Hello Everyone,
Please welcome a dear friend of mine, author, Marianne Stephens. Marianne writes both fiction and non-fiction. Today, we're going to discuss her latest release, a non-fiction book titled, GUILTY SURVIVOR: MEMOIRS OF TAMERLA KENDALL.
SKM: Marianne, I'm curious to know what prompted you to write this book?
MS: Thank you for having me here today, Sandy! A friend knew I was an author and that Tamerla was looking for someone to write her story. After talking to her, I felt she had a fascinating story to tell.
SKM: Did you meet this lady?
MS: I met Tamerla almost three years ago. Started meeting with her to gather information and take notes…also tape-recorded our sessions. It took two years to gather information and write her story…longer than I’d planned…because I ended up having lots of medical issues/surgeries for most of the first two years.
SKM: Is it easier to write non-fiction than fiction? How long did it take you to write this book?
MS: It took longer to write this, only because of my medical problems. In a way, it’s easier to write nonfiction because the facts are there and that’s what you follow. You still have to be creative in organizing the facts into story form. Then again, in a way it’s harder than writing fiction…can’t be as creative with the story and characters.
SKM: Marianne, tell us a bit about Tamerla Kendall.
MS: Tamerla had a fascinating upbringing and job experiences…model, hairdresser, college student, etc. Her past helped her when war came, since she needed to be self-reliant and find the courage to remain in Sarajevo in the hopes of saving her family restaurant business. Someone without inner strength would never have stayed. Every experience made her stronger, but still vulnerable to hurt and heartache. She’s a busy, active woman, now living in the US as a citizen and hoping to earn a college degree as she works.
SKM: List where we can find you/your books.
Marianne Stephens (mainstream romance and nonfiction)/April Ash (erotic romance)
http://www.mariannestephens.net/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1518319389
http://www.aprilash.net/prilash.net/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1683746739
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancebooksrus
http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AuthorMarianneS
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=62849416&trk=tab_pro
http://alldayallnightromancedivas.blogspot.com/
My Books:
http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com/MarianneStephens.html
http://www.jasminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspxsminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspx
http://www.jasminejade.com/m-441-april-ash.aspx
http://www.breathlesspress.com/
ALSO:
Amazon,
Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, OmniLit, Book Stand
SKM: Do you have a blurb or an excerpt you would like to leave for my readers?
MS: Here’s my press release:
She looks like any woman you see rooting for her son at a sporting event or shopping for groceries. Yet, Tamerla Kendall's past includes masquerading as a United Nations soldier and riding in a tank in order to cross Bosnian War (1992-1995) checkpoints to visit family...and facing interrogation by the police because someone betrayed her trust.
Another dangerous trip had her switching cars and drivers to get through checkpoints, done to get her daughter to the safety of family outside the war zone in Sarajevo...only to return and find her home torched and family restaurant robbed. Her daughter, brainwashed by her father, believed she'd been abandoned by her mother, causing years of heartbreaking separation and non-communication.
With either trip, she risked getting caught, arrested, or shot. And, with each trip, came the critical decision to return to Sarajevo to save the family restaurant business. Each day presented the challenge of finding supplies on the Black Market or by bartering with the military to keep her restaurant operating.
"Guilty Survivor - Memoirs of Tamerla Kendall" by Marianne Stephens, presents the memoirs of Bosnian Croat, Tamerla Kendall...now Kansas City resident and US citizen. Grenade bombings of her restaurant, cleaning blood off the streets and buildings after random attacks, and witnessing people dead and dying, convinced her she'd be able to shoot the gun she'd bought for protection. When a gun was pointed at her head and her family threatened after the war because she'd married an American, Tamerla made the crucial decision to move to the United States.
SKM: This sounds like such a wonderful and heartbreaking story, Marianne. I wish you the best in getting Tamerla's life story out for everyone to read.
Please welcome a dear friend of mine, author, Marianne Stephens. Marianne writes both fiction and non-fiction. Today, we're going to discuss her latest release, a non-fiction book titled, GUILTY SURVIVOR: MEMOIRS OF TAMERLA KENDALL.
