The Moment Between
by Gareth Frank
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GENRE: Psychological Thriller
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BLURB:
After four years of mourning, Doctor Hackett Metzger is determined to stop letting his wife's death control his life. He is finally beginning to live again, but his recovery leads to an unexpected fight for his own survival and startling revelations about what happens to all of us in The Moment Between.
Hackett, a brilliant neurologist, is a skeptic. He doesn't believe he will one day be reunited with Jean, or dwell with God in heaven. What he does believe is that he should have seen the warning signs of her heart attack; he should have saved her. He also cannot accept the possibility that his clinical study of near death experiences could prove the existence of a conscious afterlife. When Hackett falls for the mother of a patient, grief finally begins to fade. But he has no idea his new love is hiding her dangerous past. Will Hackett's damaged spirit endure another heartbreak?
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Excerpt Two:
Yu Lai’s eyes radiated sadness, and there was a slight tremble in her lips. Hackett could see her trying to flush out her emotions before speaking.
“Nobody really knows what death is, when it starts or when it is complete,” she said. You and I both know the body dies gradually. Under the right circumstances, someone whose brain stops functioning and whose heart stops beating can be brought back to life an hour later, even more. The cells of the brain don’t just die the second blood flow is cut off.”
“What are you saying, Doctor? Are you advocating that we outlaw transplants?”
“No. You know I’m not. I guess I was just spooked by the way her arms lifted up. It was clear that Mrs. Carrollton wasn’t coming back, but I don’t know if she was truly and totally gone.”
Hackett wanted to yell, wanted to shut her up. Death was death. When the brain died, the conscious mind went with it. Hackett had learned the hard way that it was better to face that fact.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Gareth Frank is a former union organizer and administrator. He received a Master's Degree at the University of Wisconsin and later studied at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The Moment Between is his first published novel. His short stories have been published in various journals and have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize as well as the Silver Pen Write Well Award.
Interview with Gareth Frank
1. What is your favorite part of this book and why?
This is a tough question to answer, not because I don't have favorite parts, but because it is hard to talk about them without giving too much away.
I do love the dramatic ending. The Moment Between is a psychological thriller, and the ending doesn't disappoint. It has its share of action and surprises the reader at the same time it confirms what the reader already understands.
I also love one of the scenes in which a character experiences that moment between life and death. It is, more or less, a compilation of true near death experiences that captures the magic and hyper-reality that people describe.
2. If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
Doctor Hackett Metzger is a neurosurgeon. His daily life can be exciting, challenging, life saving and heartbreaking all in the same day. I did a lot of research to write about it. I even witnessed brain surgery by watching a number of videos, but being there with him would be amazing.
3. If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
I guess I should be picking out a classic, but the first book that comes to mind isn't even fiction. The Devil in the White City has everything you could want in a book -- real life drama, a killer story, impeccable research and great writing. It brings you into a world that you never imagined, and makes you think.
4. Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Most of the characters in this book are entirely of my own creation, but they often have experiences based on my research. One example of a character based on real life is Sarah, Hackett's love interest. Sarah came into my consciousness one day a few years ago when a friend sent me a Christmas card and announced the death of her brother in-law. She went on to allude that he might have been killed by his wife. The real woman was never convicted, and I know very little of her details, but the card inspired my novel and her character.
5. What made you want to become a writer?
I took an unlikely path to writing. I didn't plan it. I didn't dream about it my whole life. For many years, I did harbor an idea for a novel, but I did nothing to pursue it. Then when I contemplated retirement, the urge to write kind of exploded. That was seven years ago, and perhaps 10,000 hours of writing under the bridge. I got hooked.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Gareth Frank will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
