AUTHORS ARE ROCKSTARS: RACHEL HARRIS

Hey Loves!!
Today we have our stop for the 2nd Annual Authors Are Rockstars Tour and we're super excited!! When we got the email saying we got it, we had a big dance... which was a bit embarrassing but no one cares about that...

We have the lovely, the awesome and the one and only Rachel Harris with us today!! *Throws confetti around*

Rachel Harris is a Rockstar like no other. 
Why you ask?

Well, for one she's one of the sweetest people you can ever meet.

She always answer tweets and emails and facebook comments, no matter how random they can be. And trust me, I tend to send random stuff.

She created a street team that put together people from all around the world and that are just like her. Sweet, lovable girls that you can talk to about anything and everything and never feel out of place. And let's be honest, not anyone can get together a group as different and similar as Rachel did with the FlirtSquad, and keep it moving. (btw, I love my girls there!)

She had me crying and laughing my head off with two books in a row.

She can write super funny dialogues and situations that go perfectly well with the next.
Rachel's books are perfect adventures that have a bit of everything. She writes very easy to love characters that are so real in the pages.

Lorenzo. Austin. Jason. *swoon*

And she owns a time machine... or a friend that came from the past. That's the best explanation to how she wrote My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and A Tale Of Two Centuries :)

To sum it up, Rachel is a real inspiration. To be better and to be yourself. To follow your dreams. She doesn't have a problem sharing her teen years with us and everybody else and to tell us that is ok, that we're not alone in there and that we can get pass it.

ABOUT RACHEL HARRIS

As a teen, Rachel Harris threw raging parties that shook her parents’ walls and created embarrassing fodder for future YA novels. As an adult, she reads and writes obsessively, rehashes said embarrassing fodder, and dreams up characters who become her own grown up version of imaginary friends.

She grew up in New Orleans, watching soap operas with her grandmother and staying up late sneak reading her mom's favorite romance novels. Now a Cajun cowgirl living in Houston, she still stays up too late reading her favorite romances, only now, she can do so openly. She firmly believes life's problems can be solved with a hot, powdered-sugar-coated beignet or a thick slice of king cake, and that screaming at strangers for cheap, plastic beads is acceptable behavior in certain situations.

She homeschools her two beautiful girls and loves watching reality television with her amazing husband. She writes young adult, new adult, and adult Fun, Flirty Escapes, and LOVES talking with readers!

// WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // TWITTER // TUMBLR // GOODREADS //

INTERVIEW WITH RACHEL

Cynthia: Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for coming today! I’m so excited to have you here! *insert fan girl moment* I see you have a guest with you as well, hello Austin! *Giggles* There’s cookies, cupcakes and soda, I know you need your food ;)

Austin lifts his chin in greeting and snags a cookie. Rachel shakes her head with a grin.

Rachel: Hi, Cynthia! We’re glad to be here.

Cynthia: I’m warning you now; I can jump from one topic to the other without warning… Rachel knows my attention span is shorter than that of a 5 y.o.

Rachel: But see, this is why we get along so well….

Cynthia: So, Rachel, for all the people who don’t know you, can you share a bit about yourself? What is it that you think makes you a rock star?

Rachel: I can play Mary Had A Little Lamb on the telephone AND I can sing incredibly off-key, that alone makes me rock worthy (*grin*). But honestly, I call a lot of people “rock star,” and for me, it has zero to do with musical talent, and everything to do with attitude. Personality. Enthusiasm, kindness, positivity, and authenticity. I may not be the best singer in the world. Heck, I’m not even the best author in the world (bows to Jane Austen and my own literary heroes), but I am real. I am positive and try to be kind to everyone I meet. And I doubt many people can beat me in enthusiasm points ;) One of my favorite things is talking with readers, and I answer every tweet, FB message, email, and comment and I do it with a giddy grin.

Does that make me a rock star?

Cynthia: It does! And I don’t think anyone can beat you at an enthusiasm competition.

What made you say “I wanna write for a living”?

Rachel: It was after I’d been homeschooling for some time, and my outlet was doing my homeschool blog, surfing other ones, and writing articles for a homeschool magazine. I LOVED it, don’t get me wrong, and I still love homeschooling my daughters…but it was starting to become that my life was all about my children, and I’d somehow lost a bit of my own voice, my own interests. I started reading for fun again, thanks to Twilight, and then went through almost every book my library had in the YA section over a summer. A few months later I got the itch to try it for myself, to put my “writing skills” to use again and try a creative hobby. Soon, I realized a side benefit of having something I was passionate about gave my children an example. They wanted to tell their own stories, find their own hobbies. I think it’s good for them to see me going after my dreams. 

Cynthia: Can you tell us one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

Rachel: I really, truly am as random and silly in person as I am on social media. Also, there are many days when I stay in my pajamas all day long ;)

Cynthia: Good to know I’m not alone in there ;)

And you Austin?

Austin: I can make a badass batch of brownies.

Cynthia: I’m gonna need prove of that… My family happens to be good at baking.

So, A Tale of Two Centuries came out 10 days ago. *grins* In twitter style, can you tell us what it is about?

Rachel: 16th-century chica time travels 2 modern Beverly Hills, is shocked by modern fashion, meets an arrogant boy & fights fate to stay. Does she?

Cynthia: Was it hard to switch from Cat to Less POV?

