The SHANNON MUIR’S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS column on Mondays and Wednesdays is a place at Shannon Muir’s author website open to interviews and guest posts from other authors. One thing Shannon firmly believes in for readers not only to learn about new books available, but about those who craft the tales behind them. As its name implies, SHANNON MUIR’S INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS weekly column features writers from all genres of fiction who want their potential audience to get to know them, and their works, better – and occasionally may offer features from Shannon herself that support readers to discover words.
Today, find out more about FLASHBACK.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Flashback
Maria Hammarblad
Genre: Romance/Military
Publisher: Sadowski Media
Date of Publication: August 1, 2018
Originally Published by Desert Breeze Publishing June 21, 2013
ISBN: 1723130176
ASIN: B07FXZMSWN
Number of pages: 155
Word Count: 47656
Cover Artist: Juan Villar Padron
Tagline: The thing about fighting evil? It keeps coming back.
Book Description:
As the sole survivor of a Taliban POW camp, Steve Petersen is damaged goods. He is convinced that he left his sanity within the horror-filled walls that held him captive for the better part of a year. His mind is trapped in moments of graphic, soul-crushing flashbacks, and his only solace is the momentary reprieve he gains from alcohol and drugs.
When he mysteriously wakes in a bright and cheery bedroom that belongs to a woman he barely remembers meeting, he knows he should leave. He should save the widow Anna from his own special brand of crazy. Leaving is not as easy as one would think, and he finds himself drawn into a world of real life problems such as folding laundry, and what to make for dinner.
This new way of life eases his need for drowning his pain in substances and offers moments of quiet healing – until Anna disappears. To save her, Steve must face the demons that have tortured him for so long and return to the place where it all began. Afghanistan.
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
What initially got you interested in writing?
My mom had a lot of books and a passion for books. She read to me all the time and taught me to read by myself when I was very young. I think this inspired the urge to create books myself. They’re magical, filled with wondrous worlds.
I’ve wanted to write since before I was able to actually shape letters. Mom stapled papers together for me to resemble books and I drew suns in them. They were all about the sun…
How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?
I think it’s the same passion to create that kept pushing me. Writing is satisfying in itself – I love when the characters start telling me their stories – but I want the book, the final product. It makes me feel like I accomplished something.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
For the most part, I just want to entertain people. If there is one underlying theme in all my works, it is to let go of our fear of things and people that are different than ourselves. It can lead to marvelous things – friendships and even love.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
It’s difficult to pick just one thing. I love starting new stories – usually somewhere in the middle – and I enjoy getting to know new characters. And, having the story wrapped up.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Finishing stories. There’s usually an annoying portion toward the end where I don’t know what happens, and it can take a lot of time before the characters tell me how they got out of a pickle. One of my heroes recently spent four years captive in an alien spaceship before he saw fit to tell me how he overpowered the bad guys and made his way out. Haha!
What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?
Write. To begin with, get words down and don’t worry too much about it. With time you’ll find your own voice and style, but it won’t happen if you don’t write.
Once you have your story, find help editing it. It’s difficult to spot flaws in your own plots, almost impossible to see things that are incoherent or missing, grammar errors, typos, whatever in your own writing, because you know what you want to say.
What ways can readers connect with you?
I am on Facebook, here: https://www.facebook.com/mariahammarblad I have a website: www.hammarblad.com and a blog: www.scifiromance.info
Thank you so much for having me over!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About the Author:
Maria Hammarblad is an author and bass player whose fascination with books started early. Before she could read or write, she made her mother staple papers together to resemble books. She drew suns in them and claimed they were “The Sun Book.” They were all about the sun.
The four-year-old also claimed her existence on Earth was a mistake, the result of a horrible mix-up, and that her real family would come to bring her home to her own planet at any time. This didn’t happen, but her fascination with books and other worlds stayed with her.
Besides novels, she also writes award-winning screenplays, enjoys photography, and works with animal rescue organizations.
Website: http://www.hammarblad.com
Blog: http://www.scifiromance.info
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahammarblad/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mariahammarblad
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4114780.Maria_Hammarblad