Guest Post with Suzi Davis, author of Sapphire Sun & Giveaway (US/Canada)

Let’s all welcome Suzi Davis, author of Sapphire Sun, which I reviewed yesterday (my review) on the blog to Peeking Between the Pages.  I have enjoyed all the books in The Lost Magic Series: Amber Frost, Silver Dew, and Sapphire Sun and I’m hoping there will be at least one more.  Suzi was nice enough to take the time to write up a guest post for us today entitled Just Fiction? …

I am often asked about the inspiration behind The Lost Magic series but it would actually be easier for me to answer with what didn’t inspire me than what did. These books are composites of all the different aspects of my life, dreams, experiences and my over-active imagination. There are certainly aspects of reality intertwined within the story but overall, it’s just my imagination – it’s just fiction. No one seems satisfied with this answer though.

A close friend once announced to me that it was obvious to her that Sebastian “is really” my husband. This made me giggle. It still makes me smile. I couldn’t imagine my husband saying or doing half the things Sebastian does, even though I love them both. But I must admit that the close bond I share with my hubbie (who I’ve been in a relationship with since I was 18!) has certainly influenced parts of The Lost Magic series. The characters in my books represent no one I know specifically and yet everyone I have ever met. There are fragments of myself and all my experiences in every single character in these books. But who “are” these characters in real life? They’re no one. It’s just fiction – right?

People sometimes have difficulty separating real actors from the characters that they play. In this way, I think many people also struggle to separate the real from the imagined in fiction. On some level, mustn’t we all believe that what we are reading might be real? Would we be able to buy into books the way that we do otherwise? The best books are the ones you find yourself emotionally invested in, the books that you dream about, the ones that you wish were real. Or at least, it’s that way for me.

I was once surprised when an acquaintance told me that he wouldn’t read my books because they went against his religious beliefs. Yes, I’m dropping the taboo “R-bomb” in this post but I think it’s an interesting discussion, so hear me out. We all have our different beliefs and I am by no means criticizing another person’s faith or conviction. I wasn’t disappointed in this person but I was surprised. Just because I have written a story about magic, reincarnation, spells, spirits and past lives, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I believe in all these things or that I expect my readers to. It’s fiction. BUT because I hope to have written good fiction, I also hope that my readers can believe these things exist in Gracelynn and Sebastian’s world. I want the possibilities to feel real within the story, inside the books. I want the characters to feel so life-like that people have to assume these characters exist somewhere in the real world. So really, I should be flattered when people assume that there’s more truth to my stories than there is. But, when it comes down to it, the characters and storylines are just fiction, as are some of the concepts and ideas. The emotions though, they can be real. And that is what I hope my readers will enjoy most about my books.

Thank you so much Suzi!  For me stories are supposed to take me away to another place and time and that’s what I love about what you write because that’s exactly what your books do for me!

 

About Sapphire Sun

You can’t escape the past. You can try to forget but it never truly leaves you. It is a part of who are you are; it has shaped you, it will shape your future. It is the shadow behind you. You can’t outrun it, you can’t hide from it or deny it – the past will always exist. Who you once were is still a part of who you are today. This, I now understand.

My name is Gracelynn Stevenson. I tried to destroy The Lost Magic. I tried to erase the past. I tried to make things go back to the way that they once were. I failed. And now all the happiness I thought I had found, has been lost to the shadows…

Buy at Amazon, Amazon Canada, and Nook

 

About Suzi Davis

Let me tell you a bit about myself. I am a 28 year old British-born, Canadian writer and artist. I have a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts, a certificate in Special Education Assistance and I am working towards a Masters degree in Educational Psychology. I live in a small town on Vancouver Island (in British Columbia) with my husband and 2 year old son.

I love and live to write. I’ve been writing stories and poetry for as long as I can remember but in recent years my focus has centered on writing Young Adult and Teen novels. This genre allows me to explore such high-interest subject matter as relationships between families, friends, young lovers and more. I have many fond memories of my own teenaged-years and love to delve back into that magical time when every experience is new, fresh, and emotionally charged. I have a specific love of detailing the dynamics of the relationships between my characters and exploring their emotional growth. I am also interested in writing about the supernatural; there is always an added element of magical fantasy to whatever tale I spin.