SKM: Marianne, I'm curious to know what prompted you to write this book?
MS: Thank you for having me here today, Sandy! A friend knew I was an author and that Tamerla was looking for someone to write her story. After talking to her, I felt she had a fascinating story to tell.
SKM: Did you meet this lady?
MS: I met Tamerla almost three years ago. Started meeting with her to gather information and take notes…also tape-recorded our sessions. It took two years to gather information and write her story…longer than I’d planned…because I ended up having lots of medical issues/surgeries for most of the first two years.
SKM: Is it easier to write non-fiction than fiction? How long did it take you to write this book?
MS: It took longer to write this, only because of my medical problems. In a way, it’s easier to write nonfiction because the facts are there and that’s what you follow. You still have to be creative in organizing the facts into story form. Then again, in a way it’s harder than writing fiction…can’t be as creative with the story and characters.
SKM: Marianne, tell us a bit about Tamerla Kendall.
MS: Tamerla had a fascinating upbringing and job experiences…model, hairdresser, college student, etc. Her past helped her when war came, since she needed to be self-reliant and find the courage to remain in Sarajevo in the hopes of saving her family restaurant business. Someone without inner strength would never have stayed. Every experience made her stronger, but still vulnerable to hurt and heartache. She’s a busy, active woman, now living in the US as a citizen and hoping to earn a college degree as she works.
SKM: List where we can find you/your books.
Marianne Stephens (mainstream romance and nonfiction)/April Ash (erotic romance)
http://www.mariannestephens.net/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1518319389
http://www.aprilash.net/prilash.net/
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1683746739
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/romancebooksrus
http://romancebooksrus.blogspot.com/
http://twitter.com/AuthorMarianneS
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=62849416&trk=tab_pro
http://alldayallnightromancedivas.blogspot.com/
My Books:
http://www.secretcravingspublishing.com/MarianneStephens.html
http://www.jasminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspxsminejade.com/m-310-marianne-stephens.aspx
http://www.jasminejade.com/m-441-april-ash.aspx
http://www.breathlesspress.com/
ALSO:
Amazon,
Barnes & Noble, All Romance Ebooks, OmniLit, Book StandSKM: Do you have a blurb or an excerpt you would like to leave for my readers?
MS: Here’s my press release:
She looks like any woman you see rooting for her son at a sporting event or shopping for groceries. Yet, Tamerla Kendall's past includes masquerading as a United Nations soldier and riding in a tank in order to cross Bosnian War (1992-1995) checkpoints to visit family...and facing interrogation by the police because someone betrayed her trust.
Another dangerous trip had her switching cars and drivers to get through checkpoints, done to get her daughter to the safety of family outside the war zone in Sarajevo...only to return and find her home torched and family restaurant robbed. Her daughter, brainwashed by her father, believed she'd been abandoned by her mother, causing years of heartbreaking separation and non-communication.
With either trip, she risked getting caught, arrested, or shot. And, with each trip, came the critical decision to return to Sarajevo to save the family restaurant business. Each day presented the challenge of finding supplies on the Black Market or by bartering with the military to keep her restaurant operating.
"Guilty Survivor - Memoirs of Tamerla Kendall" by Marianne Stephens, presents the memoirs of Bosnian Croat, Tamerla Kendall...now Kansas City resident and US citizen. Grenade bombings of her restaurant, cleaning blood off the streets and buildings after random attacks, and witnessing people dead and dying, convinced her she'd be able to shoot the gun she'd bought for protection. When a gun was pointed at her head and her family threatened after the war because she'd married an American, Tamerla made the crucial decision to move to the United States.
SKM: This sounds like such a wonderful and heartbreaking story, Marianne. I wish you the best in getting Tamerla's life story out for everyone to read.
Have a good week everyone and see you next Sunday. Yay! The snow is melting. Grin.
Have a loverly Valentine's Day tomorrow.
Sandy
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