Carol Cassada is here today, for an interview and to show off her Westmore Series – a contemporary romance / soap opera, following the lives of several families, through three novels. Come say hello and support this indie author.
Westmore
Westmore
Set in a small New England town; follow the lives of three families; The Greens, the Braxtons, and the Reynolds.
The Greens:
* Widowed matriarch Charlotte never thought she could find love again after the death of her husband Michael, until handsome Detective Bryant comes to her rescue.
* Youngest son Peter returns home from college with his new girlfriend, who’s ten years older than him, and is a problem for Mama Charlotte.
* Scott and Alicia are singing siblings who are on their way to the top, until tragedy strikes one night.
The Braxtons:
* Andrew Braxton is a ruthless and powerful businessman who runs his household the same way he runs his company, with an iron fist. Upon learning his son Wayne plans on abandoning the family company, he’ll do everything in his heart to stop him from leaving.
The Reynolds:
* After the divorce Laura Reynolds and her daughter Megan move back home with her father, where she plans to start life anew, but little does she know that it’s not easy to escape your past.
Join them and other characters as they experience love, heartache, and ups and downs in their everyday lives.
Westmore: The Aftermath
In the eagerly anticipated sequel, a car crash leaves Alicia fighting for survival as her family comes together in her time of need. Meanwhile Andrew and Elizabeth, team up to protect their son and conceal his role in the accident.
Will The Greens suffer the death of another loved one? Will The Braxtons put aside their hostility and stick together during the crisis? Plus what other drama awaits the families, find out in Westmore: The Aftermath.
Westmore: Broken Ties
Some bonds are unbreakable. While others crumble under pressure.
In Westmore: Broken Ties, relationships and family bonds are tested. Plus, a deep dark secret threatens to destroy one family.
Whose relationship will survive? And whose will come to an end?
The Writer’s Interview
The Personal Questions
- What’s your idea of total happiness?
My idea of happiness is being content with your life and enjoying the moments each day has to offer.
- Which trait do you most deplore about yourself?
I can be impatient at times, it’s one of the things I don’t like and I’m trying to work on it.
- What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue?
I think pride can sometimes be overrated. Its one thing for a person to be proud of all the hard work they accomplished and all the things they have. But I think too much of it can lead to a person developing a huge ego and thinking they’re entitled to everything.
- What’s your worse vice?
I have an enormous sweet tooth. I’ll eat anything from cakes, pies, candy, and ice cream. I know it’s not healthy, but it tastes so good and I love it.
- What do you most value in your friends?
Their kind-heartedness and how they’re always there for you.
- Do you have a mantra or motto?
I have a couple of mottos. One of them is “follow your dreams” and the other is “don’t let anybody bring you down.”
- Which living, and which dead person, do you most admire and why?
A living person I admire is my mom because she has a tough backbone and she doesn’t let anyone or anything bother her. She’s not afraid to speak her mind and stand up for what she believes in. Dead person I admire is Princess Diana because she had a good heart and did so much work to help others, and throughout the scandals in her life she always held her head up high.
- What is your favourite (song) and why?
I have so many songs that I like, but one of my all time favorites is Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd. One of the reasons I love the song is because I perceive the lyrics to be about people being true to their selves and not letting anybody change them.
- What is your favourite cuisine?
Pizza will always be my favorite cuisine.
- Have your personal experiences (or situations) influenced you, creatively? Give us an example.
My family has influenced me a lot. Most of the characters in my books are based on my family. One example is the bond Alicia and her brothers have in Westmore. Like Alicia, I’m also a middle child and growing up my brothers teased me constantly, but I knew they did it to show how much they loved me. Even though we like to pick on each other, whenever one of us has a problem we’re right there to help.
- What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Ghosthunting New York; I’m a fan of the paranormal and supernatural.
- What other interests do you have?
Besides reading and writing, I enjoy playing with my pets, shopping, and cooking.
- What was the last movie you went to see?
I haven’t been to the movies in a while, but one of the last movies I watched on TV was Die Hard.
- Do you have a favourite genre?
Not really, as long as a book has an interesting story I’m into it.
The Writer Specific Questions.
- What got you into writing?
I took a creative writing class during high school and I became hooked on writing. I’m the type of person who tends to keep their emotions bottled up inside and writing allowed me to express my feelings and take my mind off my problems.
- What is your new book about and what inspired you to write it?
My new book is called Westmore: Broken Ties, it’s the third installment in the Westmore series, which I describe as a romance novel meets soap opera. The series focuses on the lives of three families: The Greens, The Braxtons, and The Reynolds. The first volume was an introductory to the characters and a set up to the ongoing drama and potential romances. The second volume revolves around a car accident, which sets up a feud between The Greens and The Braxtons. The latest volume focuses on the relationships between couples and families. Some of them are experiencing problems and are at the breaking point in their relationships.
- What are the challenges to being a writer? And what are the benefits? Have things changed lately?
I’d say editing the book can be a challenge. Writing the story’s easy, but editing’s a hassle because you’re looking for spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and changes to be made. To some people it may not seem like a big deal, but one little flaw could hurt the book.
The benefits of writing are creating a book that you love and that readers enjoy.
- What advice can you offer to struggling writers?
The main thing is not to give up. Being a writer is hard and there are times when you’re going to feel like throwing in the towel. But if you’re serious about being a writer you’ve got to keep trucking on and be persistent in your quest to get published.
- Where do you see book-publishing in the future?
I think we’ll continue to see more of indie publishing and I think it could take a toll on traditional publishing.
- Are you an indie or traditional author?
I’m an indie author, but I started out as a traditional author.
- Did you publish the first book you wrote?
No, my first book Going Home Again was released by a small e-book publisher called Romance Divine.
- Why do you write in that genre?
When I was deciding what genre to write for romance was at the top of the list, but I didn’t know if I was cut out to write love stories. So I read a couple of Harlequin novels to get a feel of the genre and afterwards I decided this is what I wanted to write.
- What is your biggest problem with the writing process? How do you tackle it?
Procrastination is a big problem. Sometimes I’ll be in the middle of writing and I’ll stop everything to check my email, the latest celebrity gossip, or the score on a football game. One way I tackle the problem is I try to check all that stuff before I begin writing that way I won’t have any distractions and I can concentrate on work.
- Do you feel writing is something you need to do or want to do?
Need sounds a bit obsessive, so I would say writing is something more that I want to do.
- Whose writing inspires you most and why?
Authors Darlene Graham and Janice MacDonald are two romance authors who’ve inspired me. The first romance novels I ever read were written by them and their stories helped me decide to write for the romance genre.
Author Bio
Carol Cassada
Carol Cassada is a young author from the small town of Ringgold, VA. Growing up she was a huge fan of reading and writing, so it’s no surprise to those closest to her that she decided to pursue writing as a career.
After graduating from Old Dominion University with a degree in Professional Writing, Carol got started on her first book Going Home Again released by Romance Divine in February 2010. For her next book Westmore, Carol turned to self-publishing and her love of soap operas to write the novel, which is the first in a long line of volumes.
When she’s not busy writing, Carol enjoys spending time with her family and playing with her three dogs and two cats.
About Shah Wharton
Procrastination is a big problem for me too. I should be writing instead of being online
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