Wednesday, August 24, 2011

The Caretakers - Shauna Nosler

SHORT BIOShauna Nosler was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in and around Oregon’s Willamette Valley and just like one of the main characters in The Caretakers, she knows first hand what it’s like to spend carefree summers in and out of friends back doors, swimming holes and relatively minor mischief.  Shauna studied economics, although admittedly she only signed up for the major because there was a cute guy in her ECON201 class, at the University of Oregon where she toiled with short story writing on the woes and wonders of sorority life.  Eventually, she moved cross country with her husband where she began freelancing for regionally based magazines and newspapers.  They now live in Indianapolis with their three children and chocolate lab, Norm (yes, from Cheers - Cliff lives down the street).  The Caretakers is her first published novel.
 
SHORT DESCRIPTION1972, one year before the Roe v. Wade decision … IF ever there were a case for justifiable homicide, this, would most certainly be one.  Jasper was only a few months away from graduating with honors from the University of Washington’s Law School, so he knew more than the average about the legal justification for killing another human being.  When he first learned about this type of defense, he had thought it outrageous.  But now, here he was, trying desperately to recall all that he could about how to validate the killing of this man.  Because now, he was going to need to know.  Now he was the one that needed a reasonable explanation to murder the son-of-a-bitch that did this to his sister. 

1987, three young children playing together at their Aunt’s estate where Jasper’s daughter, the bold and insightful ten year old Caroline and her eleven year old cousin Mitchell, a self-described book worm with passion for the military and indifference towards everything else, discover a small cross planted along banks of the river where they swim; a cross that bears the date March 24, 1972.  Later, Mitch reveals that he has seen that same cross somewhere else before, and the two cousins begin their year long speculation over the cross’ origin and significance of the date scratched into the wood.

1988, Caroline is at her father’s law firm where she sees a back and white photo of a young woman standing amongst a large group of people holding signs that say “ROE”.  As she looks closer and reads the encryption, she becomes curious and wonder’s if she was named after this woman- because all of her friends shorten her name to its middle syllable and call her Rho.  

The Caretakers, is not another story of right vs. wrong or good vs. evil, but one of devotion vs. obligation and protection vs. abandonment.  This is a story about the internal struggle that one faces when deciding to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but, regardless of consequence, or holding onto a secret forever in order to spare someone else unnecessary anguish.

Q: What will e-readers like about your book?
It’s contemporary.  It touches on relationships, family, and social justice issues.
Q: Why did you go indie?
I sent an email to Amanda Hocking and her story/suggestions all pointed me to the indie route.  And, after receiving a number of, “Good writing but not me”, responses from big publishing houses and literary agents, I opted to take my fate into my own hands.
Q: Who are your favorite authors in your genre?
Truth be known, my favorite authors generally fall in other categories – Philippa Gregory, Tatiana Rosnay and I’m still a Michael Crichton fan.  Oh, Jenna Blum … she’s my favorite within my genre.

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