Interview: JoAnn Smith Ainsworth

Today I'm Pleased to welcome Joann Smith Ainsworth to the blog to talk about her novel, "Expect Trouble." 

First... A little about "Expect Trouble."

Opening herself to ridicule by revealing she’s clairvoyant is the last thing U.S. WAVE Livvy Delacourt wants, but when Uncle Sam needs her skill to track Nazi spies, she jumps in with both feet.

Join this emotional journey through paranormal realms of fast-paced suspense and supernatural battles as U.S. Navy psychics pit themselves against their Nazi counterparts.

1. What was your inspiration for your book? 

I was alive in WWII and remember the family’s fear when the air raid sirens went off. I was sent to the local store with ration coupons in hand and worked in the family’s Victory Garden. These experiences make the EXPECT TROUBLE story come alive.

I lived in Philadelphia in the 1950’s. Since things didn’t change quickly back then, I decided to use that city and WWII for the setting of the Operation Delphi series.

2. Can you tell us about how your own experiences influenced this story? 

I decided to use Pennsylvania hex signs painted on Pennsylvania Dutch barns in the 1800's and early 1900s in my Work in Progress paranormal suspense manuscript. I grew up in Pennsylvania knowing that these colorful hex symbols were painted so witches would think they were windows, hit their heads against the barn wall, knock themselves out, and thus save the animals and stored crops in the barn from witchcraft. 

In the 21st century, the research books I studied went to great length to deny witchcraft and to assure us researchers that hex signs were only colorful, artistic symbols, now considered tourist attractions. 

I know better. 

2. Would you classify this series as plot driven or character driven? 

All my stories are character driven. In them, the heroine is empowered through the coming of self-awareness and self-fulfillment as she works through each crisis in the story.

3. Can you tell us a little about your main characters?

U.S. WAVES Lt.  Olivia Delacourt, the heroine, must learn that being a clairvoyant is a precious gift that can be used to help others and is not a reason for shame.

Naval Commander Barrington Drew, III, the hero, must learn that he is a man who makes his own decisions and is not an extension of his father. 

4. Without giving away too much, tell us about the main conflict. 

The U.S. government recruits psychics to ferret out Nazi spies on the East Coast during WWII.

5. What do you hope readers take away from this book? 

That no matter what the problem Life throws our way, we each have the talent and understanding to resolve it. 

6. What song best describes your writing style?

I have no idea, but I’m told my Voice is similar to that of Anne Frazier in Play Dead.

7. Night Owl or Early Bird?

Definitely an Early Bird. I’m doing my daily exercises by 5:30 or 6 a.m. and start work right afterward. 

8. Skittle or M&Ms?

Definitely M&Ms…they melt in your mouth.

9. Who are your favorite authors?

Robert B. Parker. I like the crystal clarity of his writing.

10. Can you tell us about any other future projects? 

I’m writing book 2 of the Operation Delphi series, EXPECT DECEPTION. I’ve added an evil warlock to the mix. Here is the back cover blurb:

Just when U.S. WAVE Delacourt thinks she finally has this Nazi spy chase thing under control, Hitler’s wizard adds a minor demon to the mix.

Skeptical Naval Commander Drew doesn’t believe in things he can’t touch, but when assigned to lead a psychic team, he’s forced into experiencing unseen planes.

Warlock Daryl Fergus was flattered when Hitler tapped him to disrupt U.S. war readiness, but he’s stretched to the max by unexpectedly formidable Navy psychics.

Meet the Author

When JoAnn Smith Ainsworth carried wood as a pre-teen so her Great Aunt Martha could stoke up the iron stove to prepare dinner, she wasn’t thinking, “I could use this in a novel someday.” Yet, the skills she learned from her horse-and-buggy ancestors translate into backdrops for her historical romance and paranormal suspense novels. JoAnn’s debut medieval romantic suspense novels received 4 stars from RT Book Reviews. Of her historical western romances released fall 2013, one reader said, “seamlessly, flawless writing.” Another said, 

Praise for Expect Trouble

“There was fun, excitement, adventure and so well put as a love story.” Her paranormal thriller, EXPECT TROUBLE, released July 2014. She is represented by Agent Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. One reviewer said:  "If you like the British series The Bletchley Circle, you will enjoy this book!"   .............. Patricia Simpson, Author.

LINKS:

For more, visit:  http://www.joannsmithainsworth.com.

