THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, by author, Sarah Pekkanen

Sarah Pekkanen turns her scrutiny to the every-day women living in bucolic Newport Cove in THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, where picture-perfect lives play out like a modern day Pleasantville, while dark secrets and insecurities bubble just below the surface. 

Newport Cove is one of the safest neighborhoods in the US, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers. Here everyone lives out the American Dream – cute kids, strong marriages, burgeoning careers – but what really goes on behind closed doors? 

Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs, she’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light. 

Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. But the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house, and there’s something a bit off about her husband. Soon, it becomes clear that Tessa is hiding the biggest secret of all. 

Addictive and keenly-observed, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS will keep you guessing whose secrets will be revealed til the very end, making it perfect for Summer reading and neighborhood book clubs. 

About the Author: 

Sarah Pekkanen is the internationally bestselling author of The Opposite of Me, Skipping a Beat, These Girls, The Best of Us, Catching Air, and Things You Won’t Say. Her work has been published in People, The Washington Post, and USA TODAY, among other publications. She lives with her family in Chevy Chase, Maryland. 

Q&A WITH SARAH: 

What was the inspiration for your seventh novel, THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS? 

I can follow the roots of THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS back more than a decade, to a morning when I was suddenly cornered by a threatening man. It was a gray, drizzly November day, and I arrived at the zoo with my infant and two-year-old sons just moments after it opened. After we stepped into a small, deserted building to view an exhibit, I looked up to see a man striding down the narrow hallway, his eyes locked on me and his face empty of expression. Had I been alone, I suspect I would have cowered or run. Yet because my children were threatened, I reacted fiercely. 

I lifted my two-year-old up onto my hip and cradled him with my left arm, next to the baby in a carrier on my chest, while thrusting my other hand toward the man’s face and screaming, “Stop!” The man paused, just inches away, and stared at me, assessing me. I knew I would fight him, and that I would win, and I let him see this certainty in my eyes. 

He eventually turned and sauntered away without a word. Later, I realized the man had given me two clues that revealed his intentions: He’d walked directly toward me without glancing at the exhibits lining the hallway as he passed, and just before he reached me, he’d turned and glanced behind him. He’d wanted to make sure no one else was coming. I don’t want to spoil the plot of THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS, but I can say this incident – and the powerful feelings it conjured in me… that I would do whatever necessary to protect my children – inspired the plotline for my seventh novel. 

Wow – it sounds a bit darker than most of your novels, which fall into the women’s fiction category. 

Not necessarily. I’ve written books about a range of morally complex and controversial issues, including the fictional shooting of a Hispanic teenager by a white police officer in THINGS YOU WON’T SAY. Women’s fiction doesn’t mean a book is light – every woman I know faces struggles, even if they’re not readily apparent in the glossy, Facebooked lives we tend to present publically. In fact, that’s a theme of the novel, too: My four main characters – all mothers who live in a bucolic, tree-lined neighborhood where children play outside and neighbors hold spontaneous block parties – are each hiding a secret. As Gigi, one of my main characters, puts it: “The dozens of women she passed every day – the women peering at the covers of tabloids in the grocery store check out lane, and waiting in line with a preoccupied gaze at the bank, and putting on lipstick at the red light in the next car over in traffic – were all holders of mysteries.” 

Is it difficult to write from the points of view of four different narrators, as you’ve done in this book? 

Books are like children, in that they each present unique joys and challenges. For some reason – and I hope I don’t tempt the writing gods to punish me by revealing this – THE PERFECT NEIGHBORS came more easily to me than any other novel I’ve written. I couldn’t wait to sit down at the keyboard and see where my characters would take me every day. It’s always bittersweet when you finish a novel and say good-bye to your characters, but I especially miss these women. Maybe it’s because they formed such a supportive community, and writing can be isolating – like motherhood can be at times. I felt like a part of that fictional community when I shared their stories. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.

I’ve always wanted to write. When I was a kid, I actually used to pen novels on three-ring binder paper and mail them to top New York publishers. I was always surprised when publishers passed on my masterpieces, like Miscellaneous Tales and Poems.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I love reading – I always have a few books going at a time. Hiking with my rescue lab, crushing on Blake Shelton on “The Voice,” and seeing movies. And of course, hanging out with my three sons tops the list.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

Caring for my sons and writing one novel a year are my full-time jobs. I’m very lucky to be able to earn a living by writing, and to have a career that gives me flexibility. 

