Interview with Colleen McCarty, Author of Mounting the Whale!!

SYNOPSIS
"Cartel got me, tell mom" 

The siblings, drowning in their own problems, are forced to focus on the task at hand: a half-cocked rescue mission that involves a borrowed yacht, a favor from a notorious drug kingpin, and a shocking reunion none of them expected. 

When the family decides to sneak into Mexico, mother Cybil is forced to deal with a rival CEO whom she's developed feelings for in secret. Her only son, Tom, is willing to risk bodily harm to save Janine while his other sisters, Carlyle and Valerie, suspect that the kidnapping is less than legitimate. 
The long sea voyage tests the limits of the family's already frail bonds. Dark secrets of infertility, drugs, gambling and extreme taxidermy begin to float to the surface. But nothing compares to what they begin to learn about their missing sister. 

If they're going to make it out alive, they have to recognize they're fighting the same battles and facing life's greatest challenges: love, loneliness, and the struggle to find a place in the world. 


Amidst all the chaos, the Pierce family is brought face-to-face with the ugliness of Janine's addictions, the truth about their mother's fortune and the most terrifying question of all: Can you really save someone who doesn't want to be saved?

BOOK LINKS:
AMAZON

Click HERE to read a sample of the book!!

Click HERE to see the book trailer!

THE INTERVIEW:
1.       How long have you been writing?

In some form I have been writing since I can remember. I've always written in journals, written papers, etc. As an adult I've done a lot of blog and business writing as well as ghostwriting. Mounting the Whale is my first forray into fiction.

2.       What or who inspires you to write?

Everything I read inspires me! I am always trying to hone and improve on myself. 

3.       What genre do you like to read?

All genres - it's so important to be well read and to read outside your genre. Great books have elements of many genres.

4.       What is your favorite genre to write?

I guess my work is considered literary fiction - that's my favorite thing to write at this moment, but that might change! I love the idea of literary fiction delving into suspense and romance. 

5.       Who is your favorite author and why?

This is like asking me to pick my favorite toe. There are so many, and they're all special in their own ways! A few favorites are Harper Lee, S.E. Hinton, and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I like them because they all capture that indescribable something about being human, flawed--some would say doomed.

6.       What do you love about writing and why?

I love the moment when the perfect sentence comes together, or a theme pops back up unexpectedly. I guess its the moment that the writing takes on a life of its own, and you only hope you can be a dutiful steward in letting it flow through you. 

7.       What is the book about?

The book follows the dysfunctional Pierce family as they search for their wayward sister, Janine. They've received a message that she's been kidnapped by a drug cartel, but they aren't sure if they can trust her.

8.       What or who was the inspiration for the book?

Some of the characters are based on people in my family. I know a lot of people who struggle with addiction and I think my urge to write this book was based on the idea that we can't save them, they have to become their own heroes.

9.       Who are the characters in the book?

Cybil Pierce - the matriarch of the family and the CEO of Naturebar, a large chain of granola bars.

Valerie Pierce - oldest daughter and perpetual seeker of many degrees

Janine Pierce - troubled and wayward second daughter who is thought to be missing

Carlyle Pierce - Chief of Health and Wellness for Naturebar, and third daughter, also the narrator. 

Tom Pierce - Heroic and lovable 19-year-old baby brother

There are many other characters, but these are the main ones.

10.   If you could have five authors, over for dinner, alive or dead, who would they be and why?

The three I mentioned above, S.E. Hinton, Harper Lee, and F. Scott Fitzgerald along with Charles Dickens and Virginia Woolf. Sounds like a crazy night! 

THE EXCERPT

“Hey boss,” Marius’ high voice sang.

“Hey, we’ve got a situation,” Carlyle said.

“Oh no, what happened? Did Bessie charge the stage again?”

Marius was partly kidding. The mascot of Good Morning Omaha, a

lovable dairy cow named Bessie, had been known to lose her shit if

she wasn’t given her Prozac milkshake.

“No, we’re good there, the show went great. Mom’s signing books

now.”

“Oh good. So what’s up?”

“About ten minutes ago I got a text. It’s from a 6-1-5 number and it

says, ‘Cartel got me. Tell mom.’ Have you heard anything about this?

I’m starting to get freaked out.”

“Oh shit.” Marius’ normally cheerful voice fell five octaves.

“What is it?”

“I thought it was spam. I swear it just seemed like one of those crazy

spam emails. Mr. Chang wants you to know there is a million dollars in your

bank account tomorrow if you help him get out of Shanghai… You have inherited

a large sum of money from an African prince… I always open them, because

I think they’re hilarious, but then I just sent it to the trash.”

“Marius, slow down. What are you talking about?”

“It even had typos and everything. I just marked it as spam.”

“You marked what as spam? What are you talking about?”

Marius began to sob. “Oh god. I’m so fired, aren’t I? Ok, yesterday

I got an email in Cybil’s inbox. You know I flag everything that’s important

for her to read, the same way I do for you.” Carlyle thought

about her mother’s email inbox. It was a scary and overgrown forest,

the kind of place one would go to disappear. If it didn’t have to do

with urgent meetings, new Naturebar flavors, off-the-rack sales at

Ann Taylor, or disgruntled employees who felt they might have a

case against the company, it was likely not getting a glance.

“Well, this email came through from a strange mymail account.

Here, let me pull it up…”

Carlyle’s head felt fuzzy. Could this be real?

“Here it is,” Marius began to read. “We have her. Bring 500k to

Progreso, Mehico. No Cops.” I mean, Mexico is spelled m-e-h-i-c-o. Who

doesn’t know how to spell Mexico? I trashed it thinking it was nothing.

Do you really think some scary cartel has Janine?”

THE AUTHOR:

Author Bio:

Colleen McCarty is a graduate of the University of Tulsa and an entrepreneur. She and her husband own Tulsa restaurant Mod's Coffee and Crepes. She's been featured onEntrepreneur.com, and in the Wall Street Journal. This is her first novel. Though Colleen has ghostwritten books for CEOs and New York Times Bestsellers, this is her first foray into publishing her own work. Colleen lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma with her husband, daughter and two large dogs. Follow her writing atcolleen-mccarty.com.

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