Interview, Excerpt & Giveaway - Cat Lovie

Today I’m excited to share an awesome post for Cat Lovie’s blog tour in honor of her latest novel Peri in Progress. Scroll on to check out the fab author interview, excerpt of the novel and enter the giveaway at the end!

Peri in Progress by Cat Lovie

Book Blurb: You know what they say about best-laid plans…

After a disastrous thirty-first birthday party where she gets stood-up by a man she isn’t supposed to be dating, Peri McKenna decides it’s time to change what hasn’t been working—which is pretty much everything. Her love life is going nowhere fast, she’s bored to tears by a job that makes her the office pariah, and the lifelong junk food addiction that used to be somewhat quirky is now positively problematic. To top it all off, her newly-purchased home is falling apart and wishful thinking hasn’t done much to fix the leaky roof.

It’s time be an adult now that she’s officially ‘thirty-something.’
But when the first step of Peri’s self-improvement plan backfires, she starts to wonder if change might be overrated.

Enter Milo Preston, an up-and-coming chef who’s in town to take over a local restaurant. When Peri and Milo begin working together, she finds it hard to ignore his easy charm and captivating emerald-green eyes. Since Milo is her best friend’s estranged brother, Peri has to keep reminding herself that he is completely off-limits. As they grow closer, Milo introduces Peri to new foods, the joy (and pain) of jogging, and makes her think her luck might finally be turning.

But when the past catches up with them, Peri finds herself back at square one. Will she be able to sort herself out—or will the roof cave in on her once and for all?

Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Goodreads

About the Author – Cat Lovie

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter

Author Bio: Cat Lavoie lives in Montreal, Canada with her tempestuous cat, Abbie. She is the author of BREAKING THE RULES, ZOEY & THE MOMENT OF ZEN, and PERI IN PROGRESS.
If Cat isn’t reading or writing, she’s most likely watching too much TV or daydreaming about her next trip to London.

Hi Cat, a huge, warm welcome to Living Life With Joy! Thank you so much for participating in this interview.

Would you like to start by introducing yourself?

Thank you so much for having me, Arielle!

I’m a chick lit writer from Montreal, Canada and I have three published novels: Breaking the Rules, Zoey & the Moment of Zen, and Peri in Progress. When I’m not reading or writing (or staring at huge stacks of paperwork at my day job) I love watching TV and posting silly pictures of my cat, Abbie, on Instagram.

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest novel and the inspiration behind it?

Peri in Progress is about a woman who decides to shake things up in her life, but things don’t go according to plan. She ends up working for her best friend’s brother—a sexy chef who is completely off-limits. Sparks fly and Peri’s life gets a lot more complicated.

I love stories about people reinventing themselves and the idea for Peri in Progress came to me a few years ago after I made (yet another) New Year’s resolution to be healthier.

How long did it take you to write Peri in Progress? What is your writing process like?

It took me about a year and a half to write this book. I’m a very slow writer so it takes me a long time to write a first draft. I tend to edit as I go and that slows down the process a bit. But, on the bright side, it means my first draft is usually in pretty good shape.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on my fourth chick lit novel. It’s still in the very early stages so I can’t reveal many details, but it’s going to take place in the fictional town of Messina, CT where my two previous novels were set.

If you were given an offer to turn Peri in Progress into a movie, who would you want to see playing the roles of Peri and Milo?

I’d love to see British actor Tom Ellis play Milo. (He’d have to momentarily lose his gorgeous accent, though.) He was my inspiration for Milo from the very beginning and I had him in mind while I was writing the book.

For Peri, I’d pick Casey Wilson. She’s the perfect combination of quirky and cute and I think she’d be an awesome Peri.

Did you always want to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be an author ever since I discovered books. When I was in grade school I used to beg my teacher to let me stay indoors during recess so I could read and I always dreamed of writing my own novels.

If you could marry a fictional character who would it be?

I have quite a few book boyfriends, but I’d have to pick Jude Weatherington from Brea Brown’s Daydreamer. He’s positively swoon-worthy!

What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Keep writing! It took me a while to realize that is really is the answer to most writing-related woes.

Is there one book that stands out in your mind that you wish you’d written?

Whenever I read a good book, I always wish I’d written it. (I wonder if other authors feel the same way?) One that stands out is The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes. I remember crying when I finished reading that book—not because the ending was sad, but because I was going to miss all the characters.

