Interview with Megan Thomason, Author of daynight

Megan, welcome to Hardcover Feedback!

Thanks for hosting daynight!

Would you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a happily married mother of five. Our family moved to San Diego from the Seattle area a few years back to escape the less desirable weather there :). I had a successful stint in the software industry, which I left after becoming pregnant with child #4. I thrive on hard work, drive too fast, eat too much sugar, and have a severe allergy to housework and paperwork (a non issue, due to my excellent prioritization skills that moves those things to the bottom of the list).

What is a typical day like for you?
Get my kids ready for and then take them to school (the state of California eliminated school buses from their bloated budget ages ago… so much better to have every parent driving their kids I guess?). Write, promote, or work on another project until it is time to pick them up. Occasionally, by necessity, I have appointments or errands to run. Take kids to and from activities (sports, theatre, etc.). Read on my phone while doing any sort of waiting. Hopefully, make a homemade meal and spend some time with husband and kids after, interspersed with more writing and/or reading.

When did you begin writing Daynight?  What inspired this book and how much research was involved in writing it?
I started in 2008 and drafts done in early 2009. The inspiration for the book came as I hiked the canyons of San Diego on a particularly hot day. I pondered what would happen if temperatures were so extreme that days and nights had to be switched. This became the impetus for Thera, the main setting for daynight. I researched the extreme temperatures would have on the environment and what a society would have to do to adapt to it. Even the lingo was affected… Monnight, Tuesnight, etc.; daygowns instead of nightgowns; daymares and more… I had a lot of fun with it. daynight's story is complex, so I plotted the whole thing out and then adjusted continually as I went along and had better ideas.

What or who made the biggest influence on you wanting to become a writer?
My husband, actually. I’ve always loved to write (even enjoyed writing essays in college), but it wasn’t until my husband decided to write a middle grade novel and I helped with plotting and editing that I got interesting in writing my own. 

What was the first book you ever wrote about and was it ever published?
I wrote my first book, a teen romantic comedy called the thin veil for my daughters and their friends. They loved the book, so upon their request I wrote two sequels, the thin line and thin skin. Immediately thereafter I came up with the much more ambitious project of daynight. Since being absorbed in the world of Thera and characters of daynight, I haven’t been able to switch gears to go back and get that original trilogy ready to publish. I love the characters and stories, but the writing isn’t up to my current standard.

Do you have any writing habits that people might find unusual?
I write everything on my 11” MacBook Air and will literally write anywhere. Son’s basketball game. In the car while in line to pick up my kids from school. Chiropractor office. Sometimes, I feel an intense need to chew while thinking and so I have a serious love/hate relationship with Hot Tamales. We will break up for up to two years at a time, but always find our way back to each other.

Do you have a favorite character or one that is especially close to your heart?
I like comedic, sarcastic characters, so I’m going to say Jax. He’s a minor character, but is charming, has a unique brand of double speak, is great eye candy, and much more important to the overall story of daynight than people may realize (though it shall become apparent in book 2, arbitrate ;)). I’m naturally sarcastic and had to really hold back on daynight’s main female character, Kira. If I’d made her like me The Second Chance Institute (totalitarian leader of Thera) would have killed her off within a day :).

Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite?
I’m not really a quote person (my mother’s continually recitation of Murphy’s Law ruined me). But I love this quote from Brave New World… "Actual happiness always looks pretty squalid in comparison with the overcompensations for misery. And, of course, stability isn't nearly so spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt. Happiness is never grand." —Aldous Huxley 

I can’t say I agree that happiness isn’t grand, but the alternative does make for compelling reading and writing!

What is the best gift you have ever received, do you still have it and who gave it to you?
My wedding ring… my husband. 

What is something that you have always wanted to do, but just haven't gotten around to it yet?
African safari. 

If you were stranded on a deserted island, other than basic necessities, what three items would you hope to find in your suitcase to help make your time there more bearable?
Solar powered generator to power my laptop and iPhone. If I’m stranded, I could get an awful lot of writing done. And I have thousands of books on my iPhone and could use it to keep in touch (I have to assume that one of the basic necessities is internet access ;)). 

What is your all-time favorite book?
I have read thousands of books, so very difficult to pick one (The Hobbit, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, The Phantom Tollbooth, Pride and Prejudice, Hunger Games, Crime and Punishment, 1984 each were at various points in time). But, the book I’m probably re-read the most is my scriptures and I learn something new every time I read them so, I’ll go with that.  

Other than yourself, who is your favorite author?
Another tough one to narrow down. I’ll go with J.R.R. Tolkien for being able to come up with such a completely immersive world. 

If a TV show was based on your life, what type of TV show would it be (i.e., comedy, drama, suspense, etc.) who would you choose to play the leading character (you), and what would the theme song be? Why?
My life could be spun as a dark comedy, comedy, or drama. Elizabeth Banks or Tina Fey. Radioactive by Imagine Dragons. In our family there’s always drama (sometimes dark), but we spend a lot of time laughing about it. Our dinners in particular are right out of a comedy show.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Besides writing… Spend time with my husband and kids. Date night with my husband (every week religiously). Read. Projects; always have one (from bizarre: world class weapons collection to useful: organize Gala fundraiser for daughters’ theatre group). Community service.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Night owl. 

