Great Escapes Interview: House of the Hanging Jade by Amy Reade (@readeandwrite)

House of the Hanging Jade

Amy Reade

Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Suspense
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Date of Publication: April 26, 2016
Number of pages: 248

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo     OmniLit

A dark presence had invaded the Jorgensens' house. On a spectacular bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, something evil is watching and waiting...

Tired of the cold winters in Washington, D.C. and disturbed by her increasingly obsessive boyfriend, Kailani Kanaka savors her move back to her native Big Island of Hawaii. She also finds a new job as personal chef for the Jorgensen family. The gentle caress of the Hawaiian trade winds, the soft sigh of the swaying palm trees, and the stunning blue waters of the Pacific lull her into a sense of calm at the House of Hanging Jade--an idyll that quickly fades as it becomes apparent that dark secrets lurk within her new home. Furtive whispers in the night, a terrifying shark attack, and the discovery of a dead body leave Kailani shaken and afraid. But it's the unexpected appearance of her ex-boyfriend, tracking her every move and demanding she return to him, that has her fearing for her life...

Interview: 
Please welcome Amy M. Reade to Musings and Ramblings for a little Author Q&A.

*Offers Amy a cup of Constant Comment tea and a plate with a selection of chocolate petit fours.*

Thank you! I’d love some.

What makes you unique as a writer?
I am a unique writer in a couple ways. First, I write books that are pretty clean, with limited swearing, sweet romance, and no gratuitous violence. I want to write books I wouldn’t mind my kids or my parents reading. That means the emphasis is more on the suspense and plot than on the romance. I’ve heard from lots of readers who compare my style of writing to that of the old gothic writers, such as Daphne du Maurier, Phyllis Whitney, and Victoria Holt, and that’s a huge compliment.

Second, setting plays a huge role in my books. I want readers to come away from my books with a new destination to add to their bucket lists. My first book was set in the Thousand Islands region of New York State, where I grew up, and my second book was set just outside Charleston, South Carolina. My third book is set on the Big Island of Hawaii. Enough said. People have commented in online reviews and on my social media pages that they’d love to visit the places I write about. Many of the posts on my Facebook and Pinterest pages are about the places where I’ve set my stories.

What are your five biggest distractions from writing?
I can only list five? 

1. Social media- the biggest time suck ever created.
2. Cleaning- this is not to suggest I actually leave my computer to clean, but I do spend a lot of time wondering what my house would look like if I did.
3. My dog- because sometimes you just need to pet your dog.
4. Exercise- because…see #5.
5. Being hungry- and there are times when only chocolate or cheese will do. Or a quick drive to the nearest town for a bowl of a certain restaurant’s tomato bisque with melted cheese and croutons.

What’s the best vacation/trip you ever had?
Though it would really be more fun for your readers to learn about the worst trip I’ve ever had, I’m still in denial about that whole “vacation.” The best trip I’ve ever had was probably my honeymoon to Hawaii. My husband and I visited three islands- Maui, Hawaii (the Big Island), and Kauai. That trip instilled in both of us a love of Hawaii that has never diminished, and in fact has gotten much stronger over the years.

What’s your favorite rainy day activity?
Sleeping, with occasional breaks to read, eat, and watch “I Love Lucy.”

What are your 5 favorite words?
“You just won the lottery.” Please note, those words have never been spoken to me in that order.

Bonus Fun Question:
A penguin walks through the door right now wearing a sombrero. What does he say and why is he here?
He is here in search of warmer weather, but alas, as I write this it is windy and 31 degrees. In April. He is better off in Antarctica and I tell him so. “Adios!” he says.

Thanks for sharing with us today. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?
I appreciate you having me on your blog today. This has been fun. I don’t know if you’d call this “wisdom,” but I would like your readers to know that the best way to support any author is to leave a review of their books, tell their friends, and help spread the word by following the author on social media and sharing their posts.

And speaking of social media, here are the links where your readers can find me online:

Website: www.amymreade.com
Blog: www.amreade.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8189243.Amy_M_Reade
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Amy-M.-Reade/e/B00LX6ASF2
Facebook: www.facebook.com/amreadeauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/readeandwrite
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/amreade
Tumblr: www.amymreade.tumblr.com

Giveaway: 

Entry-Form

Author Bio:

Amy M. Reade grew up in northern New York. After graduating from college and law school, she practiced law in New York City before moving to southern New Jersey, where she lives now with her husband, three children, dog, two cats, and a fish. She writes full time and is the author of Secrets of Hallstead House, a novel of romantic suspense set in the Thousand Islands region of New York, and The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, a novel in the same genre set outside Charleston, South Carolina. Her third novel, House of Hanging Jade, is set in Hawaii and will be released in April, 2016. She is currently working on the first book of a series set in the United Kingdom (expected release date in early 2017). She loves cooking, reading, and traveling.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads