DAISIES FROM ASHES (Short-listed for the Best Indie Book Awards 2021)
Set in the early seventies, DAISIES FROM ASHES delves into the lives of residents in a tenement building. The characters have formed a loyal, tight-knit family. They share dreams, celebrate one another’s milestones, fall in love and plan their futures. Three strong, independent women, Joyce, Sandra, and Olivia have embarked on career changes in mid-life. As lives become altered in unimaginable ways, the three women rely on one another to deal with their catastrophic losses.
Q & A ABOUT DAISIES FROM ASHES
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: Where did you get the idea for this book?
Answer: There was a catastrophic incident in my hometown when I was seventeen. I was so deeply affected by the human interest element, that I felt the victims’ pain as my own. Out of that was born a fictitious story with imaginary characters, and I wrote about half of it before personal traumas caused me to shelve it temporarily. In later years, I attempted to return to it a number of times, however, I was no longer satisfied with the plot or the supporting characters. Then, when I was sixty, a dream visit from my childhood friend Sandra, who had passed away rekindled the project. She told me it was absolutely necessary for me to write this book, and that when I awakened, I would have an entirely new cast of characters and a new plotline. Not only that, but, two of the characters, Vincent and Greg came to me in dreams every night to dictate every detail of the book. I call this book “The book that wrote itself.”
Question 2: What traits do you share with the main character?
Answer: Nadya and I share a very similar upbringing. She’s shy, sensitive, deep and damaged like me.
Question 3: Did any of your inspiration for this book originate in your real life experiences? Answer: None of the events are based on reality, not even the way the catastrophic incident happens in the book. All of the characters are completely fictitious.
Question 4: What is DAISIES FROM ASHES about?
Answer: DAISIES FROM ASHES is about the horrific damage childhood trauma causes, the far-reaching devastation into adulthood, and the inadequate knowledge and resources available for protecting the victims. It is also about the healing power of love, friendship, and a sense of community.
Question 5: Who is your favorite character in DAISIES FROM ASHES?
Answer: Joyce. She’s a nurturing, warm, non-judgmental friend. No matter how difficult her own circumstances might be, she puts others’ needs ahead of her own. She’s a strong, independent woman embarking on a career change in her forties.
Coming Soon: The Sequel to Daisies From Ashes: Past loves and adversaries collide in this new mystery.
SOULLESS, A Four Part Series
Set in an oppressive, claustrophobic small town in North America, The SOULLESS Series covers a span of two decades, chronicling the lives of complex, sensitive characters who find themselves in precarious circumstances. Throughout their journeys, they exhibit inner strength, determination, and resilience. SOULLESS is a tale of devotion, loss, betrayal, forgiveness, love lost and love rediscovered.
Q & A ABOUT SOULLESS
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: Where did you get the idea for this series?
Answer: When I was twelve, I frequently walked along the river in my hometown and admired the Victorian mansions overlooking the magnificent view. I imagined the lives of the people living in them. The surname I chose for the family was the surname of a classmate. I thought it was the coolest name I had ever heard.
Question 2: What is the series about?
Answer: The first book in the SOULLESS Series, SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT opens with the main character arriving in a new town in search of her biological parents. Throughout the series, she becomes embroiled in a series of misadventures. SOULLESS is a four book series comprising of four books: SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT, SANDCASTLES IN THE RAIN, SUMMER IS A SHORT SEASON, and SUMMER’S ECHO. It is a continuing narrative which spans two decades. The Prologue and Epilogue take place later in the future. Each book continues from where the former one left off, however, they can stand alone, as well. There are multiple intricately woven subplots and supporting characters whose individual journeys we follow. SOULLESS delves into controversial themes such as intimate partner abuse, misogyny, dysfunctional families, elitism, homophobia, and Anti-Semitism.
Question 3: What traits do you share with the main character? Answer: Sydney is more of an ideal I can never reach. She has not experienced the level of trauma that I have, so she is less inhibited in her relationships. She is also able to make her way in the world more effectively than I ever could. As for similarities, she is complex and passionate like me. Her taste in music is the same as mine, as well.
Question 4: Did any of your inspiration for this series originate in your real life experiences?
Answer: I created the premise behind SOULLESS at a very young age as a complete escape from my own life. The characters and their experiences are fictitious. I wrote earlier and more innocent versions when I was twelve and thirteen. I shared my writing with my lovely neighbors, whom I appreciated more than they ever knew.
Question 5: Who is your favorite character?
Answer: Brett. She is incredibly loving and nurturing. I would have given anything to have someone like her in my own life.
SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT
The year is 1976, and the Sexual Revolution is in full swing. Sensitive teen Dorothy is coming of age amidst the turbulence of a soulless town. SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT is the first book in the four book series SOULLESS. It chronicles the journeys of four complex women whose lives intersect. An elusive newcomer’s perilous liaison with a member of the town’s elite sets the wheels in motion for lives to spin out of control in this multigenerational tale of love, loss, betrayal, redemption, and hope.
Q & A ABOUT SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: What is SCORPIONS HUNT BY NIGHT about?
Answer: Sydney arrives in a new town, to follow a lead regarding her biological parents. She promptly secures lodging and employment. She is a lonely, repressed woman, eager to experience life, and make up for lost time. She soon finds herself in over her head when she is seduced by the town lothario.
Question 2: Who is your favorite supporting character in this book?
Answer: Dottie. She has an innocent, refreshing outlook and a genuinely kind heart.
SANDCASTLES IN THE RAIN
SANDCASTLES IN THE RAIN delves into the oppression and injustice Sydney experiences in the courtroom. The controversial sexual assault trial exposes the classism, misogyny, and victim-shaming prevalent during one of the most self-indulgent periods in history. A doomed love affair blossoms despite tragic consequences. When lives are shattered by a nefarious scheme, unexpected alliances are formed. This is the second book in the SOULLESS Series.
Q & A ABOUT SANDCASTLES IN THE RAIN
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: What is SANDCASTLES IN THE RAIN about?
Answer: In this book, Sydney must deal with the aftermath of her treacherous entanglement. Navigating her way through courtroom procedures takes its toll. She eventually finds new love, however, it also comes with devastating consequences.
Question 2: Who is your favorite supporting character in this book?
Answer: Diane. She has not become complacent or hardened by success. She remains humble, soft, kind and sensitive.
SUMMER IS A SHORT SEASON
SUMMER IS A SHORT SEASON is the third book in the continuing saga of Sydney. The reader accompanies her in her journey of resilience, passion, and self-discovery. Her profound spirit connection with Jack is ever-present, although their lives do not intersect in this chapter of their lives. Greatly disadvantaged, Jack has embarked on a perilous search that takes him across the U.S.A. His chance meeting with a familiar face from the past alters the course of his life. As buried secrets come to light, the Horncastle Empire crumbles under the weight of its secrets and lies. This novel is a tale of oppression, grief, despair, loss, and fleeting love.
Q & A ABOUT SUMMER IS A SHORT SEASON
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: What is SUMMER IS A SHORT SEASON about?
Answer: This book chronicles Jack’s divergent paths while in a compromised mental state. Sydney is forced to confront an inevitable attack of jealousy, which alters the course of her life.
Question 2: Who is your favorite supporting character in this book?
Answer: Ribby, one of Jack’s nurses. She is a genuinely warm, loving, motherly woman.
SUMMER’S ECHO
Long-denied passions ignite in an all-consuming conflagration, ending in tragedy. The lovers are forced to cope with homophobia from the landlord and other townspeople as they attempt to treasure each moment they have together. Meanwhile, Jack continues to search for the missing pieces of his life as he drifts in and out of relationships with both men and women. A visit to an exotic locale holds the key to the past.
Q & A ABOUT SUMMER’S ECHO
By Summer Seline Coyle
Literary Feminist Novelist
Acacia Leaf Press
Question 1: As the final book in the SOULLESS Series, how does SUMMER’S ECHO resolve ongoing situations?
Answer: SUMMER’S ECHO evolved in a surprising and refreshing direction. There are so many plot twists and unexpected developments for all of the principal characters that the conclusion offers a satisfying resolution.
Question 2: SUMMER’S ECHO is categorized as an LGBTQ book. What inspired you to take the book in this direction?
Answer: That choice was made by the characters themselves. I am deeply attuned to my characters’ needs and wishes. I write in a trance-like state of mind, so I am removed from this dimension. The development was a natural progression of the existing relationship between the characters.
Question 3: How do you feel the LGBTQ element impacts this book, as well as the SOULLESS Series?
Answer: It adds more depth and emotion to the plot and characters of SUMMER’S ECHO. I feel it enriches the entire series.
Question 4: How has the LGBTQ element affected you as an author?
Answer: It has been an intensely emotional, humbling experience. Being permitted to share the characters’ rich, tender experiences, feeling their pain with them, and having the honor of telling their stories has filled me with deep gratitude.
Question 5: Who is your favorite supporting character in this book?
Answer: I adore Eli. He is the perfect friend. I wish I could have had the good fortune to have someone like Eli in my corner while I was navigating my way through the minefield of my life with no support. The level of devotion and care Eli shows the two women is inspiring. I am also deeply fond of Daniel, Aydin, and Kent.
SummerSelineCoyle.com 