Please welcome the amazingly talented author, Linda Barrett to Conversations today! She's giving away an ebook copy of her latest book, Family Interrupted, to one lucky commenter.
Lisa ~
____________
Thanks for inviting me to guest post
on your blog, Lisa. I’m delighted to be here chatting about books, writing,
and…well…life.
My current release, Family
Interrupted, is my fourteenth book, but my very first indie published
one. Who knew I’d grow up to be not only a writer but a publisher as
well? That’s what independent publishing is. Authors are now publishers,
too. We are definitely living in exciting times! But as true as that statement
is, I know and you know that at the heart of this writing business
is the story. Readers and writers care most about the story, no
matter who publishes it. So now I’ll share two stories with you. One that I
wrote, and one that I lived.
Family Interrupted is the
story of a family in crisis. Here’s the blurb so you can see for yourself:
Guilt and blame.
Shaken by tragedy, the Barnes family
has fractured. Mother. Father. Son. Each dealing with theh pain separately and
alone. Holding fast to guilt and blame. Real or imagined.
Claire, an artist who finally follows
her dream and encounters a nightmare. Jack, a home guilder who thinks he can
fix anything—except what matters most. And Ian, a teenage son to be proud of.
Until he moves out. Fifty miles awy from the darkness at home.
On the verge of divorce when their
son’s new life goes terribly awry, Claire and Jack are forced to re-examine
their lives in order to save their marriage and heal a family that, according
to Ian, “has gone to hell.”
What will they have to do to find the
road back?
My stories provide an emotional
roller-coaster ride. Laughter, tears and characters you’ll remember. Just as
with the Superromances I wrote for Harlequin, Family Interrupted has all
those hallmarks. So, get ready to care about the Barnes family. You may have to
grab a tissue, but I promise you a satisfying ending.
Now for the story behind the story –
Writing Family Interrupted
saved my sanity. When the book was only partially finished, I was diagnosed
with breast cancer--for the second time. You know how your brain freezes when
you hear bad news and you stare until your eyes burn? Well, that about sums up
my initial reaction. Fear. Primal, unadulterated fear. I was certainly not
ready to die. I have kids and grandkids not to mention the best guy in the world.
When I found out I wouldn’t die, I
cried with relief. And then learned that living would require a big fight,
bigger than the first time around. For this bout with the disease, I’d get more
chemo, undergo major surgeries requiring decisions that would change my life.
I’m sure everyone reading this can imagine the possibilities. Let’s just say, I
now call myself a neutered cat J
So how do you keep your sanity when
you’re living in an insane world? You latch onto normal routines as much as
possible. You continue to watch favorite television shows. You continue to see
friends. You continue to go to work as much as you can. Twelve years ago, the
surgery was minor, and I continued to teach classes throughout my treatment.
Teaching saved my sanity then.
This time, I depended on writing.
Writing was and is a big part of my routine. When I sit at the computer to
focus on the story, my own life disappears as I become each of my characters
and enter their world. This profession gifted me with forgetfulness an
hour at a time during the most trying time of my life.
In a few months, you can look for a
memoir about my experiences with this disease. I haven’t decided on the final
title yet, but in my head I hear: Breast Cancer and Me: Tales
of a Two-Time Survivor. Is it too long? Titles are tough. If you’ve
got ideas, let me know. I’ll consider all suggestions.
If you want to learn more about me, please visit at: www.linda-barrett.com
Lisa and I are members of
OnFireFiction, a group of authors with lots of stories to tell in a variety of
genres to suit every taste. You can catch up with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OnFireFiction
Thanks for taking the time to visit.
Hope to see you soon.
Linda Barrett
