Dear Readers, I have
been eagerly awaiting this day. Both Lisa and Lynne have been dear friends of
mine for years. I’ve been privileged by God to help each of them along their
writing journey, and both of them have an amazing writing voice. Together, they’re
more powerful. I’ve known about this book for a long time, and I knew it would
have to be published someday. That day is here.
Welcome, Lisa and
Lynne. How did this book come about?
LYNNE: Just over
a decade ago, a newspaper article featured a picture of a terrified albino. The
fear in his pale eyes caught my attention. As I read about the horrors these
fragile people faced in Africa , I couldn’t
believe such evil existed in the world. I contacted Lisa, who lives in Mozambique , and
asked her to investigate.
LISA: Until Lynne
wrote to me about the article, I’d never heard of these barbaric crimes. But
after doing some further research, I discovered that the atrocities against
albinos had been going on for years. Once we learned that the witch doctors
targeted the pale skin and hair of this minority to make good luck charms and
potions, we knew we had to tell their story.
Tell us about the
book’s cover and what makes it unique.
We were looking for something that conveyed both the medical
aspects of the story and its African setting. The heartbeat and the baobab tree
ended up being the perfect combination as well as setting the tone we were
looking for. And when you read the book, they will become even more
significant.
Please explain and
differentiate between what’s fact and fiction in the book.
While the actual story line is complete fiction, the things
that happen in this story could happen. Albinos really are hunted for the “magic”
in their skin. There really is a black market for organ parts. People really do
go to third world countries for transplants when they are out of options. We
took these facts, then weaved them into a medical thriller.
How much research did
you have to do for this book?
There was a long list of topics we had to delve into and
study: Albinism. The transplant tourism trade. Heart conditions. Pharmaceutical
testing. Piloting small planes. Organ transplants/rejections. American Embassy
procedures in an African country.
Neither of us were experts on any of this so we spent hours
tracking down people who were. It helped tremendously that Lisa lives in Africa . Her experiences in a third-world country lend a
tremendous amount of authenticity to the project.
What are some of the
most interesting things you found about this subject that you weren’t able to
use in the story?
While we didn’t shy away from our depiction of the gruesome
treatment of albinos, we spared our readers tons of the terrible details we
read on the subject. The power of superstition is strong. Only the power of
truth is stronger.
What inspired and
surprised you while you were writing the book?
We believe that beneath the color of our skin we are all
alike, but this belief was tested when we had to write from the POV of a
terrified mother of a cursed child. What surprised us was how much she was
willing to do to save her child. This realization really drove home the
platitude we spouted so easily and opened our eyes to the fact that you really
can’t know how another person is thinking or feeling if you’re not willing to
wear their skin, so to speak.
What do you hope the
reader takes away from the story?
Because while we live in a fallen world, we believe it is
possible to bring light into the darkness. The journey of these characters
challenged us, comforted us, and pushed us to live life more courageously. But
most of all, writing this story opened our hearts to wanting to do our part to
create a world that loves no matter what the color of our skin, education,
financial status, or nationality. And reminded us that God's light truly does
shine, even in the darkest places. We pray this story will do the same for each
person who reads it.
What is the next
project you’re working on?
LYNNE: I’m
finishing up the last book in my Mt. Hope Southern Adventures series. This
romantic comedy (Baby Shoes) wraps up
(for now) the quirky life of Leona Harper. After that, I’m doing edits on a
Young Adult sci-fi I can’t wait to release.
LISA: I’m
currently working on two novels. A Love Inspired Suspense set in Rio and the Amazon, and a new stand-alone suspense novel
for Revell. Both will be released next year.
What do you do when
you have to get away from the story for a while?
LYNNE: I have
several diversions – four grands under the age of four that I love spending
time with. I’ve also trained a medical therapy dog that I love to take to visit
the cancer wards at a major medical center.
LISA: I love hanging
out with my family, cooking different ethnic dishes, photography, and heading
into the African bush on safari.
That sounds like fun.
Please give us the first page of the book.
According to legend, their kind could never die. When they
grew old, they simply vanished from this world, like smoke from the cooking
fire that snakes above the spindly baobab trees and slithers away.
But not all legends are true.
Or so Jeme prayed.
Squinting through the shimmering rays of the grueling
African sun, Jeme balanced the bowl of dried beans on her head and pressed
through the crowded marketplace. A maze of narrow paths twisted around her,
each lined with dozens of sellers who sat in cramped wooden shops displaying
wares on rickety tables.
The smell of curried meat roasting on the grills mingled
with the pungent odor of dried fish baking in the late afternoon heat. Jeme’s
empty stomach roiled as she hurried past piles of tomatoes, peppers, oranges,
and colorful bags of spices. If only she could escape the whispers competing
with the buzz of the buyers and sellers. Whispers that spoke of the magical
powers of albino blood spilled across the brown earth, and of potions that could
bring untold wealth.
I’m very eager to
read the rest of the book. I’ve only heard the half that Lynne wrote. How can
readers find you on the Internet?
LYNNE: I love
hearing from readers.
Website: https://www.lynnegentry.com/
Facebook AUTHOR https://www.facebook.com/Author-Lynne-Gentry-215337565176144/
FACEBOOK Personal https://www.facebook.com/lynne.gentry.7
Twitter https://twitter.com/Lynne_Gentry
LISA:
Website: www.lisaharriswrites.com
Facebook Author: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaHarris
Twitter; https://twitter.com/heartofafrica
Pinterest: https://za.pinterest.com/lharriswrites/
Thank you so much for letting us stop by!!
Oh, girls. I’m so
blessed knowing both of you, and it’s a privilege to promote your books. I know
my readers will be as eager as I am to read the book.
Readers, here are links to the book. By
using one when you order, you help support this blog.
Ghost Heart: A Medical Thriller
Ghost Heart: A Medical Thriller
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