by
My Review:
Hope Wellman has a childhood full of horrific memories, a bone chilling recurring nightmare, and a persistent paranoid sense of being followed that she would rather keep repressed.
Attending the funeral of her abuser is the first step in putting her life back together.
She struggles with the fact she never told anyone what happened to her, and that the grave they are mourning over is empty. She’d find it a lot easier to move on and believe in the future if he were in the box, ready to be covered with dirt. She fears the last thread of her sanity has snapped when she sees Lucas everywhere she turns, and can’t escape a recurring nightmare.
She struggles with the fact she never told anyone what happened to her, and that the grave they are mourning over is empty. She’d find it a lot easier to move on and believe in the future if he were in the box, ready to be covered with dirt. She fears the last thread of her sanity has snapped when she sees Lucas everywhere she turns, and can’t escape a recurring nightmare.
Is her tormentor alive, or is she imagining it? Is her dream triggered by past fears or is it a prediction of the future?
A fast paced book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, I thoroughly enjoyed Three Rules
by Marie Drake. Hope’s story is unpredictable and kept me guessing till the end. A through and through enjoyable read, I give it a 4 out of 5 and recommend that you read it. 🙂
by Marie Drake. Hope’s story is unpredictable and kept me guessing till the end. A through and through enjoyable read, I give it a 4 out of 5 and recommend that you read it. 🙂I received a copy of the book from the author and Red Bird Publicity and I am very thankful to them. The above review is my honest and unbiased opinion and in no way influenced.
Interview with Marie Drake:
Hello Book Lovers,
I have with me today Marie Drake whose new novel, Three Rulesis now in the market. Marie Drake lives with her husband and
their four wonderful sons in a small town near Lake Ontario. They take
advantage of what others deem a vacation spot all year long. Camping and hiking
are some of their favorite family activities. They also enjoy volunteering at
the local animal shelter together, and recently rescued a Jack Russell/Corgi
mix who made their family complete.
is now in the market. Marie Drake lives with her husband andtheir four wonderful sons in a small town near Lake Ontario. They take
advantage of what others deem a vacation spot all year long. Camping and hiking
are some of their favorite family activities. They also enjoy volunteering at
the local animal shelter together, and recently rescued a Jack Russell/Corgi
mix who made their family complete.
Marie is a crochet fanatic. She designs her own patterns and enjoys crocheting for friends, family, and charity. She loves to cook and bake, especially when making up a new recipe. Marie is an avid reader of romance, mystery, and suspense thrillers.
She is a woman of many interests – and maybe talents – but will be quick to tell you that her most important and proudest accomplishment is the part she played in the lives of children. She provided daycare for over ten years, and she and her husband fostered more than fifteen children over a five year period.
While juggling all her boys’ sporting events, academic, musical, and other extracurricular activities, and running a small home based business designing crochet afghan patterns, Marie tries to squeeze in some time for writing each day.
Welcome to Njkinny’s World of Books, Marie!
1. Tell me how you came
to love writing.
to love writing.
The first time I remember writing a story was in third grade.
When the teacher handed it back to me, she said, “Very well done,” and
discussed my story with me. I was hooked.
When the teacher handed it back to me, she said, “Very well done,” and
discussed my story with me. I was hooked.
2. What other jobs have
you done while working to become an author?
you done while working to become an author?
I worked in a motel for several years before I got married. I
ran a home daycare for over ten years after I got married. My husband and I became
foster parents because of an emergency within my own family, and once it was
resolved we decided to continue to foster other children. We fostered fifteen
children over a five year period. More often than not we were raising eight
children at a time. Currently, I have a small home based online business. I
design and sell crochet afghan patterns on my website.
ran a home daycare for over ten years after I got married. My husband and I became
foster parents because of an emergency within my own family, and once it was
resolved we decided to continue to foster other children. We fostered fifteen
children over a five year period. More often than not we were raising eight
children at a time. Currently, I have a small home based online business. I
design and sell crochet afghan patterns on my website.
3. Tell me about your
book.
book.
I thought about writing this book for years — the setting, the
characters, and so forth. I didn’t have the time to actually put any of it on
paper, however, until my kids grew a little older. The book takes place in a
small, fictional town. It’s on a lake, like my own hometown. It isn’t anything
too specific because it is centered on the main character’s feelings and state
of mind more than the location. It is written from Hope’s perspective, the main
character. She suffered years of abuse and never told anyone about it for fear
that no one would believe her, and later that there would be repercussions
within her nuclear family causing her mother and step father pain. She buried
all the pain and anger inside, year after year. When her former abuser is
pronounced dead in a mysterious boating accident but they don’t recover the
body, it magnifies her feelings of paranoia and fear. She has recurring
nightmares, and she thinks she sees him, feels him following her.
characters, and so forth. I didn’t have the time to actually put any of it on
paper, however, until my kids grew a little older. The book takes place in a
small, fictional town. It’s on a lake, like my own hometown. It isn’t anything
too specific because it is centered on the main character’s feelings and state
of mind more than the location. It is written from Hope’s perspective, the main
character. She suffered years of abuse and never told anyone about it for fear
that no one would believe her, and later that there would be repercussions
within her nuclear family causing her mother and step father pain. She buried
all the pain and anger inside, year after year. When her former abuser is
pronounced dead in a mysterious boating accident but they don’t recover the
body, it magnifies her feelings of paranoia and fear. She has recurring
nightmares, and she thinks she sees him, feels him following her.
