Today I’d like to introduce you to newly published CMP author, Joanne Brothwell! Her novel, Stealing Breath, sounds great. And look at that beautiful cover! I love the colors.
The blurb:
Deep in the backwoods of North Dakota, Sarah Ross is searching for a missing child when she is attacked by a glowing-eyed, transparent creature. Using mysterious abilities, Sarah escapes, only to run directly into Evan Valente, a handsome, charismatic stranger who helps her back to safety. But why is Evan out in the forest so early in the morning? Sarah learns her eyes bear the mark of the Indigo Child, an evolved human with the ability to feel the emotions of others; unfortunately, her indigo aura is highly desirable to those who wish to steal her powerful essence. Soon, Sarah falls deeply in love with Evan and wants nothing more than to follow her heart, but she can’t ignore the lingering feeling that Evan is hiding a terrible secret. The deeper she digs, the more danger she faces, forcing her to face the darkest, innermost parts of her soul.
Now let’s get to know some more about Joanne
Q: Where were you born? Are you the kind of person who likes to move around a lot, or do you prefer to live in one place?
A: I was born in a very small town in rural Saskatchewan, Canada. I prefer to move around, I get bored in one place too long, unfortunately, my family doesn’t agree. So I’ve been in the same place for four years now.
Q: What sparked your interest in writing? How long have you been writing?
A: I’ve always been creative, and have always made up stories in my mind (Some say I am a daydreamer), but it wasn’t until three years ago that a story in my mind had finally become so unwieldy I needed to put pen to paper (or fingers to the keyboard!).
Q: What provided the inspiration for your novel, Stealing Breath?
A: I had been reading about the concept of the Indigo Child for a while, and I find the idea absolutely fascinating. I always thought it would be cool to read about an Indigo Child where their unique talents are really magnified.
Then I heard a story from a co-worker who believes in the Navajo Skinwalker. She told me a tale about how she had a first-hand run-in with a Skinwalker and how scary it was. Her story stuck with me for days, and then the storyline for Stealing Breath suddenly struck me.
I had never heard of an Indigo Child or Skinwalker before. You have me intrigued!
Q: How long did it take you to finish it? How many drafts did you write before you were satisfied?
A: It took three months for the first draft, which was absolutely terrible. I rewrote it so many times I lost count. I’m guessing at least fifty or more over three years. It is now almost unrecognizable from that first draft.
Q: And congrats on launching CMP’s new line of novellas, Little Moons, with Vicarious! How did you approach that project?
A: Vicarious is a prequel to Stealing Breath, based on Sarah discovering her empathic abilities and learning to embrace them. It was such a fun project to write because it was short and sweet. Very satisfying.
Q: How would you describe your path toward publication?
A: Long. I’m sure to others three years seems like an appropriate length of time to get published, but for me, it felt like it took forever. I just kept at it, revising, learning the craft, rewriting. I was quite determined, and luckily, that bull-headed determination paid off.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
A: Persistence is key. Make sure you seek out every opportunity to learn as you can and just keep working at making that manuscript shine. Get critique partners, join writing groups, ask for feedback, go to conventions and read, read, read!
Q: Name a few authors who have inspired you and describe why.
A: Cassandra Clare is a fabulous writer. I’ve enjoyed how her writing has evolved and improved from her first book, City of Bones to her latest work, Clockwork Prince. She has such wonderful description and beautifully tortured characters (Jace). I aspire to be as fabulous as Cassandra Clare one day.
Q: What are you currently writing?
A: I’m writing a sci-fi/paranormal crossover called The Fifth Daughter of Eve. Here’s a little blurb:
Adriana Sinclair is an evolutionary mystery. Her blood type matches nothing in modern medicine. When a failed blood transfusion kills her little sister, Adriana discovers she’s a throwback to an original human scientists have coined the “Mitochondrial Eve.”
Adriana is shocked to learn her strange blood type is her family’s most protected secret. Her grandmother is the only key to learning the truth, but dementia has ravaged her memory. Working with spotty clues and partial facts, Adriana is determined to find the truth.
Still reeling from her sister’s death and the subsequent realization of her family’s secret, Adriana struggles to put her life back in order. She finds comfort in Kalan, the new guy whose striking Albino features and friendly manner keep her distracted from the wreck her life has become. Kalan is exactly what she needs right now, even if he does seem a bit too interested in her mysterious bloodline…
Sounds interesting!
Q: Coffee, tea, or hard liquor? (or all three?)
A: Coffee! At least five cups! (Only five? LOL!)
Q: What books are you currently reading or on your to-be-read list?
A: Fifty Shades of Grey. I love this book, which is a surprise to me because I don’t read erotica. But whenever you hear of something big in this industry, I believe it is wise to know what everyone is talking about. I can’t wait to see what happens to the publishing industry because of it.
Q: And now for the bonus fluff question: If you could be a character in your one of your favorite novels, which character would you be and why?
A: Elena from the Vampire Diaries. Who wouldn’t want two drop-dead gorgeous Salvatore brothers drooling over you?
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Joanne Brothwell lives in the country on the Canadian prairie with her family where her stories are inspired by the dead things that appear at her doorstep on a daily basis.
Find Joanne online at: www.joannebrothwell.com.
Holocaust Remembrance Day was last week. A dear friend volunteers at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. I’ve been there a few times and it’s incredibly moving. Not something you easily forget. And that’s the point, of course. We want to understand why and how such a horrific thing could have happened so we can prevent it from ever happening again. Yet slaughter on a large scale keeps happening. Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Sudan. The fact is that the world has not stepped up to prevent things that “may” or “may not” be genocide. I realize I’m getting up on my soapbox here, but this is something I feel strongly about. People may argue that the rest of the world is not our problem and that we have enough problems here at home to deal with. Yes, there is a lot of work to be done in reducing the disparities in our own country, but we live in a global society. The world is everyone’s problem. Humankind should be our concern, regardless of country of origin, religion, race, gender, sexual orientation–we are all human beings and we all deserve a chance for a decent life.
by Renee Rearden is one of those ‘blow your socks off’, totally awesome, amazingly entertaining and, completely wonderful stories that make you want to yell about it, at the top of your lungs, from every roof top you can get to! Rearden’s talent is fresh and brings a new face to the world of the paranormal genre.”
Cindy Young-Turner 