Interview & Book Giveaway with Katelin Maloney

I'm so excited to have Katelin Maloney, Domestic Violence Advocate, and Author of Drowning here with me this morning.

 

 Welcome Katelin! Let's start by letting you tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello Cindy. Thank you for the opportunity to share my novel, Drowning. I really appreciate it!

I am a domestic violence advocate and volunteer at the local domestic violence and sexual assault prevention organization, Betty Griffin House, located in St. Augustine, Florida.

I am happily married to a wonderful and supportive husband and I have two great sons. I am proud to say that my older son is also a volunteer at Betty Griffin House.

Besides spending time with loved ones and writing, I enjoy crafting with friends, touring St. Augustine, and exercising, especially walks on the beach. I have written many scenes in my head while enjoying the calmness the ocean brings. I am very blessed.

Having read your book, I have to know how you came up with the idea for Drowning.

Actually, I dreamed the story one night. The next day I was playing basketball in my driveway with my son and the idea of my character, Anna, came to me.  She is an integral character in the novel. After that day, the story played like a movie in my mind. When I wrote the first draft, I felt like I was just writing down the movie.

I’m currently writing a second book called Deception and unfortunately that has not happened! I have to make it up as I go along. 

If you don't mind me asking, what led you to write a story about domestic violence?

I am a domestic abuse survivor and wanted to give abused women a voice.

  

Throughout the years I’ve known other women who have been in abusive relationships and some people in their surrounding network didn’t understand the dynamics of the relationship. Drowning shows what the victim is living through. Women in abusive relationships will be able to see that the abuse is not their fault and that the abuser is not going to change his behavior.

I have had several women thank me for writing Drowning because of their previous abusive relationships. This feedback has been very rewarding.

I want to include the back cover blurb for Drowning so readers can get insight into the overall story. I hope that's okay.

Drowning, Katelin Maloney

Rebecca has simple dreams. A promotion. Children. A happy marriage. But can she have it with Mitch?

Though she carefully keeps secrets to guard her safety, her marriage to Mitch, a successful doctor, is brutal, and his abuse is escalating. A promotion at the bank could be the answer to her prayers, but Mitch has different plans for her life.

Ultimately, Rebecca must face her own inner demons before she can act. Will she be able to find her former, stronger self before Mitch destroys her completely?

What is the biggest challenge you've faced as a writer?

Learning the craft of creative writing! My background is in Finance and Economics and I have written only non-fiction for the last twenty years. I had no experience in writing fiction before taking on Drowning.

I started going to writer workshops, took classes, and read books on the craft of writing. I joined an online critique group which was very helpful to me. Basically I had to educate myself in a whole new field which didn’t include numbers! J

How do you stay motivated?

A couple of ways. Writing has been a wonderful outlet for my creativity. I’m excited to get up in the morning to start to write.

Even more motivating is the topic that I write about. When I would put Drowning aside for a month or two, I felt the pull to go back and write it because I knew the story would make a difference in people’s lives. I knew in my heart that the story needed to be told and I was the one to tell it.

What do you want your readers to gain from the book?

I’ve been told that Drowning is a ‘page-turner’ by several people, so I hope the reader enjoys the fast pace.

After reading Drowning, people will have a better understanding of abusive relationships and why women stay as long as they do. The reader will ‘walk on eggshells’ and feel that they are in the middle of the storm that the main character, Rebecca, feels she is in.

 Do you have any words of wisdom you'd like to share?

Yes. Has anyone ever noticed a friend or loved one pulling back from your relationship? Saying ‘I’m sorry’ often? Being distant or stopping contact with you? Have you noticed bruises? Does she miss a lot of work? These are all examples of someone who could be in an abusive relationship.

You can reach out to her and just let her know you are there if she needs you. Give her the number to the local domestic violence organization.

Remember, if we can help just one woman, we’ve done our job.

Katelin, thank you for being with us today and giving us a peek into your own personal experience. And readers, be sure to leave a comment to be entered into the drawing and then return next week to see if you're the winner of Katelin's book.

 

You can find Katelin's book ... and follow her here.

Katelinmaloney@yahoo.com

www.katelinmaloney.com

www.facebook.com/katelinmaloneywriter

@KatelinMaloney

Thanks for stopping by. See you next week!

Cindy