P.C. Zick's Blog, page 24
July 21, 2015
CELEBRATING A NEW COVER FOR BEHIND THE ALTAR
Behind the Altar, my first romance and the first book in the Behind the Love series, received a face lift this past month with a new cover. The cover matches the next two books in the series, Behind the Bar (released March 2015) and Behind the Curtain, which I’m still writing.
To celebrate, Behind the Altar will be available for FREE downloads on Amazon July 21, 22, and 23. If you haven’t done so, I hope you’ll be able to take advantage and get your copy.
Thank you for your support!
Behind the Altar:
Leah Bryant’s life satisfies all her needs. Her engagement to Jacob Davis, minister of the Sunshine Church, gives her the security she requires after living in a car during her teenage years. She runs a food kitchen out of the church for homeless vets who are living on the banks of Deer River. All is perfect until the day her future mother-in-law Geraldine tells her the church is shutting down the kitchen, and Dean—Jacob’s brother—rides his Harley into her heart. Leah’s world begins to crumble as she falls into Dean’s muscular and tattooed arms. Dean, who’s been away from his home for ten years, finds himself irresistibly drawn in by Leah’s natural beauty and genuine goodness. As they fight to stay away from one another, Leah and Dean keep finding ways to be together. The more they fight the attraction, the harder it is to stay apart. Will Leah go ahead and marry Jacob despite Dean’s haunting her every thought? Will Dean exact the revenge he came home to hand out? And will Geraldine manage to keep control over the church, Jacob, and Leah? It will all be determined in Behind the Altar, a romantic story of forbidden love.
July 15, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – JENNY HARPER
Hello and happy summer! I said I’d be on hiatus until September, but then I met the lovely author Jenny Harper from Scotland, and I couldn’t resist doing an Author Wednesday post in July. Jenny recently published the novella Sand in My Shoes, the perfect summer read for the beach. Here’s the concept: A trip to France awakens the past in this heartwarming and tear-jerking short summer read. Head teacher Nicola Arnott prides herself on her independence. Long widowed, she has successfully juggled motherhood and career, coping by burying her emotions somewhere deep inside herself. A cancer scare shakes her out of her careful approach to life and she finds herself thinking wistfully of her first love, a young French medical student. As her anxiety about her impending hospital tests grows, she decides to revisit the sleepy French town she remembers from her teenage years – and is astonished to meet up with Luc again. The old chemistry is still there – but so is something far more precious: a deep and enduring friendship. Can it turn into true love?
Welcome, Jenny. I’m glad you stopped by to let us know about your new book. It does sound like an excellent read for the beach! I like the title. How did you choose it?
Sometimes titles for books come really easily, while at other times it’s like hammering away at a geode – it’s really hard to crack it open, but somewhere inside you know there’s a gem. Sand in My Shoes is a novella – the first time I’ve written something of this length – and my main purpose was to write a really satisfying and quick summer read. I wanted the title to be evocative, and also to try to capture something important at the heart of the story. This title achieves both of these things – but to find out why, you’ll have to read it for yourself!
It does evoke memories of the beach. Now you’ve provoked my curiosity! Since it’s a novella, how long it actually take you to write it?
This piece of work has been exceptional. Mostly I write complex and multi-layered novels with a word count of around 80-90,000 words – full length novels, in other words. I had just finished writing Mistakes We Make (due for publication next summer), and I’d really had to wrestle with it. (I’m delighted with it now that it’s finished, by the way!). I was heading off to India for a couple of weeks’ sunshine, and I fancied having a go at something more straightforward – a work that would restore the spontaneity in my writing. I had the idea before we left home, planned it on the plane, and wrote 15,000 words in a fortnight. I finished off the week after I came home. And it was a joy to write!
I’ve recently ventured into writing novellas after writing full length novels. It’s a big change but a welcome one after finishing a huge project. How did you come up with the idea for Sand in My Shoes?
