In today's episode, I've switched things around. My friend and author Kristen Harnisch (Ep. 22) suggested she interview me about my 'new' book Rose Girl, which has just been released as an ebook and dedicated to one of my closest friends, Hilary Blake Hamilton (Ep. 6) who passed earlier this year after an 8 year battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her three children and husband, and the last words I shared with her in hospice is that the book would be dedicated to her, in honor of her courage, resilience and profound love she shared with so many people who knew her. The story of Rose Girl is also one of resilience, and I guess, so is my own story. Kristen persuaded me to have her do the interview and pluck out the story behind the story of Rose Girl—the tale of an orphaned girl in 13th century Turkey who is mistaken as a saint for performing miracles and undergoes a riveting transformation when she meets the beloved poet Rumi, who unlocks the secret of her birth. The book was formerly titled, Damascena, but for lots of reasons that we discuss, I was stubbornly in my own way around marketing, the cover and the title. Hilary was one of my earliest readers and loved this book, so it felt right to put her name in it forever so that she is also remembered for her resilience. As a way to honor her life and her generosity of spirit, I am making the ebook free for anyone now, which can be downloaded from my website at hollylynnpayne.com Even though I love interviewing authors much more than being interviewed, I will admit I loved this conversation with Kristen Harnisch and and am so grateful she pushed me to do it. Just once. I hope you enjoy it too.
About the Page One Podcast:
Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.
Page One exists to inspire, celebrate and promote the work of both well-known and unknown creative talent. You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes.
About the guest author:
Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. She recently finished her first YA crossover novel inspired by her nephew with Down syndrome. She lives in Marin County with her daughter and enjoys mountain biking, surfing and hiking with her dog. To learn more about her books and private writing coaching services, please visit hollylynnpayne.com or find her at Instagram and Twitter @hollylynnpayne.
About the host:
Kristen Harnisch is the international bestselling author of the award-winning trilogy: The Vintner's Daughter, The California Wife and The Vintner's Legacy. Kristen drew upon her extensive research and experiences living in the San Francisco Bay Area and visiting Parise and the Loire Valley to create the historic world for the masterful trilogy. Kristen has served as a monthly guest blogger for the Writer's Digest Blog, The Writer's Dig and currently speaks on the business and craft of writing at conferences and writing retreats. You can find her at www.kristenharnisch.com, Twitter @KristenHarnisch or Instagram @kharnischauthor.
For more information:
If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my short, monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and get a copy of my new book Rose Girl for FREE!
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The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community!
And remember to get your FREE COPY of my new book, Rose Girl!
Be well and keep reading.
~Holly~
@hollylynnpayne