Sabine Garvey Campbell Interview

Posted on May 31, 2020 by tranamathews

An Unexpected Road to Motherhood

Author Sabine Garvey Campbell’s contemporary novel is available on Amazon. Most little girls dream of meeting their Prince Charming, getting married, and becoming a mother like something they read in a fairy tale. For some lucky girls, life goes just as planned but for others, the fairy tale gets rewritten into something that reads more like a mystery. And then, there are girls like me whose story turns out to be a little bit of both. Like the fairy tale, I met my Prince Charming and we got married, but then my road to motherhood became unexpected, complicated, and unpredictable just like a good mystery. Fortunately, I always knew that life had a plan for me and that if I never gave up, I would one day find my happy ending.

You can find out more about this contemporary novelist on the Sabine Garvey Campbell website. Tweet her on Twitter or send an Instagram. Ask this contemporary novelist questions at Goodreads Author Sabine Garvey Campbell.

Sabine’s Interview

You have enough money to do anything. Will you (1) pamper yourself at a spa for a week OR (2) go on a cruise for a week?

If I had enough money to either go on a cruise for a week or pamper myself at a spa, I would take a cruise to some exotic and far away place that is on my bucket list to visit. I love to travel but do not get as much opportunity to do so as I would like so I would chose destinations that I have only dreamt of visiting. I would take an excursion at each port at which we stopped and do something I had not done before. Then, while I am on the ship, I would spend quiet time just relaxing and people watching. It would be a fun escape for a short while.

What a nice dream!

Are you a person who (1) makes and follows New Year resolutions OR (2) never bothers with resolutions?

I am typically not a person who make New Year’s Resolutions because I rarely stick to them. I did, however, once make a resolution years ago to try one thing I have never done before each month and that one did stick. Each month I make a point of trying something be it a new activity, a new restaurant, watching a new movie, etc., to break routines which have a way of taking over. I have found it is a great way to learn about the world and myself.

Wow! Impressive!

Do you consider yourself (1) an introvert OR (2) an extrovert?

I consider myself neither an introvert nor an extrovert but instead a little of both. When it comes to meeting new people in my personal life, I am introverted. I have never been very good at small talk so I prefer to avoid parties or social gatherings where I know few people. Yet, when I attend meetings in my corporate career, I look and feel extroverted. I can easily step outside of my introverted comfort zone. Because I am both introverted and extroverted, I am as comfortable spending time alone as I am talking with people in intimate gatherings given I know them when I feel the need for companionship.

That’s great!

You prefer (1) to people watch OR (2) bird watch?

I find people watching as interesting as bird watching and very similar in the rewards they provide. Birds, like people, remove their pretense and pretending when they think they are no being watched. Birds and people’s true natures are evident in such a raw way when they do not know they are being watched which allows me to see true characters which are always much more interesting in airs. Seeing these true characters reminds me that all creatures on earth are basically the same. We need food, water and shelter. How birds and people respond to everything else like love and family is what makes them so interesting to watch. For this reason, I enjoy people and bird watching the same for if I were to chose one over the other I would be missing out on the uniqueness one or the other brought to the world.

Great perspective!

You prefer to watch (1) a sunrise OR (2) a sunset?

I make choices every day of my life but deciding whether to watch the sunrise or the sunset is not one of them. I choose to watch both. The sunrises in rural Virginia where I live are spectacular. There is something inspiring in seeing geese fly through the reddish-yellow hues of the morning sky as the sun brings hope for the possibilities of the new day. When the sun sets, it does so over the mountains to our west. Even though the cold of night is nearing, I am warmed by the last fire in the sky that reminds me that I will see it again soon. The sunrise and the sunset are equally inspirational, each in their own right, so I could never choose one over the other.

What lovely descriptions!

Thanks for being interviewed, Sabine!

