When three people’s lives collide in a perfect storm of heartbreak and ruin, betrayal and love, will they be destroyed or transformed by their fate? One woman and two men are drawn to coastal South Carolina to an oceanfront Victorian B & B inn. Jade Armstrong is newly divorced and left with nothing by her treacherous ex-husband. Gabriel Montoro is reeling from a cheating wife. Rick Stirling owns the inn and has suffered a devastating personal loss. Through work and friendship, their inner conflicts extend to each other while vying for the need for survival, healing, attraction and love.
None of them seek love or relationship, but as they move into and through the emotional storm of their lives, destiny brings them together in an extraordinary way. A charming oceanfront inn complete with mystical elements lifts the characters’ spirits and helps them on their journeys. Their passionate triangle must be broken for them to move on with their lives, but who ends up with whom, or do they, and when?
Excerpt
Jade’s knees buckled and the room spun around. When they’d married, her mother, Maggie, had given her a fairytale wedding because she’d never seen her daughter so happy as with this man who lit up her world. Now Prince Charming was leaving, taking his light and love, making her world go black as she crumpled to the floor. She became conscious a minute later and found herself in his arms, her head still spinning. “Please tell me this isn’t real; it’s some kind of nightmare.”
He leaned Jade against a kitchen cabinet and told her she wasn’t dreaming. He sat on the floor beside her gazing straight ahead to avoid seeing the agony in her eyes.
Jade’s breath turned shallow; her mind swam in a fog of disbelief. When he spoke, his voice showed no emotion. “I don’t mean to be cruel, but this is real and you need to deal with it.”
Stunned and grasping at anything to fix this, she placed her head on his shoulder and her hand on his arm hoping he’d feel her love and respond in kind. “Why are you doing this? Now? So fast? You don’t have to do this.” With no response, she said, “Please tell me why. You owe me the truth.”
He wiped perspiration from his forehead through his hair, and muttered, “There’s no easy way to say it. I have to do this. She’s pregnant. I’m going to marry her.”
Jade yanked her head and arm away as if he were a leper and shrieked, “A child? You bastard. Why would any woman want a cheating, drug-addicted man for a husband and father to her child?”
“I wasn’t addicted when I met her. My affair with her differed from the others…”
“Others?!” Jade screamed so loud he jerked his head back. Her voice was part sobbing, part gasping for air like being punched in the gut and stabbed at the same time. “You had other women?!”
With his head hung low, he uttered a barely audible, “Yes.”
Jade’s mind paralyzed like he’d slammed her head with a bat. Incapable of speech and struggling to accept this new reality, she asked herself, ‘Why?’ Her heart split in half as she wondered how and why her husband did this to her; how did she not see it coming? Her rational mind said, ‘He was never home long enough. He hid his true self and actions.’ Then her conscience argued, ‘You didn’t see it because you didn’t want to. You wanted the fairytale; you lived it and trusted him.’ Jade closed her eyes and clutched her head to hold it together. She delved deep into her memory where she’d tucked suspicions of him away but never let them out, never confronted him, and barely whispered, “Why?”
He shrugged. “I guess because I could. We rarely had time together and you know I can’t be alone or bored or serious. I did what made me happy.”
Jade was afraid to say or do anything because she wanted to kill him, to get him out of her face and off the planet except she wasn’t capable of murder. Her dreams were the only things dying now as she realized she’d expected the fairytale—so much so it blocked the truth of him out. Jade vowed to never trust the too-good-to-be-true guy again, or the storybook life and the happy ending. There were no such things.
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Thank you so much, Christine, for stopping by my blog!
Author Interview
What kind of research did you do for Heart Storms? Did you travel, use the Internet, speak with experts on a topic, etc?
I researched legal questions of child custody and drug offenses, and a good editor contributed many insights to legal issues. In terms of setting, I’ve lived in and traveled to all the places in the book. The premise for this book is based on a fictionalized version of varied personal experiences surrounding love-, friend- and work-relationships, and issues of people damaged by divorce, betrayal, racism, emotional and material loss; and rebounding.
Do any of your characters take over and write the book themselves sometimes? Who?
Yes—most do in every book. They take me places I didn’t anticipate. Most times it’s wonderful and works, but sometimes I have to backtrack and rewrite on 2nd draft. The characters who take over the most are from nuggets of personal experience, who live and breathe in my memory and heart.
What do you prefer: ebook or print? Why?
I do occasionally read ebooks for non-fiction, resource info or when travelling. But for pleasure reading I’m mostly an old-school print reader. After spending 10 or more hours a day at the computer writing, marketing, researching, learning . . . the last thing I want to do at the end of the day is curl up in bed with a hunk of metal and a blue-light emitting ebook. A print book is a solid, tangible thing with a presence that can’t be deleted by the touch of a button. I love the way paper looks, smells, feels under your fingers as you flip the pages; the way you see at a glance how much you’ve read and can gauge how soon the ending is coming.
How long have you been writing? When did you decide to become an author?