What is your favorite TV show and/or movie?
TV: Vampire Diaries (though Revenge, Nashville & The Good Wife are right up there). I don’t have much time to watch… am way behind this season. Movie: Schindler’s List

If you could spend the day with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional - excluding Jesus, family, and friends), who would you choose and how would you spend the day?
I’m not a huge Harry Potter fanatic, but it would be cool to spend the day with Harry and Dumbledore touring Hogwarts and Diagon Alley, learning some magic, and seeing some magical creatures (it would be a packed day). 

If you had the opportunity to go anywhere you wanted, at anytime in history, where would you go and why?
Ancient Egypt. I was obsessed with the ancient Egyptian civilization when I was a kid. I’d love to see the pyramids and Luxor in their original splendor, as well as the Pharos, giant lighthouse and one of the original seven wonders of the world.

What are you currently working on?
I’m simultaneously promoting daynight and writing the sequel, arbitrate, targeted for a summer 2013 release. In addition, I’m writingB*Lies, the story of a girl who makes the decision to run from her abusive father. If I ever get any spare time I will do a re-write on my original trilogy, the thin veil, the thin line, and thin skin. 

Where can people connect with you online?
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6578897.Megan_Thomason
Twitter: https://twitter.com/megan_thomason
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/daynight.series 

Thank you so much Megan for being on Hardcover Feedback!
Thank you for having me!

Tour Schedule

To find out more about Daynight and to enter a giveaway for a copy of it, Insurgent by Veronica Roth & a $50 Amazon gift card go HERE.

Mother of Pearl by Kellie Coated Gilbert (Review & Interview)

Barrie Graeber has two great kids, a loving husband, and a respected job as the high school counselor in her close-knit community. Without warning, everything unravels when her teenage daughter, Pearl, is betrayed by friends and lashes out.

Nothing prepares this mother for the helplessness that follows when her attempts to steer her daughter back on course fail and Pearl shuts her out...or when she discovers the unthinkable about her nemesis, the football coach.

Emotionally riveting and profoundly moving, Mother of Pearl brings us into the heart of a mother bound by an incredible burden, who ultimately finds she must recognize her own vulnerability and learn to trust in something much bigger.

I GIVE THIS BOOK:

MY THOUGHTS:
Mother of Pearl is a great story and it's hard to believe this is the author's debut novel - it is very well written. I was immediately drawn into the story and was able to read it in one sitting. However, a couple of things in the book seemed...off. First, the way Barrie's husband wouldn't listen to anything she had to say about a certain thing she believed happened to her daughter and would get angry at her for even trying to figure it out. Second, when Barrie sees someone she believes is in trouble and wants to help them, again her husband is adamant that she leave it alone and that she didn't see what she knows she saw. I just found this behavior to be strange. I could see him at first wanting to deny the things happened, but to be that insistent that it didn't and that she was completely wrong seemed weird to me. Later on in the story, during a trial, there were several times the defendants were referred to as the plaintiffs - which was kind of confusing to say the least. It is probably because of these things that I felt I couldn't give it a five star rating.

I loved Barrie's passion, devotion to her family, especially concerning her daughter, and the fact that she didn't let anybody's doubts and, at times, anger stop her from uncovering the truth about what happened.

Mother of Pearl was an enjoyable read and it is one I would recommend. I am looking forward to future books by this author.

***I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.***

If you found this review helpful, will you please click yes HERE. Thanks!

BOOK DETAILS:

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Abingdon Press (September 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1426733437
• ISBN-13: 978-1426733437
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Available to purchase at: Amazon/ Barnes & Noble/ Christian Book/ Abingdon Press

INTERVIEW

Kellie, welcome to Hardcover Feedback! Would you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a former legal investigator and trial paralegal who worked on many high profile cases, including the Jack-in-the-Box e-coli litigation in the mid-nineties and the largest cattle fraud case in the United States. People are often at their most vulnerable in these tense situations where much is at stake, giving me a unique perspective on the human psyche. Early in my legal career, I recognized there could be value in telling stories about people facing life-changing circumstances.

Currently, I live in Dallas with my husband and an adorable two and a half pound yorkie named Emmie Sweetpea. She keeps my lap warm while I’m writing.

What is a typical day like for you?

I often wake early and spend the first twenty minutes of my day talking with my husband before he leaves for work. Then, I spend some time reading the Bible before heading out for my morning swim. This is where I think through the upcoming scenes and plot points in my current manuscript.

After breakfast, I head directly into my office. My first attention is directed to Facebook and Twitter, connecting with readers and publishing folks. I try to start my actual writing no later than ten in the morning.

I enjoy a quiet, organized place to write with lots of light streaming through the windows. Often I have Pachelbel’s Canon playing and a steaming cup of tea on a coaster next to my Mac computer.

When did you begin writing Mother of Pearl? What inspired it and how much research was involved in writing it?
I write poignant and emotionally compelling stories about women. My stories are about messy lives and eternal hope.

I knew my first novel would focus on mothering and the perils women face in this role, especially during the teen years. I didn’t even know how many things there were to be afraid of until I had my first child. From the moment the nurse placed that tiny infant in my arms, a fierce need to protect bubbled from the deepest part of me.

As a novelist, I asked the question: What would a mother do if suddenly life took a turn and she learned the child she thought she’d protected had fallen into the hands of someone unsafe? And what if she found out too late?

