The Matchmaker’s Royal Mess
Frieda J. Downing
Publication date: November 25th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
She’d rather give a mountain lion a bikini wax than mess with love again.
Been there, went viral, never going back. Hattie Montague’s life as a backcountry guide for the spoiled and famous suits her just fine, thanks. It’s the only place she feels completely safe being herself. So what if she has nightmares that she can only speak squirrel and craves pine cones for breakfast? It beats leaving yourself vulnerable to humans. Fine, all of them aren’t bad. She likes probably three, so when one needs her help, she drags herself back to civilization. If she can navigate white water rapids, she can babysit a matchmaking office for a weekend. It’s not like she’ll have to deal with people or, you know, be nice. Ew.
Alexander Greye ruined her life ten years ago. Not his proudest moment. Known as the Winter Warlocke, he’s a man born and raised to lead a country with logical precision. Yet around her, he can’t seem to think rationally. He’s never met anyone who dives into the unknown like she does or tames chaos like she can. In a world as perfectly controlled as his, that makes her irresistible and utterly dangerous. And he’s willing to risk it all to thaw his frozen heart.
It’s half past too late when he realizes his carefully laid plans to win her over covered everything except the theft of the Crown Jewels, an abandoned mine where they’d have to face their deepest fears, and the betrayal that forces them to let go.Quite literally.
Warning: Not for the faint of heart. Sassy romantic adventure, with instances of chaos, misunderstandings, and feels. Oh, and the occasional sheep. Sparks will fly, it’s gonna get awkward, and the Happily-Ever-After will be well-earned.
Interview with Frieda J. Downing
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
I start in after I take my daughter to school, work through the morning in between juggling pet duties, then break for lunch. I’ll take a walk or a bike ride, then hop back in for a few hours until I have to do pick up duty. After that, I switch to family mode and we tackle homework, fix some dinner, and indulge in hang time. Which means I ignore most of the housekeeping until the weekend, so if you ever visit, may I recommend Saturday or Sunday lol?
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Downing is actually a pseudonym because my real last name is a booger to spell and pronounce. Most people see it and just freeze up. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy having a nice (not-so-secret) identity?
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I have, and it’s painful, isn’t it? You read a book that you fall so desperately in love with, that you lose yourself so completely in, and it’s so magnificent. That is, until you turn that last page, and a real sense of loss fills you. Then sometimes you carry it with you through the next few, (or seven) books, until you can find an author who can make you fall in love again. Yeah. *sigh* That’s when I really rely on the reading community to help me find my next great read. Book dragon buddies are the best.
Does your family support your career as a writer?
They do and I love them so hard for it. I know many writers essentially have to go it alone, and that hurts my soul. Honestly, I’m spoiled rotten. My family not only cheers me on, but, when I’m facing deadlines, they’ll make dinner, do laundry, and tell me I look pretty despite the fact that I’m wearing my sweats inside out and my hair looks like a bad 80s hair band.
How many hours a day do you write?
If you include plotting, research, and revisions in with the writing, usually five to six. If I’ve taken too long in one area or spent too much time exploring rabbit holes, then I’ll have to tack on a few hours at night.
If you could invite any three people for dinner, whom would you invite?
Ooooooo, let’s see. I’d have to say Australian comedian Celeste Barber (her recreations of model ads are *chef’s kiss*), Denzel Washington because legend, and Agatha Christi, though that’ll definitely be trickier but worth it because she must’ve been fascinating.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
I once burned myself because my sister, who was babysitting me, told me not to touch a hot pan. So of course I had to. If you give me a map, a compass, and a beacon, then drop me anywhere, I will absolutely get lost. I have no sense of direction. Also, I can’t make brownies to save my life. Not even from a package. But I can make an excellent cup of coffee and bring you a smile. Of that, I’m confident.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
It better be both lol! Reader expectations are vital to a storyteller, and readers are very intelligent creatures. So a good storyteller has to be on his or her toes in order to satisfy them in ways they never saw coming. That’s the thrill of the ride, for both of us. and it’s very much my goal when I sit down at my keyboard.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
It usually involves a combination of flowers from my hubby (love that), loads of sleep, food craving of the moment (breakfast or spicy wings are epic) and games, whether online or at the table with my family. Or a movie. Or just running around the house in circles screaming happy nonsense. Okay, that last one probably sums it up best.
If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be?
I love this question so much because I have this wild daydream of answering it, then the dream author reads it and saying, “Yes! I *should* mentor Frieda! Of course! What have I been waiting for?!” So everyone altogether now, cross those fingers and toes and think really hard with me… Paging the inestimable Suzanne Collins… Ms. Collins, your protegee (in her dreams) is waiting… Ms. Collins?
Hmm. Yeah. We’ll just keep reading and dreaming, shall we? lol
Author Bio:
Nice to meet you. I’m Frieda. I write sweet contemporary romance as well as romantic adventure.
I blame it on my childhood babysitters. For some reason they thought I shouldn’t ride our family’s buffalo. Believe me, I was just as shocked as you. Though I never did get that buffalo ride, I found plenty of other creative outlets for my adventure needs. Some were good clean fun, some got me kicked out of various and sundry events, and others ended with me getting lost in catacombs. (Not metaphorically speaking. Somewhere there’s an Austrian catacomb caretaker? guy whom I owe dinner and a large apology.)
I like to think I’ve gotten a tiny bit wiser.
I married my best friend and dove head first into the magnificent cyclone known as raising kids. I mountain bike every chance I get, lose my coffee cup daily, and bake a mean lemon merengue pie, if I do say so myself. I may indulge in shenanigans on a regular basis, but I plead the fifth every time.
I suppose it’s important to me that you know how very much I love us crazy, broken humans. We dream so big. We try so hard. Yet somehow, so often, things just go terribly, horribly wrong.
That’s where my books begin… because that’s where the real love story’s found. I hope you enjoy reading them. Most of all, I wish you adventure, joy, and more love than you knew was possible,
Frieda
You can find more at www.friedajdowning.com
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3 comments:
I enjoyed the post it was great to hear from the author and I thought the cover was cute too,
Looks great! Love the cover.
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
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