Irine Shapiro, Author
Dear Readers,
Today, I welcome back Irina Shapiro, my fellow author of time travelesque novels! Irina visited with me back in 2016 and it's fun to catch up again!
As with many interviews, I'll be breaking hers into several parts, to keep them to quick reads. We hope you'll come back for Parts Two and Three.
Before we dig in, let me announce my new email list and make a shameless plug to ask you to sign up for my email list. To sign up for my e-mail list: CLICK HERE. If you're signed up on my blog, you will receive new blog posts. The email list is different, and will include news and updates both for my personal work and for Gabriel's Horn.
And now, please welcome Irina Shapiro!
Hi, Irina, Tell us about your newest book or series.
My latest book, The Condemned, is the sixth book in the Echoes from the Past series. The series centers around Dr. Quinn Allenby, an archeologist who has the ability to see into the past when holding an object that belonged to the deceased. This is a very useful gift in her profession, more so because she’s headlining a historical program called Echoes from the Past. Each episode of the program focuses on recently unearthed human remains and imagines what might have happened to the victim based on scientific data and the political climate during their lifetime. What the viewers don’t realize is that the story is real, seen by Quinn in all its gruesome detail.
While the historical mysteries are the focus of the series, Quinn’s own story runs through all the books, starting with her quest for her biological parents and evolving into something she never quite expected.
There’s romance, mystery, adventure, and, of course, lots of history. In other words, something for everyone.
That sounds fascinating! Give us a synopsis for The Condemned.
2015. Dr. Quinn Allenby thinks she’s seen it all, but when the remains of a young woman and her newborn are discovered in a cave in Cornwall, the only clue to her death is a smooth-edged hole in the top of the skull and the indisputable evidence that the victim was still alive, and possibly in labor, when the coffin was sealed. Torn between her professional commitments and her desperate need to find her missing twin, Quinn agrees to a daring plan, one that will lead to the Taliban-occupied mountains of Afghanistan and the snow-covered alps of Germany.
1620. After suffering years of abuse at the hands of her uncle, Mary takes the ultimate risk and sails for the New World, where the promise of a new life and an arranged marriage to a colonist await. Mary is determined to make her marriage a success, but her husband’s indifference drives her straight into the arms of the one man she thought she could never love.
Tell us a little about your background.
I was born in Moscow, Russia, but came to the United States at the age of twelve. Immigration is never fun, not even when you’re a kid, and that’s a time in my life I don’t often go back to. Not knowing the language or understanding the culture can be traumatic, especially when starting High School. I spent most of my free time reading in my room, historical romances being my genre of choice. Reading those books led to my love of history and my desire to tell stories, so it wasn’t all bad.
I graduated from Baruch College in New York City with a degree in marketing and international trade, something that came in handy once I began to market my books. I worked as a Logistics Manager for years before writing my first book, not an occupation I miss or would want to go back to.
Having traveled widely before having kids, I long to visit some places I have yet to see, like Egypt, China, and maybe Morocco, but for now, I have to content myself with enjoying flights of the imagination from my home in New Jersey.
How long have you been writing and what got you started?
I’ve always been a voracious reader, but I didn’t start writing until 2008. Having quit my job to stay at home with my autistic son, I found myself struggling with depression, a feeling of utter helplessness, and lack of focus. I needed something to occupy my mind and allow me to channel my mental energy into something besides battling with a non-verbal five-year-old. I’d always dreamed of writing a book, and finally I had the time and the motivation I needed. My first book was born about six weeks later. It was awful. Truly awful. But it had the seeds of a good story, according to the people who read it; it just needed a little work. Discouraged, I put my writing on the backburner until I was ready to try again. And I did, in 2011. My second story was better, if still a little cheesy, but I thought it good enough to self-publish. To my utter astonishment, it hit #1 in Scottish romance and sold thousands of copies. Buoyed by my success, I set out to write another book, and another, and then delved into writing a series. I’ve made many mistakes, paid for them with bad reviews, learned from my failures and moved forward. Since the day I published that first book I never looked back.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
1665. When Elise de Lesseps is sold in marriage to Lord Edward Asher, she resolves to be an obedient and dutiful wife, until, on their wedding night, she finds out exactly what her husband has in store for her. His request leaves her feeling shocked and humiliated, but being his chattel, she has no right to refuse. The consequences of that night seal Elise’s fate, and set her on a path that will lead to heartbreak and tragedy.
