Spotlight: French Toast by Glynis Astie (interview, giveaway)

French Toast (French Twist #2)
written by Glynis Astie
published by Tikinou Publishing

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, iBooks, Book Depository, Goodreads

About the book: Sydney Bennett is back! And her pursuit of perfection is alive and well. Naïve to the core, Sydney believed that when she finally married the man of her dreams, the hard part was over. Following a civil ceremony as a means to keep Louis from being deported, Sydney continues to plan the fairytale wedding that she had dreamed of since the age of five. Much to her chagrin, she discovers that her mother-in-law is planning what seems to be a rival wedding in France that SHE has been dreaming about for her only child since before he was born. How will poor Sydney be able to ensure two perfect weddings in the midst of Louis’ fruitless job search? Especially when her mother-in-law’s idea of perfection appears to be having Sydney embarrass herself in front of hundreds of French people that she has never met?

As if she didn’t have enough on her mind already, Sydney finds herself faced with the trials and tribulations of being a wife. Sydney had always heard that marriage was hard, but she thought that this was just a ruse that married couples portrayed in a bid to make single girls feel less desperate. But as the bills pile up and emotions run high, she realizes that there may just be some truth to this statement. And as she watches Louis’ perfection fade away before her very eyes, she begins to wonder if she made a rash decision in marrying a man that she had known for a mere six months. With all of the obstacles that Sydney and Louis will encounter, will they be raising their glasses in celebration or watching their impulsive marriage crash and burn? One thing is for certain, Sydney and Louis Durand are headed for one hell of a toast… 

Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book. French Toast will make you laugh out loud, shed a few tears and thank your lucky stars that you are not as crazy as Sydney Durand.

Why did you did you decide to write French Toast? The story begins with the origin of the first book in the series, French Twist. About a year after I became a stay at home mom, I had a dream that I wrote a book. Initially, I thought that the idea was insane, since I had never aspired to be a writer. But the story of how I met and married my husband in six months was just too good not to share. Three months later, I had a draft! And thanks to my very talented family, eight months later, I published my first book. I am still amazed that it happened so quickly!

Since there is so much more to Sydney’s story, I decided to write a trilogy. French toast shows us what happens after the happily ever after of French Twist. A very complicated story indeed!

I love the covers of your books. How did you come up with the design? Thank you! For French Twist, I chose the Eiffel Tower as a nod to the gorgeous Frenchman, Louis, and the engagement ring to signal the reader that there may be marriage in the cards for Sydney. For French Toast, the champagne bottle and glasses allude to one kind of toast, while the book blurb indicates that Sydney and Louis’ marriage may be toast. (I love a good play on words!) My sister, a true genius of cover designing, took my ideas and created the gorgeous images that you now see atop my books.

Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects? I am currently writing the third and final book in my French Twist series, French Fry. After that, I will leave the world of truth based fiction and find my way through full-fledged fiction. Wish me luck!

Why do you enjoy reading and writing? I enjoy reading because I love hearing the stories that other people have to tell. I am constantly amazed by the depth of imagination that exists out there in the world. I become so invested in a good book that find myself hiding in the kitchen just to get in a few more pages. (My boys always find me!)

I enjoy writing because I like providing an escape from the stress of everyday life. I hope to give readers a good chuckle and to show them that it is ok to struggle sometimes. We all figure it out in the end.

What is your favorite genre to read? That is a tough call to make. Chick Lit is my favorite, followed by Mystery/Suspense as a close second.

Who is your favorite author? Chrissy! You are full of difficult questions! I can’t pick just one. If I had to narrow it down to three, I would say Jane Green, Agatha Christie and J.K. Rowling. (Yes, I am a HUGE Potterhead.)

What did you want to be when you grew up? I was the kid who had absolutely no idea. In fact, I’m still not sure . . .

Tell us three things about yourself that cannot be found on the internet . . . at least not found easily.

1. I wore a back brace for ten years of my life to correct a large curvature in my spine caused by scoliosis. That was a character building experience!
2. My sister’s nickname for me when we were kids was “Turkey Face.” No, I don’t think that I look like a turkey, either.
3. Going to the gym a few times a week saves my sanity – followed by a little chocolate or a nice glass of red wine. Positive reinforcement is a good thing!

 

About the author: Glynis never expected in her wildest dreams to be a writer. After thirteen years in the Human Resources Industry, she decided to stay at home with her two amazing sons. Ever in search of a project, she was inspired to write the story of how she met and married her wonderfully romantic French husband, Sebastien, in six short months. The end result became her first novel, French Twist.

As this novel is only the beginning the story, Glynis has just released the sequel, French Toast, and has begun writing the final chapter in the trilogy, French Fry. When she is not writing, she is trying to keep the peace amongst the three men and two cats in her life, finding missing body parts (Lego pieces are small!), supervising a myriad of homework assignments and keeping a tenuous hold on her sanity by consuming whatever chocolate is in the vicinity.

Find Ms. Astie here: web, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

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