On the Eighteenth of May by Jordan R. Samuel

Please welcome Jordan R. Samuel author of On the Eighteenth of May

Jordan R. Samuel will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

On the Eighteenth of May

by Jordan R. Samuel

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GENRE: Romance

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I have never before, in my entire life, tried writing fiction. As a professional educator, and now a university professor, I have spent a great deal of my life writing academic pieces. I have published over ten peer-reviewed articles and chapters in various journals and books and have very recently published a handbook on research regarding effective online course design. I had always hoped to write a novel, but had never quite made or found the time.

In early 2019, I was busy working on two research articles for my university, which both happened to fall during a very sad time in my life. Not to go into too much detail, but one of my family members was very ill, and was lost and hurting and struggling. And I realized at that period just how sad I was, over the whole situation . . . over my lack of ability to help in some meaningful way, and over my complete uselessness to make things better. And so, one day I opened my laptop, but instead of working on the research articles (like I was SUPPOSED to be doing), I started writing a story. A story filled with sadness. A story filled with love.

2. How did you come up with ideas for your books?

With this being my first novel, several ideas combined at once, from different personal experiences or interests. First, as stated earlier in the interview, I was going through a particularly sad time in my life when this novel was first conceptualized, so that was one impetus for some of the particularly sad themes in the novel. While the story in the novel in no way reflects the actual situation I was experiencing with my family member, the moodof the novel certainly does. In addition, I have visited the Blue Ridge mountain region of North Carolina on many occasions, and have found that there are few places on earth quite as lovely as the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure areas, so the setting of the novel, for me, was an easy choice. In addition, many of the ideas for the most stunning scenes of the novel (yes, for those of you who have read the novel, I’m talking about Chapters 27 and 30) were inspired by the beautiful history and stories of the Cherokee Nation. Their legacy and lore is a key part of the love story that unfolds On the Eighteenth of May.

3. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

That is a great question for a first-time novelist! As one who had written in the academic realm, I can honestly say that I have written quite a lot in my lifetime. But writing a novel is very different, as I would soon learn! My other expertise in writing this novel was my familiarity the setting itself. I have visited the Chimney Rock and Lake Lure area of NC many times, so I was able to describe areas and parts of that region from memory.

4. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I would want them to know that I wrote this book to fit, almost perfectly, the type of book I love to read. When I first began writing it, I intended it to be a YA novel, and even though I believe it would be enjoyable to young adult readers, it does not tick off every requirement to be considered one. Yet, the reader will notice that I used a very simple writing approach to tell what I believe is a very rich and complicated story. This is the kind of story I like to read myself, so I wrote it in a way that I knew I would enjoy – on the day that I held it in my hands and read it myself!

5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I had such a meaningful experience writing On the Eighteenth of May, that I am already working on my second novel, one that is tentatively title The Broken Bridge. After that, I would certainly love the opportunity to fulfill the request of some of my fans and write a sequel, and maybe even a third original book to make a trilogy – all based in the Blue Ridge Mountains. In any case, I certainly see at least one more novel set in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

6. If you could be one of the characters from any of your books, who would it be and why?

I would be Ella, from On the Eighteenth of May. She appears to be a character who is warm, supportive, loyal, and, most importantly, willing to take a chance on people. I think she is a character that everyone would like to be, in some way. We all would like to think we would be willing to put ourselves “out there” for a stranger, but Ella is a model of what may just happen when you actually do.

7. If you were the casting director for the film version of your novel, who would play your leading roles?

I’m so glad you asked this question, because many of my neighbors who have read my book have started a little competition to see who can bet the best casting director. In my opinion, the three main characters would be cast as follows (actors who fit the general physical descriptions of the characters and their age).

Cass (Virginia Gardner)

Lucas (Booboo Stewart)

Ella (Kathy Bates)

11. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

I write the first few pages, just to get started, then I stop and plan out a very detailed outline of what is going to happen. I tend to write the first couple of chapters, then write a rough draft of the very last chapter, then write the chapters in between. Then, by the time I make it to the end, I polish up and add a lot more to the ending. My outlines tend to get completely out of control and I do leave a lot on the “cutting room floor”. But, as I write, I have other ideas for where I want things to go or relationships between characters, so my outline is constantly changing around the edges, while staying pretty consistent in terms of the theme and twists.

