Q: Can you share your thoughts about the character development of Skylar Southmartin in "Alchemy's Air" and how she has evolved throughout the story? Answer: Our twenties are really about learning how to claim agency over our own lives. We are most likely still breaking free from the ties of authority-parents, school, extended family. And the truth is we don’t ever really break free, we learn to live in the container that our life has given us, unless we get so completely dissatisfied, we create the change, within and in our external world. I remember being in my twenties, making the wrong decision about men, giving my power and body away to someone for attention and trying to fill the hole of self worth through the eyes of a man. Does the attention of the bad guy, the “powerful” guy make you powerful in turn? In the moment, one would say yes but looking back, the clarity of what it actually was is blatantly apparent. As writers, we find ourselves in all of our stories. I processed my own mother’s death through these books, especially book 2. To be able to go back in time and have a relationship with your mother who has died in current day, what would that be like? How healing? How heartbreaking? How life changing would that experience be? Over the course of the series, Skylar takes ownership of her choices, in turn grows and matures. She learns to appreciate who she is without the need to “fix” the parts she deems imperfect. Q: The description mentions the significance of darkness within us and its impact on the soul. How did you explore this theme in the book, and what message did you aim to convey through it? Answer: Our shadow self is simply a filter through which we view ourselves and our world. It is very convincing. The self help industry banks on the shadow self. What it boils down to is self-forgiveness. And beyond self forgiveness is self acceptance and the realization you are perfect and there is nothing to forgive. If it were simple, there would be no need for suffering. It is through our suffering that we crack open the shell around our hearts that we put there to hide our truth from others because of shame. The thing our soul wants more than anything is for our personality self to shine our unique being, despite the judgements of others and our own self judgments. It’s a work in process. Skylar has to come to terms with her relationship choices and see them as learning experiences. We all can learn from that arc-acceptance of who we were in our past, we made decisions then that shape who we are now. But realizing the decisions we make now, shape who we will be in the future. Q: The Akashic Library in the Underworld of Earth plays a crucial role in the plot. What inspired the creation of this unique setting, and how did it influence the characters' journeys? Answer: I love everything mystical! Magic is all around us and the muscle of our imagination is a faculty available to all of us, but so few really tap into its wonder. It also comes down to the lens you view the world through. You can believe your horoscope matters, or it doesn’t. You can believe the date 2-2-2022 is magical or it’s just a bunch of twos. The Akashic Records are a thing, google it! Books have been written about it, people have made careers reading the records for clients. Again, it comes down to belief. My husband would tell you it’s a crock of shit. I disagree, so much that it is a big deal in my story and I have a card in my deck about the records. I elaborate on the fantasy element for the books sake but it comes down to your history and the history of all living beings. It also sits in the cross section of faith and science. It can be comforting to believe that you and all that exists are a part of Universal Divine Love playing out what has already happened. You can’t get it wrong. You can choose what you want on this earth and return to Source Love at the end to play again another day (lifetime). It also represents quantum physics where we are all connected at a quantum level and every choice you make affects everyone else on the planet. Also true. That is a long answer. For the books- I played with one of the theories that the records are actual holographic records kept deep within the mountains of Tibet guarded by mystical protectors to preserve the integrity and truth of the information. Only the people of purest heart and intention are permitted to enter and receive the guidance and information to help with their earthly lives. Q: The story touches on the future of human potential and the role of the Great Mothers. How did you weave elements of mysticism and spirituality into the narrative, and what insights did you hope readers would gain from these themes? Answer: I discovered the Divine Sophia-the feminine face of God, before I started writing this series. I was so overcome with emotion and validation as a woman, that the divine has a feminine aspect. Of course it does, it is all encompassing. But being raised Catholic, the feminine was rarely explored except in Mother Mary. To see a flowering of multiple faces of the Divine Feminine as I uncovered more information drove me to honor her with these stories. The Great Mothers in the books are my creation based on the three Mother Letters in the Hebrew Alphabet: Aleph, Mem Shin-Air, Water, Fire. Not only the letters that all others are birthed from, but are symbolic figures as elements of creation. When I learned that I thought How Fabulous! And wouldn’t that be so fun-to write a trilogy about these elemental mothers who created the world and are still on the planet today. Having never written fiction before, I didn’t quite know what I was getting myself into. But I felt called to write and honor the Divine Feminine in all her forms and faces. My hope is that a woman reads these books and recognizes herself and feels the love of the Divine as her. Visit Stacey on her website:
www.staceyltucker.com Follow Stacey on Instagram: www.instagram.com/staceyltucker Engage Stacey on twitter: www.twitter.com/staceylublog Subscribe to Stacey's YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@staceyltucker LINK for BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Alchemys-Air-Equal-Night-Trilogy/dp/1943006849/
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Q: How did you come up with the title? Answer: I wanted to make my main character expose her vulnerability in a very visible, visceral way, that goes against what you would expect of a mousy bookkeeper—but I didn’t want to use the common tropes of self-abuse or self-harm. What’s more visible and vulnerable than posing nude for figure-study classes in an art studio? At that point, the title announced itself. Q: Where did the idea for this book begin? Answer: The main themes—guilt, atonement, reconciling a moral injury—go way back. When I was in high school, a teenage friend disclosed that his mother had always blamed him for the serious injuries she’d suffered in a car crash. He’d been a few minutes late leaving an after-school event and she’d had to drive around the block a second time, looking for him, and that’s when another driver smashed into her car. My friend carried the tragic injustice of this blame into his adult life, emigrating to the other side of the world to escape her undeserved vitriol. A misplaced belief in agency—that we, or someone close to us, has real control over what happens in our lives—can cause tremendous