My four published novels are loosely a series called ‘The Heartlands’ series. They are all set in or near a fictional town called Hailesbank, notionally just east of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh, where I live. To date, the characters haven’t overlapped (although Mistakes We Make features characters from People We Love a few months on). I really wanted to take one of the minor characters in one of the books and see what happened. It was a writing buddy who suggested Nicola Arnott, who is the head teacher in a primary school in Face the Wind and Fly. And oddly enough, although I was writing it while I was in India, it was a place in France I visited last year that was nagging away at my mind. Arcachon is a delightful small seaside resort, a little old-fashioned but very pretty and family friendly – and that’s where I sent Nicola when she discovered a lump in her breast.
What kind of research was required?
Nicola is waiting for results at the beginning of the story, and her daughter nags her to do something different with her summer. Researching the setting wasn’t difficult, although I had a lot of fun viewing images of some of Arcachon’s beautiful old houses online. They remind me of the architecture in New Orleans – or perhaps that should be the other way round, as I presume New Orleans was influenced by French colonists? However, I did talk to a number of people about their experiences with breast cancer, and also researched tests and treatments online. I discovered that this does vary quite a lot depending on where you live.
Yes, I believe France informed New Orleans. What’s the best thing someone could say about this novella?
My editor called me when she had read it, and she was still a bit incoherent – apparently I had made her cry twice as she’d been reading it! Now, far be it from me to want to make people cry, but as a writer there is a great sense of achievement when you can involve people so deeply in your storytelling. Which leads me to share something I’m quite proud of – bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith has just offered me a quote for the paperback of People We Love. He says, “An engaging and delightful read. Jenny Harper is a most gifted storyteller.” I’m so proud – all I really want to be is a great storyteller!
Both of those statements are things for which you can be very proud. Congratulations! Are you traditionally or self-published?
I’ve been writing for some time. I eventually decided to self publish a couple of my novels (Face the Wind and Fly and Loving Susie), then I was picked up by Accent Press, who have since published Maximum Exposure and People We Love, and the novella, Sand in My Shoes. They have also offered me a contract for another novel (not in the Heartlands series) called Between Friends, due for publication next spring), and the fifth in the Heartlands Series, Mistakes We Make, due for publication next summer. I’ve started on my next book, which I’m loving writing, but I’m not going to give anything away about it right now!
Congratulations all the way around. I look forward to reading your books. I’m so very happy to have met you through the group eNovel Authors at Work. Please visit again when you have your next release. 
About Jenny: Jenny Harper lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, though she was born in India and grew up in England. She has been a non-fiction editor, a journalist and a businesswoman and has written a children’s novel and several books about Scotland. Now Jenny is writing contemporary women’s fiction with bite – complex characters facing serious issues.
Click links below to purchase Jenny’s books:
Sand in My Shoes
Face the Wind and Fly
Loving Susie
Maximum Exposure
People We Love
Contact Jenny by clicking links below
July 12, 2015
CHRISTMAS IN JULY!
That’s right. I’m talking about Christmas, but that’s because I’m very excited to be a part of this new box set, Christmas Pets and Kisses, available for pre-order right now for only $0.99.
On Tuesday, July 14 we’re celebrating with a Christmas in July Facebook party where all sixteen authors will be hanging out giving away lots of prizes. Click here to join the fun.
Overview of Christmas Pets and Kisses
SIXTEEN ALL-NEW, NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED SWEET (PG-rated) CHRISTMAS ROMANCES
Ring in the Christmas cheer with sixteen all-new sweet and heart-warming romances from New York Times , USA Today bestselling, and award-winning authors. Don’t miss out on this romantic collection of Christmas tails…uh, tales as adorable pets with fins, paws, feathers, and hooves bring holiday magic with the gift of true love
Golden Christmas – Helen Scott Taylor
Two wounded hearts are brought together at Christmas by two golden dogs: a lab and a retriever.
Two Loves for Christmas – Mona Risk
Dog-Gone Christmas – Melinda Curtis
A handsome neighbor and his friendly St. Bernard mooch food and kisses from a merry widow.
