Grace Greene's new release, Kincaid's Hope, with giveaway

Wow! Has it been seven months already since we celebrated the debut of Beach Rental? Well, good news! My good friend Grace Greene is back to share with us about her second novel, Kincaid’s Hope. Here is the blurb.

Beth Kincaid left her hot temper and unhappy childhood behind and created a life in the city free from untidy emotionalism, but even a tidy life has danger, especially when it falls apart. In the midst of her personal disasters, Beth is called back to her hometown of Preston, a small town in southwestern Virginia, to settle her guardian’s estate. There, she runs smack into the mess she’d left behind a decade earlier: her alcoholic father, the long-ago sweetheart, Michael, and the poor opinion of almost everyone in town. As she sorts through her guardian’s possessions, Beth discovers that the woman who saved her and raised her had secrets, and the truths revealed begin to chip away at her self-imposed control. Michael is warmly attentive and Stephen, her ex-fiancé, follows her to Preston to win her back, but it is the man she doesn’t know who could forever end Beth’s chance to build a better, truer life.

Grace, welcome back! Tell us about how it feels to be a published author. What are the highs and lows of this past year for you?

Highs and lows? And everything in-between! I think I share this in common with many aspiring authors – the feeling that writing and publishing will be easier after we’ve passed the magical threshold of that first publication. Not true.

Don’t misunderstand. It’s a wonderful feeling, but the next book still needs to be written and sold – and the potential for highs and lows is ever-present. Some people like the roller coaster; some don’t. For some of us, the next story just needs to be told and so we continue writing and seeking publication.

The best ‘highs’ come from reader feedback. I love hearing from readers. They are amazing. I hit a new high a few days ago when I was notified that BEACH RENTAL is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest. That's amazing, too!

Congratulations! That's exciting. So how has this book been a different journey for you than Beach Rental?

With BEACH RENTAL it was all new – everything was scary and everything was exciting. With KINCAID’S HOPE, the new worry was that readers who enjoyed BEACH RENTAL might be disappointed in my second book. So far, the feedback is wonderful!

As it should be.
What message do you hope your readers come away with after reading Kincaid’s Hope?

The themes in KINCAID’S HOPE are forgiveness and trust – forgiving oneself and others and trusting oneself and others.
Forgiveness is a gift – one that we must accept for ourselves before we can give it to others. Without forgiveness we can’t move forward, but are forever trapped in our bitterness.

If we learn to trust ourselves, we may find our biggest flaws can also be turned into our greatest strengths.

What advice do you have for us starry-eyed literary wallflowers who are still waiting to be invited to dance?

I advise flexibility. Many of us have/had a mental picture of what publishing should look like and it usually involved an agent, a brick and mortar publishing company and a prominent place on the display tables at Barnes and Noble. But the industry is changing so quickly that, without flexibility, authors, both new and seasoned, may find themselves forever waiting for The Call.
The second piece of advice is to understand how much work you’re willing and able to take onto your own shoulders. Being flexible may mean you’ll consider less traditional modes of publishing, but be sure you have the time, skills and the will to do most of the work (both publishing and marketing) yourself.

Excellent advice, Grace. Thank you so much for being with us this week, and for giving us a glimpse into the published side of writing.

Grace has graciously agreed to give away a copy of her new book, Kincaid’s Hope, to one lucky commenter. Please leave a question or comment for Grace for a chance to enter. Be sure to leave your email addy with your comment like this: youremailaddy (at) server (dot) com
The deadline for entries is Saturday 10 PM eastern. Winner will be drawn at random and announced here Sunday.