Martha Reynolds

About author, Martha Reynolds: Martha Reynolds ended an accomplished career as a fraud investigator and began writing full time in 2011. Her debut novel, CHOCOLATE FOR BREAKFAST, was published in 2012 and was named the 2012 Book of the Year in Women’s Fiction by Turning the Pages Books. She released CHOCOLATE FONDUE, its sequel, in 2013. BITS OF BROKEN GLASS marks her third novel, and she plans a final book in the ‘chocolate’ series, BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, by the end of the year. She and her husband live in Rhode Island, never far from the ocean.

INTERVIEW

Welcome back, Martha! What have you been up to since your first appearance? Thanks so much, Isabella. It’s good to be back with the Chick Lit Goddesses. Since the release of my debut novel, I’ve been writing, as you can guess. This is my full-time job, so I’m at work every day. When I’m not writing, I’m reading. Good literature is such an inspiration for better writing!

Congratulations on your new book, “Bits of Broken Glass”! Tell us about it: It centers around a high school reunion, but is about so much more than that. Four former classmates will meet again, twenty-five years after graduation. Each of them has a struggle. Each of them has a chance at redemption.

What is your favorite word? Today, my favorite word is green. I love the way it sounds, and what it evokes. Green figures into this book, in a subtle way. My favorite word changes constantly, though.

Where did you get the idea for this book? I know some people who dread the idea of a high school reunion; they’d never attend. Others have told me that they hated high school, for any number of reasons (we all have teenage angst, I suppose). Much of the story grew from there.

If you could meet you favorite author, who would it be? I’ve been very inspired lately by Catherine Ryan Hyde. She wrote PAY IT FORWARD, as well as many other wonderful books. She has influenced me to write meaningful fiction.

What was the most difficult part of writing your new book? Probably the passages where Joe and Kellie relate their long-held secrets. Very heartbreaking to write.

If you’re not writing, then what are you doing? Reading, a lot. But now that our weather has cooled, walking a lot, too. It clears my head.

When people find out you’re an author, what’s their reaction? My friends aren’t surprised, and they’ve been so supportive of my efforts.

What must every writer have? Every writer must have the passion, at least in the case of writing fiction. If you don’t, and you’re only in it for the (presumed) money or notoriety, it will come through in your writing. I absolutely love what I do! Wealth and recognition aside (‘cause those haven’t happened yet!), I will continue to write.

What do you want readers to take away from “Bits of Broken Glass”? I want my readers to remember that everyone has a story, and sometimes the people we think least of have a lot to offer.

In your career, where do you think you’ll be five years from now? In five years, I’ll probably be releasing my twentieth novel.

Can you tell us about any of your upcoming projects? I’m planning to publish a journal written by my grandfather. In 1924, he and a friend traveled three rivers in Rhode Island and Connecticut, by canoe. I’ve just begun transcribing his writings and I’m very excited about it. And I’ve written the first draft of BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE, the third and final book in the series. Hoping to have that ready before the end of the year.

Blurb of “Bits of Broken Glass”:

How much really changes in 25 years?  Former classmates are poised to find out as their first-ever high school reunion gets closer. Some lives have improved, some have soured, but all remained connected by their shared West Alton High past…

Once the target of ridicule, one-time “ugly duckling” Kellie has transformed in both beauty and attitude, though her fears and fragility remain as deep scars within. Will facing those who once wronged her help or do even more damage to her delicate psyche? Joe was adored by everyone in school. Well…almost everyone. Being gay in a close-minded small town, he knew he had no future in West Alton, so right after graduation, he traded one ocean for another. Now an Oscar-winning Hollywood director, Joe is ready to return. Except that it means having to face the horrific event that ultimately pushed him away… Former cheerleader Cherry planned this reunion to make peace with those she may have wronged in school. But as she faces cancer and stares down her own mortality, will she really be able to make things right again? And then there’s Scott, the West Alton “lifer,” who’s been collecting a disability pension from the town for a suspicious back injury, among other questionable life choices. Are his reasons for wanting to attend the reunion pure? Or does he have another agenda? As the months count down, long-kept secrets will be revealed as the question ever looms… Can you ever really go home again?

**Contact Martha Reynolds:

Email: MarthaCFE@gmail.com   Blog/Website   Facebook   Twitter