Publisher: Risen Books
Cover blurb: Accused of the worst war crimes in the history of Argentina, Carlos Cornella is despised by a wounded nation…
“I’m in love with a monster. That’s what people call him anyway: monster, murderer, kidnapper, torturer, sociopath, even the devil. His crimes are so terrible that he may be unforgivable. But I have come to know him as something else. I know him as God’s Treasure. And I’m not sure what to do about that. So, here’s my story.”
1) How did this story come to you?
About 16-17 years ago, I was involved in human rights groups. In fact, I choreographed a dance suite in memory of victims of Argentina’s Dirty War. Then I sort of had an epiphany. God gripped my heart and compelled me to pray for the very people whom acquaintances wanted to see brought to trial. The rest came from dreams and ideas along the way, making its own sort of history.
2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
Well, it took about ten years full of rejections and the attempt to write and explore writing in every genre to find what felt right. I’ve come full circle, now that I’ve received a three-book contract for what sparked my interest in writing in the first place. The entire experience I’d say helped me gain a thicker skin, which I needed, and greater patience, which I needed, I’m grateful for the past experiences, which have finally brought me to this point in my literary journey.
3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
I have regular conversations with my vacuum. I used to ride motorcycles, owned my own. And…I’ve eaten anything from ant soup to dog (although not together and not deliberately) during my worldwide adventures.
4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
The Unforgivable is the first in a series, Wounds of South America. Each book in the series is about love and redemption in the midst of some of the desperate political situations in the southern cone. The second manuscript, set in Colombia, is turned in (to be released in 2012) so I’m working on the third installment. And I’m always chewing on other ideas in different genres, as well.
5) Parting comments?
There were times I experienced discouragement in my novel journey and even quit once. But my novel wouldn’t let me. Months later I was writing again. You know it’s a calling if you let it go, but it doesn’t let go of you.
6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
You can find me on Facebook, or Twitter, or any of those fine online social networks. I do a weekly blog, Pressing Through, on http://www.tessastockton.blogspot.com/. I’m also a monthly contributor at http://www.internationalchristianfictionwriters.blogspot.com/. Other than that, come harass me at http://www.tessastockton.com/!
BIO: A former contemporary dancer, Tessa Stockton, who was also active in politics and human rights groups, now writes novels. The Unforgivable is her first book in the Wounds of South America, a political intrigue series. Available in paperback, Kindle or Nook, The Unforgivable is set against the backdrop of Argentina’s Dirty War, where a Christian woman falls in love with a man accused of war crimes.
