Tesa Erven was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and two kids. She works as an office administrator for a global outplacement firm. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and singing. The Loose End is her first published work.
BPM: Tell us about your most recent work? Is this book available on Nook and Kindle?
Tesa: My debut novel is called The Loose End. It is available on Nook and Kindle.
Renee Lawson is a young, vibrant, beautiful woman who fell in love with one of Oakland’s finest, and of all things, a married man. For her twenty-fifth birthday, he surprises her with a romantic getaway. He planned to make it a weekend she’d never forget. And indeed it was, until a few weeks later, her phone calls and text messages stopped being answered or responded to. He had gone on vacation with his family, but he’d always found time to communicate with her in the past.
Renee still confused by her lover’s disappearance, attends an event with her best friend, Sabrina. There they meet California native Bradsen Myers. A single, handsome, respected attorney and he’s definitely interested in Renee. While Bradsen feels its love at first sight, she pushes him away. After returning home from the event, desperation sets in. During her weeks of worry, Renee has a chance encounter with Bradsen. She feels an attraction but is conflicted. How can she start to build a connection with him when her secret love has vanished without a trace? Was he injured? Was he murdered? Where was he?
BPM: Give us some insight into your main characters or speakers. What makes each one so special?
Tesa: Renee Lawson is a young, vibrant beautiful woman that fell in love with a married man. Kayron Hawkins is the so-called happily married man in a relationship with Renee. Sabrina Brown is Renee’s childhood best friend and roommate and she’s very opinionated. Bradsen Myers is a prominent attorney and is attracted to Renee. I enjoy developing new characters and giving them a voice because each one is uniquely written.
BPM: What inspired you to sit down and actually start writing this book?
Tesa: I started writing ten years ago. The experience was great because I knew it was a big accomplishment. The problem was, I tried to go the traditional publisher route and after the many rejections I gave up on the manuscript. It wasn’t until years later when my husband found it and liked what I wrote. That’s when the desire for writing returned and I decided to research self-publishing.
BPM: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Tesa: For me, the easiest part about writing is when you have a muse that you can build or base a character on. My childhood best friend of 30+ years is inspiration to Sabrina’s character in my book. She happens to have those same character traits of always being there and guiding me that it just makes the story come together in a nice even flow.
BPM: Where do your book ideas come from? Are your books plot-driven or character-driven? Why?
Tesa: My ideas are character driven. I keep a notebook with me on the go. I start a story in there before scanning it into the computer. I still have a thing for the old fashioned scratch and scribble… I write everything down on paper.
BPM: How does your book relate to your present situation or journey?
Tesa: I write fiction for entertainment purposes. I want readers to be able to escape into my world.
BPM: Did you learn anything personal from writing your book?
Tesa: I love writing; it gets the creative juices flowing. I love unknowingly connecting characters together. It’s a small world and I prove that in my writing style. I get the thrill of just being able to write about love, twists, and a little suspense.
BPM: Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
Tesa: Some of the places/establishments in my book are places that people can actually visit. I would recommend Sonoma Valley, where you can tour the Korbel winery.
BPM: What were your goals and intentions in writing this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
Tesa: My goal was to write a love story with romance, suspense and unexpected twists. I am so pleased with the way the story turned out that it became a series.
BPM: What projects are you working on at the present?
Tesa: My current project is titled, Bonded for Life, its book three in The Loose End Series.
BPM: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
Twitter: @TesaErven
Tesa website: www.tesaerven.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/authortesaerven
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/tesaerven