12. Do you have any hobbies and does the knowledge you’ve gained from these carry over into your characters or the plot of your books?

I am actually a person who walks every day, just like Cass in On the Eighteenth of May, so I was able to act as the “research” for some of the thoughts that are explored with her walking in the book (like how far she can walk for a certain time allotment).

14. Have you started your next project? If so, can you share a little bit about your book?

Yes, I have started on my next novel, which will most likely remain titled as The Broken Bridge. It, too, will be set in the Blue Ridge mountain area of North Carolina and will focus on a displaced child, her life and upbringing as she grows up, and her journey as she lives in wealth and luxury, surrounded by loathing and bitterness.

16. Can you tell us a little about the black moment in your book?

There were several black moments in the book and, as I wrote them, I don’t mind sharing that there were many tears. Many readers of the book have commented, in reviews and other written reactions, that Cass is a character that a reader will “root for”. As the author, I felt the same way. But just because you are rooting for someone does not mean that their life will be okay, or that their sorrow will somehow be removed. Of the several black moments in the book, the most touching, for me, was in Chapter 37, a chapter that is based almost entirely in memory. I revised this particular chapter more than any other in the book – for, no matter how sad it was, it never seemed quite sad enough. Until I finally found the words that come towards the end. You, as the reader, will know them when you see them. It begins with

She is hoping…

BLURB:

On the evening of the eighteenth of May, a young woman named Cass walks alone into a small village with the intent to stay for exactly one year. Cass soon meets two precocious children, a caring and generous business owner, and the Chief of Police from the neighboring town. Family and loss are parts of many of their stories, and while these people, as well as others, attempt to know and help her, the history and troubled memories of what led Cass to this place begin to gradually unfold. As the potential for love and the pathway for healing become clearer, the date of departure approaches. Cass and those around her will be forced to decide how forcefully they are willing to hold on: to the past, to the pain, and to the person.

On the Eighteenth of May is the story of the people and events that are interwoven throughout Cass’s journey and her life.  It is a story that examines the true test of strength in the deepest depths of sorrow, as felt by the human heart. It is a story that explores the perceived helplessness of those within the support structure, and the extent to which those we love can hinder or accelerate the healing process. Finally, it is a story that reminds us of the overwhelming power of comforting influences in all of our lives, as our human souls struggle, against all odds, to survive.

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EXCERPT:

She then noticed a clearing ahead, on the right, amongst the never-ending curtains of forestry that lined the road. She passed a particularly massive tree, with huge limbs and large leaves, and then caught sight of a splotch of white. It was a house, sitting alone atop a small hill and gleaming subtly in the muted moonlight. It looked abandoned and quiet, even starkly quiet compared to the vast silence around it. There was a dark bridge that led over the river and merged into a long winding driveway that led to the house. She glanced back up, and she knew…

This house is the most peaceful…in this place.

She took out the single piece of paper and pen from her backpack. Over the span of a few rushed moments she sketched out the little she could see under the growing canopy of darkness. She wanted to draw the house right away, for there was no predicting what awaited her tomorrow or whether she would actually even see this house again. She had not found it to live in it, or even to visit it. She needed only to know that it existed. She would have the drawing as a reminder. A reminder that there was peace, and it was here.

Upon completion of the drawing, which she determined was a fairly accurate depiction, she folded and tucked the paper safely into the right pocket of her shorts while advancing further into the town in whose borders she was now fully immersed. She did so in full darkness, with no visible creature in sight and no available lodging to be seen. She saw a playground ahead and finally allowed herself to accept the weariness that had been gradually creeping into her mind and joints. Her last memories of the day were a slide, the sound of crickets, and a makeshift backpack pillow.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jordan R. Samuel is a former public school teacher and administrator who enjoys her current work as an Assistant Professor of Education. She spends her days with her husband and her three children as she teaches, studies and writes. She immensely enjoys travelling, and penned many parts of this particular story while relaxing in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ontheeighteenthofmay/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20148821.Jordan_R_Samuel

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jordan-R-Samuel/e/B087CB3RTF/

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Jordan R. Samuel will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

RAFFLECOPTER:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3405