BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Deep End: Deep Blue Trilogy [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Kathleen Duhamel to talk about Deep End (5 December 2017, Imajin Books, 197 pages), a Contemporary Romance, book three in the Deep Blue Trilogy.

“Deep End is an emotional roller coaster for all the characters, and Duhamel allows Claire, Rob, Denise and Artie to speak from their hearts, by dedicating different chapters to hear their voices.

This insight adds enjoyment to the story as they share their past insecurities as well as their determination to be strong for each other.

I highly recommend the Deep Blue Trilogy, if you like reading about characters with substance.” ~ Allyson R. Abbott, author of Slaving Over Christmas

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || The Series || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to Kathleen Duhamel; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

And thank you for sharing with us your music playlist for Deep End - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for Deep End?

"After years of struggle, landscape artist Claire Martin is finally getting the recognition she deserves. She’s married to the love of her life, aging rock star Robert Silver of the legendary band Deep Blue, they’ve worked through some serious marital issues, and are finally in a good place. I wanted to explore the idea of how my heroine would react when her husband goes missing and she has to face the possibility of life without him.

I put her and her best friend in a situation where they had no control over the outcome, and let them deal with it. They’re in a state of near-panic, feeling helpless, worried, and tormented by paparazzi. I wanted to convey the wrenching uncertainty and fear that takes over when you aren’t sure you’ll ever see your loved ones again.

And since Deep End is the final book in the trilogy, I also wanted to give my readers a satisfying ending."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"The character of Artie Hoffman-guitarist, songwriter, and half of the rock duo Deep Blue-didn’t even appear in the rough draft of my first book. He was an afterthought, created primarily as a wise-cracker who could bring some comic relief to the book. His character emerged almost immediately, though, and before long he was playing a prominent role in the plot. Who knew?

In some ways, Artie is the male equivalent of me (except I’m not rich). He is unrelentingly sarcastic, completely uncensored, and unconcerned with what others think of him. He says provocative things that we’d all like to say at some point, and because he’s a rock star, he manages to away with it.

What I like most about Artie, however, is his willingness to change and adapt. Orphaned at a young age, he grew up as a lonely, distrustful foster child who was saved by his talent and love of music. Until he met Denise, an accomplished woman close to his own age, he’d been through a number of unsuccessful relationships. At first, Artie is dismayed when Denise doesn’t fall at his feet. They become friends, a new experience for him, and don’t get romantically involved until almost two years later.

In Deep End, he comes face to face with his own mortality, as well as his legacy as a musical artist, and emerges as a more compassionate person, something many of us aspire to be."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Deep End - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"My wonderful cover artist is Ryan Doan. He has designed the covers for all three books in the Deep Blue Trilogy.

The first book showed Claire and Rob as neon silhouettes, while book Two (Deeper) had a more realistic depiction of them with their backs turned to each other.

The cover of Deep End has them sitting side by side on Rob’s piano bench, facing the future together."

Why should we read Deep End and what sets it apart from the rest?

"I enjoy writing about older characters and all of the additional challenges that come along with love later in life. I’m most interested in what happens in a relationship after the declarations of love or the “I dos.”

I also set out to write a story that would celebrate strong, vibrant, and beautiful older women, without the structure of a typical romance novel."

Who would you recommend Deep End to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a contemporary love story with a few twists, and who likes strong, resilient female characters. Deep End can be enjoyed either as a stand-alone novel or part of the series."

If you could / wished to turn Deep End and the Deep Blue Trilogy series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"That’s a tough question! I’d thought of someone like Meg Ryan for Claire-very attractive, although not classically beautiful. Her BFF, Denise, would be played to perfection by Julianne Moore.

Rob...who knows? He’s described in Deep Blue as a six-foot-four-inch Jewish man with a shaved head, piercing blue eyes, and a raspy tenor voice that sounds like a black man. Any ideas?"

Uhm... maybe a taller Christopher Meloni? or Ron Perlman? Does anyone else have any ideas?

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"Most of what I’ve written can be described as contemporary women’s fiction.

I like writing about the process of fame and how individuals cope with it (or not). Although many of my characters have larger-than-life personalities and enviable lifestyles, they still encounter the same problems and personal demons as anyone, which I believe makes them relatable."

What is your writing process?

"To begin with, I don’t outline. I tried it with my first novel, but ended up throwing the outline away. I usually have most of the plot worked out in my head before I sit in front of a keyboard, along with a few key scenes, but I’m open to change.

Since my books are character-driven, I see my job as an author to set up an interesting, plausible situation and let the characters run with it. If I get stuck along the way, I move forward by writing dialog.

I also like writing in first person. I feel it lends both immediacy and emotion to the story. I want my readers to get inside my character’s heads and experience their love, pain, rejection, disappointment, etc. first hand."

What is in store next?

"I’m writing Fed Up, the first book in my new Well-Seasoned series. The main characters are a small town chef and a semi-successful television actor, both in their 50s, who meet and fall in love at precisely the wrong time. At some point in the series, I expect one or more characters from my Deep Blue Trilogy to make an appearance."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"The photo is my dog, Simone."

Hello Simone! That is a beautiful smile :-) Lots of head scratches to you from all of us at BooksChattter!

Kathleen, thank you for sharing Simone with us. We hope you had a great tour!