Guest Post with author Debra Jayne East!

I was born the oldest of six girls from Martinsville, Virginia. For as long as I could remember, I loved to keep journals, write poetry and short stories. In second grade, my teacher took us to the library and I checked out “The Little Princess,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I fell in love with reading immediately! It wasn’t long after, I started writing short stories and my friend even bought a story for her brother. I was hooked!

After a few years though, I put all my journals away and concentrated on my family and career. You never forget your first love because after my kids left home that old beckoning called my name loud and clear. I researched my family tree and suddenly I understood why. My distant relative, Violet Florence Martin , was an Irish author born in 1862 who co-wrote a series of novels with cousin Edith Somerville under the pen name of Martin Ross during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.



Learning about my heritage encouraged me to follow my dreams. After I encountered a near-death experience during a routine surgery, I realized my time had come to follow my heart and my calling to be a writer. My first novel, Radiance: Love after Death, was released by XOXO Publishing in June of last year. Their faith in publishing my story made me believe that dreams really can come true.

The idea for the storyline came to me after a long depression after a divorce. I found a crooked heart-shaped stone in the grass. It reminded me that even though hearts get broken and scarred they are still capable of love. Finding the stone renewed my will to go on, and I realized it had a message for anyone recovering from heartbreak.



I pass that on in Marena Jacobs. She’s not your usual kind of heroine. She’s divorced, overweight and a workaholic. Her priorities change however, when a car accident almost takes her life. Sometimes we just need something to shake us up a bit to get headed in the right direction. We all need second chances, and I hope you will be inspired by my paranormal spin on that concept.

I look forward to releasing part two, “Remnant of a Kiss,” later this year as well as a poetry book. Thanks for having me today!

Below are links to buy the book and links to find Debra Jayne East:
Buy:
http://www.xoxopublishing.com/Products/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=160#.TvMW-tkygaM.twitter


Buy at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Radiance-Love-after-Death-ebook/dp/B005KQ5E32/ref%3dsr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329361637&sr=8-1

Find out more about Debra Jayne East below:
http://twitter.com/juliet2cool4u
http://debrajayneeast.blogspot.com/
http://yearoftheangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/debrajayneeast
 
Thank you Ms. East for telling us more about you and what inspired you to write! I think writing is in your jeans!  I look forward to reading Radiance! I wish you all the best!
Cheers,
Tifferz