Falling Through Ice - Feature Friday

Its my pleasure today to welcome author, Rosetta D. Hoessli to talk about her book, Falling Through Ice.

RB: I heard this was a true story. What can you tell us about the subject of your book?

Rosetta: Falling Through Ice is the true story of a San Antonio, Texas woman named Carolyn Sue Huebner who, at age 29, was arrested on May 27, 1987 for conspiracy in a plot to have her husband murdered. This in itself might not have been so shocking, but Huebner was the founder and president of Texas Child Search, Inc., an organization that had located 59 missing children since its inception in 1982. Much appreciated by law enforcement and called upon for assistance by child abuse experts all over the country.

            

Falling Through Ice brings the reader directly into Carolyn’s courageous struggle to come to grips with the secrets in her past and the disastrous effects those secrets had on her life. Carolyn’s incarceration saved her life and gave her the opportunity to discover the only lost child she had ever been afraid to find—the child within herself.

RB: Is there an overriding theme you hope your readers take away from your book?

            

Rosetta: There are two overriding themes for me. One is that our society must recognize that child abuse affects far more than just its littlest victims. Child abuse victimizes everyone. Child abuse victims fill our prisons, mental institutions, and homeless shelters. 

            

The other theme is even more important, and that is that God exists. He’s alive, and He’s just waiting for us to acknowledge His Presence. In Falling Through Ice, God stayed with a little child and helped her survive unspeakable torment, only to take a backseat in her life until she welcomed Him back again. God doesn’t force His way into our lives. He waits for us to call out to Him and then He comes. His blessings are so much more than we deserve.

RB: How long have you been writing and does your background influence what you write?

Rosetta: My background influences me in that I’m an only child and I’ve been reading since I was about four years old. I learned early to create characters to play with. Also, because I’m a military brat, we moved every two years and I always had to set up a new home in a new environment. That taught me to describe places and cultures. So, by the time I was about twelve, I was writing anything that interested me.

I started my first book (long since thrown into the trash heap) when my daughter was a toddler and I needed a creative outlet to keep from going crazy. It was a lousy book, but I finished it and that was the most important thing. So—and this is a shock to me!—I’ve been writing more than 50 years!

RB: Oh my goodness, that is a long time. Do you have a favorite book on the writing craft?

Rosetta: My favorite book is one on character development called Fiction is Folks. I use this book no matter what I’m working on—fiction or nonfiction, books or articles. If the piece requires a human being, I pull out Fiction is Folks. 

RB: What is your advice to struggling authors out there?

Rosetta:  Be persistent. Never give up. Believe in yourself. Read, read, read! Study the work of authors you admire and pay close attention to the way they put their stories together. Don’t copy them, but learn from them.

    

RB: That's great advice. What’s coming up for you in terms of your career?

Rosetta: I’m finally starting to work on a historical family saga trilogy (with a paranormal slant) that I’ve wanted to work on for years. The first book, the one I’m working on now, is called Comanche Winds. Set in Texas, it’ll cover about 50 years of two families—one Anglo, one Indian.

RB: Thank you so much for visiting with us. 

To find out more about her book, Falling Through Ice, visit her on Amazon.

Meet Author Anne Riley - Feature Friday

Today on our first "Feature Friday" we're meeting with author, Anne Riley, to talk about her debut YA novel, The Clearing.

RB: Thanks so much for stopping by, Anne. What can you tell us about your new book?

Anne: It’s about a girl named Natalie Watson who doesn't believe
the reports about the way her parents died. In fact, she’s not sure she believes in much of anything these days. But after moving from her home in Georgia to her aunt’s boarding school in Maine, solving the mystery of her parents’ deaths is just one of several things on her mind. When she’s not fending off attacks from the popular kids or taking refuge in the pages of a novel, she ponders the rumors circulating about a certain boy in her math class… a boy with fiery red hair who never speaks to anyone.


Despite suspicions that he may have murdered his sister a year earlier, Natalie finds it impossible to stay away from Liam Abernathy – especially when he confesses to knowing something about her parents. Soon she’s following him into the forest, where things happen she doesn’t understand… things that shouldn’t be possible….


As Liam’s story unfolds, Natalie realizes she’s more connected to him than she ever thought – and not everyone she counts as a friend can be trusted.

RB: Sounds exciting! Is there a character you’ve created that has special meaning for you?


Anne: The main character, Natalie, is so much like myself when I was a teenager! I was such a nerd and never felt like I shared the same interests as my classmates. Unfortunately, I don’t have nearly as good a reason as Natalie does for my weirdness. 


RB: So did your background as teenager who felt like this help you tell your main character's story?


Anne: My background totally helped because Natalie and I are both southern. This helped me identify with her point of view and it also made her southern dialect flawless.


RB: Now that you're a published author with all the experiences that come with that journey, do you have any advice for struggling writers out there?


Anne: Oh, man. It's tough, creating worlds and people out of thin air and then hoping someone else likes what you've created enough to publish it. I would say to always keep working, keep creating, and don't let the challenges of the industry stop you!


RB: That's encouraging advice, Anne. What do you have to say about those of us struggling with writer's block...any secrets?


Anne: I walk. I walk a lot. Always by myself. I've been known to break through a plot hole or two at our local gym too. Also, letting other people read helps. They can give you a fresh perspective on the story.


RB: What's coming up for you in terms of your career? Is there a sequel on its way?


Anne: Now that The Clearing is published, I am doing a couple of small, local author events. My agent has just sent me her comment on my second novel, Synthesis, and I'm trying to find an opportunity to dive into them!  After Synthesis goes out for submission, I hope to write a sequel to The Clearing.


RB: Wow, you sound super busy. We're so glad you came to visit. Congratulations on your new release!


Anne Riley is an author of young adult fiction disguised as a high school Spanish teacher. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband and their daughter. You can get to know her better at www.annerileybooks.com.