His Christmas Promise – Alicia Street
A stray dog brings an ex-Army helicopter pilot and a single mom together.
We Wish You A Ferret Christmas – Nikki Lynn Barrett
Can a lost and found ferret bring two fractured families together?
Christmas Lovebirds – Rachelle Ayala
Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance?
Christmas on Cougar Mountain – Nancy Radke
The Vet & The Christmas Pet – J.L. Campbell
Tails, Time, and St. Nick – Mary Leo
Kris Timemaker uses a magic clock to bring his daughter’s missing Westie and estranged wife back to him.
Graced – Jade Kerrion
Noelle brings Christmas cheer to a widower and his children, along with several goldfish and a kitten.
Unexpected Gift – Chantel Rhondeau
Far from home, a lonely young woman strikes up a friendship with a lost cat and his secretive owner.
Minty’s Kiss – P.C. Zick
One kitten, a broken-hearted girl, and long lost loves are brought together for a special mountain Christmas.
The Christmas Wish – Michele Shriver
Will a fall from a horse bring Hayley’s parents back together in time for Christmas?
Dante’s Gift – Aubrey Wynne
Seventy years ago, a collie mix brings two hearts together in war torn Italy. Will their story help their grandson find his own Christmas love?
Mavy’s Christmas Miracle – Sharon Coady
Anne takes a rescue kitten to the vet, only to discover he’s the man who broke her heart.
The Impossible Rescue – Annamaria Bazzi
A handsome stranger gifts a cute Pomeranian puppy to a woman in need of rescue.
Here’s my offering to this group of creative and talented authors:
Pre-Order Now by clicking on the sites below:
July 10, 2015
BOOK REVIEW FRIDAY – NO MORE MULBERRIES
No More Mulberries by Mary Smith captured my attention because I love to read stories set in cultures different from my own, but with the commonality of the human condition to draw me into the plot. The author managed to pull me into the story within the first page.
Set in rural Afghanistan, Miriam and Iqbal exist in a marriage of convenience for both, although the restrictions for Miriam are anything but convenient. She married Iqbal believing he was a certain way only to find out after moving back to his homeland that he wasn’t at all what she imagined. The book shows a marriage in turmoil, lacking in communication between the two partners. It wouldn’t matter where this story was set–the marriage resonates with brutal honesty about the nature of relationships when two people are motivated by prior histories and experiences. It’s also a universal truth that only heartbreak and dissatisfaction come from couples who keep things hidden and who hope somehow the other partner will know how they feel through osmosis.
Of course, the complications from living in a society where women are supposed to remain hidden, away from the men, and Miriam’s presence as a foreigner from Scotland, without the proper training to be the docile wife of the local doctor, adds to the conflicts the marriage endures. The landscape of Afghanistan described by Ms. Smith is complicated–harsh, yet beautiful in its own haunting way. The setting in Edinburgh provides a strong contrast as she describes it in more formal, colder terms. The opposing forces create an even more compelling picture of Miriam’s huge adjustment in leaving her homeland to settle in an environment diametrically opposed to where she spent her youth.
The point of view shifts between husband and wife, which is a good thing because it would be hard to have sympathy for the cold and stubborn Iqbal otherwise. His background is slowly revealed to give a more complete picture of the man and his motivations. Miriam’s story is doled out to the reader throughout the book. It’s an intriguing choice for the author to do it this way. As the reader, I yearned to find out why she made the choices she did. Why did she marry Iqbal? Why did she go with him to Afghanistan when she had a perfectly fine career in Edinburgh as a midwife?
Then there’s her first husband, Jawad. The story of their love affair, marriage, and subsequent tragedy sets a parallel course with the story of Miriam’s and Iqbal’s marriage. Miriam realizes that Iqbal isn’t to blame for all of the trouble in their marriage. She’s done her own form of mental damage without intention or consciousness. It’s through the telling of both their stories that the story swells to its conclusion.