Twitter @JoAnnAinsworth or @JoAnnParanormal or Facebook’s JoAnn Smith Ainsworth Fan Page.

Goodreads Blog:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1366481.JoAnn_Smith_Ainsworth/blog?format=rss 

Contact her at JoAnnParanormal@gmail.com.

BUY LINKS:

Amazon - http://amzn.to/Zgbls6

Barnes & Noble - http://bit.ly/HMX2KH

Books a Million (BAM) -   http://tinyurl.com/ld8czbf 

and at an independent bookstore near you - http://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstore-finder

Other Books By JoAnn

MATILDA'S SONG (ISBN:  978-1-60504-195-7)  / OUT OF THE DARK (ISBN:  978-1-60504-277-0) 

POLITE ENEMIES (Book 1) (ebook ISBN:  978-1-61160-636-2; print:  978-1-61160-590-7) / THE FARMER AND THE WOOD NYMPH (Book 2) (ebook ISBN:  978-1-61160-660-7; print:  978-1-61160-898-4) 

EXPECT TROUBLE (ebook ISBN:  978-161009-517-4; print:  978-1-61009-074-2)  

Character Interview and Review: The Mind's Eye (KC Finn)

I'm so excited to welcome KC Finn back to the blog! Her new YA historical novel, "The Mind's Eye" is already out on B&N, and will be releasing on Kindle/Amazon tomorrow!

What is "The Mind's Eye" all about? 

A girl with a telepathic gift finds a boy clinging to his last hope during the war-torn climate of Europe, 1940.

At fifteen, Kit Cavendish is one the oldest evacuees to escape London at the start of the Second World War due to a long term illness that sees her stuck in a wheelchair most of the time. But Kit has an extraordinary psychic power: she can put herself into the minds of others, see through their eyes, feel their emotions, even talk to them – though she dares not speak out for fear of her secret ability being exposed.

As Kit settles into her new life in the North Wales village of Bryn Eira Bach, solitude and curiosity encourage her to gain better control of her gift. Until one day her search for information on the developing war leads her to the mind of Henri, a seventeen-year-old Norwegian boy witnessing the German occupation of his beloved city, Oslo. As Henri discovers more about the English girl occupying his mind, the psychic and emotional bonds between them strengthen and Kit guides him through an oppressive and dangerous time. 

There are secrets to be uncovered, both at home and abroad, and it’s up to Kit and Henri to come together and fight their own battles in the depths of the world’s greatest war.

Interview with Kit Cavendish

1. Your gift isn't something you typically tell people about. Can you explain how it works to my readers?

I suppose it’s something like a psychic takeover, although I don’t have any powers to control the minds of the people I can travel to. I just close my eyes, concentrate on my target and then (hopefully) take up residence inside their mind, where I can see and sense through their eyes and ears and also feel the surges of emotional energy that their body’s going through. Sometimes I can also speak into their minds, but that terrifies a lot of people so I don’t tend to do it too often!

2. When did you first discover your gift?

I think I was somewhere around nine years old when the power first manifested, but at the time I was visiting other people’s minds subconsciously whilst I was asleep, so I didn’t really know what I was doing. I just thought I was having strange dreams! I must have been around twelve when I came to conclusion that I could use this gift in my waking hours and start to hone it to do my bidding.

3. Can you tell us about how you and Henri became friends?

I’m not that good at targeting the right mind when I make a psychic journey, so Henri and I actually met by accident when I was trying to gain some information on the Nazi progress during the war. The Nazi soldier I had tried to find was situated in Oslo, which is Henri’s hometown, so when I was looking for a mind to settle in, I found his. He was remarkably unfazed by my presence in his mind, so I decided I would visit him more than once, the rest is history!

4. How did developing your gift compare to the exercises you are asked to do to strengthen your body and combat your physical ailments?

I suppose the mental training and the physical training were both as hard as each other, but I found the physical stuff more demanding because I didn’t really want to do it. I had the belief that I was weak and that physical strength was something too impossible to achieve, but my mental prowess showed instant results with a little work, so I was more inclined to spend time working on that than on my bodily health. Having a doctor with the sense of humour of a hot poker doesn’t help in these situations either.

5. Because of your physical difficulties, you were restricted to remaining indoors for a long time. Your gift gave you some freedom, but what really pushed you to suffer through regaining the ability to walk?

