Wings of Hope: An interview with Hillary Peak

Today I'm talking with Hillary Peak about her tale of a daughter, a father, and an eventful life, WINGS OF HOPE.

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1) Tell us about your book.
It is a story of hope, written during the loss of a parent. Jules moves across the country when she learns her father is dying. Since her parents were divorced, she hasn't spent as much time with her father. During the time they have left together, she learns about her dad's life, and he works to give her life lessons that will carry her through adulthood.

2) What inspired this book?

My father had a fascinating life. He'd always talked about writing a memoir, but passed away before he ever got around to it. When I was pregnant, I wanted to have all his stories to share with my child. I started writing them down, and the result was this novel.

3) How much was this book influenced by your relationship with your own father (if at all)?
Just a little. My parents were married, so I had him around all the time. However, my father and I shared being ambitious. He never talked to me about it, but when he was gone, my mother told me about how much he saw himself in me. I used the book as a mechanism to explore that.

4) You cover a lot of ground in this book as it effectively covers the entire life of a man through the bulk of the 20th century. That said, what's the fundamental theme running through the book?
Hope. My goal is for the reader to walk away inspired to try to do the thing they've always desired to do the most.

5) How much research did you have to do for all these various historical memories?

Not much, the stories were my father's own true stories.

6) Thematic darkness and discontent seem to define much of modern literature these days. Books focusing on the positive and hopeful are often even dismissed as "old-fashioned." Even young adult and middle-grade literature is increasingly defined by dark plot and concerns, with people saying its important that people face the "reality" of existence. What are your thoughts on darkness in fiction and whether or not that reflects the reality of existence?

Reality can be dark. We all have times where life is bleak. I read a lot of young adult literature. It seems sad to me that we focus on the darkness in life rather than the light. I think that the reality of existence is what we see. We can choose to see the worst in people and in life or we can choose to see what is good, what is hopeful. There's always going to be sadness and hardship, but there's always happiness, joy and love as well.

7) Can you tell us about any of your other projects?

I am working on a legal thriller called JUSTICE SCORNED, a legal thriller with twists and turns including a secret natural nuclear reactor, a Department of Energy Special Response Team and a murder that is far more than it appears. “Today, I received a black world.” Randall Taylor tells his mentor as he pulled the tiny globe out of his pocket. It is black on black, with the oceans matte and the landmasses glossy. Randall’s certain he is going to receive all the money and power he seeks, but long sought after revenge puts him in prison instead.

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Thanks, Hillary.

If you'd like to see more from Hillary, you can check out earlier stops in her blog tour.

You can also find her at her blog, www.hillaryepeak.com.

WINGS OF HOPE can be purchased at Amazon and Smashwords.

Accepting yourself and rising above your circumstances: An interview with author Khiana Washington

Today, I'm talking to Khiana Washington about her tale of overcoming abuse and negative circumstances, Looking Past the Mirror. 

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1) Tell us about your book.

Looking Past the Mirror is a gripping novel about a young girl by the name of Faith. The story begins with Faith attending her beloved grandmother’s funeral. Faith is affected strongly by this situation, but finds what she believes to be the easiest way to deal with it. Soon Faith’s drug-addicted mother decides that it is time for a change and offers Faith the chance to start over by leaving her abusive father and moving to Michigan. Just as Faith begins to believe that change will come, we see Faith endure a series of traumatizing events that will shape her as she grows into a mature young woman.

2) What inspired this book?

Although this novel is not about my personal life, my inspiration is my family. When my granddad died that was the first time I had really experienced dealing with grief and the concept of death. To this day I am still affected by it and it shocks me when I realize this. I wanted to write a story about what I feel hasn’t been shown enough today in young adult novels: the truth. Being a teenager myself, I think is good I have the fresh look out about how it really is.

3) What you say the fundamental theme of your book is?

The theme of my book is all about finding yourself. Through the main character Faith, Looking Past the Mirror shows how important it is to accept yourself and love yourself in order to just be happy in life.

4) With all the hang-wringing about in certain parts of the literary community about darkness in young adult books, why do you think it's important that young adult books deal with dark themes?

I think it is important because young adults are already living in the nightmares that dark themes suggest. It is unfortunate, but that it the truth. Why should the truth be covered when it can be highlighted? When writing Looking Past the Mirror I was never afraid to say what really goes on because that’s what teens need to hear, that’s what they are going to relate to, and that’s what can possibly help them in the long run.

5) Do you have any literary influences?

Yes, I most definitely do. Of Mice and Men is one of my favorite stories that has stuck with me and that’s what I want to be able to do with my writing: forever engrave it into readers minds so that they never forget me.

6) Penning a novel at 15 is an impressive feat. Many writers much older than you experience a lot of self-doubt. Did you ever question yourself during the writing process?

Yes, of course. A lot of the time I felt myself asking “Why am I doing this? Am I really good enough to be an author? I’m only 15.” Then I instantly had to say, “Good enough for whom?” and my moment of doubt passed. I have always been told that I could do anything if I put my mind to it so that is exactly what I did. I had to prove to myself that I could finish what I started. I had to have faith in myself and I never gave up.

7) What sort of projects are you working on for the future?

I am currently working on several other projects, but the main items would be two completely different novels which are currently titled Good-bye and Bystanders. Good-bye really focuses on the value of relationships and how they can change at any given moment. Bystanders is a story that solely focuses on the supporting characters of the novel, rather than the main character because it aims to show how standing by when negative situations are happening and not doing anything, can be just as bad or worse than being in the situation. I have also written a screenplay and in the future I hope to write and produce many more.