Early, when the inception of this story was still noodling in my brain, I saw a sadly recurring event on the news, the story of a coach who had inappropriately been involved with a teenager. While the cameras honed on the major players, I couldn’t help but wonder if the girl’s mother was standing just out of view.
What was she feeling?

What or who made the biggest influence on you wanting to become a writer?
Like many authors, I am an avid reader. Strangely, I never considered a career as a novelist. Instead, I pursued a sensible legal career with predictable income (especially while my boys were in college). But in 2004, I attended my first writing conference and left with an overwhelming feeling that I was always meant to write novels. The experience is hard to describe, but I knew in the deepest part of me I would publish a novel.

So, I lifted an outrageous prayer and asked for the impossible.

What was the first book you ever wrote about and was it ever published?
My agent urged me to write romance to break into publishing. I did, and the novel sold. But that story was not one that burned in my heart as I wrote. When the publishing house switched directions and pulled back even before we got the contract to sign, the situation was an easy one to let go of.

I am meant to write stories for women that focus on relationships, and the deep places in life. People have many layers, and never more than in family dynamics and hard times. I’m intrigued with the coping mechanisms we employ to fill our empty places. These are the stories of my heart, the ones I was always meant to bring to readers.

Do you have any writing habits that people might find unusual?
When I get stumped, I head out to the pool. Something about floating on my back with my eyes directed to a vast blue sky helps story elements emerge.

Do you have a favorite character or one that is especially close to your heart?
I’ve heard it said that a first time novelist always falls in love with her protagonist. I’m not sure this is true, but I love Barrie Graeber. I admire her courage and drive to make things right, despite incredible opposition.

Do you have a favorite quote? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite?
St. Augustine tells my own story with this quote:

“In my deepest wound, I saw your glory and it dazzled me.”

I try to paint that sentiment on every page, but in a subtle manner. I want my books to appeal to all kinds of readers – those who sit on church pews and barstools alike.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite?
I don’t have one favorite, but many. That said, I adore Isaiah 40: 11

“Like a shepherd He will tend His flock,
In His arm He will gather the lambs.”

This verse has special meaning to a gal like me who grew up on a sheep ranch.

What is the best gift you have ever received, do you still have it and who gave it to you?
My husband once gave me an elk tooth ring. You’d just have to know my man to understand that one.
(smiles)

What is something that you have always wanted to do, but just haven't gotten around to it yet?
Lose enough weight to wear size six jeans again. (more smiles)

If you were stranded on a deserted island, other than basic necessities, what three items would you hope to find in your suitcase to help make your time there more bearable?
These are great questions! A down pillow and two really thick novels.

What are you currently reading?
Man in the Blue Moon by Michael Morris, Tyndale Publishers

What is your all-time favorite book?
Choosing a favorite book (besides the Bible) is as impossible as choosing a favorite child. If forced to name just one, probably SAME SWEET GIRLS by CASSANDRA KING.

Who is your favorite author?
Ugh…same answer. I love Cassandra King and would run to buy anything she ever releases. Cassandra is Pat Conroy’s wife and his style shows up in her stunning stories about women.

If a TV show was based on your life, what type of TV show would it be (i.e., comedy, drama, suspense, etc.) who would you choose to play the leading character (you), and what would the theme song be? Why?
Goodness sakes, these questions make me dredge deep for answers!

I’d be a drama with Meryl Streep playing the lead (if she would go with television) and the theme song would likely be the old hymn “IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL” (That, or maybe WILD THING by the
1960’s English band called the Troggs).

There you have it. You’ve pulled my deepest secret into the open…..I’m a wild girl, saved by grace, who still tends to live on the edge.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I read. I golf. I cook (recipes from those fancy magazines with ingredients difficult to pronounce). But by far, my favorite pastime is playing with my nearly two-year-old grandson. He’s a delight. The little guy can’t yet say GRAMMIE so he just calls me “guh.”

Are you an early bird or a night owl?
Both, depending on the day.

What is your favorite TV show and/or movie?
I don’t watch a lot of television or movies, but I really enjoy Parenthood on television. The family dynamics are intriguing. Recently, I slipped out and saw the new Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones movie about a mid-life couple struggling to renew their love. The film was called HOPE SPRINGS and I loved it!

If you could spend the day with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional - excluding Jesus, family, and friends), who would you choose and how would you spend the day?
Oh fun! If I can choose someone imaginary, I’d sit down with my protagonist, Barrie Graeber, and ask her if I told her story well.

If you had the opportunity to go anywhere you wanted, at anytime in history, where would you go and why?
I’d definitely go back to the day before my Dad died. I’d sit with him, reminisce our stories and make sure I told him AGAIN how much I loved him.

Or, maybe I’d go back and tell my Gram I published a novel. That would tickle her so. She used to read to me for hours, holding the books with arthritic hands and telling me I could be anything I wanted.

What are you currently working on?
A story about three sisters who are looking for love in all the wrong places. Why is it women so often try to fill their broken places with men?

Where can people connect with you online?
www.kelliecoatesgilbert.com
on Facebook and on Twitter (links on the website)

Thank you so much Kellie for being on Hardcover Feedback!
Thank YOU! These questions were way outside what I’ve been asked in earlier interviews. Very fun!

Check out the other stops in this tour HERE.

Julie Lessman Interview and a GIVEAWAY!

