- You recently released 'A Corner of Universe'. Tell us a bit about it.
Most women today would agree that their lives are complicated.
Adult stepchildren. Late-in-life pregnancies. Consuming careers.
Navigating the hazards of blended families.
These are the issues that face my heroine, Zoe Sterling.
In hopes of reclaiming her husband’s waning attention, Zoe welcomes her self-indulgent twenty-one-year-old stepson, Seth, into her Chicago home on Universe Street. But her benevolent intentions backfire when young Neva Reckart, a troubled outcast Zoe has befriended, becomes obsessed with Seth. Neva’s attention-seeking antics move from desperate to dangerous, and as Zoe’s marriage disintegrates, she is forced into jeopardizing everything she holds dear—including the life of her unborn child.
- How much of your real life enters your books?
Quite a lot of my own experiences shaped this book. My heroine has to deal with blending a family. Like any woman who has had to deal with step-children, Zoe faces challenges in defining her role in that environment. Like my heroine, I have step-children and am constantly dealing with the challenges, and the wonderful rewards, of dealing with an extensive family.
- Who is your publisher and why did you choose them?
Actually, my former agent submitted the book to eleven publishers. Ten rejections, but one acceptance with Five Star/Cengage/Gale. For traditional publishing, that's really a pretty good result. My first book, CAST THE FIRST STONE, was submitted to nineteen publishers and rejected. The twentieth was Five Star, so this is my second book with them. When it comes to traditional publishing, rejection is the name of the game, and an author has to develop a pretty thick skin.
- How much do you use social media to market your books?
I use Facebook, great blogs like yours, reading groups like Goodreads and Librarything and of course the online retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
- Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
My website is www.rebbiemacintyre.com and if readers google my name, there are all kinds of hits that will lead them to interviews etc. Of course, buying the book is always the best way to learn about an author, but if you don't want to spend the money on a hardcover, which in this economy is very understandable, I'd like to invite readers to request the book from their library. Librarians love to get patron requests, and once the library gets it in, the book will be in the system for other people to enjoy.
- Anything else you'd like to add?
Yes, I'd like to tell you the beginnings for A CORNER OF UNIVERSE.
PBS ran a program a few years ago where they interviewed concentration camp survivors. All of them, of course, are elderly now and have unforgettable stories of their experiences. One was a woman who despite her terrible years in a concentration camp was absolutely bubbling with happiness and life. The interviewer asked her how she moved beyond her experience, how she recovered her zest for living. The old woman arced her hand through the air and said, “Forgive. Forgive everyone for everything.”
Most authors talk about a “seed” for a story, something they’ve picked up that simply must be written about. That interview stuck with me for months. I loved what she said and I used that woman as a basis for an important character in A CORNER OF UNIVERSE. The story was born from there.
Also, I'd like your readers to know that as a part of my launch for the book, I'm giving away five signed and personalized copies. To enter the contest, send an email to rebmacintyre@msn.com and put "writers and authors contest" in the subject line. Include your mailing address and any personal message you'd like inscribed, if you win. On March 30, five names will be chosen at random by my own private public relations manager: my hubby.
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