Welcome, Camile. Tell us how much of
yourself you write into your characters.
Novelists can’t avoid including a part of themselves in their
characters, to some degree. So I like it when the characters surprise me. Elderly
Scottish sisters Maggie and Grace in Like There’s No Tomorrow surprised me by taking center stage and
tearing off with it. I had to do a wee bit of intervention. I’m definitely
nothing like either of them. J
What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?
Probably the quirkiest thing in recent years would be riding
a stick pony around the local burger joint on a dare on my 50th
birthday while the diners all sang to me. There won’t be any repeats of that.
Well, you only have
one 50th birthday. When did you first discover that you were a
writer?
Age 7. I wrote and illustrated sequels to the Peanuts comic
strip in the paper.
Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.
I like well-written books with great subtle wit, heart-tugging
drama, intelligence, strong romance, and a little touch of mystery. Some of my
favorites blend most of these and include the work of Dale Cramer, Charles
Martin, Deborah Raney, Debbie Macomber, Susan Meissner, Athol Dickson, Carla Stewart,
Jenny B Jones, and many others. I am a huge fan of Jane Austen’s irony and
subtle wit.
How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?
I try to bite off no more than I can chew, and I’ve learned
it’s okay to say, “No.” I say it often, just for practice. J
How do you choose
your characters’ names?
I often look at the meaning of a name, both its actual
meaning and its cultural sense to choose a name that suits the character. Emily
is a sweet, old-fashioned name for a young woman who is lovely and kind. In my second
book, the hero provides a loose retelling of Joseph in the Bible, a man who feeds
people and cares for the fatherless, so his name, Joe Paterson, reflects that. In
another book I hope to publish soon, I chose Eliza for the heroine because it
seemed to fit the 1953 setting and the Golden Age of Hollywood backdrop for the
story.
What accomplishment
you are most proud of?
Getting the nerve to ask a cute co-worker out for a coke after
work and spending the next 3 (plus) decades learning how to be a passable wife
and mom in spite of past baggage and my total ignorance of what lasting, godly marriage
looked like.
If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?
Probably a monkey. They never take themselves seriously—or
anything else, for that matter.
What is your favorite
food?
Peanut M and Ms.
My favorite snack is
dark chocolate M and Ms. I love the crunch as well as the chocolate, but I
limit when I eat them. What problem with writing was your greatest roadblock,
and how did you overcome it?
Being faced with a task far greater than my ability was both
a curse and a blessing. I once got a ten-page “Memo” from my agent that meant a
deep revision of an entire book. I had done the best I could and couldn’t see
how I could ever make the changes she wanted. It wasn’t that I disagreed with her,
I just didn’t see how I could pull it off. I spent a month staring at the
manuscript. Another month whining to friends. I finally asked God to somehow do
the reconstruction of this story because I just couldn’t. And that was when the
ideas began to trickle in. It took realizing that anything truly worthwhile would
always be beyond my ability to execute, and that I would always have to surrender
and depend on God to get me there. I understand that no matter how good my
skills are, I will always need God, my Source, because anything of great worth will—and
ought to—be beyond my ability.
I’ve had similar
rewrite letters from some of my editors. And I’ve had my time of walking
through the house and complaining to God before I really prayed to Him to help
me. Tell us about the featured book.
Scottish widower Ian MacLean is
plagued by a mischievous grannie, bitter regrets, and an ache for something
he’ll never have again. His only hope for freedom is to bring his grannie's
sister home from America. But first, he'll have to convince her lovely companion,
Emily, to let her go.
Emily Chapman devotes herself to foster youth and her
beloved Aunt Grace. Caring for others quiets a secret fear she holds close to
her heart. But when Ian appears, wanting to whisk Grace off to Scotland,
everything Emily needs to protect—including her heart—is at risk.
Like There’s No Tomorrow is an amusing yet heart-tugging love story
about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on
reuniting, and too many agendas. It’s a tale of family, fiery furnaces, faith,
and the gift of each new day.
Sounds wonderful. What a timely book, what with the Scottish vote yesterday in the news. Please
give us the first page of the book.
Ian MacLean had spent the last two years feeding chickens,
hiding the kitchen knives from his mule-headed grannie, and questioning his
sanity.
But if his luck held out, all that was about to change.
Feeling lighter than he had in months, Ian crossed the
street, climbed into the old farm truck, and looked back at the row of flats
he’d just left. Beyond the building and to the west, the lights of Glasgow cast
a golden glow against the night sky.
Ian slipped the key into the ignition, but hesitated,
studying the windows of his sister’s flat. When had he last felt so free?
His talk with his absentee brother-in-law had succeeded.
Davy had not only come home, but he was home to stay. He’d given Ian his word.