I am SO excited to have Julie Lessman on my blog today! I have read all five of her books that have been released and let me tell you they are my ALL-TIME favorites!!! I can hardly wait to read her THREE new ones, which are:

• A Love Surrendered (set to be released October 2012)
• A Light in the Window: A Irish Christmas Love Story (This is a prequel to her first six books about the O'Connors and is Patrick & Marcy's love story. It is set to be released November 2012)
• Love At Any Cost (set to be released April 2013 - Ugh! That is SO far away!!!)

Interview

What is a typical day like for you? 

HA! Way, WAY less interesting than my books, I assure you!! This is not etched in stone, of course, but I usually get up at 7:00 a.m., suck down hazelnut coffee while I wait for my blueberry bagel to toast (new kick; last year’s kick was peach oatmeal) and look at e-mails. Eat bagel while reading Seeker blog (be sure to check out my link this week entitled “Kiss-ology 101: Warming Up the Pages with Romantic Tension” at http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2012/08/kiss-ology-101-warming-up-pages-with.html) then sit/pray with hubby on deck swing for 20 minutes or so before heading downstairs to the treadmill for 30 minutes with worship music. Spot exercises follow along with Bible reading/prayer/devotional time. Then finish e-mails, FB comments and tackle writing, usually from about 11:00 a.m. till 8:00 p.m. or so with time out for dinner prep and enjoyment. This routine is totally thrown off if I go biking with hubby, have a blog deadline or other commitment. See? Boring!! Which is why I have to put all that angst and drama in my books, right???

Do you have any writing habits that people might find unusual? 

Big grin here. Well, I’m quirky and crazy and just a wee bit off center, so I have a number of rituals with my writing such as the must-haves—a constant cup of hazelnut decaf with Half ‘n Half, peppermint tea or cold peach iced tea, lots and LOTS of lip gloss, Kleenex (for the soggy scenes I write), ear plugs if the squirrels or birds get too noisy, pad of paper and pen for quick notes, and a mirror handy for those facial expressions I’m trying to capture. 

My biggest ritual, however, is ambiance. My family jokes that I am an “Ambiance Queen” because dim lighting with candles during dinner is a must, as well as a mainstay for my winter writing. During the summer months (basically May through October), I sit outside on my lower deck that runs the length of the house, overlooking a lush, green wooded area that has sunlight dappling through the trees. I have my feet up on this cushy lawn furniture we have at all times (like now!), and a fan gently blowing while I sit with my laptop. In the winter I’m in the hearth room with a crackling fire, all the essentials mentioned above and a picture of my husband on the table beside me for the ultimate inspiration. J

What is something that you have always wanted to do, but just haven't gotten around to it yet? 

Going to Boston and Ireland. Sigh.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? If so, what is it and why is it your favorite? 

Gosh, I have so many, but one of my favorites (which I used to pray everyday) is the last paragraph in Psalm 139, verses 23-24. But a word of warning—don’t pray it unless you mean business, because God will definitely nail you to the wall on a few things! Here it is: 

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

However … since I have become an author, I find that the push and pull of success (vying for sales, awards, accolades) is deadly, taking me places I do NOT want to go. So since then, my favorite Scripture has been 2 Corinthians ll:3: Do not let my mind “be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” 

You recently became a grandmother, is it ever thing you expected it to be? What is the best, worst and most surprising thing about being a grandmother? 

The best? Oh, without question, the giggles and smiles—on both my precious granddaughter’s face AND mine!! The worst? Babyproofing the house—yuck!! 

Well, my prayer partner kept telling me that being a grandmother was THE BEST thing ever, but to be honest, I didn’t buy it. When I used to work at a large company as a travel writer, women would bring their babies in and while all the other ladies would crowd around, I’d head for the ladies’ room because I am just not one to fawn over babies or kids. But … I will say that this little gal (Rory) has made me eat my words and then some. I still remember the day my daughter came home and found me on all fours, gooing and fawning in a high-pitched chipmunk voice over my granddaughter on a blanket, making a royal fool out of myself. “Never thought I’d see the day,” she said with a shake of her head, then promptly got down on all fours and joined me. J

If you were stranded on a deserted island, other than basic necessities, what three items would you hope to find in your suitcase to help make your time there more bearable? 

Oh, that’s easy—BOOKS, including the Bible and tons of Inspy romance novels, a laptop and LOTS of lip gloss. 

If you had the opportunity to go anywhere you wanted, at anytime in history, where would you go and why? 

I would go to Golgotha in a heartbeat on the day that Jesus died because if His death has radically changed my life for the better through mere faith, I can’t even imagine the impact of seeing Him carry that cross for me in person.

If you could spend the day with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional - excluding Jesus, family, and friends), who would you choose and how would you spend the day? 

Oh, I would definitely spend the day with the O’Connors because they have become family to me and are, quite frankly, the family I always longed to have growing up—full of faith, passion and love for everyone within their ranks, no matter the conflicts or hurts endured. We would sit outside around the picnic table talking while Marcy sewed, having a ball laughing at Charity and Katie or praying with Faith, Lizzie and Emma while the wonderful smells and sounds of summer surrounded us with horseshoes clanging, children laughing and barbecue grilling. 