heartbreak. I wanted to create a story that addressed that, featuring a character who gets stuck in the “should-have” and the “if-only” of regret. That brought me to Alice Gregory’s article in The New Yorker (“The Shame and Sorrow of the Accidental Killer,” September 11, 2017). I knew I’d found the core of my main character: an ethical, conscientious young woman burdened with the guilt of an accidental killer. Then I had to figure out how to get her unstuck from that. And I needed a worthy antagonist to propel the story forward. So I created her troublesome cousin. Q: What was the writing process like for you? Answer: The writing took three and a half years. I added characters and plot twists, researched PTSD, physical trauma, and various therapies. I talked with military veterans about moral injury. I also fell in love with my characters and gave them complex backstories. The book grew to 105,000 words and wandered down too many rabbit holes—all fascinating to me, but not all supporting the heart of the story. Editor Annie Mydla (Winning Writers) brought me back on track to emphasize the essential story: Emma must find the courage to confront her cousin. She can have help, but ultimately this has to be Emma’s story. Q: While DRAWN FROM LIFE is a work of fiction, you depict elements of real-life traumas and the various methods used to help victims of trauma. Answer: I’m careful about use of the word “victim.” It’s become a common, and commonly misused, word. In one sense, everyone can claim victimhood because none of us is fully in charge of what happens in our lives. (The agency problem.) But this can suggest a “learned helplessness,” in which we decide that if we have no control, we might as well give up. Emma, as the childhood follower and sometimes target of a bully, comes to recognize this in herself. It’s at the heart of her battle. Instead of “victim,” I prefer the term “trauma survivor.” Therapists use different techniques for different injuries, and this is one example of a therapy that Emma is familiar with called “re-writing the narrative.” She cannot change the facts or the outcome of the accident, but she can change how she sees her role, how she responds to the facts, and what she will do next. However, there’s an extra stumbling block for Emma. When someone has inadvertently caused irreparable harm, a therapist may advise following the three As: Acknowledge, apologize, amend. But Emma can’t remember enough to acknowledge what truly happened. She’s stuck on the “apologize” phase without fully understanding what she’s apologizing for. This need to know what really happened drives her to try bargaining with her cousin for the truth—thus propelling the story to its climax. Q: How did you determine whose perspective would drive the story? Answer: I first thought the story belonged entirely to Emma, so I began it in first person. But I quickly realized I needed more of her cousin’s perspective to expose the dark side of the family dynamics. With only Emma’s perspective, we’d remain as much in the dark as Emma herself is for much of the story. Lucy’s character was the most interesting to consider but the hardest to write. How dark is too dark? What can I reveal without revealing everything? Chaz, the third point-of-view character, kind of snuck in on me. I was intrigued by what his life as a foster kid might be like, and how he might perceive Emma. His character fit nicely into a “watcher from the wings” role and I really enjoyed bringing in his backstory and perspective. Q: Your detective doesn’t appear until the second half of the book. Why? Answer: He’s riding shotgun, not driving the story. I needed a police presence to move certain things forward but it’s Emma’s story, not his. Maybe he’ll have a stronger role in the next book. Or he could have his own book. Visit Sarah on her website:
www.sarahpblanchard.com Join Sarah on Faceboook: www.facebook.com/SarahWritingInWeaverville Engage Sarah on twitter: www.twitter.com/sarahs_lexicon LINK for BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Drawn-Life-Sarah-P-Blanchard/dp/B0CVCBPJ3B/
Q1: Have you always wanted to be an author? Does it come easily to you, or do you struggle? |
Linda Murphy Marshall is a multi-linguist and writer with a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. Her memoir, Ivy Lodge: A Memoir of Translation and Discovery received a starred review from Kirkus. Her writing has been published or is forthcoming numerous publications, including The Los Angeles Review, The Catamaran Literary Reader, The Ocotillo Review, The Blue Earth Review, Maryland Literary Review, Under the Gum Tree, Critical Read, American Writers Review, Bacopa Literary Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Flash Fiction Magazine, Sip Cup, Hobo Camp Review, Mom Egg Review and elsewhere. In addition, she is a Trustee for the National Museum of Language, a docent at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and served as Translation Editor at the Los Angeles Review. She is putting the final touches on her second memoir: Through the Window of Languages: A Memoir. In her work as a language analyst and translator, she worked with over fifteen languages. Working as an African language specialist, she co-authored a book on Xhosa, a South African “click” language, and acted as a consultant on another book on another South African “click” language, Sotho. In addition, she made over a dozen work trips to the continent of Africa and has visited/stayed in every continent but Antarctica. |
Q: What made you write this book?
Answer: My parents had recently died and, in going through their home — my childhood home (Ivy Lodge) — I realized that I was “translating” many events of my childhood differently than when they were alive. Using my skills as a translator, I re-translated those events, using memories evoked by the house itself and by many of the objects in that house. I came up with a completely different “translation” of my life.
Q: What can readers learn from this book?
Answer: I think readers can learn that each of us needs to discover our own “truth,” that who others say we are is often erroneous, that they may have their own personal agendas for labeling us, and that, ultimately, we get to decide who we are without the interference of others’ opinions, often a difficult task after a lifetime of indoctrination.
Q: What was your writing process like?
Answer: Ivy Lodge began as a 10-page essay, an assignment I submitted to the Iowa Summer Writers’ Festival. Writing that essay provided me with new insights, with a new way of looking at my past, and I felt compelled to continue, to write the truth of my life.
Q: Did you learn anything from writing this book?
Answer: I learned my own truth and I was able to elevate my self-confidence in the process, but I was also able to look at my parents more charitably, to acknowledge that they were battling their own demons and had their own challenges, challenges which affected the way they raised my siblings and me.
Answer: My parents had recently died and, in going through their home — my childhood home (Ivy Lodge) — I realized that I was “translating” many events of my childhood differently than when they were alive. Using my skills as a translator, I re-translated those events, using memories evoked by the house itself and by many of the objects in that house. I came up with a completely different “translation” of my life.
