#Giveaway & Interview with Camille Di Maio, author of The Memory of Us #LoneStarLit @CamilleDiMaio @KristineTHall
THE MEMORY OF US
by Camille DiMaio
Genre: Historical Romantic Literary Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union Press
Date of Publication: May 31, 2016
Number of Pages: 400
Scroll down for Giveaway!
Julianne Westcott was living the kind of life that other Protestant girls in prewar Liverpool could only dream about: old money, silk ball gowns, and prominent young men lining up to escort her. But when she learns of a blind-and-deaf brother, institutionalized since birth, the illusion of her perfect life and family shatters around her.
While visiting her brother in secret, Julianne meets and befriends Kyle McCarthy, an Irish Catholic groundskeeper studying to become a priest. Caught between her family’s expectations, Kyle’s devotion to the Church, and the intense new feelings that the forbidden courtship has awakened in her, Julianne must make a choice: uphold the life she’s always known or follow the difficult path toward love.
But as war ripples through the world and the Blitz decimates England, a tragic accident forces Julianne to leave everything behind and forge a new life built on lies she’s told to protect the ones she loves. Now, after twenty years of hiding from her past, the truth finds her—will she be brave enough to face it?
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Books-A-Million
ADVANCED REVIEWER PRAISE FOR THE BOOK
“Powerful, emotional, and amazing read.”
“A smashing debut!”
“Brilliantly told and executed.”
“Will make you cry in the best way possible.”
“This is a beautiful story of redemption, love, and honor.”
“I fell in love with the characters.”
“I’m not sure if I have ever had such a range of emotions with a book.”
“This is one of the best books that I have read!”
“Touching and funny and tragic and beautiful.”
“Packs a powerful, emotional punch.”
Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie version of your book?
I’m still working out my ideal “Kyle”, but I could see Carey Mulligan or Lily James playing “Julieanne.” Colin Firth for “Mr. Westcott”. Donna Murphy for “Mrs. Westcott.” Emily Blunt for “Lucille”.
How important are names to you in your books, and how do you choose them?
I figured out the approximate years in which the characters would be born, and then googled male and female names that were popular in those eras. I also tried to choose names that were geographically correct. But none of the names have a particular meaning.
What do your plans for future projects include?
Although it is only a concept right now, I have an idea for a historical novel set in New York that I am REALLY excited about starting. I just have to decide it if will be a stand-alone or a trilogy. There are three stories to tell, but it might be possible to do in one book.
Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?
I would say this more as a genre than a subject, but I would never write horror, erotica, or fantasy.
Do you have any strange writing habits you’d like to share with your readers?
I fall in to the category of writers who is best inspired when away from home. I LOVE to travel, and it sparks my imagination more than anything else. Even if I just sit in my front yard, I can see it as a little escape. Sitting in my house just has too many distractions.
What is something you want to accomplish before you die?
My favorite quote is from Mother Teresa: “Let no one come to you without leaving better or happier.” It sounds like a cliché, but if I can just leave the world better than I found it, even in my tiny corner, then I would have accomplished all that I want. I discovered a few years ago that this book and this book process are not about me. It’s about helping other people in some way. Particularly in inspiring them to pursue their own dreams and purposes, whatever they are.
What do you want your tombstone to say?
She didn’t waste a second.
Camille is an award-winning real estate agent in San Antonio who, along with her husband of 18 years, home schools their four children. She has a bucket list that is never-ending, and uses her adventures to inspire her writing. She’s lived in Texas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California, and spends enough time in Hawai’i to feel like a local. She’s traveled to four continents (so far), and met Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. She just about fainted when she had a chance to meet her musical idol, Paul McCartney, too. Camille studied political science in college, but found working on actual campaigns much more fun. She belts out Broadway tunes whenever the moment strikes, and forever stays up late reading “just one more chapter”. There’s almost nothing she wouldn’t try, so long as it doesn’t involve heights, roller skates, or anything illegal. “The Memory of Us” is Camille’s debut novel. Her second, “Before the Rain Falls” will be released in the spring of 2017.
Facebook * Goodreads * Twitter * Website * Instagram * Amazon Author Page
GIVEAWAYS! GIVEAWAYS! GIVEAWAYS!
THREE WINNERS EACH GET
A SIGNED COPY OF THE BOOK!
June 21 – July 5, 2016
(US ONLY)
CHECK OUT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
6/21 Missus Gonzo — Review
6/22 Books and Broomsticks– Promo
6/23 The Page Unbound – Author Interview #1
6/24 Texas Book Lover – Guest Post
6/25 The Librarian Talks – Review
6/26 Country Girl Bookaholic – Excerpt
6/27 It’s a Jenn World – Author Interview #2
6/28 Byers Editing Reviews & Blog — Review
6/29 Forgotten Winds – Book Trailer
6/30 Margie’s Must Reads – Review
7/1 Blogging for the Love of Authors and Their Books – Promo
7/2 The Crazy Booksellers – Author Interview #3
7/3 My Book Fix Blog — Review
7/4 StoreyBook Reviews – Author Interview #4
7/5 Hall Ways Blog – Review
blog tour services provided by