I LOVE the O'Connor family SO much and would love to see another series with them. Do you have any plans of continuing this family's story - maybe with the next generation? I am REALLY hoping you do:) 

Thanks, Meg, I love them too, so you just KNOW I won’t be able to say goodbye to them forever, right?? Yes, I do hope to write a series for each of the cousins beginning with a trilogy for Faith’s girls, a trilogy for Charity’s Henry, Hope and then Gabe and on down the line, each series taking place during the WWII period and definitely including a 2nd-tier love story for the parents. J Don’t know when and don’t know how, but I definitely plan to do that someday. 

Thank you SO much Julie for stopping by!

Thank you, Megan, for allowing me to connect with your readers. I LOVE to hear from reader friends, so they can feel free to contact me through my website at www.julielessman.com, either by sending an e-mail via my site or by signing up for my newsletter at http://www.julielessman.com/sign-up-for-newsletter/. My newsletter is chock-full of fun info on my books and there’s always a contest featuring signed book giveaways including one to have a character named after you in my next book. Also, I have a cool feature on my website called “Journal Jots” at http://www.julielessman.com/journal-jots1/, which is a very laid-back, Friday journal to my reader friends that would give your readers an idea as to my relaxed style of writing. Finally, I can be found daily at The Seekers blog (http://seekerville.blogspot.com/), a group blog devoted to encouraging and helping aspiring writers on the road to publication.

ABOUT JULIE:  

Julie Lessman is an award-winning author whose tagline of “Passion With a Purpose” underscores her intense passion for both God and romance. Winner of the 2009 ACFW Debut Author of the Year and Holt Medallion Awards of Merit for Best First Book and Long Inspirational, Julie is also the recipient of 14 Romance Writers of America awards and was voted by readers as “Borders Best of 2009 So Far: Your Favorite Fiction.” Chosen as the #1 Romance Fiction Author of the Year in the Family Fiction magazine 2012 and 2011 Readers Choice Awards, Julie was also awarded #1 Historical Fiction Author of the Year in that same poll and #3 Author of the Year, #4 Novel of the Year and #3 Series of the year. She resides in Missouri with her husband, daughter, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter and is the author of “The Daughters of Boston” series—A Passion Most Pure, A Passion Redeemed, and A Passion Denied. Book 1 in her “Winds of Change” series A Hope Undaunted ranked #5 on Booklist’s Top Ten Inspirational Fiction for 2010 and is followed by A Heart Revealed and A Love Surrendered. 

GIVEAWAY!

Julie has graciously offered to give away the winner's choice of one of her books - including A Light in the Window (ebook only) and A Love Surrendered!!! To be entered, just complete the mandatory entries in the Rafflecopter form below and then you can complete whichever other entries you want. The giveaway is open internationally and will end on August 22 at 11:59p.m. (EST). Gook luck:)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview and Giveaway with Bo Briar

Bo, welcome to Hardcover Feedback! A lot of people are on Twitter these days, so can you describe Morgan Hall for us in 140 characters or less (which is the size of a tweet)?                

Well, love never dies, and revenge never sleeps in Morgan Hall.

Morgan Hall is a desolate country estate that has been in Lady Christie Morgan’s family for almost 400 years. A family cursed by eternal tragedy, and now Christie is the last Morgan. Apparitions appear, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men who love her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely.

This is a saga of mystery and sordid family history weaving intrigue for the passionate love triangle. Past and present war as the secrets of three aristocratic families unfold - resurfacing in a spine-chilling mystery of passion and lust, ghostly happenings, and blood-curdling murders.

Emotions run high as their world spins wildly out of control. Are they all cursed to repeat the grizzly past? Does sweet revenge claim its prize? That’s up to you the reader to find out…

When did you begin writing Morgan Hall?  What inspired this book and how much research was involved in writing it?

I wrote the first draft of Morgan Hall after having my first child. When she was a baby I was always alone at home with her for most of the day so did much writing, and somehow I was really inspired to at the time so it didn’t take long. I finished the polished version when I took a sabbatical from work later on though so it was an on-off thing. Left for a few years before proper completion.

Boarding school inspired me. It was set in an early 18^th century ex-stately home with 300 acres of landscaped gardens and a glorious lake. The estate had been inhabited and owned by aristocratic families since the 12^th century and the ruins of the old manor were both beside and at the bottom of the lake. It was both beautiful and spooky and I had quite a few eerie experiences there of a ghostly nature. I did think to myself I must write a spooky novel one day in a similar setting but wasn’t actually able to sit down and do it until I was much older.

There was quite a lot of research into history and architecture. Even though it is a work of fiction, the details must be absolutely right. 

What or who made the biggest influence on you wanting to become a writer?

I think I’ve always just had a tale brewing within me. As a child I was always fascinated by ghost stories, classical architecture, historical places and drawn to heroes that were a bit dark and mysterious such as the classical Heathcliff and I would have loved the modern day Lestat. I’ve always had that romantic gothic inclination. Then as you grow up, you meet certain people, experience intense emotions both good and bad and get thrown into situations out of our control; basically life is one big story. Together with a creative imagination and much life experience Morgan Hall just evolved naturally within me until I had to write it down on paper and transform it into novel.

What was the first book you ever wrote about and was it ever published?

Morgan Hall was the first book I have written and it is published by a traditional small press.

Do you have any writing habits that people might find unusual? 

I’m not sure if my writing habits are unusual as such, but I write from bouts of inspiration. It just suddenly comes to me. I know the ending first, then the beginning and then everything in between falls into place.

