Blog Tour Author Interview - Secrets of Hallstead House by Amy M. Reade

Secrets of Hallstead House

by Amy M. Reade

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corp.

Date of Publication: July 17, 2014

Number of pages:  appr. 273

Word Count: appr. 82,000

Formats available: ebook, print-on-demand

Book Description:

Macy Stoddard had hoped to ease the grief of losing her parents in a fiery car crash by accepting a job as a private nurse to the wealthy and widowed Alexandria Hallstead.

But her first sight of Summerplace is of a dark and forbidding home. She quickly finds its winding halls and shadowy rooms filled with secrets and suspicions. Alex seems happy to have Macy’s help, but others on the island, including Alex’s sinister servants and hostile relatives, are far less welcoming.

Watching eyes, veiled threats…slowly, surely, the menacing spirit of Hallstead Island closes in around Macy. And she can only wonder if her story will become just one of the many secrets of Hallstead House…

Buy Links:

Amazon

Author Interview

1. Tell us a bit about your writing background. How did you get started writing Romantic Suspense?

I have always loved reading and writing. One day I was looking for a book to read at my grandparents’ house and I found a book by Phyllis Whitney. She was a writer of Romantic Suspense and I found that I loved her writing. After I became a lawyer, my writing was limited to fact-based legal documents, and I found that it wasn’t as enjoyable for me as writing fiction. I turned again to the books of Phyllis Whitney and bought all of her novels. I then branched out to other writers, such as Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart, and decided that I’d like to try my hand at writing Romantic Suspense.

2. Who/What were your earliest influences?

I’ve already mentioned Phyllis Whitney, Victoria Holt, and Mary Stewart, but they weren’t my earliest influences. I suppose my earliest influence was Ernest Hemingway. I learned more about writing from reading his books than from any other source. I don’t write like he does, but the way he uses words to evoke feelings is amazing to me.

3. Did you face any early challenges to finding success in writing?

My earliest challenge to success was the rejection slips I received. They set me back a bit because I was dejected and stopped writing for a short time after I got the first one. But I couldn’t stay away from writing and got back into it before too long. I’m so glad I didn’t let those rejection slips stop me!

4. What are your favorite books as a reader today? What qualities in them appeal to you?

My favorite books at the moment are the Hamish Macbeth and Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton. They’re sharp and witty and suspenseful and the characters are quirky and endearing. I also love Jane Austen because her books are just as appealing and relevant now as they were when they were written so long ago. My favorite book by Jane Austen is Pride and Prejudice.

5. What do you do outside your writing life?

I love to read. I would rather read a book than almost anything else, except writing. I think many writers are like that. But I also love to travel. My favorite place to go is Hawaii, though I love to experience new places, too. In fact, as I write this I am in Ireland, having just left Scotland, thereby crossing two places off my bucket list.

6. What encouragement helped you along the way?

Definitely the support of my family and friends. They have encouraged me and been my cheerleaders from the time they knew I was writing a book. But I’ve had other very important encouragement, too. The best advice I received was from an acquisitions editor at a small publisher. She advised me to get a website, get a blog, and get on social media, none of which I had done before then. It took me some time to get the courage to take her advice, but once I did I couldn’t believe how long I had waited.

7. What advice do you have for beginning writers?

I would repeat the advice from that acquisitions editor:  if you’re not on social media, get on.  If you don’t have a website or a blog, get one. You need to get your name out there so people start to recognize your work. It’s a pretty general rule that an editor will look for you online before he or she even reads your query letter. If your name isn’t online (for something positive!), your submission will probably end up in the slush pile.

8. What’s up next for your fans?

Up next is my second novel, with a working title of The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, a story of romantic suspense set near Charleston, South Carolina, on an old plantation. I don’t have a publication date yet, but I expect to have one soon. My work-in-progress, also romantic suspense, takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii.

9. What has been your biggest compliment?

My biggest compliment? When one of the reviewers who received an advanced reader copy of my novel compared me with Phyllis Whitney and Victoria Holt. As far as I’m concerned, there is no higher praise. You can find the review on Goodreads and at http://cayocosta72.wordpress.com/2014/05/07/secrets-of-hallstead-house-by-amy-reade-published-by-kensington.

10. Is there anything you’d like to say to your fans and readers?

I hope you enjoy Secrets of Hallstead House. I am truly thankful for each and every fan and reader, and each and every visitor to my website, my blog, my Twitter page, and my Facebook author page. Thank you.

About the Author

Amy M. Reade is a debut author of romantic suspense.  A native of upstate New York, she grew up in the Thousand Islands region and was inspired by the natural beauty of that area to write her first novel, Secrets of Hallstead House.  She now lives in New Jersey with her husband, three children, a Bouvier des Flandres named Orly, and two rescued cats who refuse to answer to their names of Porthos and Athos.

Upon graduation from Cornell University and Indiana University School of Law, Amy practiced law in New York City, but soon discovered that her dream job was writing.  In addition to volunteering with school, church, and community groups, Amy is currently working on her second novel, set in the area around Charleston, South Carolina.

Though Amy lives within sight of the Atlantic Ocean, she is partial to the blue waters of the Pacific and spends as much time as possible on the Big Island of Hawaii, which is the setting of her as-yet-unwritten third novel.

Author Links:

Website ¦ Twitter ¦ Facebook ¦ Blog ¦ Kensington Website

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