Christy Effinger’s poetry, fiction, and essays have appeared in various print and online publications. She lives near Indianapolis. Her website is www.christyeffinger.comMake yourself at home Christy, and help yourself to something cool and sparkling from the replicating unit. Now first of all, tell us all about your new release:
Christy: Say Nothing of What You See is my first published book, a paranormal new adult novel from The Wild Rose Press. I wrote this book several years ago while my husband was taking night classes for his MBA. Writing this book got me into the habit of working at a consistent pace.
HL: That's a great habit to acquire. When did you first start writing?
Christy: At age seven I wrote and illustrated my first story, about a little old woman and her pet pig. That was when I knew I wanted to be an author, since my floating stick figures seemed to indicate I’d never be an artist.
HL: LOL, So what have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?
Christy: Publishing is a slow process. Although I wrote Say Nothing several years ago, it took me a long time to research and query publishers. After I signed my contract, there were revisions and final edits to make. I’ve learned to write and edit faster, but also to be patient with publishers and realistic in my expectations.
HL: Yes,I can certainly relate to that. It seemed to take for ever before my first book was published! Do you have a support system? Do you have a writing community? What valuable lessons have you learned from them?
Christy: I’m fortunate to have a supportive husband who knows that I need time and space to write. My writer friends are the people who understand the highs and lows of this crazy, unpredictable career. I’ve learned so much from veteran writers. The most recent piece of advice was this: when your book is published, you have to let it go. You can no longer protect your story once it’s out in the world.
HL: That is so very true, Christy. Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?
Christy: Write faster. That’s what I would tell myself if I could go back in time. Life is complicated. Things get in the way, and they always will. Work hard, work fast.
HL: That's great advice. Finally, just for fun, if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?
Christy: A koala, because right now I always seem to have my baby daughter clinging to me.
Sometimes I have to type with one hand. If you see a typo in this interview, that’s probably why.
HL: Aw. how cute! Thank you so much for taking time to be with us today Christy. Before you catch the shuttle back to Earth, let's find out a bit more about your book.
SAY NOTHING OF WHAT YOU SEE
Blurb:
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When her aunt steps off a grain elevator into the emptiness of a prairie evening, Mira Piperloses her one protector. Chloe, her flighty mother, impulsively drags her daughter to Bramblewood, an isolated spiritualist retreat in northern Michigan, run by the enigmatic Dr. Virgil Simon.
Chloe plans to train as a medium but it's Mira who discovers she can communicate with the dead. When her mother abandons her, Mira discovers a darker aspect to Bramblewood: the seemingly kind doctor has a sinister side and a strange control over his students.
Then one winter's day Troy Farrington arrives, to fulfill his mother's dying wish and deliver her letter to the doctor. But calamity strikes and he finds himself a captive, tended by a sympathetic Mira. Haunted by her dead aunt and desperate to escape Bramblewood, Mira makes a devil's deal with Dr. Simon. But fulfillment comes with a steep cost...betrayal.
Excerpt:
“You are absolutely stunning, Mira.”
I stole another glance in the mirror. The material was a rich, shimmery gold that fell from my shoulders in folds of liquid light. It looked like something a Greek goddess might wear. Oh, how I wished the girls from Amberville High School could see me in this dress!
“When you came here,” said Dr. Simon, “I had a vision of you like this. I looked at the girl before me, but I saw the woman you are now.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, gesturing toward the piles of clothes on my bed. “You’ve been so generous. I know you’ve spent a good deal of money on me—”
“Money means nothing,” he interrupted abruptly. “I have more than I could ever spend, more than I know what to do with. Don’t consider the cost.”
His tone was brusque, and I wondered if I had offended him.
But the next moment Dr. Simon smiled. “I think of you as my charity case. You were like a doll thrown out in the garbage. I simply rescued you from the trash, cleaned you up, and dressed you in something decent. But the beauty was present all along.” He touched my cheek. “Here.” Then he touched my forehead. “Here.” Then he touched my chest. “And here.”
I knew he was referring to my heart, but even so, his hand on my chest made my face warm with discomfort.
“You blush so easily,” he laughed. “You’ll never be able hide anything, Mira, with such a transparent face.”
“That’s all right,” I said, taking a small step back. “I don’t have anything to hide.”
Buy Links:
The Wild Rose Press:
http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_177_139&products_id=5772
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Say-Nothing-What-You-See-ebook/dp/B00MW5HTZ0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1409
BN.com
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/say-nothing-of-what-you-see-christy-effinger/1120219553?ean=2940150511323:
Author Links:
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