Interview with novelist Kathleen Duhamel

My special author guest today is Kathleen Duhamel. She’s here to chat with me about her new contemporary women’s fiction, Deep End.

During her virtual book tour, Kathleen will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Welcome, Kathleen. Please share a little bit about your current release.

When her close-to-perfect world falls apart, can love still prevail?

After years of struggle and harsh criticism, happily married rock star wife Claire Martin has finally achieved the career success of her dreams. As the featured artist in an international traveling exhibit, she looks forward to her best year ever, while her husband, singer Robert Silver of the legendary band Deep Blue, contemplates a return to touring.

Things are also looking up for Claire’s best friend, Denise Hrivnak, who’s planning her wedding to Robert’s musical partner, Art Hoffman. However, what should have been most joyful day of Denise’s life turns to tragedy when an unexpected event forces both woman to contemplate the terrifying possibility of life without the men they love.

Besieged by the paparazzi and sick with worry, Claire waits for answers in a Las Vegas hotel room, thinking over her improbable relationship with Rob and praying that love alone is strong enough to bring her beloved husband back from the brink.

What inspired you to write this book?

This is the third book in my Deep Blue Trilogy, which follows the emotional journey of Claire (now 61) and her passionate, tumultuous relationship with Rob, an aging rock star. Throughout the series, we see her evolve from a “barely-not-starving” artist dealing with her own insecurities to the resilient woman she becomes in Deep End.

Excerpt from Deep End:

Rob

CHAPTER ONE

“Are you about ready to go, sweetie?” she asks. “We don’t want to be late to the party.”

My wife of more than a year, Claire Martin Silverman, stands with her back to me in the bedroom of our tiny Manhattan pied a terre, applying lipstick in front of a mirror while I perch on the edge of our bed.

 “Whenever you are, babe.”

The truth is I’ve been ready for more than half an hour, killing time by catching a re-run of my favorite cooking show while watching her touch up her makeup. Out of boredom I texted Artie Hoffman, my musical partner and co-founder of our band, Deep Blue, with a one-word message: S’up?

He texted back: Sitting and waiting for my woman to tell me what to do.

Same here, I responded. See ya later.

I glance at Claire again from across the room. She’s dressed to kill, wearing a little black dress that hugs her trim body in all the right places and a pair of stilettos that are sparking a multitude of lewd thoughts.

A silvery blonde mane drifts over her shoulders. She claims there’s a lot more gray in her hair since we met, and there may be some truth to her statement. Claire hasn’t had an easy time of it, being married to me.

As she reaches for the lipstick to tuck it into her beaded bag, the tube rolls off the dresser and onto the floor. She bends over to retrieve it, causing the fabric of her dress to stretch tight across her nicely rounded backside, a vision that threatens to bring me to my knees.

Having my nine-year-old son live with us full time has been delightful, challenging, and downright exhausting. It’s also meant some lifestyle changes for Claire and me. I miss our first-thing-in-the morning encounters and the so-called afternoon “naps” we used to take when it was only the two of us. Claire and I haven’t spent any quality time in bed together for three weeks. Twenty-four days and counting, to be exact. On our last two scheduled “date nights,” we went out to dinner, came home, and promptly fell asleep.

Tonight, Matthew is staying over at my daughter Jill’s house with her two kids, and my romantic hopes run high. Claire turns around and catches me staring at her. Light dances in her smoky green eyes. I’m pretty sure she recognizes the lustful expression on her husband’s face, having seen it a lot.

“What are you looking at?” she teases.

“Your sweet ass in that dress,” I admit. Why lie?

What exciting story are you working on next? 

I’m currently writing Fed Up, the first book in a new series. The main characters are a small town chef and a failing television actor, both in their 50s. At some point in the series, I expect one or more characters from Deep Blue to make an appearance

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Since I was eight years old. I wrote and illustrated my first story about baby sparrows leaving the nest.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write? 

I have a part-time day job that pays my bills and allows me to keep writing. I also do some freelance work that involves writing for children, a huge challenge!  I set aside most afternoons and at least one weekend day for writing and promoting my books.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t outline. I tried it with my first novel, but ended up throwing the outline away. Since my books are character-driven, I see my job as an author to set up an interesting, plausible situation and let the characters run with it.

I also like writing in first person. I feel it lends both immediacy and emotion to the story. I want my readers to get inside my character’s heads and experience their love, pain, rejection, disappointment, etc. firsthand.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an artist. Instead, I grew up painting with words.

Links:
Book | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Thank you for being a guest on my blog!

a Rafflecopter giveaway