Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature showcasing debut, Indie, self-published and authors who specialize in Ebook publishing. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:
Helen Laibach
Find Helen~ the debut author of A Soul Less Broken at ~Goodreads~Web
Hi Helen, welcome to TBR's, please tell us about yourself.
I'm a native of Southern California, my husband and I just celebrated our 21st anniversary and we have three wonderful grown kids. I've enjoyed writing ever since my first creative writing class in high school, but A Soul Less Broken is my first published novel. My family is incredibly supportive - especially my husband who never complains about all the hours I spend, shut away writing. And my son is now writing his very first historical novel so it's really special to share the writing process with him. We are planning on attending a writers conference together in early 2012. My son also designed the cover of my book, so it's definitely a family affair!
What Inspired you to write A Soul Less Broken?
It was a story that I heard years ago, which became the inspiration for the book and that still inspires me to this day - it was an interview with a woman who had been attacked while she was jogging. It was a vicious, brutal attack, one that she almost didn't survive. But in spite of these circumstances and all her suffering, she remained amazingly positive. The interviewer asked her, "How is it, after all that he did to you, that you aren't bitter? How do you not go through life hating the man that did this to you?" And the woman replied, "That man took one night of my life. I refuse to give him any more." I knew after hearing her comment that I wanted to write a story about a woman overcoming being the victim of a horrible tragedy and regaining her personal power. And out of writing the novel, I've become very passionate about two causes which are central themes in the story and I've committed to donating some of the proceeds of the book to both of these causes. One of them is violence against women - educating women on how to protect themselves and how to get the help they need if they have been the victim of sexual assault. One of the organizations that I plan to donate to is RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) which provides tremendous online resources. You can find them at www.rainn.org
The other cause is brain cancer which is the second main event in the story line of A Soul Less Broken. In my own life I was saddened by the passing of a friend & coworker who lost his battle with brain cancer in 2006. He was only in his early forties when he passed away. What amazed me in doing research for the book was how common this condition actually is, with over 600,000 people in the US living with a primary brain tumor. So the other organization that I'll be donating to is The National Brain Tumor Society. Their site is www.braintumor.org
Did you do any major research or traveling for your novel?
Fortunately we have the Internet - which makes research so much easier! I really wanted the medical, legal, and law enforcement scenes to be as realistic as possible and put a great deal of effort into researching the terminology and dialog used in those situations, not only through Internet searches, but also by talking to people in those professions.
What books or authors have inspired you or your work?
Authors that I enjoy are those that are able to create an appealing, emotional story but are able to keep it concise. One of my favorite books was “Bridges of Madison County” by Robert James Waller. It’s not a very long book, but it brings out such emotional responses from its readers. And another favorite is “The Horse Whisperer” - you really feel like you are experiencing what the characters are experiencing.
What are you reading right now?
I'm actually re-reading another one of my favorites called "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein. It's a story written entirely from the perspective of the dog Enzo and his relationship with his owners and the world. It's a very emotional story right from the first page particularly for animal lovers and it has some great plot twists that you don't expect. The ending is wonderful. I've heard rumors that it's being made into a movie which would be fantastic!
Last great movie you saw?
One of my new favorite movies that I watched last month was "The Adjustment Bureau". First I really enjoy watching both Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, but the story line of the movie was what I really liked - the fact that everything happens for a reason and it's all part of a bigger plan, even if we don't know it at the time. I really believe that!
Who would you cast as the main characters of your book if it were a movie?
This is such a fun question - many of my readers have said that A Soul Less Broken would make a fantastic movie and so I had a little fun with them by creating polls where they could vote on who should star as the 3 main characters. For Catherine it would be between Emily Blunt and Rachel McAdams. For Alan it would be either Thomas Gibson or John Hamm. And for Madeline it would be either Charlize Theron or Maria Bello. Seeing my story brought to life on film would be incredible!
Anything you can share with us for future work?
Originally when I wrote A Soul Less Broken I didn't intend to do a sequel. In fact I had already come up with an entirely new set of characters and plot for the next story. And then my readers spoke ... and I had to listen. I was humbled and honored to see that many of them requested a sequel. So that's what I'm working on now - I have the basic storyline mapped out in my mind; and I'm working on getting it down on paper. The title of the second book will be A Soul To Be Forgiven.
Thanks so much Helen for being on the Spotlight today, Im truly inspired by your courageous effort to help women and sharing part of the profits of your novel to RAINN and the NBTS. Thank you for all you do. And ps... I heart Matt Damon and would totally pick him to play the main character in the book....oh wait you said Thomas Gibson or John Hamm......(hmmm)... Id still pick Matt, but then again Id pick Matt for everything!!
GIVEAWAY
Today Helen is giving away a singed copy of her book to one of my readers!! This is a fabulous gift and open to everyone who follows TBR's, to enter please just leave a comment and a link to profile or email. Winner will be drawn on November 19, 2011.
Thanks and Goodluck!!
A Soul Less Broken by Helen Laibach
After being brutally attacked, Catherine Wilcox must discover her own strength and courage as she struggles to piece her life back together. She finds herself falling in love with the emergency room physician who treats her, but soon realizes the attack has left her so emotionally scarred that she is forced to turn away the only man who truly loves her. And at a time when she feels her life is finally beginning to heal, Catherine must then face the devastation of learning that her dearest friend has terminal cancer. In A Soul Less Broken we follow Catherine as she discovers the depth of true friendship, the healing power of love, and the stamina of the human spirit.
Celeb Photos Credit: (cc) Link for Matt Damon
Sounds very well written and thought out. But I don't think my heart can take that situation. Great interview!
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Wow this sounds powerful!
ReplyDeleteMargaret
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Even reading the synopsis made me want to cry. It sounds like one of those books that leaves you happy, albeit a little broken. I love it. Enter me!
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Hi! I just gave you an award, go get it here. http://frommipov.blogspot.com/2011/11/blog-award-tell-me-about-yourself-blog.html
ReplyDeleteSounds like an amazing read. Please enter me. I am an old follower.
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