4. What kind of
research did you do for the book?
research did you do for the book?
Well, the story is based in a small town, on a lake, so I
didn’t have to stretch my imagination very far on that. I drew on my own
personal life experiences when describing the feelings and emotions of the main
character. I survived some things in my childhood that scarred and changed who
I was forever. It affected my outlook on life, on the world, and affected my
decisions and the way I lived until I was nearly thirty years old. I often
wonder how different I would be if they never happened. I have also been a care
giver for children who had suffered abuse, which I can’t go into detail about
for privacy reasons.
didn’t have to stretch my imagination very far on that. I drew on my own
personal life experiences when describing the feelings and emotions of the main
character. I survived some things in my childhood that scarred and changed who
I was forever. It affected my outlook on life, on the world, and affected my
decisions and the way I lived until I was nearly thirty years old. I often
wonder how different I would be if they never happened. I have also been a care
giver for children who had suffered abuse, which I can’t go into detail about
for privacy reasons.
5. What’s a typical
working day like for you? When and where do you write?
working day like for you? When and where do you write?
I usually get up at 5:30 AM when my husband leaves for work
and our four boys are getting ready for school. They are all out of the house
by around 6:20, and I sit down with my coffee and write for a couple of hours
before I have to start the regular day
—answering emails and doing customer service for my online
business, cooking, cleaning, laundry,
taking care of our dog, Lady Jade. I sit at my desk in my office and write,
usually in my pajamas, always with a cup of coffee. I find that is the best
time for me. I have tried going back in the afternoons to write a little, but I
think my best ideas come early in the morning.
and our four boys are getting ready for school. They are all out of the house
by around 6:20, and I sit down with my coffee and write for a couple of hours
before I have to start the regular day
—answering emails and doing customer service for my online
business, cooking, cleaning, laundry,
taking care of our dog, Lady Jade. I sit at my desk in my office and write,
usually in my pajamas, always with a cup of coffee. I find that is the best
time for me. I have tried going back in the afternoons to write a little, but I
think my best ideas come early in the morning.
6. What is the hardest
part of writing for you?
part of writing for you?
The hardest part for me is letting others read what I write.
Writing it is thrilling, exciting; I am passionate about it. It wasn’t until
recently my husband convinced me I should let other people read it. To me, it
is very personal. It is a piece of me, and when others read it, it doesn’t
belong to just me anymore. Then it becomes a book, material for random people
to pick over, piece apart, and find fault. Accepting criticism is a difficult
task, but it is a necessity. I try to do so graciously, and use it constructively.
Writing it is thrilling, exciting; I am passionate about it. It wasn’t until
recently my husband convinced me I should let other people read it. To me, it
is very personal. It is a piece of me, and when others read it, it doesn’t
belong to just me anymore. Then it becomes a book, material for random people
to pick over, piece apart, and find fault. Accepting criticism is a difficult
task, but it is a necessity. I try to do so graciously, and use it constructively.
7.What’s the best thing
about being an author?
about being an author?
I have found the best part of being an author is also letting
others read what I wrote, when some one enjoys reading it — when somebody else
shares the excitement I felt writing the book while they are reading it.
others read what I wrote, when some one enjoys reading it — when somebody else
shares the excitement I felt writing the book while they are reading it.
8. What advice would you give writers?
Don’t give up. Life gets in the way; it may slow you down but
it can’t stop you if you keep moving toward your goals, even if it is an inch
at a time. It can be challenging, but follow your dreams.
it can’t stop you if you keep moving toward your goals, even if it is an inch
at a time. It can be challenging, but follow your dreams.
9. What question do you
get asked the most, and how do you answer that question?
get asked the most, and how do you answer that question?
I think the question I get asked the most is “Was it worth it,
spending all this time writing a book?” My answer is yes, to me it was worth
every moment I spent at the keyboard. I know they are most often speaking
financially. That is not how I measure my success. I feel accomplished and
proud of finishing something that I set out to do. I feel the most reward when
some one enjoys what I wrote.
spending all this time writing a book?” My answer is yes, to me it was worth
every moment I spent at the keyboard. I know they are most often speaking
financially. That is not how I measure my success. I feel accomplished and
proud of finishing something that I set out to do. I feel the most reward when
some one enjoys what I wrote.
10. What are you
working on now?
working on now?
I
have started writing my next novel, tentatively called Don’t Cry For Me. It is another fiction novel that I hope to
release in 2014.
have started writing my next novel, tentatively called Don’t Cry For Me. It is another fiction novel that I hope to
release in 2014.
Thanks for talking to Njkinny’s World of Books, Marie!
All the best for your future. 🙂
Buy From:
All the best for your future. 🙂
Buy From:
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Thank you for participating in the Three Rules blog tour and for your wonderful review. 🙂
Cool giveaway..
nice give away.. 🙂
Thanks Everyone..:)