2014 Debut Author Bash with Chanel Cleeton!

I am so excited to be able to introduce and host of my favorite authors of 2014 for the 2014 Debut Author Bash! The fantastic author that I am hosting is...Chanel Cleeton! 

Originally a Florida girl, CHANEL CLEETON moved to London where she received a bachelor’s degree from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Chanel fell in love with London and planned to stay there forever, until fate intervened on a Caribbean cruise, and an American fighter pilot with smooth dance moves swept her off her feet. Now, a happily ever after later, Chanel is living her next adventure in South Korea.
Law school made Chanel realize she’d rather spend her days writing sexy stories than in a courtroom, and she hasn’t looked back since. An avid reader and hopeless romantic, she’s happiest curled up with a book. She has a weakness for handbags, her three pups, and her fighter pilot husband. Chanel writes New Adult contemporary romances and thrillers.
She is the author of I SEE LONDON and LONDON FALLING, published by Harlequin HQN, and FLIRTING WITH SCANDAL, the first book in a new NA series to be released by Berkley in 2015. You can connect with Chanel on her website at www.chanelcleeton.com

Book One:

I See London

Book Two:

London Falling

I was super psyched to get the chance to interview Chanel and you get the chance to read it!

1. Tell us a little about yourself and what you are interested in!

My name is Chanel Cleeton and I write New Adult contemporary romances for Harlequin and Berkley. My Harlequin series is set at an international university in London. I lived in London for four years and it has been a lot of fun to write about the city that has such a special place in my heart. 

I love to travel and am currently living in South Korea with my husband and three little pups. I love to read, especially romances, and am a hopeless romantic.

2. I SEE LONDON was your debut novel and you’ve gotten a great response back, how do you feel about so many people loving your books?

I’m so grateful to all of the bloggers and readers who have given this series a chance. It really means the world to me. I can’t even describe how it feels to read a review or to get a message from a reader. I’m still at the “pinch me” phase where I can’t believe people are reading my books and enjoying them. So thank you all :)

3. How do you feel now that Samir and Maggie’s story is over? Do you think you’ll ever come back to their story?

It was bittersweet to finish their story, but I’m happy they got their happily ever after! As I was writing LONDON FALLING, I did have an idea for Fleur, so it was a bit easier to think that while Maggie & Samir’s story might be ending, at least they’d return if I had a chance to tell Fleur’s story.

4. What is your favorite thing about being an author?

I love getting to work with books. I’m probably more than anything a reader first, and I’ve loved books my entire life. They’ve gotten me through the hard times and taught me so much about myself. I couldn’t imagine my life without my love of reading. Because it’s so special to me, getting to tell my own stories now means that much more. 

I really just love the act of writing and crafting stories that I hope will make my readers smile on a bad day or give them an escape when they need it. That’s what books have been for me, at least, and I hope that one day I do the same for someone else.

5. What motivates/inspires you to write?

It’s hard to describe, but now that I’ve started writing, I can’t imagine not writing. It’s become a part of me, and it’s something I do daily. 

6. Do you have a certain writing process you follow or does it change?

It’s changed a bit now that I have publishing deadlines to meet, etc. I’m a HUGE pantser, so usually I sit down and just start typing. I usually write my scenes in order, although sometimes I will write the last chapter pretty early on so I know where I’m going. I always write with music playing in the background and I prefer to write in public at a coffee shop, but I’m trying to train myself to write at home in my office :)

7. Was LONDON FALLING easier to write since it was your second novel? Which of your books did you enjoy writing the most? 

I hadn’t really thought about it, but honestly, I think in a way it was actually a bit harder. I wrote LONDON FALLING while I was waiting for I SEE LONDON to release, so I think there were a lot of nerves involved while writing. Plus, I was doing a lot of promo for I SEE LONDON, so it was a little hectic.

My favorite book to write so far has been FLIRTING WITH SCANDAL (it’s a NA contemporary romance that releases in 2015 from Berkley). It was the fastest I’ve ever written a book and it was cool because I wrote it in a different format than I normally do. I wrote in chunks and sent them to agent, so I was getting these awesome emails from her about how much she loved the story as I was writing. It’s a fast-paced, steamy romance and I loved writing the chemistry between my hero and heroine. I was shocked by how much they sparked :)

8. Who was more fun to write about Samir or Maggie? What about Fleur?

That’s a tough one! I was really nervous to write Samir’s POV because I’d never written male POV before, but once I started, I LOVED it. He’s probably my favorite. Fleur would be a close second, just because she’s so unfiltered. Maggie’s a lot of fun too, but she’s a bit more guarded. 

9. Is there anything you’ve learned from writing your books?

SO much!! I think writing is like any craft or discipline, you get better with practice, and I learn something new with each manuscript. I feel like I’m getting to be a stronger writer with each book and it’s a cool feeling to see myself growing.

10. Is there anything you can share about your current or future projects?

Oooh :) I have a few secret things in the works that I can’t talk about yet, but am dying to!! Hopefully soon. I will say that I would love to share Fleur’s story with everyone. 

I’m also SO excited for my new Berkley series. Here’s a description about the first book, FLIRTING WITH SCANDAL: The secret, illegitimate daughter of a powerful U.S. senator has a passionate encounter with a handsome young man after meeting him at a Washington D.C. bar, only to discover he's running for political office and her internship has her working on his campaign, in the first book in the new Capital Confessions series about three sisters, the secrets they keep, and a powerful blog with a knack for exposing scandals. 

It has a really special place in my heart and I LOVE the hero. I can’t wait to share it with you all!

Thanks for having me!

Thanks for joining us Chanel! It was a real honor to have such an amazing writer with us :D

Giveaway
Chanel is giving away 5 signed bookmarks
Ends 7/29 [US Only]

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