NBtM: Author Interview & Giveaway - Variables of Love by MK Schiller

 

Variables of Love

by MK Schiller 

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BLURB: 

Meena Kapoor knows what life has in store for her. She's in her senior year at Stanford where she'll graduate summa cum laude, and then she'll begin her interviews...her marriage interviews. Meena is Indian, and she's never questioned that she'll have an arranged marriage like all the generations before her. Not until she meets gorgeous math major Ethan Callahan. Ethan's sense of humor and free spirit stir feelings in Meena she didn't know were possible outside of Bollywood movies. It doesn't hurt that he's charming and has the uncanny ability to make math sound like poetry, but Meena knows their equation makes no sense in the real world. 

Ethan finds himself intrigued by the mysterious, beautiful girl, whose big, brown eyes reflect great pain. His goals are small at first - to make her smile and then to laugh. But he soon wants more, and though Meena is adamant they have no future, he convinces her to share the present. Ethan believes every problem has a solution, but with cultural expectations and family duty among the variables, they will struggle to solve the ultimate equation to find happiness.

 

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EXCERPT:

“Goodbye, girl-who-bumps-into-strangers. I only call you that because I don’t know your name.” Yes, and I won’t give it because hearing it said out loud by your deep, sexy voice will make me loose whatever dignity I have left.

I smiled at his description, feeling more myself as each step carried me farther away from his beautiful face, sculpted muscles, and boyish grin. 

“See you later, gorgeous-boy-who-picks-up-and-arranges-clumsy-girls’-essays,” I uttered under my breath when I was out of earshot. 

Of course, I knew who he was. Ethan Callahan, the boy who sat in the back row of Advanced Statistics. The same boy who made frequent cameos in my daydreams. I hated that he sat in the back of the lecture hall. I only saw him enter and exit the classroom. I wanted to see him enter and exit other things…like me.

 

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Let's learn a little about author M.K. Schiller!

What is your writing environment?

I write at a desk, dual monitors, with a mug of hot ambition (I mean caffeine).

Who is your perfect hero and why?

My perfect hero is imperfect. I’m addicted to flawed and fallible. Prince Charming bores me…give me a devilish grin, a tragic past, and a rough grip any day. That’s what I fall in love with.

What authors have caught your interest lately and why?

This is difficult because there are so many. I’ve always been in love with the idea of love. I suppose as a romance writer that’s par for the course. I am and will always be a reader first. I don’t have favorites per say, but here are a few of my recommendations. I’m thrilled to have read the works of these great ladies.  

I love Mia Sheridan because she creates unique heroes. I love Abbi Glines for her innocent and strong heroines. I love Colleen Hoover for creating that sense of emotion when it comes to first loves and the struggle of youth. I love Debra Anastasia for shining a beautiful light in dark places. I love EL James for making me interested in a different side of sex and creating a poignant story from that.

What type of book have you always wanted to write?

I’ve always been a romance junkie since my first historical (I think Fabio was on the cover). But I also love coming of age stories, family sagas, and the occasional thriller. The great thing about romance is that it often encompasses these other genres. There is always room for romance in any book, I say.

Top 3 things on your bucket list?

·         Get on a best seller list

·         Meet one of favorite authors

·         Ride a Harley instead of writing about it

 

How did you get the idea for this particular novel?

Variables of Love is a very personal story for me. It’s what happens when cultural expectations and personal convictions collide. I’ve borrowed from my own life experiences and culture to create this novel. It’s a story I’ve wanted to tell for some time, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to share it.

What is your favorite scene in your new release?

I love the scene when Ethan first calls Meena sunshine. She doesn’t feel like the kind of girl that deserves that nickname, but he sees her strength and beauty shine even when she doesn’t realize it.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say I loved the first love scene too. And then there were the angst-ridden scenes that made me cry while writing them, but they were needed.

What are you working on now and when can we expect it to be available?

The Other P-word – the third in The Other Words series. It’s also a new adult love story. It should be out next year sometime.

What do you like to do when you are not writing?

I am a reader first so you’ll usually find me with my kindle, sitting on the couch, in my fuzzy socks.

What would you consider a perfect date?

Hmm…something with a surprise like a hot air balloon, jumping out of a plane, or going surfing.

What is one interesting fact about you that readers don’t know?

They probably don’t know that I was an economics major just like Meena. Also, I drank a lot of Zima because I couldn’t handle regular beer. Two points if you know what that is. 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

I am a hopeless romantic in a hopelessly pragmatic world. I have a full time life and two busy teenagers, but in the dark of night, I sit by the warm glow of my computer monitor, reading or writing, usually with some tasty Italian…the food that is! 

I started imagining stories in my head at a very young age. In fact, I got so good at it that friends asked me to create plots featuring them as the heroine and the object of their affection as the hero. You've heard of fan fiction... this was friend fiction.

I hope you enjoy my stories and always find The Happily Ever After in every endeavor. 

I love hearing from readers so please write to me!

 

Author sites: 

Website – http://www.mkschillerauthor.com/  

FB author page - https://www.facebook.com/MKSchillerauthor?ref_type=bookmark  

FB personal Page - https://www.facebook.com/mk.schiller  

Amazon Author page - http://www.amazon.com/MK-Schiller/e/B00FE0FGDM/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1407492789&sr=8-1

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MKSchiller  

Goodreads author page - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7223625.M_K_Schiller

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Buy Links:   Omni Publishing   B&N   Amazon

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Giveaway: 

The author will be awarding three separate prizes: a $20 Amazon or B/N GC, a $10 Amazon or B/N GC and an ecopy of Variables of Love, to the randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.  Follow the tour HERE

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway