Meet the Author of THE FEY: Claudia Hall Christian

Welcome friends! I'm so excited to announce that I'm the Canadian host of Claudia Hall Christian's Book Blog tour. Through the virtual magic of "blog-energy," our writing paths crisscrossed a while back and ever since we have been regular readers of each other's hijinks, heartspills and hilarity.

Personally, I was pulled into her dynamic and interactive blog knowing I had found a person who was actively working on a dream, using both her head and her heart. I liked what I read and I loved the sassy personality that is my Colorado blogfriend. Optimistic, respectfully opinionated, and kind, Claudia puts out unconditional positive energy. I love visiting her site, Out on a Limb with Claudia (link on my sidebar)

Recently, Claudia launched the publication of her novel, The Fey, a gripping thriller chalk full of espionage, fast paced twists and turns, and a whole lot of page blazing passion. In fact, the story brims with threads of expressive feelings which weave the characters together with loyalty for one another and a deep sense of loving respect, all revolving around the main character, Sargeant Alexandra Hargreaves, also known as The Fey.

It had been a while since I picked up and read fiction, though it used to be my number one love before I began writing again, and my reading of choice morphed into mostly non fiction to feed my own muse. So, I was looking forward to getting lost in a story that would transport me into another world. Claudia's talents did not let me down. In fact, I sat down, cracked open the book and for the rest of the day I was happily lost in the lives of Alex the Fey and her band of risk taking, large living, sexy spirited team of dedicated men who worked for the American military. I was hooked from page 1. Now how often can you say that about a novel? The Fey is a terrific read, comparable to all the great spy genre books. And I've read dozens of them! Claudia has hit this one out of the park!

So it is with great pleasure that I welcome Claudia here as she tours the blogworld promoting her book and sharing a little bit about herself and the writing process..... Claudia? Welcome to Fredericton, New Brunswick. Let's just jump right into the questions shall we?

Where did the story idea for Alex the Fey originate?

Boy, that’s a good question. I’m not quite sure. In a dream like state, Rebecca Hargreaves came and sat down on the edge of my bed. She came night after night for at least a week. I couldn’t eat or sleep until I started working on the first draft of The Fey.

Once your imagination kicked into gear, where did you go from there in planning out your novel and the characters you've beautifully brought to life?

I didn’t really plan out the novel. I simply worked to understand, and speak for, these characters. I wrote a lot – back story, front story, and lots of side stories. I wrote three entirely different versions of this story until I felt like I had the story right. My attempt is to be a clear scribe for my characters.

How much research was involved in the process?

I did a lot of research. Although I’ve known quite a few people in the military, I’ve never been in the military. There was a lot to catch up on. I’m also not Catholic, so I needed to uncover minor details which help make the story feel more real. And, while my family is originally from Northern Ireland, there was a lot that I needed to research there.
Gratefully, the Internet is a vast resource of people and information. I was lucky enough to be able to find almost everything I needed to know either through someone on the Internet or on various Internet sites.
Newsweek is another fabulous research tool. I have a subscription to the magazine. I clip out interesting articles then scan them so I’ll have them always. I’ve learned a lot from different Newsweek articles.

Who is your favourite secondary character and why?
It depends on the day. lol. They are each rich and interesting characters. I like different things about them. And, as the Alex the Fey series continues, we learn more about them.

As I finished the book, I was left with a desire to know more about Alex and her relationships with her team. I also wanted to know much more about the men she's related to. I could see how so many of your characters had the potential to be the lead in a storyline. Tell me a bit about where you will take us in your next installment.
Learning to Stand is the second in the Alex the Fey thriller series. The books begins in Paris where Alex and Raz begin to clean out the Fey team storage locker. In this book, Alex must start moving on from the events in her past. Of course, there’s lots of romance, rip roaring action, and laughter along the way.
The third installment, Who I Am is the most personal book of the Alex the Fey series. In this book, we get an inside view as each character must come face to face with himself or herself. We also have lots of laughs, adventure, and romance.
Learning to Stand is undergoing final edits for publication right now and Who I Am is in first draft form. There are eight books outlined, but I will continue writing the series as long as the characters have something to say.

