Hello, readers! I am so sorry that I have been out again. I have been under the weather once more. I hope I am well on the way to NOT BEING SICK for a while. It has been a bit much…
But I have a treat for you today–another Clean Reads author, award-winning author Ica Iova, and her release Divine Intervention. I have enjoyed getting insight into her process and her work through this interview and I hope you will too. And do NOT forget about the excerpt waiting below 🙂 But, for now, let’s sit down with Ica so you can glean from what I learned…
Welcome to the blog, Ica. First, can you tell us a little about your novel?
Divine Intervention is a Christian romance with a touch of paranormal suspense. LUKE MARSHAL is a brilliant doctor and whole-hearted atheist who clings to the last dredges of a life shattered by grief when he meets EMMA COOPER, a gorgeous novelist, proud mother of 13-year-old SKYLER, and a real believer that no man – besides God – deserves her trust.
They meet by chance, and though the attraction is unmistakable, given their pasts and different beliefs, they’ll need some serious divine intervention to make it work.
Paranormal Christian Romance…you have me intrigued! What was the inspiration for Divine Intervention?
A local news story about a man who showed up at an accident scene and helped the victims. In spite eyewitnesses, no one knew who he was. Even more puzzling, he appeared in none of the hundreds of photos taken at the scene. This is the story behind the story. Of course, once Luke and Emma came to life, they had other plans and guided the tale on a romantic path.
As writing goes, there are parts we all enjoy (of course, that’s why we do it!) and things we writers don’t care for so much… What part of the writing process do you dread?
I’d have to say editing. Although my first draft is as clean as can be, the countless rounds of self-editing, before the manuscript lands on my editor’s desk, drive me insane.
That is by far the most popular answer to that question. And one I can definitely concur with. I am more a writer than an editor 🙂
As much as we learn from craft books, I believe we learn from other authors through their work. What are you currently reading?
A Stranger In The House by Shari Lapena.
This is purely a “just curious” question as I know this varies from writer to writer… How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on how long the story is, and how much research I have to do. Most of my readers say that my stories sound so genuine. I’d like to think that is the result of researching every aspect of it.
As a Clean Historical Romance writer, I can definitely relate. There is tons of research needed.
Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
Resilience is book two from the Resiliency series. It’s a Women’s Fiction, inspired by articles and interviews I did for Examiner.com surrounding divorce and all the craziness that follows. Resilience has hit top 100 paid in Kindle Store three times.
Congrats! That is so exciting! Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?
Yes. This one deviates a little from the romantic paranormal stories that have made me an award-winning author, but I believe the story needs to be told. I started it 20 years ago, and I don’t have a definite title yet. It will be either Collision or Finding Freedom. (I know, poles apart, but both titles fit my story equally well.) This WIP is as close as I’ll probably ever get to an autobiography. Though fiction, it’s, in fact, an honest assessment of an immigrant’s journey—from communist dominance to a dreamland with unfamiliar grounds. What it takes to start again, and what she can never leave behind once every aspect of her life is turned upside down.
Wow! I am eager to hear more about that story! Thanks for being on the blog today and sharing about your releases.
Y’all know me, I can tend to ramble, but I won’t. As you can guess, there is a wonderful excerpt waiting below, so I’ll get out of the way and let you get to it 🙂
Divine Intervention
Enjoy an Excerpt
Luke and Emma meet for the first time, after Emma’s daughter, Skyler, lands in the ER for the second time in a week.
Something must have shown in his eyes because the woman’s expression changed. Alarm bells went off in Luke’s head, making it hard to breathe. What would he do if she touched him? What would she do if he touched her? He felt beads of sweat forming at the center of his back.
Man, pull yourself together, he scolded.
“Emma Cooper, Skyler’s mother,” she introduced herself, extending a freshly manicured hand.
Luke swallowed hard. Somehow, he had known who she was from the moment he saw her eyes in the lobby. Just as Isabella, Emma looked like Skyler’s older twin, but about two inches taller. A feeling took tours around his brain. He had met this woman before. Where? She had the same last name as her mother. Did that mean she wasn’t married? Divorced?
Not widowed. She would’ve kept her married name. The questions came as a shock. Why would he care?
Stop it, you idiot.
Luke snapped out of his daze and, stretching out his hand, he mechanically accepted the one she held out. “Hi, how are you, ma’am?” he said, then quickly went back to examining Skyler’s head.
Before I begin feeling…feeling…
What?
He had nothing to compare it with, but it didn’t matter. This woman was a complete stranger. What kind of a crazy man claimed to have feelings for a woman he just met?
Apparently my kind.
Her green eyes fired lightning bolts in the back of his neck. He could feel it but continued to focus on checking Skyler’s head, asking questions along the way. When he finished, he propped his hip on the small desk in the room and turned his attention toward Emma. She had observed quietly, but concern shadowed her eyes.
“I think it’s only a mild concussion but just to be safe, I will order a CT scan.”
The concern in Emma’s eyes mutated into pure terror in a millisecond. “You think there’s more to it?”
“No. No.” His hand landed involuntarily on hers. The feel of her velvety skin sparked a jolt of electricity which traveled from the tip of his fingers, through his heart, then his groin, finally fading away when it reached his toes. Good grief! What’s wrong with you? he snapped in silence. “This is just a precaution I take with all my patients.”
In spite of his silent, internal battles, his words seemed to calm Emma, but he could tell her fear persisted. He didn’t know why, but he had a ridiculous urge to pull her into his arms and through long, passionate kisses, take all that terror away. A part of his body he’d been neglecting—forgot he had—twitched.
Whoa!
He began to count his inappropriate actions mentally. One. He’d grabbed Emma’s hand to assure her everything would be okey-dokey, but he’d kept it way longer than necessary. Such action asked for a lawsuit. Two…two. He’d felt something he’d never thought he could feel again. That was a plus for him. She’d made him feel again. Crap, this was not exactly an award-winning moment. Her daughter was his patient. INAPPROPRIATE! And another reason for a lawsuit.
He knew he should get out of there before he got himself in too deep to handle, but his feet seemed glued to the ground. What was wrong with him? Who was this woman holding him under her spell?
Buy Link
More About the Author
Ica Iova is a former Examiner at Examiner.com and an Award-Winning Author of several books. She writes what she enjoys reading. In her novels, she brings to life powerful relationships, flawed but gripping characters, and of course, happy endings, which remind readers that life is too precious to waste on insignificant things. She is currently a member of Federation of BC Writers, as well as three critique groups.
When she is not writing, editing, or marketing, she’s a proud wife, mother, and grandmother, with a substantial sense of humor. She loves spending time with her family and pets, shopping for shoes, or just lazing around with a good book.
Connect with Ica and her work
Website: www.icasworld.net
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ica-Iova/e/B00EN8ZH2G/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/icaiova.author/
Tweeter: https://twitter.com/icaiova
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ica.iova/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ica-iova
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ica-Iova-Autoare-126160124768832/