Returning to SOS Aloha is the multi-talented Christine Nolfi! She visited us last year to celebrate TREASURE ME at this link. Christine prepared a special post for her new book, THE TREE OF EVERLASTING KNOWLEDGE!
From what imaginings does a book arise? Some novels spring to life after weeks of playing the “What if” game. Other books are born directly from experience.
Seventeen years ago, I adopted a sibling group of four children from the Philippines. The trip to Cebu was a revelation—local families struggling simply to get by wore the sweetest smiles. The missionaries running the shelter worked with unmistakable joy. My children, too, seemed imbued with a special goodness that stood in contrast to their difficult start in life. 
As years sped by and my kids grew ever stronger, they became standouts first in elementary school then later in high school and college. They became the type of young adults who were always willing to help a friend or offer comforting words. They laughed often and spread joy through churches and classrooms like fairy dust empowered with love. And I was left wondering: How can any child suffer greatly in early childhood then grow up to be so surprisingly good?
That question drove the development of The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge.
In the novel, Ourania D’Andre and Troy Fagan struggle with dark impulses. Like so many of us, they’ve become cynical and no longer trust the healing qualities of love. Yet both are inevitably drawn to the light. They choose love over hate because it’s in their nature to do so. By learning to release a million regrets, they build a better world for themselves and the people they care about.
I believe these lessons speak directly to the miracle of the human heart. We do possess the power to heal despite every hardship we face. Yes, bad things happen. But in the end, good people prevail.
It’s easy to turn on the news or glance at a newspaper’s garish headlines and conclude that humanity bears rot at its core. Don’t believe it. Every day, in every corner of our pretty blue planet, average folks perform extraordinary acts of kindness. A stranger offers a helping hand. A mother comforts her child. A class of first graders in Wichita, Kansas raise money for other children on the opposite side of the earth. A middle-aged man takes his son to a ballgame then flashes the proof of his love across FaceBook.
Good people prevail.
About the author:
Christine’s debut, Treasure Me, and her March 2012 release, The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge continue to earn 4- and 5-star reviews on Amazon, GoodReads and other sites. Christine has been writing novels full-time since 2004. Look for her next release, Second Chance Grill, in several months.
Contact her at www.christinenolfi.com and @christinenolfi on Twitter.
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge on Amazon in print (link) and Kindle (link)
Treasure Me on Amazon in print (link) and Kindle (link)
Barnes & Noble (link)
BAM (link)
Mahalo, Christine, for joining us at SOS Aloha! I am giving away a Kindle copy of THE TREE OF EVERLASTING KNOWLEDGE to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
Barnes & Noble (link)
BAM (link)
Mahalo, Christine, for joining us at SOS Aloha! I am giving away a Kindle copy of THE TREE OF EVERLASTING KNOWLEDGE to one randomly selected commenter. To enter the giveaway,
1. Can you share an experience that would inspire you to write a book?
When I was a Lieutenant, I had a few zany adventures that might be worthy of a humorous contemporary romance.
2. This giveaway is open to all readers.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, March 31, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, April 1.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
Kim in Hawaii
March Madness continues here at SOS Aloha! All commenters in March will be entered into a special drawing for prizes from RT in Chicago. 3 US, 3 Canadian, and 3 international readers will win a package with books and goodies. Comments can be made at:
- SOS Aloha, sosaloha.blogspot.com
- Aloha On My Mind, alohaonmymind.blogspot.com
- My guest posts at the Reading Reviewer (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) at marygramlich.blogspot.com
I'll post the winners of March Madness on Monday, April 2.
The adoption of my middle daughter would and my years as teaching would inspire me. That one I would entitle I am not talking , I am just asking a question.
ReplyDeleteDebby, nothing warms my heart quite like hearing of another adoptive parent. Your daughter is just as lucky to have you as you are to have her. Many thanks for entering the contest.
DeleteWhen I worked for the Sheriff's Dept I encountered all kinds of interesting things that I could incorporate into a story. I wrote some of them down someplace. I should have kept better notes though.
ReplyDeleteLinda, it's no accident that many people with a background in law enforcement go on to write novels. The sheer number of people you meet every day provides fodder for the creation of the unforgettable character who drives a book's plot.
DeleteMany thanks for entering.
reading and reading book make me want to write a book ;)
ReplyDeleteEli, you've struck gold. All novelists begin as avid readers. Between you and me, I must stop writing periodically simply for the delight of reading novel after novel. Here's hoping your hunger for fiction never abates.
DeleteMany thanks for entering.
My mom had a son 2 years before I was born and gave him up for adoption. I found him 8 years ago and my mom got to meet him and have a relationship with him for 7 years before she passed away. What I didn't know was he had been looking for mom for years and we had entered our information at the same agency online, but years apart and he had moved and not left a forwarding address. But I found him was glad my mom got to know him before she passed away.
ReplyDeleteMary, your story has made my day! God bless you for finding your biological brother and fostering his relationship with your mother before she passed away. If angels do tread the earth, no doubt you're among them.
