Ruth Hartman, author of Pillow Talk, launches her blog tour!

& Book Giveaway Comments Contest!

Ruth Hartman started out as a dental hygienist but morphed into a romance writer. She has fun working the dental industry into her romances. While Pillow Talk features a dental hygienist/tooth fairy, her next romance Flossophy of Grace also follows the love life of a dental hygienist. Who knew the dental world was so romantic?

Ruth's first book, My Life in Mental Chains, is a memoir about her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Ruth, her husband and two very spoiled cats live in rural Indiana where Ruth dreams up new and exciting romances. And flosses regularly. Really!

Find out more about Ruth by visiting her websites:
R.J. Writes blog: http://ruthjhartman.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RuthjHartman


Pillow Talk

By Ruth Hartman

Trixie Trident has a secret. Everyone knows she creates one-of-a-kind jewelry during the day. It's what she does on her night job no one would ever guess. She's a tooth fairy. Not the tooth fairy, just one of many. It would take her whole life just to combat the many misconceptions people have about TF's. Like how nobody wears tutus or uses a wand. Or stands three inches high. Nope, Trixie looks just like any other woman in her mid-twenties. And she'd tell people all of that stuff. If she was allowed to. But she'd sworn a sacred tooth fairy oath that she'd never tell a soul. And she hadn't. Except for her best friend, who would never breathe a word to anyone.

Graham Keebler meets Trixie when she comes to his dental office as a new patient. He's had lots of single women patients before, but no one has ever sparked his interest like Trixie. What is it about her that's so unique? He can't quite figure it out, but he's determined to try, even when she turns him down for a second date.

Trixie is attracted to Graham, like she's never been to any man before. He's what she always dreamed of in a man. And they even have the subject of teeth in common! But a relationship with the gorgeous dentist can never be. How could it? When she's a tooth fairy, and not only can't she tell him, he'd never believe her anyway.

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Class Act Books (August 2010)
ISBN: 9781935048688

Pillow Talk is available through Class Act Books in both print and as an ebook, and is available through Amazon as a Kindle edition.

Book Giveaway Comments Contest!
If you received our Events Newsletter, remember, we are holding a contest to win a copy of Ruth Hartman's novel, Pillow Talk, to those that comment. So, grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and enjoy the chat, and share your thoughts, and comments, at the end. We will randomly choose a winner from those who comment.

Interview by Jodi Webb

WOW: Welcome, Ruth! We're thrilled to be hosting your second blog tour with WOW! on The Muffin. Could you start by telling us how you got started in writing...is this something you've done since childhood?

Ruth: I've always loved to write. English Literature classes in high school were my favorite. When everyone else would moan because we had to write a term paper, I was excited! As opposed to math, which I always had trouble with, English and Literature came fairly easy to me. And I took a class in Writing for Children in my late twenties, but have never had a children's story published yet. I kind of got sidetracked with writing for adults.

WOW: With so many options, I think we writers are famous for getting "sidetracked." In 2008, you wrote My Life in Mental Chains: My Struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a memoir about your struggle to manage your OCD. I've been told that memoir writing is like eating potato chips...you can't have just one. Do you agree?

Ruth: I imagine for many people memoirs are like potato chips. For me, though, my struggle with severe OCD was the deal-breaker. It took a lot out of me to write about that. I'm not sure I have another one in me. It was good for me to do it, though. And it means so much to me when someone tells me it's helped them or someone they love.

WOW: Of course, your new book is about as far from memoir as you can get. Unless you are the Tooth Fairy in disguise! What made you switch from the memoir genre to the romance genre?

Ruth: I love reading romances. I always have. I'm a romantic at heart. My husband has another word for it: sap. He says I'm sappy, and I guess I am. :) But that's okay. Maybe that's why I find that writing sweet romances comes fairly easy to me. When I wrote the memoir, I had to dig deep, and force myself to remember stuff I thought I'd buried forever. Everything was fact, or at least what my troubled mind at the time thought was fact. But with romances, I can make the story anything I want it to be. I can embellish, entertain, use my imagination.

WOW: Writing a romance does sound like fun. Who wouldn't want to create the perfect man, the perfect romance? I love to learn about everyone's creative process. How did you ever decide to write about the Tooth Fairy's romantic life? I imagine you must get plenty of questions about the Tooth Fairy from your young patients. Did those Tooth Fairy questions inspire you?

Ruth: I do get questions from time to time from kids in our dental office about the tooth fairy. Just the other day, I had to stifle a laugh when a little girl told me she saw the tooth fairy in her room. When I glanced at the girl's mom, she was holding back a giggle, too. Obviously, the little girl hadn't recognized her mom in her room that night.

WOW: Like Superman, jewelry maker Trixie has a secret identity. So which came first...did you create the lonely jewelry maker first or did you say, "I've got to write about the Tooth Fairy" and add the alter ego later?

Ruth: I wrote Flossophy of Grace (Midnight Showcase Fiction) about a dental hygienist falling in love with her patient. It will be out in February 2011. I wanted to write another dental themed romance. So I needed to come up with another dental angle. In Pillow Talk, Trixie, a tooth fairy, falls in love with Graham, her new dentist. I came up with Trixie being a jewelry designer in her "day job" later. I felt the story needed that balance.

