A Jordan Christopher Guest Spotlight : LC CHASE with Giveaway!

Hi everyone! When Meredith approached me about filling in for her this weekend I was a little lost as to what I would post. I had several ideas for topics ruminating in my head, but not any particular one that I was in love with. Then I read Let It Ride by L.C. Chase and I immediately knew what I was going to post about. I figured why not keep with the normal Saturday Author Spotlights that Meredith has going and feature LC during my time here. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I first came across LC Chase’s work as a cover artist. Her art is beautiful and extremely well done. She’s done book covers for a lot of notable authors within this genre. I followed her for a while before I ever discovered that she is also an author. Being a southern boy who grew up around horses and livestock, I was instantly drawn to her Pickup Men series. I bought the first book, Pickup Men, and read it in two days. I didn’t want to put it down and I was sad when it was over. Don’t get me wrong, the ending was perfect, but I still wanted more. I was thrilled to hear that she was hard at work on book 2 titled Let it Ride. I bought Let it Ride the day it released and stayed up all night reading it. By morning I was done and in love with her characters…again.

I mentioned this in my review of Let it Ride (click here if you'd like to check it out), but I’ll say it again here: I love the way LC Chase writes her characters. They’re all very realistic…to the point where you feel like they’re your best friends at the end of the book. You feel as if you know them and are meeting up for dinner that weekend to hang out and catch up. Her plot lines are not contrived or overly dramatized like many others out there. She simply writes honest characters that you can’t help but fall in love with.

I got the pleasure of chatting with LC in preparation for this post. I sat down with five questions to pester her with. She was a doll and humored me. Enjoy!

1. Where did you get your inspiration for the Pickup Men series?

A: In a dream, actually. Except in my dream Marty was making one last ditch attempt at getting Tripp to acknowledge him, so he decided to do a bull ride. That of course didn't end well and he blacked out thinking Tripp had finally come for him but now it was too late. That initial spark went through several revisions, but the story still opened in a similar way. As for the characters being pickup men...I often volunteer at a local rodeo and one day got to watching the pickup men at work. They intrigued me because I realized how integral they are to a successful rodeo, yet you don't hear a great deal about them. Unsung heroes. :-)   I also knew from the beginning one of Marty's best friends was maybe not as straight as everyone seemed to think. 

2. Do you have a favorite line/scene, and if so which one?

A: I have to pick one? From both books? Oy... That's really hard. I don't want to spoiler anything too much in either, but I think I'll go with a fave line from the end of chapter 1 in Pickup Men: "Darkness wrapped around him, pushing out sound and thought, and blessedly, the pain of broken bones and shattered dreams." 

3. Will there be a book 3? Is it Cory's story? (Note: go read Let It Ride to meet Cory!)

A: There will definitely be a book three. I've just finished the rough draft and it's slated for release the beginning of September. Yes, Cory will be a main character in this one, but the story is more about the man he falls in love with. You've actually met him in Pickup Men. That's all I'm saying. ;-)

4. Are your characters based on real people or are they completely made up?

A: They're mostly made up. Sometimes people I know inspire or influence them in the beginning, but once I start getting deeper into the story my characters become living, breathing people in their own right, with their own personalities and quirks. One of my favorite parts of writing is discovering who they are. 

Oh, there was one story I co-wrote a few years ago, where the main character was based on a good friend. That's a bit hard for me though. I can go everywhere my fictional characters take me, but if it's someone I know...definitely some boundaries I won't cross. ;-) 

5.  What's something you wish you were asked in interviews, but never are?

A: No one ever asks me what I'm wearing right now...using their sexy voices, of course.

  LC Chase's Contact links:

Facebook

Website

Riptide

Amazon

Goodreads

I hope you guys enjoyed getting to know LC Chase a little more! Be sure to check out her social media accounts and don’t forget to read her books!

The Big Tour Contest:

 In celebration and thanks, I’m offering goodies for three lucky readers . . .

 COWBOYS IN PIXELS: One ebook copy of any title in my backlist. Open to worldwide entries.

COWBOYS IN PRINT: One signed paperback copy of Long Tall Drink, the extended edition. Open to worldwide entries.

 COWBOYS IN PENCIL: One original 8” x 10” graphite pencil artwork by yours truly.

The finished artwork will be revealed on the last stop of the tour on Tuesday, June 3.

Entries are limited to US and Canada residents only.

 What do you have to do to win? Just answer one or both of these questions in the comments section below:

 1 – Who is your favorite cowboy of all time—fictional or real, past or present? Mine is Clint Eastwood as “Blondie” from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly movies.

 2 – Give me your best guess on what the pencil drawing is of—cowboys are a given so you’ll have to be a bit more creative.

 Don’t forget to leave your email address too! Contest closes at midnight Pacific Time, on June 4th. Winners will be drawn randomly on Thursday, June 5th.