The Truth Lies in the Dark & Author Interview

FROM THE AUTHOR SITE…” What if you found out that everything you thought you knew was a lie? That the people you loved and trusted kept a life changing secret from you? These are a few of the questions Amanda Martineau must answer in The Truth Lies in the Dark. As a child Amanda survived a plane crash that killed her parents and left her with no memory of her life before the accident. Raised by her grandparents, she only knows what they have told her about her past and her family. But her reoccurring nightmares tell her something different. They leave her feeling like a stranger in her own mind. Then an unfinished letter written by her grandfather thrusts her deeper into confusion. A business trip with her husband Nick quickly turns into a personal journey to expose the secret of her past. As she searches for answers she only finds more questions. Who can she trust? Who is there to help her and who is there to make sure that the truth remains…in the dark?”

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR…

BF: What was your inspiration to this book?

KC: I have always wanted to write a book and finally decided to try.  I started writing with a pen and a pad while I watched my kids play at the park.  I kept my writing hidden like a dirty secret.  I still find it hard to write when there are people around.  Once I had the characters and their backgrounds down on paper the entire story seemed to come alive in my head.  It was like I had already seen the movie and just had to put it on paper.  That was the hard part; finding time around the schedules of four children and a husband to concentrate on writing.  I finally set a time limit for myself to finish it or forget it.  I finished in two months.

BF: How did you go about creating the characters and places? Are any of the characters or places you wrote about significant to you?

KC: By the time I finished writing, reading, editing, re editing The Truth Lies in the Dark I felt like  Amanda and Nick were friends of mine.  I was so wrapped up in the story that I was talking to a friend and started to tell her something that Amanda did.  I caught myself and thought, “You really are losing it.  She’s not a real person.” But all of my characters are completely fictional.  I would get myself into trouble if I tried to base them on people I knew.

For the places in Connecticut, I chose ones that I was familiar with.  I used an atlas and the Internet to research the places in California and Nevada.

BF: Who was your favorite character to write?

KC: My favorite character in this book was Amanda.  She was not only the main character, but she changed the most in the story.  She started out very emotionally dependent.  I had fun giving her some guts.

BF: What was the most challenging part of writing the book?

KC: That would also have to be Amanda.  It was difficult to show her dependence on her grandparents and husband and not make her too weak.

BF: How long did it take to finish this novel?

KC: Once I got serious, it only took two months.  But that doesn’t count the year plus that I had my pad tucked away with all of my notes and the first chapter.

BF: If your book was being discussed by a book club, or a few friends meeting over coffee, what about the book do you think would drive the most discussion? (a particular character, event, theme)?

KC: Oh definitely the surprise twist after Amanda finds out that Nick knew about her mysterious past and didn’t tell her.  I am not saying anymore, but I have gotten a lot of comments on that.

BF: If your book was made into a movie, what actors/actresses would you like playing the main roles?

KC: First of all it would make a great Lifetime movie.  I’m not sure who I pick for actors.  Probably someone unknown, since I picture Amanda as a normal woman, slightly scarred and all.  As for picking who would play Nick.  All I ask is that I get to be there when they pick him.  Tall, dark, handsome and hopelessly devoted to his wife…yum :)

BF: Do you write during set hours of the day or do you write when the mood hits?

KC: I write the best when there is no one home, so not as often as I like.  When there are no snow storms or sick days ( or as I call them, kid holidays!) I try to write everyday.

BF: What types of books do you most enjoy reading? Who are your favorite authors?

KC: I love all types.  I always have a book next to the couch that I read while watching TV with the family.  I have read most of Ernest Hemingway, Sidney Sheldon, Danielle Steele, Mary Higgins Clark, Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, and just read the first book in her J.D. Robb  Death series.  I also have a over flowing shelf of books that cover every aspect of writing, thanks to my book lovin’ mother.  She is always picking up helpful books for me at library sales, book stores, etc. 

BF: Do you have any advice to those working on their first novels?

KC: Yes, be patient.  Publishing takes a lot more time than most realize, and rejections are a normal part of the process.  And be prepared to do a lot of your own promoting and marketing.  The book world is changing and even big publishers are expecting more author involvement.

BF: Are you currently working on another novel and if so could you give us a sneak peek?

KC: I have a second manuscript being considered by a New York publisher now.  It is about a real estate agent that buys an investment property to “Flip” and flips his whole life instead.  I will hopefully have more news on that soon.  I am also working on another mystery.

Thank you Farrah for interviewing me on The Book Faery and thanks to all that took the time out of their own busy lives to learn a little about me and my book.  Anyone that is interested in following my Book Blog Tour, or just want to see where I’ve been, you can go to my website http://sites.google.com/site/kristincallenderbooks.

