show Superintendent. I volunteer my time to do the scholarships for that program and I’ve been the Master of Ceremonies for that show since its inception in 2005. My favorite part of the Meat Goat Show at the Virginia State Fair is the Goat Obstacle Course. Our farm, HOLLAND FARM, sponsors that event. It’s a timed event much like a dog agility course. It’s so much fun.

7. Who is your greatest cheerleader? My mom. She’s hands-down my biggest cheerleader. If you cross her path you’ll know it because she’ll be shoving a bookmark in your hand and chatting you up about Sweet Tea and Secrets. If this book lands on a list somewhere, it will be because she has single-handedly sold my book to everyone in this region!

Book Blurb:

Adams Grove is mourning the loss of Pearl Clemmons, known for her award-winning chocolate pecan pie and the best unsolicited advice in the county. 

When Jill returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, she’s greeted by a Clydesdale-sized guardian dog, who doesn't seem to be earning his stripes (although he drools on them pretty well), and Garrett Malloy, the ex-fiancé she left behind a year ago. 

Jill’s past with Garrett becomes the least of her worries when she learns that their lives are in danger. She is the only person standing between a desperate conman and a secret from Pearl’s past. 

Will Pearl’s past kill any chance of Jill and Garrett’s future together?