Growing up indoors and ‘cared for’ all the time, I didn’t see the need to be independent because my mother had built a very comfortable life around me. The war changed all of that totally, it threw me out of my comfort zone and forced me into a new world where people suddenly had all these expectations of me. I think it was a combination of loving encouragement from people like Mam and Henri as well as the tough love that Blod and Doctor Bickerstaff laid on that pushed me to want to succeed at being mobile again.

6. Can you describe how meeting Henri changed the way you used your gift?

Prior to the war I was a very purposeless young girl. I didn’t see that I could be any use to anyone in a career and I didn’t feel that any man would ever want to marry me because of my disability, so I didn’t really know where my future was going. Meeting Henri showed me the dangers of war and the dependency that people in wartime have on intelligence and surveillance. My gift really lent itself to those two things, so with Henri’s help and knowledge I was able to find purpose again and make a genuine contribution to the war effort.

7. What do you hope readers take away from your story?

That it doesn’t matter who you or where you come from, because anyone can find their hidden strengths and play their part to help the world be a better place. We all deserve love and a family despite our mistakes and the things that make us a little abnormal too.

8. What is in store for you and Henri next?

I’ll be following in my parents’ footsteps and it looks as though Henri will be doing the same until the war is over. To tell you the truth, it’s my little brother Leighton I’m worried about. He’s so young that we can’t really involve him in much of our new life together; I worry that he’s going to be a troubled teenager himself one day…

My Review

When Kit and her brother are sent out of London during the war to stay with a foster family, she has no idea how much it will change her life. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, she is pushed to her limits in the Welsh countryside. Her psychic gift, which she has kept carefully hidden all her life suddenly becomes her only source of freedom, and the only chance she has to help one of the people she loves most. 

I am certainly no expert on history, but it was obvious that Finn put a great deal of time into the research behind this book. Everything from rationing, cloth shortages, and the types of medical treatment available during that time was very well done. Finn did a great job of setting the scene and making sure readers felt like they were a part of war time Europe. The treatments Kit had to endure were so interesting to read about. At times it broke my heart to watch her suffer through her illness, but at the same time I felt so happy for Kit every time she met a milestone and persevered through a difficult situation. She was a great example of strength, and I hope readers learn from her. 

Kit's psychic abilities play a huge role in the overall story. One thing that really bugs me when books incorporate abilities like this is when there's no consistency or it doesn't make sense. That wasn't a problem here. Kit has limitations, and those frequently affect what she can do in the story. The rules and structure of the psychic ability were well crafted and added so much to the story. I hate to give spoilers, but at one point these limitations were almost unbearable. I was so frustrated with what was happening right along with Kit!

The characters almost always make or break a book for me. Having read some of Finn's work previously, I didn't expect that to be a problem, and I was right. I connected with Kit right off the bat. She was so realistic and had a great deal of depth to her character. At times it was difficult to watch her struggle, but that made her triumphs all the sweeter. Henri, well, I just plain adored him. His character was absolutely delightful and I was pulling for him all the way through. It wasn't just the main characters that will catch readers attention. Ever single side character was layered and complex and I got pulled into their stories easily. This is a beautifully rich cast of characters. 

The overall story was beautiful. Everyone is put into such a difficult situation. They have plenty of reasons to just give up, but they don't. They suffer through everything they are faced with, no matter how hard. The inspire each other and bear the weight of the other's burdens. This is one of those books that you will walk away from and keep thinking about it for days. 

Get your copy of "The Mind's Eye"

Nook

Kindle

Available soon on your favorite ebook store

Meet the Author

Born in South Wales to Raymond and Jennifer Finn, Kimberley Charlotte Elisabeth Finn (known to readers as K.C., otherwise it'd be too much of a mouthful) was one of those corny little kids who always wanted to be a writer. She was also incredibly stubborn, and so has finally achieved that dream in 2013 with the release of her first three novellas in the four-part Caecilius Rex saga, the time travel adventure The Secret Star and her new urban fantasy epic The Book Of Shade.

K.C. Finn has also recently been welcomed into the fold at Clean Teen Publishing as a debut Young Adult author for 2014 - look out for her epic Paranormal/Historical Adventure The Mind's Eye, coming early 2014!

As a sufferer with the medical condition M.E./C.F.S., Kim works part time as a private tutor and a teacher of creative writing, devoting the remainder of her time to writing novels and studying for an MA in Education and Linguistics.

Connect with KC Online

Website : Facebook : Goodreads