Today we talk about Exposed, a book by Emily Hart published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Emily Hart to get to know her better, what led her to the writing of her book Exposed and how much of herself is in both of the main characters of her story.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Is there a particular moment in your life that led you to the writing of your book?
There have been many small moments in my life that I believe has led me to my love for writing and crafting my first novel, Exposed. I first fell in love with the world of imagination through my grandmother’s short stories she would write send in the post– I remember that feeling of child-like wonder as I listened to my mom read them to me. Then again I discovered the power story when I finished reading my first novel – The Secret Garden – and fell in awe of the descriptions and emotions it evoked (one of these emotions being my first taste of heartbreak when I dropped it in the bathtub on my second time reading!). Then I began coming up with plot lines, character ideas and dialogue scenes and through the support of my family, I decided (at age twelve) that I wanted to be a published author by the age of eighteen. It was this goal that led me to write Exposed.
- What are the human and character traits of the main characters and how do they evolve during the events of the story?
My two main characters – Detective Nate Evans and the witness of his case, Samantha Grey – are both characters I think we can all relate to and who portray universal struggles of seeking healing, a place of belonging and redeeming hope. When we meet Nate, he’s a man who just wants more coffee, a holiday and time to finish his woodworking, while Samantha is a scarred woman running from her past – one that includes an incriminated father and murdered mother. When their lives collide for the first time in a decade, a lot of their unresolved pasts are brought to the surface. In the middle of hunting down a murderer, they both are forced to unearth long-buried emotions, both for their past and each other. The novel ends…well, I can’t give it away, but let’s just say that I’m a sucker for a good twist and a happy ending – and I hope my readers are too 😉
- How much of you is there in the protagonists of the novel?
There’s a lot of myself in both characters – from Nate’s unwavering Faith and Samantha’s sense of adventure to both of their love for Chinese Food and the ocean. Family is a strong theme throughout the novel which, if you know me, is something I’m passionate about. I also drew deeply from my own experiences to write Samantha’s journey of finding healing from traumas as accurately as possible, and I can relate to how she’s seeking for a place to belong and feel able to be herself – I think we’ve all been there. However, I do differ to my characters in some ways – I’m too impatient to do meticulous detective work like Nate, and my balancing skills aren’t good enough for me to be able to surf like Samantha (I usually end up with more bruises and jelly-fish stings after I surf that actual footage of me riding waves!) but overall, there’s a lot of me in the characters.
- Is there a book you are particularly attached to and that has taught you something?
My first set of novels I read – Little Women, The Secret Garden and more – all taught me the power of imagination and how we are only limited by our own perceptions. Then I remember reading novels by authors such as Dee Henderson and Dani Pettrey and seeing how they so effortlessly weave mystery, romance, and faith into one novel and thinking, “Wow, I want to write stories like that someday!”
And of course, we have the wonderful Divergent and Hunger Games series that taught me what real, high-quality writing looks like – how it sounds in your head and how you can almost see the characters as clear as the letters on the pages. Those novels inspire me to ask, “What if..?” and go from there.
- Are you currently working on a new project?
Yes, I am indeed! I’m branching out into new territory – something along the more Sci-Fi lines and I’m having a lot of fun! I love creating a whole new world and imagining what earth (and what all our current problems) would look like in the future, along with creating spunky characters with a fresh voice. This is a project that has been in the works for a couple of years and I’m really excited to share it with the world when it’s done.
Europe Books thanks the author Emily Hart once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside her on the editorial path that led to the publication of her book Exposed. We wish her the best of luck for this novel and for her future works.
To you, my dear reader, I wish you to get absorbed by the engaging events that characterise the story of the two main protagonists.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your Editor!