Interview with Kimberly Freeman author of Lighthouse Bay

Recently, a copy of LIGHTHOUSE BAY was sent to me so I could read and review. Not being familiar with Kimberly Freeman’s other book, WILDFLOWER HILL, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I recieved LIGHTHOUSE BAY. Within a few pages, I learned to expect a nice story, characters that are interesting- flawed, but well-meaning; with their own hidden stories just waiting to be revealed. The more I read, the more I wanted to know the backstory, how Kimberly Freeman created these characters, this setting. Luckily for me, an opportunity presented itself and I was able to ask Kimberly Freeman a few questions about writing process, the characters of LIGHTHOUSE BAY, and more.

Interview with Kimberly Freeman:

1. The characters in Lighthouse Bay- were any based on people you know in real life? Or were they just characters you created?

They were all characters I created except one. Lady Berenice is based on a friend of mine. She has such a big heart, and she doesn’t suffer fools gladly, that I thought she’d make an excellent character in a book. I sometimes think that Matthew, the lighthouse keeper, is a little bit based on my boyfriend though they’ve nothing much in common than a lovely steady maleness (and beards! they both have beards!). Isabella is like nobody I know, and she was quite difficult to spend time with, as she had such a wildness about her.

2. How long did it take you to write Lighthouse Bay -from the beginning of the idea to publication date?

About eighteen months. I wrote Lighthouse Bay during one of the worst years of my life. My marriage had broken down, I was recalibrating my duties towards my two young children, and I had to take on extra work because divorce is so expensive. So I was terribly distracted while writing it. But at the same time, it was also one of the best years of my life. I met a lovely new man and I spent a lot of time at the Sunshine Coast, looking at the sea, and writing down ideas for the story. So there was a lot of emotional ups and downs writing it. I’m a lot calmer now, and can write a lot quicker.

3. When I read author interviews, most speak of having a routine to their writing. Do you, Kimberly, have a writing routine that you would care to share?

I used to, but my life is very full and busy and I have a 10 year old and a 6 year old, so my routine is write whenever I find the time. If I waited around for long stretches of free time, I wouldn’t write another thing.

4. If Lighthouse Bay was to be made into a movie, do you have any ideas about the cast? Would you prefer to have famous actors or unknown ones?

I never picture actors as my characters because actors are all so perfect and beautiful, and I always think of my characters as being more real, with flaws, imperfections, texture. Having said that, if a big Hollywood studio wanted to give me money to make a movie, I would happily take the money and buy a lot of great shoes.

5. Have we, the readers, heard the last from Juliet and Libby? Or might they be featured in another book one day?

No, I’m done with them. We had a great time, but now they are going to get on with life and I have new imaginary friends to play with.

6. What is next on the agenda as far as writing? Do you have any ideas for another book?

I have just finished the first draft of a novel called “Ember Island”, about a young woman who becomes the governess to a prison superintendent’s daughter in the 1890s. There is intrigue, crumbling manor houses, a feisty little girl with a big imagination, and a wooden cat named Pangur Ban.

A special thanks to Kimberly Freeman for answering the questions and to Saraciea for presenting the opportunity to interview.

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberly Freeman

Lighthouse Bay by Kimberly Freeman takes two tales, stories that happened over a hundred years apart; yet the stories are intertwined in such a way that is believable and engaging.

Libby Slater- beautiful, smart, and grieving her lover who has recently passed away. Libby leaves her life in Paris to go to a cottage that her lover had bought her, a cottage that was meant for plans other than helping Libby grieve. While Libby is in Lighthouse Bay, she’s also hoping to make amends with her sister, Juliet, who she has not spoken to in many years. Libby and Juliet have not spoken in many years because Libby took part in an unforgiveable act- an act that hurt Juliet to her core. Will 20 years be enough time for the sisters to begin to mend the fences?

Isabella Winterbourne, the sole survivor of the Aurora, which sunk off the coast of Australia in 1901- finds herself in situation that is dire, yet tastes of freedom. Finding herself on Lighthouse Bay, she has an opportunity to rename herself, to find her life. To leave her husband’s family and make a run for freedom. Isabella knows it won’t be easy- but even she is not sure of how far the Winterbourne’s will go to find her.

While each story stands on it’s own as good, seeing how the stories are connected, the magical ways they are interweaved- elevates the stories from good to great. With themes of love, guilt and forgiveness- this is a book that is not to be missed.

Recommended.

Thanks to Touchstone Books for providing a review copy. The above review is my own thoughts and opinions.

Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog by Steph Davis

Steph Davis has a pretty good life- she’s living life on her own terms, climbing when and where she can, is known in the climbing community, has sponsors, has a book coming out, and is married to a climber- a man who she loves and shares a passion with. Life is good for Steph- until her husband makes a controversial climb in a national park- and life quickly spirals out of control. The media runs with the story, the climbing community forms opinions, and many of Steph’s sponsors drop her. With her husband being unable to deal with the media fallout- the stress not only takes a toll on her marriage- it takes a hammer to her marriage- and breaks into a million pieces.

Steph, trying to regain her life- trying to pick up the pieces of herself, to find herself- begins to do something she said she would never do: skydive. It goes against everything in her climbing mentality; but since her world has been shattered- climbing has not been the same for her. She needs to find a way to get back to herself, to get back to a good place. With Fletch her dog and learning to skydive- Steph begins slowly picking the pieces of life back up and learning that she is stronger than the situation that broke her.

As she gains more confidence with her sky-diving abilities, Steph knows she also has to begin climbing again- that she has to regain the good feelings she associated with climbing before everything happened. With the help of friends and Fletcher- Steph explores a new world and puts a new perspective on her old world. She learns about trusting herself, trusting the choices she’s making. And she learns that even after life has been twisted around- even after your confidence and trust has been shaken- that with help from friends, sheer will and determination- that life can be good again. That life can be filled with adventures, friendships and love.

The Mermaid of Brooklyn by Amy Shearn

Jenny Lipkin, mother of 2 girls, married to Harry. Living in Brooklyn. Struggling with her life as a mother of 2 young girls- feeling overwhelmed most days. One day, asks her husband Harry to pick up some cigarettes- and he doesn’t return. And that is the beginning of Jenny’s life changing.

If Jenny thought she was overwhelmed earlier- well, without the help of Harry- life begins to spin in ways that she never thought possible. Her in-laws wonder where Harry is, her kids want to know, and her friends as well. On a day that should have been a normal day, just a day where her mother in law watches the girls and Jenny has a bit of a break- she makes a deciscion that alters Jenny’s life in some dramatic; yet honestly truthful ways.

Jenny’s ally, a ruesalka, makes Jenny take a look at her life- a look at her role as a wife and mother. Through the ruesalka, Jenny has to reassess her perception of motherhood, marriage, and relationships with friends and family. Through this, Jenny learns about herself, life lessons, and happiness.

Jenny’s role as a mother, her interactions with the kids, her thoughts that she’s afraid to tell others- it’s a refreshing and honest look at motherhood. Amy Shearn does not sugar-coat the emotions a mother of 2 young children could feel- it’s a story that mothers should read; however, it’s a book that others can enjoy as well. The Mermaid of Brooklyn combines wit, life lessons, and learning about yourself into one delightful book.

Interviews, Giveaways, and Happy Pub Days!

Today’s a day where several books are released- and it’s got Twitter and Facebook a-buzz with the excitement. Out of the 5 books that I know that were released today- I’ve read 3- so buckle up for the wild ride through interviews, reviews and giveaways!

Happy Pub Day to Gods of Mischief by George Rowe, The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones, Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler, The House Girl by Tara Conklin, and The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers!

Giveaways:

She Reads is giving away a copy of The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers. Just comment on She Reads post for a chance to win!

Women’s Fiction Writers is giving away a homemade bracelet to celebrate Julie Kibler’s pub day of Calling Me Home. They also have an interview with Julie Kibler for your reading delight. Read the post, follow the directions, and good luck to you for the bracelet!

Interviews:

Bookmagnet interviews Tara Conklin, author of The House Girl.

Bookmagnet also interviewed Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home.

Book Reviews:

Katherine Scott Jones reviews Gods of Mischief by George Rowe

Bookmagnet (aka Jaime Boler) reviews The House Girl by Tara Conklin.

Bookmagnet reviews Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler.

And lastly I (Traveling With T) review:

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler

The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones

Gods of Mischief: My Undercover Vendetta to Take Down the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by George Rowe

It’s a good day book lovers- a really good day!

The Next Time You See Me by Holly Goddard Jones

When Gillian Flynn, a writer who has quite a way with the words when it comes to mystery and suspense, gives a blurb for the book- it sets a readers mind to a certain way. Holly Goddard Jones book, The Next Time You See Me, does not disappoint. It’s got all the makings of a creepy, suspenseful mystery.

Set in a small southern town, the book focuses on the lives of several residents and they ways they are connected. Susanna, a young wife, teacher and mother- married to a band director at the high school. Emily, a student of Susanna’s and a socially awkward teenager. Wyatt, a factory worker who fears he’s let his life slip away with nothing really to show of it. And Tony, a former star athlete who has a connection to Susanna that not everyone is aware of.

