Monday, January 12, 2015

Who Am I? by Megan Cyrulewski - Interview and Giveaway


This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Megan will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Thanks for joining us at It's Raining Books. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

For my first book, I wrote a memoir. It started out as a sort of therapy for me. I never intended to share it with anyone but my friend read it and said I should try to get it published. I love memoirs because I love reading how people triumph over tragedy, which is why I finally chose to get mine published.

What research is required?

For my next book, I’m working on a crime fiction and my research is my 3 years of law school! I have to use that law degree for something, right? When I first started writing this book, I researched things like, “Easy way to kill someone,” “arsenic poisoning,” “car accidents,” and so on. I thought that any day the FBI was going to show up at my door.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

In my crime fiction book (hopefully published next summer) I learned how to be smart. I know that sounds vague but if you read my book next year, it will make sense.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

Without thinking about it, I tap a pen on the table when I’m thinking. It’s not bad when I’m at home but I’ve gotten some looks when at the local cafĂ©.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Plotter, but I’m a Type A personality so everything is always plotted out in advance.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

Bins of stuff because I’m moving to a new house in January. My room looks like a disaster area.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Like I mentioned earlier, hopefully my crime fiction book will be published next year!

Do you have a question for our readers?

If you read memoirs, why? What do you like about them?

Thank you!!

Megan Cyrulewski is an ordinary person who has faced extraordinary challenges and now wants to inspire people and show them that hope gives them the power to survive anything. Who Am I? is about her journey into postpartum depression, anxiety disorder, panic attacks, visits to the psych ward, divorce, domestic violence, law school and her courageous struggle to survive with her sanity intact - and how a beautiful little girl emerged from all this chaos.
Enjoy an excerpt:

Tyler was out of control—I had to stop him from taking my daughter…

Before I could even react, he snatched Madelyne out of my arms and put her in the back of his car. She started to hyperventilate.

“What are you doing?” I screamed.

Tyler ignored me as he tried to strap her in the car seat.

“Tyler! She’s terrified! You can’t do this! Let’s take her to a park or something. She has to calm down before she can go with you!” Was he crazy? How could he do this to his own child?

I squeezed in between him and the doorframe of the car door. “Tyler! Stop!”

“Don’t touch my car!” Tyler screeched as he tried to slam the door shut. I had my leg in between the door and the frame so he couldn’t close the door. I tried reaching Madelyne who was still wailing and howling. It was a horrific sound. All of a sudden, Tyler put me in a chokehold and dragged me from the car. I could see my dad out of the corner of my eye trying to get someone’s, anyone’s, attention.

“Help!” I screamed. “Help me!” But we were parked too far away from the actual police station and since it was Sunday, no one was around. “Someone help me. Please!”

Tyler tightened his arm around my throat. I couldn’t breathe. Oh my God, I thought. He’s going to kill me. Tyler was completely out of control. I knew if I didn’t do something soon, I was going to blackout.


About the Author:
Megan Cyrulewski has been writing short stories ever since she was ten-years-old. Eventually she settled into a career in the non-profit sector and then went back to school to get her law degree. While she was in school, she documented her divorce and child custody battle in her memoir, Who Am I?, which was published in 2014. Megan lives in Michigan with her 3-year-old daughter who loves to dance, run, read, and snuggle time with Mommy. Megan also enjoys her volunteer work with Troy Youth Assistance as the Fundraising Chair on the Board of Directors.

http://www.megancyrulewski.com
https://www.facebook.com/authorMeganC
https://twitter.com/MeganCyrulewski
http://www.megancyrulewski.com/blog
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8412564.Megan_Cyrulewski

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble. a Rafflecopter giveaway

12 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting me today!

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  2. I liked the interview

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  3. I like memoirs because I can learn about experiences I haven't had myself!

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(Dot)com

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  4. I liked reading the interview, Thank you!

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  5. I enjoyed your interview, but I was captured emotionally by the excerpt.

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  6. I enjoy reading memoirs because you learn things you hadn't known before.

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  7. Really enjoyed the excerpt and interview!!

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  8. Great interview!
    Thanks for the chance to win!

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  9. Excellent post! I liked the interview best and then the excerpt. This book sounds like such an interesting and intriguing read. I will totally have to add this book to my "to-read" list.

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