Tapestry of Light Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

 

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Title: A Tapestry of Light
Author: Kimberly Duffy
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Christian Historical Romance

Calcutta, 1886. 

Ottilie Russell is adrift between two cultures, British and Indian, belonging to both and neither. In order to support her little brother, Thaddeus, and her grandmother, she relies upon her skills in beetle-wing embroidery that have been passed down to her through generations of Indian women. 

When a stranger appears with the news that Thaddeus is now Baron Sunderson and must travel to England to take his place as a nobleman, Ottilie is shattered by the secrets that come to light. Despite her growing friendship with Everett Scott, friend to Ottilie's English grandmother and aunt, she refuses to give up her brother. Then tragedy strikes, and she is forced to make a decision that will take Thaddeus far from death and herself far from home. 

But betrayal and loss lurk in England, too, and soon Ottilie must fight to ensure Thaddeus doesn't forget who he is, as well as find a way to stitch a place for herself in this foreign land.

PURCHASE LINKS*: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookDepository | IndieBound | Christianbook | BookBub

---

 

Kimberly Duffy is a Long Island native currently living in Southwest Ohio, via six months in India. When she's not homeschooling her four kids, she writes historical fiction that takes her readers back in time and across oceans. She loves trips that require a passport, recipe books, and practicing kissing scenes with her husband of twenty years. He doesn't mind.

CONNECT WITH KIMBERLY: Website | Facebook | Instagram

---

 

Hi Kimberly! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your new book- A Tapestry of Light  a little bit better!  I like to start these interviews the same way with something fun to break the ice: can you share 5 random facts about yourself that we will NOT find in your bio?

·         I have a slight obsession with nutrition and I like to experiment so I’ve been everything from raw food vegan to Paleo.

·         Piggybacking off that—my kitchen is like a chemistry lab. There’s always something fermenting, grinding, or aging (meaning cheese, not me.)

·         I love sloths. Seriously love them. I’m not much of an animal person but even just a picture of a sloth is enough to turn me into a puddle.

·         I read every label at museums—art, science, history, children’s. Doesn’t matter. I don’t understand how people can just pass by all that interesting information. It annoys my kids, though, because they’re done with an exhibit in fifteen minutes and have to wait for me.

·         The surest way to get me to do anything is to tell me I can’t.

When did you first discover you had a passion and talent for writing?

I wrote my very first story when I was twelve. And I just never stopped. My 11^th grade creative writing teacher told me I was talented and should expand my autobiographical romantic story (called Liver, Love, and Lozovaya) into a novel. That’s when I first realized I might actually be able to do something with my love of writing.

What drew you to the historical fiction genre?

I’ve always loved history. I devoured autobiographies and classic novels when I was young. In ninth grade, I developed an obsession with ancient Etruscan and Roman history and read every book I could find at the library on the subjects. And then I just went through the rest, era by era. I love antiques and old houses and cemeteries (there are lots of really cool cemeteries on Long Island, especially in the Eastern coastal towns. They’re full of sailors and people dying of dysentery.) I love things that tell stories. That have been touched by people a hundred years ago. And most of the books I’ve read have been historical (or at least classics) so writing historical fiction wasn’t a hard sell. Once I felt equipped to do it, I never wanted to write anything else.

While I’ve not yet had the chance to read A Tapestry of Light, I loved all the details in your previous novel A Mosaic of Wings that truly allowed us readers to travel to a different place and time. What type of research goes into creating a historical story and keeping it true to the times?

I think I might spend more time researching than actually writing. I start by reading non-fiction books and scholarly-type articles and papers. For A Tapestry of Light that was a book on the history of Kolkata, papers on the culture and experience of Anglo-Indians, a book on Victorian fashion, and dozens of articles on everything ranging from 19^th century Indian homes to gene expression to the British titles of nobility. I also watch Youtube videos—interviews and travel documentaries—and scour the internet for photos taken during the time my book is set. I’m always worried about inaccurately portraying things so I check and double check my resources. Sometimes I feel comfortable moving a timeline around or shifting a place for the sake of the story, but I always try to be as true to things as possible.

As a homeschooling mom of 4, life sounds pretty busy! What does your research and writing routine look like?

I typically do most of my work in the evenings and on weekends. Sometimes I might fit an hour or two in during the afternoon if everyone is taken care of and nothing needs my attention but that’s not my favorite way to function. It’s kind of feast or famine for me because I’m not great at balance. I’m not the type of person who can work ten minutes here and fifteen minutes there. I need chunks of time to make it work. If I’m on a deadline, I’m super intensely focused on that. And if I’m not, I let a lot of things go in favor of catching up on school work with my kids or deep cleaning my house or stocking my freezer (these are the times you’ll see me drop off social media for a while, too.) I used to drive myself crazy but then I came to accept that this is just the way I am. It would kill me to miss a deadline so I frontload everything. As I tell my husband and kids, don’t put off for later what you can get done now.

Can you tell us a little bit more about A Tapestry of Light?

This is the book of my heart. It’s a hard story, I know that, but I think it’s one a lot of people can relate to. I grew up in the church and never once heard anyone talk about doubt. So when I was confronted by a season of it, I felt as though my world was falling apart. I never want anyone else to feel that loneliness and confusion. I had no idea who I was anymore. No idea where I fit. I don’t typically plot my books’ spiritual threads and so this one just kind of fell into A Tapestry of Light. I’m grateful for that. My own faith was strengthened as I wrote it.

I like exploring contemporary issues through the lens of history. Because people don’t really change—what they wanted and needed and felt a hundred years ago is what people want and need and feel now. Human nature remains constant. People in every era want to belong. They want their family and loved ones safe. They want acceptance and love.

I think, even though someone may not be able to relate to Ottilie’s struggle with reconciling her heritage, they can definitely understand what it is to feel as though they aren’t accepted. They may not have suffered the loss she has, but they know what it’s like to grieve. I never want to sugarcoat life. It’s often very difficult, but there’s something beautiful about seeing someone persevere and hope in the midst of the hard things.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

I hope people will fall in love with India. It’s the most amazing country in the world. There’s no other place like it. I hope it will encourage them to learn more about the Anglo-Indian community. And I hope they will come away knowing that they fit. They fit in this world. They fit in this life. They have a purpose and place.

Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go, are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?

I’m finishing up edits on book #3. It’s called Every Word Unsaid and releases November 2, 2021. It’s set in Poona (Pune today), India and features a heroine who is a kind of early-prototype travel blogger and a doctor hero who is adorably nerdy. I was also able to write in one of my real life heroes—Pandita Ramabai. And it has the prettiest cover.

(1) winner will receive a print copy of A Tapestry of Light, A Mosaic of Wings, and Recipes from an Indian Kitchen!

Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 22, 2021 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 29, 2021. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

---

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

 

*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.