Do you have a favorite character or one that is especially close to your heart? 

Christie, the heroine is very much a part of me. She possesses parts of my own character plus everything I love and hate as well as everything I aspire to be – all within Christie. I also love the hero Anthony, very much.

What is the best gift you have ever received, do you still have it and who gave it to you? 

Everything someone I love gives me is special but I have this pendant given to me by my brother over 20 years ago that I still wear daily today. It is a replica of a museum piece, an ancient Persian ram’s head. It’s very me and I still wear it every day on a black leather choker.

What is something that you have always wanted to do, but just haven't gotten around to it yet? 

I would like Morgan Hall to become a best seller and made into a big box-office movie but I haven’t got around to doing it yet LOL.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you hope to find in your suitcase?  

An unbreakable magic wand that would grant my every wish including getting off the island. In fact, add two more of those just in case one gets lost!

What is your all-time favorite book? 

Morgan Hall of course.

Other than yourself, who is your favorite author? 

Anne Rice.

If a TV show was based on your life, what type of TV show would it be (i.e., comedy, drama, suspense, etc.) who would you choose to play the leading character (you), and what would the theme song be? Why?

It would definitely be a drama – serious but with a sense of humour. I would like the actress Eva Green to play the leading role. Of course we are nothing alike, but it could be a movie based on my life and the character based on me, but it doesn’t have to be exactly the same.

The theme song will be “Dreams” by the band Van Halen because it is my favourite song and I truly believe in it: in picking yourself up, looking forward and not back, rising up above hardships and following your dreams.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Relax!

Are you an early bird or a night owl? 

Both. I’m a night owl because I was born one. I’m an early bird because I’m organised and therefore have to be.

What is your favorite TV show and/or movie? 

My favourite TV series is the 1981 British version of “Brideshead Revisited” based on the classic by Evelyn Waugh. My favourite movie is “Dead Poets Society”, I love all the “Harry Potter” movies, “Amadeus” and “Titanic” (I’m fascinated about anything to do with the Titanic), and more recently “Dark Shadows” (the movie).

If you were throwing a dinner party and you could invite five people (fictional or real, dead or alive), other than family or friends, who would you invite and why? 

If this is a dinner party I’d like it to be fun and entertaining. So I will choose Lord Byron because he must be the most amazing man to ever have dinner with. Cleopatra because that would just be fascinating. Anthony Longfield-Lothian from Morgan Hall – read the book and find out why. Elizabeth Swann from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” because she’s a kick-ass woman in a man’s world. And Johnny Depp because I think he’d add an interesting twist to it!

If you had the opportunity to go anywhere you wanted, at anytime in history, where would you go and why? 

I have romantic visions about certain times in history – the buildings people lived in, the way they dressed and behaved and so forth. But the reality I know is far from it and humanity has definitely grown more civilised since the days of old.  So as much as I love reading about history, I’d much prefer to live for today or catch a glimpse into the future.

What are you currently working on? 

I am working on the sequel to Morgan Hall and plan on creating a series. Like with Morgan Hall, the characters are passionate, dark, romantic, deep and intriguing. This time the story is very contemporary and takes the characters (new and old) from the UK up to the icy mountains of Switzerland and half way around the world to Hong Kong in the mystical East. The villain is even worse than the last! The sequel is much scarier. I get chills writing it.

Where can people connect with you online? 

Email me at: bobriar1@gmail.com

I am very happy to receive emails from readers and anyone interested in Morgan Hall and it’s good to meet new people. I always reply.

My website: www.bobriar.com is under construction. 

Thank you so much Bo for being on Hardcover Feedback!

GIVEAWAY:

Lady Christie Morgan is not the only occupant in this desolate English estate. A young apparition appears, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men closest to her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely. A saga of mystery and sordid family history weaves intrigue for the passionate love triangle. Past and present war as the secrets of three aristocratic families come to light.

Enter to win an ecopy of Morgan Hall by Bo Briar by completing the mandatory entry in the Rafflecopter form below, then complete whichever other entries you want. It is not mandatory to follow this blog, but I would greatly appreciate it:)

The giveaway is open internationally and will end August 5 at 11:59p.m. (EST).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Lauren Carr

Lauren, welcome to Hardcover Feedback! Would you tell us a little about yourself?

Certainly! I’m a middle-aged mystery writer and the author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. The first two books in my series are It’s Murder, My Son and Old Loves Die Hard. They’ve have been getting rave reviews from readers and reviewers. The next book in this series, Shades of Murder, which was released last month.

A lot of people are on Twitter these days, so can you describe Shades of Murder for us in 140

characters or less (which is the size of a tweet)?

Mac Faraday is heir to an unbelievable fortune—it’s a masterpiece with a murder attached to it.

When did you begin writing Shades of Murder? What inspired this book and how much research was involved in writing it?

Shades of Murder took about the same length of time to write as it does to have a baby. I started thinking about the book last year when some readers of my first series, the Joshua Thornton Mysteries, said they wanted me to go back to Joshua Thornton. My last Joshua Thornton mystery was A Reunion to Die For, which was released in 2007. It is now in re-release. But I love Mac Faraday. I mean I love Joshua, too. But I was at a different place emotionally when I wrote that series. Joshua is more serious than Mac. Then, I thought, what if I brought the two of them together? Two mysteries in one? Yeah!

