BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Weave of Love: Choices and Consequences [3]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Rachel J. Bonner to talk about Weave of Love (24 October 2019, Isbin Books, 261 pages), a Coming of Age Post-Apocalyptic Paranormal Romance, book three in the Choices and Consequences series.

Praise for Thread of Hope (#2)
"This is a story of faith, god and fantasy all mixed into a beautifully written tale of love and consequences of our actions….one that will stay with you… " ~ The Bookwormery

"I love how the characters are developing and how the relationships, interactions and all the secrets are connecting and proving to be even more important to the all underlining of the story and plot. An exciting, interesting, thought-provoking, emotional journey. " ~ Jess Bookish Life

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

A very warm welcome to Rachel J. Bonner; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Weave of Love , or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"I don’t normally listen to music while I’m writing, and I’m absolutely tone deaf. But there are still a number of songs which have influenced this series including:

Beauty for Brokenness – Graham Kendrick (aka God of the Poor) (underlies the structure of the world)

It is well with my soul – Horatio Spafford (particularly at the end of Strand of Faith #1)

Blessed be your name – Beth and Matt Redman (quoted in Thread of Hope #2) 10,000

Reasons (Bless the Lord) – Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman (quoted in Thread of Hope #2)"

What was the inspiration for Weave of Love?

"Weave of Love is the third in a four book series that makes one complete story.

My inspiration came from a dream, which is now reflected in a scene towards the end of book 1, Strand of Faith. That dream made such an impression on me that I had to work out what the story was around it."

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

"I think there’s a bit of me reflected in each character – more in some than in others. Leonie, the main female character, in particular has more of my characteristics, likes and dislikes than most of the others.

My professional expertise is in accounting – I don’t think that’s in there anywhere!"

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

"My cover artist is Oliver Pengilley. I first met him when he was painting live at a conference I was at, and I bought two of his prints at the time. At that point I had no plans to publish, but I remember thinking that if I ever wrote a book, I wanted him to do the cover.

Later on I made contact with him on social media and I have one of his originals hanging on my living room wall. When I needed a book cover, I investigated his website and was delighted to find that he did indeed do book covers – and the rest is history.

In my world, each Great House has a signature colour and jewel and this is reflected in the covers. Strand of Faith (#1) is based at House St Peter which is blue and sapphire, and represents safety. Although Thread of Hope (#2) is also based there, House Lindum comes to the fore, which is red and ruby, and also represents love and passion. Weave of Love (#3) is mostly set at House Tennant, which is green and emerald, and represents sanctuary and healing. As for Cloth of Grace (#4) well, you’ll have to wait and see."

Why should we read Weave of Love and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your series unique?

"I think the series is unique because it brings together a range of genres. It’s a love story, but not just romance, other forms of love too – friendship, family, community.

It’s about damaged people finding healing, putting their lives back together and finding their place in the world – not necessarily where they expected. And the most damaged people aren’t necessarily the ones you would expect, either.

There are elements of fantasy, secrets, intrigue and mystery. The world is built on a Christian foundation, but the series isn’t classic Christian fiction. It’s more that some of the characters are Christians, which influences how they behave. And sometimes they may explain why they behave in the way that they do – and sometimes that’s not what you would expect."

Can you tell us something quirky about Weave of Love, its story and characters?

"This little guy, sitting with my ipad, is called Zebbie (yeah, I’m really good at names). If you’re an England cricket fan you might recognise him as a promotional gift from when Investec Finance sponsored England test cricket.

But, as you read Weave of Love, you’ll meet a soft toy that’s based on Zebbie and becomes a key piece of evidence. If you look at the play list above you may work out why the soft toy is a zebra and not a teddy bear."

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

"When writing the series, I thought this was women’s fiction. But I know a lot of men who have picked it up, read it and enjoyed it. Shows what I know!

Now I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about people, relationships and how our choices have consequences which affect not only the rest of our lives, but also all those around us. If you like a bit of mystery and unexpected twists – even better. You don’t need to be a particular gender, age or faith to enjoy it, although you should be aware it contains Christian themes, and non-graphic sex within marriage."

If you could / wished to turn Weave of Love and the Choices and Consequences series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"How long have you got? My son and I pretty much cast the movie already. We have: Aidan Turner for Perry and Masie Williams for Leonie. Then we have:
Brother Andrew – Richard Madden, Lord Gabriel - Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lady Eleanor - Thandie Newton, Lord Leon – Morgan Freeman, James (Leon’s youngest son) – Chadwick Boseman, Lord William – Sir Ian Mckellan, Edmund (William’s youngest son) – Damian Lewis.

As for locations, several of those described in the series are influenced by the countryside around where I live, but New Zealand (as in Lord of the Rings) would make an excellent location too."

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

"I like to write about relationships and love. But I really like to have a fantasy element in there too. I go with whatever genre that particular story needs.

And yes, relationships, romance, fantasy are all genres I like to read, but I’ll read practically anything."

What is your writing process?

"Calling it a process suggests rather more planning and organisation than there really is!

I write the story down. Then I work through rewriting it, probably more than once.

Eventually it goes to my editor, who points out all the places I can make it better (she’s amazing). So I rewrite it again and then it goes back to her and we repeat the process.

Along the way, my husband will also read it, several times, pointing out things I need to look at again and work on."

What is in store next?

"Next is the fourth and final book in the series, Cloth of Grace. It’s due out at the end of February (I’m aiming for 29th February because that’s Leonie’s birthday).

As it’s the final book in this series, obviously things get sorted out, loose ends tied up and we reach the HEA. But there may be some unexpected twists and turns on the way."

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?

"There aren’t many pictures of me because I mostly hold the camera. So there’s really only my formal author photo. But I write under a pen name, Rachel J Bonner and Bonner is part of my family history. A lot of people assume it’s my maiden name – which puzzles many who also know my parents and know that it isn’t.

Many years ago, my grandfather needed a pseudonym – he’d started work at a company which already had a manager with his surname, and in those days, that just wasn’t done. He chose the name Bonner, because he admired Carey Bonner who was President of the Baptist Union from 1931-1932. Then when my mother was born, he gave her the name Bonner as her middle name. Now, I’ve carried on the tradition by using it as my pen name."

Oh, that's interesting; thank you for sharing that story with us :-)

Is love enough to bridge even the deepest rifts?