Where do you get your ideas?

I honestly have no idea! They never come to me in a flash, fully-formed. What I would give for that! Instead, they tend to come together slowly. I always think of my book plots as a kind of stew – I add ingredients, like an unusual setting or a particular crisis I want a character to grapple with – and let the ideas simmer a bit. Then I toss more elements into the stew and let it simmer, and repeat until my ideas seem fully cooked.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Jennifer Weiner. She writes in such an engaging and warm style, yet her plots are so compelling you can’t stop turning the pages. Plus, she’s an incredibly generous and kind human being who is an incredible champion of female writers. She’s a terrific role model.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

The trick is you need to have a complete novel before you approach an agent. So the biggest challenge is a mental one: Are you so committed to writing a book that you’re willing to spend literally years of your life on a project with no guaranteed positive outcome? I knew I had to write books, but when you’re up late at night, feeling tired and struggling with thoughts that won’t cooperate when you’re trying to translate them onto the page, it can be easy to get discouraged and wonder if you’ll ever have a book published. But if the desire to write is stronger, you can’t stop.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

Not a single thing. I adore my agent, my editor, and my publishing house. My experience has been pretty wonderful.

How do you market your work?

Lots of interviews (like this one!) and I’m very active on social media. Atria Books also sends me on book tours around the country so I connect with readers and booksellers when I’m touring.

What are you working on now?

I’m always working on a new book!

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences?

Not really, but I have experienced all of the emotions of my characters – in order to write convincingly, I need to feel what my characters are feeling. So I cry when I write wrenching scenes, and I rejoice when things go well for my characters.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

The ending of Skipping a Beat may be my favorite finale of any of my books.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Don’t overthink things, just write. Get down a page a day, minimum. If you do that, you’ll have the draft of a book in a year.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

Truthfully, there are no real downfalls. This is a dream job. I’m doing what I have always wanted to do, and in many ways, it’s so much better than I imagined. When someone takes the time to enter the fictional world you’ve created, and engage with it, they transform it. I cherish every email and Facebook and twitter message I receive, and I try to respond to every one personally.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?   

A huge thank you for supporting me. I would not have this job without you.

SARAH PEKKANEN’S NOVELS ARE… 

“Gripping reading.” —People 

“Sparkling.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) 

“A standout among standouts.” —Glamour 

“Compelling.” —Library Journal (starred review) 

“Fresh, funny, and satisfying.” —Jennifer Weiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author 

“Page-turners.” —Marie Claire 

“Fantastic and realistic.” —Examiner.com 

“Smart and soulful.” —Redbook

To connect with Sarah:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sarah-Pekkanen-215202723761/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahpekkanen

THE GATE OF DAWN, by author, MARINA J NEARY

Welcome to 1880s Vilnius, a volatile Northeastern metropolis where Balts, Germans, Poles, Russians, and Jews compete for a place in the sun. After sustaining fatal burns in a fire instigated by his rivals, textile magnate Hermann Lichtner spends his final days in a shabby infirmary. In a hasty and bizarre deathbed transaction he gives his fifteen-year-old daughter Renate in marriage to Thaddeus, a widowed Polish farmer who rejects social hierarchy and toils side by side with his peasants.

Renate’s arrival quickly disrupts the bucolic flow of life and antagonizes every member of the household. During an excursion to the city, Renate rekindles an affair with a young Jewish painter who sells his watercolors outside the Gate of Dawn chapel. While her despairing husband might look the other way, his servants will not stand by and watch while their adored master is humiliated.

Taking us from the cobblestone streets of old Vilnius, swarming with imperial gendarmes, to the misty bogs of rural Lithuania where pagan deities still rule, The Gate of Dawn is a folkloric tale of rivalry, conspiracy, and revenge.

Some Q & A with Marina:

Tell us a little bit about yourself, and how you started writing.

I grew up in Central Europe, in a family of classical musicians. My mom is Russian and Jewish, and my biological father is Polish-Lithuanian. They made it a point to introduce me to English early on, so I grew up reading and writing in both Russian and English. I always had a very vivid imagination, so I would replay various fantasies and prospective disaster scenarios in my mind. I have a very grim worldview and a dark sense of humor.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I am a crazy cat lady, and I converted the rest of my family to that religion. We are not Cat-aholics ;-) I don’t consider myself a cat-owner. A more appropriate term would be “cat hostess” or “cat guardian”.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I work for American Institute for Foreign Study, and I feel truly privileged to be part of a mission that’s almost apostolic – bringing the world together. My knowledge of foreign languages and different cultures really come in handy every day.

