I’m so excited to be dishing about one of my favorite authors, Tawna Fenske, today. I’m also throwing virtual birthday confetti for her release BELIEVE IT OR NOT, and talking super powers with her in our interview below.
So grab a tasty beverage and join me while we learn about a group of heartwarming male strippers, John Cusack look alikes, butt rock, and psychic accountants . . .
Paperback 352 pages
This book manages to be an entire romantic comedy starring John Cusack, with a ton of music references, a touch of magical realism, and a heavy dose of swoon thrown in for good measure.
This story hooked me from the very beginning and I loved every minute of it. I had no clue where Tawna was gonna take me, but I knew it would be entertaining. What I didn’t expect was all the warm gooeyness buried inside, the real journey each of the characters went on, the almost innocence threaded through the lives of all the minor characters. Who’d a thunk a book about male strippers could be so endearing? That’s the magic of Tawna Fenske, and the magic embedded in BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
Tawna’s voice is straight-forward and honest, and the pacing is fast—though she does know when to slow it down, gifting us with a twenty page love scene that is not only steam up my Kindle screen hot, but involves an unfortunate (and unforgettable) stripper pole accident. Really, does it get any better than that?
BELIEVE IT OR NOT is told via third person with both Violet and Drew being equal narrators. We really get to know them both, and they are both extremely likeable and relatable. I completely rooted for them to get together, but for once I actually also enjoyed the many roadblocks thrown into their path. Normally that drives me nuts and gets tiresome, and feels like an excuse just to keep tension and extend the length of the book—but in this case, every start and stop, every hiccup the couple encountered, not only made story sense, but it peeled back another layer. And it was freaking hilarious.
For fans of romantic comedies, swoony romance, magical realism, 80s butt rock, male strippers, psychics, and funny one-liners, BELIEVE IT OR NOT is a must read that will have you laughing out loud and grinning from ear to ear. Just a bit of a warning—be careful eating or drinking while reading. You never know when you may come across something that’ll make you spew in hilarity. Friends don’t let friends drink and read a Tawna Fenske novel.
Miniview with author Tawna Fenske
Congratulations! You just fell into a vat of cool, slimy goo. Completely ruined your new suede boots, but the upshot is you get a super power. What is it?
As long as I can get the suede boots cleaned and repaired, I’d like a superpower that would allow me to run around all day wearing nothing else. I won’t get cold or fired from my day job or arrested for public indecency. Just my boots and my bullet-deflecting wristbands and I’ll be good to go!
For the rest of your life you can only eat one type of sweet/dessert. What is it?
I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, and I’m also a bit of a food snob. The result is that I’m not terribly interested in run-of-the-mill desserts like chocolate cake or berry cobbler. Dish me up a side of cardamom crème brule with chocolate sage drizzle and a ginger mango reduction and I’ll cheerfully pick up my fork. Otherwise, can I just get a plate of bacon?
All time hot Hollywood crush when growing up?
I’m 37 and a child of the ‘80s (as evidenced by the butt-rock theme throughout Believe it or Not). I remember being thoroughly convinced I’d marry either Corey Feldman or Mackenzie Astin. I’m still waiting for the call.
Favorite book as a teen?
I swiped a copy of The Joy of Sex when I was six, which probably explains a lot. By the time I was a teen, I alternated between reading authors like Kurt Vonnegut and Vladimir Nabokov, and devouring romance novels by the hundreds. I was a lit major in college, but I wrote my senior paper on the parallels between Shakespeare and contemporary bodice rippers. From the time I learned to read as a kid, I’ve been gobbling up books at a rate of four or five a week. When writers ask my advice on how to become a published author, I always tell them READING is key. Read anything, as long as you’re reading constantly!
About Tawna:
A third-generation Oregonian who can peel and eat a banana with her toes, Tawna
Fenske has traveled a winding career path from journalist to English teacher in Venezuela to marketing geek. She’s the author of the popular daily blog “Don’t Pet Me, I’m Writing” and a member of Romance Writers of America. You can find Tawna on Twitter or on Facebook.
Tawna’s debut novel, Making Waves, was nominated for Best Contemporary Romance in the RT Book Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and the Chicago Tribune noted, “Fenske’s wildly inventive plot and wonderfully quirky characters provide the perfect literary antidote to any romance reader’s summer reading doldrums.” Her second romantic comedy, Believe it or Not, hits shelves March 6 from Sourcebooks. Library Journal noted, “Fenske’s sophomore effort (after Making Waves) is another riotous trip down funny bone lane, with a detour to slightly askew goings on and a quick u-ey to out-of-this-world romance. Readers will be enchanted by this bewitching fable from a wickedly wise author.”
Author Website / Blog / Goodreads / Twitter