If you could be plopped down into any book, which one would it be?

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. I think Becky Bloomwood and could be great friends!

What are the things you can’t live without in your kitchen?

Keurig coffee machine (with lots of coffee!)

Slow cooker

Cookbook collection

What are the things you can’t live without in your wardrobe?

Cardigans. I own way too many… but I can’t resist buying new ones!

If you could plan the perfect holiday, what would it be?

I’d spend a week shopping and sightseeing in London. Then I’d take the train to Edinburgh and after a few days in the city I’d go explore the Scottish Highlands.

A few of your favorites…

Favorite scent? Anything citrusy

Favorite color? Pink

Favorite food? Pizza

Favorite word? Awesome

Favorite song? “Grace” by Jeff Buckley

Favorite book? “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

Favorite/dream vacation spot? London

Favorite time period in history? Elizabethan England

Favorite article of clothing? Purple cardigan

Favorite drink of choice? Coke Zero

Favorite celebrity crush? Tom Ellis

Either or…

Red wine or white? Neither. Water or Coke Zero for me!

Coffee or tea? Coffee.

Summer or Winter? Winter

Sleep in or get up early? Get up early.

Apple or PC? Apple

Dogs or cats? Love both, but cats just a tiny bit more!

Thank you so much for participating in this interview, I’m delighted to have you on my blog and truly appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions!

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Excerpt – Peri in Progress

By the time the Messina Grill closed its door at eleven, I was ready to keel over. My feet and back were sore and my head was buzzing with all the information Harriet had given me. I’d made a ton of mistakes and messed up orders, but she still wanted me to come back the following day. Part of me hoped she’d fire me after the end of my shift. Being a waitress was hard and I had a newfound respect for every waiter and waitress who’d ever served me food. But working at the Grill was doing what it was meant to do—it distracted me and I hadn’t thought about Declan or Frost Financial the entire time I was there.

“Heading home?” Milo asked, coming out of the kitchen. He pulled out a chair and started putting on bright red sneakers.

I nodded. “Harriet says I need to learn the menu by tomorrow.” I waved the folded up paper in the air. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to tell the difference between grilled swordfish and tilapia or distinguish between couscous and quinoa.

“I can help you study while we make our way back home,” Milo said. “I pretty much know that thing by heart. What do you say, neighbor?”

“I don’t know. I think I need to keep my eyes on the road. My luck has been a bit iffy lately and the last thing I need is a car accident.”

Milo finished putting on his sneakers and jumped to his feet. “Oh. I ran here, so I figured you might like to join me.”

“You ran?” I asked. The Grill wasn’t too far from his mother’s house, but I couldn’t imagine why Milo would have to run to work. “Did your car break down or something? You could have asked me. I would have driven you.”

He shook his head and smiled. “Thanks. But I don’t own a car. I like running. It helps me clear my head.”

And, as evidenced by his muscles, it helped him stay in shape as well. I guess you have to when you make cream sauces on a daily basis. “What do you do when it’s raining? Or if you don’t feel like it?”

He laughed and ran a hand through his hair. “I just do it. Sometimes I have to kick myself in the butt, but once my feet start pounding the pavement and the blood starts rushing through my veins, it’s the best feeling in the world.” Wow. I didn’t think anyone could ever make running sound sexy—but Milo had done just that. “Oh, and I wear a jacket if it’s raining. There’s a shower at the back of the break room if you’re wondering how I keep from being sweaty and stinky. Did Harriet show you?”

“No, she didn’t.”

“It’s tiny and the hot water is completely optional—on most days you’re lucky if you get a few drops of warm water—but it does the trick. Although sometimes I feel like skipping the shower and letting Gary enjoy my runner’s aroma.” He winked and flung his backpack over his shoulder. “Are you coming?”

“Umm. Car,” I stammered, pointing to the door that led to the parking lot.

“Right,” he said, heading toward the exit. “I almost forgot. I’ll see you tomorrow, Peri McKenna. You better know my menu by heart or I might just have to hide your keys and make you run with me.”

“Have fun trying,” I called out. There was no way I was going to run. Ever. But even though I wasn’t the one jogging into the dark night, I felt a bit breathless and my heart started to race as I watched Milo leave. I waved good-bye to Sam, grabbed my keys, and got into my car.

Get it together, Peri. You need to focus on learning the menu, not the man cooking the food. And stop picturing Milo cooling off in the shower after his morning run.

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