Guest Post by Author Hillary Peak!

Summary of the book: 
The letter said he was dying, that’sall Jules Weinstein knows when she leaves her life in San Francisco and moves to New York City to be with her father.  She goes for the remarkable opportunity to really know her father. She never dreamed he had liberated a concentration camp, dealt cards to Bugsy Siegel or saved the life of a Black Panther. Wings of Hope is a road trip through the memories of a man making peace with his life.  Little does she know that by getting to know her father, she will find herself. While her father struggles with whether his life was meaningful, Jules discovers that her father’s last gift to her is the ability to reach for her dreams.  Her journey teacher her that “the goodbye” is sometimes the most heartbreakingly beautiful part of life. 


Guest Post: 

I believe my greatest strength as a writer is the authenticity of the conversations.  Descriptions are hard for me--to be honest, I skip them in other books.  Thinking about the setting requires a lot of work.  Yet, when I close my eyes, I can honestly hear the characters.  I know how they talk, their accents, what they say.  It is fun for me to envision what my characters are going to say.  It is satisfying to have the whole scene come together.  For me, it is almost like a play.  I hear the actors.  Often, I can see what they are doing, their posture, gestures, facial features.  Then, I go back and try to put the setting in place. 


One of my reviews recently stated that I clearly loved New York City and that my descriptions were so vivid.  I was completely amazed.  I constantly feel that my descriptions are lacking.  What is particularly funny is that I am fine with New York, but it certainly isn't a city I'm particularly in love with.  It is fascinating what other's see in one's writing.


But the funniest reviews and comments have all been about my descriptions of what the characters eat and drink.  A number of people have mentioned this to me.  Some have raved about how the descriptions of food spoke to them.  So, what is the truth?  The truth is I love to eat, and I may not notice my surroundings, but I definitely notice what my latte tastes like!