MULTI-TALENTED ALYSON REUBEN

I've learned some new facts about my Wild Rose Press sistah, Alyson Reuben, as I've organized her blogpost for y'all. One, she's gorgeous. Two, she's also an artist--charcoal sketches, pastel drawings and acrylic paintings.

 

Gee, and it's all I can do to paint my toenails...

 

Alyson, what is your life like away from the computer? Tell us something about your household.  

I live in a small town that I’m very proud of.  We’re not just a community, we’re practically one huge family, and there is always a community event to attend or a ballgame to watch.  As for real family, I have a wonderful husband, Greg, and a beautiful daughter, Katie.  My parents, one of my brothers, my grandmother, and a horde of other relatives, live just a few blocks away.  We know what’s happening in each other’s lives at all times… good and bad! lol  It probably doesn’t take a lot of imagination for you to guess how busy life can be around my place.   I write on a strict schedule through the day hours, but no matter how busy I am with my latest project, my life centers around family.

What is your writing schedule like?

I write in the daytime hours when my husband and daughter are at work and school.  Of course, this schedule changes through the summer and vacation months.  Occasionally, when I’m on an especially tight deadline crunch, the family understands that I have to hole myself up until my work is done.

What is the story behind your book title?

The title is both symbolic and an actual sand formation in CASTLES WE BUILD.  It came to me almost as soon as I started writing the story.  The first reference to castles is on page one of CASTLES WE BUILD.  Yet, the title was inspired from a scene between Julia and her second husband, Ford, when they argued about building lofty castles in the sky.  It just seemed natural to compare the ‘sky castles’ to the sandcastles in my characters’ Floridian beach setting.  As I continued writing, several more references to castles cropped up.  Readers will probably pick them out easily, helping to tie all the elements together.

Do you ever dream of writing in a different genre?

Definitely!  I like reading several different genres.  I have a passion for good mysteries and some horror stories too.  Another genre I love is family sagas (no surprise there!).  I’m hoping to one day branch off into one or more of these areas.  But, one thing is certain, I’ll never stop writing women’s fiction and romance!

Has your road to publication been a walk in the park or a steep mountain climb?

I’ve been writing stories since I was in second grade.  Not that they were worth reading! Ha!  Yet, they gave me plenty of practice.  By the time I became serious about actually finishing the stories I began, I got married.  Still, I never quit writing.  I was even an editor for a small advertising paper, which included a few articles.  I submitted story after story (fiction), without any luck.  A BEAUTIFUL CAGE was my first success.  So, I’d say my road to publication has been a challenging one.  And I imagine it will continue to keep me on my toes!

     Tell us about your current release.

Set in 1927, CASTLES WE BUILD is very much Julia’s story.  She’s a woman who is happily married to her second husband after losing her first husband in WWI (or The Great War, as it was called then).  She’s content being a wife, mother, and a somewhat reserved socialite.  Yet, her peace of mind, as well as her heart, is called into question when her first husband returns from overseas, where he was imprisoned.  She now faces a dilemma she never would’ve predicted in a million years.  Which man is she legally married to?  More still, which one has her complete heart?  Faced with a crippling amount of pressure, she makes more mistakes while gaining insights. 

 

The entire time I was writing this story, scene after scene surprised me!  And I don’t mean just the obscure details.  Some of the most pivotal scenes, such as a burning factory, a run-in with a bootlegger, and a critical segment involving Nan, Julia’s stepdaughter, seemed to show up on my computer screen as if by magic.  Julia was as eager to tell her story as she now is for others to read it!

I love to meet new friends and hear from my readers.

 Twitter- https://twitter.com/alysonreuben

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/#!/AlysonReubenAuthor

Website- www.alysonreuben.com

CASTLES WE BUILD is at Amazon- http://amzn.to/Qm6sxj

Thanks, Vonnie, for having me here on your blog today!