Veiled Intentions by Eileen Carr - Guest Post & Giveaway!

The blurb for this book is so timely and important I knew I had to be part of the tour. The lovely cover didn't hurt either. :) The author, Eileen Carr, has a guest post for you today, and there's a giveaway too. Make yourself comfy and I hope you enjoy!

Eileen Carr was born in Dayton, Ohio. She moved when she was four and only remembers that she was born across the street from Baskin-Robbins. Eileen remembers anything that has to do with ice cream. Or chocolate. Or champagne.


Eileen’s alter ego, Eileen Rendahl, is the award-winning author of four Chick Lit novels and the Messenger series.

Find Eileen Online:

www.EileenCarr.com
https://www.facebook.com/EileenRendahlandEileenCarr
https://twitter.com/EileenRendahl
http://books.simonandschuster.com/Veiled-Intentions/Eileen-Carr/978143918393

I’m so glad you asked about my degree program! I’m currently enrolled in the Masters of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing at Antioch University in Los Angeles. I’m in my final semester and I love it.

But you asked why someone with multiple publications at more than one publishing house felt she needed to get a degree. You would not be the first to ask. When I first told my sister that I was thinking about it, she asked, “Don’t you already know how to do that?”

The answer was yes. I did know how to write. Was I the best writer I possibly could be? No. I am, like a lot of other authors, largely self-taught. I’ve always been a big reader. I learned how to be a more critical reader. I went to workshops and learned quite a bit of craft from those experiences. I’d never, however, done an in-depth intensive course in writing. I felt like I’d taught myself what I could and needed help to push myself farther.

It’s worked, too. I approach my writing projects very differently. I read differently. It’s exciting. I’m a bolder, stronger writer. I’m willing to take more chances, something that I think is reflected in Veiled Intentions.

I did have one other reason to get my MFA. Like a lot of authors, I don’t make enough on my books to support myself and my family. I’ve had a “day job” for some time. Currently, I’m a claims investigator for private detective agency. While I like it, I can’t see myself doing this job for the rest of my life. What I’d love to do is teach, preferably at the college level. To do that, I need the fancy letters after my name.

This past fall, I started teaching creative workshops for teens for a group called 916 Ink in Sacramento. Their mission is to support literacy through creative writing workshops. I taught two workshops, one for teens in the foster care system and one for teens at a continuation high school. The experience was fabulous. I loved it. The kids were terrific. Their work was fantastic. It was a blast.

Antioch is a low-residency program. That means I go to Los Angeles twice a year for ten days for intensive seminars and workshops. The rest of the time, my schoolwork is online. If anyone is considering a program like this, I highly recommend looking into Antioch. It really will change your life.

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When a Muslim high school student is accused of a crime she didn’t commit, her school counselor gets involved to clear her record in this ripped-from-the-headlines novel.

When Lily Simon finds cops in the lobby of the high school where she’s a guidance counselor, she’s not surprised: cops and adolescents go together like sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll. But when the cops take Jamila, a Muslim student, into custody for a crime she didn’t commit, Lily’s high school becomes a powder keg.

Police think Jamila is responsible for a hit and run, and since she’s not talking, they have no choice but to keep her as the main suspect. And since the victim—a young soldier recently returned from Afghanistan—is lying unconscious in the hospital, the whole town is taking sides on whether or not Jamila’s arrest is religious persecution. Determined to find the truth, Lily teams up with a reporter to uncover what really happened the night of the hit and run.

Publisher: Pocket Books
Format: Paperback, ebook
Release Date: January 1, 2015
Buying Links:  Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Eileen will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to five randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/vbt-veiled-intentions-by-eileen-carr.html

 a Rafflecopter giveaway