Twist of Fate by Shawna C. Jones Book Tour, Interview, & Giveaway

Twist of Fate

by Shawna C. Jones

Shawna grew up with a secret that she couldn’t share with anyone. She thought of it as her “inner demon” and it shaped her life. When she became an adult, it sent her on a quest to try to find her Real Home. In Paris, she fell in love with a fellow traveler who changed her life, for better or worse. Their relationship was full of discovery and of lessons learned.

How could she come to terms with her “inner demon”? Can we change our fate or karma? Does love really conquer all?

This book is based on a true story of an independent woman’s search for her true self and the meaning of life, and how she found answers in unexpected places.

Excerpt:

“Are you alright?” I asked, touching her hands, which were now empty, but still shaking a bit.

“I will be. Give me a minute.” She closed her eyes.

I bent down and started picking up the pieces of the cup. Tea leaves were splashed everywhere. One group looked like Tower Bridge, but one group caught my eye. As I looked at it closely, it seemed to be a face. I couldn’t tell if it was male or female, but it had slits for eyes and mouth. I tried to get closer still, when my aunt’s foot tapped it and it disappeared.

I quickly picked everything up and went to get a broom and dustpan. My aunt looked at me and smiled a little.

“I’ll take care of everything. You just relax.” I went inside and came back out. I cleaned everything up. When I came back out I found her standing at the edge of the patio; she was staring at the ocean.

 

She turned and looked at me. Color had come back into her face and she appeared calm.

“I don’t know what happened there. But there was definitely an unknown entity around. You have a lot of protection around you. Make sure white light surrounds you at all times. Be very careful of the future you’re stepping into. Some of it is a problem. I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”

“I’ll change it.”

“Yes. Some of it, you might be able to. You can always try.” She didn’t sound convincing.

“You don’t know what it is?”

“No. But veils are not a good sign. Just be careful and try not to be too concerned about anything.”

“You know that won’t happen.” We both smiled. I hugged her tightly. What would I do without her?

I knew I liked to live in the fast lane. Perhaps I would have to move over to the slow lane for a while. No. That would not be me. And besides, Paris was waiting for us.

Lesson: Always protect yourself. And when a psychic warns you, pay extra close attention.

 

 My View & Interview:

I enjoyed the way the author chose to write this book. Shawna is an extremely talented writer. The feeling of the unknown and discovery permeated each page, that is what made me continue reading. You feel as if you are experiencing what each new day brought for adventures.

I also got the unique opportunity to be able to ask a few questions. I think that Twist of Fate becomes more personal when you know more about the author on a deeper level.

1. Name the five {or whatever number} biggest distractions from your writing. And how do you go about conquering those distractions to get back on track?

 

The biggest distractions for me is noise, such as noise from traffic (freeway nearby), or pedestrians sitting outside the cafes or restaurants doing a lot of loud talking and drinking. As long as I keep the windows closed, I usually don’t hear them, but if it still comes through, I move to another room. The other distraction is being busy having to do other things, but then I prioritize everything. I do writing in block chunks of time, giving myself permission to change that if I want to. What I tell myself when I’m writing is that I have to stay focused and concentrate. If that’s not possible I take a break, and come back to it when I feel ready.

What I’ve learned to do is to be present or in the moment. The other thing I do is treat my writing space as a sacred space. No one is allowed in that space while I’m writing. That way I make sure there are no distractions from others. It seems to make a big difference for me.

 

2. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The criticism was about there not having enough detail. I took issue with that, since I had several editors and teachers who said it was fine. I was warned about a bad review by a psychic, and she said some critics have bad hair days. There’s nothing you can do about that. The best compliment was from someone who said the book changed her life, and she had never read anything like it. She had been really moved by the book, and that was wonderful to hear. My book is supposed to be inspiring.

 

3. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Write what you know, and if you can, write from your soul. Meditate on the book you want to write, rather than what your ego wants. Two very different things. You might be surprised at what comes up. And don’t stop writing, no matter what.

 

4. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?

The biggest challenge, at least for me, was dealing with technology. From finding a word processor I could tolerate, to creating and maintaining all the accounts on various web sites. It’s all a bit daunting until you understand it.

As for the formatting, I had to trust others for this, but now I have names of  some people who are good. Another struggle was finding someone to create a cover. The person I initially used took too long, and I since I had already paid, I had to take drastic action. Not something I wanted to do, as I really thought the person would be good for the job. I found someone else and he was awesome.

5. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

There are two poems that I read in high school. One was “My Wage” by Jessie Belle Rittenhouse. It affected me deeply, when I realized I could get what I wanted if I asked for it. Who knew?

The other was “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. This one inspired me to stay on my path of independence and freedom. I could follow the traditional way or not. I chose the road less traveled, and it made all the difference, as he said.

 

6. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I started seriously writing about 5 years ago. I finished a book and while trying to figure out what to do with it, I ended up going to writing workshops and seminars. At one of them I attended, I chose a different book to write, and that’s how “Twist of Fate” came to be. I finished the other book several years ago. “Twist of Fate” was finished in January and took almost a year to write.

 

7. What do you do when you are not writing?

Indoor and outdoor exercise such as biking, walking, hiking, etc. Meditation, yoga, and spending time with family and friends. And of course, travel.

Thank you for the interview.

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon—Barnes & Noble—Smashwords 

 

Shawna C. Jones lives in the US, when she’s not traveling the world. She lives with her husband, and “inner demon” quite peacefully now. She is continuing her mission of helping others, and encouraging young people to travel and follow their dreams.

https://www.facebook.com/ShawnaJonesAuthor

http://www.shawnacjones.com/

Shawna will be awarding a winner’s choice of a  $50 Amazon GC, a $50 Starbucks GC, or a crystal from Middle Earth Store in Mt. Shasta to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found by clicking the banner below:  

Good Luck!

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This promotion was brought to by both the author, Shawna C. Jones, and Goddess Fish Promotions. If you are interested in Goddess Fish Promotions, you can contact them via website, Twitter, Facebook, Blog, or Google+.