Welcome to the 2023 ARIA Author Showcase and Giveaway Event! 

  

  

How to enter – Comment on the daily showcases to enter the daily giveaway. Comments close one week after the initial Showcase post. GRAND PRIZE drawn on Dec 8th (1 -$250, 1 -$100, or a 1 -$50 Amazon gift card. One grand prize pp) – For every showcase you post on, you automatically gain one entry to the grand prize. 30 Authors = 30 entries.    

Colleen Coyne will be at the Rhode Island Author Expo   

On to the Showcase! 

 

What name do you like to write under?  Colleen Coyne 

Where do you call home? Mystic, CT, now, RI born and raised 

What genre(s) do you write? Historical Fiction, Mystery/Suspense & Psychological Thrillers 

What genre(s) were you drawn to when you were younger Was there a reason that genre(s) appealed to you the most? I was never drawn to one particular genre, which is probably also why my books are different genres - from historical fiction to psychological thrillers. 

What were some of your favorite books growing up? Why? Like many women my age, my early favorite reads were Nancy Drew books. Later, one of my favorite books was Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins. 

What are some of your favorite books today? I've been enjoying most everything I've been reading lately. Wonderful books that I've recently read include The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese and Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. 

What inspired you to become a writer?  For many years, I worked a trade show each spring in Brussels, Belgium. I've also spent a lot of time in the South of France where we have an apartment. Brussels, at the time, was adorned with statutes of King Leopold II. I can gaze across the bay from our apartment balcony and see some of King Leopold's most storied properties. Curiosity about how the King could spend so much time in a country other than his own, and his influence in shaping the French Riviera, led me to doing research. What I learned inspired me to try my hand at writing my first novel The Unintended Heiress. 

 

BEWEPT 

Anna is finally happy—newly married to a wonderful, supportive man and living in her dream home. Just as her husband begins to announce a big surprise, his heart ceases, her future dissolves, and she plunges into grief. 
 
Grief has her stuck between what was and what is. From past experience, Anna knows how easy it is to get lost in a grief that causes odd behaviors, lost chunks of time, and forgetfulness. This time, is it a sign she is in the throes of early dementia? 
 
When past horrors resurface and collide with Anna’s uncertain present, she wonders if something sinister is at play. Discovering the truth sends her on a harrowing odyssey where each step forward unlocks another terrible memory. Successfully confronting the ghosts from her past will be key to her survival.

Tell us a little about how "Bewept” came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else? The initial kernel of the idea was influenced by my mother's struggle with dementia. Early in that terrible journey, she could expertly cover-up her struggle. But as time progressed and she lost more of herself, her reliance on others naturally increased. An ill-intentioned person could easily take advantage of that vulnerability. In my research, I was also struck by the fact that the early stages of grief and dementia can be quite similar. That inner struggle and second-guessing of yourself generated by either cause could be maddening—especially if somebody evil might be helping it along. 

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book? Anna, the main character, changed the most from first draft to publication. I initially had other plans for Anna, but she surprised me and demanded taking a different path. I love it when characters develop into their own distinct personalities. That's when the story begins to write itself. 

Which character was the most challenging to create. Why? Anna was the most challenging character to create. I was alone for sixteen months during the pandemic. My husband was in Europe and I was stateside. It was then that I began writing this story and putting myself into her shoes. It soon felt as if I was "living" with her because she was so much in my head—and I sometimes thought that I might be the one losing it! 

What do you like best about being a writer? I love when a story's momentum takes hold. The writing pace quickens until you suddenly, and inevitably, hit a wall. It's then energizing to discover a twist or turn that keeps the story moving, and sometimes it is in a surprising new way. Where you end up can be so different from how you originally imagined—and it is usually so much better! 

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be? What would the title of the book be? (If possible) - Give us a one sentence blurb. Jodi Picoult is a gifted writer who she sometimes collaborates with other authors. It would be wonderful to have the opportunity to learn from her through collaboration. Ping-ponging character development and plot would be so much fun! 

You can follow Colleen Coyne here - 

https://www.instagram.com/coyne.colleen/ 

colleencoynewriter.com (coming soon) 

Colleen is giving away a copy of “Bewept” To enter comment below --> We know the saying skeletons in the closet, but have you heard of ... "Book binds" in the closet? probablly not because I just made it up ^_^. What's a guilty pleasure book or series you couldn't help but consume?

 

 

(Comments are open for one week)