Where do you get your ideas?

I draw a lot of inspiration from history. My focus is on the lesser known figures that for whatever reason were obscured by historians. Usually there is a political reason why a particular historical figure was swept under the proverbial rug.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Interestingly, I am more influenced by music and folklore than by the works of other novelists. I think it’s important to be familiar with other landmark works in your specific genre, just so you know what you’re up against and what you should be aspiring to. At the same time, you have to resist the temptation to become a so-and-so knock-off. It’s important to discover your own authentic voice.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Amazingly, finding a publisher was not hard. It took me 16 years to finish the first presentable draft of “Wynfield’s Kingdom” and only a few weeks to find a publisher.  I guess it was worth the wait.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

Actually, the opportunity presented itself. My first publisher is struggling after the death of the founder, so I got my rights back for three of my novels, so I am in the process of editing, changing the covers and republishing with another publisher.

How do you market your work?

Oh boy, that’s my least favorite part. Marketing is not same as sales. You can get great reviews and exposure, and that may or may not translate into sales. There are so many people trying to get through the same narrow doorway. Seriously, I write because I have no other choice.

What are you working on now?

I am working on a sequel to The Gate of Dawn. It’s set during WWII on the Polish-Lithuanian border.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences?

Absolutely. The Gate of Dawn is set in rural Lithuania, the land of my paternal ancestors. Raven’s Bog is a real place that my family inherited. Some pretty horrifying things happened there.

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

From the point of view of writing or reading what I’ve written? Personally, I find that battle scenes come to me a lot more naturally than love scenes. I start laughing when I try to write something remotely erotic, and it ends up being grotesque and a little violent. Definitely not the stuff of romance novels.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

As I mentioned before, marketing is not pleasant. I get so many high fives and thumbs up, which don’t always translate into sales. Or people promise to read and review your book, and then it’s “dog ate my homework”. It’s always thrilling to get a publishing offer. And then brainstorming on the cover! My publishers allow me to use real actors and models for the covers. It’s such a thrilling process to go through dozens of headshots to pick the people who fit the parts perfectly.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you so much for your interest in my work. It’s such an intimate experience. I invent so much of myself into my work. I realize that a lot of what I write falls outside of many people’s comfort zone. I touch upon subjects that are still taboo in our society. On several occasions, publishers declined to publish my work, despite its alleged literary merits, due to the risqué content. 

To purchase this book:

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Julia-Neary/e/B0030L2MK2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1470780904&sr=8-3

To connect with Marina:

Marina's blog & Facebook links:

http://ctcommie.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/marina.j.neary

FRACTURED, by author, Catherine McKenzie

Trust thy neighbor…Or not? That is the question at the heart of international bestselling author Catherine McKenzie’s forthcoming novel, FRACTURED (Lake Union Publishing; on-sale October 4, 2016; hardcover & trade paperback), a psychological thriller about an idyllic neighborhood rocked by tragedy and the dark truths lurking behind the drapes of each home that questions just how well we know those that live closest to us.

Julie Prentice is looking for a fresh start. A novelist, Julie was launched into the spotlight following the publication of her first book, The Murder Game, a bestseller with a storyline loosely drawn from her own experiences in law school. The novel created a bit of controversy with some speculation as to how close to fact her fiction actually was—a theory exacerbated by a woman from Julie’s past whose obsession with her becomes dangerous. As the obsession goes from creepy to completely terrifying and potentially life-threatening, Julie and her family relocate from Tacoma to the quaint and quiet Mt. Adams community in Cincinnati in the hopes of evading her stalker once and for all.

Settled in her new home, she strikes up an instant connection and unexpected friendship with her new neighbor, John Dunbar, and begins to feel a measured sense of hope that the worst is behind her. But it doesn’t take long for things to go south. After a series of misunderstandings, Julie and her family become the center of negative attention in the community, and worse, become the target of unsettling harassment. As tension in the neighborhood mounts, no one is safe: new friends turn into enemies, spouses begin to question one another, and the bond between parent and child are tested.

