Novelist Iris March is chatting with me today about her contemporary fiction, The Story That Made Us Stronger.
During her virtual book tour, Iris will be giving away a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for your chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Iris March lives in Ohio with her husband and son on the edge of the Cleveland Metroparks. She has worked in the sustainability field her entire career and has always loved reading. She enjoys hiking, running, and kayaking. Iris is the oldest of three sisters whose names all start with the same letter. Her sisters are still her best friends.
Please tell us about your current release.
The Story That Made Us Stronger was the first book I wrote but the second to be released. It taught me a lot about how to structure a story and how to make yourself sit down and do it. It’s a tale of beating cancer, curiosity, and teamwork. The main character, Connor, is training for a half-marathon and becomes obsessed with an abandoned building on his running route. He’s a nurse at a stem cell replacement ward and tells one of his patients about the building. Together they uncover the many past uses of the little building.
What inspired you to write this book?
This story is inspired by my sister’s journey with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I wanted to tell her story but indirectly. The main character, Connor, is completely fictional and while much of “Katie” is based on my sister, not everything about her is real. Her story of being pregnant with twins while having cancer is all true to life. Also, her fierce love for her family, her willingness to help people, and her big, blond curly hair are all qualities of my sister’s.
Excerpt from The Story That Made Us Stronger:
The Golf Course Manager
Katie Brandt
After Connor left for the day, I was amped up as I always was after chemo. My body was worn out and aching, but my mind wouldn’t stop. I tried to take a nap but couldn’t find sleep, even with the blinds closed and all the lights off. I just kept thinking about my kids, having conversations with them in my head about why I was away from them. I was doing this stem cell replacement ordeal for them: so that their mommy wouldn’t get leukemia later in their lives. I’d promised that I’d never leave them.
No matter the time of day, I usually had a hard time getting to sleep in this bed, in this hospital room. I dragged myself across the room and found my computer. After I settled back into bed, I searched Google Maps and found the area that Connor had pointed out before. His excitement was contagious, and now I wanted to know more about that building too. I saw the golf course and some of the trail through the trees on the satellite images. Once I clicked on the road view, I could see the building itself that Connor was talking about. It really looked old despite the grainy picture, yet somehow familiar. I wondered if I had driven past it before. I looked up the golf course and poked around their website and then the Park District’s website.
“Someone has to know something!” I said to myself. There was a list of historical buildings that the Park District managed, but nothing about one being on or near that golf course. After twenty minutes of not finding anything to give me a single answer, I decided to just call the Park District itself. Why not? It was still only 3:45; they’d be open. I dialed the Administration Office downtown first.
“Hello, Park District Administration Office. This is Tammy. How can I help you?” Her spiel sounded very rehearsed and overly chipper.
“Hi, Tammy. My name is Katie. I’m a resident of Hawthorn Heights and was wondering if you guys can tell me more about an interesting building that sits along a trail I frequent. I have a bet with my friend about who can find out info about it fastest.” I could really turn on the charm when I needed to, even when I didn’t feel well. Call it a gift. When you used a person’s name and told them they were doing you a favor, they wanted to help most of the time. I was also good at seeing everyone as a person, not just someone in my way. I knew everyone had their own thing going on and tried to respect that.
“What an interesting request, Katie!” Tammy exclaimed. She was really excited about this, too, and we were both name users. I hoped she didn’t see through my charm. “Let me see if I can find it on our maps.”
What exciting story are you working on next?
I also write cozy mysteries, the Succulent Sleuth Series, and I’m working on the second installment of that ongoing story. It’s going to be included in a short story anthology with many other cozy mysteries, coming out April 2023. Here’s the sales page: https://books2read.com/ABookwormofaSuspect
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’m always writing. I write for my job daily but I haven’t done anything as creative as a novel since college. I still have a very hard time introducing myself as an author even though I have two books out.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I work as a part time professor, a freelance writer, and a sustainability consultant. I wrote both of my novels mostly after 10:30 at night when everyone else in my house was asleep. You have to be committed to the story and keep doing it consistently to get to the end of the book.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m definitely an underwriter. I have to go back in and add more details once the story is done.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a scientist for a long time as a younger child and still really love doing experiments. Then I thought being an architect would be interesting. I was very serious about becoming an astronaut to the point that I went to Space Camp in high school. I went to college thinking I was going to be an optometrist and left with a double major in biology (with an environmental focus) and English.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If any readers are dealing with cancer or a stem cell replacement procedure, I want to send them hope and love. It’s hard to beat cancer but hold on to hope and love. Thank you so much for having me.
Links:
Website | Buy page | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Hello! Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog!
Thanks for hosting!
Very interesting – I always like to hear from authors about their experiences…