About the Book
Book: Tangled Lives
Author: Carol McClain
Genre: Women’s fiction
Release Date: July, 2023
Two sisters and one man. Both women love him, but only one is meant for him.
Crystal Snow struggles with the paralysis caused by her biological parents’ drug use. She convinced herself no one will ever love her. Roxie, devastated by chronic childhood rejections, knows anyone who loves her must be intrinsically flawed. Both want only what is right for their sister who is also their best friend.
Dreams upend careers. Destroy friendships. End love.
When searched out by their biological grandmother, the past tangles with the present. Issues the girls wished to forget resurrect and threaten their dreams.
Who gets the man and career of her dreams?
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Carol McClain is the award-winning author of five novels dealing with real people facing real problems. A fifth book will be out next summer.
She is a consummate encourager, and no matter what your faith might look like, you will find compassion, humor and wisdom in her complexly layered, but ultimately readable work.
Aside from writing, she’s a skilled stained-glass artist, a budding glass fuser. She lives in East Tennessee with her husband who finally gave into her dreams. They own five goats—three of them does who she milks from which she makes yogurt and cheese and butter. She’s raising bunches of chickens.
More from Carol
Have you ever:
- Had a crush on your sister’s boyfriend?
- Loved your sister beyond measure?
- Hated your sister beyond measure?
- Been confused about your career?
- Waylaid by your past?
If your life’s been tangled, you’re not alone. You laugh at, root for, and not be able to put Tangled Lives down.
Author Interview
- What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?
I’ve been to quite a few conferences. In a sense, these are pilgrimages. However, there clearly was one that was a true (or sort of true) pilgrimage. I taught The Crucible to high school juniors. My daughter lives in Salem, Massachusetts. Her church met in the church where the historical incidents of the witch trials took place—although it wasn’t the original building.
In order to make Arthur Miller’s play come to life, we toured Goody Nurse’s homestead, found John Proctor’s grave (and dug up dirt from the surface) and took pictures of what I thought then was Gallows Hill.
No marker designates Gallows Hill, but it rises a block behind my daughter’s house.
I couldn’t leave Salem without touring the House of Seven Gables and the Custom House.
This historic town made me feel as though I walked with those who lived hundreds of years before me.
- What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
All of mine?
Seriously, many great authors languish because their works, for whatever reason, don’t get the attention they deserve. Meanwhile, others achieve fame with what I consider mediocre work.
Recently, I read Under Authority by Kimalee Finelli. A page turning read—and page turning doesn’t often come with women’s fiction.
Of the “big guns,” I think 1984 is under-appreciated. I made my goal to teach my tenth graders this Orwell novel. Today, we see the ploys of totalitarianism not only in countries like Russia or North Korea—but the footholds totalitarian policies are making here. 1984 is a must read.
- How do you select the names of your characters?
This is one of the fun parts of my writing. Sometimes a name grabs me. A current work in the planning stage will have the protagonist named Tallie. I heard the name at one of my granddaughter’s concerts.
Tallie’s son will be named Quinn after a friend’s late son.
One friend, Shann, who showed me the community that became the setting of one of my most popular books—A New York Yankee on Stinking Creek bemoaned the fact that no book ever used his name. Thus, a character named Shann became the hero of that novel.
Sometimes the age of the character determines the name. Tiffany was not a name used for someone born in the 1950s. Bertha is not used today.
Generally, it’s the sound of the name. Plain or fancy—whatever tickles me becomes a character’s moniker.
- What was your hardest scene to write?
Not a scene, but Tangled Lives was my hardest book. I wrote 30,000 words following Roxie into the Adirondacks as she worked on animal research. My critique partners hated the novel.
I wasn’t sure if Elk Lake, my publishing house, had a firm deadline. I contacted Deb Haggerty and told her the book wasn’t working.
She told me she wanted quality more than meeting a deadline.
I started over.
The end result? What Deb called my best work ever.
- What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I love all things glass. At night when I’m through writing or editing—I’m an editor for Elk Lake Publishing—I go to my studio and create. I love the textures and colors and plays of light on glass.
I create art both large and small. I keep them until I sell them.
Recently I’ve taken up glass fusing. I’ve tried glass blowing.
Put me in a museum with glass art? I’m never coming out.
Thank you for letting us get to know you better!
Blog Stops
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, January 12
Gina Holder, Author and Blogger, January 13 (Author Interview)
Texas Book-aholic, January 14
Artistic Nobody, January 15 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, January 15
Locks, Hooks and Books, January 16
Guild Master, January 17 (Author Interview)
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, January 18
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, January 19
For the Love of Literature, January 20 (Author Interview)
Cover Lover Book Review, January 21
For Him and My Family, January 22
Beauty in the Binding, January 23 (Author Interview)
Pause for Tales, January 23
JESUS in the EVERYDAY, January 24
Where Crisis & Christ Collide, January 25 (Author Interview)
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Carol is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card and an eBook copy of the book!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/2958e/tangled-lives-celebration-tour-giveaway