Author Interview & Giveaway: Kate Breslin, author of High As the Heavens

Happy Release Day!!

Happy release day to Kate Breslin for her newest release, High As the Heavens! I just simply adore that cover and the beautiful title. I'm so thrill to have Kate here today on my blog for a little interview, AND a giveaway!! Woohoo!

1. Hi Kate! Welcome to Just Commonly! Happy Book Birthday! It was so nice to have met you last summer at the Christian Fiction Readers Retreat! Tell us a little about you. 

Annie, thank you! I’m very glad to be here and appreciate you and your readers helping me to celebrate the launch of my third “baby,” High As The Heavens! Currently I hail from Washington state, near Seattle, where I live with my husband of 38 years and my sweet, but persnickety feline, Coco. We have a grown son and a grandson who live nearby. I’ve published poetry, travel articles for our local paper, and I’ve been novel writing for many years. Five years ago, after much persistence and surrendering to God’s direction, I finally contracted with Bethany House to publish my debut novel, For Such A Time. I enjoy daily walks, RV camping, and watching my rose garden grow. And in the evenings when I’m not reading or writing, I love to take control of the remote and watch my DVD collection of BBC favorites like Downton Abbey, Pride & Prejudice, Wives and Daughters, and I’m looking forward to Season 3 of Grantchester! 

LOL. You are my kind of girl (except the camping part *wink wink)!!

2. What kind of books or subject matter do you like to write about? 

I love writing about history and it seems, about stories set during wartime. I think the draw for me is learning about people who rise beyond themselves in a crisis, like war; doing heroic deeds or making sacrifices they might not otherwise make. They become larger than life, and I find that very inspirational for plotting my stories.

3. How about your upcoming release, High As The Heavens? 

This story required months of research, and it was a challenge to write because of the circumstances my characters find themselves in at the novel’s beginning. My heroine, Eve, also struggles with a haunted past and her ability to forgive in a time when nothing seems forgivable. It was an emotional story to write, but a labor of love as well. I hope readers will enjoy it! 

4. What was your inspiration? What made you think you had to write this story? 

I enjoy the aspect of intrigue, and after writing about spies and touching on the fate of the infamous female spy, Mata Hari, in Not By Sight, I decided to explore more about the espionage of the Great War. I was led to read some amazing tales about ordinary people doing extraordinary work for the Allies behind enemy lines, and I felt compelled to share in part some of their story.

5. As you know, I'm a big fan of both For Such A Time and Not By Sight, what are some similarities or differences between them and High As The Heavens? 

As far as similarities, each of my novels has a strong female protagonist and a wounded hero—either physically, emotionally, or both. I think that’s because I love the Beauty and The Beast romantic trope the best. As for differences, Grace Mabry in Not By Sight deals with her share of danger, but Hadassah in For Such A Time and Eve in High As The Heavens live among the enemy. The stakes feel much higher and the risks they take greater. 

6. Which part of the book is your favorite? Can you share a line/paragraph (without a spoiler)? 

High As The Heavens does contain a few surprises, so I’ll just say for now that I enjoyed writing the budding romance between my hero and heroine, and there are one or two “colorful” secondary characters that still make me smile. :-)

7. Character visits! Which book/story do you think would make a great connection for your characters if there's such a thing as book jumping? 

Actually, one of my characters from Not By Sight is in High As The Heavens, and you’ll have to read to find out who. ;-) My next novel will also involve another character from Not By Sight. Beyond that...who knows? I have more stories in my head for several of them!

Are you kidding me??!!!! I'll need to find out now. I wonder if I'll figure it out or not?!

8. And which character of a book do you think would make a great "faraway best friend" to one of your characters? 

Eve’s best friend, Madeleine Arthur, from High As The Heavens 

9. I'm totally loving that cover. Was it similar to what you had envisioned when you first wrote the story? 

My heroine, Eve, is a nurse by day, a waitress by night, and works as a spy. So, how to capture her on the cover? I had no real idea. I use a secret board on Pinterest to post various images of my novel’s “vision” and then share that with my editor and Bethany House’s graphic artists. I was so impressed with what they came up with! They hadn’t even read the story and yet captured Eve’s essence perfectly.

10. I'm not going to ask you to choose a favorite, but which of your books, including High As The Heavens, you can relate to the most, and in what way? 

I think all of my books carry little a piece of me, it’s just part of an author’s writing process. Still, I’d probably choose Grace Mabry from Not By Sight as being the most similar to my personality type. She’s impassioned about her causes and always tries to be in charge! ;-D

11. Favorite drink? 

I usually enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, red or white, depending on the meal. And red goes best with dark chocolate! ;-)

12. Favorite candy? 

Coffee nips. 

13. Favorite place you've visited? 

I’ve been blessed to be able to visit many places, here and abroad, but Greece touched my soul. I’d love to go back and visit again one day.

14. Favorite place to write? 

I have a library loft upstairs that looks out on our bay. Being surrounded by books and nature’s beauty is wonderfully inspiring!

15. Favorite story when you were a child? 

I love reading the adventures of Henry Huggins and his dog, Ribsy, in the series written by Beverly Cleary. A few years after that, I became completely immersed in Nancy Drew mysteries!

16. And last, can you give us 5 random facts about you? 

• I met my husband while working in the Bahamas. 
• I rode a motorcycle for years. 
• I’m particular about my coffee cup, so hands off my favorite mug. 
• I’m left-handed. 
• I have a collection of Scottish weaponry covers one entire wall of my office.

Haha. Well, that last little tidbit is interesting. We don't want to "mess" with you for sure! *wink wink

Thank you, Kate for enduring my long list of questions and for all the fun facts about High As The Heavens and yourself!  Happy (Book) Birthday!

Former bookseller-turned-author Kate Breslin enjoys life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and family. A writer of travel articles and award-winning poetry, Kate received Christian Retailing's 2015 Best Award for First Time Author and her debut novel, For Such A Time, won the 2015 Carol award for Debut Novel. Kate's third novel, High As The Heavens, releases June, 2017. When she's not writing inspirational fiction, Kate enjoys reading or taking long walks in Washington's beautiful woodlands. She also likes traveling to new places, both within the U.S. and abroad, having toured Greece, Rome, and much of Western Europe. New destinations make for fresh story ideas. Please visit her at www.katebreslin.com.

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Title:  High as the Heavens

Author: Kate Breslin

Publisher:  Bethany House Publishers

Audio Release Date:  June 6, 2017

Genre: Historical Fiction

In 1917, Evelyn Marche is just one of many women who has been widowed by the war. A British nurse trapped in German-occupied Brussels, she spends her days working at a hospital and her nights as a waitress in her aunt and uncle's café. Eve also has a carefully guarded secret keeping her in constant danger: She's a spy working for a Belgian resistance group in league with the British Secret Service.

When a British plane crashes in Brussels Park, Eve is the first to reach the downed plane and is shocked to discover she recognizes the badly injured pilot. British RFC Captain Simon Forrester is now a prisoner of war, and Eve knows he could be shot as a spy at any time. She risks her own life to hide him from the Germans, but as the danger mounts and the secrets between them grow, their chance of survival looks grim. And even if they do make it out alive, the truth of what lies between them may be more than any love can overcome.

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Kate has graciously offer one winner to win a paperback copy of High As the Heavens! 

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