Author Interview (and a Giveaway!): Cynthia Hilston & The Rock at the Bottom

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Rock at the Bottom by Cynthia Hilston, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours! I’m delighted to have Cynthia here today to chat about her book!

THE ROCK AT THE BOTTOM by Cynthia Hilston
SERIES: Lorna & Tristan Series #3
GENRE: Inspirational 20th-century Historical fiction/Romance
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2023
PAGES: 302

A big dreamer and successful novelist carries the sins of his father and a secret that leaves him wondering if he is the author or killer of love.

Stephen feels he is marked from day one to lose the ones he loves. His mother dies giving birth to him, and his alcoholic father makes sure Stephen never forgets it. To block out his father’s hate, fists, and belt, young Stephen loses himself in his imagination. Stories become his closest companions and barricades against a family that never wanted him. Once he can look his father in the eye, Stephen swears he will never be the monster his old man is. He vows he will become a published author, if for no other reason than to prove his father wrong.

While his dreams of being a bestselling novelist and falling in love come true, Stephen has much to prove to himself before he can write his own happy ending. Set against the backdrop of Prohibition-era Cleveland, Stephen fights the same alcoholic demons that plagued his father as he tries to begin a life free from his family. He meets equally headstrong Julie and is smitten, but their marriage is as fractured as his career is solid. He can find ten ways to write about being in love, but he has a hard time translating love on the page to love in real life. Julie slips between his fingers like sand, and Stephen sees his father staring back when he looks in the mirror.

Try as he might to rewrite his life, even going so far as to change his name, he has to wonder if he is the author or the killer of love.

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Hi Cynthia! Welcome to the blog!

Cynthia: Definitely cats because I’ve always been a cat person. I have two kitties, Tater and Midnight (both boys). Tater is a lovable orange boy who follows me everywhere and loves sitting in my lap. Midnight is a fat black kitty who’s sweet but a bit neurotic!

Carrie: aww ♥

Cynthia: Coffee for sure. I love the smoothness of coffee and how it goes well with breakfast or sweets. The smell is also heavenly. I’m a bit addicted to Starbucks!

Carrie: I would love coffee if it tasted like it smelled haha

Cynthia: Hallmark! I’m a sucker for romance, even the cheesy ones, especially around Christmas! Also, I’m a Heartie! I love When Calls the Heart and have been a fan for years. Can I say how happy I am that Lucas and Elizabeth are together?!

Carrie: I haven’t ever watched that one (gasp! I know) but I do love the Hallmark Mysteries channel 🙂

Cynthia: Both! I love music when I need something to pump me up (maybe to get in the mood to write), but audiobooks are great for long drives or walks.

Carrie: best of both worlds!

Q: Around here I like to say that reading is my superpower. If YOU had a superpower, what would it be?

Cynthia: I wish I could wave a magic wand every morning, and my house would be instantly cleaned!

Carrie: amen to that!

Q: If you knew you were only going to be allowed FIVE books for the rest of your life, besides the Bible, which five would make the cut? 

Cynthia: Glad the Bible is in there! Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, How to Stop Time, Tuesdays with Morrie, and Station Eleven

Carrie: i love the mix!

Q: If I asked your characters to describe YOU as an author, what would they say?

Cynthia: They would say I’m merciless—haha! Okay, not completely, but I bet they’d complain that I put them through WAY too much before they get their happy ending. Of course, I hope they’d realize I only do this because it makes them stronger and that I take no pleasure in their suffering (well, maybe a little!).

Carrie: haha!

Q: Were there any songs that inspired you as you wrote The Rock at the Bottom?

Cynthia: Listen to “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron. It’s chilling and very sad, especially the lyrics, “I had all and then most of you, some and now none of you. Take me back to the night we met. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back to the night we met.”

Carrie: that sounds achingly beautiful ♥

Q: What is one of your favorite quotes from The Rock at the Bottom & why do you love it?

Cynthia: “This earth was teasing me with glimpses of heaven as I lived in hell.” I think this quote sums up Stephen’s life perfectly at the time he said it. His struggle is a crisis of faith and identity.

Carrie: i love that quote!

Thank you so much for taking time to talk with me! 🙂 Before we say goodbye for today, tell us what‘s coming up next for you.

Cynthia:A contemporary sweet romance called The Apple of Erin’s Eye, which is very loosely based on my favorite novel, Jane Eyre!

Cynthia Hilston is a stay-at-home mom of three young kids, happily married, and lives in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. Writing has always been like another child to her. After twenty years of waltzing in the world of fan fiction, she stepped away to do her debut dance with original works of fiction, although she still dabbles in fan fiction.

In her spare time – what spare time? – she devours books, shamelessly watches Hallmark movies and When Calls the Heart, pets her orange and black kitties, looks at the stars, drinks wine or coffee with good friends, and dreams of what other stories she wishes to tell.

Connect with Cynthia by visiting cynthiahilston.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and a book bundle including Lorna versus Laura, Rocks and Flowers, and The Rock at the Bottom!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight March 21, 2023 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on March 28, 2023. 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 JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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This giveaway is hosted by JustRead Tours, not RimSP
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What about you? What makes you want to read The Rock at the Bottom by Cynthia Hilston?