JUSTINA was self-published in August 1982 following an unsuccessful
arduous trek through the wilds of the commercial publishing forest. Her
story may have occurred during the final days of the Revolutionary War in
the Pines of New Jersey, but her emotions do not. They happen to be very
autobiographical in many respects. Justina is not always very well received
by my readers because she is spoiled and time and again spurns Jordan
Chamberlain’s advances and many invitations to share his bed and heart. As
is true in life, appearances are deceiving, and our defenses are not always
recognized as fear, insecurity, or even love. What she rejects throughout the
book is actually her deepest heart’s desire! Her fears of giving her heart away
stem from an inner knowing that she could be destroyed by this man if he
were, in fact, using her for reasons of revenge. Just as children sometimes
test their parents to be assured of their love, so, too, did Justina test Jordan
Chamberlain time and again. If readers dislike Justina, I am afraid they would
not have liked me very much at age 20 when I married my husband. I, too,
was terrified of being rejected and was insecure in my looks and talents. I
still cannot sew if my life depended on it! Looking back, I was the one in the
relationship, who was the first to lose patience or my temper, while my
husband was Jordan Chamberlain incarnate. It was easy to write such a
loving character for I lived with him and admired his patience, kindness and
unselfishness more than words can tell. As for the villains in the story - they
were real characters in my own life as well - women who preyed on my
insecurities - older men who brazenly crossed my sexual boundaries - and
deceivers of the heart. It is interesting to note that one of harshest criticisms
received from a publisher was “…the story is contrived…too unbelievable to
be believed…” I guess there is something to be said about the old adage that
truth is stranger than fiction.
With that being said, I loved writing this book and allowing my imagination to
soar! I enjoyed creating the twists and turns, the frustrations and
misunderstandings, and the triumphs and failures of the characters! I loved
setting part of the story in the area where I spent summers growing up,
fishing on Barnegat Bay with my Father and swimming in the Atlantic Ocean
with my brother and sister - where teenage crushes could bloom under the
stars or on the sand dunes! I also learned quite a bit from reading about the
Revolutionary War events in this area and visiting the houses that existed at
that time!
I characterize JUSTINA as a sensual page turner that delves deeply into the
ups and downs of a two year courtship between a 20 year old frightened girl
and the older handsome captain determined to win her heart during a
turbulent time in our Country’s history.
To my readers - I hope I will hear from you if you enjoy this book!
WHISPERED PROMISES was self-published in November 2002. Having
already experienced the pain of publishers’ rejections , I chose to forego the
futility of trying to get commercially published and cut straight to the chase!
How fortunate I was to be able to do my own typesetting this time with the
help of a computer, and I was even more fortunate in that my same printer
from JUSTINA was still in business and able to print and bind my book!
Add the fact that my friend, Frank, agreed to pose with me for my book’s
cover, and I was a very happy author/model/publisher!
Whereas JUSTINA reflected much of what I experienced as a 20 year old, my
main character in WHISPERED PROMISES - MINA GENNORA -
represents me in my current stage of life. She gave me an opportunity and an
outlet to share many things I’ve learned about myself and life around me
from my many spiritual teachers. Although my heroine is 20 years of age
like Justina, there is a sharp contrast in the way she handles the tragedies and
unpleasant circumstances in her life. I poured as much spiritual growth
knowledge that I have gained since my divorce into this character. Mina does
not look “outside” to find happiness. Rather she relies on an inner strength,
faith, intuition and compassion to get her through her many challenges and
difficulties. As for SCHUYLER VAN WELDEN, my handsome Captain
who rescues Mina from America and brings her to his home in Amsterdam, it
might surprise my readers to learn that Schuyler and I are very much one and
the same person as well. Although Frank may have looked like Schuyler
were he made manifest, he is not Schuyler - no more than Fabio is every
character in the romance novels for which he modeled. Once again, several
characters in WHISPERED PROMISES were actually real people I
encountered in my life. I even enjoyed the luxury of using the last names of
family and friends for some of my lesser characters - with their blessings!
I characterize WHISPERED PROMISES as a romance novel about
relationships - those of honor and those of deceit - occurring over a two year
span. Unlike JUSTINA, my two main characters share more of the spotlight
with other key characters, subplots, mysteries and twists that I hope will
keep the reader guessing and eager to turn pages until the very end!
To my readers - I hope I will hear from you if you enjoy my books!
Please write to me at: PO BOX 244
Manahawkin, NJ 08050
Or e-mail me at: kathy@kathleenebinder.com
