Deceived by Stella Barcelona-Review, Interview and Giveaway

Deceived
by Stella Barcelona
Release Date: May 1, 2014
Genre: adult, suspense,

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 1, 2014

Their destinies have been set in motion by their ancestors.

Taylor Marlowe Bartholomew carries three of the most notable names in New Orleans society. She hoped to forge her own path in the world as an Assistant District Attorney, but that dream is dying as obligations pull her into the family shipbuilding business. In Taylor’s final days in the DA’s office, she receives a murder assignment that could unravel her perception of reality.

Ghosts of the past shadow every step they take.

Brandon Morrissey is haunted by demons that force him to keep his life simple and detached. He pours all of his energy into his thriving legal practice, until, overnight, he becomes the single father of an infant. For the sake of his son’s future, Brandon searches for a killer and faces the truth about his family’s unfortunate past.

Together they have to find the truth…before it’s too late.

Someone is willing to kill to use the past for their own ends. Thrust together, Brandon and Taylor have different views of their families’ intersecting histories. As they confront a sea of uncertainty, one thing is sure…no one is safe until they discover where the truth lies.

••••••••••••••••••••••

When Taylor and Brandon are thrown together completely by chance, little do they know how much their lives will change. And, how quickly it will do so. Brandon only very recently discovered that he had an infant son, and when the baby’s mother is murdered, the case is handed over to Taylor by the DA’s office. Taylor heads over to Brandon’s house to aid the NOPD with their questioning of Brandon. Once she arrives, they immediately start sizing each other up. After all, their families have a rich and scandalous history. Once, the two families we in business together, building ships, but once Brandon’s grandfather was charged with treason by the United States government for selling secrets to the Nazis, the Morrisey name was no longer welcome in New Orleans society circles. They both put that aside as they embark on a dangerous mission to figure out the truth behind the young woman’s murder.

If only things went as they were supposed to…….. Taylor’s father had given her one year at the DA’s office and then she has to decide whether she will stay there or join their illustrious family’s ship building business. Taylor’s father calls her then the jig is up and it’s time to join with him, as she is his only heir. Reluctantly, she gives up her dream job to help her father. But, she has problems giving up the murder investigation. She decides to do some investigating on her own, with the help of a reluctant Brandon, and they soon discover that things are not as they seem. They also soon realize that trust between them is going to play a big part in what’s going on. When others end up dead, that on the surface don’t seem connected in any way, they start putting the pieces to the puzzle together and discover that the past has truly come back to haunt them. Can they truly trust each other? Or, will they each be so caught up in their own family’s version of the truth that they can’t see the forest for the trees? Let’s just say that revisionist history, like karma, can be a bitch………………….

Barcelona has written a story that grabs you from the beginning and sucks you right in. The way the she weaves actual historical events into the storyline flows beautifully and in no way feels forced. I love it when I finish a book and feel that I actually learned something! Both Taylor and Ben are great characters, as are the supporting characters in story. And, when they finally figure out who is wreaking havoc on their families…… Let’s just say I was like WOW!!!! I totally thought it was going to go one way and I was totally wrong! LOL!! There is a lot of mystery, a lot of intrigue and a lot of great romance and storytelling. I look forward to reading more by Stella Barcelona.

Copy supplied by the publicist

Review by Vickie M

 

 

TRC: Hi Stella and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

Stella: Hello! It is great to be here, and thank you for inviting me.

TRC: Congratulations on the release of DECEIVED.

Stella: Thank you. I love that something that only lived in my imagination has now made it into the hands of readers.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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Stella: I’m an author of romantic suspense novels. I’ve written creatively for years … Deceived is my first novel that is published, but it is not the first one that I’ve written. Most of my life I’ve lived in and around New Orleans, Louisiana, but I can be at home just about anywhere, as long as my husband and my dogs are with me and I have a bit of quiet space. Long walks are a favorite pastime.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Stella: First, I’ve always been an incurable romantic and an avid daydreamer with an excessive imagination for good and bad. Second, I developed a love of reading at a very young age. When I first started daydreaming about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I had a romance novel in my hands, and I didn’t want to be the heroine. I wanted to be the person who imagined the story, because, in my daydreams, the author who was pictured on the back of those books was able to live many happily-ever-after imaginary lives. Life intervened and, because I didn’t know how to make a living as an author, I became a history teacher first and then a lawyer. Both professions have influenced my creativity and my writing.

