I’d
like to welcome fellow Black Opal Books Author Carole Avila. Her book Eve’s Amulet has just been released and
it looks fantastic. You will be happy to know that I am giving away an e-book copy of Eve's Amulet to one lucky commenter. Remember to leave a way I can get in contact with you.
NP:
How did you get into writing?
CA: When I was a 3 years old and read Go, Dog. Go! I knew I was
going to write books. I asked myself where the girl and boy dog went after they
drove into the sunset at the end of the story. My young imagination created
several colorful scenarios (like going to the park to picnic and hold hands)
and from then on, I started writing stories in my mind.
My best friend, Laura, on her death bed, told me I was called to
be a writer. She made me promise to write and not die with any regrets, and
that’s when I began to seriously pursue my craft.
NP:
You have my condolences on the passing of your friend, but I’m glad you held to
your promise. How do the events in your life influence your writing?
CA: Everything, everyone, every encounter is a suggestion, an
idea, that can be written about “as is” or tweaked to be more interesting.
NP:
Eve’s Amulet has time travel in it, which I think is cool, was it difficult
writing about time travel?
CA: Not at all. Finding the means in which to travel is probably
the biggest concern, and then the process of how the time travel occurs. I have
my characters in the series floating through a tunnel in a mist. (I had a near
death experience and used facets of that for my time-travel process.)
NP:
If you were to go back in time and change one thing in your life what would it
be?
CA: My abusive, dysfunctional childhood. However, technically,
everything that happened to me has made me who and what I am today. If my
terrible childhood and feelings of isolation and victimization were the
catalysts that helped me learn how to create a better life for myself, to help
others through my life coaching work, and use my imagination to express myself
in written words –then I can’t wish for anything to have changed.
NP:
I have a feeling you would be a totally different person if you hadn’t gone
through what you had, but it sounds like you had a difficult childhood, and
that’s sad. What are three things about you that would fascinate me?
CA: My strong spiritual beliefs (I slip like everyone else but I
try hard to make corrections and amends), my intuitive ability (since I was a
child, but it “turned on” after my near death experience), and my cool Mickey
and Minnie Mouse collection (I only collect matching Mickey and Minnies in
wood, resin, plastic, and ceramic.)
NP:
I’m going to have you back on my blog to discuss your near death experience. Do
you prefer your romance novels spicy or sweet?
CA: Both! Coming from a sexual abuse background, I’m still
learning how to appreciate reading about a good sexual encounter, so I’m going
to bravely say that I lean toward spicy. I loved 50 Shades of Grey, but I also
like the way I had my main characters in Eve’s Amulet experience sexual tension
without having to include love scenes. (It’s my hope to have the series get to
film, and I think it will attract a larger audience without too much
spiciness.)
NP:
I’m sure that anything you set your mind to will come to be. Please give an
analogy of what writing is like for you.
CA:Because writing for me is cathartic, reassuring, powerful,
enjoyable, relaxing, desirable, and rewarding, I think that for me –writing is
like breathing. I can’t live without doing it. On my business card I have the
saying, “A Writer Breathes Life into a Story.”
Thank
you very much for being on my blog today Carole. Here is a little more
information about Eve’s Amulet and how you can get your very own copy.
Blurb:
Eve’s Amulet,
Book 1
is an exciting time-travel western adventure, partly romance and historical
fiction. Mandy Ruhe is swept back in time to Texas 1845, into the body of ranch
owner, Carmena Luebber. Mandy must assume Carmena’s role until she finds a way
back to her own time. She is caught in the lives of her new ranch hands, and
ends up torn between two men in love with the real Carmena. Mandy's amulet is
stolen and she must get it back to return home before she destroys lives in the
past, as well as in the future.
Author Contact Information:
Website: www.caroleavila.com
E-mail: info@caroleavila.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Carole_Avila
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/CaroleAvila/
Buy
Links:
Author Bio:Carole’s short stories, memoirs, and poetry have made her an award winning author. She has had a play produced and is working on several new books. She is currently under contract with Spout Hill Press for her book The Long Term Effects of Sexual Abuse. When not writing, she loves to read, play scrabble, draw, paint, and walk on nature trails. Carole especially loves to spend time with her three daughters, two grandsons, and two dogs.
Nice interview, ladies. The Amulet sounds like my kind of book. I love time travel. I, too, would be interested to hear about your near-death experience. Best of luck with your book.
ReplyDeleteEve's Amulet - I apologize, haven't had my 2nd cup of coffee yet.
DeleteHi Debbie,
DeleteThank you for stopping by. (I'm running on a lot of caffeine these days, but I've only had 2 cups of chai tea and it's already noon!)
I will be glad to share about my near-death experience (NDE.) I always felt separate and different from other people, not realizing how my feelings about death and the spiritual world affected my life.
