Guest Post & Giveaway! Strangers on a Train with Donna Cummings, Ruthie Knox, Samantha Hunter, Meg Maguire, & Serena Bell

Today we are excited to have Donna Cummings with us, along with a few of her partners in crime (aka fellow authors), to discuss the Strangers on a Train collection – out now! These ladies have written the cutest set of short stories we’ve read to date. You can check out our reviews here.

Let’s give Miz Cummings a round of cyber applause and a warm welcome. Take it away, Donna!

The Strangers on a Train collection came about because five of us were chatting on Twitter about pics of hot guys on trains. The result is five different trains, five different authors, and five completely different stories.

My novella, Back on Track, involves an afternoon excursion on the Napa Valley Wine Train, and the hero is a superstar baseball pitcher. So naturally I wanted to know who my fellow partners-in-crime might want to hang out with on the wine train, and what wine they'd be sharing with their mystery guest.

Here's what they have to say:

 

Samantha Hunter, author of Tight Quarters:

Oh, this is so much fun! My first thought, as always, is Mark Harmon. It's like a reflex for me to answer any celebrity choice question with Mark Harmon. But you know, we're both pretty devoted to our spouses (no hanky panky!), and I'm not sure he and I would have all that much to talk about! LOL He's into football, which I'm not, and aside of NCIS discussion and my general Mark Harmon worship, my sitting there just staring at him could make for a long afternoon. 

So, instead, I would probably like sharing the train ride with someone like Pauley Perette (who is a blast anyway, though I don't think I could keep up with her) or Cote De Pablo, both interesting women who could probably tell me all kinds of cool stuff about Mark Harmon (you see a theme developing here...) and about all of the stars in NCIS. Though hopefully we would find a lot of other things to talk about. We would have Champagne (or Sparkling Wine, if it's coming out of California Wine Country), and I'd have to be careful because while I don't like wine too much, I get a little stupid about good Champagne. But I bet we'd have a lot of fun. :)

Samantha Hunter | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Serena Bell, author of Ticket Home:

My dream mingle: I want to sip a Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Wells Chardonnay (out of loyalty to my new home state of Washington) and get to know second-year Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. I’ve been a big Wilson fan ever since he beat out two more experienced quarterbacks for the spot—and as a serious football fan, I love that in his rookie season he led the Hawks to an 11-5 season and their first post-season win since 1983.

It’s possible his intense brown-eyed gaze and almost preternatural coolness under pressure may also play a role in my affections—can’t say for sure. But he never says much in interviews, so I’ve done some serious thinking, and I’m pretty sure my best chance for finding out more about him is to introduce him to veteran Patriots QB Tom Brady and then stand back and be a fly on the wall for the conversation.

It’s all in the name of education. It has nothing to do with the fact that with Wilson’s big brown eyes and Tom Brady’s steely jaw and cleft chin, the scenery inside the train would beat the heck out of the scenery outside …

Serena Bell | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Ruthie Knox, author of Big Boy:

If I were at a mingles thing on the wine train, give me Matt Damon, please. Because he has those lovely dimples, and that wheat-sheaf hair, and one time I saw this video where he talked about how important teachers are because his MOM is a teacher, and I just died. I would like to talk with Matt about his mom and to hear all of his interesting thoughts. He can show me pictures of his adorable children if he likes, and share random anecdotes from his friendship with Ben Affleck, and we will sip Paradigm cabernet, because it's the best wine anyone has ever deigned to allow me to have.

Strangely, I am not interested in pushing Matt into any kind of romance he's not ready for. I'll just drink with him, admire his dimples, and enjoy the scenery.


Ruthie Knox | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Meg Maguire, author of Thank You For Riding:

This was a surprisingly tough question, and I gave it WAY too much thought. One celebrity? And they'd actually show, and they'd definitely want to talk to me?? After considering a hundred candidates, I've ultimately settled on Dolly Parton. Not because I'm the world's biggest fangirl, but because she seems like she'd be so funny and frank and warm, and have amazing stories, and be so easy to talk to. And I would drink whatever Dolly ordered for us. Hopefully champagne.

Meg Maguire | Twitter | Goodreads

 

 

Donna Cummings, author of Back on Track:

I'm notoriously fickle with my celebrity crushes. After things cooled off recently with Richard Armitage. . . well, I decided to take some time for myself before jumping into a new one-sided relationship with someone famous.

Right now if I had an afternoon to while away on the wine train, I'd like to drink something fun and flirtatious, like Menage a Trois California White. It's made from three grapes (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Moscato), and it's a light, tropical-flavored wine that would be perfect for hanging out with the three guys from the TV show Castle.

