Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
Sure. My name is Angie, and I live in a small farming town in Canada. I have one twenty-five-year-old daughter, two cats, and three dogs.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Hidden in the Shadows”?
Some of the content was very hard to digest when I was doing the research. Finding out that kids have experienced such heinous things still hurts my heart, and I feel that bringing awareness to it all is my reason for being here.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Gillian Flynn, and V. C. Andrews, to name a few. They all have such strong writing voices. I read Flowers In The Attic by Andrews at a young age and had no idea that the content would have double meaning later in life.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I would have to say the mountain trails. Walking in nature always gives me such a boost. The streams running, the birds chirping. It’s all so serene and where some of my creative ideas originate.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
It depends on the book, really. Some need more research than others, more planning etc. For example some authors create very detailed outlines. I don’t. I know my beginning and my ending. What comes in between is determined as I go. But Hidden In The Shadows, required tons of research into child trafficking and occult practices. It took a lot of time and quite a bit out of me but I had to be the voice for these victims.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Hidden in the Shadows’?
Apart from the months of research, and edits the actual writing was probably around six months.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your book?
Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my own website.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Hidden in the Shadows’?
The book cover was brilliantly designed by my publisher, Atmosphere Press. Look closely at the reflection. It gave me chills when they sent it to me. The title happened a few years ago when I was playing around with a title generator online for a short story I’d written. I loved it and noted it for a potential future project, not realizing that it would be my next novel.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
Honestly, I don’t really think about keeping things fresh when I write. When I’m in that creative space, the words just flow, and I hope it’s fresh. The characters often keep it fresh with their antics.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Yes. Two actually. First, the photo is real. I found it the same way that Evie did, in my grandfathers box of family photo’s and just like her grandfather, mine didn’t want to talk about it. He died in 1991 never revealing what happened. The second, the killer scenes are based on actual survivor testimonials. I chose to incorporate their stories after reading derogatory comments from people such as; “this didn’t happen to you. Why are you spreading lies? You are delusional.” The comments broke my heart. Imagine surviving the gates of hell to then be told it never happened? It broke my heart and I knew that someone needed to let them know they’d been heard. I had to be that someone.
Buy Hidden in the Shadows on Amazon
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