As far as research, I had to find out how the various different law enforcement agencies work together on a case, especially when you have two murders, at different times, in different states that end up being connected. For that, I went to a source that I have who used to be a homicide detective. As you write over the course of years, you will find that you accumulate sources that you can count on to go to when you have a question in research.

What or who made the biggest influence on you wanting to become a writer?

My mother. We’ve shared this love of murder mysteries. She noticed early on that I have this tremendous imagination. It was something she didn’t squelch, but encouraged.

What was the first book you ever wrote about and was it ever published?

My first book was the Great American Catastrophe. I was eighteen years old and wrote my first book on an electric typewriter. This was before computers. So we aren’t talking about a word processing program, folks!

Determined to be a novelist, I devoted a whole summer to my masterpiece. The television was off. Meals consisted of peanut butter sandwiches that were quick and easy to make. Hours that I used to sunbathe for a golden tan were spent composing. I stopped going out with my friends. Not a minute that could be devoted to literary creation was wasted. At the end of the summer, I proudly emerged from my bachelorette apartment pale, thin, and socially bankrupt. In three months, I had written the Great American Catastrophe, all 846 pages of it in hardcopy. 

The only thing is, at eighteen years old in a small town in Ohio, I had no idea what to do with it. This was before Internet. I couldn’t e-mail it to an agent and do you know how expensive it is to copy 846 pages? It’s now boxed up in my mother’s basement and I hope no one ever reads it. 

Do you have any writing habits that people might find unusual?

I can write anywhere and everywhere. I have a writer’s studio, but if I’m inspired first thing in the morning, I’ll write on my laptop in bed. Next thing I know, it’s noon and I’m still in my jammies. Or I’ll end up in front of the fireplace. My husband will find me everywhere with my laptop perched in my lap except my studio, not because I don’t like it there, but because I keep getting dragged away into the zone.

Do you have a favorite character or one that is especially close to your heart?

Gnarly. I’m a sucker for dogs, especially loveable bad dogs.

What is the best gift you have ever received, do you still have it and who gave it to you?

My son. I consider him a gift from God. Yep, I still have him.

What is something that you have always wanted to do, but just haven't gotten around to it yet?

Read all of the works of Agatha Christie in chronological order from her first book all the way to her last.

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three things would you hope to find in your suitcase?

One gallon of ice cream (I love ice cream). The complete works of Agatha Christie in chronological order. I guess now I’ll have time to read it without being interrupted. And a cell phone with a fully charged battery and a really strong signal.

What is your all-time favorite book?

The Alienist by Caleb Carr. I really liked the chemistry of the characters and it was an intriguing mystery.

Other than yourself, who is your favorite author?

Tess Gerritsen

If a TV show was based on your life, what type of TV show would it be (i.e., comedy, drama, suspense, etc.) who would you choose to play the leading character (you), and what would the theme song be? Why?

Situation Comedy about a middle-aged wife of a church business manager and mother who writes murder mysteries. I am considered quite a character among friends, family, and my husband’s co-workers.

Once, a young pastor visiting our church, upon learning that I write murder mysteries, asked me, “Do you ever kill anyone you know?” He had a worried expression on his face. 

I replied, “Of course. I also kill complete strangers.”

Leading Character: Elizabeth Shue to play me. On CSI, she is really good at coming across as both smart, funny, and sexy.

Theme song: Anita Renfroe’s The Mom Song, sung to the Willliam Tell Overture. This song really captures the tone of our home.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Cook. I am a gourmet cook and love to try new recipes.

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

Both! I am the first one up in the morning. My Australian shepherd Ziggy is a morning dog. He is up at the crack of dawn. So I have to let him out. I will get to working on writing and my publishing business, Acorn Book Services. At night, after dinner, I will work on my own books. So I’ll work late and am often the last one to bed at night.

No, I’m not Superwoman. Often in the afternoon, if everyone is gone and the house is quiet, I will take a nap.

What is your favorite TV show and/or movie?

Leverage. The plots and storylines are so very clever with all their twists and turns. They get me every time. I love it.

If you were throwing a dinner party and you could invite five people (fictional or real, dead or alive), other than family or friends, who would you invite and why?

Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason. Agatha Christie. Lieutenant Columbo. Cary Grant. Just think of all the lively stories they would tell about everything that they have seen in their lives.

If you had the opportunity to go anywhere you wanted, at anytime in history, where would you go and why?

I would have to say Hollywood in the 1950’s. Hollywood’s heyday. I’d give anything for the opportunity to work with Alfred Hitchcock on some of his great movies like Rear Window or North By NorthWest.

What are you currently working on?

I’m starting a new series called the Lovers in Crime mysteries. (Don’t worry! I haven’t quit the Mac Faraday Mysteries! The next installment in that series will be next spring!) Coming this fall, Dead on Ice introduces a new series featuring Joshua Thornton and Cameron Gates. In Dead on Ice, Pennsylvania State homicide detective Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of a porn star whose mummified remains are found in an abandoned freezer in Joshua’s cousin’s basement.

For this book tour, I am holding a contest for readers to name the female porn star found in the freezer. Not only are they to supply the stage name the star used in her films, but her real name from her childhood in the Chester, West Virginia/Pittsburgh area. The winner will receive all three Deep Creek Lake mysteries, plus a print edition of Dead on Ice upon its release, as well as a Lovers in Crime coffee mug. Contest is running from June 1-July 31.

