Guest Post with Author Chelsey Krause and Giveaway

Meet Chelsey Krause, author of Can't Always Get What You Want.

I was born and raised in Canada, and live with my husband and two children. I’ve been a nurse since 2009. An essay I wrote on intercultural nursing has been published in a nursing anthology.

I love thrift shops, repurposing old junk and learning new belly dance moves. I can’t decide if my favorite movie is either “Bridget Jones’ Diary” or “Fight Club.”

I’ve always wanted to be a writer and in the spring of 2013, I finally sat down and wrote my first book. Now that that’s done, I’m working on my second.
I believe that the best way to become a great writer is to read.

A lot.

And then read some more.

I absolutely love books and would live at the library if they’d let me.

Find Chelsey at:

| Site | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |

How I Chose My Book Title

So, I wanted a shorter title.

Really. I did.

I read dozens of articles online on how to come up with a title.

I looked up title “formulas.

I thought about my favorite lines from the story.

I tried to sum up the plot in a single sentence.

I did several “brainstorming” sessions where I’d write down every single idea that came to mind.

I consulted title generators (I spent an embarrassing amount of time on these, actually. Most are plain awful, but hilarious.

I considered some really, truly horrible titles for a while, in an effort to have something shorter.

And yet, I kept coming back to the same thing:
“Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

Why?

Well, maybe I should explain the backstory.

My husband and I have been together for eight years now, and he’ll often tease me (and our kids) through song.

Anything can set him off.

Our eldest daughter will talk about how pink is her favorite color, and he’ll start singing “Pink” by Aerosmith.

Or I’ll talk about how I need to cut my bangs, and he’ll start singing, “Hair in My Eyes like a Highland Steer” by Corb Lund.

And, there are other times when he just throws in dirty words to make the song more “interesting.”

I love it.

But there is one song that he sings the most.

It starts with me making a request, or saying what I plan to do that day.

“Oh honey? Can you take out the garbage?”

Or….

“I was thinking we should go to Chapters.”

To which he replies, (in a sing song voice),

“You can’t always get what you want.”

And then, I usually join in and we sing the lyrics in our best “Mick Jagger” voice (only, we always end up sounding more like Bob Dylan.

That, and we also forget most of the words.

So how did it end up in my book, you ask?

I thought about this story for roughly two years before I ever wrote anything down.

The idea often kept me awake at night.

I’d have visions of a young man and woman in love, and then being wrenched apart. I didn’t know their names yet, or what caused their separation. But I could feel a grief so powerful, so heart breaking that I’d literally ache for them.

I don’t know where this couple came from, but one night they just showed up in my thoughts, and I wondered what their backstory must be, and what happened to the girl after she loses her one true love.

One day when my husband was singing the chorus to “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” it somehow merged with the story in my head, and it all clicked.

I dedicated this book to my husband because he inspired so much of it.

The title. The meet-cute blind date. He even inspired Brett’s bright blue eyes and cleft chin. (I mean, who could resist?.

So, yeah. I wanted a shorter title. But I love this one so much more. It means so much more. To me, anyway. And besides, nothing else quite summed up the story like title this does.

If I’ve learned anything from this project, it’s that you don’t always get what you want. But sometimes, you get exactly what you need.

Fans of Ruthie Knox, Rachel Gibson, and Molly O’Keefe will love this deeply romantic and uplifting debut novel about losing everything you thought you wanted—and getting exactly what you need.

Sophie Richards has been looking forward to a much-needed girls’ night out: a Rolling Stones tribute-band concert, a few drinks, a distraction from her grueling nursing shifts in acute care. But when her best friend bails, Sophie gets stuck with a blind date.

Although Brett Nicholson may be the hottest carpenter alive, and Sophie may technically be single, she isn’t exactly on the market. Six years ago she found The One. He was everything Sophie dreamed a man could be—and then she lost him. In an instant, her whole life changed, and she forgot all about happily ever after.

But as she gets to know Brett, Sophie starts to wonder about the future for the first time. With a broken heart still clouding her mind, jumping into a new relationship feels impossible. When she’s in his arms, walking away feels even harder. Now Sophie faces an impossible choice: living in the past or choosing love in the here and now.

Purchase: | Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Kobo |

Check out what's up for grabs.

Up For Grabs:

• 1 $25 Gift Card + Loveswept Mug & Tote

To Enter: 

• Please fill out the Rafflecopter form.

Good Luck! 

Special thanks to Chelsey Krause + Tasty Book Tours for sponsoring this tour-wide giveaway.

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