Interview with GSP Author, Liz Newman

Today I'm excited to welcome a fellow Gypsy Shadow Publishing author, Liz Newman!

Why did you decide to become a novelist?

There's a saying that goes "No one become an artist unless they have to." I believe this saying was coined by Janet Fitch, the author of White Oleander and several other amazing reads, and that saying resonated with me. I've been a clinical psychologist, broadcast journalist intern, and an executive administrative assistant, and each of these careers helped me hone a skill related to becoming a novelist. Clinical psychology gave me insight on the drives and disorders we have which cause us to act/feel/think in certain ways, being a broadcast journalist was like living in a jungle where creatures would smile at you and the moment you turned your back they would move in to devour you any way they could, but if you made it up to the top of the tree you'd be treated like a king or queen, and being an executive administrative assistant gave me the desire to be the person who used my mind instead of being the one to fetch coffee and schedule the conference room. That latter job was something I was trained to aspire for by my parents. For some reason, the idea of being an executive administrative assistant dazzled them with glamor. There's nothing wrong with that; it is an honest living and as far as office staff go, you're pretty high up on the food chain, but... not for me. I'd spend most of the time behind my desk reading anyhow, while the rest of the office surfed the net.

Tell us about your debut novel, An Affinity for Shadows.



This novel tells the tale of an ambitious broadcast journalist caught amidst the tragedy of the World Trade Center attacks.

Award-winning broadcast journalist Kate Theodore has it all under control, until she rushes to the scene of one of the greatest tragedies in American history in pursuit of the perfect story. Pressuring her cameraman into accompanying her, she feels responsible for his untimely death. Her guilt opens the door to transformation in a desperate attempt to rediscover her soul. Brushing aside a chance meeting with a handsome Italian stranger, Kate soon becomes captivated by his charms, but he is a man whose heart is shrouded in secrets.


An Affinity For Shadows is a story of love, friendship, and transformation, and is one of the first mainstream romances so far in history to utilize the incident of the 9/11 attacks as a romantic heroine’s major catalyst for change.

Why did you choose to write this novel?

I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder myself, and it took years to recover. I'm a strong believer in support systems, and I believe that the more solid a support system a sufferer of PTSD has, the easier it will be to recover. Regarding PTSD in children, it is important to note that adult children who suffer from this disorder tend to create an environment around them that fosters the same type of trauma they experienced as a child. Also, there are certain flaws in what appears to be a "normal" support system, and these are addressed with our heroine, Kate Theodore, as we find out in the novel what might make her predisposed to developing PTSD.

The main theme of An Affinity for Shadows is to shed light, pun intended, upon the bittersweet fact that unless we experience the darkness, we cannot truly appreciate the light. That is where the romance comes in, and the tale of friendship. However flawed, however unexpected, however rife with imperfections, love makes life worth living for. Our challenge is to find these glimpses of light and truth, and as we find them they join together and make brilliance in our existence, when at one point we may have only had darkness. That is Kate Theodore's journey throughout the book.

The book is not about tragedy. The tragedy is simply a beginning. I've peppered the story with a lot of humor, and I fancy myself to be a somewhat funny gal. I was watching a documentary of some comedians on television, and they hit it right in the head when they said a lot of people in their line of work get their ass kicked in life and learn to laugh about it. Learn to make a joke about it. So Kate gets caught up in some pretty funny situations after 9/11, and she processes those situations by learning to rise above her mistakes, and live life for the moment. These happenings carry over to her arrival in Italy, where she meets the enigmatic love interest Sal Olivieri again, in another humorous situation, and teach her to live in the moment. How can you not live in the moment, surrounded by the cacophony of sights, sounds, tastes and visual stimulation that Rome has to offer? Such an amazing city!

Where can readers purchase the book?

Check out my website for links to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Gypsy Shadow, etc. www.lizrnewman.net

The book is available as an eBook and in mass market paperback. It is now on sale at Books on Board for $4.64, what a deal! International purchases for the Kindle and paperback can be made here or at the Gypsy Shadow website.

Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Aubrie!

You're welcome! Thanks for having me as a guest. Everyone can check out my guest post on her blog today!