I participated in a blog tour for this book earlier this year. You can read my review here. I was stoked when Libby asked me to participate in this tour. I got to ask her some questions and I have lots of new material to share with you!
When your past
vanishes, what happens to your future?
Candice and Jason Woodruff had everything going for them: a strong marriage, the family they’d dreamed of, and successful businesses. When they made their wedding vows, they promised to love each other through infinity and beyond…but Candice doesn’t remember making that vow. Candice doesn’t remember the last eighteen years.
After a medical emergency, Candice awakens to find herself a married mother of four. She’s surrounded by a loving family of strangers, but Candice struggles to claim an identity while learning to be a wife and mother.
Candice is no longer the same woman Jason fell in love with all those years ago. Can they learn to love each other in this new reality?
Through Infinity is one woman’s journey as she rediscovers the love of her husband and children. But will that new found love be strong enough to carry them through infinity and beyond…
Candice and Jason Woodruff had everything going for them: a strong marriage, the family they’d dreamed of, and successful businesses. When they made their wedding vows, they promised to love each other through infinity and beyond…but Candice doesn’t remember making that vow. Candice doesn’t remember the last eighteen years.
After a medical emergency, Candice awakens to find herself a married mother of four. She’s surrounded by a loving family of strangers, but Candice struggles to claim an identity while learning to be a wife and mother.
Candice is no longer the same woman Jason fell in love with all those years ago. Can they learn to love each other in this new reality?
Through Infinity is one woman’s journey as she rediscovers the love of her husband and children. But will that new found love be strong enough to carry them through infinity and beyond…
through infinity Goodreads links
through infinity buy links
Amazon
AUS http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B...
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Canada http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00PH......
http://www.inktera.com/store/title/72a4801b-9c9a-47c9-b724-d533bd65db27
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id945230401
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-infinity
UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...
Canada http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00PH......
http://www.inktera.com/store/title/72a4801b-9c9a-47c9-b724-d533bd65db27
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id945230401
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/through-infinity
My review:
Interview
1 1. What inspired you to write
this story?
My son inspired the story. My husband had been working out
of town for several weeks. He came home to surprise the kids for a weekend. My
son ran up to his dad and said, “Hi, Dad! Do you remember me?” Of course my husband
said yes, but it made me think about what would happen if you didn’t remember
your children, from there through infinity was written.
2 2. Was there any particular
character that was harder to write than the others?
Candice was the hardest character to write. I’m a very
internal person, and I don’t like sharing my innermost thoughts. I definitely
struggled with that facet of Candice’s character, which is why I don’t think
she is as likable as Jason, who is constantly showing how he feels.
3 3. Did you plan out the story or
did you fly by the seat of your pants?
It was a little of both. There was definitely a set beginning
and an ending when I started. Everything in the middle was kind written as I
went.
4 4. Was there anything in
particular you had to have in order to have the best writing experience?
Quiet, no interruptions, and massive amounts of Dr. Pepper.
5 5. When you were having a hard
time writing, what did you do to unwind?
I like looking at stock
photos reading, and relaxing in a warm bath.
6 6. How did you celebrate
completing the book?
I don’t think I have
celebrated. Once it was written the hard work began.
7 7. How many revisions did you do
before you were satisfied?
There are at least twenty different versions on my laptop.
8 8. How many books do you foresee
Candy and Jason having?
They will have two and a half books. The free Christmas
novella that is being published during the blog tour. It
will be released as a free ebook after the blog tour. &beyond… will be the
events of through infinity from Jason’s POV. There was a lot that happened with
him that Candice wasn’t aware of during through infinity. That was a conscious
decision on my part. I wanted the reader to be just as clueless about the life
Candice shared with Jason. I hoped it would allow the reader to sympathize with
Candice.
9 9. What was the last book you
read?
The Weight of Destiny by Nyrae Dawn. It was amazing. I’m
currently reading Awakenings by Olivia Hayes.
1 10. What are you looking forward
most to this holiday season?
Sharing traditions with my kids. They’re just getting old
enough to understand what’s going on and to get excited.
Trailer
through infinity book trailer from Libby Austin on Vimeo.
And now the cover for the novella, Thanks for the Memories....
Cover Reveal
Jason knew Candice's biggest Christmas wish was to remember
the past eighteen years. As Thanksgiving approached, Candice retreated further
within herself. Jason enlist the help of their family and friends to grant
Candice's wish. Each wrote their cherished memories and sealed them in
containers. The morning after Thanksgiving Candice awakened to find fifty
numbered tins. When Christmas day arrived, will Candice be able to tell
everyone thanks for the memories?
I also have the first part of the novella to share with you.
Excerpt
Thanksgiving
The
‘official’ start of the holiday season and I felt like singing ‘You’re a mean
one, Mr. Grinch’ at the thought of the days to come. Every time someone
mentioned one of our Christmas traditions, I inwardly cringed. I wanted to be
excited, but once again, I felt like I was letting my family down because I
didn’t remember ‘our’ traditions. Oh, I knew there were traditions that I
carried on from my childhood, but what about the ones that began with the
family I’d helped create? It shouldn’t be a big deal to ask what kinds of
things we did, but I remembered how much I looked forward to the special things
my parents did when I was a kid. Guilt filled me that I couldn’t remember a
single Christmas with Jason and our children and wouldn’t be able to fulfill
their expectations. While I had so much to be thankful for, I found myself
dwelling on the loss.