As the story unfolded, I felt drawn into the life of all of the characters created by Ms. Smith. I understood their wounds and pleasures. But I also found myself trying to imagine what it would be like to live under such primitive conditions. Her descriptions of health practices and beliefs seemed so archaic based on how and where I’ve lived that I had to keep going back and checking the dates given at the beginning of the chapters. The story is set mostly in 1995 with flashbacks ten years in the past. The political backdrop in 1995 gives a haunting quality to reading the story in a post-9/11 world. Hatred of Russia and the United States fuel the rise of the Taliban as shown in this novel. A tension existed in Afghanistan that the reader knows will only strengthen in the next six years after the story ends.
All in all, No More Mulberries is a superb read with many rich layers of tension-building plot, life-like characterization, believable dialogue, and riveting settings. Did I mention that this novel is the first one for Mary Smith? Amazing.
Click here for my interview with Mary Smith on Author Wednesday.
July 6, 2015
#NEW RELEASE – THIRD BASE
I’m happy to announce the release of my romantic baseball story, Third Base. The writing of the love story between Adriana Moretti and Tomas Vegas is my tribute to love on many levels. First, I wrote about a team that has captured my heart in the past five years. The Pittsburgh Pirates were in a major two-decade long slump when I moved to the Steel City. I’ve watched them grow, improve, and win, so I put them as the winning team at the forefront of Third Base. Also, the couple’s instant attraction, despite the road blocks in their way, rises above it all.
It’s my favorite kind of love story, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading it. Thank you for your support for all my writing efforts.
Purchase Links:
July 2, 2015
A FAVORITE INTERVIEW
Fellow author EFFROSYNI MOSCHOUDI interviewed me this week. Her questions gave me the opportunity to talk about some of my favorite things. Take a look by clicking here!
In other news, we’ve moved into our cabin in North Carolina, but the rains are keeping us from doing much of anything outdoors. So I putter inside and get to know my new digs. Sorry, no photos yet. The Internet was just installed yesterday, and I’m still trying to figure it all out.
Today, I write. I need to finish my Christmas Pet story, Minty’s Kiss.
Happy Fourth of July to all my friends in the USA. May you be safe and enjoy your long weekend wherever your travels may lead you.
July 1, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – CATE BEAUMAN
Award-winning romantic suspense author Cate Beauman is back with the ninth full length novel in the Bodyguards of L.A. County series, Answers For Julie.
Blurb: Julie Keller relishes the simple things: hot chocolate on winter nights, good friends she calls her family, and her laid-back career as a massage therapist and yoga instructor. Julie is content with her life until Chase Rider returns to Bakersfield.
Bodyguard Chase Rider isn’t thrilled to be back in the town where he spent his childhood summers. His beloved grandmother passed away, leaving him a house in need of major repairs. With a three-week timetable and a lot to do, he doesn’t have time for distractions. Then he bumps into Julie, the one woman he hoped never to see again. Chase tries to pretend Julie doesn’t exist, but ten years hasn’t diminished his attraction to the hazel-eyed stunner.
When a stranger grabs Julie’s arm at the grocery store—a woman who insists Julie’s life isn’t what it seems, Chase can’t help but get involved. Julie and Chase dig into a twenty-five-year-old mystery, unearthing more questions than answers. But the past is closer than they realize, and the consequences of the truth have the potential to be deadly.
Here’s what Cate has to say about her inspiration for writing Answers For Julie: I often get my story ideas from watching crime documentaries, but the plot for Answers For Julie came together after I read some sobering FBI statistics in a magazine about the odds of a missing child coming home. Unfortunately, many children are lost forever. The wheels began spinning quickly after that, and a few weeks later, the story was well on its way. I hope you enjoy Julie and Chase as much as I enjoyed writing them! ~ Cate
Here’s an excerpt from Answers For Julie:
She frowned, glancing in her rearview mirror when someone honked. Gasping, she cringed, bracing herself for a nasty impact as a car approached fast from behind. When the vehicle barely missed hers, she accelerated, making space for the bully to go around, but the navy blue BMW moved closer to her bumper.