2013. Renowned archeologist, Dr. Quinn Allenby has a gift; she can see into the past when holding an object that belonged to the dead. When asked to host a BBC documentary called “Echoes from the Past,” Quinn uses her gift to find out what really happened to the 17th century couple known only as “The Lovers,” and unwittingly stumbles onto the secret of her own birth.
Irina Shapiro was born in Moscow, Russia. In 1982 her family immigrated to the United States and settled in New York. After graduating from Bernard M. Baruch College, Irina first worked in advertising, and then in Import/Export as a Logistics Manager.
She left her job in 2007 to focus on her autistic son, and began to write. Since then Irina has written more than twenty novels. Irina Shapiro lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
Dear Readers,
Today, I welcome back Irina Shapiro, my fellow author of time travelesque novels! Irina visited with me back in 2016 and it's fun to catch up again!
As with many interviews, I'll be breaking hers into several parts, to keep them to quick reads. We hope you'll come back for Parts Two and Three.
Before we dig in, let me announce my new email list and make a shameless plug to ask you to sign up for my email list. To sign up for my e-mail list: CLICK HERE. If you're signed up on my blog, you will receive new blog posts. The email list is different, and will include news and updates both for my personal work and for Gabriel's Horn.
As with many interviews, I'll be breaking hers into several parts, to keep them to quick reads. We hope you'll come back for Parts Two and Three.
Before we dig in, let me announce my new email list and make a shameless plug to ask you to sign up for my email list. To sign up for my e-mail list: CLICK HERE. If you're signed up on my blog, you will receive new blog posts. The email list is different, and will include news and updates both for my personal work and for Gabriel's Horn.
And now, please welcome Irina Shapiro!
Hi, Irina, Tell us about your newest book or series.
My latest book, The Condemned, is the sixth book in the Echoes from the Past series. The series centers around Dr. Quinn Allenby, an archeologist who has the ability to see into the past when holding an object that belonged to the deceased. This is a very useful gift in her profession, more so because she’s headlining a historical program called Echoes from the Past. Each episode of the program focuses on recently unearthed human remains and imagines what might have happened to the victim based on scientific data and the political climate during their lifetime. What the viewers don’t realize is that the story is real, seen by Quinn in all its gruesome detail.
While the historical mysteries are the focus of the series, Quinn’s own story runs through all the books, starting with her quest for her biological parents and evolving into something she never quite expected.
There’s romance, mystery, adventure, and, of course, lots of history. In other words, something for everyone.
That sounds fascinating! Give us a synopsis for The Condemned.
2015. Dr. Quinn Allenby thinks she’s seen it all, but when the remains of a young woman and her newborn are discovered in a cave in Cornwall, the only clue to her death is a smooth-edged hole in the top of the skull and the indisputable evidence that the victim was still alive, and possibly in labor, when the coffin was sealed. Torn between her professional commitments and her desperate need to find her missing twin, Quinn agrees to a daring plan, one that will lead to the Taliban-occupied mountains of Afghanistan and the snow-covered alps of Germany.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
1665. When Elise de Lesseps is sold in marriage to Lord Edward Asher, she resolves to be an obedient and dutiful wife, until, on their wedding night, she finds out exactly what her husband has in store for her. His request leaves her feeling shocked and humiliated, but being his chattel, she has no right to refuse. The consequences of that night seal Elise’s fate, and set her on a path that will lead to heartbreak and tragedy. 
She left her job in 2007 to focus on her autistic son, and began to write. Since then Irina has written more than twenty novels. Irina Shapiro lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.
The Battle is O'er is now available!
Start from the beginning: Prelude One
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PTL Perrin's Terra's Anthem
Meeting Margaret: the Conclusion
Ross Tarry Mysteries
PTL Perrin's Terra's Anthem
Meeting Margaret: the Conclusion
Ross Tarry Mysteries
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