Aloha to Ava Miles and COUNTRY HEAVEN

Maybe I Should Have Gone to Nashville…

So, hi there! I’m Ava Miles, the new contemporary romance writer who burst onto the scene with her book NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off my acclaimed Dare Valley series. Now, I’m delighted to announce the first book in a connected series called Dare River, set in the deep South, titled COUNTRY HEAVEN. Thanks to Kim for being the quintessential host and having me on today.

The story is about a down-on-her luck cook who uses food’s magical properties to tame a beastly country singer after he hires her under false pretenses to restore his image. For this book, I wrote 13 country music songs. Imagine that! Well, the lyrics, that is, since COUNTRY HEAVEN is a novel. Still, it was a new facet to me as a writer, and I wondered: did I miss my chance to follow a songwriter dream in Nashville?

Well, see what you think. Like I said, my hero, Rye Crenshaw, loves food, and the woman he hires as his private chef on his multi-city tour, Tory Simmons, knows how to make a man’s day. Here’s one of the songs:

Daily specials make a real man’s day.
Gimme that fresh food.
Gimme that cooking crea-tiv-ity.

Let me drink that sweet, sweet tea.
Let me savor what you have in store for me.

Serve me up butter-dotted cornbread,
With some juicy, tangy ribs,
And a side of collard greens,
Finish me off with a coconut cream cake as tall as weeds.
Sate me well.

Make ‘em all just like my Granny,
You steamin’ hot, apron-clad woman,
And I’ll surely make you mine.

Rye Crenshaw’s Top Twenty Hit, “Daily Specials”

If you like food, music, lots of laughter (did I mention the bull ride?), and family drama, check out COUNTRY HEAVEN. Oh, and did I mention the hit TV series, Nashville, that I’m addicted to?

COUNTRY HEAVEN, Book 1, The Dare River Series, by Ava Miles 

Contemporary Romance/Fiction/Original

February 2014/On Sale 2-11-14/$4.99 (eBook), $14.99 (print) ISBN: 978-1-940565-05-7

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USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles burst onto the contemporary romance scene after receiving Nora Roberts’ blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts’ name in her debut novel, NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off The Dare Valley Series and brought praise from reviewers and readers alike. Much to Ava's delight, USA Today Contributor Becky Lower selected it as one of the Best Books of the Year. Ava continued The Dare Valley Series in FRENCH ROAST, which Tome Tender says “raised the entertainment bar again” and then THE GRAND OPENING, which reviewer Mary J. Gramlich says “is a continuation of love, family, and relationships.” The next books in the series, THE HOLIDAY SERENADE, was met with high praise and her ode to the early 1960s, THE TOWN SQUARE, what she calls Mad Men in a small town with a happy ending, melted reader’s hearts. Ava based her original series on a family newspaper, modeled after her own. Her great-great grandfather won it in a poker game in 1892, so Ava is no stranger to adventurous men and models her heroes after men like that—or like Tim McGraw, her favorite country music singer. Now Ava shares the Dare River series, set in the deep South, telling the story of a country singer and a beautiful cook. A former chef herself, Ava used her culinary background to infuse the story with family and personal recipes, but she also used her love for music to write country music songs to set the stage in the novel, creating a unique book experience. Ava—a writer since childhood—now lives in her own porch-swinging-friendly community with an old-fashioned Main Street lined with small businesses. 

Country heaven includes palm trees in Hawaii ....

Mahalo,  Ava, for sharing COUNTRY HEAVEN with us!  I associate horses with country so I am giving away a special "horse" prize to one randomly selected commenter.  To enter the giveaway,

1.  Leave a comment about country - do you ride horses?  Drink sweet tea?  Twang on a guitar?

2.  This giveaway is open to all readers.

3.  Comments are open through  Saturday, February 15, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winners on Sunday, February 16.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore

Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Ava (second from left) read at Lady Jane's Salon/Silver Spring.
Also reading was Laura Kaye, Kimberly Kincaid, and Sally MacKenzie.
Photo from Sally MacKenzie's website ... but I took the picture!