Win a $25 Amazon/BN GC - Interview with Joy Frawley, author of TWO WORLDS TWO MEN

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A $25 Amazon/Barnes and Noble gift card will be awarded to one randomly selected winner during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Thanks for coming by My World of Dreams-- and welcome. Did you do any kind of research to determine the details of your characters’ lives / lifestyles?

Absolutely, Two Worlds Two Men is a time travel romance that has a lot of history about Scotland. I researched a lot about the country in regards to its history with superstition and old wives tales because I really had no idea what historical items to add to the characters. Also, one of the main characters, Colin, is a medieval clan leader whose behaviors and pressures are not anything I would relate to so it was important to me to spend time online and reading books about the country. Even the description of clothing for both sexes was an item that needed some research as well as how the castle in the story, Kilchurn, was laid out.

Who inspires you?

My son inspires me often because he is spending his senior year of high school as a Rotary Club exchange student in Denmark. His fearlessness is something I truly admire because I am not sure I would have had the courage to leave the US and go to another country at 17 years old to live with strangers. However, these wonderful strangers have become his other family. It’s a beautiful thing.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan, and am the youngest of three girls. I recently moved to beautiful Traverse City, Michigan, where I found the community very supporting of anyone in the arts whether it is books or sculpture. It attracted me as a writer and the energy as well.

How did you get into writing?

I was at one of those crossroads in life that forced me to face the fact I had become complacent and unhappy with the status quo. My life as it was simply left a void and I instinctively knew it was time to make a change, however bold, that would bring creativity to my day to day work. I had been in the finance insurance industries my entire career and as my son grew up I saw it as the opportune time to cut many ties and take on a new route in my life. Hence, Two Worlds Two Men was born and I have been writing ever since with a contentment I had lost for many years previously.

What do you consider your best accomplishment?

I really have two. My son and getting my book, Two Worlds Two Men, published. My son for obvious reasons-he is awesome! And getting my book published because it was one of those out of this world goals people make and never believe in it or follow through enough to actually accomplish. To have gotten published with no writing background and veer off into a completely new industry is something I am proud of because I changed the avenue of my life with a lot of work and perseverance. I would not have had the courage to do that even a few years ago.

What is your favorite quote?

Oh, that is so hard! I am into quotes hard core and simply love them. But I guess the one that comes to me right now is about appreciating our limitless nature by Poet William Blake:

If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is. Infinite.

What sacrifices have you had to make to be a writer?

Well, I may not suggest this to anyone but I sacrificed my job and security to write and find a spark again. Would everyone be able to do this? Maybe not. But I had more fear of staying where I was at then throwing it all to the wind and see where I landed.

Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?

I believe, without a doubt, that the cover is important to marketing your product. When I was asked by my publisher, Resplendence, what features I envisioned on the cover of Two Worlds Two Men I was somewhat vague. I gave them feedback that was pretty general as far as the look of the characters and only suggested that I thought the castle in the book, Kilchurn, would be a nice touch on the front cover. The reason I did this was that I instinctively thought the art department would probably have a better idea of what sells then I did. Simply put, they had the experience I did not have and I feel that can go a long way to making any product better. Then, when I got the email of the final cover artwork from my editor I was positively impressed. The cover of Two Worlds Two Men is steamy, but still classy and that is precisely what I wanted as the author.

How did you come up with the title? Names?

I originally had the title, Kilchurn, which was named after the castle in book. However, upon the suggestion of a judge in a writing competition I entered I changed it to Two Worlds Two Men. She said that the title was, to her, a major component to grab reader’s attention and that Kilchurn was just plain boring. She was right and like the cover artwork I took the feedback from someone with the experience I did not have and changed it to Two Worlds Two Men. I think it is very obvious which title grabs your attention better. It’s really funny because when I tell women the name of my book they arch their eyebrows and purr nice. When I tell men the name of my book they give seem to suddenly wake up and smirk. It is as if my romance may have a few redeeming qualities even for a man to entertain as a read. It’s quite funny how it all worked out.

What was the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That an author can get emotionally attached to the characters they write about. When I began writing the ending of Two Worlds Two Men I cried. A lot. I don’t want to give away the story but this is a time travel romance and my heroine, Jocelyn, is in love with two men. I think we all know in the real world it is hard enough to handle one man or woman let alone two so Jocelyn must decide where and who she wants to be with. Both Neely and Colin are sexy and smart men so the decision forced Jocelyn to ponder. As the writer I bounced back and forth which male character I liked better. If I’m honest I still don’t have a favorite.

Jocelyn and Neely are having a perfectly pleasant dinner at the Sheep Heid Inn when it happens: Jocelyn suddenly finds herself sitting across the table, not from Neely, but a strange man dressed in medieval garb. This man is no apparition. His eyes, the deepest brown, clearly look on her in intimacy; his touch causes her pulse to rise. Jocelyn realizes two things: from his clothes, he is clearly an aristocrat, and that she, Jocelyn Stewart, seems to be in some sort of romantic relationship with him! Minutes later Jocelyn returns to Neely, in the present day, weak and terrified. Together they begin to unravel the forgotten past and find themselves facing the reality of medieval Scotland. A strange world steeped in folklore and superstition; where life begins and often ends with the sword. As Jocelyn travels back to medieval times she learns that the man she keeps seeing is no other than Sir Colin Campbell of the powerful Campbell Clan. When Jocelyn is with Colin, she wants never to leave his side; then she returns to the present and cannot imagine herself with anyone but Neely. Jocelyn struggles with a choice. Which man will gain her heart when both offer such different love? She is in love with two different men in two different worlds.

Enjoy an excerpt:

Jocelyn looked around for the driver who was supposed to be waiting for her arrival with a sign. She had hired someone to pick her up because, as an American and first-time visitor to Scotland, she had figured it would be less stressful.

She didn’t see the driver anywhere; then, just as she started feeling nervous, she saw a man holding a sign with her name on it. And what a man he was! He was broad shouldered, strong and had dark brown hair with reddish tints. He exuded masculinity like some cologne, and even across the airport, she thought she could smell it. Smoothing her unruly hair, she started to walk over to him.

The man, seeing her approach him, took a step toward her. “Are you Jocelyn?”

When he spoke her name, she found herself frozen in place unable to respond. She’d heard this voice before; she knew this voice. This man spoke her name exactly like the dream she had had all those years ago! She had been stirred awake in bed by a voice of a man, who spoke her name with a Scottish accent. His voice was gentle and low; as if he wanted to gain her attention, but not cause her alarm. Jocelyn had clutched the sheets to her chest and stared out into the darkness of her bedroom almost feeling his intimate presence beside her. She lifted her hand up to her ear having sworn his warm breath had brushed her skin. Jocelyn remembered she had turned her head, anxiously, toward the pillow next to her and almost thought she would be looking into the eyes of a stranger; yet she had not been frightened. This man, his voice, somehow comforted her.

Now, she stood in the airport and caught her breath as she faced the man before her. Her eyes searched his face for something; though what it was she wasn’t sure. Jocelyn felt her heart beating so fast she was certain the man could hear it as memories flooded her mind of that night so long ago when he or someone spoke her name in the darkness. Was that the reason for her vacation to Scotland? Was she unconsciously trying to find the man?

About the Author:

Joy Frawley is an author and writer of the romance novella: Two Worlds, Two Men from Resplendence Publishing. Joy lives in beautiful Traverse City, Michigan relishing in living the life of the classic “townie” with her two dogs Piggs and Diggs. You can reach her at joyfrawley@gmail.com or www.JoyFrawley.com. Buy the book at Amazon or Resplendence Publishing.

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