Women's Fiction
Date Published: 7/27/2019
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Claire Blackwell can’t find that damn white light. Thanks to a mishap at an intersection, she’s dead and stuck somewhere between Heaven and what seems like Hell as she is forced to watch her husband and children unravel without her. While she struggles to find answers for her limbo state, her family begins to see her, offering what she believes, is a gift of second chances.
As she navigates through this new, untouchable world and the challenges it creates, she is forced to face some sad and potentially dangerous truths. Determined, she works to mend her relationship with her family, but her stubborn teenage son refuses to acknowledge her, and when tensions escalate with his long-time bully, her inability to control the physical world around her leaves her fearing for her family’s safety. With her time running out, she must find a way to save them before the progress she has made is lost and she fades from this world forever.
Interview with Jan Steele
As a writer, what would you choose as your
mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
I find elephants such amazing gentle giants and am drawn
to their sensitivity and how they care for their own.
How many hours a day do you put into your writing?
I write every day in my head,
but I don’t always spend every day with my butt in the chair. My writing times
vary due to other things in my life taking priority from time to time.
Do you read your book reviews? If yes, do they affect what
you write in the future?
I was told by many authors not
to read my reviews, but I can’t help myself. I have to know what readers are
thinking or feeling after they read my novel. While I don’t think the reviews
will ever change what I write, I think it could make me more sensitive to how I
write a story.
Do you leave hidden messages in your books that only a few
people will find?
No – not yet!
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Shoes on the
Stairs?
My main character, Claire Blackwell
is stay-at-home, harried mother of three who feels invisible in a thankless
job. Claire’s husband, Brad, works hard to support his family, but has failed
to notice Claire’s unhappiness and the kid’s growing problems. Edward, eighteen
and the oldest of the three children, keeps to himself while he continues to be
tormented by his bully. Ivy is fifteen and masks the grief of her mother’s
death by hurting those who love her and investing in those who don’t. Jazzy is
seven and brings a sense of innocence and faith to the family who is lost
without Claire.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
Currently I’m writing a thriller
along the lines of Indecent Proposal meets Fatal Attraction. I am also
attending graduate school for my MFA in Creative Writing, so life is a little
busy right now!
Do you allow yourself a certain number of hours to write or do you
write as long as the words come?
I have to be flexible with my
schedule, but if the words come and I have time, I will keep writing.
Do you have a certain number of words or pages you write per day?
Not right now, but I’m working on
setting up a more consistent writing schedule so I can increase my output.
What inspires you to write?
I’m inspired by the stories that
pop into my head and by the readers who go out of their way to let me know how
much they loved my novel. One of my readers told me that after she finished the
book she went upstairs and hugged her teenager. It doesn’t get much better than
that!
Would you rather
Read fiction or
non-fiction?
Fiction
Read series or
stand-alone?
Stand alone
Read Science fiction
or horror?
Science fiction
Read Stephen King or
Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz
Read the book or
watch the movie?
Read the book – it’s usually always better!
Read an ebook or
paperback?
Ebook because I can take multiple books with me, but it is
nice to turn an actual page.
Be trapped alone for
one month in a library with no computer or a room with a computer and Wi-Fi
only?
Probably a computer with Wi-Fi so I can both read and write.
Do a cross-country
book store tour or blog tour online?
I would love to do a cross-country bookstore tour so I could
meet my readers personally.
About the Author
Jan Steele grew up in the burbs of Chicago and after thirty-two years of shoveling snow, moved to Southern California with her husband and children. She has taught everything from Kindergarten through high school but found her passion for writing years later while living as an expat in Asia for four years. She’s a contributing author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Miracles and More (2018), shares a blog with her sister-in-law, and is an MFA student at UC Riverside. In addition to writing, she loves to travel, volunteer, watch college basketball and sunsets. She’s also passionate about shedding light on the lasting effects of bullying.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
2 comments:
thanks for hosting #rabtbooktours
Thank you for hosting me and my novel!
Post a Comment