In the “Author Spotlight” today is Sherry Gloag, a talented writer from the beautiful East Anglican countryside in the United Kingdom. Sherry has had a number of short stories and books published and is here today to talk about her upcoming release,
His Chosen Bride. I asked her to share a few thoughts about the story, its characters, and the inspiration behind it.
Thoughts From Sherry
The British royal wedding in 2011 inspired me to write From Now Until Forever. It was published by Astraea Press in December, 2011, and became the first in a four-book series. The second in the series, His Chosen Bride, also published by Astraea Press, is due out in time for Valentine’s Day. Each book in the series features one of the four Gasquet princes. Although I don’t yet have publication dates for the third and fourth stories in the series, hopefully they will be available in the summer or the fall of the year.
My favorite character in the series is Melanie, the heroine from the first book. She appears in each of the stories, and she’s such a vibrant woman, I have to “root” for her.
From Now Until Forever
For Prince Liam, families meant bad news, unwanted commitments, and the loss of his personal freedom. Love spawned white picket fences, slippers at the hearth with a wife and kids making demands, so why did those images disappear when he met Melanie Babcot?
Melanie Babcot fought hard to escape the horrors of her youth and vowed to remain single and free, so when paid to protect Prince Liam from insurgents why did her personal pledge fly out the window?
EXCERPT:
Liam Fitzwilliam Gasquet stared in amazement at the blooming patch of red milliseconds before the pain exploded in his arm. Some trigger-happy idiot had fired in his direction. Indignation didn’t have time to take root before another bullet kicked the dust at his feet.
Not ‘trigger-happy’. Intentional.
The rebels had found the fourth and youngest son of Jean-Phillipe Gasquet, ruler of the tiny kingdom adjacent to the Swiss border. When had they discovered his whereabouts?
With a reluctant sigh, he faced the truth of it. They hadn’t ‘found’ him at all. They’d followed him.
His Chosen Bride
Prince Henri Gasquet is prepared to marry a woman chosen by his parents, until, he meets Monica Lattimer.
Monica Lattimer will protect herself from further rejection at almost any cost; until she takes a risk on Prince Henri, a man so out of her social circle she wonders whether she’s lost her mind.
EXCERPT:
“Monica!”
She knew she’d never heard the voice before, and yet -- it was as familiar to her as the image she saw in her mirror each morning.
“Help me, Monica.”
Desperate for more clues, she searched the darkness within the flames until it sputtered and faded. With a curse, she jumped up and ran for the phone. With her outstretched hand hovering over it she halted and let her hand drop to her side once more. What could she say? What would the police or rescue team think if she called them and told them she’d seen a vision of a man in distress?
They’d laugh in her face and classify her as a lunatic. Well, maybe not. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d contacted them with positive information but something—an instinctive gut reaction told her what she’d seen this time hadn’t happened yet.
More Thoughts from Sherry
I don’t do ‘resolutions’, because as soon as I fix on one, I work hard to break it! This year my ‘aim’ is to find balance in my writing. Balance for writing time, which is usually in the late evening, balance in promotional efforts ~ this one is way out of the ball park right now, and balance with family commitments, and no, not necessarily in that order! LOL.
There are writers who hold down full time jobs and yet offer several full length books every year, how do they do it? Well according to some, they slot in their writing as and when they can, and I take my hat off to their awesome results. Sadly I am not that organized. LOL.
I am often asked ‘what advice would you give an aspiring author?’ And the short but not easy answer for the recipient is, perseverance. Don’t give up, don’t give in, and believe in yourself. If you don’t do that, why should anyone else believe in you?
When I was in school my teacher confiscated a story I was writing, with the throw-away comment; ‘Why can’t you write as neatly in your homework?’ I never saw it again. LOL. But… many, many years later I did write a story, lots of them and eventually I did find someone who was willing to believe in me and my characters, and I did get published. It doesn’t often happen overnight, and that’s what perseverance is all about.
If inspiration deserts you try opening a blank page and simply writing. Or look for a word prompt or a picture, something, anything. It was five word prompts that sparked the beginning of my new release due out in time for Valentine’s, His Chosen Bride, and again a single word prompt, so far, for the current work in progress.
But, most importantly of all, enjoy what you are doing because the reader will ‘know’ if you don’t.
Where to Find Sherry and her Stories
Twitter: @SherryGloag
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