She punched the gas, moving over to the final right-hand lane. The car sped up directly to her left, until the dark tint of the passenger’s window was even with her driver’s side. Julie pressed on her brake, slowing on the damp roads, hoping the car would move on, but it decreased its speed as she did. “What are you doing?”
Unsure of what to do, she jerked her rental toward the upcoming off ramp. The car followed, closing the distance between them, and rammed her back door, forcing her closer to the guardrail. She screamed, veering hard to the left, barely avoiding a collision with metal and a plummet to the busy road several hundred feet below.
The vehicle sped off as she slammed on her brakes and sat where she was, closing her eyes and gasping in several breaths. She flinched and screamed again, her eyes flying open as a red Camero honked as it swerved to miss hitting her.
Trembling, she accelerated to the bottom of the off-ramp, knowing that if she didn’t move she would cause an accident. She braked at the stoplight, her teeth chattering and her eyes darting around, on the lookout for the BMW. There was no way that was some random act of road rage. She could no longer claim that the instances in Massachusetts were a string of bad luck. Chase was right. Someone was trying to hurt her, and she still needed his help.
If you enjoyed the excerpt, visit Cate’s website to read the rest of the first chapter: www.catebeauman.com.
About Cate Beauman: Cate currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, their two boys, and St. Bernard’s, Bear and Jack. She is the author of the international bestselling and award winning romantic suspense series, Bodyguards of L.A. County. Before her career as an author, Cate worked in special education for twelve years. “I’m a pretty lucky girl; one day I woke up and my entire life changed. I saw the light, so to speak, and decided I was going to be a writer. Now, five years later, I’m working on my tenth novel! I’m remain so very grateful for the support and success that I have had. Thank you!” – Cate
SIGN UP FOR CATE’S NEWSLETTER TO BE NOTIFIED OF MONTHLY GIVEAWAY OFFERS by clicking here.
Click below to purchase Answers for Julie
Click below to contact Cate
Please note that Author Wednesday is going on summer hiatus for the rest of July and August. I’ll be back in September with new authors and new releases. Please fill out a contact form if you’re interested in doing an interview or guest blog in the fall. I’ll still be checking email and my website! Happy summer. It’s time to catch up on all the fantastic books we’ve all downloaded to our eReaders!
June 26, 2015
BOOK REVIEW FRIDAY – CHASING DOWN THE NIGHT
Chasing Down the Night – Crater Lake Series, Book 3 by Francis Guenette
I’m not usually a reader of novels in a series. That changed when I fell in love with Francis Guenette’s Crater Lake setting and characters. Beginning with the first book in the series, Disappearing in Plain Sight, I settled in with Izzy and Liam, Beulah and Bethany, and all the others, becoming a part of their oddly matched family as much as the stragglers who visit them throughout the three novels.
The injured souls who come to the lake and the camp on Northern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, arrive with low expectations, but desperate for some type of healing. In Chasing Down the Night, characters from the first two novels, such as Dylan and Lisa, still need to find some kind of resolution from their past, but the reader is also introduced to three new residents at the camp with their own challenges to overcome. The intertwining of their lives, along with the newly hired cook from Toronto, play an important role in the unfolding of the ensuing dramas.
There’s a soap opera quality to the story line, which is carried artfully to the third novel. In the deft hands of the author, the story never degenerates into scandal or salaciousness intended to sell books. Instead, I find the intense dramas that converge on this outrageously beautiful place to be a road map for how we might all handle the mountains and valleys of our own lives.
From Izzy’s quiet determination to ignore her own grief and traumas to Lisa’s using her body to achieve her goals, lessons on coping, acceptance, and love emerge.
Ms. Guenette isn’t content to simply write a novel of people’s inability to express themselves or to cope with life’s challenges. She addresses issues of race–in this case, of tribal loyalties and prejudices–and the psychic abilities of dear sweet Robbie, who sees what no one else can. Then there’s the other injured soul out in the wild, but I’ll let other readers discover how that fits with the rest of the story in a perfect symmetry with all the wounded lives who come to the lake to heal.