TRC: When not writing, what do you do to relax?

Stella: I have two adorable papillons, and any time I pet one or both of them, it is as relaxing for me as a deep breath and a pedicure, combined. Also, my husband and I are boaters. I love boating days and long walks once the boat is docked.

TRC: DECEIVED is your May 1, 2014 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

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Stella: Deceived is a romantic suspense with a historical twist: a mystery that was inspired by real-life contributions of New Orleanians to the Allied Forces in World War II. The decades-old mystery comes to light in the present day and creates havoc in the lives of Taylor Bartholomew and Brandon Morrissey, whose identities are intrinsically related to the official historical version of the facts.

Like the city of New Orleans itself, Deceived is full of contradictions, which begin with the heroine and hero. Taylor is idealistic, naive, and was born into a family that lives at the pinnacle of New Orleans society. Brandon is haunted by demons and by a family with an unfortunate past. He is cynical and doesn’t care one bit about New Orleans society. Taylor and Brandon are two lawyers with different versions of a story that is close to their hearts. Together they have to find the truth . . . or face dire consequences.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the Black Raven Private Security Contractors?

Stella: Black Raven Private Security Contractors was introduced in Deceived, and is featured in my work in progress, Shadows. Black Raven will make repeat appearances in my novels, but I can’t give a specific number of books where it will be featured.

TRC: Are any of the characters or the premise based in reality or a combination of reality and fiction?

Stella: The premise of Deceived is based on a combination of reality and fiction. Readers who are familiar with history may recognize the inspiration for the Hutchenson Landing Craft, as the fictional boat actually exists in real life and was a highly valued military asset of the Allied forces in World War II. I’ve changed the name of the boat for the story.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in the story, which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?

Stella: I’m not sure. I didn’t write the story with any particular actor or model in mind. I’m curious to see if readers could give me ideas for an answer to this question, because when I think of Brandon or Taylor, I see them.

TRC: How much influence has the French Quarter and Cajun Country of New Orleans had in your writing?

Stella: While New Orleans, the city I have always called home, profoundly influences my writing and Deceived, neither the French Quarter nor Cajun Country are large parts of Deceived. The events in the story just didn’t take the characters to those places.

TRC: You are a lawyer by education. What was the factor in switching up your career choice to writing?

Stella: I actually haven’t made a switch. Currently I’m both a lawyer and a fiction author. I always wanted to be a fiction writer, but detoured into becoming a lawyer because I needed to earn a living. Now that Deceived is published, I’m still a lawyer and have no plans to stop. I work for a court in New Orleans, and I enjoy my job, because I read and write, all day, every day. Legal writing is different than fiction writing, but I find that steady progress with the two types of writing facilitates forward progress in both. For me, writing is a skill that requires constant, dedicated attention and practice, and having both types of writing in my life – – legal and fiction writing – -works.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story?

Stella: The mystery in Deceived is built upon boat design, World War II history, and legal issues. I tried to include just enough of each of these concepts to create an interesting story, but not too much, as the story isn’t about any one of these things. The story is about Brandon and Taylor, how they unravel the mystery, and how the same mystery that tears them apart forces them together. The story could have encompassed much more detail than what actually made it to the page, and I had to work hard not to let any particular thread of research overtake the story.

TRC: What are your thoughts on writing a series and ending an installment with a major cliffhanger?

Stella: I actually like the idea of a major cliffhanger, but at this time I’m more in tune with writing stand-alone novels, where most story elements are resolved by the end of the book. However, even though I consider my novels to be stand alone novels, there may be unresolved questions with each book that are resolved in the next one. As I answer this question, I’m thinking of unresolved questions in Deceived, involving Sebastian Connelly, Brandon’s best friend. Sebastian is the hero in Shadows and any questions that are left open involving Sebastian in Deceived are resolved in Shadows.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Stella: If I have to choose one of the above, I would say that I direct the characters.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Stella: I’m not sure where other writers fail, and don’t want to speculate.

I can tell you how I try to accomplish this goal — I don’t rush the writing process. I usually only write in the morning, and when I stand up from my writing chair, I get on with my day. However, throughout the day, I carry my writing in my subconscious mind. I try to write every morning so that I don’t lose the threads that are woven into each scene, and that includes emotional threads. Each morning, I start by returning to the material that I wrote the day before and do a quick review. Part of the review includes making sure that each character acted in a manner that was consistent with their personality under the circumstances. I also look to see whether emotional reactions made it to the page.

