Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Interview- In Her Eyes by Wesley Banks



Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The biggest thing is that we all experience hardship and pain in life, but it has a great way of giving people second chances.

What books/authors have influenced your life?

Even though I write fiction, most of my influences are from non-fiction writers. Here’s a post I wrote a while back about it: http://wesleybanksauthor.com/10-books-that-have-impacted-my-life/

What books are in your to read pile?

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I have quite a few in my TBR pile. A couple I’m most excited about are Musashi by Miyamoto Musashi, The Conduct of Life by Ralph Waldo Emerson. I’m actually in need of some good fiction recommendations.

What is your current “work in progress” or upcoming projects?

I’m working on the outline for the prequel to Hope In Every Raindrop. So, if you’re a dog lover, stay tuned.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

As an engineer I enjoy diving into the details of a scene, but sometimes I worry I bog down the reader with too much detail and information.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Non-fiction, it’s easily Emerson. He has an amazing way of revealing truth.
Fiction, I’d probably have to go with Patrick Rothfuss. I’ve been waiting years for the third book in The Kingkiller Chronicles.

Do you have to travel much to do research for your books?

My wife and I have always traveled a lot. So, I don’t typically travel specifically for research, but I always incorporate my travel experiences into my stories.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Persistence and consistence. Wake up daily and write, and do it for a long time. Writing is a journey unlike anything else.

 


In Her Eyes
Wesley Banks

Genre: Sports Romance

Publisher: Chasing Pace Publishing

Date of Publication: 3/14/16

ISBN: 978-0-9861934-2-2
ASIN: TBA

Number of pages: 264
Word Count: 57,000

Cover Artist: Dane at eBook Launch

Book Description:

When Ben Wilder is given a second chance he focuses on the one thing he's always been good at: running. After walking on to the University of Florida he begins to quickly move up the national rankings, paving a path towards the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Everything is going the way he planned, until the day he bumps into Casey Taylor.

New to Gainesville, and focused on her first year out of medical school, Casey is initially hesitant to let Ben into her life. But the truth is she's worried about letting a guy near the one thing she loves most: her daughter, Emma. After one fun and fateful night Casey can no long bury her feelings behind these excuses, and takes a chance on a guy she is slowly falling for.

Casey's relationship with Ben starts to gradually build into a love that she has never felt. But more importantly Emma has taken a particular liking to Ben. As they all spend more time together Ben is forced to confront painful memories when he starts to notice something hauntingly familiar in Emma's eyes.

After a local journalist uncovers the secret of Ben's past their lives begin to converge on a single promise that Ben Wilder has long since made: to never give up...no matter what.

Excerpt:
Ben was tired, but he was excited when he woke up on Monday morning. It was Casey’s day off and Coach had given the team the week off, minus a team meeting this afternoon, since they had another month until the NCAA Championships.
Emma’s school started at seven forty-five which meant if he got to Casey’s around eight, they could spend the whole day just relaxing.
When he arrived the garage was shut, so he walked up to the front door. Before he could knock, though, the door swung open and Casey jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
“My hero,” she said in a terrible southern accent. Then she started giving him little pecks all over his head and face.
He walked inside with her still wrapped around him and kicked the door shut. Laughing, he said, “Who is this strange girl, and what did you do with Casey?”She continued on in the southern accent. “You won the race for your beloved and claimed victory.”
Ben sat her on the backside of the couch and looked down at her. “What on earth has gotten into you?”
“You, Sir Runner. Now, take me, take me now.” Casey puckered up her lips playfully and Ben laughed.
Ben leaned in to give her a quick kiss, thinking she might taste or smell like alcohol, because right now that was the only explanation he could come up with. She tasted like…cookies.
He looked around the room and to his right, sitting on the kitchen counter, he found his answer. He let go of Casey and she fell backwards onto the couch.
“Hey!” she said as she hit the couch cushion.
Ben walked over to the kitchen and picked up a small tub of Cookies ’n Cream ice cream and a bag of Fudge Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy. He held up both and looked over at Casey who was half-hiding, half-peering over the top of the couch. “Please tell me you are not eating cookies and ice cream at eight o’clock in the morning.”
Casey jumped over the couch and came running at Ben, a ball of sugar filled energy. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her legs around the back of his calves, and inched her way up his body. When she reached the top she bombarded his neck with kisses. “My hero,” she said. She stopped for a moment and looked at him with the most devious, sensual grin. She leaned in closer until there was almost no space between her lips and his. Then like a cheetah springing on a gazelle, she grabbed the ice cream with her left hand and the cookies with her right, hit the ground and took cover on the couch.
“You have serious problems,” Ben said.
Casey pulled out a cookie and dipped it in the ice cream and held it up for him to see. Then she started humming and dancing the cookie around like she was taunting him.
Ben took two steps, dove across the couch, snatched the cookie from her hand and shoved it in his mouth before she could barely move. She looked at him wide eyed and in complete silence and then jumped on him. They wrestled and tickled each other like five-year-olds, stopping every now and then for a quick cookie break.
This went on for about thirty more minutes and then she crashed on the floor next to him. Her head lay across his chest as he played with her hair until eventually he crashed too.




About the Author:

Wesley Banks was born in 1983 and grew up on the west coast of Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering.  After spending over 7 years building movable bridges from Florida to Washington he decided to focus on his true passion: writing.

Wesley recently moved from Florida to Oregon to get back to the great outdoors that he loves so much. He lives with his wife Lindsey, and his two dogs Linkin and Story. Most of his time these days is spent writing, with as much rock climbing, hiking, or skiing as they can fit in.

Wesley’s debut novel, Hope In Every Raindrop, was released May of 2015.






1 comments:

Wesley Banks said...

Thanks for having me on the blog!