I feel that my trademark writing style lies within my realistic characters that take on a life of their own beyond the words written on each page. My artistic inclination is evident in the vivid descriptions I provide of the beautiful, natural settings (usually on the West Coast of Canada) in which my stories take place. I try to employ my wit, poetic sensibilities, and sense of humor in my writing to both entertain and intrigue readers, making my novels impossible to put down. My goal is to take readers on an exciting, emotional journey through fast-paced plots full of surprises, twists and turns.

I love to write – there’s nothing I’d rather do, and I think my passion for writing is evident in the high-quality, exciting and endearing stories that I tell. I hope you enjoy what you read and I encourage all of my readers to contact me with any and all opinions, reviews, questions and comments you may have. I find one of the greatest pleasures in writing is connecting with my audience. I will always read every comment I receive and will try my best to respond when and where I can!

Suzi’s website
Suzi on Facebook
Follow Suzi on Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada – eBooks of Complete Series or Paperback of 1st in Series)

You can either choose all three of the eBooks:  Amber Frost, Silver Dew, and Sapphire Sun OR a paperback copy of the first in the series- Amber Frost if you if your name is chosen in this giveaway.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do just let me know so I can pass the entry on to you as well.
• Tweet, Post on Facebook, or Blog for 3 entries.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents and I’ll draw for the winner on Saturday, March 16/13.  Good luck!

Guest Post with Jill Mansell, author of A Walk in the Park & Giveaway (US/Canada)

Let’s welcome Jill Mansell, author of A Walk in the Park, to the blog today!  I’m excited to have Jill here because she is my favorite British author and I adore her books!  I just reviewed A Walk in the Park yesterday (my review) and it was another really great read from Jill.  I can’t wait for her next book but luckily enough I still have quite a few on her backlist to catch up on!  Today Jill joins us to talk about her Inspiration for A Walk in the Park…

Hello, and many thanks for inviting me to chatter away on your fab blog! Ah, inspiration and real life influences, it’s one of those great questions that are actually quite hard to answer because I’m never sure of the answer. Or rather, there isn’t a definitive one. Inspiration can strike anywhere and at any time, and it can come from the most unlikely places. I may use situations that have happened to me or to friends and family, but I would NEVER use those same people in my books. For a start, it would be wrong. Secondly, it would be incredibly hard work, trying to figure out how people I know would actually react to every single thing that was said or done to them.

The joy of fictional characters is that I’m in charge of them, I can make them say and do anything I like. All writers know that they spend their lives being accosted by acquaintances saying, “Are you going to put me in your next book?” and “The handsome guy in your last novel – was that me?” The answer is always no. We may take aspects of their personalities, their traits, things that have happened to them or their annoying habits, but we wouldn’t create an entire character based on them. Probably because they wouldn’t be interesting enough. We prefer to create patchwork fictional characters based on lots of different people’s personalities. Also, doing it this way means we don’t get sued!

In the case of A Walk in the Park, many different situations and memories and contributed towards the events in the book. Walking in our own local park one day, I saw two teenagers carving their initials on the trunk of a tree. Further up the tree was another set of initials inside a heart shape, obviously very much older. I immediately wondered who had carved the original set, where they were now and if they were still happily together…

Another sub-plot was inspired by one of those TV shows where people take along their most treasured possessions for valuation. A lady produced a precious family heirloom, her late mother’s diamond ring. The expert then had to break the news to her that the huge central diamond in the ring was in fact a cubic zirconium. (I mean, can you imagine? The possibilities are endless. Who exchanged the diamond for a fake – a previous jeweller? The woman’s late father? The mother herself? Her gambler brother? An errant son? WHOOOOO??????!!!)

