5-5-5 Day 3: Johnnie Alexander Donley

Welcome to the 5-5-5 event, Johnnie! I’m so glad to be hosting you today, on the third day of the event. :) Now, five questions! First of all, could you tell us a little about your book, Where Treasure Hides?

The novel is a story of sacrifice and hope against the backdrop of World War II. Talented artist Alison Schuyler and British army officer Ian Devlin face nearly insurmountable obstacles in their quest to build a life together. Besides the war, they are separated by a strange family curse and the schemes of a Nazi officer who is obsessed with Alison and her artistic legacy.

What’s something you love about Where Treasure Hides?

I had to skip this question and come back to it because there is so much I love about this novel. When it comes to the story itself, I love the characters – even evil, misguided Theodor. They lived out the story, surprising me with their secrets and astounding me with their courage.  

I also love the creative process and how themes and events I never planned just came together to create something whole and complete. That’s the inner joy and reward of writing . . . and of not giving up.

If Where Treasure Hides was made into a movie…do you have actors/actresses in mind to play the main characters? If not, can you describe a bit of what you’d be looking for?

I love classic movies so my first impulse is to look toward the past to cast my characters. In my dream movie, Ian is played by Joseph Cotten, Alison is played by Ingrid Bergman (on the left), and the Nazi officer, Theodor Scheidemann, is played by Van Johnson (with a dueling scar).

A more contemporary cast would have Dan Stevens (Matthew from Downton Abbey fame) as Ian, a young Gwyneth Paltrow as Alison, and a blond, also younger Jim Caviezel as Theodor.

Obviously I need help choosing appropriate younger actors for my contemporary cast. What can I say? These seem right to me. Besides, I’m a bit ignorant when it comes to current Hollywood celebrities.

Delightful! This is your first book, right? What do you think of the cover?

Yes, this is my first novel. When Tyndale sent me the cover as an email attachment, I hesitated before opening it. I wanted to like it so much and didn’t want to be disappointed. As the cover appeared on my screen, my eyes misted as I oohed and aahed. I absolutely love the cover. My husband had it enlarged and framed as an early Christmas gift. It’s beautiful.

It is indeed! A favorite of mine. Finally, what can we expect from you book-wise in the future?

Those who read the story know the ending is bittersweet. I’m working out the details for a sequel. But in the meantime, I’m returning to a previous manuscript and giving it a major revision. Ian Devlin is a secondary character in that story – but it’s the one that first gave him life. It features an American actress who works on an espionage mission with Ian for the Allies and who also falls in love with a German POW. She has a brief appearance in Where Treasure Hides.

Can't wait to read it! Readers, please see the links below to find Johnnie else-where on the internet. 

Treasured Moments blog: http://www.johnniedonley.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnnieAlexanderDonley
Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnnie_donley
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/7420365-johnnie-donley
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/johnniealexanderdonley
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/johnniedonley/ 

Thanks for coming by, Dani! I know you're a busy lady, and I really appreciate you making the time for this. And readers, the best part? She's offered a copy of this book, Where Treasure Hides, for giveaway to one of you! At present, it's only been published in digital...I have hopes for a hard copy someday though. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Where Treasure Hides

Author: Johnnie Alexander Donley

Genre: Suspense, adventure

Series: I hear that Johnnie is working on the sequel…

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Historical fiction

Number of pages: I read it as a PDF.

Time period: 1930s, 1940s, World War II

My overall opinion: Wow. Was I ever impressed! See, I requested this book from the author without a lot of research about it first. I knew I loved the cover, and the story sounded interesting enough. So I didn’t realize it was a digital book until Johnnie wrote back asking what kind of file I wanted to read it from. My hopes for it immediately dropped, I admit. My automatic reaction to a digital book is that they’re just digital for a reason…hate to say it, but they’ve usually got inferior writing. However! That was most decidedly not the case here. This book deserves to be in a physical paperback form! The cover and the story are both worth it. It’s set, as you saw, in World War II. Fascinating era. I read it mostly in the evening, and was so excited to come back to it every night. It’s an unforgettable story! Absolutely packed with intrigue and excitement – trust me, you won’t be able to stop if you’re trying to limit yourself. It’s not overly romantic, but enough to keep you reading. If you can get this one, or see a giveaway for it, definitely do. It’s a page turner…in a digital way. Thrilling, intense, heart-warming – all in one book. I highly recommend it especially for anyone who likes historical fiction!

**The author sent me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I have reviewed it honestly. I wasn’t required to post a positive review, and all opinions are my own.**