Cadence Beach by Linda Juliano (Review, Interview, & Giveaway)

Today I’m very excited to introduce you to a talented author, Linda Juliano, and her great novel, Cadence Beach. Please stay a while and also read the review I wrote for the novel. Don’t forget to enter for a chance to win some of the prices Linda brought along.

Welcome to Novel Moments, Linda. It’s great to have you here.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I’ve been happily married almost eighteen years and have two wonderful boys.  Originally from Oregon, I’ve lived in San Francisco now for twenty-two years.

What keeps you writing?

 My love of the craft.  I don’t think I could stop if I tried.

Can you tell us a little more about Cadence Beach?

After killing his unfaithful wife, Suzanne, Allan Roth believes she will return to him to atone for her sins by inhabiting the body of another woman. For no other reason than the fact she resembles his dead wife, Allan believes Josie Gianni is that woman.   As a relationship develops between Josie and Gordon Forrester, Allan becomes convinced that through Josie, Suzanne is betraying him once again.  He grows increasingly dangerous until finally reaching an explosive breaking point.

What inspired you to write this novel?

Writing a novel always sounded overwhelming to me, but one day I mentioned to a friend that I wished I could write a novel, and she encouraged me to give it a try.  I thought about it, gathered the courage and wrote “Cadence Beach”, leading to the discovery that I love writing novels.

How did you come up with the title?

There is a town on the coast of Oregon called Cannon Beach.  “Cadence Beach” was loosely modeled after that town. The twist on the name just came to me, no searching thoughts required.

How long did it take you to research and write the novel?

About 4 years.  

Is there a certain message you would like readers to get out of this novel?

There’s a subtle message about forgiveness and its power.

Do you experience writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

I have productive days and less productive days, but I haven’t had any issues with writer’s block (yet).

Are you a full time writer? If not, how do you make time to write?

Yes and no.  I juggle writing with working 1-2 days a week outside of the home and caring for my family (husband and kids) the rest of the time. I wonder if anyone can be considered a full-time anything these days with the many directions we take, but for the most part, I’d probably consider myself basically a full-time writer.

How does your daily writing schedule look like?

I write about 4 hours a day, 4 days a week.  Mornings are best for me, so I typically begin about 10:00 a.m. and write until 2:00 p.m. 

How does your marketing schedule look like?

I spend about 2 hours (or more) a week on directly marketing my work.

Which avenues do you use to market your books?

Facebook, Goodreads and word of mouth, but my favorite avenue is a site called LinkedIn. The writer’s and author’s groups are fantastic outlets for exchanging information and promoting your work.  Doing this blog tour is another wonderful avenue for marketing.

What books can we expect from you in the future?

 Mostly contemporary romance and contemporary women’s fiction.

What was your best ever moment as a published author?

 Finding an unsolicited, lovely review of my book on Amazon. I was on cloud nine for hours!

What question are you dying to be asked? And the answer is?

Maybe just what inspires me?  The answer: True stories of perseverance and survival (in every sense of the word) in the face of adversity move me beyond words. 

Do you have a message for your readers?

I’d like to say thank you for choosing to read “Cadence Beach”, and I hope you feel inspired to follow my career one novel at a time.

Thank you so much Linda. I will definitely follow your career. I enjoyed reading your novel.

Cadence Beach

by Linda Juliano

BLURB

Soon after Josie Gianni moves to Cadence Beach, Oregon, she’s immediately thrust into a strange and chilling interplay with a demented stalker who believes the soul of the wife he murdered has returned through Josie.

Fueled by jealousy and fear of betrayal, the stalker's intentions grow increasingly dangerous when Josie falls for Gordon Forrester, the aloof, attractive owner of the local bookstore.

Will Josie's wit and Gordon's love save her, or will Josie fall victim to the madman's destructive behavior as he attempts to reclaim his wife's soul?

MY REVIEW

 

I mean it when I say that Cadence Beach is one of the best romantic thrillers I’ve read in a long time. I’m so happy to have discovered Linda Juliano and her wonderful book. 

I love thrillers that keep me awake long into the night because I just have to read one more chapter to find out what happens next. 

The novel has a beginning that pushes the reader right into the story of Allan Roth, a man obsessed with his dead wife. She died in a way that sent chills down my spine. Unable to live without her, he started to believe that her soul was back and now lived inside the body of a woman called Josie Gianni. He was determined to get his wife back, determined to make Josie believe she belonged to him. He soon started stalking her and no place was too far. When Josie moved to Cadence Beach, so did he. He didn’t let her out of his sight. But then something unexpected happened. Josie started to fall in love with another man, Gordon Forrester. This drove the stalker mad, until he just couldn’t stand it any longer. His jealousy finally overwhelmed him and he stopped being just the man that watched from a distance. He became a very dangerous man, to both Josie and the people who cared about her.

One thing I loved about the novel is that the author also gave me a peek into the stalker’s dark, dangerous mind, allowed me to watch as he weaved his plans. But I also enjoyed following the trail that led him to the man he had become. I find that interesting because I believe that all evil has its roots somewhere. 

Most of the story took place in a small, beautiful seaside town that the author brought to life with every word. I loved not only the setting but also its residents, who were very believable, interesting, and welcoming. It was a pleasure getting to know all the different characters and their surroundings. 

Cadence Beach was so good that the story stayed with me long after I turned the last page. The ending left me really satisfied but still craving for more. I guess I’ll have to wait for Linda’s next novel. I’ll definitely buy it. She's a very talented author who will go very far. You will not be disappointed by Cadence Beach. I highly recommend it. 

AUTHOR BIO

I spent the first 24 years of my life living in a suburb of Portland, Oregon until I was offered a job with United Airlines that took me to San Francisco, CA where I subsequently met my husband and accepted San Francisco as my new home.  As strikingly different as Oregon and California (San Francisco, particularly) are from one another, I have a great deal of love for them both.

 

After the first of my two children was born, I left my job with the airline to become a full-time mother (what an adventure!).  When both children were well into school, I began my pursuit of a writing career, following my lifetime love of the craft.  I’ve done some children’s stories and several poems, three of which have been entered into a poetry anthology, but found my place as a novelist despite my initial fears and reservations about taking on such a demanding form of writing.

Like most writers (or any artists, really), I’m happiest when I’m engaged with my craft, and for me that means constantly tapping in to the endless supply of story ideas roaming the corridors of my mind.

Every day is a journey with writing (as with life), and with each bit of knowledge I gain, I feel a growing sense of strength and accomplishment.  Perusing this as a career is not an easy road, but one of my favorite quotes (from Hebrews 11:1) helps to ease some of the angst. “Faith is the certainty that what we hope for is waiting for us, even though we cannot see it up ahead”.

LINKS

http://ljulianobooks.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Linda-Juliano/284917614896217

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766033.Linda_Juliano

GIVEAWAYS

Linda will award a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour and an antique copper bookmark to the two hosts with the most comments.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/04/virtual-book-tour-cadence-beach-by.html