“Oh
well, suck it up, buttercup,” I chastised myself. It was time to leave the
tranquility of my little sanctuary at the top of my closet for what was sure to
be bedlam—my entire family and then some would be gathering together to
celebrate Thanksgiving. It was time to put those flash cards to use again. UGH…
***
Hours
later I was worn out from smiling, chatting, and eating. Thanksgiving dinner
was fun and entertaining. Because there were so many of us, we rented out the
local community center. Dinner was organized chaos. At one point during the
blessing, I leaned over and asked Jason how many times Pappy would say ‘Amen’
before we actually got to eat. For the record, he said it five times. Pappy had
become even more longwinded than he had been from my memory, and I thought he
had rambled back then. The best part of the day was hearing our kids say, ‘We
are most grateful for our mom and dad.”
Jason
had already brought down all of our Christmas decorations from storage. This
whole weekend would be dedicated to decorating the house. Relief filled me that
I hadn’t completely flipped my lid over the past eighteen years and decided I
liked Black Friday shopping. I shudder to think, but I finally understood
Jason’s dig about my Amazon addiction. The specials were already popping up on
my phone.
By
the time we arrived home, it was close to the time to start his bedtime
routine. I started to tell him to go get his stuff ready for his bath when
Jason interrupted me. “Hold up, Duck, we gotta show Mommy her surprise.”
I
quirked my eyebrow at him and asked, “What surprise?”
“It
wouldn’t be much of a surprise if we told you, now would it?” Jason laughed as
he wrapped his arm around my shoulders to direct me into the living room.
On
the coffee table there were a bunch of metal canisters of all different sizes.
Each was decorated and numbered. Since they weren’t in order, I couldn’t tell
how many there were, but there were a lot.
Jason
sat us down on the couch and handed me a parchment scroll tied with a ribbon. I
glanced up at him as if to ask ‘what’s this’.
“Just
open it,” he said with a nod of his head to gesture to the scroll.
My
curiosity won out. I untied the ribbon, unrolled the scroll, and began reading.
It was decorated with drawings from different skill levels, which made it
obvious whom they were drawn by.
Dear Candice,
Your children sent me a letter telling
me you’ve been worrying about what to do this Christmas. I know how much you’ve
always enjoyed Christmas and carrying on your family’s traditions.
This year your family wants to do
something special for you. They’ve decided to share their favorite memories and
family traditions with you. Each canister contains a memory or tradition, and
they’ve been numbered in the order they must be opened.
Enjoy your present, and remember, no peeking. I’ll be watching.
Merry Christmas
Santa
I
was speechless and unsure of what to do, so in a shaky voice I said, “Y’all
really wrote Santa for me?”
“Yes,
ma’am.”
“Yes,
Mommy.”
“Uh
huh.”
Wiping
a tear from my eye, I tried to keep myself from losing it. “Jou aren’ suppose
ta weak, Mommy,” Dawson told me.
I
laughed at his innocence. “I know, buddy, but I’m just so happy I can’t keep it
in.” Dawson looked over at Jason for guidance. Jason gave him a subtle nod and
Dawson dropped it.
“Come
on, Momma, open your first present,” Sybany said, bouncing in her excitement.
It did my heart good to see her coming out of her shell more and more. She
vibrated with energy.
“Okay,
okay,” I said laughingly. “Which one do I open first?”
“Ugh,
the one with the one on it,” Xavier pointed out the obvious.
I
scanned the table until I found the canister labeled ‘1’ and reached for it.
Holding it up to my ear, I jiggled it.
“Owwww,
jou aren’t suppose ta shake da presents, Mommy,” Dawson admonished me.
“Sorry,
buddy,” I apologized. “I just wanted to make the surprise last a little longer.”
Prying the lid off of the canister, I tipped it over and a thin oval stick fell
out. I stared at it because I had no clue what it was.
“Here,
let’s plug it in,” Damaris instructed. Relieved to not have to ask, I handed it
to her. She walked over to the TV and stuck the thing in the side while Xavier
pushed buttons on the remotes.
‘The
Christmas Carole Tradition’ popped up on the screen, then it was filled with a
toddler aged Bryson singing a very off-key rendition of “Rudolph the Red Nosed
Reindeer”, which was followed by eighteen years’ worth of my nephews, nieces,
and kids performing synchronized dances.
“Wow!
I can’t believe y’all do that every year,” I commented. “What are you doing
this year?”
“We
were wanting on you to make the final decision, but we—well, everybody but
Bryson, he doesn’t do it since he got kicked out of the kid gift pool when he
went to college, Janelle said she would—we thought ‘The Twelve Days of
Christmas’ would be fun to do again,” Damaris explained.
“Waiting
on me,” I asked.
“Yeah,
you always help us make up the moves, ‘cause you don’t mind looking funny,”
Xavier piped up.
I
wasn’t sure looking funny was a compliment, especially since I have two left
feet, but I decided to take as one anyway. “Okay then, ‘The Twelve Days of
Christmas’ it is.”
To read more and find the schedule for the free novella, keep track of the tour here:
http://www.libbyaustin.com/through-infinity-blog-tour--thanks-for-the-memories-exceprt-schedule.html
http://www.libbyaustin.com/through-infinity-blog-tour--thanks-for-the-memories-exceprt-schedule.html
Author Bio
One day some words came to mind, so I wrote them down. Soon
the words became sentences, which formed paragraphs, which, in turn, formed
chapters. Before long, those words had become a book.
When I'm not reading or writing, I'm a wife, mother, and
business owner. I've lived on the Gulf, East, and West Coasts, but as a born
and raised Southern girl, my favorite will always be the Gulf Coast. There's
just no place like home...
Author Contact Links
Giveaway
Thank you for participating in the through infinity blog tour & posting the thanks for the memories excerpt.
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Libby! Thank you for letting me participate. :)
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