I miss these characters and hated for Chasing Down the Night to end. I want more, and I want more than anything to visit Crater Lake and be embraced in the warm arms of the people who call it home.
Purchase Links for Chasing Down the Night
Interviews with Francis Guenette on Author Wednesday
Book Reviews of Crater Lake series
June 24, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – AMALIE JAHN
Today Amalie Jahn visits Author Wednesday to talk about her young adult time travel series The Clay Lion. Amalie also writes adult fiction, and I’m proud to share a slot with her and other authors in the box set At Odds With Destiny. In this set, Amalie’s Among the Shrouded, where an ancient prophesy foretells the birth of seven psychics destined to change the world. I think you’ll enjoy hearing from this multi-talented author who explores the concept of time travel. In the first book in The Clay Lion, she sets up the dilemma for the main character: W
hat if you could go back in time to save the person you love the most? The rules are simple. If you want to travel back in time, you need to be at least eighteen years old. You can only travel within your own lifespan for a maximum of six months. And above all else, you must never, ever, change the past. But that’s exactly what Brooke Wallace, the main character, plans to do.
Welcome, Amalie. Your concept for The Clay Lion is intriguing. How did you come up with the idea for the first in the series, The Clay Lion?
The idea was born of two converging ideas. The time travel element came to me in a dream. My sister and I were some type of superheroes, and we were traveling through time saving people’s lives. When I woke up, I wrote down as much as I could remember. As I was writing down my ideas, I began thinking about a little girl named Lauren who happened to be one of my daughter’s good friends. She had recently been hospitalized with leukemia for the second time and was searching for a bone marrow donor. I couldn’t help but wonder how her older sister would react if she should die, knowing that she had been her first bone marrow donor. The two were probably the closest sisters I’d ever had the privilege of knowing. The idea of a sister going back in time to save the life of her beloved brother was born and The Clay Lion is a testament to the power of sibling love. Lauren passed away in October of 2013 – tragic ending to a beautiful and very short life. I hope that The Clay Lion brings solace to grieving families everywhere and honors Lauren’s memory.
So lovely and sad–truly bittersweet. It’s wonderful you were able to capture that in your novel. I’ve never attempted to write about time travel, although the subject interests me. What is the most difficult part with regard to writing about time travel?
I began writing the book with only a skeleton idea of how the time travel portion of the story was going to work out. About a third of the way through the original manuscript, I realized that how I envisioned the time travel working would be impossible for Brooke to do in real life. I had planned on her family and everyone around her remembering what had happened to her before her first trip, but as I continued writing, I determined that it would be impossible for them to remember if her timeline was reset to account for the changes she was making. It would have to be reset over the origin of the trip, thereby erasing the memories of everyone but the traveler, in this case, Brooke.
Another issue I encountered with the time travel was whether or not the travelers were gone in the present for the same amount of time they were spending in the past. For example, during her first trip, Brooke traveled into the past for six months. In the original manuscript, Brooke returned to the present having missed six months of her own life because of the trip. Knowing that Brooke would be traveling several times throughout the course of the novel, I knew that this was going to be an impossibility, not only because it would have taken years of her life away, but also because then every traveler would end up with large spans of time within their lives that they would not be present for. This would be a huge problem for many travelers, so it was something I needed to rectify. I finally decided that in the present day, no time would be lost for the traveler. You leave and return in the same day, effectively missing nothing of your present life.
Both of these issues, along with several others, required a significant amount of editing and revisions as I wrote. There were many days (and nights) that I was unable to write any of the storyline because I was bogged down in the intricacies of the time travel. Strangely, most of my inspiration was given to me in the middle of the night, and I was forced awake by bursts of inspiration regarding the time travel that needed my immediate attention. I was never so glad for my overactive subconscious!