With FRACTURED, McKenzie weaves a gripping, complex, and highly addictive story told through the alternating perspectives of Julie and John and structured around a deadly accident in the neighborhood that will keep readers guessing until the final page is turned.

Catherine McKenzie is a graduate of McGill University in History and Law, and she practices law in Montreal, where she was born and raised. Her novels, Spin, Arranged, Forgotten, and Hidden are all international bestsellers and have been translated into numerous languages. Her last novel Smoke (2015), was named a Best Book of October by Goodreads and one of the Top 100 Books of 2015 by Amazon. 

“A tightly drawn narrative that begs the question: How much can we really know about those living closest to us? Truly riveting!”—Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl,  Pretty Baby, and Don't You Cry

Some Q & A with Catherine:

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I am an avid runner and downhill skier. I love to read. And I watch a lot of TV.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I do. I am a partner in a litigation firm here in Montreal.

Where do you get your ideas?

The universe. All over, really. The idea for FRACTURED came to me from a judgment I read and a newspaper article, both about crazy neighbors in Toronto, and a few other little things here and there.

Is there a particular author or book that influenced or inspired your writing or decision to write?

Early on in my career I was definitely trying to be the female Nick Hornby.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

There was a lot of rejection. A lot. Like not 12, which is the number I always hear about JK Rowling. Getting used to that – I’m still not – is hard.

If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you’d change?

A couple of things, but who wouldn’t? I think I did a lot of things right, too, so there’s that.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences?

No. In fact, one of the themes of the book is how readers often expect or assume that writers base their books on their own experiences and how that can affect the writer.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Read, read, read, write, read, read, read, write. Repeat.

What are the downfalls of your writing career? The best parts?

The best parts is the writing and then getting positive feedback from readers. The difficult part is the writing and the business end of the book business. I run a company called Catherine McKenzie and I make all the content! That can be hard sometimes.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Thank you.

To connect with Catherine:

Website: www.catherinemckenzie.com

Follow me on Facebook

Follow me on Twitter 

Instagram: @cemckenzie1

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Catherine-McKenzie/dp/1503937828/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468430777&sr=1-1&keywords=fractured+by+catherine+mckenzie

THE TUMBLING TURNER SISTERS, by author, Juliette Fay

In 1919, the Turner sisters and their parents are barely scraping by. Their father is a low-paid boot-stitcher in Johnson City, New York, and the family is always one paycheck away from eviction. When their father’s hand is crushed and he can no longer work, their irrepressible mother decides that the vaudeville stage is their best—and only—chance for survival.

With so much at stake, teenagers Gert, Winnie, and Kit, and recent widow Nell take to the road, and soon find a new kind of freedom in the company of performers who are as diverse as their acts. There is a seamier side to the business, however, and the young women face dangers and turns of fate they never could have anticipated. Heartwarming and surprising, The Tumbling Turner Sisters is a story of awakening—to unexpected possibilities, to love and heartbreak, and to the dawn of a new American era.

“In this novel of love, grit, and the everlasting strength of family, the Turner sisters dare to dream big. Don’t miss this page-turner!”
~ SARA GRUEN, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF WATER FOR ELEPHANTS

“Filled with energetic prose and colorful characters—you won’t soon forget the Turner girls!”
~ CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE, #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF ORPHAN TRAIN

Some Q & A with Juliette:

Your previous novels take place in the present time, what made you decide to write a historical fiction novel?

I’ve always loved reading historical fiction, but questioned whether I had the background to write it. Don’t you need some sort of history degree to write about a completely different time? As it turns out, the answer is no. As with any story about a complicated topic—for instance if a character has a certain medical condition or line of work that’s central to the story—you just have to be willing to submerge yourself in the subject matter and learn everything you can.

The research for The Tumbling Turner Sisters was so much fun! The world was changing quickly in 1919, just after World War I, with Prohibition and Women’s Suffrage on the horizon. These social and political changes forced people take a look at the way things had always been done, and start to question if there weren’t better ways. The subculture of vaudeville was this crazy little brother-and-sisterhood, with its own customs, rules and slang. I learned far more than I could ever have put in the book, and it was a blast.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences? 

In the past, just as I’d finish one novel, there was always another idea out there simmering, waiting for me to bring it to a full boil. That didn’t happen after my last book, and it was really starting to get to me. I had a lot of “first dates” with story ideas, but no seconds.

