Prisoner of Circumstance Author Interview and Book Giveaway

It is that time of year again. The post-holiday letdown and mid-Winter blues have many of us feeling just. a tad. sad.

Well, cheer up because I’ve been itchin’ to have another giveaway here on My Bella Vita and the graciously talented newly-anointed Texan, Nadine Zawacki of Just Being Me has agreed to help.

In the final days of 2008, Nadine’s debut novel, Prisoner of Circumstance was published and the book is already receiving rave reviews on Amazon.com.

 And you can win a *FREE* copy of the book for yourself.

Now for the rules and the blah, blah, blah of blogosphere giveaways.

– To be eligible for the random drawing, leave a comment on this post by midnight, Italian time on Friday, February 6, 2009.

– The free book can only be shipped to a US address, so if you are leaving a comment and do not have a US address (or the address of a family member or friend in the states), please mark your comment as “international.”

– And that’s it! See, that wasn’t so bad …

The writer in me is always interested in the process other writers’ go through to pen their novels and the snoop in me (I get that from my dad) just had to ask. Lucky for us, Nadine answered.

Below is the interview I had with Nadine Zawacki, author of Prisoner of Circumstance.

– When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I was probably serious about it three or four years ago. I enjoyed writing stories. I just started to blog and I enjoyed the creative outlet it afforded me. I liked writing stories about my life and observations about life. I realized in working on this book that I wanted to one day write full time. I’m not at that point yet, but it’s my heart’s desire to put into words the stories on my heart.

– How long did it take you to write this book?

I started to write this book as a fluke. I had this story in my head – I knew the beginning and the ending, but was unsure of the middle. I decided the best way to get the story out of my head was to write it down. I showed it to my then, 16 year old daughter, who encouraged me. She thought it was a good story and that I should write it into a book. That was nine years ago. I wrote the first 17 chapters and then laid the book down. I didn’t do anything with the story because of the craziness of life for four and half years. About three years ago I felt the urging from God to finish the book. I didn’t know how or if I would ever see it published, but I knew I needed to finish it.

– What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I was working a full time job (nine to five) and my husband was a pastor of a church that kept us busy. I wrote whenever I could find an hour here or half hour there. Saturdays became the day that I could concentrate on finishing up my story when there wasn’t church activity.

– I know you have had a tough year, how did you power through the writing and editing of your book? Were there days you made yourself write or did you allow yourself to take a break when you felt you needed one?

Last year when I set out to have the book edited and published, there were many changes that happened. My husband got a new job, we had to sell our house and move to a new city, I was working full time. I gave myself a break when I needed it but pushed myself at night after work to finish up. I set deadlines and tried to stick to it. It wasn’t easy but I prayed a lot and that helped.

– Which authors have been most influential to your own writing?

I read a novel by Frank Peretti in 1986 called “This Present Darkness.” It was the first time I read a Christian novel that was outside the box and unusual. It had real people that I could relate to in the story. Ted Dekker is another author who writes very unique stories with a supernatural twist. My favorite Dekker novel is a trilogy called, “Black, Red & White.” I loved how he kept my interest in the same character through three books. These authors influenced me to write unique stories and subject matters you wouldn’t expect in a Christian novel.

– What inspired you to write this particular book?

The interesting thing about this particular book is that I started to have this story swim around in my brain. My husband and daughter encouraged me to see where it took me and write a book. I wanted to write it because of their faith in me, but my inspiration came from God. Often I had no idea what the next chapter was going to be and I sat in front of my virtual blank page at a loss. I sat and I prayed and it was if I could see the scene unfold in front of me. I started to type and the next thing I knew the chapter was done.

– Who is your favorite character in this book and why?

It’s hard to pick a favorite character because the characters are like my children in a way. They each were developed and born out of me. I liked them for different reasons. If I had to pick just one it would be Regina. Regina because for me she represents the Christian who struggles and may not always react correctly, but she keeps trying to do the right thing. She has flaws and is very passionate about the things she believes to be good and right.

Thank you, Nadine for your candid interview on the process of writing your new novel, Prisoner of Circumstance.

Everyone else – leave a comment here before midnight on Friday, February 6 to be eligible to win a free book.

Can’t wait until next week’s giveaway? You can .