Q: What can readers learn from this book?
Answer: I think readers can learn that each of us needs to discover our own “truth,” that who others say we are is often erroneous, that they may have their own personal agendas for labeling us, and that, ultimately, we get to decide who we are without the interference of others’ opinions, often a difficult task after a lifetime of indoctrination.
Q: What was your writing process like?
Answer: Ivy Lodge began as a 10-page essay, an assignment I submitted to the Iowa Summer Writers’ Festival. Writing that essay provided me with new insights, with a new way of looking at my past, and I felt compelled to continue, to write the truth of my life.
Q: Did you learn anything from writing this book?
Answer: I learned my own truth and I was able to elevate my self-confidence in the process, but I was also able to look at my parents more charitably, to acknowledge that they were battling their own demons and had their own challenges, challenges which affected the way they raised my siblings and me.
Visit Linda on her website:
lindamurphymarshall.com
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Lodge-Memoir-Translation-Discovery/dp/1647423678
MEDIA & REVIEWS:
https://lindamurphymarshall.com/media/
lindamurphymarshall.com
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Ivy-Lodge-Memoir-Translation-Discovery/dp/1647423678
MEDIA & REVIEWS:
https://lindamurphymarshall.com/media/
Angela Terry is an attorney who formerly practiced intellectual property law at large firms in Chicago and San Francisco. She is also a Chicago Marathon legacy runner and races to raise money for PAWS Chicago—the Midwest's largest no-kill shelter. She resides in San Francisco with her husband and two cats, and enjoys throwing novel-themed dinner parties for her women's fiction book club. |
Q: Why did you write this book?
Answer: The initial inspiration for The Palace at Dusk came from my readers. In my last novel, The Trials of Adeline Turner, Jasmine was the main character’s work nemesis at their fictional law firm, Gilchrist & Jenkins. At the end of that book, there’s a hint that Jasmine has a secret romance with another secondary character; and afterwards, many readers asked me, “What’s Jasmine’s story?” So I decided she deserved a book of her own to tell her backstory.
For the plot inspiration, I’ve seen many friends and acquaintances find themselves in difficult marriages or relationships, and so I wanted to write about a more complex romantic relationship, in this case an extra-marital affair, and portray it in a realistic, but also empathetic, way told from the perspective of “the other woman.”
Q: What do you hope people will take away from this book?
Answer: I’m hoping this book will spark discussion. Some of my favorite books are those where I totally disagree with what the character is doing, and silently screaming “Nooo,” while continuing to turn the pages.
My intention for writing this book is that it would be both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging for the reader. Even if they disagree with Jae’s choices, I’m hoping they’ll wonder, “What would I do in this type of situation? Or what would I tell a friend to do?” Hopefully this story will be something the reader will keep thinking about and want to discuss with others when they finish the last page.
Q: Tell us about your writing process?
Answer: I’m a “pantser,” which means I write by the seat of my pants instead of outlining my stories beforehand. I’ll have a general idea about a scene or a character, and I will just start writing. If the story seems to fizzle out or I lose interest, then I stop writing. But if I can imagine the middle and end of the story, and finish a first messy draft while staying engaged with the characters, then I know I have something. From there I’ll reread that first draft, pull things apart to restructure the story, and then that’s where the real writing begins—in the editing.
Q: Do you have any other projects in the works?
Answer: I do! I’m currently working on a couple other women’s fiction titles. One is a sequel to my debut novel Charming Falls Apart, and another features Jasmine’s sister, Saffron, as the main character.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being an author?
Answer: My favorite part of being an author is connecting with readers. Whenever a reader reaches out to me to say how much they enjoyed the book—that they related to a character or a situation, or the book appeared at the right time in their life—it’s the best feeling and fuels me to keep writing.
Answer: The initial inspiration for The Palace at Dusk came from my readers. In my last novel, The Trials of Adeline Turner, Jasmine was the main character’s work nemesis at their fictional law firm, Gilchrist & Jenkins. At the end of that book, there’s a hint that Jasmine has a secret romance with another secondary character; and afterwards, many readers asked me, “What’s Jasmine’s story?” So I decided she deserved a book of her own to tell her backstory.
For the plot inspiration, I’ve seen many friends and acquaintances find themselves in difficult marriages or relationships, and so I wanted to write about a more complex romantic relationship, in this case an extra-marital affair, and portray it in a realistic, but also empathetic, way told from the perspective of “the other woman.”
Q: What do you hope people will take away from this book?
Answer: I’m hoping this book will spark discussion. Some of my favorite books are those where I totally disagree with what the character is doing, and silently screaming “Nooo,” while continuing to turn the pages.
My intention for writing this book is that it would be both thought-provoking and emotionally engaging for the reader. Even if they disagree with Jae’s choices, I’m hoping they’ll wonder, “What would I do in this type of situation? Or what would I tell a friend to do?” Hopefully this story will be something the reader will keep thinking about and want to discuss with others when they finish the last page.
Q: Tell us about your writing process?
Answer: I’m a “pantser,” which means I write by the seat of my pants instead of outlining my stories beforehand. I’ll have a general idea about a scene or a character, and I will just start writing. If the story seems to fizzle out or I lose interest, then I stop writing. But if I can imagine the middle and end of the story, and finish a first messy draft while staying engaged with the characters, then I know I have something. From there I’ll reread that first draft, pull things apart to restructure the story, and then that’s where the real writing begins—in the editing.
Q: Do you have any other projects in the works?
Answer: I do! I’m currently working on a couple other women’s fiction titles. One is a sequel to my debut novel Charming Falls Apart, and another features Jasmine’s sister, Saffron, as the main character.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being an author?
