On Little Wings by Regina Sirois--ABNA voting, Book Review & Interview

ON LITTLE WINGS by Regina Sirois.

I know this isn't my normal day for book reviews, but this one couldn't wait. ON LITTLE WINGS has been nominated for Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and voting ends tomorrow night. Be sure to stop by here and vote. Believe me, this book deserves all your votes.

This book had me sucked in from the first page. The descriptions were incredible. The characters were easy to fall in love with and symphathize with. Just as I expected to get bored with the story, Regina threw in a new character or twist that left me wanting more. I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this one to any person who loves a great story. There were a few cuss words, but a very clean, fun, fascinating, entertaining, lovable, intriguing story that I will read again and again for years to come.

:) :) :) :) :)

Jennifer must do the impossible – bring her mother home. When a family is torn apart by death, two sisters take violently divergent paths and the story of their family appears to end terribly and abruptly. Two decades later Jennifer never dreams that the photo she finds stuck between the pages of a neglected book will tear open a gaping wound to her mother’s secret past. Abandoning her comfortable life with her parents and best friend in the wheat fields of Nebraska, Jennifer’s quest for a hidden aunt leads her to the untamed coast of Maine where she struggles to understand why her mother lied to her for sixteen years.

Across the grey, rocky cove she meets Nathan Moore, the young, reluctant genius surrounded by women who need him to be brother, father, friend, provider, protector and now, first love. The stories, varied, hilarious, and heartbreaking, unfold to paint a striking mural of the shattered past. As Jennifer seeks to piece together her mother’s story, she inadvertently writes one for herself.

What made you decide to become a writer?

I decided to write a story to find out if I could. I knew I could get
the words right for short periods of time (hence my background in
poetry) but I had no idea if I could maintain a prolonged dialogue
with readers. I saw it as a great and worthy challenge.

Who inspires you?

I'm inspired by my husband's love, my daughters' vibrancy and my
sister's support. Every kind word inspires me to plow forward and try
harder and do better. Kindness inspires me.

What would you like your readers to get out of your writing?

I would love for the words to be delicious to them. I would love them
to remember a phrase and use it in their own lives. I want them to
feel like I put every ounce of my soul into my sentences because I
care about the people reading them. I want them to feel better about
themselves when they finish one of my stories.

Where did this idea come from?

Out of the big, blue sky. I honestly have no idea. I start stories
with the tiniest detail. I might see a person with a purple elephant
keychain and begin wondering why that purple elephant would be
important to them. I imagine who gave it them. What the weather was
like. What it meant to them. How long they've had it. Tiny details
trigger a character and a character triggers a story and enough
stories woven together trigger a plot. This story began when I
imagined a ceiling fan switching over a kitchen table in a house
beside the side. I saw a girl. The rest followed after years of
collecting details.

Who was your favorite character to develop?

Little! Or the Jacks. Or Cleo. This is hard. I've spent so many funny
and heartbreaking moments with each person. But I am going to stick my
original, gut instinct and say Little. She is precious to me.

Any advice for aspiring authors?

I always advise writers not to write to a crowd. Don't write to a
trend. Don't write to the world. It's too confusing that way and you
lose focus. Think of one person who is smart, who you trust, who loves
you, and write to him or her. When you get stuck sit down and think of
their gentle, encouraging face and keep tapping the keys. Keep going.
If you work until one person honestly loves it, others will also.

What can we expect next from you?

My book is currently a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award
(amazon.com/abna) so I do not know exactly what to expect. If my book
is the winner it will be published through Penguin with some new
conversations and scenes so I am excited about that. If it is not
published through Penguin I will continue to look for an editor while
I finish my second book, which is an unrelated YA novel that deals
with a sharp-witted boy and his relationship with his Air-Force pilot
father. It has been a joy to write and I've even taken some flying
lessons!

Where can we purchase your book?

You can buy my ebook or paperback at Amazon.com http://goo.gl/HiJVb

THANKS REGINA!

Be sure to stop by and vote for ON LITTLE WINGS for Amazon's Breakthrough Novel Award.