Giveaways and Interview with Brenda Youngerman

Brenda Youngerman, author of Disrupted Lives, is visiting The Wytch's Mirror today as the last stop of her virtual blog tour. In addition, Brenda sent me the first chapters of Disrupted Lives and Skewered Halo to make available here at The Wytch's Mirror for readers to download. I read Disrupted Lives several weeks before its release (read my review) and I fell completely in love with the story and the characters. After reading Sorrowed Souls, I became a fan of Brenda's writing as it mirrors real life and stirs up emotions as we face concerns for humanity and how we may respond to circumstances in our every day lives.

I had some questions for Brenda and she agreed to do a second author interview with me. It is my pleasure to share those questions and answers with everyone and to welcome Brenda Youngerman here at The Wytch's Mirror!


Cynthia asks...
Every book beats with a plot that gives life to its pages. After reading Disrupted Lives, I know what the story holds and the message intended to live long after the story ends. With our questions and answers today, I want to open things with you sharing straight to the readers...What is the heart and soul of Disrupted Lives?
Brenda answers....What a fascinating question....The heart and soul of Disrupted Lives has to be that life is full of challenges and you either let the challenges stop you or you face them and continue on with your dreams. I have always said that you have to be true to yourself and I think that also rings through in Disrupted Lives as well.

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Cynthia asks....
An author loves the characters they create, even the 'evil' ones. Wouldn't you agree?
Brenda answers....
I wholeheartedly agree with you. The characters in a book become a part of the author, or perhaps it is the other way around....I'm not really sure!

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Cynthia asks....
Disrupted Lives has a complete list of them! With that said, how does Fiona fair with you?
Brenda answers....
Fiona....well...Fiona is a product of her upbringing...that is for sure and then of course she is a product of the time she was raised in and then she is so completely lacking in any sense of self-worthiness that she does everything in her power to take control that she basically rolls over anything, anyone and everything in her way. With the loss of Sterling she takes matters in her hands and then loses control of everything.

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Cynthia asks.....
One of the things that struck me about Disrupted Lives is the time-line. Did you know how far back Disrupted Lives would go when you began writing, or did the story grow as you wrote?
Brenda answers.....
I had no idea this book would get this big. . .it just sort of wrote itself. As soon as I started writing the book I kept going further and further back.

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Cynthia asks....
I guess that leads to which came first the characters or the story itself?  Was there a character in particular that Disrupted Lives was written around?
Brenda answers....
Disrupted Lives was originally supposed to be about the mother who gave up her child - which means the book should have been written about Amelia. I actually started out writing the book that way, but then when I introduced Ben and Lori and Chad I had to figure out where they had come from and how Ben had been raised. Fiona sprang to life - well actually took over the story - and I guess the answer to your question is that the story was written around Ben, but he really isn't the main character in the book.

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Cynthia asks...
A rich story such as Disrupted Lives can take some authors years to sort through the facts, get the time-line organized and then to produce such a profound read. Since I am a huge fan, I already have an idea about the answer to this question. However, I am anxious for you to share with other readers how quickly this incredible fiction with a purpose unfolded for you and how long Disrupted Lives actually did take to complete?Brenda answers....
Yeah....this is a very interesting answer and most people won't really believe it ... but Disrupted Lives took 10 weeks to write --- it just poured out of me! I think this was just the story that needed to be told! I loved looking up all the historical facts that are swimming around in this book and I actually fell in love with every one of these characters. They each have such uniquely different personalities. They actually wrote this book - I just listened!

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Thank you Brenda, and I am very much looking forward to your next novel Skewered Halo coming in the Winter of 2012. 

Brenda's Websites:
Brenda Youngerman
Blog - Fiction with a Purpose
Reviews4Reviews

Contact Brenda:
brenda(at)brendayoungerman(dot)com

Brenda's Social Networks:
Twitter, Squidoo, Gather, Facebook

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Giveaways!

Don't miss your chance to enter for a signed copy of Disrupted Lives by Brenda Youngerman, being offered in giveaways at the following blogs.

The True Book Addict

http://thetruebookaddict.blogspot.com/2011/05/guest-post-and-giveaway-with-author.html


Sugarbeat's Books

http://sugarbeatsbooks.com/2011/05/14/guest-post-giveaway-disrupted-lives-by-brenda-youngerman/

Scathing Weekly

http://scathingweekly.blogspot.com/2011/05/virtual-book-tour-interview-author-of.html