PORTLAND, ME — As we’ve been reporting, Havenwood Falls has been overtaken by dozens of authors intent on telling the stories of our residents and visitors. Although the Court of the Sun and the Moon have reached an agreement that these authors must write fiction, we’re seeing more and more evidence of the lines between fiction and reality being blurred. Take E.J. Fechenda’s story, Fate, Love & Loyalty, for example, which features our very own Coffee Haven and the McCabe family, as well as a detailed and fairly accurate account of an . . . unusual . . . situation that occurred earlier this summer. We sat down with Ms. Fechenda to learn more about her and what she knows about the real Havenwood Falls.
What inspired this particular storyline?
I brainstormed on potential conflicts and how an entire family could be involved. Jealousy between sisters came to mind – like Jan and Marsha Brady from the Brady Bunch. Add a shared love interest and the idea grew from there.
What made you choose these particular creatures?
Originally I was thinking wolves because they can be territorial, but wolves were taken. Kristie made some other shifter suggestions and I pounced on mountain lions because, honestly, I’m a crazy cat lady. Ha!
What did you enjoy most about writing this story?
This is my first story writing about shifters and I loved the duality of human vs. animal and the struggle to maintain a balance. Seeing Havenwood Falls as a town come to life with all of the other participating authors contributing was really cool, too.
Have you ever lived in a place like Havenwood Falls? How does Havenwood Falls compare to where you call home?
I grew up in a small town steeped in history and it could be suffocating at times. There were a lot of annual traditions and events. We didn’t have any supernatural creatures, at least not that I’m aware of, but my neighbor’s house was haunted. I live in Portland, Maine now, which is very different from Havenwood Falls.
What made you decide to write a Havenwood Falls story?
The opportunity to collaborate with so many different authors really appealed to me. I love the shared world concept.
If you lived in Havenwood Falls, what kind of creature would you be and why?
This is a hard question! Each creature has pros and cons. Since I have empathic tendencies now, I know how exhausting that can be, so anything that takes psychic energy is out. I’m thinking a witch would be cool. I wouldn’t be shifting and having to worry about turning up naked somewhere without access to clothes and I can have a cat as my familiar.
What has been the most surprising aspect of writing in this Shared World?
That there are so many cooks in the kitchen, so to speak, yet there hasn’t been any conflict and everyone has been wonderful to collaborate with.
Would you do a project like this again?
Absolutely!
Not only is Ms. Fechenda willing to do a project like this again, we have insider information that she has agreed to write another book about our lovely town. Based on this interview, she seems to believe her stories and characters are fiction — or, at least, is doing a fine job of pretending to believe so. As always, we’ll be maintaining a close eye on the developments of this author-invasion situation. If you’d like to ask Ms. Fechenda your own questions, you can come to the Havenwood Falls Book Club tonight at 7 p.m. ET (that would be 5 p.m. our local Mountain Time), where she’ll be coming to us live via video feed from her “real” home in Portland, Maine.
About Fate, Love & Loyalty
Aster McCabe couldn’t be happier with her job managing Coffee Haven and baking blueberry scones the whole town raves about, especially her sweet and sexy boyfriend Patrick. She loves her simple, small-town life in Havenwood Falls. At least, until her sister suddenly shows up with trouble not far behind.
The sisters’ relationship has always been volatile, especially with the pressure of being the Alpha’s daughters and the expectation to be perfect. Reeve never failed in that department, and Aster grew up in the shadows of her sister’s success. But when Reeve left for college, Aster blossomed. So she’s dealt a painful blow the moment her sister walks in the door and meets Patrick—a mountain lion’s call to its mate couldn’t be any more obvious. Neither can it be controlled or refused.
When an unstable Alpha from another den claims Reeve as his mate, Aster, bitter over the recent betrayal, practically draws the guy a map to Reeve’s location, unknowingly putting her entire family and den in danger. Aster must figure out how to right her wrong and save her family. But loyalty and love are further tested when a stranger appears with the potential to forever change Aster’s fate.
Purchase at the special release price of 99c prior to Aug. 11, when the prices goes up to its normal $2.99.
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About E.J. Fechenda
E.J. Fechenda has lived in Philadelphia, Phoenix and now calls Portland, Maine home. She is the Amazon bestselling author of The New Mafia Trilogy and is currently working on the Ghost Stories Trilogy. She has a degree in Journalism from Temple University and her short stories have been published in Suspense Magazine and several anthologies. E.J. is a member of the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance and co-founder of the fiction reading series, “Lit: Readings & Libations”, which is held semi-quarterly in Portland.
You can find her on the internet here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EJFechendaAuthor
Twitter @ebusjaneus (https://twitter.com/ebusjaneus)
Tumblr: http://ejfechenda.tumblr.com/