THE LAST CAMELLIA by Sarah Jio

Congrats to Buttah who has won a copy of The Last Camellia! Email me at stephanieelliot@gmail.com with your full name and address so we can get you your book!

The Last Camellia 
Sarah's Facebook Go like her page now please!

Sarah's Website

About Sarah Jio

I've been a huge fan of Sarah Jio's since her first book came out, and she is such a talented author, weaving the past with the present, and tossing mystery and romance into her novels. She writes such descriptive novels, you feel as if you are living in the scene with her characters, feeling everything that's going on. I have been known to give her books as gifts to friends because they are so beautiful on the inside and out!

Sarah has shared with us some really fascinating info for THESE THREE THINGS, so I will let her take it over right now, then I'll be back with her latest, The Last Camellia, which is up for grabs in this blog feature!

From Sarah:

I think I'd be far less productive if I lived in California: Right now, I'm on a two-books-a-year schedule with my publisher Penguin (Plume), and the pace suits me. People always ask me how I do this, or if I feel incredible pressure to write all the time, and the answer is, honestly, no. I love the schedule I'm on, and it's working really well for me right now. Just when I'm winding down one story, I'm eagerly looking to begin the next. But, I think there are a few factors that make my pace work for me. For once, my husband is incredibly hands on with our three little boys (all 6 and under), and I happen to love coffee, and caffeine can buzz me through a late-night writing session. But ultimately, I think, it's my location that makes it all work. I live in Seattle where it rains 84.9 percent of the year (OK, I made that stat up, but it does rain A LOT), and that's OK with me. Rainy weather = good writing weather. If I lived in Southern California, I think I'd probably get nothing done. 

I have no feeling (or taste) in about 3/4 of my mouth: Crazy-but-true fact about me…I had a filling replaced last month, and the dentist nicked my lingual nerve (a real and random risk of any dental procedure, I've learned). I went home that afternoon with a numb mouth, and woke up the next morning … with a numb mouth. I can feel about 1/4 of my tongue, and can only taste my food on the far left side. The dental experts I've talked to say that it's likely my nerve damage is only temporary (though it can take up to a year to fully heal), but there's a chance that it could be a lifelong thing. For now, I wait, and dream of a day when I can fully taste chocolate ganache again. 

I was "recognized" for the first time recently at the bank: A woman stopped me and said, "Hey, are you Sarah Jio the novelist"? I was so caught off guard, I nearly was at a loss for words. Too bad my 2-year-old was in the middle of an epic meltdown and I was wearing a T-shirt and leggings that may or may not have had a small hole in them. The writing life is so not glamorous!

And now, about The Last Camellia: 

On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate? 

Would you like to win a copy of The Last Camellia? If you can go over to Sarah's Facebook and like her page, we would be very grateful! Also, since the book is about the camellia plant and gardening, leave a comment here and tell me if you've ever attempted to grow a garden and if you succeeded or failed? If you haven't, tell me your fave flower/plant. I can't keep a basil plant alive, but I love the smell of gardenias! As usual, I'll have random.org choose one winner from the comments below, and we'd love it if you could go LIKE Sarah's Facebook page too! This is where she shares all the info on her books including her next one that will be out before you know it, MORNING GLORY! (Sarah writes TWO BOOKS A YEAR!) Thanks!

Check HERE to see if you won THE GLASS WIVES! 

If you are new, thank you for stopping by:
If you're new to Booking with Manic, thank you for stopping by! We love new readers! Some notes - If you're entering to win a book, please leave a comment on this post and use an identifying name when commenting. It's usually a great idea to include an email, which I will never give out to anyone else. You can only enter once please. You'll need to check back here in a few days to see if you've won the book -- I will either list the winner in a new post OR highlight the winner's name at the top of this post, or tell you where you can find the winner's name at the top of this post. I do NOT personally contact the winners. It is YOUR responsibility to come back to see if you've won. Most books are supplied directly through publishers, publicists and the authors. Winners will receive books directly from the publisher or author within 3 weeks from the time you provide me with your address, unless I send you the book (sometimes I will). Sorry, but we can only ship to U.S. and Canada so if you're from another country, thank you for coming by to read and discover new authors, but we can't send you a book. Any questions on how I run the blog or suggestions on who you would like to see featured, please email me at stephanieelliot[at]gmail.com. Thank you for your support!