Now, for your own personal Unconscious muttering....words related to The Fey :) (this is a Sunday regular word association post on Claudia's blog, Out on a Limb.....check it out and join in!)

courage :: to breathe
conflict :: ed
terrorist :: revolutionary?
secrets :: kill
queen bee :: lays 1500 eggs a day in the summer
Colorado :: is near the center of the United States

Paris :: my favorite city on the planet
suffering :: passes
intrigue :: fascination
passion :: to live, laugh and love

Here are a few "Vanity Fair Proust" questions for you Claudia, ready?

a) What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I think happiness comes from knowing and accepting yourself. Perfect happiness is when I know that nothing is personal and everyone goes through what I’m going through. With my ego out of the way, I can just live my life, to the best of my abilities, in the manner in which suits me.

b) What is your most treasured possession?

The people in my life that love me.

c) Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Just <--sneaky little weed of a word.

Simply <-- overhyped, toxic word that means almost nothing


d) What is your greatest fear?
That I will get caught up in my own dream and miss my life.

e) What is your motto?

“Why not?”

f) Honey or maple syrup?
As you know, I am a beekeeper. I will let you in on a secret. I can’t eat a lot of sweet things. In fact, I can only eat a tiny bit of honey or maple syrup. I do love our home grown honey. It’s different every year depending on the weather. I’ve heard people say that about maple syrup, but I don’t use it enough to notice.

Thank you! That was fun! Friends? If you're looking for a summer book to take to the beach, or if you live in the southern hemisphere and are itching for a story you want to sink your teeth into on a dark cold evening under the duvet, The Fey is just the right choice. If you're looking for a fresh new novel for your bookclub, why not choose a good fast paced thriller? I wholeheartedly recommend The Fey, and personally look forward to the next in the series.

Claudia? You've done well!!! Congratulations!!

To order The Fey, simply click on this link..... If you use this code: CCEESWU3, you will receive a 10% discount on your order.

new learning

Learning is a limitless blue sky expanse; its air so fresh it can leave you dizzy. It's an elixir so tasty it leaves your lips smacking for more. Or it could be the worst tasting cough syrupy mess, it leaves your throat crying out for relief.

it can.....
knock you sideways
threaten your values
tickle your fancy
kick you in the gut
make you blink
fill you with desire
tap your temples
touch your heart
make you cry
open your eyes
stretch your soul
thump you with laughter
stump your senses
bump you in the night.....bump, bump, bump.


today, I learned....

how a man felt when he held his dying grandmother's hand,

what it's like to be lost in the bottom of a bottle of cheap whiskey

that loneliness sleeps in a place of misfit belonging,
how humour seen through rheumy eyes has many layers

that I have much in common with a homeless man

what its like to live a life debilitated by anxiety

how a man knows he has learned many life lessons from his mentally ill brother after he learned to grieve

that paddling down the river is a place where God touches you

how the serenity prayer lifts spirits and offers hope especially in the early hours of sobriety.



Not from a book.
Not from the media.
I learned these lessons from being welcomed into the lives of a few people who shared their insights, their feelings, and their hearts with me today.


I love books....and I love learning from them. They feed my curiosity, quench some thirsts. But what teaches me more are the human beings who are open to sharing some of their stories with me.... Ironically, I was accused today of "always getting off topic" in my counselling sessions by a colleague when I excitedly tried to share one of the conversations I had just experienced. Her perception of me (new learning!!) caught in my throat like a cherry pit. I spit it out and walked away dumbfounded.


wow.... blink, blink, blink...that one tapped me on the temple.


This week's photo theme at Carmi's Written Inc. is "new".........for more newbies, check out his blog, which ALWAYS provides new learning for me.

escape

They learned to read on the laps of their parents and continue to escape into the world of a good story. During my snap happy trip around my friend's home, I stumbled quietly across the relaxed silence of these two friends. They had both just bought the same new book, the most recent publication from a sequel which had it's midnight delivery last night. Rivetted and oblivious to others, including me the one with the nosey camera, these two beautiful young women were in the reading zone.

Don't you love it when you find a book you just want to devour?? Time seems to stand still and all sensory energy is integrated into just one thing.........inhaling the words.

Dont they look absolutely content?

Two young bookends, both reading the same novel........both absorbed in there own reading world.
This littler one, below? I found her curled up on the couch downstairs. Close to falling asleep, she too had found that the very best place to be. .... with one's nose in a book.

May we always find our way into a story while we continue to write our own. May we always realize how books are dear friends, forever reliable.

My Reading Corner

There's nothing like tucking under a poofy duvet on a rainy day with a brand new book to escape into. Well.........I can think of a couple of others, but this post is about books and not sexual fantasies, so I best stay on track.

Breadbox tagged me to write a little something about my reading preferences. So......here it goes.