The Truth Lies in the Dark by Kristin Callender is available at www.amazon.com/Truth-Lies-Dark-Kristin-Callender/dp/1604520140 and is currently the “Featured Book of the Month” at www.bluewaterpress.com.
- Kristin Callender

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Thanks to Kristin for spending the time to allow me to interview her and for sending me a copy of her book.  I enjoyed getting to know her more apart from just being an author but as a mother and individual as well.  I always enjoy an author who likes to connect with her readers on a more personal level and that I feel we did with our previous interactions for this interview.  I’m just as thrilled as she was when she told me that her son designed the cover for the book.  It looks great and gave it a good image for your story.  As a mother I know that she was excited to share with others her son’s talent and the fact that he was involved in her process.  I personally enjoyed the suspense in the book and the feelings she created with the characters.  There was a moment that I was annoyed by the character Amanda’s dependency and constant “need” and the way that her husband Nick seemed to act too lovey.  However, after reading the whole story it made sense and answered the whys I had.  What man wouldn’t want to protect and love his wife as much as Nick did?  I have to admit I was a little shocked to read who actually caused all the pain for her once it was revealed.  Good book and one I’d recommend to someone looking for a quick read that will keep you engaged to the end.

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Now it’s time for a GIVEAWAY!! 1 randomly picked commenter will receive a copy of Kristin’s book!

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The Book Faery Reviews is hosting a Book Giveaway 3/24-3/26!!

• Giveaway ends on: 3/26/09 at Noon ET, Winner to be randomly selected and posted by 3/27/09. Winners have 48 hours to contact me with mailing addresses once notified of winning.
• Copies available: 1 copy
• Countries available: USA & Canada; No PO Boxes

5 Ways to gain an entry (please leave a comment for EACH item completed):

1. Leave a comment below with your e-mail address
2. Leave a comment in another post here at The Book Faery Reviews
3. Add The Book Faery Reviews to your RSS feed or subscribe via e-mail
4. Post about this giveaway and provide a link
5. Follow @wifeandmomof3 and Tweet about this giveaway. Don’t forget to provide me your Twitter username in your comment so I can follow you.

Blood Harvest Giveaway

Blood Harvest by Brant Randall (aka Bruce Cook)

About the Book…“What drives a small town in New England in the late 1920’s to lynch a man? Immigrant Nic DeCosta’s skill as a wine grower makes him a fortune as a moonshiner and puts him at odds with the ’shine sales of the MacKay clan, even though he’s wed to their wild youngest daughter. An uneasy truce holds until the day Nick’s teenage son is caught with one of the MacKay girls.

The MacKays beat the boy senseless and throw him off a bridge to drown.  Nick comes to his boy’s rescue, firing his shotgun into the persecutors, setting in motion a terrible train of events.

Three days later Nick’s body hangs over a smoldering fire, the noose still around his neck.  The state militia arrive to bring peace to the town and to arrest the guilty parties.  But then another body is found in the woods.”

Giveaway ends on: Monday, February 9th (“Read in the Bathtub” Day)
Copies available: 1
Countries available: USA only

4 Ways to gain an entry…(please leave a comment for each item completed)

1. Leave a comment here
2. Add The Book Faery Reviews to your RSS feed or subscribe via e-mail (look to the left sidebar)
3. Post about this giveaway and provide a link
4. Tweet about this giveaway and provide me your Twitter username

PLEASE NOTE: This giveaway post is combined with my other post from my Wife and Mom of 3 post. Entries will be pulled from both posts for 1 winner.

Blood Harvest

FROM THE AUTHOR’S PRESS RELEASE…What drives a small town in New England in the late 1920′s to lynch a man? Immigrant Nic DeCosta’s skill as a wine grower makes him a fortune as a moonshiner and puts him at odds with the ‘shine sales of the MacKay clan, even though he’s wed to their wild youngest daughter. An uneasy truce holds until the day Nick’s teenage son is caught with one of the MacKay girls.  The MacKays beat the boy senseless and throw him off a bridge to drown.  Nick comes to his boy’s rescue, firing his shotgun into the persecutors, setting in motion a terrible train of events.  Three days later Nick’s body hangs over a smoldering fire, the noose still around his neck.  The state militia arrive to bring peace to the town and to arrest the guilty parties.  But then another body is found in the woods.  

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Wow.  What a book!  Brant Randall aka Bruce Cook created a powerful book about a 1929 lynching and how it affected the people in the town.  From the very beginning until the end I felt like I was walking among the town as if I was one of them sitting in the diner, camping out in the woods, in the house, or in the courtroom.  The characters he gave birth to felt real and the emotions they felt you couldn’t help but feel.  I have to admit that I was surprised yet I was not surprised with the outcome of events with some of the characters in the book.  This is a book I highly recommend!

