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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Blog tour: Review and interview Moon Over Alcatraz by Patricia Yager Delagrange

Today we have an interview with author


Following the death of their baby during a difficult birth, Brandy and Weston Chambers are grief-stricken and withdraw from each other, both seeking solace outside of their marriage; however, they vow to work through their painful disloyalty. But when the man Brandy slept with moves back to their hometown, three lives are forever changed by his return.

My take:
Both Brandy and Weston go through a heart wrenching ordeal when they lose their child at birth.  Nothing could be worse than that.  Both of them, in their grief, make a mistake and seek solace in other people instead of each other.  I'm not usually one for reading books with infidelity in them. So, I was a little wary when I went into this book.  After much thought, I decided that I did ultimately liked the book.  While I don't condone what either of them did, I was happy to see them go their separate ways.  I thought Weston was insensitive and a jerk from the beginning.  I liked the path that Brandy chooses to take in the end.  I think it was the right decision for her.  This is a pretty emotional book, but definitely one worth reading.

Kari: What inspired you to become a writer?

Patricia: In April 2009 my daughter came home from middle school and told me her friend had asked her why her mommy didn’t have a job.  I had been a stay-at-home mom since my son was born in 1994.  I realized that since my son was already 15 and my daughter was 10, I had more time to devote to working at something else.  I went to the Apple store, bought a MacBook, and decided to write a book.  I just finished my fourth novel.

Moon Over Alcatraz was published on January 6, 2012, and Love to the First Power will be published sometime this year.  I’m still searching for an agent to help guide my career for the other two books I have in the wings.
 
Kari: Where do you come up with the ideas for your books?

Patricia: I have followed a guideline I read several years ago: “write what you like to read”, and that’s what I do.  I love to write about families with problems and how the main character overcomes those problems, coming out the other side a better and happier person.

Kari: What is your favorite book so far?

Patricia: That I’ve written you mean?  I loved writing Taken Away.  It’s about a male veterinarian whose wife disappears along with their 9-month-old little daughter.  His search takes him through some real heavy emotional turmoil, but he ends up getting his “happily ever after”, so to speak.
Kari: What exciting projects are waiting in the wings?

Patricia: I’m editing my fourth book Brenda’s Wish.  This book is about a divorced mother and her 17-year-old son who live in San Francisco and how their lives are turned inside out and upside down after her cop ex-husband is murdered.  I love the venue and writing about a struggling single mom and her triumphs.

Kari: Who is your favorite literary character and why?

Patricia: I love Tom Booker in The Horse Whisperer.  I enjoyed reading about a man who believed so deeply that a horse could become friends with his owner again after such a horrific accident.  He’s my hero.

Kari: Just for fun, if you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Patricia: I would be one of my own dogs.  My two chocolate labs live a life most humans would be envious of.  They sleep on our beds with down pillows, are fed twice a day, get to lounge on the couch all day long, get bones all day long, and are kissed and loved on all day long.  Who wouldn’t want that?

About the author:



Fascinated by broken-hearted couples and atypical families, Patricia weaves engaging tales of men and women who create cohesive families where love reigns supreme.  She sprinkles her books with intriguing characters who struggle to find balance in life after tragedy.  Whether an unwed teenager, desperate widow, abandoned father, or a couple who stray from their marital vows, her characters form relationships impacted by their desire to create a family.

Aside from writing, her favorite things to do include riding her Friesian horse, Maximus, dot-to-dot for adults, and watching Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington movies.  She spends a majority of her days writing while her two very large Chocolate Labs lounge on the couch cuddled next to her and her MacBook.
She writes a blog every Wednesday, so if you're interested, sign up to be on the mailing list and she'll notify you after she posts her blog on this website.  Or just drop by Wednesday mornings and leave a comment.


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