Answer: My favorite part of being an author is connecting with readers. Whenever a reader reaches out to me to say how much they enjoyed the book—that they related to a character or a situation, or the book appeared at the right time in their life—it’s the best feeling and fuels me to keep writing.
Visit Angela on her website:
www.angelaterry.com
Join Angela on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/AngelaTerryAuthor
Follow Angela on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/angelaterryauthor
Engage Angela on twitter:
www.twitter.com/AngelaTerryLit
LINKS for BOOKS:
https://www.amazon.com/Charming-Falls-Apart-Angela-Terry/dp/1684630495
https://www.amazon.com/Palace-at-Dusk-Angela-Terry/dp/195941139X
https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Adeline-Turner-Angela-Terry/dp/1736324373
NEWS & EVENTS:
https://www.angelaterry.com/news-events
www.angelaterry.com
Join Angela on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/AngelaTerryAuthor
Follow Angela on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/angelaterryauthor
Engage Angela on twitter:
www.twitter.com/AngelaTerryLit
LINKS for BOOKS:
https://www.amazon.com/Charming-Falls-Apart-Angela-Terry/dp/1684630495
https://www.amazon.com/Palace-at-Dusk-Angela-Terry/dp/195941139X
https://www.amazon.com/Trials-Adeline-Turner-Angela-Terry/dp/1736324373
NEWS & EVENTS:
https://www.angelaterry.com/news-events
Marianne C. Bohr, freelance writer and travel blogger, married her high school sweetheart and travel partner. Four of her travel essays received Solas Awards by travel publisher, Travelers’ Tales, honoring excellence in travel writing. Her first book, Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries, was published by She Writes Press. Gap Year Girl was named a finalist in both the IndieFab Book of the Year Awards, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Kirkus Reviews said about her book, “Bohr shines…providing glimpses of herself as a whole person, not simply a traveler. Gap Year Girl is an excellent choice…a travelogue filled with historic places, but its personal stories provide its highlights.” The author's second book, The Twenty: One Woman’s Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail, was published in June 2023. Paddy Dillon, author of Cicerone's The GR20 Corsica: Complete Guide to the High-Level Route writes: "You need to be strong, fit and agile in order to complete the GR20. It comes as no surprise to discover that most trekkers are young adults in tip-top condition. Marianne reminds us that age is no barrier to trekking the GR20, provided that careful planning is followed by careful foot placement. Her determination along the trail is inspiring." With her husband and their two grown children, she follows her own advice and travels at every opportunity. Marianne lives in Park City, UT, where after decades in publishing, and then many years teaching middle school French, she skis, hikes, and writes. |
Q: You wrote a book about the difficult GR20 hiking trail. Please tell us more about it.
Answer: Yes, my second book is called The Twenty: The Highs and Lows of Hiking Across Corsica on Europe’s Toughest Footpath. It was published in June 2023. My husband and I were about to turn sixty and we wanted to challenge what it meant to grow old. The book is part travelogue and part memoir about our journey across a rugged island of stunning beauty little known outside Europe. Very few Americans even know that Corsica is part of France. It’s a narrative about hiking, about aging, about accepting the finite journey of life, and about the intimate friendship of a long-term marriage that is tested in unexpected ways. I tried to use the GR20 as a crucible for exploring what it means to be an aging woman in a youth-focused culture. I’m a physically fit person but the limitations of age sometimes get the best of me
Q: Can you tell us about your journey as a writer? What inspired you to start writing?
Answer: I didn't start writing until I was 54 and it's become my later-in-life companion. My husband and I took a gap year in 2011—we sold the house, the car, and most of our things—and I wanted to capture the adventure in writing. My first book, Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries, is the result. I found that I loved to write stories, especially about travel (my muse), and I now have two books and many essays under my belt. My second book, The Twenty: One Woman’s Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail, was recently published. It tells the story of hiking Europe’s toughest long-distance trail with my husband to celebrate our 60th birthdays. Writing these two books allowed me to relive the joy and discoveries of our journeys.
Q: Do you have an interesting writing quirk?
Answer: In my writing, setting is extremely important, so I suppose how I set up for my writing day is my little quirk. My rescue dog, Snap, is always on the overstuffed chair next to my desk with me and I always start by lighting a candle. My pup gives me a sense of warmth and security, and if the candle on my desk is lit, it tells my imagination to get to work.
Q: Where do you get ideas for your books?
Answer: Because my first two books are memoirs, the ideas come from my life, and they’re always about traveling and adventure. I try to encourage readers to get out of their comfort zones. Children love adventure and adults should too. It keeps us young! The people in my books generally become better, more interesting people after their journeys. I’m an avid hiker and always need another big hike on the horizon, so this June, my husband and I are doing the 200-mile Coast-to-Coast hike across northern England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. And of course, our dog will be coming with us and I’m sure I’ll write about it.
Answer: Yes, my second book is called The Twenty: The Highs and Lows of Hiking Across Corsica on Europe’s Toughest Footpath. It was published in June 2023. My husband and I were about to turn sixty and we wanted to challenge what it meant to grow old. The book is part travelogue and part memoir about our journey across a rugged island of stunning beauty little known outside Europe. Very few Americans even know that Corsica is part of France. It’s a narrative about hiking, about aging, about accepting the finite journey of life, and about the intimate friendship of a long-term marriage that is tested in unexpected ways. I tried to use the GR20 as a crucible for exploring what it means to be an aging woman in a youth-focused culture. I’m a physically fit person but the limitations of age sometimes get the best of me
Q: Can you tell us about your journey as a writer? What inspired you to start writing?
