Carolyn Brown Q&A: The Strawberry Hearts Diner

Q& A with NYT bestselling author Carolyn Brown, author of THE STRAWBERRY HEARTS DINER.

Being broke, unemployed, and stranded back in the tiny town of Pick, Texas, was not part of Jancy Wilson’s plan. Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner’s beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet…but only temporarily.

Q & A

An Interview With Carolyn Brown’s newest heroine Jancy

Thank you Romance Junkies from me, the author Carolyn Brown, and Jancy both for inviting us to your site today. I came along because Jancy and I became such good friends while I was writing her story but she’s going to answer the questions.

Welcome to Romance Junkies Jancy! We are excited to hear about your new recent visit to Pick, Texas. What brought you to this small town?

Thank you for the warm invitation. I lived here for a couple of years back when I was a teenager and my grandmother is buried here at the Pick Cemetery. I was on my way to Louisiana and wanted to stop by her grave site. I sure didn’t plan on staying any longer than it took me to drive through town, but my plans got changed pretty quickly when my car caught on fire.

This isn’t your first visit to the small town. What memories do you have of Pick from when you were a teen?

My best memories are in Pick. My father wasn’t happy here because after a few months in any town or with any job, he got the urge to move but my mama was happier here than anywhere that we lived. I wasn’t a popular girl but I liked going to school in this area and the folks down at the church were real sweet to me and mama. I felt like we were more of a family in this little place than any of the dozens of other places that we moved to and from. 

What can you tell us about the citizens of this little community? 

I was surprised to find that a lot of the citizens were still here when I came back. But for the most part, other than getting older, they hadn’t changed much. Small towns have a heart beat of their own and the citizens stick up for each other. Woody still comes into the café almost every day to bring us the local gossip and Vicky and Nettie still run the Strawberry Hearts Diner just like they did when I loved here several years ago. Let me tell you, when that rascal Carlton came into town with intentions of buying up all the property and turning the whole place into a retirement village, the citizens bonded together in a hurry.

Is there a special someone you meet in Pick?

Now you’re making me blush. I had a big crush on Shane Adams when I was a teenager. He stutters a little and is terribly self conscious about it but I think he’s adorable and so sexy. I was amazed that he and his running buddy, the infamous womanizer, Ryder Jensen, were neither one married. And even more surprised that Shane actually flirted with me.

Besides the local Strawberry Hearts Diner, are there any other meeting places in the town? What does everyone do for fun?

If you’re looking for fun in Pick you either go to the park or church or else you go up to Tyler or down to Palestine. Those are the two places where you can go to movies, go shopping or where most guys take their girls on dates. 

Since you moved around a lot when you were younger, did you ever think you would settle down in one place as an adult? What about Pick makes you want to put down roots?

No, ma’am, I figured I’d inherited the wandering gene from my dad and that roots would never grow under my feet. But after a few days in Pick and making friends wth Emily—that would be Vicky’s daughter—and settling in, well, it was complicated. My wings were still there but roots were beginning to grow and I had to decide which one to feed and which one to starve. It wasn’t an easy decision and it did not come about quickly. But Shane and the whole new family I’d met made it easier than I thought it would be.

Finally, if we ever find ourselves in this quaint little town, what do you recommend we order at the Strawberry Hearts Diner?

Oh, my goodness! Everything that Nettie makes is amazing but you’d have to try the strawberry tarts for sure. They are little heart shaped tarts straight from heaven and every bit of them from the pecan crusts to the strawberry glaze is made from scratch. They are simply amazing. I’ll tuck a picture in for you to see just how awesome they are. But don’t expect to take half a dozen home with you. That’s against Nettie’s rules. Besides you’ll want to settle back in a booth and eat it slowly, enjoy a glass of sweet tea or a cup of coffee and catch up on the gossip while you are there. But if Carlton comes in with his big smile and three piece suit, you are welcome to spill your tea on his head.

Thank you so much for letting me and Carolyn visit today. We worked long hours and I’m sure I almost drove her crazy during the writing of this book, but like she said, by the time it was done, we were like family!

♥

Title: The Strawberry Hearts Diner

Author: Carolyn Brown

Release Date: July 18, 2017

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Being broke, unemployed, and stranded back in the tiny town of Pick, Texas, was not part of Jancy Wilson’s plan. Yet here she is, watching her car literally go up in smoke—along with her last-ditch hope of staying with her cousin in Louisiana. When Jancy spies a Help Wanted sign hanging in the window of the quaint Strawberry Hearts Diner, the memories of the two years she spent there as a teenager—and the lure of the diner’s beloved strawberry tarts—are enough to draw her in and plant her feet…but only temporarily.

Raised by parents who refused to settle anywhere for long, Jancy has never known what it is to have roots. Now that Jancy’s swept up by the warmth and character of this quirky little community—and by the pull of an old crush—it’s beginning to feel like home. She’s making friends and even discovering the sweetness of falling in love. But when the town is threatened, Jancy knows it will take more than its legendary tarts to save it. Can she fight for this little Texas town—knowing she might not stay forever?

Author Biography

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author and a RITA finalist. The Strawberry Hearts Diner is her eighty-fifth published book. Her books include romantic women’s fiction, historical romance, contemporary romance, cowboy romance, and country music mass-market paperbacks. She and her husband live in the small town of Davis, Oklahoma, where everyone knows what everyone else is doing—and reads the local newspaper on Wednesdays to see who got caught. They have three grown children and enough grandchildren to keep them young. When she’s not writing, Carolyn likes to sit in her gorgeous backyard with her two cats, Chester Fat Boy and Boots Randolph Terminator Outlaw, and watch them protect their territory from all kinds of wicked varmints like crickets, locusts, and spiders. Visit her online at www.carolynbrownbooks.com.

• Website: http://www.carolynbrownbooks.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Carolyn-Brown-198727816879253/
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13554.Carolyn_Brown

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