One day my father came over for lunch, and in an effort to help, he started listing things he thought I should write about. These included a book on President Lincoln -- and I’m thinking I’m pretty sure that’s been done before …not really dying to be compared to Team of Rivals! – or on Oliver Cromwell’s violent domination of Ireland, which basically started out as a tragic bloodbath and went downhill from there.

As he talked about how his own ancestors had fled the Irish famine and English repression, I suddenly remembered a picture he’d sent me of his grandfather dancing onstage, along with newspaper clippings about his vaudeville career in the early 1900s. Vaudeville! Sitting there over the remains of our lunch, my head was suddenly exploding with ideas.

The Tumbling Turner Sisters was inspired by the experiences of my great-grandfather, Fred Delorme, but it’s not based on his actual life. In gratitude for his inspiration, I named one of the characters after him. I like to think that he’d be tickled to be back in the entertainment business a century later!

What are you working on now?

I loved diving into the early 20^th century, and learned far more than I could possibly include in The Tumbling Turner Sisters. One of the subjects that really caught my interest was the silent movie era. Once it coalesced in Hollywood in the 1910s, it really was like the wild west, attracting all kinds of people who wanted to try their luck in this budding industry. No one at the time thought much of it – it was considered more of a fad, and so it was full of risk-takers. My next novel is set in that time and place.

Juliette Fay is the award-winning author of four novels: The Tumbling Turner Sisters, The Shortest Way Home, Deep Down True, and Shelter Me. She received a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree from Harvard University. Juliette lives in Massachusetts with her husband and four children. Her website is juliettefay.com.

• Twitter: @juliettefay
• Facebook: Juliette Fay, author
• Website: http://juliettefay.com/

• 
  
• 
  

THE LANGUAGE OF SISTERS, by author, CATHY LAMB

A very short summary of The Language of Sisters...Three sisters. One brother. A secret that is chasing them down.

A little longer summary:

1) Toni Koslovsky lives on a yellow tugboat in the Willamette River in Oregon. She needed space to breathe.

2) Toni has two sisters. They can sometimes hear each other in their heads, a message coming through. It’s odd, it’s inexplicable. It’s a gift handed down from the Sabonis family line through their widow’s peaks. Their mother had it, too. 

3) The family immigrated from Russia when Toni was a little girl. They left a lot of secrets there...and the secrets have been running after them ever since.

4) The family has many crazy members and the dynamics can be mind blowing. You might relate to some of them.

5) Toni has something hidden in a little shed next to her tugboat. She doesn’t want to look at it. She doesn’t want to think about it. But she does.

6) Love. Laughter. Funny stuff. A blue heron, a woman named Daisy, a DEA agent who lives down the dock, a restaurant, a scary man. Pillow making, skinny dipping, too much wine. More laughter.

Some Q & A with Cathy:

Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you started writing.

I knew I loved writing when my mother taught me how to spell the word, ‘brat.’

I must have been about four and the girl next door had thrown yet another temper tantrum and stalked out of my house. I was writing her a note. Not very nice, perhaps a bit of a vengeful streak was coming out even at that wee age.

Anyhow, I asked my mother, the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever met, how to spell ‘brat.’ Now, you would have thought the kindest, most compassionate person I have ever met would tell me not to write a note like, “Dear Sandy. You are a brat.” But my mother thought she was a brat, too, and she was none too fond of her whiny mother so she patiently said to me, “Honey, it’s B.R.A.T.”

And a writer was born.

What are some things you enjoy when not writing?

I love to garden. I am a plant collector. I could collect high heels, but no, I don’t. Who needs a broken ankle? I collect plants and flowers. Innocent Husband has told me to stop buying them as we have too many.  (I call my husband Innocent Husband on my blog as no one should ever hold him responsible for the things I say or write.)

Anyhow, now I have to SNEAK my plants and flowers into the garden. What a husband doesn’t know, doesn’t hurt him, that is my motto for Gardening vs. Innocent Husband.

Do you have a ‘day job’ as well?

I’m a full time writer. No other day job except for ‘mom.’ The mom job doesn’t pay well, but the kids are cute.

Where do you get your ideas?

I get my ideas everywhere. Actually, if I’m in Starbucks and I look at someone too long, I’ll start telling myself a story about that person.  If I was across the table from you, the same thing would happen. It’s odd, I know this, I do.

