Friday, June 3, 2016

Interview with Shelly Brimley, TAKE ME TO THE WILLOW

  Can you describe your dream home?
I’ve never wanted anything too fancy or big. It’s not my style and I think I’d feel uncomfortable in it. I love cozy! My dream house would be a house that’s big enough to have a playroom for my kids and a couple of guest rooms for company. I love wood or brick and would want it to be in a rural area where there are seasons, and I’d want to have a large property for gardening and livestock. It would also have to have an amazing back yard because we spend tons of time outside.

If we were to come to your house for a meal, what would you give us to eat?
We like to do personalized calzones, grilled veggies, and homemade ice cream sandwiches for dessert.

Tell us about the absolute BEST fan letter you have received.
I’ve had people tell me that the book was therapeutic for them as they read it while going through something difficult. Others have said that they fell in love with characters and that they felt like close friends to them. But the absolute best letter (or email) I ever received was from my dad. I have always looked up to him and admired him for so many reasons. He’s been an amazing father, mentor, confidant, grandfather, counselor, teacher, motivator… and the list goes on and on.

My dad is a scholar. He was a professor for years before retiring, but he continues to study and learn constantly. We, his kids, have always known that if you have a question about anything, call dad. He almost always has the answer, but if he doesn’t, he’ll research it and get back to you. I asked my dad to read the manuscript while I was writing it so that he could give me feedback along the way. We spend a great deal of time together throughout the process of writing, revising, editing, etc. After it was done, my dad sent me an email. He told me that I was a wonderful writer, that the book was just beautiful, and that it made him weep in several places. I was so moved and appreciative of those comments. It made all the hard work with it just for that!

Say your publisher has offered to fly you anywhere in the world to do research on an upcoming book, where would you most likely want to go?
Hmmm… well, I’ve really been toying with the idea of writing a story about a trafficking victim’s journey so I would probably go to Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador. If I were just going somewhere to clear my head and have an ideal writing environment, I’d go to Scotland.

Who designed the book cover for the book you are touring?
KPGS design (Jelena) from 99 designs.



BLURB:
In defending his life-long friendship with Charlie, Will may have inadvertently had a hand in the growing chaos that leads to the horrifying night when his familiar world is shattered.

When Will Wright, the eighteen-year-old son of a small-town Arkansas sheep herder in 1905, begins reading his mother’s journal, he is inspired by its startling content to start putting his own experiences to paper for posterity. An unsophisticated but principled young man, Will is becoming increasingly aware of the hatred that exists in the world. When he begins his own journal, Will can’t know what events are to take place in the next five years – from his mother’s battle with a life threatening illness, to his embarrassments of learning how to be in love for the first time, to witnessing Charlie’s fate at the hands of the bigoted townspeople. While part of him wishes the pain in those pages didn’t exist, he knows that the original purpose for keeping the journal has been realized - to show his kin how he became the man he is. He will probably never go back through and read again the pages he’s written, but someday, someone will, and they will see that along with the hurt, Will’s life had been one that knew true joy, absolute love, and undying friendship.

Amazon – On sale for only $0.99 until May 22


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Shelly Brimley was born in Flagstaff, AZ, where she lived most of her life until moving to Mexico to study abroad. After graduation, Shelly did some volunteer work in Africa and completed her graduate degree while working in an adolescent drug treatment center. After acquiring her Master’s degree, she worked as a counselor at a residential shelter for children who had been smuggled and trafficked into the USA from different countries around the world.

She also taught English to adult refugees before resigning to raise her children. Shelly wanted to use her experience working with others as a source of inspiration in her writing, offering a voice for those who are not typically heard or considered.

Website:
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