Yes, Castle, Ryan, and Esposito. Why them? They make me laugh, and I love to laugh. I adore Castle's devotion to all the women in his life, and his bumbling, fumbling attempts to keep them happy. I love Ryan and Esposito acting almost like best girlfriends (they killed me with their recent Charlie's Angels poses). Even better is when all three of them talk about guy stuff, especially when they do it via raised eyebrows and warning headshakes and bro code one-liners. They're the perfect blend, just like the wine, and they'd keep me happily occupied for several afternoons.

Donna Cummings | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

So there you have it! And now we want to know which celebrity/wine pairing YOU are thinking about. It's time to spill your secrets! One lucky commenter will win a set of all five Strangers on a Train e-books.

Giveaway!

All comments from now till April 17th will be entered into the giveaway for a set of all FIVE Strangers on a Train eBooks!

Please leave your broken-up email address in your comment in order to be entered into the drawing (ie. nickname AT gmail DOT com, etc).

And don’t forget to share the celebrity/wine pairing YOU are thinking about!

To visit other stops on the tour, click here!

62 comments:

  1. Letitia and Paula, thanks for the awesome welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed the stories. :) It's been such a fun experience.

    I'm looking forward to hearing about everyone's celebrity crushes. After all, I *am* on the hunt for a new one. LOL I could use some suggestions. :)

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    1. Thank you Donna so much for this fabulous guest post & giveaway! <3

      My celeb/wine pairing would be Gary Oldman and a Riesling. Gary Oldman has been on my "laminated list" since The Scarlett Letter...

      Although Michael Fassbender and a soft red would be great too.

      Can I have both?

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    2. Letitia, I didn't see a reply button to YOUR reply. LOL So it may look like I'm replying to myself. Whew. I'm making myself dizzy!

      A "laminated list"? I LIKE that! And I'm a huge fan of Riesling. Oh, and Gary Oldman in "Immortal Beloved". *sob* I think I've got that on DVD here somewhere. . .

      Oh, and yes, you can have both! There's plenty of room. :)

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    3. I'll have to see if I can figure out why it doesn't let us reply to replies... Hm.

      Embarrassing fact? My husband caught me re-watching the scenes of Gary bathing in the lake in The Scarlett Letter. I only went backwards a few times or twenty. Pssh.

      Oh, dear lord, if I could have both I might spontaneously combust. :-P

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    4. I think the replies still work -- at least, it looks like it's putting them in the right order. :)

      LOL about the bathing scene. But you know, good hygiene is VERY important :) And thank goodness for all that lake water -- for when you spontaneously combust!

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    5. Thank you so much Donna for visiting our blog! This post is fabulous just like the train stories!

      My wine/celebrity pairing would be a sweet red wine with David Gandy. That man. Whew. (took me all of three seconds to come up that. lol)

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    6. Paula, I've gotten a little behind on my comments here! *puts away scrapbook of new potential celebrity crushes* I guess I got a little busy. :)

      LOL about taking 3 seconds to come up with that pairing. I wouldn't mind joining you on that one!

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  2. I don't know wine good enough to do a pairing but if I had to load Dwayne Johnson with wine for him to be in the same room with me I would GLADLY try :)

    theblushingreader at gmail dot com

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    1. *scoots chair next to Michelle* Don't worry about a wine choice. I think we'll be fine without one. LOL

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    2. I think my sister in law would be SO jealous! Dwayne Johnson would be her pick too :)

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  3. This blog was so much fun to think about and write up -- thanks Donna for the great questions and to Letitia for having us here today. I'm also thrilled to see Meg also likes Champagne, like I do.

    I have to admit, I have so many fictional hero fantasies (I guess this is why I do what I do, in part) that it was incredibly difficult to choose. Also because I was resisting all of the non-PG audience responses to the question, LOL.

    Anyway, thanks so much -- TGIF!

    Sam

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    1. LOL Sam -- yes, it WAS hard to decide on just one. So many possibilities. Thank goodness we can write fictional ones, so we don't have to restrict ourselves. :)

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  4. I would totally sip champagne with Dolly, and I'd drink ANYTHING in a room with Nathan Fillion...but c'mon, nobody picked Rachel Maddow? Her hobby is bartending, folks! And she would have ALL the anecdotes.