In the end, I believe that I was able to work out many of the details regarding the time travel that exists in Brooke and Branson’s world. Having grappled for so many months with the difficulties that it involves, I firmly believe that I will never experience time travel in my own life. I believe it may very well be an impossibility in our world. But if it isn’t, just in case, I’m already making my list of what things I would like to do with my trip.
I’ve written novels where I’ve switched time periods in the telling of the story, and know how difficult that can be. I can only imagine how difficult it was keeping it all straight. I don’t find it at all unusual that your ideas came to you when you were in a sort of twilight time–perhaps your own form of time travel. What do you feel is the greatest strength of The Clay Lion?
As I was writing, I felt a strong connection to Brooke and hoped the readers would share that same closeness. I was pleased to discover when readers started weighing in that they bonded with her as well. The story’s subject matter helped me develop her character fully, and I believe readers relate to her because of the depth of her loss. We’ve all loved and lost – it’s a part of the human experience. It’s something we can all relate to which is why Brooke’s character resonates with so many readers. They feel her emotion and pull for her. I believe her character is the strength of the book.
With such a complicated plot, what was your writing process like for The Clay Lion?
When I began writing I had an outline of the plot but didn’t know how I was going to end the story. It was as if I was going on vacation, map in hand, knowing only where I was starting out and a few places to stop off along the way. What I didn’t know, however, was where the ultimate destination was going to be. After the first few chapters, I thought I knew where I was headed, but the more I got to know Brooke, the more she began taking over the direction of the story. Places I wanted to go were not necessarily the places Brooke wanted to take me, so instead of fighting her, I surrendered to her. At one point in the story, I was writing at the kitchen counter and my husband was baking brownies. I started crying, and he asked me what in the world had set me off. I told him I was upset because I didn’t know that what I had just written was going to happen, which of course made me sound as though I’d officially gone off the deep end. “If you’re the one writing the book, how do you not know what’s about to happen?” he asked. “I didn’t do it,” I replied. “Brooke did.” And that’s how it was for the remainder of the manuscript. Brooke was in control. I just wrote what she told me.
What an amazing process, Amalie. I thank you for stopping by today to share.
About Amalie Jahn: “I spent my childhood writing journals about the boys I loved, especially the ones who never loved me back. I never imagined I’d be channeling those emotions into full-length novels later on in my life.” – Amalie Jahn
Undeterred by fickle teenage boys, Amalie won her first literary award in seventh grade for a fictional short story about a girl struggling with accident-induced hearing loss. She’s been writing ever since. The Clay Lion‘s Best-Selling March 2013 release was followed by the publication of Tin Men and A Straw Man, the second and third books in the critically-acclaimed series. Among the Shrouded is the first in a series of novels exploring real-world issues under the umbrella of paranormal suspense, and Amalie is currently working on the second installment of the series entitled Gather the Sentient.
When she’s not at the computer coaxing characters into submission, you can find Amalie swimming laps, cycling, or running on the treadmill, probably training for her next triathlon. She hates pairing socks and loves avocados. Amalie lives in the United States with her husband, two children, and three extremely overfed cats.
She is also very happy time travel does not yet exist. You can find her right here in the present day at these social media sites:
Twitter – @AmalieJahn
Click on cover
June 17, 2015
AUTHOR WEDNESDAY – EFFROSYNI MOSCHOUDI
It’s my pleasure to welcome Effrosyni Moschoudi to Author Wednesday. Hailing from Greece, she offers up some intriguing stories combining Greek culture, myths, and romance.
Her debut novel, The Necklace of Goddess Athena, is an urban fantasy of Greek myths and time travel, a touching family story with a good measure of romance. In 2014, it made the shortlist for the “50 Best Self-Published Books Worth Reading” from Indie Author Land.
Her historical romance, The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb, is an ABNA quarter-finalist with a paranormal twist, and right now it’s only $0.99! The book is the first part of a trilogy. The remaining two volumes, The Flow and The Storm, will be published later this year. The Flow – book 2 in The Lady of the Pier trilogy is available on preorder for $0.99, but only for a limited time.