Lily Baines Interview

Posted on May 17, 2020 by tranamathews

A Case of Longing

Author Lily Baines’s contemporary romance novel is available on Amazon. This book tells the story of detective Rose Harper from the Chicago PD who has been partnered with detective Eithan Reed for the better part of a decade and has been in love with him despite herself for almost as long. Eithan was off-limits for a long time for various reasons and Rose isn’t even sure if he sees her as anything more than a partner and a friend. When the ‘we’re partners’ excuse she clung to becomes more and more irrelevant in a new case they handle, she’s forced to confront her own feelings.

You can find out more about this contemporary romance novelist on the Lily Baines website or on Facebook. Ask this contemporary romance novelist questions at Goodreads Author Lily Baines.

Lily’s Interview

Do you consider yourself (1) an introvert OR (2) an extrovert?

I’m a mix but I’d say I’m more of an introvert. I don’t like to be in the front line of things, I prefer being behind the scenes. I’m more comfortable with people I know. People who know me well can’t believe that I am uncomfortable in social situations, because with them I am open, talkative, confident, and funny. But in a new place or with new people, I can’t wait for it to be over. With the years I learned to be more confident, life sort of forces you to be. I managed a HR team in a high-tech company I worked for and was forced to be “the manager”. Even after ten years, I couldn’t get used to the feeling of having all eyes on me in team meetings or when I had to present to management and large groups, and that happened every week… Now, as a self-published author, I have to put myself out there and market my book and myself. Not easy for an introvert. This is why I write under a pen name. Most of the people I know don’t know about my author persona. I hope to be more comfortable reuniting the two in the future.

Easy to understand!

You prefer (1) to people watch OR (2) bird watch?

Watch people! I love people, human dynamics, interactions, behavior. Maybe that’s why I spent 20 years working in HR. That’s probably why I write. Stories pop into my head when I see or witness human interactions, situations, even in passing. For example, my next book’s idea just appeared in my head last summer when I was on a long weekend with my sisters-in-law in Montenegro, Europe. In one of the old towns we visited we witnessed a scene that immediately teased a story out of me. In the middle of this picturesque alley, a local man (who was very handsome, by the way) and a tourist boy who passed there with his parents holding a ball started playing soccer, and everyone stopped and watched because it was so endearing. They called at each other in two different languages while playing, with the only words both shared were Leo Messi and Christian Ronaldo, the famous soccer players. When they finished playing and the boy took the ball and left with his parents, the man had a pensive grimace on his face and my next story wrote itself. By the time I left for home, I had a rough outline in my head – a man who lost something important in life and a lonely woman find love in a surprising way. The soccer scene opens the story.

Wow! Impressive!

Are you (1) a morning person OR (2) a night owl?

A night owl, but I wish I was a morning person. I envy those who wake up early, feeling refreshed and energized and make the most of the day. I need several cups of coffee before I’m fully awake. My best hours are after 9pm. I can write into the night, do the laundry, binge-watch. I love the silence. But having kids and a day-job forced me to be more balanced. I quit my job 18 months ago and now I’m more able to sometimes give in to my natural clock.

Coffee, mana from heaven!

Thanks for being interviewed, Lily!

Latesha Kellam Interview

Posted on May 10, 2020 by tranamathews

The Match Disaster

Author Latesha Kellam’s romance novel is available on Amazon. This book is a story about a woman who found love after leaving a bad marriage. She thought her new relationship was good enough because she was getting treated better than she was in her marriage, but what she didn’t realize was that her new relationship had just as many issues as the relationship she escaped from. Some of the issues were familiar and some of them were different. This book is about realizing you don’t deserve to be treated good enough but you deserve to be treated great in a relationship.

You can find out more about this romance novelist on the Latesha Kellam website. Visit her author page at Goodreads Author Latesha Kellam. You may tweet her, and she’s also on Instagram.

Latesha’s Interview

Do you consider yourself (1) an introvert OR (2) an extrovert?