Answer: I didn't start writing until I was 54 and it's become my later-in-life companion. My husband and I took a gap year in 2011—we sold the house, the car, and most of our things—and I wanted to capture the adventure in writing. My first book, Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries, is the result. I found that I loved to write stories, especially about travel (my muse), and I now have two books and many essays under my belt. My second book, The Twenty: One Woman’s Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail, was recently published. It tells the story of hiking Europe’s toughest long-distance trail with my husband to celebrate our 60th birthdays. Writing these two books allowed me to relive the joy and discoveries of our journeys.
Q: Do you have an interesting writing quirk?
Answer: In my writing, setting is extremely important, so I suppose how I set up for my writing day is my little quirk. My rescue dog, Snap, is always on the overstuffed chair next to my desk with me and I always start by lighting a candle. My pup gives me a sense of warmth and security, and if the candle on my desk is lit, it tells my imagination to get to work.
Q: Where do you get ideas for your books?
Answer: Because my first two books are memoirs, the ideas come from my life, and they’re always about traveling and adventure. I try to encourage readers to get out of their comfort zones. Children love adventure and adults should too. It keeps us young! The people in my books generally become better, more interesting people after their journeys. I’m an avid hiker and always need another big hike on the horizon, so this June, my husband and I are doing the 200-mile Coast-to-Coast hike across northern England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. And of course, our dog will be coming with us and I’m sure I’ll write about it.
Visit Marianne on her website:
www.mariannebohr.com
Join Marianne on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/MarianneCBohr
Follow Marianne on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/mariannecbohr
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Womans-Across-Corsica-Trail/dp/1647424321
www.mariannebohr.com
Join Marianne on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/MarianneCBohr
Follow Marianne on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/mariannecbohr
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Twenty-Womans-Across-Corsica-Trail/dp/1647424321
Jeanne Blasberg is an award-winning and bestselling author and essayist. Her most recent book, The Nine (She Writes Press 2019) was honored with the 2019 Foreword Indies Gold Award in Thriller & Suspense, and the Gold Medal and Juror’s Choice in the 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards, among others. Her debut novel, Eden (She Writes Press 2017), won the Benjamin Franklin Silver Award for Best New Voice in Fiction and was a finalist for the Sarton Women’s Book Award for Historical Fiction. Blasberg founded the Westerly Writer’s Workshop and sits on the boards of the Boston Book Festival and GrubStreet, one of the country’s preeminent creative writing centers. Her essays have been featured in Zibby Owen’s Moms Don’t Have Time To, as well as in The Huffington Post, Indagare, Grown and Flown, diyMFA, The Jewish Book Council, and many others. Blasberg also reviews contemporary fiction for the New York Journal of Books and is a 2021-22 Southampton Arts Bookends Fellow. She and her husband have three grown children and split time between New England and the American West. |
Q: Tell us a little about DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE and what inspired you to write your third novel.
Answer: As in the past, I’ve taken inspiration from ancient bible story. This time, I’ve written a retelling of the story of David and Bathsheba. Full of ambition and desire, this contemporary version is set against the high-stakes world of investment banking. It’s the first time I’ve written a novel entirely in the first person, and I’d like to think I’ve been working up to in order to fully portray the inner workings of my heroine, Betsabé Ruiz.
In addition to giving voice to a woman who had none in the original story, I have long held an interest in drawing upon the revelations I had right out of college as a baby banker on Wall Street.
Q: Would you call it a sequel to your previous two?
Answer: After the success of my debut, EDEN, in 2017 my agent along with readers encouraged me to write a follow up. That’s not what I did with THE NINE, although there is some overlapping of setting in the two novels. Although I wrote DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE as a stand-alone read, I’m certain those clamoring for a sequel will be satisfied. Betsabé Ruiz is roommates and close friends with Rae Stern, the baby born in the last scene of EDEN. Their relationship gives fans of EDEN another glimpse into the women and the family they already know.
Q: Some describe DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE as an unconventional love story. In what ways does it break the rules?
Answer: My novel is a love story in the traditional sense that a woman and a man meet, have a strong attraction, and fall in love. Their relationship, however, is unconventional due to the significant age gap between Betsabé and David. They are aware of what it looks like and that they are risking a scandal. Then comes the pandemic and their ability to sequester together, allows their bond to incubate. Betsabé finds herself searching for the correct vocabulary to describe what they have. In a world where such relationships are coined disparagingly with expressions such as gold-digger, sugar-daddy, or baby-mama, Betsabé has a hard time knowing if what she really feels is love.
DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE is about more than just romantic love. Over the course of a year, Betsabé is awakened by close, female best-friendship with Rae; by maternal love for her son in utero; as well as by a true love of self. It is all of these types of love combined that spur her growth and promise for the future.
Answer: As in the past, I’ve taken inspiration from ancient bible story. This time, I’ve written a retelling of the story of David and Bathsheba. Full of ambition and desire, this contemporary version is set against the high-stakes world of investment banking. It’s the first time I’ve written a novel entirely in the first person, and I’d like to think I’ve been working up to in order to fully portray the inner workings of my heroine, Betsabé Ruiz.
In addition to giving voice to a woman who had none in the original story, I have long held an interest in drawing upon the revelations I had right out of college as a baby banker on Wall Street.
Q: Would you call it a sequel to your previous two?
Answer: After the success of my debut, EDEN, in 2017 my agent along with readers encouraged me to write a follow up. That’s not what I did with THE NINE, although there is some overlapping of setting in the two novels. Although I wrote DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE as a stand-alone read, I’m certain those clamoring for a sequel will be satisfied. Betsabé Ruiz is roommates and close friends with Rae Stern, the baby born in the last scene of EDEN. Their relationship gives fans of EDEN another glimpse into the women and the family they already know.
Q: Some describe DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE as an unconventional love story. In what ways does it break the rules?
