Constance Walker ~ Author Interview & New Release: Lost Roses of Ganymede House

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Constance Walker, who is sharing a little about herself and her brand new release. It’s a gothic mystery, which I love!

 

1. Where did you get the idea for Lost Roses of Ganymede House?

One afternoon I was driving over a bridge and I saw this beautiful stone mansion sitting on a cliff overlooking a river and I was intrigued with it.  I wondered who lived there and for how long and who they were and what kind of family it was and if it was a happy household and one thought led to another and — you know how you used to play the “what if?” game when you were younger?  Well, I began playing that game in my mind: “What if the house was overlooking a sea in rural England?  What if it was in Victorian times?”  And then, “What if that beautiful house was haunted and had a ghost and who was the ghost and why was it there?” And by the end of the drive I had the premise for a Gothic mystery. 

The title?  Roses – the scent of them – is a feature of the book so I knew that had to be part of it.  And I have always had a fascination with the planet Jupiter – don’t ask me why because I can’t really tell you — and I took one of its moons – Ganymede – and named the house after it.  And somehow it all worked and I had my title, Lost Roses of Ganymede House. 

2. Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

When I write, I sometimes speak the words out loud as I’m typing.  It helps me with the grammar and punctuation and also catches any awkward phrases, etc.  Jake, my wonderful/fantastic 12-year old rescued hound/shepherd sits beside my desk and he’ll look up at me as though he’s also critiquing, but he never offers an alternative.  All he wants is another treat. 

3. What book have you read that you wish you would have written?

Not a book but a movie script.  THE WAY WE WERE.  I absolutely loved that screenplay and I’ve seen the movie a dozen times and each time I am so impressed with the writing and the concept.  And even though it had a bittersweet ending, it was a great romance.

4. What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

“Loyal.”  Once you’re included into my family or are my friend then that’s it!  It’s a bond for life.

What is one word you think others might use to describe you? 

“Tenacious.”  I’ll fight forever for people, animals, causes – anything that will make life a little better for everyone on this earth.  I joke that my parents must have known what kind of person I would be and named me Constance – it means steadfast, never yielding.    

5. What’s your favorite book of all time and why?

It’s an old non-fiction book I discovered many years ago, SERENADE TO THE BIG BIRD.  It was written during the Second World War by Bert Stiles, an Army Air Force bomber pilot.  It may have been one of the first non-fiction books I ever read and I was completely blown away by the way he wrote about his experiences and his outlook on life and war and peace.  It was published posthumously – he went down with his plane during an air battle.  I’ve mentioned the book several times to other writers and I’m always amazed that someone has also read it and considers it to be one of the best non-fiction books they’ve read.   

6. What do you want readers to come away with after they read Lost Roses of Ganymede House?

A sense of enjoyment, of caring about the characters and the storyline and a good feeling about having spent their time reading the book.  When I get reviews from readers on Facebook or Goodreads who write that they loved the book so much that they wished it never ended … that’s the ultimate praise.  And that’s when I really do say “thank you” out loud and want to sit down and write another book immediately.   

 

Thank you! I enjoyed the interview. And now, please tell us about your book…

 

Blurb:  

“There, Miss, that be Ganymede House in the distance,” says the driver of her carriage as newly impoverished Sarah Scott gets her first glimpse of the magnificent house in Yorkshire, England, where she will live as tutor for the two children of widower Oliver Grayson.  But, unknown to the young woman, she is about to venture into a bleak home where the children are silent, the master morose, the servants suspicious and the family history forbidding.

And, as she begins to take on the responsibility for the children’s education, Sarah finds herself caught up in the hostile spirit that permeates Ganymede–the portrait of Oliver’s wife, Rosamunda, that is locked away in an unused bedroom; the mysterious scent of roses in rooms where no one has entered; the mystery surrounding Rosamunda’s death and the banishment of the mother’s imprint on the children and the manor.  Slowly Sarah comes to realize that evil inhabits the house and that she no longer is an outsider to the family–what stalks and touches Ganymede now touches her.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Roses-Ganymede-House-Constance-Walker-ebook/dp/B01CH1KSL0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457053716&sr=1-2&keywords=LOST+ROSES+OF+GANYMEDE+HOUSE

Author Bio: Constance Walker is the author of Gothic mysteries, paranormal and contemporary romance fiction, and is currently working on a novel about senior citizens.  You can contact her at her in-the-process-of revising-her web site,

WWW.CONSTANCEWALKER.COM  or at her Goodreads Author page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2090408.Constance_Walker