Women’s fiction author, Donna Norman-Carbone, joins us this week to discuss her latest novel, Of Lies and Honey
Author Name: Donna Norman-Carbone
Book Title: Of Lies and Honey
Book Genre: Women’s fiction
Release Date: May 2024
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Welcome, Donna! Please tell us a bit about Of Lies and Honey.
Three women, all struggling with motherhood, over two time periods, are connected by one dark secret that threatens their roles as mothers and daughters.
What sparked the idea for this book?
The idea for this book came to me many years ago when I read an article about a young debutante who became pregnant as a teenager. Because her parents were afraid this would put a stain on their reputation, she was forced to give her child up for adoption. The idea of her being forced to give up a baby she wanted to raise gnawed at me. It was a story I needed to write to understand what she might have gone through. I often write to understand something of which I can’t make sense. So, many years later, I incorporated this into a novel about three women, seemingly living parallel lives.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?
It took me three years to write this novel–much shorter than the first and longer than the third. Although I am a mother, and naturally know many mothers, I did have to do a great deal of research about pregnancy complications, adoption, abortion, and surrogacy. And because one of my main characters is of high social standing, I researched debutante society, social class in the 1960s, and everything about my setting, various locales in Georgia, where I had only driven through.
What drew you to writing women’s fiction?
I strive to write about ordinary women, living through the thick of life and coming out on the other side. Women are incredibly strong, intelligent, and resilient which are qualities I strive to show in my work.
What’s your favorite part about writing/being an author? What do you find challenging?
I love so much about being an author. I wish I had committed to it sooner. It wasn’t until my late forties that I started taking myself seriously as a writer. Getting lost in the story, especially the early versions, the creation of the characters and the world is what takes hold of me. I feel like I live my story 24/7–thinking and dreaming about it when I’m not writing. The editing process is a little more taxing for me; I experience highs and lows during this phase. I can go from feeling it’s going to be the next bestseller to convincing myself that no one will want to read it. What I do like about this phase, however, is the puzzling that it takes to make it whole.
Holding my book in my hands has been thrilling–second only to giving birth to my children. It is a creation of mine, too, after all. And the really humbling part is the feedback I get from readers, appreciative and heartfelt. When I learn that my book has touched them in a meaningful way, that is really the icing on the cake.
Any words of wisdom you give your pre-published writer self (or to a new writer)?
My advice to new authors would be: believe in yourself. Believe in yourself and your passion enough to commit to it, work at it, get others’ eyes on your work, revise and edit and grow, find your writing community and don’t give up until you’ve accomplished what you set out to. You never know, it may take you further than you ever imagined.
A fellow author friend and I started a podcast called Authors Talking Bookish where we address all the things that we learned the hard way through the writing, publishing and marketing process to clear the path for the success of other writers. In this way, we can give back to the writing community where we have found so much support.
I can attest—it’s a wonderful podcast for anyone who loves books! So, where can readers find you?
Website: https://www.donnanormancarbone.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donnanormancarbone/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dncarboneauthor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dcarbs727author
Podcast: https://www.authorstalkingbookish.com
Thank you, Donna! Of Lies and Honey is out NOW.
Of Lies and Honey
Harper Alexander is devastated by a miscarriage even though she thought she never wanted to be a mother. Because of her husband’s determination to create a family and her inability to carry a child to term, they consider alternative options.
As the result of a secret love affair, Callie Sebastian becomes pregnant. Her socialite mother is appalled by her teenage daughter’s behavior. To protect the family’s reputation, she sends Callie to a Catholic boarding school for wayward girls.
When Raina Edwin’s third child starts school, leaving her with an empty house, she begins to long for another baby. Unfortunately, their farm will not support a new addition to their family. To fill the void, Raina starts a new business: selling honey.
As Harper, Callie, and Raina deal with their strife, their lives collide in unexpected ways. A revealed secret forces each of them to make choices that will alter their roles as mothers and daughters forever.
Author Bio:
Donna Norman-Carbone, the award-winning author of All That is Sacred and Of Lies and Honey, published by Red Adept Publishing, has a passion for writing women’s fiction that tugs at the heartstrings. Donna is also co-host of Authors Talking Bookish, a podcast for writers, and the program director for the Bookish Road Trip. Her writing affiliations include WFWA, CAPA and Authors Guild.
Donna is an English teacher in a small CT suburb, where she and her husband have raised three children, two Labrador retrievers and a Siamese cat. In her spare time, she enjoys reading a good book on a sunny Cape Cod beach (her happy place), spending quality time with family and friends and traveling overseas.