Slow and Steady Rush Blog Tour: Q&A with Laura Trentham

I’m so excited to welcome author Laura Trentham to Good Books and Good Wine today. Her novel Slow and Steady Rush will be released by St. Martin’s Press on March 10th, 2015. Yes, that is tomorrow … and trust me, this is a book that you are going to want to put on your TBR lists!

She lives by the book—and is still searching for her happily ever after.

Darcy Wilde has tried hard not to live up to her last name. As a librarian in Atlanta she lives a fine life far away from the football-obsessed town of her childhood. But when her beloved Grandmother needs help, Darcy takes a leave of absence and heads back to the home and past she left behind.

He knows how to play the field—and is in no rush to settle down.

Robbie Dalton knows a thing or two about painful pasts. After bouncing around in foster care and the Army for years he is finally ready to move on and make a home for himself in Falcon, Alabama as the newest high school football coach. Sparks fly when the sexy new coach and the sharp-tongued librarian meet, but neither of them is looking to make ties.

But when it comes to love, sometimes you’ve gotta throw away the rule book to cross the finish line…

Everything changes when Darcy falls in love, not only with the gruff, protective, and smoking hot man who’s sharing her days and nights, but also with the complex tapestry of people who weave Falcon together. Could this be where she belongs – and who she belongs with?

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After finishing Slow and Steady Rush, I could not wait to interview author Laura Trentham, and find out her inspiration for some of the things that occur within the pages. Thankfully, she was kind enough to answer all my of my questions. So without further ado, I’m pleased to introduce Laura Trentham, author of Slow and Steady Rush.

Hi Laura

Welcome to Good Books and Good Wine! Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.

First, as a way to offer a little tidbit for future readers, can describe Slow and Steady Rush using five words or less?

Steel Magnolias + Friday Night Lights.

The main characters of Slow and Steady Rush, Robbie and Darcy are both battling some pretty complex situations throughout their story together. Can you give us some insight on how you came up with the background for each of the characters? Did writing their relationship come easily to you or did you find yourself involved with a bit of a push-pull situation similar to what Robbie and Darcy go through themselves?

I might be the most laid-back, drama-free person you’ll ever meet, and that’s reflected in my marriage and my friendships. Maybe I’m getting all my angst and drama needs taken care of through my characters!

I wanted Robbie to have a sad, rough background so he is in search of some place to call home. And, I wanted Darcy to have a home she had yet to understand or appreciate. Robbie’s childhood problems dwarf Darcy’s, and through him, she learns to let go of the resentments of her past. I get to know my characters as I write, and sometimes even I’m surprised at what’s hiding in their pasts!

To Kill A Mockingbird plays a key role in the beginning of Slow and Steady Rush. Did you have a specific reason behind using this particular story? How do you feel that it relates to the events that take place in Falcon? Can you share your favorite To Kill A Mockingbird quote with us?

My heroine is an Alabama librarian; I think using To Kill a Mockingbird was mandatory! Seriously though, I was definitely inspired by the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird. It is part coming-of-age story and part social treatise. For those unfamiliar, the main character is a girl named Scout whose understanding of the world around her is rocked when something terrible happens in her sleepy Alabama town, and her father is pulled into the drama. She comes to understand the world isn’t black and white and everything isn’t fair. Both my hero and heroine are on similar journeys to understand their places in the world.

Here’s a line from Scout that makes me smile: “Ladies in bunches always filled me with vague apprehension and a firm desire to be elsewhere.”

If you like classic Southern writers/quotes, the next Falcon Football books feature a little William Faulkner and Carson McCullers. But, I don’t want readers to think they are getting a serious, drama-filled book with Slow and Steady Rush. While there are poignant moments, I hope readers find equal amounts of humor. Like my favorite quote from Steel Magnolias…“Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.”

The secondary characters in Slow and Steady Rush also play an important role in the development of the relationship between the two main characters. From Logan’s quick snarky remarks to Ada’s maternal grandmother instincts to Shelia’s dramatic interludes, which secondary character what your favorite to write and why?

I really love Logan, but he’s the hero of my second book, so I’ll leave him for readers to discover next. Ada was a hoot, but actually, my favorite secondary character to write was the punk kid, Whitey/Jeremy.

When I started writing the book, he was not going to get such a redemptive ending. But, his journey parallels Robbie’s in many ways. He needs someone to believe in him and give him a chance much like Robbie’s high school coach gave him a chance. Whitey’s motivated by love as much as anyone in the story—love for his mother. And, while the reader might not approve of his methods, I wanted to give him another chance. In fact, he makes cameos in the next two books, so the reader will find out if he truly redeems himself or not.

In Slow and Steady Rush, Robbie and Darcy slow dance to a song that is not specifically named in the story. Any chance you had an idea what this song may be? If so, why did you choose to have them dance to it?

Music plays a huge role in my writing process, and I have a playlist for each book. I usually listen while I’m driving. You wouldn’t believe how many plot snafus I’ve unraveled on the way to soccer practice! In my head, the song I hear during Robbie and Darcy’s slow dance is It Goes Like This by Thomas Rhett. You can head to my website www.LauraTrentham.com to check out my full playlist.

Finally, if you could choose any actor and actress to portray Robbie and Darcy, who they be and why? I’m really interested to know who you see playing these two dynamic characters. I imagine their chemistry would be off the charts on screen just like it was on the page.

Wow, I had to really think about this (and do some internet searching!). Unlike some writers, I don’t use visual posterboards or pin pictures on Pinterest when I write. The characters really do take on personalities and are unique in my imagination. But, if you twist my arm…

A cleaned up Charlie Hunnam for Robbie (picture courtesy of Universal) and Rachel McAdams, the queen of the romantic comedy for Darcy. (Photo by Richard Cartwright/newline.wireimage.com)

Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions!

Thank you for your fun, and incredibly insightful, questions! Readers can find me on my website www.LauraTrentham.com, Twitter @LauraTrentham, or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LauraTrenthamAuthor.

About the Author:
Laura Trentham is an award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance. She is a member of RWA, and has finaled multiple times in the Golden Heart competition. A chemical engineer by training and a lover of books by nature, she lives in South Carolina.

Slow and Steady Rush Blog Tour:

3/3 Lush Book Reviews
3/4 Fic Talk
3/5 A Southern Girls Book Shelf
3/6 Harlequin Junkie
3/7 Pretty Sassy Cool
3/8 Read Writer Ripley
3/9 Good Books and Good Wine
3/10 Fresh Fiction
3/11 Bookish Things and More
3/12 Books N Kisses
3/13 Book Reviews and More By Kathy
3/14 Romance at Random