A RADIANTLY BEAUTIFUL NOVEL BY A MAGNIFICIENT NEW VOICE

I first met Mary T. Bradford on the Fantastic Summer Splash Blog Tour on Facebook. I was at once impressed with her honesty, compassion, and willingness to support other authors.

As I grew to know her a bit, I discovered that my first impressions were correct, but that she was also a writer with a distinct and original style. A style that I am sure will lead her into greatness.

I am honored that this talented author has allowed me to be a part of the launch of her debut novel, My Husband's Sin.

Thank you Marta for giving me this opportunity to share my thoughts with you.

It is a joy to have you join me Mary. Please tell us a bit about My Husband's Sin.

If you don't mind I will use publisher's words, they say it best.

My Husband’s Sin is the debut novel from Mary T Bradford. She is an Irish author, married and mother of four children. She has been writing short stories for many years with which she has enjoyed publishing success in Ireland and abroad. While working on a story it happened that the story kept getting longer and the word count continued to climb, resulting with Mary having her novel. My Husband’s Sin is published by Tirgearr Publishing at www.tirgearrpublishing.com.

Synopsis: In the weeks following Lillian Taylor’s burial, her four loving children assemble for the reading of her will. For the grieving youngest sibling, Lacey, life is about to come crashing down as a deep secret is revealed. The fall-out affects every member and they struggle to regain the happy family unit they once shared. Each of the four, now adult, children take the reader on a journey as they try to come to terms with and learn to handle this huge revelation.

Tell us what My Husband's Sin is about?

My debut novel is centered around the Taylor family. Lacey, the youngest of the family is dealt a horrible blow at the reading of her mother’s will. She is devastated and the knock on affect on her three siblings shakes the family unit. Lacey has questions that need answering and at one stage she must leave Ireland to search for some of the answers. Will the Taylor’s come together and unite or do they fall apart and remain so?

What are the main themes in your book?

In my novel, My Husband’s Sin, there are a few themes but the main one is loss. Losing a parent or indeed any family member is a difficult time for everyone concerned. Lacey Taylor, suffers loss greater than the others when after her mother Lillian’s funeral, a letter she is given destroys her life further. She now suffers betrayal as well. But it only takes a small crack to appear in a family for it all to come crumbling down.

If you were casting the movie version of My Husband’s Sin, who would you choose for the leading roles?

I would love the young actress, Amanda Seyfried, play the part of Lacey in my debut novel. The solicitor, Mr. Philip Sherman, played by Jeff Bridges, then Sally by Michelle Pfeiffer and finally Robert, by Jason Stratham. The other characters, Willow and Cora I have no idea.

Why did you write this novel?

I always promised myself that I would write a novel. I have written many short stories and had tons of ideas but none of them ever stayed with me and nagged me like this one. It started as a simple story and just kept growing, the word count grew and the characters kept insisting on me sorting out their dilemmas and after some moments of writing delights and writing disasters, I ended up with My Husband’s Sin.

How do you go about writing a novel? Is it a simple or a complex process?

Wow what a question! I am not a plotter when it comes to writing in general. I have either an idea or a name to begin with and after some thought, I may have an end. Then to get from the start to the finish, I have no idea, honestly. I put down on paper whatever is in my head and take it from there. As I am writing, the characters or indeed objects pop into the writing and it is they that lead my stories. In My Husband’s Sin, a black metal box appeared. I had no clue why or what it represented until much further on, it turned out to be an essential part of the novel.

Whether writing a novel is a simple or complex process I think depends on the writer. Some like to do a lot of research and make maps and plans and know each detail before they commit to paper. Others, I suppose like me, put it down and get it out and then when doing the next draft, and the next, and the next... finally get to the end.

What are you working on currently?

I have my fingers worn to the bone at present because I have three projects on the go. Yes I am a nut to take it all on. I am writing my second novel which is totally different from My Husband’s Sin; it is not even in the same genre. It is a good V evil story, a priest who is sent to do battle with the devil and it all takes place inside a locked room.  So who wins? That is a question I have not yet answered LOL.