One other aspect of the book is the relationship between Lara and her eighteen year old daughter Gigi. While I was writing it, my own daughter was eighteen. Now, I’m not Lara and my daughter Lydia isn’t Gigi but obviously aspects of the mother-daughter relationship are based on our own lives. We get on very well together, Lydia is very untidy, she’s incredibly bossy towards me…she actually types my books for me and loves to correct me when I’ve made a mistake. But I still couldn’t base a character on her, because then my book wouldn’t be fiction. It’s all a matter of blurring the edges. And making sure you don’t have legal action taken against you by your own daughter…

So, it’s over to you lot now. Have you ever seen or heard of an intriguing situation that has fired your imagination and made you wonder what led up to it and what could possibly happen next? And if you have, were you tempted to write about it? Because if not, maybe you should give it a go. You never know, it could change your life!

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Thanks for the great guest post Jill!  I could imagine writing about several things that I’ve seen or heard happen but I doubt I could make it as interesting as you do!  LOL.  It’s certainly something to think about though as I think most people who love books or blogging have dreams of writing their own book.  Thanks for a great read in A Walk in the Park – I loved it!

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About A Walk in the Park

No one could have planned for this…

Lara Carson left her family and boyfriend Flynn eighteen years ago without a word to anyone. Why has
no one heard from her since? Does it mean anything that she’s suddenly reappeared in Bath just in time
for her ex–best friend Evie’s wedding? And what about Flynn? Even the most eagle–eyed observer can’t
tell whether he’s happy to see her, or just stunned.

While secrets pile up on secrets, and the gossip mill wings into high gear, the brand–new life Lara’s
searching for becomes ever more elusive. There’s a lot of catching up for everyone to do, and Lara’s
return is going to be anything but a walk in the park.

Buy at: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N

 

About Jill Mansell

A New York Times, USA Today and international bestseller, Jill Mansell has written over 20 funny,
romantic novels, and has sold millions of books around the world. Jill lives with her family in Bristol,
England.

Jill’s website
Follow Jill on Twitter

 

 

 

 

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of A Walk in the Park by Jill Mansell up for grabs to my readers.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do let me know so I can pass the entry on to you as well.
• For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway!

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for a winner on Saturday, November 17/12.  Good luck!

Guest Post with Benjamin Berkley, author of Against My Will & Giveaway (US/Canada)

Today finds Benjamin Berkley, author of Against My Will, here at Peeking Between the Pages.  I reviewed Against My Will last week and while the book deals with difficult subject matter it is also a really good read (my review).  I’m going to tell you a bit about the book and Benjamin as well as giving away a copy of the book at the end of the post.  In the meantime enjoy Benjamin’s thoughts on his inspiration for Against My Will…

 

My inspiration for the character of Irene came from my representation of Irene Opdyke. Note, several years ago, Mrs. Opdyke came into my office seeking my legal representation. She had written a book but her English was very poor as was her writing. The book was about how she harbored and saved Jews during the war while working as the housekeeper for a German commandant.

Never the less, a publisher wanted to publisher the book but with a coauthor. I negotiated a contract for her and eventually 20/20 did a story about Irene. And alter she was recognized by Yad Vashem in Israel as a Righteous Gentile.

 

About Against My Will

AGAINST MY WILL is the life changing novel about Danielle, a victim of marital abuse, who finds the strength to leave her husband and pursue a career in law.

Danielle Landau knows she should feel lucky, but she can’t feel anything but dread. Not only did she pass the New York Bar, but she married the man her father says is just right for her and lives in a fashionable new loft in Queens. But the man who seems like the perfect catch is a perfect nightmare at home. Jacob tries to control her career, her daily routine, and even what she eats. He ignores her desires and belittles her every chance he gets. Soon, Danielle doesn’t recognize her husband or herself, and she struggles to find a way out.

Danielle tries to talk to her father but he dismisses her marital problems. But she can confide in her Nana Rose, a Holocaust survivor who lost her entire family at the hands of the Nazis. Rose helped raise Danielle and her brother when their mother died when Danielle was only three. Having faced death, Rose is Danielle’s source of security. But while Danielle holds on to the fragile belief that her father’s prince charming will change, she is raped by her husband on the night of their one year wedding anniversary.