A body is discovered by one character around the same time that Susanna begins to suspect that her sister, Ronnie, is missing. Is the body that was discovered Ronnie? Not many folks are taking seriously the possible disappearance of Ronnie because she’s the type of woman who would leave for a few days without telling. As the story unfolds, the reader begins to see how each person is connected to one another and how October 23 is a fateful day for many of the characters.

The Next Time You See Me connects the characters of this small-town in such a believable way. The reader is completely immersed in the life of the characters: their wants, desires, secret struggles and regrets. The storyline is filled with mystery and suspense- the reader not only wants to know what happens; but has to know.

Recommened for readers who like suspenseful mystery books. For readers who like books that have several characters who are connected in ways that are not apparently obvious. For readers who enjoy a book that can lead to long discussions of motivations of characters.

Thank you, Touchstone Books, for supplying this review copy. All opinions expressed above are mine only.

Gods of Mischief:My Undercover Vendetta to Take Down the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang by George Rowe

Motorcycle gangs are something that have been around for some time. There are different groups and some are more known than others. Each group has their own colors, patches and rules. The Vagos are one particular motorcycle gang that is proud to wear the “one-percenter” patches ( in reference to the fact that 99% of motorcyclist are law-abiding citizens- it’s just 1% who are not). The story of George Rowe and his vendetta to take down the Vagos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang is a story of grit and determination.

Meet George Rowe. He’s a boy that grew up in a tough world. He’s just a man who has an outlaw past. He’s spent his time in jail- some for minor offenses; some for major. George is the man a person goes to for drugs. He makes money, spends money- does drugs, sells drugs. Can’t pay for your drugs? No problem- George will haul your belongings off. Sex for drugs is another form of payment. Life is going until George (with the help of others) sees that his life is not what he wants. He gets clean- and decides to start paying back his town for all his hell-raising past. With George’s past and the fact that he does enjoy motorcycles makes him attractive to the Vagos; but George does not want a part of that type of life.

Until the night George walks into Johnny’s Restaurant- a friend of his, David, is having a baby-shower. Some Vagos come in and want the pool table that David is playing at- and when he refuses to hand it over, words are exchanged. Which leads to David making the biggest mistake- he knocks out a Vagos member. After he left the hospital- he was never seen again.

George was tired of the Vagos ruining the town- and he felt it was his duty to bring down the Vagos. Enter the ATF. George begins working for them. He starts hanging out with the Vagos, looking to become a prospect; then a full-fledged member.

Over a course of 3 years- George goes from an outsider to a full-fledged Vagos member. He gathers information, reports to the ATF, and tries to make sure that his cover is not blown. It’s 3 years of determination, grit, hard times and wanting to do the right thing- all the while worrying that he will get killed. Gods of Mischief is George Rowe’s tale- a tale of motorcycles, outlaws, crime, and much more. It’s also a redemption story for George- but in the end was it worth it?

For fans of non-fiction- this story is a tale that will expose the reader to the outlaw world. A world of drugs and sex. A world where men make their own rules.

Real Wifeys:Hustle Hard by Meesha Mink

The term street lit is used to describe this series- for those unfamiliar with the term usually refers to the dark side of city living, the urban settings- profanity, sex, and violence are usually explicit. Street lit is not sugar-coated, nor painted as a pretty picture. If a reader enjoys books that are raw, filled with grit, violence, profanity and sexual situations- a street lit book is probably what the reader is looking for.

Real Wifeys: Hustle Hard is the third book in the Real Wifeys series by Meesha Mink. The main character, Sophie “Suga” Alvarez is book smart, has common sense, and is street smart. She’s worked hard in both lives- worked hard to be street smart and worked equally hard to be book smart. Sophie has a great job, a man that she loves like life itself. While Sophie points out that she floats between two worlds and feels comfortable in both- she’s ready for some changes. She wants her man to make his business legitimate as she’s growing weary of worrying about him- worrying that this is the day that he does not return. Sophie longs for her and Dane’s lives, the professional and personal, to be legitimate. However, this is a want that may not can happen.

Sophie has to put her street smarts and books smarts to use, though, after she has to start taking care of Dane’s business. When Dane’s business and the law cross paths, someone has to step in- and Sophie does. She does because she needs to- if she has any prayer of keeping her man and for them to have a life together- without a business that is not legitimate. While Sophie is running the business, other parts of her life need attention as well- and she begins finding out about things that she might would have rather not known. The streets have tales of betrayal, bad deeds, murder, and more. Can Sophie handle it all?

