Did you miss any of the magical posts and reviews for this tour?

Go check them out now! You can also grab the 20th Chapter of Dearest, 

not previously released, on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

(Woodcutter Sisters, #3)
by Alethea Kontis
YA Fantasy
Hardcover & ebook, 320 Pages
February 3rd 2015 by HMH Books for Young Readers

 

More About Asking for Trouble and Author Anna J. Stewart

What is your motivation behind this book? Why did you want to write it?

This entire series grew from everything I’ve been passionate about since childhood, including Africa, wildlife rescue, nature and children. When I wrote the first book, The Promise of Rain, I was able to live my childhood dream of being a wildlife veterinarian in Africa’s Serengeti, or becoming the next Jane Goodall, vicariously through my heroine’s experiences. And as that story unfolded, I knew exactly which characters needed their own stories to be told in books 2 and 3 of the series. Sadly, I also knew that the death of a dear character in The Promise of Rain would happen in After the Silence. And I knew that my own emotional struggles with raising children who were blessed with being ‘outside-the-box’ would fuel Ben and Hope’s journey in After the Silence. Although so much of me comes through in my stories, they’re by no means autobiographical, however I hope that they do make readers experiencing similar circumstances know that they’re not alone.

What do you hope readers take with them when they read your book?

That there are no boundaries to love: not mountains, oceans, physical or emotional challenges, race, different cultures and not even species (sometimes a pet can open a heart when another person can’t). Love is a universal power that has an extraordinary ability to heal. And it always finds a way. Think of all the adopted children who found loving families in countries across the world where they’d never set foot before…yet those families were destined to come together and complete one another. Or soul mates, like Ben and Hope in this story, who also lived on opposite sides of the world and, given their circumstances, had very little chance of ever meeting…yet they did. So it’s all about a little destiny, serendipity, unconditional love and acceptance. And the world really needs more of it.

Do you have a favorite scene?

Oh, this is a tough one. There are so many! Anyone who knows me knows how self-critical I am, but this was an emotional story for me to write, so every scene is close to my heart. But if I had to boil it down, there’s a scene that takes place in the kitchen at Ben’s in-laws house where, for the first time, we see him letting his guard down a little as he plays a joke on Hope in front of his kids. We see that, behind his hardened exterior, he has a sense of humor. We get a glimpse of the father he used to be…the type of father his daughter is desperate for if she has any chance of breaking through her mutism…and we do see the potential impact his letting his guard down would have on her. So it’s a big turning point for all three characters: Ben, Hope and little Maddie.

Share something about you that is unique—maybe about how/where you write…or a favorite snack.

I’m chuckling because there are many things about me some might weird, as opposed to unique, LOL…like the fact that, when I need a moment to relax or decompress, I go outside and pet my chickens. I have a small backyard flock and anyone who has chickens knows just how sweet and loving the little ladies can be J. Plus, they give me delicious, organic eggs (I’m big on organic gardening and foods) every day. But really, they’re very grounding and such a symbol of life’s basics, that watching them puts life’s challenges in perspective.

As for a favorite snack, I’m such a coffee addict it’s not funny. And not just any coffee. It has to be good coffee. Smooth and rich. I think I hit a world record on coffee consumption while writing After the Silence, and when I was writing The Promise of Rain, I actually went out and bought a Kenyan roast to enjoy along with my heroine, Anna. Oh, the things I do to immerse myself in a story, LOL!