Kerriann Flanagan Brosky's "The Medal" interview & book giveaway

Hello All! Please join me in welcoming Kerriann Flanagan Brosky to my blog. She's here to tell us a little about herself and her book "The Medal."

Congratulations goes to . . . LINDA

Tell us about yourself.
I have been a writer and a photographer for over twenty years. I’ve written five non-fiction books and co-authored a cookbook, but I always wanted to get into fiction. My sixth book, The Medal, a novel, was released in September 2012 and is a work of inspirational fiction. It’s based on a true story.

Why do you write the kind of books you do?
I wrote The Medal because I truly believe that it was God and Padre Pio (the saint who bore the stigmata) who led me to write it. My father suffered with Multiple Sclerosis for 16 years. It was a very difficult time for him as well as for my family. I had reached a very low point in my faith life, questioning God, being angry, wondering why this was happening. A stranger came into my life and gave me a Padre Pio medal that contained a relic. A miracle surrounding that medal occurred the night my father died. It changed my life forever. The story and the message behind that event was meant to be told. So the character of John Fitzpatrick is based on my father, and his daughter Bethany, is a combination of myself and my mother. I took what I felt and what I witnessed during my father’s illness, and combined that with my mother’s role as caretaker to make one strong character. The character of Jimmy, the Italian stranger, is based on the man who gave me the medal.
                                                                                                     

 Besides writing, what are some of your favorite hobbies?

Cooking and food is a big part of my life, that’s why I co-authored an Italian cookbook. Besides that, I do yoga, quilting, gardening and I’m an avid reader. I’m also a Sea Turtle Beach Patrol Volunteer for the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation on Long Island. I’m a big animal lover, and I have a great love for the sea. When I’m not writing I spend a good amount of time at the beach, even in the winter.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I always enjoyed writing, but my degree is actually in photography. I had a job as a newspaper photographer when I got out of college, and eventually I started writing for the paper as well. I had my own column about local history. That eventually led into writing and photographing books on local history.

What advice would you give to a beginning writer?
 Don’t give up, no matter how difficult it might be. If it’s who you are, then follow your dreams. From a practical point of view, edit, edit, edit.
 
What book are you currently working on?
I’m currently working on marketing The Medal full-time.

Please tell us about your book.
When twenty-one-year-old pastry chef Bethany Fitzpatrick says goodbye to her own dreams to stay home and care for her disabled father, her faith and life are shattered, until years later when a mysterious stranger—who seems to have stepped straight off the set of The Godfather—appears in her bakery, tells her about a deceased Italian friar named Padre Pio who performed miracles, and restored. Bethany’s faith in God, herself, and even…angels.
Faith, hope and believing are strong themes in The Medal. The response I have gotten from my readers is “This book has changed my life.” It’s a message about hope, faith and believing in miracles. It’s a very powerful story, especially for caretakers or for anyone going through challenging times when you may lose your faith or doubt that God is with you.

How can readers find you on the Internet?
The Medal is available on Amazon, in both paperback and in e-format, Barnes & Noble.com, iBooks, and in some book stores. You can find out more about me and my book by going to: www.padrepiomedal.com

Drawing will be held November 30