I hope you will be able to read Eve's Amulet. Thank you for your well wishes!
~Carole
Carole, you've opened up your heart to us! Superb and Heart-wrenching Interview, Nana and Carole!! Good Luck to Carole!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cathrina. Life is just too short for superficialities. I don't have any problem opening up and sharing my truths, especially to my writing community. It's all about our stories, after all.
DeleteI hope you have an opportunity to read Eve's Amulet. It was a Spirit inspired book!
~Carole
Carole makes me feel like I'm Oprah.
DeleteI had a dysfunctional childhood as well and despite wanting to change it at times know it's made me into a better person as well. Second Cathrina C., this interview was amazing and touching. Congrats Carole and interesting you taking on the Western genre.
ReplyDeleteHi Sheena-kay,
DeleteThank you for replying. I think the thing about our dysfunctional background is to strive to become a better person despite the trauma. My imagination was born out of a desire to escape the emotional and physical pain of abuse, poverty, and neglect. Expressing myself through the written word is my way of making lemonade from lemons.
Only Book 1 of Eve's Amulet is set in the Old West. Each of the following 4 books will take place in a different era and location with a different character who travels there.
By the way, I messed up my research on some of the very important details in Book 1- :-( -and will clarify soon at my blog, but the important thing is that the book has a cool message. (I'll definitely be more careful researching Book 2.)
Please read Eve's Amulet if you get the chance--I think you'll enjoy it!
~Carole
contact: queendsheena@hotmail.com
ReplyDeleteNana,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful questions and allowing for my personal responses. I'm so grateful to you for this opportunity!
Please let me know when you'd like to blog on the subject of NDEs.
~Carole
Very interesting interview, Carole. I too just had a time travel romance released. Only in mine the heroine basically passes out and wakes up in a different reality. It was so much fun to write. So sorry to hear about your difficult childhood, we only get to be kids for a little while and yours was stolen from you. It makes me mad when someone so blatantly takes advantage of innocent and helpless. I do hope there is a god and they'd meet their ultimate punishment. But too often I wonder.
ReplyDeleteHi Firetulip,
ReplyDeleteThank you for replying and I appreciate your kind remarks. Please let me know the title of your book so I can read it. You can write to me at info@caroleavila.com.
I truly feel that the Law of Karma is always in action. What we do to one is returned 10-fold. Our thoughts are the same--what we put out is what we get back.
As far as punishment goes, through my NDE I learned that after we pass from this life, we experience all that we have done to others.
If you hit someone, you not only feel the physical pain, but what's worse is feeling the emotional reaction of the other person. If you're a hunter and shoot a deer and don't give thanks for the nourishment it will provide, you will feel the pain and suffering of that animal. This is called judgment day, and we are far harsher on ourselves than other people would be.
This is only my personal spiritual belief, but I am satisfied in knowing that all the people who have ever hurt me, will experience the same. (That's why I'm trying hard to make amends to those people that I've hurt in this lifetime--to avoid all that!) In any case, this viewpoint has brought me great peace.
~Carole
That's a wonderful point of view and I'm glad you can think this way and not carry the anger with you. It's like eating poison and expect the other person to die. And yes, we shall forgive our enemies if for no other reason than that nothing pisses them off more. I'll email you with the title of my book,
DeleteFiretulip,
DeleteI look forward to finding out more about your book!
You may have heard Oprah say on her show, "Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could have been any different" and I think through understanding we find forgiveness.
One of my brothers sexually abused me for most of my childhood. I don't forgive the actual action--he knew what he was doing and that it was wrong. But I understand that he came from the same dysfunctional home. That doesn't minimize what he did, it just makes it easier for me to let go.
Peace to you!
~Carole
Hi Carole,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing a very hurtful part of your past with us. I've been through some things myself and didn't have the easiest childhood. I think my faith has helped me forgive and let go. The hardest thing was actually facing what happened to me. I'm glad I did and I can move on now.
I'd also like to hear about your near-death experience. The thought that you brought it into your book makes me keen on reading this.
Your book sound fascinating. Congrats on your new release.
klbosman(at)gmail(dot)com
Hi Kathleen,
DeleteThank you so much for sharing a little of your own story. I believe that the more I share, the easier it gets, and the more likely it is that I will end old patterns based on the past.
I think you'll enjoy Eve's Amulet. It's a fun story and my kids enjoyed it, and they're my hardest audience to please!
~Carole
Great Interview and your books sounds great. Will hop on over to amazon.
ReplyDeleteMarie
Marie,
DeleteThank you for stopping by. I appreciate your support of my writing endeavors. All the best to you!
~Carole
Interesting and touching interview. Eve's Amulet sounds like a fascinating read
ReplyDeleteI have it sitting on my Kindle and I'm looking forward to reading it.
Delete