Check out the book trailer on YouTube by clicking on this link…

Oblivious

FROM THE BOOK BACK…“Eccentric Olivia Chatham has found her life’s calling, Crime Buster.  Tucker Monroe, the small Wisconsin town’s mystrious new resident. Discovers he, too, has a mission.  Keeping up with her.”  If you are interested in reading an excerpt from Chapter 1 then click here.

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…Definitely a cute light read around a small town murder mystery and unexpected love (but this is FAR from being a “romance” novel so don’t let that fool you).  You can’t help but fall in love with the “oblivious” girl because she’s so thoughtful of everyone around her regardless of what they may have done or gone through.  Yes there were parts I wanted to shake her a bit because of her “innocence” and lack of “street smarts” but then I also wanted to high-five her at other parts when she could think clearly outside the box when nobody else could to help solve the murder case in her town.

Thanks for sending me an autographed copy Cyndia, I enjoyed the book! My husband thought I was wierd when I was excited to get your short note of “Thanks” for reading and reviewing your book. LOL

The Smart One

FROM THE AUTHOR’S WEBSITE…”Bev Bloomrosen thinks her sisters see her as a loser. Not that she minds being the Smart One, but she can’t imagine she’ll ever live up to her family’s expectations … especially since she left behind her artistic ambitions-along with her humor-impaired ex-husband-to pursue a career as a “mere” schoolteacher.  But her sisters have their own image problems. Clare, the Pretty One, married well and seems to have the perfect suburban life, yet worries that the paper thin fabric of her beautiful designer world is ripping apart. And Joey, the Wild One who had 15 minutes of fame as a one-hit-wonder rock star, struggles with sobriety and keeping the secret of her weirdest ambition yet.  They love each other but mix like oil, water, and hundred-proof gin . . . a combination that threatens to combust over family tensions, suspected infidelities, a devastating accident, a stunning confession, and the sudden reappearance of their handsome, now all-grown-up former neighbor, Kenny Waxman, who’s back in town making his mark as a TV comedy writer.  It seems they’ll never understand where their differences begin and their own destructive tendencies end. Then it happens: the sisters discover a decades-old body stuffed inside an industrial drum and begin a bold, heartbreaking, and sometimes hilarious journey that will either bring them together . . . or tear them apart for good.”

FROM THE BOOK FAERY REVIEWS…I am not sure how I missed Ellen Meister’s part of the back of the book of “The Smart One” when it mentioned “decades-old pregnant body in an industrial drum”…but I sure did until I got to the part in the book.  That was probably because like most people, I skimmed the back because I was engrossed in the book cover!  All I REALLY read on the back was the part about three sisters leading different lives and I couldn’t help determining which cupcake or apple was who (and now I want to ask Ellen myself if the cupcake with the flower was Clare, the plain cupcake (which still kind of stumps me) was Joey, and apple was Beverly)!  What kills me is that I’m ALWAYS telling people that you can never judge a book by its cover, and look what I’ve done.  Here I am thinking I’m reading a light “chic lit” once again and boom it’s deeper than that.  After reading the book and recalling through events, I realized that the book wasn’t REALLY about the 20 year old murder but about the sisters themselves as individuals and as a family unit and their unconditional love and support for the other. In addition, I also realized what love can make you and other people do in situations. 

In the beginning I was mad at Kenny’s dad Sam for “murdering” this pregnant woman after discovering he had had an affair with her.  In fact I wanted to cuss this old man out when Beverly (Bev) summed up the courage to go into his hospital room to find her father (who wasn’t even in there).  Then I was even more enraged when he was telling others to let her burn in the car fire that HE caused!  Talk about fuming!  But then I couldn’t help but wonder in the end if my own marriage’s love was that unconditional as Kenny’s parents.  Would my own husband love me enough to take the blame for a crime that I had committed (course I hope that NEVER occurs) because of his love for me and of course the heavy guilt he may have felt for hurting me terribly?

 

Going back to the three sisters, I, like many, will try to figure out which sister I had more in common with.  Was I like Bev who was labeled as the “Smart One” only to feel like a failure in everything she seemed to explore in order to figure out who she was because nothing seemed good enough?  Was I like Clare, the “Pretty One” who seemed to have the “perfect” family, home, and most importantly marriage?  But to only feel unappreciated at home and afraid to approach her husband about the possible affair he had only to find love and attention elsewhere from another man as a sort of internal revenge?  Or was I like Joey, the “Wild One” who seemed to always live life on the edge with such great talent but to allow it to spiral her down until she was given a second chance at life?  Then I thought, perhaps I was a bit of all, like perhaps many who read it may feel?

 

I am a fan of books about relationships and self-discovery and overall I thought this was a great book and would recommend this book to someone else who may have had doubts in their own life.  Thanks Ellen for sending me an early reviewer’s copy of the book.  It was a book I began one afternoon and couldn’t put down until 3:30 the next morning…and now here it is at 3:55 am and I’m posting my review! LOL