I consider myself an introvert with some extrovert tendencies. I tend to shy away from big groups and I do not like to be in the spotlight, however if I am comfortable with the people around me I can have a good time and be quite sociable.

Comfort is everyone’s dream!

You prefer (1) to eat a home-cooked meal with family and friends OR (2) to eat in a big-name restaurant.

I prefer to eat a home-cooked meal with family and friends. I am a very picky eater and I tend to be unhappy with whatever I order at a restaurant. I am more likely be pleased with a home-cooked meal, especially if I cooked it and I always enjoy the company of my family and friends.

Bet you are an excellent cook!

You can travel back in time. Will you go back (1) 10 years OR (2) 25 years?

I would go back 25 years because I would be 17 years old. My senior year of high school was one of the best years of my life. I had great friends and an awesome support system for what was coming next in my life.

A fascinating observation!

Your significant other or child asked you to do something you don’t like to do. Do you (1) grin and bear it OR (2) mumble to yourself while doing the task?

I would grin and bear it. I don’t like to let people down, so I definitely wouldn’t want to seem like I was unhappy about whatever task I was doing.

Sound reasoning!

What is your favorite (1) song OR (2) book?

My favorite book is The Notebook. I am a hopeless romantic and this story was full of romance but it also had suspense. I was on the edge of my seat wondering if Noah and Allie would find their way back to each other. Love conquered all in this book and I loved that.

Interesting insight! Thanks for being interviewed, Latesha!

Rita Lee Chapman Interview

Posted on May 3, 2020 by tranamathews

The Poinciana Tree

Author Rita Lee Chapman’s crime mystery novel is available on Amazon. This story is set around the beautiful Poinciana tree, with its amazing red flowers. Suzanne Matthews arrives home from work to find the kitchen in disarray and her daughter missing. After searching the house, her eyes turn towards the garden, drawn to the Poinciana tree. Underneath its canopy she sees her daughter, slumped against its trunk.

When the police are unable to identify Jennifer’s killer, they turn their attention to her husband, Mark. Whilst trying to cope with her grief, she finds herself fighting to prove her husband’s innocence, as her world is turned upside down. She is inspired by another woman, who went with her husband to the Sudan as medical volunteers for a charity organisation.

A tale of raw emotion, desperation and acceptance.

You can find out more about this crime mystery novelist on the Rita Lee Chapman website or on Smashwords. Visit her author page at Goodreads Author Rita Lee Chapman. You may even view her blog.

Rita’s Interview

Are you (1) a morning person OR (2) a night owl?

I’m definitely a morning person. I wake up with the sun and can’t wait to start the day, which means that by evening I’m running out of steam. Fortunately I live in Queensland, Australia, where most people go to bed early and get up early. However, if there is something exciting going on, I’m happy to dance the night away – but not much after midnight.

Sounds like you have Cinderella slippers!

Which is more important: (1) a reduction in global warming OR (2) reduction of communicable diseases?

A reduction in communicable diseases. Global warming is a natural phenomena, the earth warms, the earth cools. It would be nice to eradicate communicable diseases, but the real problem facing us now is over-population. Australia used to give foreign aid on the basis that contraception was encouraged but that no longer seems to be the case.

Insightful reasoning!

What provides more inspiration to you: (1) art OR (2) nature?

Nature. I like my art to look like a landscape or a person. Nature is almost always beautiful and lifts the spirit – even when it is cruel it can be amazing.

A fascinating observation!

Do you (1) love shopping OR (2) hate shopping?

I love shopping – even grocery shopping! I prefer to go to a shop rather than shop online but online shopping does have its uses, particularly pricewise. However, for clothes and shoes I enjoy browsing and choosing, even if I don’t buy.

A true window shopper!

Do you prefer to read (1) an e-book OR (2) a paperback?

Definitely a paperback. I’m dreading running out of paperbacks during the coronavirus! I have an e-reader and sometimes read on my laptop but I much prefer to curl up with a paperback.

I can see that! Thanks for being interviewed, Rita!