Welcome, Effrosyni. You’ve been busy in the past two years since the publication of your first novel. I’m curious about the moment when you first could call yourself an author.
I’ve been writing since childhood, but as it’s always been a hobby, I never thought of myself as a writer. Even when I published my first book on Amazon, that didn’t change. I knew I was still too wet behind the ears to call myself that. Of course, one and a half years later, being in the process of writing my fourth novel and having learned so much on the craft of writing, I have no problem seeing myself seriously as an author today.
I’m impressed with your prolific body of work in such a short time. It’s also impressive that you’ve managed to receive such positive recognition for that work. Do you have particular themes you try to express through your fiction?
Looking at my two published novels, I certainly see a couple of themes that repeat themselves, such as the love between parents and children, faith in a better future, the importance of true friends, and the sweetness of first love. In my fantasy, I even approach the subject of bullying between schoolchildren, which is a menace of our time. I hope my books will give comfort and inspire people out there, especially the young, as they are way more vulnerable than adults and need all the right guidance they can get.
How did you choose the title for The Lady of the Pier – The Ebb? Was it the title from the very beginning?
Yes, it’s been the same title from the start. I have a huge affinity for the West Pier, the landmark of the city of Brighton that sadly, is no more. In my mind, my devastation for its total destruction has taken on the shape of a haunting on it, The Lady of the Pier. It is a spirit of the past that mourns for a love lost and yearns for redemption.
What type of research did you do in the writing of this book?
I have done extensive research about The West Pier itself, i.e. its total history from its creation in 1866 till its final destruction in 2004. I also had to research heavily on life in England in the 1930s, as well as during WWII in the ’40s. The latter was necessary for the remaining two volumes of The Lady of the Pier trilogy, The Flow and The Storm. I’m publishing both of them later this year.
Who is the antagonist in The Lady of the Pier trilogy? I love creating my antagonist, so did you find some pleasure in creating yours?
Charles is a psychopath, and he is ruthless. To get Laura to be his, he’ll do anything. But at the same time, as despicable as his acts are, I can’t help but feel sorry for him, and in a way, it is Laura’s fault too that things get to be so bad between them. Throughout the trilogy, I tell the story from the perspective of Charles quite often, providing tiny glimpses of his past that hint to the reader why he turned out to be that kind of man. This process has made for a baddie who is not all devil, but a bit of a fallen angel, too. As a character, Charles has been insupportable, talking in my head in the middle of the night or nagging at me as soon as I wake up in the morning to get writing. No other character has ever done that. It hasn’t been easy living with him in my head for a while, but now that I’ve completed writing his story, I do confess, I find I miss him a bit!
I understand that feeling. I’m sure that empathy with him is conveyed in the writing. What else do you want readers to know about The Lady of the Pier trilogy?
The trilogy has two different timelines: there’s Laura, a British girl living in the 1930s in England, and Sofia, a Greek girl from the ’80s. As the story progresses, these seemingly irrelevant stories start to become more and more related to each other, and on the third and final book, they merge into one story.
How does your immediate family feel about your writing life?
My British husband is very supportive, egging me on through my writing journey, as well as providing me with invaluable editing assistance on my finished manuscripts. Having said that, it took quite a few months for him to realize that what I’d been doing at my desk all day wasn’t just a way to pass the time since becoming unemployed. Once the second book was published and he got to share my experiences and to read the awesome feedback I receive from readers, he got to understand what I’m trying to do and be. He is my number one fan and critic (both equally valuable to me). My parents are also very supportive and keep reminding me I ought to translate my books into Greek so that they can read them!
Yes, you should definitely do that! It’s been a pleasure having you visit today. And I hope you’ll return when the third and final book in the trilogy is published.
About Effrosyni Moschoudi: Effrosyni was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She’s passionate about books and movies and simply couldn’t live without them. She lives in a quaint seaside town near Athens with her husband Andy and a naughty cat called Felix. Effrosyni is a proud member of the writer’s group, eNovel Authors at Work.
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The Necklace of Goddess Athena
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