Author Interview: Meet.. Carmel Harrington!

I got the chance to catch up with the ever lovely Carmel Harrington, author of Beyond Grace's Rainbow. Here's what we talked about!

1.    Could you please tell us about your novel, Beyond Grace’s Rainbow?

I’ve been told by many that Grace’s story is deeply emotional and many tell me that they needed several Kleenex throughout the novel!  It does deal with some pretty heavy subjects – cancer, adoption, alcoholism and of course love.  Grace is a single mother to Jack (3) and she receives some pretty horrible news. She has cancer and must find a bone marrow donor to have the best chance to beat it.  Her best chance of a match is with a family member, but as she was adopted as a baby this is a problem.  So she must embark on a brave journey of discovery to finally find out who her biological parents are. Grace’s handsome ex-boyfriend Liam is also back in town and he makes it clear that he wants both Grace and Jack back. He’s willing to do anything to prove he has changed and is worthy of their love.  Graces friends Abby, Tara, Sean, Tom and Gerry are right by her side throughout all of this, supporting her and loving her, whilst of course dealing with their own problems that life throws at them.

It is certainly a tearjerker, but hopefully will make you smile too, as I’ve been told there is a lot of humour weaved into the story too. 

2.    How long was the entire process of writing Beyond Grace’s Rainbow? Which was your least favourite part of writing a book?

It was ridiculously long! Only because the 1st draft I wrote was actually several years ago, but I left it gathering dust under my bed!  When I picked it up again and decided to rewrite and get it ready for publishing, the process took about a further 3 months.  The hardest part for me Kev is starting the book.  Once I get into the story I’m away, flying it! But at first it’s always difficult as I try to find the individual characters voices and personalities.

3.    Describe Beyond Grace’s Rainbow in less than 10 words. 

An emotional story about friendship, hope, second chances and everlasting love.

4.    Are you working on another novel? Could you give us a little sneak peek?

I’m actually right this minute doing revisions and edits on my second novel, Sleep of Dreams that will be published mid December with HarperImpulse.  It’s about twins Sarah and James who are very close even though they have very different lives. Sarah is a mother to three children with a husband who is missing and James is single with no intention of ever settling down. Then Edward, someone from Sarah’s past, comes back into their lives and it changes everything.

Here is a sneak peak of an excerpt from the opening chapter:

Sleep Of Dreams Excerpt

Time for the big finale, James thought to himself.  With a dramatic sigh he put his hand over his face and said, ‘as the sun set, I held her in my arms and then she died.  I just feel honoured that I was with her when she breathed her last breath.  And maybe I gave her some comfort at the end.’ 
 

He wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and sneaked a peak at his date.  Had he overdone it this time?   Maybe the tears were too much.  No, hang on; she had bought his story, hook, line and sinker.
 

God she was very beautiful, he thought.   Maeve stifled back a sob and leaned in close to him.  ‘Oh James,’ She whispered, ‘You were so brave.’  She then touched him on his leg and in that moment he knew he’d be getting lucky tonight.  Result!  His hero story had never failed him.
 

Maeve was mesmerised by James.  He was 6’2 with blonde wavy hair, worn slightly long.  His blue eyes normally sparkled with mischief but sometimes would show hints of hidden depths that made women desperate to be the one to unlock their secrets.  He had a natural charisma that attracted both men and women to him, men wanted to be his friend and women in the main had more than friendship on their minds when they met him.
 

The sound of his mobile phone blaring out Eliza Doolittle’s ‘Pack Up’ interrupted his daydream of how the night was going to end.  Glancing at the handset, he saw that it was Sarah. 
 

Irritated, he ignored the phone and said to the blonde, ‘Let them leave a message, nothing is more important than this moment right now, with you.’   She really seemed to like the cheesy lines.   She was practically purring.   God, girls were just too easy to play. 
 

Momentarily he felt guilty.   He knew that after a few dates he wouldn’t be interested in seeing this girl again.  He just wanted some fun and had no intention of settling down with anyone.  He’d grown up in a house with parents who at best were polite to each other, but on a daily basis made it quite obvious that whatever love that had drawn them towards each other at the beginning had long since died.  In his career as a private detective, he’d also seen more unfaithful marriages than he’d had hot dinners.  From what he saw there were not very many happy marriages anymore, any excuse and one or the other of the two was jumping into bed with someone else.
 

And then of course there was Sarah.  He felt an ache in his heart as he thought about her and the pain he knew she was in right now.  But he brushed his guilt aside quickly.  Maeve and he were adults and he never promised any of the girls he dated anything more than they got.  He had a firm rule that he always detangled himself before the fourth date.  In his experience it was after this that most girls started humming the wedding march.  
 

Right, it was time to suggest a night cap back at her house.  He could see Sarah’s disapproving face in his mind’s eye and once again felt a slight twinge of guilt.  But one look at Maeve’s long bronzed legs and that guilt disappeared.  Before he could make his suggestion of a nightcap, his phone beeped once more, with a new text message.  It was Sarah again.  He clicked open the message on his phone.  Two words glared back at him.
 

‘Edward’s back.’
 

Oh no, James thought.  This was bad.  Even though Sarah had not mentioned Edward in years, James knew immediately whom she was referring to.
 

‘Sorry, I’ve got to go.’  Kissing the blonde on the cheek, slightly amused by the look of astonishment on her face, James got up to leave.
 

Maeve could feel herself panicking; she didn’t want the night to end.  And she hadn’t even had a chance to give him her phone number.  ‘What’s wrong?’ The blonde asked.   
 

‘Edward’s back.’ James replied.
 

‘Edward?’ The blonde asked puzzled.  ‘Who’s Edward?’
 

‘Trouble, babe, that’s who Edward is, a whole lot of trouble.’ James replied and with that ran to his car, texting Sarah as he went that he was on his way. 

5.    Do you write what you read? What’s your all-time favourite book? Only one!

I read all types of books, from chick lit, all romance genres, thrillers and suspense.  I’ve also been known to enjoy a good paranormal or horror book thanks to Dean Koontz’s penmanship.  I think every book I’ve read has influenced me.  And if I had to pick just one book, it would be Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.  Everybody should read this book at least three times, because I guarantee you will get something different from it each time.

6.    If you could only take 3 books with you on holiday, what will they be? 

Oh that’s a tough question!  I would take The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and then just to mix things up Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz!

Like the sound of Beyond Grace's Rainbow?

Get your copy now from Amazon!