We're happy to have Maria T. Henriksen with us today talking about her book Not Again. To learn more about Maria and Not Again, read on!
Book description/blurb:
Christina De Rosa holds a potentially deadly
secret that threatens to get out. As an innocent young teenager, Christina
survives a terrifying detailed sexual assault that destroys her self-worth and
trust.
In her daily struggle, Christina searches for
ways to keep her torment at bay, so she can function as a "normal"
teenager. Meanwhile, Christina's spiritual journey leads her down a path
causing conflict within, as she's riddled with guilt and shame.
A chance encounter with her longtime, hot
crush, Avery Evans, sparks a fire in Christina that she can't extinguish.
As the sweet, loving, knight in shining armor he readily portrays, Avery offers
the safety and security that Christina craves.
In her quest for internal peace, Christina
must make a decision. Will she give her heart, body and soul to the super
popular, Avery Evans?
Will Christina's nightmares become
all-consuming or will her discoveries lead her to a renewed way of life?
Find out if true love triumphs in this edgy,
faith-based young adult page-tuner, set in the 1980s.
*Not Again is NOT your typical Christian coming
of age story. Fierce faith doesn't come without a fight. Prepare for heartache,
self-harm, traumatic events, real romance, and actual scripture in these
pages.
Tell us a little about yourself:
Hi, I'm a debut author and I am super excited to
have recently launched my first novel called Not Again. Not Again is a young
adult edgy Christian romance novel that follows the spiritual journey of a
young teenage girl during the 1980s. There's real romance, actual scripture and
lots of heartache as well as humor.
I started reading young adult novels when I
began to substitute teach because it was convenient to check out books at the
school library. Before I knew it, I was hooked on reading that genre. I decided
to combine elements that I like to read like romance and make it faith based
with a literary flair. As a teacher, I can't resist an opportunity for a
teaching lesson as demonstrated by the various themes in the novel.
Being a substitute teacher and parent of
boy/girl teenagers causes me to be immersed in the daily struggles of teens.
Life is messy and teenagers have their own challenges in navigating life. Not
Again speaks to those struggles in a meaningful way.
During the revisions of my novel, I experienced
a tremendous amount of physical pain and stress, including neck surgery. As a
result, I found it necessary to employ coping mechanisms to get me through that
difficult season of my life. In turn, I incorporated those same techniques in
my novel. My hope is that my book will transform lives by it's inspirational
message, and not just the lives of teens, but adults as well.
Tell us five things about yourself that many
people don't know:
I placed 3rd in my age group for a 10K after
only running for less than a year.
I spent 1.5 years in physical therapy the past
2 years nursing multiple injuries.
I aspire to run a half marathon.
I took the photos, video and wrote the song
for the book trailer & cover.
I want to become an inspirational speaker.
Tell us about your
journey to publication:
The most challenging aspect of
publishing novel was the actual publishing portion of it. The writing and
revising was the easy fun part. Trying to figure out what avenue to publish and
how to go about executing my plan was excruciating.
Technical issues were abound. It seemed as if
every fluky issue that could be experienced, I experienced it. There were epic
fails all over the place. I had to buy a brand new computer, a brand new phone,
a brand new tripod to broadcast live and I'm still having issues, not the same
ones, different ones.
You have to be a jack of all trades to
self-publish and promote yourself. It's grueling and frustrating. There are
many obstacles to overcome. Is it worth it? I honestly don't think I will know
the full impact of my novel, but it was written out of obedience to Christ.
I have a message, a ministry. The book was
inspired by God as I never knew what was coming next. Not Again was written
with many themes that I hope my readers will take to heart.
When I'm not writing, you can find me jogging,
reading or listening to live music music performed by talented
friends.
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