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    1. Del, it sounds like we might need to have a whole BLOG, not just a post, for this topic. LOL

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  5. If beer were allowed, it would be Sidney Crosby and an Iron City brew-- but as we're on a wine train, I'll go with Paul Rudd and a Chateau d'Esclans Cotes de Provence Whispering Angel Rose. And we would whisper. ;)

    connieruzich at gmail dot com

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    1. Connie, I think we can accommodate liaisons with beer! And I totally agree with Paul Rudd. Thanks for the reminder. It looks like I've got to add a new wine to my "must try" list. *scoots chair closer to Connie so I can whisper* It sounds very intriguing. :)

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    2. Good choice, Connie! I've adored Paul Rudd since Clueless. Wine plus Mr. Rudd would be a hilarious good time.

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  6. What a great post! I totally agree with Donna about Castle, Ryan, and Esposito. I don't know anything about wine, except that I like it sweet. As for who I'd like to share a glass of wine and a train ride with, I think it would be Chris Evans.

    pjmillion(at)comcast(dot)net

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    1. Pam, I'll be happy to share the Castle men with you! The best part about wine is you don't really have to know anything about it -- you can just taste and sample and discover what you like. :) And I like the Chris Evans choice. I'm going to be scooting my chair around a LOT today, aren't I? LOL

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  7. Vicky86210 at gmail dot com.

    These loom like good reads!!!

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    1. Oops, I think my original comment got lost! Which means it'll show up twice now. LOL

      Anyway, thanks, Victoria!

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  8. Great post! (Sarah61588 at gmail dot com)

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  9. Hm. I think I'd like to try that Menage a Trois California White. Because of the three different grapes, of course, and not the name at all! Or the fact that I'd like to sip it on a train with both Jimmy Page and Johnny Depp. No, the name of the wine doesn't have anything to do with my choice. You know that, right?

    Oh, and does this train perchance go through any tunnels where it gets all dark and stuff? Just wondering. ;)

    julipagemorgan AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Juli, I'm *definitely* keeping my chair right next to yours! And I hadn't even thought about the tunnels -- good call on that one. :)

      There's also a red Menage a Trois wine, but right now I can't remember which grapes are used. They have a fun website, so you might want to check it out. While you're doing that, I'll just keep the fellas occupied. :)

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  10. Would love to read all of these, they all sou d so amazing.

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    1. Thanks, Yvonne! It's so fun to see how different each story is, all with the same original theme. :)

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  11. I would pair white zinfedel with Dwayne Johnson. Just because I love both!

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    1. Two for Dwayne! He's going to become a lush with all the wine train dates... :-P

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  12. Vickie, I like white zinfandel too -- it's a perfect summer drink. (If only summer would hurry and get here!)

    And yes, Dwayne Johnson is clearly a crowd favorite. We'll just have to rent out an entire car of the train. . . LOL

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    1. If that car is a rockin... um, .... you know the rest. ;)

      Sam

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    2. LOL -- Sam's train car is the place to be!

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  13. You ladies can have Castle and Espo, but the heck with the wine, I'll share a good Irish beer with Ryan... ;)

    Sam

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    1. Well, that's the beauty of fantasy celeb crushes -- we can mix and match and change the beverages. Everybody's happy!

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  14. How fun!! I am really excited to read the Strangers on a Train collection!!

    Celebrity crushes and wine? At the same time? Like Serena Bell, I am also a Washingtonian so I will choose a nice L'Ecole Apogee or Walla Walla Vintners Cabernet Franc. I can think of nothing dreamier than being on a train with a group of my favorite singer songwriters! James Taylor, Jackson Browne, James' son Ben Taylor, David Saw? Pure heaven! Music and wine are two of my favorite things. I would keep it clean but relish in the musical talk about their inspiration, the meaning behind the lyrics, their witty jokes.... and I may dream of a song made just for me. :)

    Susan (shbass44 at gmail dot com) Did I do that correctly? :)

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    1. Ooh, great call on the musicians, Susan! And thanks so much for stopping by! Would they serenade you? I'm never sure whether I think that's the most romantic thing ever or the most self-consciousness inducing...

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    2. Susan, I love the thought of the serenading! And a song made just for me? *swoon* I would love to hear how they come up with the music, since I find that mind-blowingly, incredibly difficult. My brain only knows songs that already exist!

      I'm a former Washingtonian, but I don't know L'Ecole Apogee. I need to learn more about that one. :)

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  15. Really, wine? I don't get wine...I think I'm probably the only one, but I just have no interest it in. What I'm looking for in a beverage is to have my thirst quenched. Wine doesn't do that.

    What's sexier than a watching handsome nerd drinking an ice cold lemonade?