WOW: I suppose a tooth fairy would need something to occupy her time in between tooth collections. (Laughs) There are so many different divisions in the romance genre. Something for everyone. Pillow Talk is a contemporary romance with a bit of fantasy thrown into the mix. You're writing another romance. Will it be another contemporary romance or will you try another division...historical, paranormal, erotica?

Ruth: The one I just finished is another contemporary, but it doesn't have any fantasy elements. I doubt I'll write historical, although I like reading them. And probably not erotica, simply because I enjoy reading and writing sweet ones more.

WOW: Tell us about the road to publication for Pillow Talk. Did having a memoir under your belt influence publishers? Is marketing different this time around?

Ruth: I honestly don't know if the memoir influenced them or not. Maybe the fact that I'd been published before did, but I'm not sure the fact that it was a memoir had much effect. They're such different genres, and Class Act Books deals mainly with romances. I'm hoping marketing will be a little easier, simply because I've done it before. Although, there's so much to learn, so much out there. I doubt any of us could ever learn it all. One piece of advice is, even though you have your books for sale online and in bookstores, have several copies always on hand for people you run into. With my first book, I sold several copies to people who wanted them at my church. I'd see someone, and they'd say, "I want one of your books, can you bring it next Sunday?"

WOW: Any advice for our budding romance writers? Any favorite romance authors?

Ruth: For budding romance writers, the good news is, there are lots and lots of publishers out there who are looking for all different types of romances. The three publishers I've gone with so far are all small. I like that. They treat their authors with respect, and the atmosphere seems a little more relaxed. Everyone I've been in contact with at these publishers have been very nice to deal with.

Personally, I love reading Debbie Macomber. Her characters are real, flawed, and likeable. And I know with her books, I'll always get that happy ending I love.

WOW: So what's next?

Ruth: I'm thinking I'll stay with writing romances. They're so much fun! The romance I just turned in to a new publisher is about a woman and her cat who find themselves stranded on a yacht for two weeks with a man they've never met. I'm really loving these contemporary stories. The one floating around my head now is another dental themed one. It's slowly taking shape.

WOW: It's amazing that you've carved out a memorable niche for yourself. Dental romance. Only you would put those two things together and make it work. You should be giving away toothbrush shaped bookmarks at your book signings!

Want to join Ruth Harman on her blog tour? Check out these dates and mark your calendar! You can also snag a copy of WOW's Events Calendar HERE.

Blog Tour Dates: Come and join the fun!

September 13, 2010 Monday
Ruth Hartman will be chatting with WOW! Women On Writing at The Muffin. One lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Ruth's new book!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

September 14, 2010 Tuesday
At "Because of a Book" today Ruth Hartman will be telling a tale about her connection to books. She'll also be giving away a copy of her latest book Pillow Talk!
http://www.writeforareader.blogspot.com/

September 15, 2010 Wednesday
Enjoy a fun post with author and dental hygienist Ruth Hartman on making dental floss jewelry! She's also giving away a copy of her latest book Pillow Talk. It's a tale of star (or is it tooth?) crossed lovers--a dentist and a tooth fairy.
http://www.dentalheroes.com/

September 17, 2010 Friday
Stop by for a fun visit from Ruth Hartman. When she isn't cleaning teeth as a dental hygienist she spends her time writing. She's just released her latest book, the romance Pillow Talk and is giving away a copy today.
http://www.momecentric.com/

September 20, 2010 Monday
Remember all those quarters you found under your pillow and those tales you heard from your parents? Well, stop by for the skinny on the Tooth Fairy from her unofficial biographer, Ruth Hartman. You can also win a copy of Pillow Talk!
http://www.loveromancepassion.com/

September 21, 2010 Tuesday
Ruth Hartman talks about splitting genres today and is giving away a copy of her latest romance, Pillow Talk.
http://writerinspired.wordpress.com/

September 22, 2010 Wednesday
Don't miss a visit from Ruth Hartman, a writer who just invented a new genre. Dental Romance! Stop by Romance Junkies and enter to win her latest book Pillow Talk.
http://www.romancejunkies.com/rjblog/

September 28, 2010 Tuesday
What should ever main character have? Romance writer Ruth Hartman tells us today and here's a hint...it starts with the letter P. Along with advice, Ruth is giving away a copy of her book Pillow Talk.
http://www.shelleymunro.com/blog/

September 29, 2010 Wednesday
Stop by for a roller coaster of an interview/podcast with a dental hygienist turned romance author as she talks about her two careers and her new book Pillow Talk. You'll also have the chance to win a copy of this fun romance!
http://niapromotions.podbean.com/

October 4, 2010 Monday
Today's your chance for a sneak peek at an exclusive excerpt of Pillow Talk--only at The Romance Reviews. In addition to a review, Ruth will also be stopping by to talk about being a romance author.
http://theromancereviews.blogspot.com/

October 7, 2010 Thursday
Kate the Book Buff is giving away an unusual gift today--dental floss jewelry made by a head-over-heels in love tooth fairy! Wait, the jewelry was made by author Ruth Hartman. It's the character in Ruth's latest romance Pillow Talk who is head-over-heels in love tooth fairy. Come learn how Ruth decided to write about a tooth fairy!
http://www.thebookbuff.blogspot.com/

To view all of our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar HERE.

Get involved!

If you have a blog or website and would like to host Ruth Hartman or schedule a tour of your own, please email Angela and Jodi at: blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com

And be sure to comment on this post to enter in a drawing for a copy of Ruth Hartman's novel Pillow Talk! And check back in a couple of days in the comments section to see if you won!