Series: Peacemaker #1
Author: Eva Gerald
Publisher: Shine Publishing
Pages: 250
Format: PDF
Source: A copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Maya Voland doesn’t want to spend her senior year in the cold, isolated town of Shine, Vermont. Reeling from the death of her father and the discovery that her life is a carefully constructed set of lies, Maya wants to escape to a place where she can be invisible.
The residents of Shine can’t let Maya leave. She’s too important to their cause. A manipulator by nature, Maya was born with an extraordinary ability to influence the emotions and actions of others. Shiners will go to great lengths to train her to use those gifts to further their agenda, before other, more sinister forces intercede.
Shea Knightly has been waiting most of his life for Maya to come back home to Shine. He, too, has powers of persuasion and he’s never encountered a girl who can say no to his stunning looks and overwhelming charm. He’ll pull out all the stops to bring Maya into the fold.
Now Maya must decide—is the intense attraction she feels for Shea reciprocated, or is he just feeding her more lies to draw her into the dangerous world of the Shiners? Even if there is something real between them, what price is she willing to pay to make his cause her own?
Find Peacemaker online!
Maya was a strong character and I found her reactions to what what happening to her realistic. She was easy to sympathize with and very likable - like she could be anyone in the world. And while she felt like that on the page, she still held her own in the story and didn't fall to the wayside. She was stubborn and stood up for herself and others and often put what was right before what she wanted which I admired.
Shea was drool worthy! I really loved him (even though I really didn't like him at first). He was a sweet guy with a big heart. I was happy whenever he was in a scene - he just brought it to the life. The progression of their relationship was a little fast but I enjoyed it all the same. I wish their had been a little more explanation on whether they considered themselves partners or a couple. They acted like a couple but Maya always seemed to deny it when anyone asked.
The plot was good and held my attention throughout! There wasn't tons of action until near the end but their was a lot of world building and explanation on exactly how this place worked. It set up a good platform for the books that are going to come next in this series! I'm really anxious to find out what happens next!
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Four Cards
I'm so happy to be able to welcome the amazing author of this book to the blog today, Eva Gerald! She was nice enough to answer some questions about her writing process, her book, and herself!
1. When did you first get into writing
and why? Was there a certain author or book that inspired you in your
writing career?
I
have always loved to read and when it came to my own writing great books both
intimidated and inspired me. The first book I wrote was a children’s book,
which I wrote for my oldest child when he was one. Soon after that I dedicated
myself to writing a novel. At the time I was reading a lot of historical romances
and absolutely adored Julia Quinn, so I tried my hand at a regency romance. It
was an utter failure because I spent so much time researching the time period
and England in general that the story line became lost and I never finished the
book. The experience taught me that I needed to write about things and places
that I know and concepts about people’s characters that I really wanted to
explore. That’s when Peacemaker was born.
2. Are you a panster or a
plotter? What do you do when you have writers block?
Surprisingly, I think I’m more of a panster. Despite the
fact that I’m a logical, linear thinker by nature, and a lawyer by trade, I
find that my characters take me on their own journey. My best writing flows
from just allowing the characters to lead me where they may rather than working
from any kind of predetermined structure.
When writing is a struggle I take a shower or go swimming.
For some reason the calming effects of water always brings out my creative
side. If it’s a problem that can’t be solved with water, I put my writing away
for a bit and when I come back to it, I usually have a new perspective and am feeling
inspired.
3.
When you sit down to write, do you
have a routine you go through?
No, I don’t have time for a routine. Unfortunately, writing
is a luxury for me that I have to fit in whenever I can. I usually write very
late at night after my kids go to bed and I’ve caught up on work from my day
job and the house work is done. I tend to write on my laptop in bed or on the
couch. There really is no structure or routine to it.
4.
What's the most difficult part of the writing process for you?
When I write I have to force myself to move on with the book
rather than get caught up in reworking one part over and over again until it’s
just right. When I edit, I struggle with letting some words, paragraphs or
pages go even when I know it’s what’s best for the book as a whole. Sometimes I
become unreasonably attached to the words I write.
5.
Do you listen to music when you write?
If so, what was the song that inspired you the most when writing
Peacemaker?
I don’t tend to listen to anything while I write because I try
to focus all of my attention on my characters who are rambling away in my head.
However, often times when I’m listening to music throughout the day it will get
me thinking about my book and provide me with inspiration. I have a soundtrack
on my website that includes some of the songs that inspired me while writing
Peacemaker. But there is definitely one that stands out as the theme song of
the book. Home by Phillip Phillips sounds like it could have been written for
Peacemaker.
5.
Peacemaker is such a unique story that grabbed my attention from the
moment I began reading. How did you come
up with the idea for it?
I’ve always been a people watcher and an observer of life. I
also spent many hours of my childhood watching the news and programs like 60
Minutes as these were the only programs that my parents permitted on school nights.
So I was introduced early on to both the wonderful acts of kindness and the
atrocities perpetrated by people throughout the world. For as long as I can
remember I have wondered what motivated people to commit such acts. I also developed
a fascination about people who had the gift of convincing others to follow
them, whether it was down the road of good or evil. Peacemaker explores these
concepts that have long been banging around in my head.
7.
Maya is very easy to relate to and like!
Did you base her off of anyone you know in your life? Do you see any of yourself in her?
Well, let me put it this way, my friends and family see a
lot of me in Maya. I don’t think I realized that I was channeling my seventeen
year old self while writing it, but to some extent I guess I was. I think when
you write in first person, it is difficult to detach yourself completely and I
did work hard to recall my emotional state as a teenager, to ensure that Maya’s
responses to all that life threw at her were realistic. And perhaps we do share
a tendency to be a little sarcastic at times.
8.
Shea is absolutely swoon worthy - I think I have a new book
boyfriend! Was he an easy or difficult
character to write? Why?
Don’t tell my husband, but I have a bit of a crush on Shea
too. He was probably my most difficult character to write. I think men are
always more difficult for women to write realistically without simply writing
them as our ideal fantasy. But Shea was particularly challenging because he is
all about quiet strength. The book is written from Maya’s point of view so it
was difficult to portray the depth of Shea’s emotions while still staying true
to his character.
9.
How long did writing Peacemaker take from the initial idea to the final
editing process?
About three and a half years.
10.
I really enjoyed reading Peacemaker and am so anxious to get my hands on
book two! Anything you can tell us about
it?
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m already getting a lot of
pressure to produce book two so I promise it won’t take three and a half years
to write. I’m hoping to have it out within the next year. Book two will explain
more about the Bonumites and Maya’s role in the community. Maya’s relationship
with Shea will be tested by forces both within and outside the community and
she will continue her quest to save her father. Some unsettling facts about
Fallon will be revealed and, of course, you’ll get to know Ben better.
This
or That?
Tea or Coffee? Tea
Skittles or MnMs? M&Ms
Sweet or Salty? Both. My favorite
guilty pleasure is to eat potato chips and double stuff Oreos together.
Vanilla or Chocolate? Chocolate
Romance or Action? Romance
Rain or Sun? Definitely sun
About the Author!
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