    Maybe James McAvoy drinking a stout?


    porterink at gmail

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    1. Cherri, I'm kind of the same way about beer -- there's too much carbonation in it, so it doesn't quench my thirst. Unless it's Guinness, which is flat, pretty much. LOL

      I wouldn't mind hanging out with James McAvoy. I think that's an excellent choice!

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  16. The collection of books sounds absolutely fantastic! :D And I can't wait to read them! Nice selection of celebs, ladies :) (And I hear ya on Mark Harmon & the Castle boys.. yummy :))

    But I guess my choice would be John Stewart or Stephen Colbert with some sort of sparkling bubbly. Smart, witty, and the ability to make me laugh would be the key to a sexy train ride ;)

    readsalot81(@)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Readsalot81, excellent choice with John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. Although I'm pretty sure I couldn't drink anything -- without worrying I'd be spewing most of it from laughing. LOL It would sure be worth the effort though. :) Glad you like the sound of the books!

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  17. I would love a glass of merlot with Shane Keough. WHY? Well, he's on my book cover for an upcoming series, and contrary to how Real Housewives of Orange County portrayed him on tv, he's an absolute sweet, smart, caring person! So, I'd just like to toast to the future of both our success with my new book series and have a real chat and great wine!

    n.kuhn.acn (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Nicole, congrats on your upcoming series! I think it would be delightful to share wine with the man on the cover--especially to toast to each other's success. That sounds awesome!

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  18. If I was to be stuck on a train with just one celebrity, it would be Johnny Depp in his pirate costume.
    rachelcooper555@rocketmail(dot)com

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    1. That would be an amazing train ride! I'm signing up for that trip. I love Johnny, and Captain Jack. :)

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  19. Hmmmm, this is a super hard question. Leonardo DiCarpio and a Moscato. YUM. That's my gut instinct first choice. :) <3

    But if I get more than one, I'd totally add Zac Efron, Hugh Jackman,Vin Diesel, and/or Dwayne Johnson, with also maybe a Riesling. I seriously can't choose!!!!

    Isabellaharper.author@gmail(dot)com

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    1. I love Moscato, and Riesling, and yes it's hard to choose when there are so many wines and men! I guess we should set up some sort of buffet. . . LOL

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  20. That's a tough question to answer, I think I would pair a white zinfandel with Josh Duhamel, mmm!

    This series sounds like a great read and I have added them to my TBR pile. Thank you for sharing :)

    LMT62482@hotmail.com

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    1. Micha, thanks for adding the books to your TBR pile -- I hope you enjoy them. :)

      Josh is such a cutie. He'd go perfectly with a white zinfandel. Definitely yummy!

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  21. Ooh... I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I'd happily share a glass with Hugh Jackman :) And probably his lovely wife ;)

    f dot chen at comcast dot net

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    1. You are a generous soul, inviting the spouse along. Which we all would do. *cough* If required. LOL

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  22. So many choices for celebrity wine pairings. I guess I would go with a moscato and Ryan Reynolds.

    JMancini44 AT gmail dot com

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    1. Excellent choice! I'm a fan of moscato AND Ryan Reynolds. Here, why don't you start pouring the wine while I have a little chat with him over here. . . :)

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  23. So excited to have a chance to win. Thank you so much for your giveaways. My email is yvonne_simpkins at yahoo dot com

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    1. Thanks for participating, Yvonne -- good luck to you in the giveaway!

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  24. Hi! My pairing would be Hugh Jackman with a bottle of Armand de Brignac and ripe strawberries. I don't know which one is yummier the champagne or Hugh. :-)

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    1. Champagne and strawberries and Hugh? Talk about sensory overload! But I'm more than willing to give it a go. :)

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  25. Awesome giveaway and I would love to read these books!
    I would LOVE to have wine with David Gandy!! *swoon* The kind of wine we share wouldn't matter because I'm not sure I would be able to focus enough to even drink it! ;) The thought alone of being near that man, is just......*sigh*.

    Email: LNETTL29@GMAIL.COM

    Thx for the chance to win!

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    1. LOL -- I'm pretty sure my wine would be completely neglected. Or I'd knock it over in my hurry to get to the Gandyman. :)

      Good luck in the giveaway!

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  26. Oh my gosh, these books sounds so good.
    I think I would like to have anything, even wine coolers, with Jensen Ackles.
    Thanks for the contest!!!
    Lea B
    Lmburn23@yahoo.com

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    1. YUM! I love your choice. And yes, who cares what beverage it is when the scenery is so lovely? LOL Good luck in the giveaway!

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  27. I would say read the Sweet series by Maya Banks, or the Master of The Shadowland series by cherise Sinclair. Thanks for having the wonderful giveaway!

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