Answer: My novel is a love story in the traditional sense that a woman and a man meet, have a strong attraction, and fall in love. Their relationship, however, is unconventional due to the significant age gap between Betsabé and David. They are aware of what it looks like and that they are risking a scandal. Then comes the pandemic and their ability to sequester together, allows their bond to incubate. Betsabé finds herself searching for the correct vocabulary to describe what they have. In a world where such relationships are coined disparagingly with expressions such as gold-digger, sugar-daddy, or baby-mama, Betsabé has a hard time knowing if what she really feels is love.
DAUGHTER OF A PROMISE is about more than just romantic love. Over the course of a year, Betsabé is awakened by close, female best-friendship with Rae; by maternal love for her son in utero; as well as by a true love of self. It is all of these types of love combined that spur her growth and promise for the future.
Visit Jeanne on her website:
www.jeanneblasberg.com
Join Jeanne on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/jeanneblasbergauthor
Follow Jeanne on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/jeanneblasbergauthor
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Promise-Jeanne-McWilliams-Blasberg/dp/1647426081
UPCOMING EVENTS:
https://jeanneblasberg.com/news-events/events/
www.jeanneblasberg.com
Join Jeanne on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/jeanneblasbergauthor
Follow Jeanne on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/jeanneblasbergauthor
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Promise-Jeanne-McWilliams-Blasberg/dp/1647426081
UPCOMING EVENTS:
https://jeanneblasberg.com/news-events/events/
Céline Keating is an award-winning writer and author of Layla (2011), a Huffington Post featured title, and Play for Me (2015), a finalist in the International Book Awards, the Indie Excellence Awards, and the USA Book Awards.Her newest novel, The Stark Beauty of Last Things, will be released on October 24, 2023. Céline's short fiction and articles have been published in many literary journals and magazines. For many years a part-time resident of New York City and Montauk, NY, now of Bristol, Rhode Island, Céline continues to serve on the board of environmental organization Concerned Citizens of Montauk. She is the coeditor of the anthology On Montauk: A Literary Celebration. |
Q: What inspired you to write The Stark Beauty of Last Things?
Answer: When I discovered Montauk, Long Island, I was immediately captivated: It was wild and sparsely populated and absolutely perfect. Over time, when the area began to get overdeveloped, I grew anxious about its future. The consequences of climate change were becoming apparent, too. So my novel grew out of my passion for Montauk’s natural beauty and my fear of changes that would spoil its specialness. I also wanted to convey a sense of urgency that we need to act now: Once a landscape is lost it is lost forever.
Q: How did you create your cast of characters?
Answer: Each of the female characters is wholly invented but based collectively on women I encountered, whether the tough women who worked in the fishing industry to those who worked seasonally in the bars and restaurants to those who owned small shops or motels. I also drew heavily on my experience with the environmental community. The only main character in the novel who is not local to the area – and the only male – was invented out of whole cloth. Ironically the storyline only gelled once I had him, an outsider, to help frame the story.
Q: How was the novel's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
Answer: I wanted my title to convey a sense of the beauty of nature and what’s lost when we as human beings lose our connection to the natural world. The phrase was written by the poet Edward Hirsh to mean that beauty can be present even in death. The words struck me as perfectly capturing the elegiac mood I intended, and the idea that we often don’t appreciate something until it is gone.
Q: How important is setting to you in your writing?
Answer: Setting is one of, if not the most, important elements to me in fiction. I gravitate to novels with a strong sense of place. I work hard to convey the physical worlds of my stories, and in the case of The Stark Beauty of Last Things, it was a joy to convey the gorgeous coastal landscape and to share my love of everything Montauk through the prose.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
Answer: I definitely didn’t know how the book would end. I used the novel to explore my own thoughts and ambivalences about the meaning and the best uses of land, and there was a point where I had no idea how to resolve the many contradictions I’d set up in the story, and between hope and despair. I tried out many different endings before finally landing on what felt right and feeling resolved that I had found the most authentic way to conclude both the story of Montauk itself and the main characters’ personal stories.
Answer: When I discovered Montauk, Long Island, I was immediately captivated: It was wild and sparsely populated and absolutely perfect. Over time, when the area began to get overdeveloped, I grew anxious about its future. The consequences of climate change were becoming apparent, too. So my novel grew out of my passion for Montauk’s natural beauty and my fear of changes that would spoil its specialness. I also wanted to convey a sense of urgency that we need to act now: Once a landscape is lost it is lost forever.
Q: How did you create your cast of characters?
Answer: Each of the female characters is wholly invented but based collectively on women I encountered, whether the tough women who worked in the fishing industry to those who worked seasonally in the bars and restaurants to those who owned small shops or motels. I also drew heavily on my experience with the environmental community. The only main character in the novel who is not local to the area – and the only male – was invented out of whole cloth. Ironically the storyline only gelled once I had him, an outsider, to help frame the story.
Q: How was the novel's title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
Answer: I wanted my title to convey a sense of the beauty of nature and what’s lost when we as human beings lose our connection to the natural world. The phrase was written by the poet Edward Hirsh to mean that beauty can be present even in death. The words struck me as perfectly capturing the elegiac mood I intended, and the idea that we often don’t appreciate something until it is gone.
Q: How important is setting to you in your writing?
Answer: Setting is one of, if not the most, important elements to me in fiction. I gravitate to novels with a strong sense of place. I work hard to convey the physical worlds of my stories, and in the case of The Stark Beauty of Last Things, it was a joy to convey the gorgeous coastal landscape and to share my love of everything Montauk through the prose.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
Answer: I definitely didn’t know how the book would end. I used the novel to explore my own thoughts and ambivalences about the meaning and the best uses of land, and there was a point where I had no idea how to resolve the many contradictions I’d set up in the story, and between hope and despair. I tried out many different endings before finally landing on what felt right and feeling resolved that I had found the most authentic way to conclude both the story of Montauk itself and the main characters’ personal stories.