Readers are to submit their entries to me via e-mail: writerlaurencarr@ comcast.net. Subject line is to read Name the Porn Star. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address. The winner will be decided by me and my muses (my two dogs).

Where can people connect with you online?

• E-Mail: writerlaurencarr@comcast.net
• Website: http://acornbookservices.com/
• http://mysterylady.net/
• Blog: Literary Wealth: http://literarywealth.wordpress.com/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lauren.carr.984991
• Gnarly’s Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/GnarlyofMacFaradayMysteries
• Twitter: @TheMysteryLadie

Thank you so much Lauren for being on Hardcover Feedback!

ABOUT Shades Of Murder:

Question: What do you get the man with everything?
Answer: When that man is the heir of the late mystery writer Robin Spencer, retired homicide detective Mac Faraday, you get him cold case to solve.

In Shades of Murder, Mac Faraday is once again the heir to an unbelievable fortune. This time the benefactor is a stolen art collector. But this isn’t just any stolen work-of-art—it’s a masterpiece with a murder attached to it.


Ilysa Ramsay was in the midst of taking the art world by storm with her artistic genius. Hours after unveiling her latest masterpiece—she is found dead in her Deep Creek Lake studio—and her painting is nowhere to be found.


Almost a decade later, the long lost Ilysa Ramsay masterpiece has found its way into Mac Faraday’s hands and he can’t resist the urge to delve into the case.


A world away, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; former JAG lawyer Joshua Thornton agrees to do a favor for the last person he would ever expect to do a favor—a convicted serial killer. 

The Favor: Solve the one murder wrongly attributed to him.


Joshua finds an unexpected ally in Cameron Gates, a spunky detective who has reason to believe the young woman known to the media only as Jane Doe, Victim Number Four, was the victim of a copycat. Together, Joshua and Cameron set out to light a flame under the cold case only to find that someone behind the scenes wants the case to remain cold, and is willing to kill to keep it that way.


Little do these detectives know that the paths of their respective cases are on a collision course when they follow the clues to bring them together in a showdown with a killer who’s got a talent for murder!

BOOK DETAILS:

• File Size: 304 KB
• Print Length: 232 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1470082446
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Acorn Book Services (May 7, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0081BZB4K
• Available to purchase at Amazon: KINDLE & PRINT

EXCERPT:

“What does the letter say?” Archie came back in from the kitchen. With the scissors, she broke

through the plastic cord wrapped around the box.

Mac was still reading the first letter. “It’s a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo. This guy, Archibald

Poole, died. He had left this to Robin Spencer. In the event of her death preceding his, it was to be

passed on to her next of kin. Since that’s me, I get it.”

Archie stopped snipping. “Archibald Poole?”

Gnarly stopped sniffing.

“Did you know him?” He was breaking through the seal of the white envelope addressed to Robin.

“Creepy old man. One of those eccentric rich guys. He didn’t make it all on the up and up. I think

Robin remained friends with him because he was good material for her books. He lived in a big

mansion up on top of a mountain in southern West Virginia.”

Mac was only half paying attention. “He left Robin a painting.”

With one end unsealed, Archie peered inside the box to see that the contents were wrapped in

brown paper and padding.

Sitting on the top step leading down into the dining room, Mac read the letter out loud:

Dearest Robin,

If you are reading this, then I’m dead and you are now observing my gift to you. So, what

do you leave to the girl who has everything? When that girl is Robin Spencer, it’s a mystery.

You will find that I have left you an Ilysa Ramsay painting. That alone makes it worth

a fortune. But, ah, my dear Robin, this is not just any Ilysa Ramsay painting. It is her lost

painting.

You will recall that Ilysa Ramsay was brutally murdered on your own Deep Creek Lake in

the early hours of Labor Day in 2004. At the same time, her last painting was stolen from her

studio where her dead body was discovered. She had unveiled what she had declared to be

her masterpiece to her family and friends the same evening that she was murdered.

Grasping the frame wrapped in packaging, Archie tugged at the painting to pull it out of the box

while Mac continued reading:

Everyone in the art world has been searching for Ilysa Ramsay’s last work of art. With only a handful of people having seen it; and no photographs taken of it before its theft; its value is priceless. 

As my good luck would have it, a month after her murder, my guy called me. He had been contacted by a fence representing someone claiming to have the painting and wanting to unload it. Being familiar with Ilysa Ramsay’s work, I was able to authenticate it. Also, I had seen reports from witnesses who had described it as a self-portrait of Ilysa. 

As I write this letter, Ilysa’s murder has yet to be solved. Nor do I know who had stolen the painting. It was sold to me by a third party. 

And so, my dear lovely Robin, I leave this task to you. Here is the painting that the art world has been searching for, for years, and a mystery of who stole it, along with who killed its lovely artist. Enjoy, as I know you will!

My Love, Archibald Poole

Her yellow suit droopy, Archie slapped her hat down on the dining room table, and ripped through

the padding to reveal the painting of a red-haired woman lying across a lounge with a red and green

clover pattern. She was dressed in an emerald gown with a ruby red choker stretched across her

throat. Ruby red jewels spilled down her throat toward the bodice.

Gnarly sat on the floor at Mac’s feet to gaze at the painting.

They studied the image together.

“Just what I always wanted,” Mac said. “A stolen priceless painting with a dead body attached to it.”