INTERVIEW
Help Me Move On
(The Southern Ties Series Book 1)
(The Southern Ties Series Book 1)
by Angie
Hemmings
Help Me Move On, the first book in The Southern
Ties Series by Angie Hemmings, is currently on tour with Bewitching Book Tours. The tour stops here
today for my interview with the author. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Ally Dunn is a small town girl with big dreams planning a wedding that
would never happen. Ally’s life revolved around being Eric’s wife … until she
watched his best friend Isaiah step off that plane, his arm in a sling and
Eric's casket behind him. Her grief consumed her, their last conversation not
one filled with love but an argument over her favorite flower. He knew her
favorite flower, he was just busy … fighting for his country. Isaiah made a
promise to Eric, he would keep Ally safe even if that meant saving her from
herself. Isaiah takes Ally away when her grief becomes too much but their
return brings about something she never expected.
When Ally meets Colton Walker she knows her life will never be the same.
She never planned to move on from Eric, the mere idea of moving on would send
her into a panic. How do you move on from the man you loved, the man who shared
your dreams, who made your heart feel whole? But Colton doesn’t push her, he
doesn’t pressure her, he gives her everything she ever needed and he does it
effortlessly.
Falling in love with Colton was like taking her next breath; she didn’t
have to think about because it came naturally … only a cloud hangs over Ally.
Isaiah trains her in Krav Maga, Eric trained her in gunfire. Colton sees all of
this, asking the one question she can’t answer, why? Why would a woman who
lives in such a small town need to know such aggressive self-defense? Isaiah
vows to keep her safe, going so far as to track her every move … but why?
Surviving Eric’s death almost killed Ally, the hole in her heart never
truly healed until Colton. Falling in love with Colton was easy, fighting for
her life when everything she thought she knew was wrong … that was a completely
different story.
Interview With the Author
For what age group
do you recommend your book?
Sixteen plus.
What sparked the
idea for this book?
I was driving around Pilot Mountain, this rather unique looking mountain,
and I started thinking about small towns and how everyone I ever grew up with
wanted to get as far away from their small town when in reality small towns are
kinda awesome.
So, which comes
first? The character's story or the idea for the novel?
The idea came first. This small town girl who gets caught up in the
moment. She's so caught up in planning this perfect life that has no price tag
that she loses track of what's important.
What was the hardest
part to write in this book?
The first part. The very first chapter when she's sitting at that funeral
watching the only man she has ever loved being placed in the ground knowing
that their last conversation wasn't one of love but rather a fight. How many
times have you had a fight with someone you love not thinking that that could
be the last time you ever saw them again? You think that you'll get a second
chance but what happens when that doesn't happen? How do you live with yourself
knowing the mistakes you made and knowing you can't take them back?
How do you hope this
book affects its readers?
I want my readers to come out from this book happy and glad they read
this book. So many times I've read a book and been frustrated at the end and I
took an entire year to perfect this book so that hopefully my readers will be
as happy as I am.
How long did it take
you to write this book?
I spent a year making sure this book was perfect. I nitpicked this poor
book to death and then I nitpicked some more.
What is your writing
routine?
I always start with a song that fuels the story that I'm writing. With Help Me Move On that song was "Holding Out For A Hero" as sung by Ella Mae
Bowen. There were many other songs but this was the central theme to the story.
How did you get your
book published?
I considered traditional publishing until I read several articles on
LinkedIn by some indie authors and I decided I liked the idea of going against
the curb and being independent in my writing and publishing.
What advice do you
have for someone who would like to become a published writer?
Don't feel like you have to bend to everyone else's demands because at
the end of the day all that really matters is that you're happy with the work
you're putting out.
What do you like to
do when you're not writing?
Read. I read a lot of romance, and then when I'm not reading I'll watch
mindless comedies to clear my mind ... yes, that probably sounds weird but it
works.
What does your
family think of your writing?
It depends on who you ask. My husband is my entire world and he's
supported me from the very beginning. He told me to take a year off and focus
on writing and he told me if I wanted to make this my career then he was happy
with that.
Does all my family think the same thing? No ... I've had many a
disagreement over my decision to take a year off to write, but at the end of
the day I'm doing what makes me happy and writing makes me happy.
That's great, Angie.
Please tell us a bit about your childhood.
I had the kind of childhood that people don't believe when you talk about
it. Parents who didn't drink or party or smoke for that matter, where dinner
was served every night at the same time, and you always went to bed knowing
that you were loved. We went to family reunions each year, we went to church
every Easter, and we got Pringles in our Christmas stockings every single year (a
tradition I have kept with my own children). To a lot of people it's weird to
get Pringles in your Christmas stocking but see my dad was a Wise Potato Chip
man and we could have whatever chips we wanted (growing up that is) but they
had to be the Wise brand. So on Christmas morning when we woke up and Santa
brought Pringles it was a really big deal. Silly I guess, but that was a really
fond memory and every year when I buy Pringles for our stockings my husband
gets a good laugh.
Sounds like you had
a great childhood! Did you like reading when you were a kid?
I read more as I got older. A lot of the books I read came from my
sister. Robin Cook is one of the first authors I remember being
addicted to. I started with Outbreak because my big sister was reading this and I had a thing where I wanted
to be just like her (not that I would have ever admitted that) and, once I read
that, I pretty much devoured whatever I could get from him.
When did you first
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I think I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but I wasn't ready until
this last year. I wrote my first book when I was a teenager and I remember
rereading it and thinking that I needed to live more, to experience more before
I could really write the way that I wanted to write. I was right. After I met
my husband everything I ever thought I knew changed, and my writing changed
because of that.
Did your childhood
experiences influence your writing?
I was sheltered as a child to the extent that I was completely ignorant
to more things than I really care to admit to now that I look back. But I'll
say this much, as sheltered as I was, I was observant and, even though I had a
stable childhood, I learned a lot from my mother and her life which has
influenced one book in particular.
Which writers have
influenced you the most?
Nicholas Sparks because he's one of the
few writers who can make me cry with just about every book I read. E. L. James because she broadened my perspective on
female sexuality. Stephenie Meyer because she wrote the
first series that I read so many times I almost memorized the books.
Do you hear from
your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I have dedicated readers and I hear from them all the time. My readers
are the reason I write and the reason I keep publishing, because they're happy
with what I'm writing, and if they want more then I'll give them more.
The #1 thing lately I've been getting is what made me want to write and I
answer the same each time I'm asked this. I love it. Writing makes me happy and
I may not be the next Nicholas Sparks but I am Angie Hemmings and I'm happy with
being just that.
That's a great
attitude, Angie! What can we look forward to from you in the future?
Every six months I'm planning on releasing another book from The Southern Ties Series. I may be an
independent author, but I'm determined and, as long as my fans want more, I
plan on giving that to them.
Fantastic! Thanks so
much for taking the time to stop by today, Angie. Best of luck with your future
projects.
About the Author
Angie Hemmings is a self-proclaimed romance addict. Her love for romance
began at an early age but after years of reading romance novels she found
herself wanting more which led to her first novel. She's originally from Mount
Airy, a small town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and she loves
the art behind creating a new story. Getting lost in the romance, the struggle
between her characters is what makes Angie Hemmings continue her work and
writing is what she loves.
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