Spotlight: "Virtue" by: Allison Bassen

Mrs. Potter’s Book Publicity Services

Presents:

Blog Tour for Virtue by Allison Bassen

Synopsis

Candice and Susan thought they had it all, but they were dead wrong. Their lives were in jeopardy the day they learned the daunting truth about one formidable man.

Candice, incognito, now occupies the penthouse suite as the in-house call girl at Manhattan's swankiest hotel. She rises to the top of her profession paying more attention to the psychological longings of her clients. After all, sex is so much more than just sex. Even though she has powerful men under her influence, Candice still glances over her shoulder.

Susan, once a wealthy Atlanta socialite, played by the rules only to be confronted with an unimaginable ultimatum. She snaps out of her charm school coma realizing the last twenty-three years played like a sinister joke at her expense. Now she has one goal. Stay alive.

One will survive.

VIRTUE takes you on a ride of sultry suspense. Buckle up.

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Author Bio:

My first word was "cookie." That tells you just about everything you need to know about me.

I was born in Columbia, South Carolina weighing a meager three pounds, which was tenuous back in those days. As usual, I was early for my own birthday by three months. My theory is everyone's punctuality is innate. I'm early for almost everything.

My folks moved to Atlanta when I was nine months old and I stayed there until I was twenty-four. My itch was Manhattan. I can still remember signaling my first taxi and when that checker cab pulled over for me, I became Audrey Hepburn. Even though I understand the whys, I miss those over sized cabs and their character. There's nothing glamorous in putting your hand out for a yellow Prius.

I fell for a "Yankee" and never made it back to Atlanta. We tied the knot and made three beautiful children. Funny, my youngest son read the first few pages of VIRTUE, and his only comment was, "This is fiction, right?"

My friends and family have been telling me to write for years. The challenge was coming up with the story. VIRTUE was inspired by scandalous newspaper headlines. A Governor got caught with an escort. That had me scratching my head. Why would a powerful man risk his career? And what about the escort? She looked like a pretty girl and came from a nice family. Then I researched the history of prostitution and came to understand why it is referred to as "the oldest profession." Yes, prostitution is in The Bible.

My second novel, MY FATHER'S AFFAIR, which should be published by June of 2013, was inspired by a true story. I took that story and raised the proverbial stakes. I changed the era and the setting. Things were much different in the early sixties. Small towns are like Cheers where everybody knows your name. But I think the most important aspect of writing this novel was the narrator. The reader sees the story through Ellie's eyes, the thirteen year old daughter, which intensifies the emotions.

Writing gets me out of bed every morning. Okay, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are equally motivating. If I'm not writing, I'm reading. There is nothing better than a great read. My biggest hope is that you find pleasure reading my novels.

Author Links:

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Q)  Is there a message in your novel/novels that you want readers to grasp?

A)  One of my reviewers said it best.  There’s no such thing as a perfect white-picketed fence.  That’s when you discover someone’s true character.  How do they fix the fence?

Q)  What books have most influenced your life most?

A)  Stephen King’s novels make me throw my head back and say, “Wow!”  His descriptions, adjectives, and pacing just blow me away.  The man is a word artist.  But there are also two southern writers that are beyond mesmerizing and if you do sit down to read their work, take the day off from all responsibilities because you will want to give both authors your undivided attention:  Flannery O’Conner and Harper Lee.

Q)  If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in any of your books?

A) I would probably change the cover of Virtue.  It gives the impression of “erotica,” which is not the case.  So I would make the cover less sexy.

Q)  Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

A)  I had an English professor in college who told me, “I actually look forward to reading your stories.”  Thing is, I always enjoyed writing, but she made me realize I had talent.  One day she told me, “Allison, I bet you could write a story about a toothbrush and make it interesting.”   I wish I had saved that assignment.  The toothbrush, Reddie, came to life, fuelled by jealousy that the “other” toothbrush got used everyday while Reddie just sat there unused and ignored.

Q)  What was the hardest part of writing your books?

A)   Letting them go out in public!  My husband asked me, “When are you gonna be finished?”  You have to reach a point where you stop trying to make each and every sentence better.  In a way, writing is a form of torture.

Q)  Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

A)   Publishing your first book is like putting your baby on the school bus for the first time.  You don’t want to let go and you worry how it will do out in the world.  Saying that, I want to thank the many readers who raved about Virtue, went to the trouble to post a review, and told their friends about a new book they just finished in one day!

Q)  What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing your characters to life?

A)  Making sure each character has a different “voice.”  The reader has to love your protagonist and according to the reviews, people pulled out the pom-poms for a prostitute.  That’s not easy.  They understood she wasn’t proud of what she did, however she did take great pride in her work.  The other challenging part was explaining the psychology of why men sought out a prostitute without coming across as clinical.

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