New Release From Kathleen Irene Paterka

Thanks for hosting me on your blog today, Catherine! I’m excited about my upcoming women’s fiction release, The Other Wife, which will be published on Feb. 18^th (available now for pre-order). The book was an emotional adventure for me, as it deals with the subjects of grief, tragedy, anger, jealousy and revenge.

About the Book

To be released Feb. 18. Click to pre-order your copy today!

Till death do us part…

Eleanor Anderson has a beautiful home, a loving husband, a tranquil life. After thirty-eight years of marriage and her children now grown, she finally has time for herself. She’s not expecting any surprises; certainly not to wake up one morning and find her husband dead in bed beside her from a massive heart attack. It’s a devastating discovery… but not as much as the shock awaiting Eleanor when she learns the truth about her husband’s secret life. And then there’s the damaging document he signed before his death, which threatens to destroy her life.

Claire Anderson isn’t your average thirtysomething. A professor of psychology at a prestigious university, Claire has a successful career, a handsome husband, and two young children at home. But nothing in her background, including her academic accomplishments, prepares Claire for the horrendous reality of discovering that the life she’d led was all a lie… fostered by a husband who’d promised to love and cherish her forever.

Two women from two generations, bound together by denial, anger, and grief. How far will their misery and fear push them? Does compassion rule the day, or will a husband’s betrayal lead to a woman’s revenge?

What happens when each of these women comes face-to-face with the other wife?

Ask the Author

Let’s get to know more about Kathleen:

What inspired you to write The Other Wife?

The idea for the story started with my husband Steve. Several years ago, he was in the cardiac unit of our local hospital. It was about 5 am, and I was sitting at the end of Steve’s bed in the semi-darkness, when suddenly he made a strange sound. At the time, I thought it was the oddest snore I’d ever heard. Turns out it was the infamous ‘death rattle’. Steve had just died. Since he was in the hospital, all the monitors tripped. They called a Code Blue and the medical team managed to resuscitate him (he’s since had a triple by-pass and doing well). But that experience started me thinking: What if Steve had been at home asleep in our bed? Would I have thought that horrible sound was merely a loud snore? I probably would have poked him, rolled over in bed, and gone back to sleep… only to wake up the next morning and find him dead beside me. The memory of Steve’s hospital experience sparked my imagination. What happens in a woman’s life when her husband dies? And what if she discovers he’s been hiding a secret… a horrible secret that will change her life forever?

What was the hardest part about writing the book?

The Other Wife was definitely a challenge. Of my six books, this was the first novel I’ve written from two different characters’ perspectives (Richard’s two ‘wives’: Eleanor and Claire). I prefer writing in 1^st person, and that’s how I started. But as I got further into the story, it became more difficult to write through Claire’s point of view. She was devastated by the death of the man she thought had been her husband, and I found myself spinning into utter sadness. Eventually it reached a point where I was reluctant to work on the book. Nearly halfway through the story, I finally decided to switch from 1^st to 3^rd person, in order to gain a little emotional distance from Claire. That did the trick and the writing began flowing again. After I finished the rough draft, I had to go back to the beginning and rewrite the first 40,000 words from 1^st to 3^rd person. It wasn’t easy, but for Claire (and Eleanor), it was the right thing to do.

What did you enjoy most about writing the book?

I enjoyed the challenge of sharing how these two women’s lives were forever altered by a single event (their husband Richard’s death). Eleanor and Claire each had their own story to tell, but from a different perspective. Eleanor was married to Richard for 38 years, while his ‘marriage’ to Claire was brief (4 years). Each woman is devastated when she learns the truth about the other woman. How does each of them cope? And what happens when they eventually come together? How does each woman deal with ‘The Other Wife’?

What can we look forward to seeing from you next?

I’m currently working on the 5^th book in my popular James Bay series. It’s about Chuck’s Tavern & Grill, a popular eating establishment featured in the other four novels. Chuck owns the restaurant and his daughter Katie manages it. The story is told through Katie’s point of view. Chapter One starts out with a simmering stew of a story that quickly escalates into a furious rolling boil when a mysterious young woman shows up at Chuck’s and takes a seat at the bar. Who’s the stranger? What’s she doing in James Bay? And why is she so fascinated with Chuck? Katie’s radar is on high alert. She’s very protective of her dad, and she doesn’t appreciate strangers trying to worm their way into his affections. It should be a delicious read, especially since each chapter will feature a favorite recipe from Chuck’s menu.

Connect with Kathleen

Kathleen’s website:                             http://www.kathleenirenepaterka.com

Subscribe to Kathleen’s newsletter:    http://kathleenirenepaterka.com/for-readers/

Find her on Facebook:                        https://www.facebook.com/KathleenIrenePaterka/

Find her on Twitter:                            https://twitter.com/KPaterka/

Find her on Pinterest:                          http://www.pinterest.com/kathleenpaterka/

Enter the Giveaway

Click to Enlarge

What kind of a pre-release party would this be without some prizes? Kathleen will be giving away a copy of The Other Wife (print or ebook, winner’s choice, for US residents; ebook for international residents), and I’ll be giving away a black and white beaded necklace inspired by that gorgeous cover.

To enter the giveaway, click here to visit the Rafflecopter for this giveaway and earn extra entries for leaving a comment, signing up for a newsletter, or sharing this post. The contest runs from February 4 – February 24 (ends at midnight EST). The two random winners will be chosen on Feb 25, then contacted by email and announced in the comments area of this post.