Three
people’s lives collide in a perfect storm of heartbreak and ruin,
betrayal and love. One woman and two men are drawn to coastal South
Carolina to an oceanfront Victorian B & B inn. With losses from
lies, secrets, cheating spouses, racism, divorce and abandonment, the
last thing all three characters want is love or relationship.
However, as they move into and through the emotional storm of their
lives, destiny brings them together in an extraordinary way. But will
they be destroyed or transformed by their fates?
An enchanting seaside inn
with mystical elements inspires the characters’ lives and helps
them on their journeys. Their passionate triangle must be broken for
them to move on, but who ends up with whom, or do they, and when?
Wild
Women Authors
welcomes N. Christine Samuelson as she celebrates the release of
Heart Storms with
BookBaby Press.
At Christine's side is Jade Armstrong who will go first.
Where
are you from? Santa Barbara, California, but relocated to Golden
Shores in coastal South Carolina.
Tell
us a bit about Heart Storms. It delves into the
lives and relationships of myself and two men who vow to never get
involved in a love relationship again because of our life-changing
losses and broken hearts. We are drawn to an oceanfront inn in SC
where a triangle forms—of heartbreak, lies, secrets, cheating,
revenge, but also friendship, work, and love. Our pasts affect our
present actions and emotions, bringing turmoil and the storm of our
lives. Even the three of us cannot predict how things will shake out
or what fate has in store for us until the very end.
What
did you think the first time you saw Gabriel Montoro? With his
handsome, dark features, the blue of his eyes was a surprise. He was
tall, trim and muscular. But our initial meeting was contentious with
name-calling and anger. Physically I was attracted to him, but I was
turned off by his personality.
And your
second thought? He was
obnoxious, arrogant and rude.
Works
for us. So it wasn't love at first sight? Absolutely not.
Now
that you know him better, what do you like most about him? His
ability to look at his flaws and work on changing for the better.
How
would you describe Gabriel? A broken man trying to reconcile the
mistakes and pain of his past to rebuild his life.
How
would he describe you? A gorgeous woman who attracts him sexually
but rubs him the wrong way emotionally, triggering his worst traits.
What
made you choose hotel management as a career? I went to school
and trained for it, having worked in the industry part-time summers
as a student. I love the constant change, the wide variety of people
I meet and making sure they have a fabulous, comfortable stay in the
inn I manage.
What
is your biggest fear? Having my heart broken and my life ripped
apart again.
How
do you relax? I go for a run on the beach and listen to the
ocean. After work, I unwind with a glass of wine in front of the
fire.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? I have so many, but tops
would be Vivian in Pretty Woman, Cathy in Wuthering
Heights, Karen Blixen in Out of Africa.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? From my mother,
Maggie: About
six months after my divorce, she told me she was horrified with the
change in me from her loving, good-natured daughter to a hate-filled,
angry person consumed with revenge. I had no idea how much she hurt
for me. She said, “The best advice I can give is that pain and
loss are inevitable, but suffering is a choice. If you want to move
on, you must stop being so consumed with suffering and revenge.”
She assured me that my ex’s bad deeds would come back to him
tenfold.
We
can attest they do—and when they did, we stood up and cheered!!
Thanks for spending time with us, Jade. Now it's time to chat with
Christine.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? On
Writing by Stephen King, Writing Down the Bones by Natalie
Goldberg; The Artists Way by Julia Cameron.
What
event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and
how do you feel it impacted the novel? A broken marriage,
upheaval of life, relocating and the hesitancy to be involved in a
new relationship. My own experience makes for a very realistic
storyline, characters and their dialog; the situations they face
along with overcoming obstacles to love and live fully again.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what
influenced your decision to submit to them? My
first traditional publisher two years ago was The Wild Rose Press. I
heard of them through an author’s website listing publishers who
accepted un-agented manuscripts. I was impressed with their
reputation in the business and their very hands-on approach in
working with authors. Heart Storms is independently published
by BookBaby Press. I like that they are full service, and you can
pick and choose which services you need. They take care of all
accounting with retailers and take no commission or royalty. I’ve
used them for two books now and am very happy with them.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Seeing
Red by Sandra Brown,
Into the Water
by Paula Hawkins, The
Secret of the Irish Castle
by Santa Montefiore, The
Secret to Southern Charm
by Kristy Woodson Harvey.
Lastly,
what's up next and when can we expect to see it on the shelves? My
work in progress is tentatively titled Destiny
and will be released hopefully toward the end of 2020. It’s Women’s
Fiction with romantic and family elements, and strong theme of
spirituality and mysticism, the afterlife.
As
an extra treat, Christine brought us an excerpt from Heart
Storms:
It had been a very long time
since Gabriel shared details of his life with anyone, let alone a
woman. But it felt right with Jade. Even more so, as thunder shook
the heavens outside and lightning blazed over the ocean, Gabe felt
his insides rattle, his dark places illuminate, and his soul churning
until his secrets strained to be let out to someone he could trust.
Now the devil’s and the
angel’s voices on both shoulders rang out in unison, each trying to
drown the other out. But Gabe heard them equally. The angel’s voice
urged him to be genuine, caring and honest—because with telling the
truth he’d never be sorry. The devil’s voice told him to lie to
look good, then seduce and lust after her, then let her go and if he
didn’t, he’d be sorry. But with the devil’s words came the
glare of lightning and thunder growled over the bar shaking Gabe to
his core.
Rain poured down in sheets and
Gabe knew he didn’t want his life to be an eternal storm, forever
threatened with disaster. He wanted his life to be the way he felt
inside this room—safe and warm with a beautiful, caring woman to
share it with. It was time to listen to the good angel, and so the
story of Gabriel Montoro poured out of him as profusely as the rain
from above.
Heart
Storms can be purchased at:
Apple
Books (itunes):
https://books.apple.com/us/book/heart-storms/id1468510355
Barnes/Noble
(Nook): https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1132053729
Readers
can find me at:
Great interview!
ReplyDeleteWOW - great excerpt. So descriptive and honoring the turmoil (and push and pull) most everyone feels at some point in their life. Here's to great sales!
ReplyDeleteLoved this! It's hard--but healing--to use turmoil from your own life in stories. Best wishes!
ReplyDeleteLoved the interview and excerpt!
ReplyDelete"On Writing" and "Writing Down the Bones" are two of my favorite books about the craft of writing. Great excerpt. Best of luck with sales and promotion.
ReplyDelete