Now, Danielle has to escape. And with the help of her beloved Nana, Danielle moves across the country and starts to rebuild her life. But will she be able to escape her past? And when one of her clients finds herself in the same terrible situation, will Danielle have the strength to help her?

As we follow Danielle on her journey of terror and recovery, we see her story intersect with the diary entries of her Nana as a young girl held captive in a concentration camp. The entries begin with Rose waking up in a hospital after the liberation of the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Graphically she recounts the train ride to the camp and the emotional separation of her from her family upon arrival. And the full weight of the family’s secrets becomes clear. This is a story of survival, self-discovery, justice, and ultimately, it’s about love.

Check out the other tour stops at Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
Buy at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N

 

About Benjamin Berkley

“Against My Will” is Benjamin Berkley’s fifth book and debut novel. He is also the author of four self-help books: “My Wishes, Your Plan for Organizing Your Family’s Needs” (Sourcebooks, June, 2006) “The Complete Executor’s Guide” (Sourcebooks, June 2007) “Winning Your Social Security Disability Case” (Sourcebooks, February, 2008) and “Before You Say I Do Again, A Buyer’s Beware Guide to Remarriage.” (Frederick Fell Publishers, September, 2009).

And though writing is his passion, for over 34 years he has conducted a busy law practice in which he has seen many interesting clients come through his door. One in particular, an older woman with white hair, the kindest smile, and an amazing story became the inspiration for one of his characters for “Against My Will.” Berkley lives in southern California with his wife Phyllis and their cat Riley. He has two grown children and is always bragging about his most beautiful grandson and granddaughter.

Benjamin’s website
Find Ben on Facebook
Follow Ben on Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Against My Will by Benjamin Berkley to share with my readers.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries, follow my blog.  Let me know if you already do so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
• For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, November 17/12.  Good luck!

Guest Post with Mary Sharratt, author of Illuminations & Giveaway (US/Canada)

Please help me to welcome author Mary Sharratt, author of Illuminations, to Peeking Between the Pages today.  I reviewed Mary’s newest book Illuminations yesterday (my review) and it was another fantastic novel written by one of my favorite authors.  Today Mary joins us with a great guest post entitled The Triumph of Hildegard von Bingen…

 

Born in the lush green Rhineland in present day Germany, Hildegard (1098–1179) was a Benedictine abbess and polymath. She founded two monastic communities for women, composed an entire corpus of sacred music, and wrote nine books on subjects as diverse as theology, cosmology, botany, medicine, linguistics, and human sexuality, a prodigious intellectual outpouring that was unprecedented for a 12th-century woman. Her prophecies earned her the title Sybil of the Rhine.

An outspoken critic of ecclesiastical corruption, she courted controversy. Though women were forbidden to preach, Hildegard embarked on four preaching tours in which she delivered apocalyptic sermons warning her male superiors in the Church that they must reform their dissolute ways or suffer divine wrath. Late in her life, she and her nuns were the subject of an interdict (a collective excommunication) that was lifted only a few months before her death. Hildegard nearly died an outcast, her fate hauntingly similar to that of the contemporary sisters and nuns of the Leadership Council of Women Religious as they face the current Vatican crackdown.

873 years after her death, Hildegard will finally receive the highest recognition for her considerable achievements. On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI canonized Hildegard. In October 2012, she will be elevated to Doctor of the Church, a rare and solemn title reserved for theologians who have significantly impacted Church doctrine. Presently there are only thirty-three Doctors of the Church, and only three are women (Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Ávila, and Thérèse of Lisieux).

For twelve years I lived in Germany where Hildegard has long been enshrined as a cultural icon, admired by both secular and spiritual people. In her homeland, Hildegard’s cult as a “popular” saint long predated her official canonization.

As a writer, I was particularly struck by the pathos of her story. The youngest of ten children, Hildegard was offered to the Church at the age of eight. She reported having luminous visions since earliest childhood, so perhaps her parents didn’t know what else to do with her.

