Hello Jamie: It is a pleasure visiting with you on your wonderful novel that has just come out... What or who Inspired you to write “Illuminate-Alive, She Cried?”
My
daughters inspired me to write Illuminate-Alive, She Cried, the
second book in The Talisa Santiago Series. A couple years ago, I was
doing research on Native Americans in the public library when I asked
my oldest daughter to check out a book. She said there was nothing
she wanted. I laughed and told her I would write a novel for her to
read. Twelve weeks later, I gave her Spirit Seeker.
interviewer: Wow! that is most interesting!
interviewer: Wow! that is most interesting!
How did you come up with such interesting characters for this novel?
The
characters in Illuminate-Alive, She Cried are a mix of many different
people I have met throughout my life. Talisa Santiago, the
protagonist, was definitely the most difficult character for me to
write. I had to separate myself from her, let go of my own moral
philosophies and beliefs, and allow Talisa to experience life and
love in the way that seemed natural for her, not necessarily natural
for me.
interviewer: The name Talisa is most interesting.Who is your favorite authors and why?
I would have to say Harold Robbins and Milan Kundera, two opposites for sure. Robbins because The Betsy was the first book of fiction I read as a kid. I snuck it from my dad and kept it in a brown paper bag. As for Kundera, I picked up The Unbearable Lightness of Being in a used bookstore in college. I had never heard of him, or the book, but as soon as I read the prose, I was hooked.
What is Jamie most Thankful for in this world we live in?
I am most thankful that my daughters are healthy and safe.
Tell us about you and your husband....
I
met my husband when I was eighteen in Myrtle Beach, SC. We were
college students from West Virginia working there for summer break.
Five years later, we eloped and ran off to Tennessee. We've been
married for nineteen years. David is my best friend.
.
.
What are your hobbies?
I
love to play around with black and white photography, and try
different wines. We have a few cellars, and are always on the lookout
for a new Burgundy (my favorite) Bordeaux or Barolo. I think it would
fun to open a little wine shop/bookstore.
interviewer: This sound good to me!How would you describe each of these words (as related to your novel)?
love, friend, great grandmother(gg), grandfather, tricksters & shaman?
In
one word:
Love-
difficult, Friend-safety, Great-Grandmother-awakened,
Grandfather-holy, Shaman-wisdom, Tricksters-everywhere
interviewer: Wow! I like those....
What genre(s) do you like to read apart from your novel?
Literary,
Fantasy, and Hardboiled Fiction. I'm obsessed with Noir. I can't get
enough.
Here is a Excerpt from Jamie's novel....."Illuminate-Alive, She Cried"
Dakota
and Talisa are alone on the beach talking. Talisa has just learned
her life is in grave danger and she must leave the island for one
year. Dakota speaks first:
"My
old man explained there were three types of spirit people. The first
he called healers, mediators. When a healer fell into trances, their
soul would leave their body and venture into other realms, different
realities. Some of them were channels for the spirits and acted as
mediums."
"Shape-shifters
can travel the same way, can't they?"
"Sure,
but we are of dual nature. We fully possess two souls, that of man
and animal."
"What
did Dad say about the third type?' I asked even though I knew the
answer.
"Spirit
seekers held a special place in his heart, and he called them the
eyes of the world. These visionaries walked the earth to seek sacred
knowledge. Spirit seekers didn't need to experience a trance to soar
far. They had unique abilities."
"What?"
"You
tell me."
"It
wasn't easy for me. My mother and I left the desert when I turned
seven years old. We moved around a lot, always to the water, and she
refused to talk about my past, my heritage, or anything Native. I
never fit in anywhere, just another outsider. Nasty kids teased me,
made jokes. Life proved to be difficult. Then a year ago, out of the
clear blue, Mom announced we were moving to Silence, an island off
the coast of North Carolina. She said we would be at the mercy of the
sea. No cars allowed. People actually got around on golf carts and
dirt bikes. I had no idea what to expect."
"I
can only imagine how you must have felt."
"Dakota,
the islanders on Silence looked like me, moved like me, thought like
me. It was surreal to say the least."
"Talisa,
we knew you were coming. Jag's dad is a ghost dancer; he saw it long
ago."
"You,
Jag and Miguel knew a dark secret about me, one I didn't even know
myself."
"We
helped you, trusted you."
"I
am a spirit seeker; I have the gift of vision."
"You
can see things none of us can see."
"But
I have no idea what I am supposed to see, or what life has in store
for me."
"No
one knows what life has in store for them."
"Tonight
I have to leave the island because my life is in danger. Starting
over somewhere new is never painless."
"It
will be easier this time around."
"I
feel as if I am lost all over again." I wiped my hand across my
eyes.
"If
you're lost, maybe you'll be found."
"I
can't protect myself against those who lurk in the night. Unlike you,
I am fully human," I said.
"Are
you, Talisa, are you fully human?"
I
ignored his question and looked away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
NOW I KNOW YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT THAT IS ALL ABOUT....YOU MAY ONLY
FIND OUT BY PICKING UP THIS WONDERFUL NOVEL... Illuminate-Alive, She Cried AND YOU WILL FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF HOW GOOD and well written THIS READ IS!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Jamie..... What is on the agenda for Ms. Jamie Haden for 2013-14?
I
hope to finish the next book in the series, An Unimagined Life. Thank you so much!
Jamie you are more than welcome. It was a pleasure and for anyone who would like to contact
Jamie.......
Jamie.......
Please feel free to contact Jamie Haden at the following.....
email jlhaden@ec.rr.com
Webpage www.jamiehaden.com
ALSO JAMIE......... I see you have a Blog Tour coming up?
Hello... This is for you Jamie.... I hope it help sell those books for you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the novel...it was simply good!
Arlena
I had a wonderful time Arlena! Thank you for everything, my friend.
ReplyDeleteJamie
Thanks for sending me the link, Arlena; I had planned to pick up this book on the GMTA promotion coming up in a couple weeks. It sounds really interesting! Thanks for the background, excerpt and interview :-)
ReplyDelete