Friday, March 18, 2016

In Her Eyes by Wesley Banks Interview


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.


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.








Interview

Book Links

Kindle - http://amzn.to/1U8GRZ0

Interview

Where are you from?

Originally from Bradenton, FL, but currently reside in Bend, OR.

Tell us your latest news?

After In Her Eyes released March 14 I took a little time off from writing, mainly for the book launch. Now I am currently in the outlining stage of my next book, which is going to be a prequel to my first book, Hope In Every Raindrop.

When and why did you begin writing?

The very first thing I wrote was a poem called “A Game With Four Bases” in fourth or fifth grade. After that I started writing poetry, essays, and short stories throughout high school and college, mostly influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

It may sound simple, but I started writing because I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed poetry and essays a bit more, because they are usually attempts to pack the same punch of a full length novel in a few lines or a few pages.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

That’s a tough question because I’ve been writing, in some form or another, for fifteen years. But, I think the moment I finished my second book, In Her Eyes, is the moment I started really considering myself a writer.

What inspired you to write your first book?

This is typically a pretty long answer. But the short version is I own one of the rarest dog breeds in America: Carolina Dogs. In 2009, one of my dogs escaped from a boarding facility when I was on vacation and was hit by a car. I wanted to write a story that captures the world of Carolina Dogs.

Do you have a specific writing style?

Being an engineer, I think my writing style tends to focus on the details. The difficulty for me is bringing the details to life instead of bogging the reader down in them.

How did you come up with the title?

For my latest book I actually struggled quite a bit to come up with a title. It wasn’t until I was writing the book that I actually wrote the lines, “…in her eyes,” and I knew instantly I wanted that to be the title.

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.

How much of the book is realistic?

It’s 100% realistic. I interviewed several doctors to make sure the medical facts were write. I took pictures of the track and field where some of the races take place. And a lot of the setting is based on my personal experience at the University of Florida.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

The plot itself is completely made up. The main character is inspired from Steve Prefontaine, but other than that it’s all fiction.

What books have most influenced your life most?

Check out this post I wrote for the answer: http://wesleybanksauthor.com/10-books-that-have-impacted-my-life/

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

That’s another tough one. Even though I write fiction, I’m highly influenced people like Emerson and Thoreau.

What book are you reading now?

I’m reading Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson and re-reading Call of the Wild by Jack London.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I honestly haven’t had a chance to read many new authors, but I’m about to read something by Lindsay Buroker that my wife said was great.

What are your current projects?

For the next few months I’ll be working on the prequel to Hope In Every Raindrop.

What would you like my readers to know?

If you’re a dog lover, then definitely stop by the blog or check out Hope In Eve

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