Virtual Book Tour + #Giveaway: The Moment Between by Gareth Frank @GoddessFish

The Moment Between

by Gareth Frank

GENRE: Psychological Thriller

BLURB:

After four years of mourning, Doctor Hackett Metzger is determined to stop letting his wife's death control his life. He is finally beginning to live again, but his recovery leads to an unexpected fight for his own survival and startling revelations about what happens to all of us in The Moment Between.

Hackett, a brilliant neurologist, is a skeptic. He doesn't believe he will one day be reunited with Jean, or dwell with God in heaven. What he does believe is that he should have seen the warning signs of her heart attack; he should have saved her. He also cannot accept the possibility that his clinical study of near death experiences could prove the existence of a conscious afterlife. When Hackett falls for the mother of a patient, grief finally begins to fade. But he has no idea his new love is hiding her dangerous past. Will Hackett's damaged spirit endure another heartbreak?

Excerpt:

The gravelly voice scratched Hackett’s memory, banging, scraping and popping just as it had that snowy night outside the hospital. Once again, he felt the force of the man’s knee on his neck. His heart pounded. He looked around the garage, thought first of finding a hammer or wrench on the work bench, but his eyes registered nothing within easy reach. He briefly thought of taking the man down with a chainsaw, as if he were in a scene from a Quentin Tarantino movie. He felt the uncomfortable hiccup of a laugh bubble up inside of him. Without thinking, he grabbed and felt a cool, wooden handle among the garden tools.

Careful not to make a noise he lifted the pitchfork up and stared at it. In that moment, Hackett thought about all the times he had cut into human flesh. He had seen blood, he had seen death, but as a doctor, he had always strived to save life, not take it. Now, holding the pitchfork, he tried to convince himself this would be no different. He watched his hand shake, like a ninety-year-old patient holding a coffee cup. Could he do this? He wasn’t so sure. Noise within the house drew Hackett’s attention.

Interview with Author Gareth Frank

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Moment Between?

The Moment Between is a psychological thriller that brings death to life through the story of Doctor Hackett Metzger, a neurologist still recovering from the passing of his wife when he becomes involved in a medical study of near-death experiences, and falls for a woman with a dangerous past. Hackett, a likeable and brilliant doctor, is also a bit of an awkward nerd. He agrees to support the study even though his heart and mind tell him that death is final. Life and research are about to collide.

Doctor Metzger, the main character in my novel, struggles to balance the longing for his wife, with his longing for a new relationship. Like all humans, he must also balance two competing selves, the rational and the spiritual and come to terms with his skepticism of the afterlife.

The idea for my other main character showed up in a Christmas card that mentioned the death of a friend's brother and alluded to his wife being the murderer. A very strange Christmas card, indeed. I couldn't stop thinking about it. When I called my friend and asked what had happened, I found out that, as they say, fact was stranger than fiction. I used the woman in question to create Sarah Falicidees. Some people think I created a monster. The truth is, real monsters are often real people. Sarah was perhaps my most difficult character, because I did not want her to be totally one dimensional. I think I succeeded. You might not like her, but I hope you can understand her, at least a little.

Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?

I am getting close to finishing my third novel. Although it is similar in style, its characters inhabit a totally different "world." Torn Skin is the story of Jonny Pirpal, a punk rockin, freight train hoppin loner with a history of ego and anger issues. Back in the nineties, he achieved a moment of rock and roll fame but his world fell apart and he lost everything in a single day. Syierra Antalek is a mystic who quite literally saves the lives of strangers but couldn't save her own family. After years of dedicating herself to others, she, too, has become a lonely traveler, but for very different reasons. Their paths cross as Jonny's history is about to catch up with him.

One of the things I love about writing Torn Skin is that I have gotten the opportunity to write lyrics to Jonny's songs, both as a punk rocker and a vagrant.

How long would you say it takes you to write a book? 

I retired seven years ago, and I am close to finishing my third novel, so I guess it has taken me an average of more than two years, but I do think I am getting faster and more proficient. Unfortunately, I am finding that publishing and marketing a novel is a huge writing distraction that is slowing me down.

What is your favorite childhood book?

That depends on how far you want to go back. I confess a definite weakness for Doctor Seuss' Yertle the Turtle. What could be better than green sky, blue turtles and the perfect rhyme?

If you could spend the day with one of the characters from The Moment Between who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do. 

I live in the Washington, DC area as does my main character, Dr. Hackett Metzger. I would accompany him to his favorite Irish bar and restaurant, Flannagan's Harp and Fiddle, a real live establishment in Bethesda, Maryland. As a neurologist, he could tell be all about my sleep problems and I could ask him about all the interesting cases he has seen in his career. If a pretty blonde walked in the front door. I'd warn him off.

What was the hardest scene from  The Moment Between to write

The hardest scenes were the scenes wherein I had to link theories of sub-atomic physics to theories of consciousness after death. There really is quite a strong link, but I prefer to think about the scenes that were most fun to write. In Chapter 5, I weave together three separate story lines involving the love lives of the three main characters. I play with time and place in order to present their attitudes toward romance. Without directly stating it, the chapter shows that each person's reactions are similar to how they think about death.

What made you want to become a writer?

I am an accidental writer. I had no intention of becoming a writer when I was a child, a college student, or for most of my adult life. Writing grew on me overtime. Then as I approached retirement, I was looking for something to do. I caught the bug. 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Gareth Frank is a former union organizer and administrator. He received a Master's Degree at the University of Wisconsin and later studied at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The Moment Between is his first published novel. His short stories have been published in various journals and have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize as well as the Silver Pen Write Well Award.

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