I am also writing a western novella for a group that I am involved in. The group are called Writers of the West, it is an exciting project. Finally, I am busy seeking a home for a play I have ready for production.

What would your perfect day be?

A perfect day, let me think, it would be warm, not too hot, by the sea, with a picnic of cold meats/white wine/salads. A book of course and would I want company? Well if, Kevin Costner or Charles Bronson were available, or maybe Michael Bublé, he could serenade me right?

Tell us about a hidden talent you have that most people don’t know about?

I enjoy public speaking. I have my CC (Competent Communicator) from Toastmasters International and I started the advanced manuals. I also represented my local club Fáilte Toastmasters in competitions. Unfortunately, I no longer have the time to participate but I may go back to it another time.

Recently Mary has dipped into play-writing and one of her plays was shortlisted in the Claremorris Fringe Festival in April of this year and was performed by the Half A Breakfast Theatre Group. Another of her plays had a Staged Reading in July at Friar’s Gate Theatre in Kilmallock, Limerick in Ireland. Her short story collection, A Baker’s Dozen, is also available on Amazon.com.

You can find out more about Mary T. Bradford at/on:

http://marytbradford-author.blogspot.ie/

http://tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Bradford_MaryT/my-husbands-sin.htm

https://twitter.com/marytbrad

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-T-Bradford-Author/464343040298924?ref=hl

THE FANTASTIC BLOG HOP TRIVIA QUESITONS

As some of you may know, a few of my author friends started something a few months ago that is known as the Fantastic Blog Hop. The first of them was five days of posts and fun. The second turned into a nine day event and this one they decided to do something different. ---- A two day Facebook event and I was lucky to be asked to participate. We are going to play games, chat with readers, give away prizes. One of the games will be author trivia. The answers to our questions will come from our blogs. So if you will take a moment and read my short answers, you will be ready for my trivia. The event starts tonight and goes through tomorrow evening August 15th. So please join us. http://www.facebook.com/events/497812409321189/?source=1

When did you begin to imagine new worlds and people them with characters?

My imaginary world has always been rich. As a small child I remember pretending I lived in ancient Egypt, traveled down the Nile, lived as a Native American in Southwestern United States, and of course I traveled to the stars.

Who is Dinky? 

Dinky is my youngest horse, we adopted him from a rescue when he was four months old. He is a nurse mare foal. I wrote two books from his point of view. The first is a novel 

Dinky: The Nurse Mare's Foal

 

and the second is adapted from the beginning of the book for ages 3 to 8, called 

Dinky's Quest: The Journey Begins.

 

Do you prefer it quiet or do you like to listen to music when you write? 

I usually like it quiet, for I listen to the sound of my characters, but when writing The Between Times, a story of what our world might become, but again it has a bit of magic woven into it and a prophecy.

 

I listened to Troika, a new age CD and when I wrote The Choosing I listened to the sounds of flutes and drums from a Native American CD.

The Choosing is the story of pre-European America and is interwoven with Celtic and different Native American beliefs.

What was the first book you wrote and published?

My grandmother wrote a few short poems in the 1930's for her children, I found them when my mother was dying and found them charming. I decided to lengthen most of the poems and add some of my own and Wee Three: A Mother's Love in Verse was born. It is the first of two children's poetry books I have written.

It is illustrated by the talented Hazel Mitchell.

How many books have you written?

To date I have published 2 children's poetry, 3 adult poetry, my novella's The Choosing and The Between Times, Dinky: The Nurse Mare's Foal, and its companion, Dinky's Quest: The Journey Begins, and a slew of short stories. I have approximately 30 partially finished novels and stories.

Where do your ideas come from?

I call it the primordial soup, for they seem to come from nowhere. It seems as if they swirl around in my head until something I see, hear, or read will open the door and the characters will tell me their stories as I type.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read, read, read, and write, write, write, and get a good editor.

I understand you once had a blogtalk radio show named A Show To Remember and this Saturday August 16th you are returning to the radio as one of the Red River Radio hosts. What is the name of your new show?

Books and Bards and it will feature both authors and readers in a round table/panel show.