I have to tell myself, “We’re going to Starbucks to work, Cathy, not to imagine what secrets the person next to you is harboring and nurturing.”

 “The First Day of The Rest of My Life,” my fifth book, was launched from an 80 year old violin I was buying for my daughter.

These questions came up as I held it: Who owned the violin before us? What made them cry? What made them laugh? Who did they love, who did they lose? Was this violin made in Europe? Who made it? What happened to the original owners? Why is there a stain on the violin? Is that blood?  Why the scratches? What secrets could this violin tell? And a story began…

The “Last Time I Was Me,” my second novel, was partially launched by a marital spat with Innocent Husband, to whom I have been married for twenty three years.

That night we’d had a bit of an argument, I can’t even remember what we were fighting about. Anyhow, the man had the gall to fall asleep when I was still steaming mad. (!!!)

I had to write another book and I decided to have my main character get revenge on her cheating boyfriend. (For the record, Innocent Husband did not cheat on me, let’s clear that monster out of the way now.) Anyhow, Jeanne decided to take revenge on her cheating boyfriend with a condom, peanut oil and an exacto knife.  How did I imagine that rather demented idea? Innocent husband is allergic to nuts.

For “The Language of Sisters” I was inspired by a yellow tugboat in the newspaper, a blue heron that flew by in front of me, a complicated and funny family, and secrets that one thinks are buried but start to come up again like sharp talons. Oh, and three cool  but troubled sisters, an adopted brother with a murky past, and a mother who owns a popular Russian restaurant and who admonishes her children for their poor choices on the Specials board at night for everyone to see.

Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

Publishing nightmare. So, I was trying to break into category romance many years ago. Rejection. Rejection. I wrote yet another synopsis, the publisher asked to see the first three chapters. I wrote them. They asked to see the whole book. I sent it. Rejected. This happened three or four times.  The last rejection took about two years.

Let’s just say when I wrote a rather “pointed” letter to the publishing house (Okay, I was ticked, the letter might have been fiery, flames leaping.) about how long the process was, the publisher apologized, and their head editor asked me to send all future work to her. What a chance! But I was then so burned out I couldn’t do it.

I wrote “Julia’s Chocolates” and just let it fly. The story is about a woman, Julia, who is on the run, away from an abusive fiancé.  She heads to her Aunt Lydia’s house in central Oregon. The house is painted pink, like a camellia, there are five giant concrete pigs in the front of the house, all named for men that Aunt Lydia doesn’t like, and a rainbow bridge on the front lawn. Julia meets a group of women, and they all begin to heal…until the fiancé hunts her down.

I sent a partial to several agents and an editor. All the agents asked to see it. I waited for my favorite agent, Evan Marshall, to respond, he did, and he requested the book.  The problem was that I had only written about the first 40 pages. I lied and told Evan I had a little “editing” to do. Ha. I wrote the book into the dark hours of night. Took months. He sold it as part of a two book deal with my current publishing house in 2005 and I’ve been happily writing for Kensington ever since.

What are you working on now? 

I am writing my eleventh novel and marketing my new book “The Language of Sisters.” Both are head banging experiences, but with chocolate and mochas, I am persevering without losing my mind. For the most part.

Is anything in your books based on real life experiences?

Yes.     Can I just end it at ‘yes?’

Do you have a favorite chapter or scene?

In “What I Remember Most,” my main character, Grenadine Scotch Wild, (I know!! Yes, that is her name. Grenadine. Scotch. Wild. As soon as I knew her name, I had my story.) is an artist. I have the artistic talent of a gnat. Or maybe an ant eater. I loved writing about the paintings and collages Grenadine was making. I could live vicariously through her.

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

My advice to writers who want to publish?

Write all the time. Read all the time.

Figure out why you love the books you do, and why you don’t. Study pacing, character development, plots, ending, word choice, structure of the novel, dialogue. Everything.  

What makes you keep reading? What’s compelling?

Go to writing conferences. Take writing classes.

Be open to criticism. Don’t get your panties in a twist about it. It’s not personal. Listen. Learn. Move forward.

Read Bird by Bird, On Writing, and Jessica Morrell’s books on writing.

Keep going.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans?

Have a lovely day.

You can connect with Cathy here:

Cathy Lamb’s website:  http://cathylamb.org/2016/07/that-mean-woman/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathylamb.9