“DARK MOON”
by Maggie Tideswell
About the Book
Review
Author Interview
“DARK MOON”
Set in the romantic city of Cape Town, Storm
tries to force a proposal from Trevor, and instead, she meets Jarred. Trevor
has been preparing himself for what he plans for Storm, which is not quite what
she expects. When she tells Trevor that she is carrying Jarreds baby, she
releases true evil in Trevor. Storm, feeling that he ruined her life, refuses
to have anything to do with Jarred, but he pursues her relentlessly. Donna,
Storms roommate, bears the brunt of Trevors anger. Elle, Trevors sister, a fact
unknown to them, makes it her mission to catch Trevor and bring him to justice,
but he draws power from her for his evil purposes. Their mother senses what
Trevor is doing and she uses her considerable knowledge and experience as a
witch to curtail him. For a while it works, but he soon gathers his power,
which he uses to his unfair advantage on Storm. Would Sybil and her helpers get
through to Storm before she makes the mistake of her life?
REVIEW of “DARK MOON”
by Books4Tomorrow
Yet again I was pleasantly surprised, and
suitably impressed, with the writing of another South African author. Maggie
Tideswell has done what only a handful of others have been able to do before
her - and that is to prove that South African authors can compete on an
international level with the best out there.
“Dark Moon” is a splendidly written novel which
takes the reader on an unforgettable journey full of twists and turns and keeps
you guessing until the end. The author introduces all the characters at the
start of the book and develops their stories throughout to tie together in an
explosive ending that will surprise even the most hardcore of readers. In this
novel she expertly blends romance, mystery, fantasy and the occult; and
explanations are given out of every angle and for every situation the
characters are faced with, so that the reader isn’t left hanging at the
conclusion of the story. It is clear that Ms Tideswell has thoroughly
researched every element that is used to make this a great novel.
The book is written in a unique South African
voice and the dialogue reflects this accordingly. I have to applaud this author
for being one of few who successfully uses the more-showing-less-telling
technique. Not many have mastered this.
Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the
Southern African landscape, any reader who hasn’t visited the country before
will feel like they are taken on an explorative journey to the spectacular
sights, sounds and colors of this strikingly beautiful tip of the African continent.
The author doesn’t hold back on the descriptions of the characters’
surroundings and thus lets readers immerse themselves into the real-life world
the story is based on.
Even though I had reservations when I started
reading this novel, I am now a dedicated reader of this author’s work and am
looking forward to what Maggie Tideswell will surprise us with next.
READ more REVIEWS
“Dark Moon” by Maggie Tideswell has 1 review on
GoodReads. Read it here - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12564180-dark-moon
INTERVIEW with author MAGGIE TIDESWELL
Q: What inspired you to write “Dark Moon”?
A: First meetings between men and women have always fascinated me. Will
they only remain platonic, or might there be far reaching effects, like the
chance of a long term relationship? And another theme I could not resist, are
people really what they seem? One might fall in love with a person – the way
he/she portrays him/herself, but is that the real person you see? So you could
say that I am inspired in all my writing by relationships between men and
women. What makes them notice each other in a romantic way in the first place,
what keeps them together, what makes them drift apart. Fascinating stuff.
Q: How did you come up with the title?
A: Dark Moon has had many working titles, most of which I don’t remember
anymore. The last one was Storm’s Choice, which came from the fact that Storm
had a weighty decision to make. The title seemed apt, although it had the book
sound like a soppy romance. Dark Moon is a romance, but a soppy little love
story it certainly is not. Then during the edit, my editor suggested changing
the title to Dark Moon, as the final scenes of the book takes place at the
dark/new moon. My instant reaction was - why hadn’t I thought of that?
Q: Who designed the cover and how much input did you have
regarding the design?
A: Mark
Knox of Knoxworx designed the cover and the book trailer for Dark Moon. Mark
interpreted my ideas and he did a wonderful job. He is very talented. For the
video I told Mark how I saw it and he told me what was doable and what not.
Mark came up with a stunning cover and fantastic video that was perfect for
Dark Moon.
Q: Which of your characters in “Dark
Moon” are your favorite and why?
A: Jarred, without a doubt. He is the tall, dark and handsome, reliable
man all women want to fall in love with. He is determined and strong and not
afraid of his own emotions. The adage “men don’t cry” does not apply to Jarred.
Q: Is “Dark Moon” your first book?
A: I have
written seven complete novels, but Dark Moon is the first to be published. It
took a while to find the right publisher, and I shall never look back. All
Things That Matter Press is like a family
and I am happy to say that my second book, titled Moragh, will be published by
them as well later this year. The others will follow, hopefully one a year.
Q: What was the hardest part of writing “Dark Moon”?
A: The end, oh yes the end. It had to be right, with a combination of the
witchcraft element in the book coming to a head without seeming ridiculous or
like Harry Potter characters wafting wands all over the place. And the romance
had to come together and still feel real.
Q: Did you learn anything from writing “Dark Moon” and what
was it?
A: Yes, writing Dark Moon has taught me one valuable lesson, and that was
to write what you know. If you don’t, you can get so entangled in nonsense that
the story just doesn’t work. One has to write from the heart, and you as the
writer, have to love the characters you create – even the baddies. If you don’t,
nobody else will either.
Q: If you had to do it all over again, would you change
anything in “Dark Moon”?
A: No, to me, Dark Moon is as close to perfect as it could be. I love it.
Q: What are your current projects?
A: I am putting the final touches to Moragh, my 2nd book to go
to print, getting it ready for the editing process. My 3rd book, the
working title of which is Roxanne, is needing a lot of attention and as soon as
Moragh is edited and released, it will receive my full attention.
Q: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
A: Of Course. Dark Moon is a romance and it involves what I like to call a
love square (as opposed to a love triangle). Storm loves Trevor, Jarred loves
Storm, Elle loves Jarred, and Trevor loves nobody but himself. There are strong
elements of witchcraft in the novel, but nobody can come to harm from rituals
and spells as none are fully described. This is not a text book on the Craft,
but a love story. It involves an unwanted pregnancy which terminates
spontaneously. There are close, real friendships that carry the story, between
Storm and her roommate, Donna, between Storm and Cecily, Jarred’s mother. And
the reuniting of a broken family. In total, Dark Moon deals with life as we
know it, here and now.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
A: Yes, I do, and it is simple – persevere and
don’t take no for an answer. If one publisher doesn’t like your work, there are
many, many more who might. Don’t give up. You know the saying, if at first you
don’t succeed, try, try again. And in this business, it is truer than most. It
is not easy, but you may never give up your dream. If you do, a part of you
dies.
PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Moon-Maggie-Tideswell/dp/0984651764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329603341&sr=1-1
Barnes &
Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-moon-maggie-tideswell/1033872538?ean=9780984651764&itm=1&usri=maggie+tideswell
AUTHOR LINKS
2 comments:
It did not surprise me to see Dark Moon receive a 5 star review. This book is unique, compelling and full of adventure and mystery.
Maggie Tideswell is an exremely gifted author and I cannot wait to see what she releases in the future. Bravo, Ms. Tideswell for a work well done.
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