Ian could still see the look on his sister’s face when her husband walked in
the door. Claire’s stunned silence proved that she could actually hold her
tongue when she fancied.
Ian started the truck and smiled. All in a day’s work.
Aye, he’d helped Claire’s family, which had lifted a huge
weight from his shoulders. Not that Claire or her kids were a burden. Ian loved
his nieces and nephews as if they were his own, and as long as he drew breath,
they would never go hungry. But more than food, those kids needed security and
stability. They needed their da.
And now, Davy was home.
Ian tapped the pedal to bring the truck’s idle down to a low
grumble. Only one obstacle to his freedom remained: Maggie MacLean. But if his
luck held out and if all went as planned, he would soon be free of his daft
grannie and her mind-numbing nonsense. Free to explore a world of
possibilities. Free to write that series of feature articles that would take
him to remarkable, far-away places.
But then, any dull place would do—as long as it took him
away from Kirkhaven.
Ian glanced at the envelope tucked in the cracked visor
above him. Mailing the latest letter to Aunt Grace was all he had left to do.
The sooner it arrived in Oregon, the sooner his great-aunt could move back home
to Scotland and take charge of her errant sister, Maggie.
And the sooner Ian could get on with his life, shackle-free.
I can hardly wait to
read this story. How can readers find you on the Internet?
- Website: www.CamilleEide.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Camille.Eide
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CamilleEide (@CamilleEide)
- Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/camilleeide/like-theres-no-tomorrow-a-novel/
- Along The Banks – www.camilleeide.wordpress.com
- Extreme Keyboarding – www.camilleeide.blogspot.com
Thank you, Camile, for sharing this new book with us.
Readers, here’s a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.
Like There's No Tomorrow
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)
Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.
The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 4 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.
If you’re reading this on Goodreads, Google+, Feedblitz, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment if you want to be included in the drawing. Here’s a link:
Http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com
22 comments:
I'd love to win a copy of this book! I'm Janny, I'm in Indiana, and I'm at jbutler824@aol.com. Sounds like a terrific read...and haven't we all had daft grannies to worry about? :-)
Thanks,
Janny
Portsmouth, VA
Sounds like a good Scottish book! Love to win it! Shelia from Mississippi
Thanks so much for having me, Lena! We need to share a bowl of M&Ms soon. :) We've already shared a limo... it's only fitting. ;)
I forgot to mention that this book is coming out Sept 30 and though it's showing only Kindle right now, it will also be available in print by release day. Good luck, everyone!
Camille is a wonderful and inspired writer I feel so Blessed to also call my friend. I love reading her blogs and hope to win or purchase her book;
Love the interview and love the book. I was lucky enough to read an early version. It's a winner.
Congratulations, Camille!
I love Camille's writing style and can't wait to read the book!
Her faith—and her wit—are evident in her life.
Heidi Gaul/Oregon
dhgaul@aol.com
This book sounds great and I love the cover!! Thank you, Lena for a great interview.
Melanie Backus, TX
would love to read this heart-tugging love story :)
d stevens from Nebraska
If you can tell a book by it's cover, then this one is perfect. The cover is beautiful. The story sounds great, too.
California
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
I love Scottish novels! In fact, nearly all my ancestors are from Scotland and Ireland. I'd love to read this book.
J.C. -Indiana-
I thought the cover turned out stunning, too. Nicole Miller is Ashberry Lane's designer and does such beautiful work! I'm so pleased how it turned out!
Have to chuckle just thinking about zany grannies--mine was right off the boat from Ireland, (Maggie Flanagan) and she was the one who hid the knives--then forgot where she hid 'em--Thank God! Ha! This comes out on my birthday--perfect day! I live in a small village in a forest called Sunriver, Oregon. It is magical here. pattiiverson@gmail.com
Very timely indeed. I look forward to reading more.
Mary P
QLD AUSTRALIA
I can't wait to see, I mean read what happens in this book. Just the excerpt made me smile. Jan H in West Texas
I enjoyed reading your interview with Camile.
What I want to know is how can you limit M&M's ??
Thanks for entering me in the giveaway.
Janet E.
von1janet(at)gmail(dot)com
Florida
Thanks for the intro to Camile and her book! Caring for aging loved ones is now always easy, I look forward to reading about Ian's journey.
Patty in SV
Thanks for the intro to Camile and her book! Caring for aging loved ones is now always easy, I look forward to reading about Ian's journey.
Patty in SC
Enter me!!
Conway, SC.
Wendell, NC Thanks for the post!
Nicely done, Camille; you pull us right into the flow of the story. Have you been to Scotland? You've got an intriguing plot line that almost had me ready to explore the romance genre.
Unfortunately, you destroyed your credibility with that stick pony story--ain't no way you're 50, gal! I should know b/c I'm from Oregon.
Sam
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