VBTC Interview with Author Jean Mckie-Sutton - The Fruits of Our Sins

Welcome to Mass Musings Jean. Today we are chatting with Jean on the last day of her tour about her book, The Fruits of Our Sins.

MM:  Many authors relate their characters to people they know.  Is this the case with your characters and do you see yourself in any of them?

I’m not like any of the characters in my story, however I do admit to stealing bits and pieces of character traits from the women in my own family, especially in regards to the main characters, Madeline and Sybil. Otherwise, all of my characters are entirely fictional.

MM:  Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

         My favorite character is Madeline. Although she makes many mistakes throughout her life, she ultimately overcomes the sins of her own parents, and goes on to live a life that breaks her family’s generational curse. Her own daughter begins life’s journey free of the ties that bound her ancestors.

MM:  Who is your most favorite character from any book of all time?

         I’d have to go all the way back to my favorite childhood book, A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeline L’Engle. Meg was my favorite character. I still remember the battle between darkness and light and the love that allowed Meg to free her brother Charles from the grips of evil.

MM:  If you could dive into the pages of any book, which book would it be and what character would you be?

There are two characters that appeal to me:

I’d love to be Max from Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are. I’ve read this book to my children countless times, yet it has never lost its magic. When Max visits the land of Wild Things, he discovers he is the wildest of them all. I envied Max’s boldness and reckless abandon as he danced with the monsters in a “wild rumpus”.

The second character is Jane Eyre. The novel, written in 1874, was ahead of its time. Although Jane suffered oppression at a very young age, she develops into a strong individualist who values freedom and independence.

MM:  What can we expect from Jean Mckie-Sutton in the future? Any new projects?

I’m in the middle of writing a collection of short stories focusing on family relationships - mostly mother/daughter relationships - that involve transformation after overcoming steep obstacles. I hope to finish the collection later this year.

The second project I’m working on is a sequel to The Fruits Of Our Sins. I hadn’t initially planned on writing a sequel, but so many people have asked me to consider it that I’ve decided to take a stab at it.  I’m in the process of writing the opening chapter now.

MM:  Where can readers connect with you?

Amazon Author Profile:  www.amazon.com/author/jeanmckiesutton

Amazon Print:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Fruits-Of-Our-Sins/dp/0985087005/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340803422&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Fruits+Of+Our+Sins

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Fruits-Our-Sins-ebook/dp/B00856D1JI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340803422&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Fruits+Of+Our+Sins

Barnes and Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fruits-of-our-sins-jean-mckie-sutton/1109983367?ean=2940014347037

Website: www.redlotuspress.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Mckie-Sutton-Author/437404306285507?ref=hl

           

Thank you so much for taking time to chat with me today. It's been a wonderful pleasure.

The lives of Madeline and Sybil become intertwined in heated confrontation by the birth of a child - a child that each claims to have a right to.  For one woman, possession of the child represents redemption; for the other, the repetition of generational sin.  
The Fruits Of Our Sins chronicles the deeply flawed relationships these women have with their parents, the impact of those relationships on the direction of their lives and ultimately the lives of their children as they attempt to flee from, yet reconcile, the betrayals and abandonment of their youth.

Genre: Fiction; Ethnic Fiction

Purchase Links: www.barnesandnoble.com ; www.amazon.com

Publisher: Red Lotus Press

Release Date: June 4, 2012

After graduating from Franklin and Marshall College with a dual degree in Spanish and Government, Jean rose through the ranks of the insurance industry for twenty years before heeding her own heart and pursuing her passion for writing.

She grew up listening to the stories that elders recounted about the women in her family, and it is from these dominant, yet richly flawed matriarchs that she draws inspiration for her writing.

In addition to “The Fruits Of Our Sins”, Jean has published two short stories, “Stella’s Silent World”, and “When The Bough Breaks”. She is also a featured author in “Sister To Sister, Black Women Speak To Young Black Girls.”

Jean lives in a suburb of Philadelphia with her husband and three children.

Visit Jean's website at:

Website: www.redlotuspress.com