Visit Céline on her website:
www.celinekeating.com
Join Céline on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/AuthorCelineKeating
Follow Céline on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/celinekeatingauthor
Engage Céline on twitter:
www.twitter.com/celinekeating
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Stark-Beauty-Last-Things-Novel/dp/1647425778
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://celinekeating.com/press/
www.celinekeating.com
Join Céline on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/AuthorCelineKeating
Follow Céline on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/celinekeatingauthor
Engage Céline on twitter:
www.twitter.com/celinekeating
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Stark-Beauty-Last-Things-Novel/dp/1647425778
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://celinekeating.com/press/
Leslie Johansen Nack’s debut novel, The Blue Butterfly, A Novel of Marion Davies has won two awards including 2022 CIBA Finalist for Goethe Late Historical Fiction. Her debut memoir, Fourteen, A Daughter’s Memoir, received five indie awards, including the 2016 Finalist in Memoir at the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Before she started writing, she raised two children, ran a mechanical engineering business with her husband, took care of her aging mother, and dreamed of retirement when she could write full-time. She did everything late in life, including getting her degree in English Literature from UCLA. She lives in San Diego and enjoys sailing, hiking and reading. |
Q: Why did you write this book?
Answer: I guess you could say I became inspired by the ghost of Marion Davies. She’s on quite a few minds these days with two new books about her in one year, and I got swept up in the energy. It happened when I was on tour at Hearst Castle and the docent said, “Did you know Marion Davies loaned William Randolph Hearst $1 million in 1937 during the height of the Depression when he was on the verge of bankruptcy?” My reaction was “No. I didn’t know that.” And then my next reaction was, “How come we don’t know that about Marion Davies?”
Do women ever get the credit for being heroic—for saving a man as powerful as WRH was in the 1930s? And just so you know, we’re talking about the equivalent of $17 million today raised in 24 hours. And she wasn’t married to him, but she had been his defacto-wife for two decades by 1937. So that’s how the ball got rolling, as they say, and I went home to research her and found very little. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t already a historical fiction novel about her. That’s when I decided to write her life story.
Q: What do you hope people will take away from this book?
Answer: Please take away the true history of her life. And let’s set the record straight about Citizen Kane and how awful Orson Welles was to Marion when he made that movie. Citizen Kane took away Marion’s reputation in Hollywood and she became a laughingstock. We are now looping back into history and re-evaluating the whole thing. Orson Welles apologized to Marion, but the damage had been done. Let’s see her as a pioneer in the silent movie era, a hard worker who made more than forty films in twenty years, and a devoted lover of William Randolph Hearst, who stayed with him until the end, supporting and comforting him until the day he died.
Q: Tell us about your writing process.
Answer: I am a writer who needs inspiration. My first book was a memoir, and I was inspired to write that, wanting to parse out the difficult details of my early life. My second book was historical fiction, and now I’m in the middle of writing another memoir. I am the type of writer who doesn’t have much discipline in writing every day, but when I get inspired, the story just flows out.
Answer: I guess you could say I became inspired by the ghost of Marion Davies. She’s on quite a few minds these days with two new books about her in one year, and I got swept up in the energy. It happened when I was on tour at Hearst Castle and the docent said, “Did you know Marion Davies loaned William Randolph Hearst $1 million in 1937 during the height of the Depression when he was on the verge of bankruptcy?” My reaction was “No. I didn’t know that.” And then my next reaction was, “How come we don’t know that about Marion Davies?”
Do women ever get the credit for being heroic—for saving a man as powerful as WRH was in the 1930s? And just so you know, we’re talking about the equivalent of $17 million today raised in 24 hours. And she wasn’t married to him, but she had been his defacto-wife for two decades by 1937. So that’s how the ball got rolling, as they say, and I went home to research her and found very little. I couldn’t believe there wasn’t already a historical fiction novel about her. That’s when I decided to write her life story.
Q: What do you hope people will take away from this book?
Answer: Please take away the true history of her life. And let’s set the record straight about Citizen Kane and how awful Orson Welles was to Marion when he made that movie. Citizen Kane took away Marion’s reputation in Hollywood and she became a laughingstock. We are now looping back into history and re-evaluating the whole thing. Orson Welles apologized to Marion, but the damage had been done. Let’s see her as a pioneer in the silent movie era, a hard worker who made more than forty films in twenty years, and a devoted lover of William Randolph Hearst, who stayed with him until the end, supporting and comforting him until the day he died.
Q: Tell us about your writing process.
Answer: I am a writer who needs inspiration. My first book was a memoir, and I was inspired to write that, wanting to parse out the difficult details of my early life. My second book was historical fiction, and now I’m in the middle of writing another memoir. I am the type of writer who doesn’t have much discipline in writing every day, but when I get inspired, the story just flows out.
Visit Leslie on her website:
www.lesliejohansennack.com
Join Leslie on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/lesliejohansennack
Follow Leslie on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/Leslie.johansen.nack
Engage Leslie on twitter:
www.twitter.com/leslie_nack
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Butterfly-Novel-Marion-Davies/dp/1647423473
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://www.lesliejohansennack.com/media/
www.lesliejohansennack.com
Join Leslie on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/lesliejohansennack
Follow Leslie on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/Leslie.johansen.nack
Engage Leslie on twitter:
www.twitter.com/leslie_nack
LINK for BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Butterfly-Novel-Marion-Davies/dp/1647423473
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://www.lesliejohansennack.com/media/
Valerie Nifora is a best-selling and award-winning author, who was born and raised in New York to Greek immigrant parents. She credits her Greek heritage for her love of words and storytelling. Her first romance novel, The Fairmounts, debuted as a #1 New Release. It's a historical romantic-suspense story that follows Harry LaCroix as he returns from war looking to settle into a quiet life with his last living relative and confidant, Lois Fairmount. But his plans take an unexpected turn when he falls for a mysterious heiress with a missing fortune. The Seattle Book Review gave The Fairmounts 5-Stars stating quote the story is "a beautiful romance novel, full of suspense, mystery, tales of old legends, and so much more." She's also written a collection of romantic poetry called, I Asked the Wind that explores innocence, sensuality, passion, desire, heartbreak and loss through the lens of her personal experience spanning 15 years. I Asked the Wind has received a Gold Award from the Nonfiction Authors Association, a 5-Star review from the San Francisco Book Review, a Top 10 Finalist for the Author Elite Awards a globally recognized honor, and a Distinguished Favorite by the Big NYC Book Awards. Valerie holds a B.A. in Communications from Emerson College and an M.B.A. from Fordham University. She is married, a mother of two amazing sons, a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic, and tea addict. |
Q. You've received several awards for your recent novel, The Fairmounts, with Mary Whitcombe being the sequel, what inspired you to write them?