According to Guibert of Gembloux’s Vita Sanctae Hildegardis, she was bricked into an anchorage with her mentor, the fourteen-year-old Jutta von Sponheim, and possibly one other young girl. Guibert describes the anchorage in the bleakest terms, using words
like “mausoleum” and “prison,” and writes how these girls died to the world to be buried with Christ. As an adult, Hildegard strongly condemned the practice of offering child oblates to monastic life, but as a child she had absolutely no say in the matter. The anchorage was situated in Disibodenberg, a community of monks. What must it have been like to be among a tiny minority of young girls surrounded by adult men?

Disibodenberg Monastery is now in ruins and it’s impossible to say precisely where the anchorage was, but the suggested location is two suffocatingly narrow rooms built on to the back of the church.

Hildegard spent thirty years interred in her prison, her release only coming with Jutta’s death. What amazed me was how she was able to liberate herself and her sisters from such appalling conditions. At the age of forty-two, she underwent a dramatic transformation,
from a life of silence and submission to answering the divine call to speak and write about her visions she had kept secret all those years.

In the 12th century, it was a radical thing for a nun to set quill to paper and write about weighty theological matters. Her abbot panicked and had her examined for heresy. Yet miraculously this “poor weak figure of a woman,” as Hildegard called herself, triumphed against all odds to become the greatest voice of her age.

Mary Sharratt’s Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen is published in October by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and is a Book of the Month and One Spirit Book Club pick. Visit Mary’s website: www.marysharratt.com

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About Illuminations (from Mary’s website)

Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Benedictine abbess and polymath, composed an entire corpus of sacred music and wrote nine books on subjects as diverse as theology, natural science, medicine, and human sexuality—a prodigious intellectual outpouring that put many of her male contemporaries to shame. Her prophecies earned her the title Sibyl of the Rhine. An outspoken critic of political and ecclesiastical corruption, she courted controversy and nearly died an excommunicant. Her courage and originality of thought continue to inspire people today.

Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen reveals the unforgettable story of how Hildegard, offered as a tithe to the Church at the age of eight, triumphed against impossible odds to become the greatest woman of her age. Combining fiction, history, and Hildegardian philosophy, Illuminations presents an arresting portrait of a woman of faith and power—a visionary in every sense of the word.

Illuminations will be released in October 2012 to celebrate Hildegard’s long awaited elevation to Doctor of the Church.

Check out the Illuminations blog tour stops
Buy at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, B&N, and IndieBound

 

About Mary Sharratt (from Mary’s website)

Mary Sharratt is an American writer who lives with her Belgian husband in the Pendle region of Lancashire, England, the setting for her acclaimed 2010 novel, Daughters of the Witching Hill, which recasts the Pendle Witches of 1612 in their historical context as cunning folk and healers.

Previously she lived for twelve years in Germany. This, along with her interest in sacred music and herbal medicine, inspired her to write her most recent novel, Illuminations: A Novel of Hildegard von Bingen, which explores the dramatic life of the 12th century Benedictine abbess, composer, polymath, and powerfrau.

Winner of the 2005 WILLA Literary Award and a Minnesota Book Award Finalist, Mary has also written the acclaimed novels Summit Avenue (Coffee House 2000), The Real Minerva (Houghton Mifflin 2004), The Vanishing Point (Houghton Mifflin 2006), and co-edited the subversive fiction anthology Bitch Lit (Crocus Books 2006), which celebrates female anti-heroes–strong women who break all the rules. Her short fiction has been published in Twin Cities Noir (Akashic Books 2006).

Mary writes regular articles for Historical Novels Review and Solander on the theme of writing women back into history. When she isn’t writing, she’s usually riding her spirited Welsh mare through the Lancashire countryside.

Mary’s website
Mary on Facebook

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS (US/Canada)

I have one copy of Illuminations by Mary Sharratt to share with my readers.  To enter…

• For 1 entry leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
• For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you do let me know and I’ll pass the extra entry on to you as well.
• For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, November 17/12.  Good luck!