If, as a reader, you are looking for a book that is in the category of street lit, where the book is not sugar coated and the happy ending is not guaranteed- this is a book that you should check out. Real Wifeys: Hustle Hard has something for readers: it tells a story of a person that is doing the best she can with some hands she’s been dealt- and is determined to come out on top. Love, betrayal, lust, urban life, murder, friendship- all aspects are covered in Real Wifeys: Hustle Hard.

Touchstone Books provided a copy in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Touchstone Books for the copy.

New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy

New Kids on the Block. The words alone take me back to circa 1989/1990. I’m in elementary school- and I’m suffering from bad fashion choices: hair in a side pony-tail, denim shorts, Keds with floppy, push-down socks (naturally, I don’t realize that this is not fashionable until years later.) New Kids on the Block is THE band. I know the songs, have the shirts, and am in the middle of my first celebrity crush (Joe McIntyre- I even have his stickers on the back of my favorite Nancy Drew Case Files book). Living in a small, rural town- the closest I think I’ll ever come to NKOTB is listening to the music on the tape deck and reading about them in the magazines. However, I’m wrong. NKOTB performs a concert in a town an hour away- and I, thanks to my mom, get a ticket! NKOTB was my first concert and it was memorable- for many reasons.

Seeing this book brings back the memories of NKOTB. I still remember the music. Still have the tape somewhere.

On to the actual review of the book now that you know my NKOTB memories:

Nikki Van Noy does a great job compiling stories, facts, and interesting tidbits of the early beginnings of these boys- from even before they were New Kids on the Block- to the seemingly over-night rise in star power (although, thanks to Nikki Van Noy- I now know they were not such an over-night sensation as some would have a person to believe) then the eventual dimming of the star power. Now that the band is back together, the stories of what they went through, the tidbits from the fans, the pictures- the book is worth it- whether you are a current NKOTB fan or was a fan during your childhood/pre-teen years.

Reading about how NKOTB was first marketed as a R&B group, then did the switch to Pop music- in that section, the reader begins to learn just how close they were to the point of never really making it big. Which would have been a shame- because the boys were groundbreakers for other “boy bands”; but at times were almost too forward thinking in their own approach (Case in point: Donnie wanting to be more over a “cross-over” artist. Today people pull that off, but during NKOTB rise to fame- not as many artists could do that).

During the rise of NKOTB- there was no Facebook, Twitter- actually, no internet. Facts and tidbits of information a person could find out now was not easily found out in the early 1990’s. Nikki Van Noy pieces together this book- the good, the bad, the ugly of the NKOTB, perspective and stories from fans, tales of how the lives of NKOTB have changed over the years- she takes all that and writes a book that is heartfelt, warm and caring; a book that makes the reader feel like they know the NKOTB, and brings back a sense of nostalgia for the days of “Hangin’Tough” and “You Got It (The Right Stuff). For the real story behind New Kids on the Block (past and current stories)- I highly recommend Nikki Van Noy’s New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters.

Now, I just need to find my scrunchie and my NKOTB tape- and my trip to nostalgia-land will be complete.

Recommended.

*Thanks to Touchstone Books for providing me with a review copy of New Kids on the Block: Five Brothers and a Million Sisters by Nikki Van Noy. The above review is my sole opinion and thoughts.

The Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt

Douglas Brunt’s debut novel is about Wall Street and what the life entails (and can cost you).

Meet Nick Farmer. 35 years old. Bond trader at Bear Stearns- a job he tells you he got partly because he played lacrosse in college. Nick’s a good looking man-and appears to have a good life. Clearing 7 figures a year, married, a job that requires him to party, close the deal with trades, and a unlimited access to drugs and alcohol. It’s the ultimate lifestyle for a young man. But Nick’s beginning to realize that the lifestyle is costing him- the partying, the drugs, alcohol- it’s not as easy to bounce back as it was in his 20’s. And it’s costing him in his marriage, as well.

Nick still likes the money- even if it doesn’t like the job or the extra-curricular aspects about the job. As the book progresses, the reader sees that Nick is changing- the hypocrisy is getting to him. Then, an analyst for Bear Stearns tries to tell the management that life is going to get ugly- the financial market is changing and awful things will happen if serious changes do not happen at Bear Stearns. Because Wall Street is about excess and being the life of the party- no one wants to listen. But does Nick? Does Nick leave while the party is still happening or does he wait till the party is way over?

Ghosts of Manhattan is a voyeuristic look into the life of Wall Street and the men of Wall Street. It’s a good book, with a solid storyline.

Recommended.

*Thanks to Touchstone Books for providing a copy of Ghosts of Manhattan by Douglas Brunt for review. The thoughts expressed above are my opinions and review of the book.