Answer: The Fairmounts was a dream that I had during the pandemic. Writing the was my mental salvation. It was a very difficult time. I lost a lot of loved ones. It was difficult for a lot of people. Writing as Harry was the light for me through all that darkness and a way to honor the wonderful people that risked sacrificing themselves to care for others.
Q. Had you published anything before The Fairmounts? Did you always want to be a writer?
Answer: I published an autobiographical poetry book about love called I Asked the Wind. I know that I've always been a storyteller. Even the poems are small distinct stories. I think stories are my art form. I let them take whatever shape they want. They're an extension of me in many ways. I try to highlight the beauty in the world. I do believe that life is beautiful, and people make it ugly. So, I try not to contribute to the darkness and add to the beauty.
Q. Is there darkness is your books? What would you say is your unifying themes?
Answer: I think there are characters that are dark, yes. It's a balance of dark and light. Light always wins, of course. I write about love, forgiveness, redemption, and hope. It's how I try to live my life. Do no harm, and if I can, do good. That's what you find in my books. There are bad things that may happen, but we are always greater than those bad things.
Q. Are your characters based on real people or are they entirely fictional?
Answer: I think all my characters are various facets of me, to be honest, as well as real people that I know. They are pieces of people that I sort of put together and create these fictional beings that feel very real to people. It's all entirely unconscious by the way. It's not something I intentionally do. It just happens. I've had people tell me that they know the characters, or they go out into the world and try to cast them. Oh, that one looks like a Harry LaCroix, or maybe that one is a John Fairmount, that sort of thing. It's always amazing to me.
Q. How do you feel about your work being adapted into other forms, such as movies or TV shows?
Answer: That would be a dream come true. I think the stories are written in a very cinematic way. I also think the stories stay with you long after you put the books down. I'm always open to that possibility, but until then, I'm going to keep letting my characters tell their stories.
Answer: The Fairmounts was a dream that I had during the pandemic. Writing the was my mental salvation. It was a very difficult time. I lost a lot of loved ones. It was difficult for a lot of people. Writing as Harry was the light for me through all that darkness and a way to honor the wonderful people that risked sacrificing themselves to care for others.
Q. Had you published anything before The Fairmounts? Did you always want to be a writer?
Answer: I published an autobiographical poetry book about love called I Asked the Wind. I know that I've always been a storyteller. Even the poems are small distinct stories. I think stories are my art form. I let them take whatever shape they want. They're an extension of me in many ways. I try to highlight the beauty in the world. I do believe that life is beautiful, and people make it ugly. So, I try not to contribute to the darkness and add to the beauty.
Q. Is there darkness is your books? What would you say is your unifying themes?
Answer: I think there are characters that are dark, yes. It's a balance of dark and light. Light always wins, of course. I write about love, forgiveness, redemption, and hope. It's how I try to live my life. Do no harm, and if I can, do good. That's what you find in my books. There are bad things that may happen, but we are always greater than those bad things.
Q. Are your characters based on real people or are they entirely fictional?
Answer: I think all my characters are various facets of me, to be honest, as well as real people that I know. They are pieces of people that I sort of put together and create these fictional beings that feel very real to people. It's all entirely unconscious by the way. It's not something I intentionally do. It just happens. I've had people tell me that they know the characters, or they go out into the world and try to cast them. Oh, that one looks like a Harry LaCroix, or maybe that one is a John Fairmount, that sort of thing. It's always amazing to me.
Q. How do you feel about your work being adapted into other forms, such as movies or TV shows?
Answer: That would be a dream come true. I think the stories are written in a very cinematic way. I also think the stories stay with you long after you put the books down. I'm always open to that possibility, but until then, I'm going to keep letting my characters tell their stories.
Visit Valerie on her website:
www.valerienifora.com
Join Valerie on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/ValerieNifora
Follow Valerie on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/valerienifora
Engage Valerie on twitter:
www.twitter.com/vnifora
LINKS for BOOKS:
https://valerienifora.com/thefairmounts/
https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Whitcombe-Valerie-Nifora/dp/B0CNGBV3K7/
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://valerienifora.com/reviews/
Check out Valerie's UPCOMING NEW RELEASE book here.
www.valerienifora.com
Join Valerie on Faceboook:
www.facebook.com/ValerieNifora
Follow Valerie on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/valerienifora
Engage Valerie on twitter:
www.twitter.com/vnifora
LINKS for BOOKS:
https://valerienifora.com/thefairmounts/
https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Whitcombe-Valerie-Nifora/dp/B0CNGBV3K7/
PRESS & MEDIA:
https://valerienifora.com/reviews/
Check out Valerie's UPCOMING NEW RELEASE book here.
Author
Jane Ubell-Meyer founded Bedside Reading in 2017. Prior to that she was a TV and Film producer. She has spend the last five years promoting, marketing and talking to authors and others who are experts in the field.
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