Interview with Hazel Gaynor and Giveaway!

I have always been intrigued by the Titanic (love the movie…Rose and Jack…sigh) so I am thrilled to have Hazel Gaynor as a guest today. I hope you will take the time to get to know Hazel and learn a little about her book The Girl Who Came Home. Plus you can enter to win some prizes! One grand prize winner will win a New York Times poster from the actual article written about the sinking of the ship and THREE copies of The Girl Who Came Home are up for grabs. You must enter through the rafflecopter at the end of this post. Good luck and let’s all welcome Hazel to Destination Amish!

 

1) Why don’t we start by you telling us a little about yourself?

Firstly, thank you for inviting me to Destination Amish! I am a writer, living in Ireland (although I was born in England) and have two children, who keep me very busy! I started writing in 2009 and am thrilled to be releasing my debut: THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME – A Novel of the Titanic. It is especially exciting to be publishing in America.

2) Can you tell us about your latest book?

The novel tells the story of a young Irish woman, Maggie Murphy, who reluctantly leaves her Irish home and her sweetheart, Séamus, to start a new life in America with her aunt. They travel on RMS Titanic. Seventy years later, Maggie confides in her great-granddaughter, Grace, sharing her experience of the traumatic events of April, 1912. Maggie’s revelations have far-reaching repercussions for them both.

In writing THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME I wanted to explore the experience of a third class passenger on Titanic, the aftermath of the disaster and how such an event can have lasting repercussions on a survivor’s life. Through my character, Maggie, I hope to allow readers to immerse themselves in an aspect of the Titanic disaster they might not have previously considered.

3) What is it about the Titanic that made you want to write a book about it?

I was a teenager when the wreck of Titanic was discovered by Robert Ballard in 1985 and have been fascinated with the ship and the events of April, 1912, ever since. I always said I would write a novel about Titanic – it just took a little time! My interest in the ship and her passengers has grown as I’ve learned more about them. I especially loved Walter Lord’s incredible book, ‘A Night to Remember’ and, of course, the 1997 James Cameron movie started a whole new phase of Titanic fever. When I started my research for THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME I came across the record of a survivor from a small parish in County Mayo, Ireland. From there, I discovered the history of a group of Irish emigrants – now known locally as the Addergoole Fourteen – and I knew I’d found the inspiration for my novel.

4) Which character can you identify the most with?

I would have to say Maggie. She is a spirited, resilient young girl from a humble, Irish community where family was everything. As the novel is written in two different periods – 1912 and 1982 – we see her as a seventeen-year-old girl and also as an elderly lady. I love Maggie’s strength – her hope and determination – and her relationship with her great-granddaughter, Grace. She reminds me of my own Grandma Daisy, and I think I drew much of her character from her.

Maggie was a lovely character to write and I found that her voice developed very naturally on the page. I always felt that she was very real – sitting on my shoulder, making sure I got it right! Hers was a very emotional story to write – as was much of the book. I can only hope that readers will enjoy getting to know Maggie – and my other characters – as much as I enjoyed writing them.

5) What inspired you to become an author?

In a roundabout way, I guess it was my children. I’ve always had a love for books and have written creatively in some form or another. I went straight into a corporate career in the finance and legal sectors after university so it was only when I left my job in 2009 to look after my children that I began to tap back into my creative side. Initially, I wrote a parenting blog, in the few moments I snatched while I was at home with my two children. This led to writing freelance for the local and national press and my writing began to get noticed. Eventually, that long-held ambition to write a novel finally felt like something I could achieve. I consider myself very lucky to have found something I love working at.

6) What question have you always wanted to be asked in an interview?

Oooo, that’s a good one! How about: ‘Which book do you wish you had written?’  My answer would be Wuthering Heights – although that would make me very old.

7) If you couldn’t be a writer, what would your ideal career be?

I honestly wouldn’t swap it for the world. I am finally doing what I love and I consider myself extremely lucky. Other than that, I always dreamed of winning Wimbledon. That could have been fun!

8) What is one thing about you that readers would be surprised to learn?

When THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME was first rejected by publishers, I was tempted to put it under the bed and forget all about it. My mother-in-law encouraged me to look into self-publishing. I am very glad that I listened to her because it was the success of the self-published ebook that led to my publishing deal with HarperCollins.

9) Do you have anything else that you would like to share?

This is a dangerous question! I have a tendency to over-share, so should perhaps stay quiet.

10) What’s next for you?

My second novel, DAUGHTERS OF THE FLOWERS, is about two sets of sisters and is set around a charity for orphaned flower sellers in Victorian London. The story spans several decades across the late 1800s and early 1900s. I love the Victorian and Edwardian eras and the streets of Victorian London were a wonderfully haunting place to explore in my imagination. I am very excited about the book’s publication early next year.

Thank you so much for the interview Hazel! We loved having you stop by 🙂

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Hazel Gaynor is an exciting new voice in historical fiction. Her writing has been featured in the Sunday Times Magazine and Irish Times, and she was the recipient of the 2012 Cecil Day Lewis award for Emerging Writers. Originally from North Yorkshire, England, Hazel now lives in Ireland with her husband, and two young children. For more information, please visit her on the web at www.hazelgaynor.com.