Rachel: It was! The hard part came in second-guessing myself a lot. I knew what I had to do, I knew how she sounded, but I worried constantly about whether fans of Super Sweet would like the voice and direction. Thank goodness they do! In fact, it seems they like it even more than the first (he he)

Cynthia: This is your third book out, do you still get as excited as the first time?

Rachel: Oh my goodness, YES!! Excited, terrified…pretty much the emotions run equal in my crazy, chaotic head. But I feel nothing but blessed J

Cynthia: Austin, your description says you are: sarcastic, flirtatious, fiercely protective and loves to surf. Anything you want to add?

Austin: Confident. Always right…hot. (mouth kicks up in a grin.) That about sums it up.

Cynthia: Yeah… I can’t argue there…

How would you describe Less?

Austin: (eyes narrow in thought as a smile plays at his lips) Fiesty. Adorable. Loyal. And one hell of a kisser.

Cynthia: When Cat traveled to the 16^th Century, she took her backpack. What would we found in yours? (you can come back tomorrow to see what I would take on my time travel)

Rachel: Knowing now that I need to pack for this possibility, you’d find pictures of my family, paperback copies of my favorite books, a travel sized toiletry kit of toothpaste and what not, and as many Hershey kisses with almonds as I can possibly fit

Cynthia: So, Austin = Surf for pretty much everyone. I’ve never been surfing, have you, Rachel?
How would you convince me to try surfing? (please note the try, that’s as far as I’ll get =P)

Rachel: Ha, nope! Girl, you don’t know how long I spent researching surfing, just for the one big scene where it comes into play. I watched countless tutorials (I love YouTube!) on everything from what kind of wetsuit to get, to how to teach a preschooler how to surf. I learned what to do, when to do it, and how to explain it. Then I watched tons of videos just of people doing what I’d learned, researching boards and equipment, and weather patterns lol. And I walked away with a great scene, an appreciation for those who can do it, and the profound knowledge that yep, I am indeed a mountain girl. I would not be a good surfer. Now, gawking at guy surfers? I’m all about that!

So um, yeah, I think I fail in the whole convincing thing, huh??

Cynthia: I swear, YouTube should change to How To – With Music hehehe. You can learn to do anything in there.

Randomness

·        

      Day or night?

Rachel: Night. My family is together and I enjoy sleep. Or cuddling in bed reading.

Austin: Day. Alessandra looks good day or night, but during the day I can surf and see her in a bikini again.

·         Cupcakes or chocolate chip cookies?

Rachel: chocolate chip cookies!!!!

Austin: Cookies. Or my  badass brownies.

*Cynthia is still waiting for proof here…*

·         Favorite song at the moment?

Rachel: I’ve been jamming to the Pitch Perfect soundtrack so the Barden Bellas Pool Mashup lol

Austin: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

*Cynthia: Ok, you get MAJOR cookie point for that alone. I LOVE that song*

·         Traveling to the past or the future?

Rachel and Austin: Past!

·         Soda, water or juice?

Rachel: Soda…diet mt. dew

Austin: Orange soda

·         Favorite movie of all time?

Rachel: All time??? So many!! Right now I’m still on a total Pitch Perfect kick, and I love rom-coms and any Jane Austen adaption. How about Bridget Jones Diary then for a good combo of both? Ugh, I can’t choose!!

Austin: Point Break

·         Perfect Date?

Rachel: A movie and dinner with my husband. Wine, laughter, good food, great conversation that doesn’t only involve the kids, my books, or his IT work lol

Austin: Anything that involves Alessandra in a bikini.

Complete the sentence:

I have never …
Rachel: gone surfing!
Austin: Gone skinny dipping. Yet.

I always…
Rachel: kiss the air when I type “mwah!” or “xoxo.” It’s a weird sickness. 
Austin: think about Alessandra in a bikini.

I love…
Rachel: Dt. Mt. Dew, swoony book boyfriends, and snuggling with my kids and husband.
Austin: Pizza, being out in the ocean, and kissing Alessandra

I hate…
Rachel: mean people.
Austin: Kendal
*Cynthia: I’m happy we all agree on the last one J*

Well, thanks again for stopping by today! Before you leave I have one thing to ask both of you. Austin I hear you’re a great kisser, can I have a kiss?

Austin: (smirks) Sorry gorgeous, I’m a one woman man.

And Rachel, you’re not leaving me without a tackle hug! *hugs Rachel*

Rachel: (*hugs back*) Thanks for having us!!

ABOUT RACHEL BOOKS

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #1)

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore. Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?


A Tale of Two Centuries (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #2)

Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

Taste the Heat (Love and Games #1)

When chef Colby Robicheaux returned home to New Orleans to save her family restaurant, the last person she expected to reconnect with was her brother’s best friend and her childhood crush. As tempting as a sugar-coated beignet, Jason is one dish she doesn’t want to taste. Colby is counting down the days till she can leave the place where her distrust of love and commitment originated and go back to Vegas. 

Fire captain Jason Landry isn’t looking for love, either. He knows he should focus on finding the perfect mother for his daughter, but when he first sees Colby, all grown up and gorgeous, he can’t help but be drawn to her. And when she suggests a no-strings-attached fling, Jason doesn’t want to say no. 

As their relationship grows more intense, Colby finds that Jason isn’t as easy to leave behind as she thought. Could turning up the heat on something real be worth the possibility of getting burned?