My reading -- compared to my incessant reading habits a couple of years ago, the amount of time reading these day is miniscule. Having kids never stopped the flow of books I would pick up and devour. In fact, I remember one day when my daughter was only a couple of weeks old and a fuss budget about nursing. It seemed like she couldn't be satiated. Instead of fretting over trying to put her on a nursing schedule at that point in her tiny wee young life, the two of us stayed in bed one day. I propped her up on me with one hand and propped up a hardcopy of the Roddy Doyle Trilogy (the Commitments, The Snapper and The Van) and read and read and read. My kids were used to sitting on my lap with me reading. I guess I've always been a multi-tasker at heart.

Since I took up writing again, my reading habits changed drastically. For a while, I basically stopped. I lost interest in fiction completely (though it's slowly returning thank God) and began to read books which filled in the blanks of my emerging faith. I found myself reading books which fed my writing. Non-fiction became the preference.

I also learned quickly that a writing mind is the complete opposite of a reading mind. I had no idea.........A writing mind is a yearning churning place of contemplative word jumbling. It's a busy interactive place full of sparks clashing together to form new ideas and new sentences, which in turn sends messages to the motivation centre to "get thee to a keyboard and write thy thoughts down, dammit"

Whereas.........

A reading mind is a calmer contemplative sensory stimulating centre where focus and concentration pull you into another world.

I love them both, but these days.............they compete for my attention and time. Right now, the writing is winning out.

Total number of books..........I'm not counting. Books adorn our walls and shelves and nooks in most every room. My husband, an avid reader extraordinaire covets his books. I don't dare take them into the bathtub with me. eeek!

Last book read AND bought.........Messy Spirituality by Mike Yaconnelli. I plan to write my thoughts on this gem of a book later in the week. I also received an interesting book for my birthday.........and its FICTION.......it was purchased for me because somehow I have found myself intrigued and emotionally connected to a little Channel island and the book was highlighted last spring in a local book review. I haven't cracked it open yet, but intend to this weekend.....It's entitled...."The Book of Ebenezer Le Page" by G.B. Edwards. I love his name.

An aside??????????? I have a sketched out story that has been sitting with me for over 5 years about a woman named Myrna Hawking who lived on one of the Channel islands next to her neighbour Basil Cogswell (names I have seen on mailboxes around here and loved them). They are getting on in years.......life is boring until one night someone in their village is murdered and left on Basil's front lawn. Myrna convinces Basil to throw the cadaver into the deep freeze so that they can take on the investigation. She's watched every Helen Mirren and Inspector Morse shows......Anne Perry has nothing on her.........she knows enough to solve the murder.

Hilarity ensues........

hmmmmmmmmmmm maybe I need to apply for a CANCON research grant to head over to Guernsey to delve into life there so I can write my book?? Will look into that. :)

So, I'm looking forward to learning about Ebenezer Le Page. I dont think he solves a murder but I think he unveils some secrets.

Five Meaningful Books..................way too many pop to mind. So like YOU Breadbox, I will use categories.....and a stream of conciousness format.........

when I was a kid and adolescent.......

Anne of Green Gables, Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Go Ask Alice, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz,.......Harry the Dirty Dog.

when I was a young adult.......... The World According to Garp and all other early Irving novels, Leon Uris, Ken Follett, the Thornbirds, all Jane Austen, all Henry James, Roddy Doyle, Anne Perry, Maeve Binchy, Vanity Fair, Of Human Bondage, Anne Tyler, Adrian Mole age 13 and 3/4

As a student, which I guess is ongoing...........Sanity Madness and the Family -- R.D. Laing, Growing up in New Guinea -- Margaret Mead, Absurdist playwrights.....Albee, Beckett, Ionesco, Pinter, all of the Jeeves books by PG Wodehouse, Alderian psychology, Jung and Freud....... these are the ones I am thinking right now.....oh, and Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goldman.

As a parent? Harry Potter, Goodnight Moon, Chicka Boom, Paperbag Princess, Something from Nothing............

Now..........Awareness by Anthony de Mello, Travelling Mercies by Anne Lamott, All wonderful books by Henri Nouwen, What's so Amazing about Grace by Philip Yancey, and the latest Sue Townsend Adrian Mole story and every now and then.................The New Yorker.

All have been meaningful and all have fed my curiousity and hungry desire to learn. And as soon as I click on post, I will think of 25 more titles.............that I've read and that I want to read.

How about you????

This is where I'm supposed to tag five others................ready? Rainbow Dreams, Princess Sarahdipity, Imaginations in Unity, Matthew at Common Misadventures, and Truly talented Tori.

Ready.........................look forward to reading your picks.

Thanks nice Breadbox. It was fun.