Erin Gordon kicks off 2019....plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

The word "beshert" means "meant to be" in Hebrew. It is a word that I have taken to heart and used many times. It's the reason I met my husband, after all! So when I learned that Beshert was the title of Erin Gordon's latest novel, I knew we had to feature it. We are pleased to have Erin here as our very first interview of 2019. She is giving away three e-copies and one print copy of Beshert to some lucky readers!

Erin Gordon is a Bay Area native who graduated from UC Berkeley and Loyola Law School. After practicing law for three years, she earned a master’s in journalism at Stanford University and worked several years as a newspaper beat reporter covering law firms. Erin then spent more than 20 years as a freelance legal affairs journalist, all the while dreaming of becoming a novelist.

She’s written six novels (three ended up in the proverbial drawer!) and is at work on her next book. When not writing, Gordon enjoys knitting, going for long walks in San Francisco, doing yoga, and spending time in Lake Tahoe with her family.

Erin lives in San Francisco with her husband and teenage children. (Bio courtesy of Erin's website.)

Visit Erin online: 
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:
On a bus in Tel Aviv shortly before Shabbat, Chelsea, a tourist from Colorado, is about to make a grave error. Noam, a local on his way home from work, spots what’s happening. Though he helps avert the disaster she’s set in motion, their lives are forever altered.

Recovering from a trauma back home, Chelsea has traveled to Israel hoping to restore her shaken faith. A scientist and a proud secular Israeli, Noam is working through his own traumas, which include a dead girlfriend and a phobia he’s ashamed to face. Though Chelsea and Noam hail from opposite sides of the globe, they find something in each other they’ve never experienced before. But how can an atheist Jew from Tel Aviv and a Christian from Colorado Springs create a life?

Hitting the sweet spot between novelty and familiarity, Beshert will appeal to fans of Emily Giffin and Sarah Jio. With a novel premise and a vivid Middle Eastern setting, the story is told from two perspectives and explores what happens when your core identity is challenged. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

What is something you learned from writing your previous novels that you applied to Beshert?
I’ve written six novels but three ended up in the proverbial drawer. The failed stories, I discovered, lacked tension. So in outlining BESHERT, I wrote at the bottom of each scene, “The tension in this scene is _____.” If there wasn’t inherent tension, I either changed or ditched the scene. As a result, I’m really proud of BESHERT’s pacing and I’m using that same technique as I outline my new novel.

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Nothing thrills me more than when readers say, “I couldn’t put your book down” because that’s exactly what I say about books I love. With my new novel, BESHERT, it makes my day when readers tell me, “I never thought I’d want to visit Israel but now I do” because I worked hard to create an evocative setting, to make Israel almost a character in the story.

If you could cast the movie version of Beshert, who would play the lead characters?
Ooohh, I love this question. Elle Fanning has Chelsea’s look and would be great at conveying her lack of worldliness. If Zac Efron is willing to dye his hair black, he’d definitely capture Noam’s sexiness and sweetness.

What is a mantra you'd like to focus on for 2019?
Even before you asked, I’ve been thinking a lot about this. In recent months, I’ve come to realize how much in my life is driven by fear. So I’m considering a theme for 2019 – something like the Year to Challenge Fear.

What is your oldest piece of clothing?
A pair of Ann Taylor boots I splurged on in college. They’re sort of elegant cowboy-ish boots that are super uncomfortable, especially now that my feet are a size and a half bigger after having two babies. I haven’t even worn the boots in more than a decade but I just can’t part with them because I spent what was then an absolute fortune to me.

What is something new you've tried doing recently?
Two things – one mundane, one aspirational. First, I’ve started using a Rocketbook, a reusable notebook, as I work on my new novel and I’m kind of loving it. You can upload the handwritten pages and then wipe them clean to use again. Second, I’ve been looking for opportunities to respond to situations with empathy rather than judgment and I’m seeing the world differently now.

Thanks to Erin for visiting with us and sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends January 8th at midnight EST.