I’ve written most of my life: as a kid it was personal stories I was too afraid to share. I was consistently told by teachers grade school through college my writing skills were far beyond my peers and even beyond graduate students. I wrote for business, marketing, advertising; did copywriting and editing. I dabbled creatively with short stories, poetry, drafts of novels, joined writers’ groups and attended conferences. But my very difficult life got in the way of the slow process of learning the craft and putting in the time. It’s only been the last few years that I could devote most of my time to writing, learning, marketing, It’s exhilarating to have three books published, another ready in a couple months, and a new one in progress.
All writers suffer from writer’s block at least once in their career. What’s your go-to cure?
Walking, especially on the beach. My mind stretches across the horizon, the infinite sea and sky. It lifts me out of my own knotted-up thoughts, and my mind expands, breathes and functions again.
Any advice for the aspiring authors out there? Particularly those who are feeling a little discouraged?
If you love writing and want to publish, and you believe in yourself, then never give up. I almost did so many times with how hard this journey has been, with rejection and never-ending learning and improving, especially AFTER I published with the selling part, which was hardest for me. But envision the last years of your life and looking back over your accomplishments—will you be okay with having given up writing and publishing, or regret it? There’s your answer on whether to continue.
How do you market your books? What do you find more effective?
I’ll pass along what one of my fellow Wild Rose Press authors told me in the beginning—try everything (within budget and after researching)—marketing is like throwing spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks (and works). Marketing/social media has been the greatest learning curve for me. Networking with other authors has been a great help in terms of learning the ropes, their experiences with good marketing and social media tools and companies. I am deeply indebted to the Wild Rose Press authors and their publishing/marketing staff for their invaluable help.
What is your favorite book? Favorite author?
I have too many to name. Favorite classic book: Wuthering Heights. At the top of my favorite contemporary authors are those that I would read anything they write: Susanna Kearsley who writes about time-crossing lovers surrounding historical events. Her settings are in Scotland, Ireland, England or Europe—magical, romantic places I feel an affinity for; Jodi Picoult for her brilliant writing and socially relevant stories always with a twist. Elin Hildebrand’s books are my best beach reads—great writing and stories always as fresh as a breath of Nantucket ocean air. And, not lastly, Gillian Flynn and Ruth Ware for keeping me up late with great mystery and suspense, looking for murderers in the closet and trying to figure out whodunit!
What’s your most bizarre life experience?
Past-life regressions and psychic mediums who amazingly picked up accurately on some past and present life events, and occasionally saw bits of my future. Also, getting premonitions of things that came to be—through dreams or meditation (only of people I’m closely connected to, not world events). A little scary but truly fascinating, metaphysical, mystical things of the type I include in various ways in my stories.
Author Bio
N. Christine Samuelson writes Women’s Fiction and contemporary novels of love, life and relationships, and of the eternal bonds that transform life and transcend time. Her stories reflect the challenges, fears and conflicts, tragedies and victories that manifest through a powerful connection of love. Her characters and story lines are grounded in reality but include a touch of mysticism and mystery.
From living in 14 cities in 10 states, with years of formal and self-taught education and three different careers, (from Fortune 500 to entrepreneur, to graphic designer and newspaper production) she’s always been a writer. Through this journey she acquired a wealth of personal, professional, and life experiences which inspire the diverse settings, characters, and authentic storylines of her novels written in a unique voice.
Currently living in coastal South Carolina, the people, land and sea are constant sources of inspiration. She hopes readers of her books will be inspired to look at life and love through a different lens and realize no matter your circumstance, we all share similar stories in our lives and our hearts.
Social Media Links
Website: https://www.NChristineSamuelson.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ncsamuelson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nchristine7711/
Very interesting interview! I'm intrigued by your psychic abilities. That must be fun. Best of luck with your new release. It sounds like a winner.
ReplyDeleteLuckily, my 'abilities' are few and far between, and sometimes not so much fun, lol. Thanks so much for visiting and your wonderful comments!
DeleteYour excerpt is heartbreaking. The whole book sounds fabulous. Best of luck with it.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your kind words. I'll bet you had an awful time trying to post and had to do it anonymously. It's taken me hours to figure out how to get a post! Anyway, thanks so much!
DeleteGreat interview. Good luck with the book.
ReplyDeletethank you, Jennifer, for reading and commenting. Glad you liked it!
DeleteEnjoyed getting to know you! Wishing you continued success with your new release!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked the interview, Mary. Thanks so much for your time and comments!
DeleteThanks so much, Amber for hosting me here! I really enjoyed doing this, and your blog and website are terrific. (I finally was able to post by using Firefox instead of Safari after hours of trying everything! Who knew?) Anyway, I’m glad I can post and reply now and I'm very appreciative of this opportunity!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, and thank you! Come back anytime. :)
DeleteFirefox vs Safari, huh? I guess we now have a winner! lol I use Chrome and sometimes Firefox, and those always work great when posting comments.