In addition to the hurdles that arise in the story, I try to give the characters real-life problems that readers can understand. For example, in Shadows, my work in progress, Sebastian was an overly empathetic child who tried, and failed, to protect his mother from an abusive father. He learned to turn off empathy, and, as a result, he’s unable to have emotional attachment to others. One of his problems is that he’s craving emotional attachment – though at first he doesn’t even recognize the craving.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Stella: I don’t give myself time to dwell on writer’s block. Because the process of creative writing gives me such great pleasure, I dedicate time to writing every day, and that time is early in the morning, so nothing gets in the way of it. I tend to measure progress on a weekly basis, rather than daily, so I don’t focus too much on whether any one writing session is productive in terms of word count or new pages. Plus, I have faith in my process. After the formal creative writing time is over each morning, I try to facilitate subconscious thought. In quiet moments throughout the day, I allow my thoughts to return to my story, and any time I think of something new, I jot down notes.

My process also includes a special chair. My home office has two desks and two chairs, with one chair dedicated solely to creative writing. I loved the result of my office reorganization so much that I wrote a post on my website:
http://stellabarcelona.com/2014/03/03/time-management-musings/.

Upon awakening, I get into the writing chair as fast as I can, pull on headphones, turn up music, and the time that I spend there becomes magical. Even if I can only manage one hour in the writing chair, I still get in the chair. I’ve had forward progress with just a half hour. Once I sit in my writing chair, I instantly go into writing mode, with no distractions. I’m able to focus on the positive feelings the creative process brings to me and I don’t worry about things like writer’s block.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Stella: Over the years, I’ve made some great friends through attending writers’ conferences and workshops. My wonderful cousin and fellow author, Tina DeSalvo, does fabulous critiques. She and I have travelled together on the long journey toward publication and we have shared ideas every step of the way. Cherry Adair, who also writes romantic suspense, has been a fabulous mentor – – I’ve been a career woman all of my life, and never have I had someone offer such tremendous help in the name of mentoring a novice. I also belong to a plotting group that meets at least once a year, where we formulate plots, talk craft and business, and offer moral support. The core group includes myself, Tina DeSalvo, Cherry Adair, Eileen Dreyer, and Deborah LeBlanc. From time to time, other authors attend. Finally, and most importantly, my husband, Bob, provides constant reality checks.

TRC: What three things would you like to accomplish in the next five years?

Stella: Only three things? Really? I can’t answer this question. I’m sorry. There’s too many different components in my life and identifying three goals for any one aspect of my life results in excluding other goals. If I focus solely on writing, in five years, I want to have written several high quality books that many, many readers find, buy, and enjoy.

TRC: What is something that few, if any people, know about you?

Stella: I tend to be shy in large groups, but now that Deceived has been published, I’m quickly overcoming this tendency, because I like talking about the creative writing process.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Stella: I’m currently writing Shadows, A Black Raven Novel. Shadows is a romantic suspense. Black Raven Private Security Contractors was introduced in Deceived. Also, Sebastian Connelly, the hero in Shadows, was introduced in Deceived as the best friend of the hero, Brandon Morrissey.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Stella: Yes. One unexpected pleasure of having Deceived published is that I’m hearing from readers on Facebook and on my website: www.stellabarcelona.com. I’m enjoying the contact with readers, so please let me know what you think of Deceived. Also, if you’ve read Deceived, and enjoyed it, please tell your friends about it and post a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other review outlets.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Cheese. I’ve actually had to give it up because I’m such an addict, but I have a pizza exception.

Favorite Dessert: Jelly Beans.

Favorite TV Show: The Black List.

Last Movie You Saw: Monuments Men.

Favorite Musical Group: There’s many. Better Than Ezra, Imagine Dragons, Matt Nathanson. Sorry. I can’t just name one.

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Both!

Secret Celebrity Crush: Hugh Jackman.

Last Vacation Destination: Destin, Florida.

Pet Peeve: I don’t really have one at the moment.

TRC: Thank you Stella for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of DECEIVED. We wish you all the best.

Stella is offering a copy of her latest release DECEIVED (paper copy USA only/ ebook International) and a $20 Amazon Gift Card to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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6. Giveaway: ebook INTERNATIONAL/ paper copy USA only.

7. Giveaway runs from June 21-June 25, 2014