DeleteDuring research for The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, I interviewed a birth mother. It was a gut-wrenching experience. Like many birth mothers, she'd made the difficult decision to give up a child early in her life, knowing that her son would find his way to a loving home. Interviewing her from my perspective of an adoptive mom utterly changed me and deepened the manuscript to follow.
A thousand thanks for entering.
Hi, Kim! Many thanks for hosting me again. Now, if only I could stop by your gorgeous island in person for a visit ... ah, dreaming must suffice.
ReplyDeleteThey say write what you know so I could probably write a book about cats lol.
ReplyDeletecatslady
...and all those folks out there who adore cats would buy your book!
DeleteMany thanks for entering.
Congrats to Christine on her new book and her beautiful family! My life is fairly boring. That's why I read romance!
ReplyDeleteSue
Sue, I'm sure your life is never boring! Personally, I read romance because I prefer upbeat novels--love those happy endings.
DeleteMany thanks for entering.
Yes, good people prevail and I know Christine will too! The book sounds interesting and so does the author!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
Many thanks, Barbara. These days I feel like I'm on a perpetual treadmill--editing the next book, chatting with readers, and juggling life with 4 young adult kids. Never a dull moment!
DeleteThank you for entering.
This was a stunning interview and the book was awesome ! Please do not enter me for this giveaway Kim!
ReplyDeleteDesere, how wonderful to see you here! Thanks again for the 5-star review of The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge at Family Saga Reviews. If anyone would like to read the review, you'll find it here: http://tinyurl.com/7hoduwn
ReplyDeleteThank you for entering.
I would write about my grandchildren. I have seven and one more on the way!
ReplyDeleteCarol, congratulations on your good fortune! Seven grandchildren with an 8th on the way--you must be so excited.
DeleteMany thanks for entering.
from days gone by, lol i could tell some funny/horror stories
ReplyDeleteblackroze37
I'll bet those funny/horror stories would keep the reader glued to the page. Many thanks for entering.
DeleteI don't remember what grade I was in, but I did write a children's story once about a fictitious creature I created named Snufflelufagus. It's gotten lost over the years. I don't think I could write a book yet. I have difficulty finding the right words; had to give up writing reviews because it was such a struggle. And I don't think I'm ready for people to see what I write (I gave up writing in a journal, too). The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge sounds like an interesting read! I hope it is very successful for you.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for your comments, Karen. Frankly, I'm stunned by the sheer number of positive reviews arriving for The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge. My debut, Treasure Me, carried the reader through amusing scenes depicting the silly and sometimes poignant relationships women share with other women. It's an easy book to enjoy.
DeleteThe subject matter of Tree is much darker, and I held my breath as the release date approached. Perhaps one reviewer summed it up best when she said, “There’s a brightness to the book that lingers in the goodness of the characters … that brightness keeps the reader from feeling too weighted down by the prospects the story suggests. The result is a novel of remarkable, rare substance.”
Thank you for entering the contest.
My head is always in the cloud. But I really cannot think of a life experience to write about.
ReplyDeleteThough I dabble now in writing, stories that love to torment me.
Here's hoping you always have your head in a cloud, Raonaid! The world needs dreamers. They provide a sweet contrast to the Type A personalities that dominate our lives.
DeleteThank you for entering the contest.
I enjoyed the interview. Food would probably inspire me to write a book.
ReplyDelete...and food sells books! Hmm. Perhaps food sells books because we like to snack as we read?
DeleteMany thanks for entering the contest.
Hi Kim and Christine -
ReplyDeleteChristine - I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed finding out more about you and your wonderful family.
When my boys were in grade school we were foster parents because we felt it was the children that always were the ones who needed the most support and understanding. We realized later that we were the ones who were given the gift by having them as part of our family. Too many people don't realize the hardships and upheaval in their lives these wonderufl children are forced to endure but by giving them just a little love and understanding we are the ones who end of being blessed by having them as part of our lives.
Kim, thanks for introducing Christine and her wonderful books to us. I know that reading them is going to give all of us a better understnading about the world around us.
Jeanne, a thousand thanks for sharing your story. Foster parents are unsung heroes and incredibly important--God bless you for sharing your home with children in need. On any given day, U.S. social agencies shuttle more than 1/2 a million children through foster care and appropriate homes to provide safe harbor are always in short supply. It's an issue I cover in some detail in The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge. Frankly, we need more loving adults like you to participate in the system.
DeleteJeanne, if you'd be kind enough to contact me directly I'd love to send you an autographed copy of Tree. christinenolfi@gmail.com
That would be my experiences to facilitate disable student. Sometimes I got hit , sustained wrist and hand injury, feels tired emotional and physically because my job is half social work the payment is quite low, so truly sometimes I do want to give up, Aretha zhen
ReplyDeleteLike you, my older sister works with special needs adults. It's a difficult job that requires incredible patience. Thank you for making a difference.
DeleteThank you for entering.
Overseas when Czechoslovakia, Kuwait etc. invaded but, thankfully, not on 9/11.
ReplyDeleteLiz, you've hit on stories that will find their way into print. I suspect the next 10 years will bring hundreds of novels based on wartime experiences.
DeleteMany thanks for entering.