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Thanks, Khiana.

You can visit Khiana at her website, http://khianawashington.com/.

Looking Past The Mirror is available in both physical and electronic format at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Men Like Pie: An Interview with Mary Pat Hyland

Today, I'm talking with former journalist, chef, and novelist Mary Pat Hyland about her latest novel, The Terminal Diner, a suspenseful character study about a woman discovering herself after the 9/11 attacks jolt her, and the entire United States, out of complacency.


Tell us about The Terminal Diner. 


This novel tells the story of a family that runs a diner near an upstate New York airport. The main character, Elaina Brady, is still recovering from the day her mother ran away with a trucker from Missoula (after he ordered a slice of her delicious lemon meringue pie). That very morning, Maria’s last words to her daughter were, prophetically, “men like pie.” Elaina, just 16, takes on her mother’s job as pie maker at the diner and finds her life stuck in its routine. A decade later, all she knows to be true about men are the words her mother told her. The story opens on the day before Sept. 11, when some new customers come into the diner who will change Elaina’s life forever, especially as the country tries to recover from the horrific acts of terror the next day.

Many authors often put a little of themselves into their leads. What went into developing your main character?

This novel started out as a short story called “Spice of Life,” inspired by the day I first tried the spice blend masala and thought, wow, how sad it would be to eat the same foods over and over and never try exotic flavors like that. In my day job I’m a personal chef and I’ve often daydreamed about what it would be like to run a diner. It was easy to imagine the routine.

An author's background often influences their style and choices of subjects. Does your journalistic background influence your fiction at all?

Definitely. I’m always looking for the story, the headline of the lives of people I know, meet randomly or observe from a distance. When I converse with someone, I shift into interview mode asking many more questions about that person than sharing information about myself. Can’t seem to help myself—I’m naturally curious. At the time I left journalism, my job was editor of the Op-Ed page. Sometimes it’s tough to hold back the urge to analyze or moralize the characters (like I used to with the news) and just let the story unfold in its own way. That said, I do come from Rod Serling’s hometown and have been inspired by his work. “Twilight Zone” episodes always reflected the morality in decisions of the characters.

The backdrop of one of the most seminal events in modern American history, 9/11, is a key aspect in forcing some changes in your main character. In a a little over  week, it will have been ten years since th attacks. Did you ever worry about people reacting negatively to you setting a book during this time?

No. I think it’s important to remember and record, accurately, what it was like to live through that day. Throughout civilization, the arts have always reflected what occurred during major historical events. Though the wound is still raw, I think enough time has passed and we’re at the point where can talk about it this way. That day changed everyone’s life in some way; it’s important to share those viewpoints.

My job at the newspaper on Sept. 11 was to pore over photos on the Associated Press wires and select the images that best told the story of what happened. The awful task was made more unbearable by the fact that my former boyfriend worked at the World Trade Center and I spent a good deal of the day trying frantically to get in touch with him. You couldn’t get a call through to Manhattan. I called his home and got his answering machine. I feared it would be  the last time I’d hear his voice. He worked in WTC 5, but I thought he was in WTC 2. So when the towers collapsed I was a wreck, but I had to keep my cool and get the pages laid out. Later that day, I sent an email and he responded immediately with a harrowing account of fleeing the falling towers. I was so relieved he that made it. That joy didn’t last long. Two days later I found out that another old
friend had an office in WTC 1 right above where the first plane hit. For ten years since his death I’ve seen his family work through the stages of their grief and try to reconnect with the world. It’s been so painful to
witness the depth of their sorrow. Writing this story has helped me process all of the tough experiences I’ve been through related to that day.

You set this book, along with, from what I can tell, your other novels and short stories in upstate New York. I'm assuming you're probably from there. Have you ever been interested in setting any of your works somewhere else? 

Write what you know, the experts tell us. I grew up and still live here and find upstate to be a continuous source of inspiration and fascinating characters for my work. It’s a working class area with a rich ethnic blend and keep-going attitude despite economic hardships lingering from the departure of the  company town industries. Sometimes you feel like you’re in an Edward Hopper painting when you drive past the empty factories. You can sense the desperation and resignation that the area’s heyday has passed.

I don’t just write about upstate, though. My many travels over the years are also woven into my works. For example, you’ll read many scenes set in the west of Ireland and part of The Terminal Diner was inspired by a trip to the Pacific Northwest that included a drive across Montana.

This is your fourth novel. How is similar to some of your previous work? How is it different?

 I think the aspect found in all of my writing is strong, unforgettable characters that readers relate to and genuinely miss when they finish the book. They’re woven together with the Irish sense of humor that rises up when times get tough. The Terminal Diner differs from my other works in that it’s my first suspense novel. Some scenes were very difficult to write and frankly made it hard to fall asleep some nights. It was interesting to take a walk on the dark side. I enjoyed the genre very much and hope to revisit it someday.

As a middling baker (yes, men do like pie), and given some of the elements of your book, I have to ask: What's your favorite kind of pie? 

I could tell you liked pie! Nothing beats a pie made with Cortland apples served warm from the oven with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese on a chilly fall day. (It’s an upstate thing.)

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Thanks, Mary Pat.

You can find The Terminal Diner in both physical and electronic formats at Amazon.