Natalie R. Collins Follow the link for a cool book trailer for Natalie Collins' Wives And Sisters ....

And read on to learn more ...


“A white-knuckles ride all the way. Expert depiction of a young woman’s struggle with the oppressive ‘family values’ of one kind of fundamentalism. Newcomer Collins is a talent to watch.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Startling and compelling--I could not stop turning the pages. Natalie Collins weaves an absolutely riveting tale."-- Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of The Sinner



Set in the closed world of the Mormon Church, a world scrutinized because of the Elizabeth Smart case and covered in nonfiction bestsellers like Secret Ceremonies and Under the Banner of Heaven, and the new HBO show, BIG LOVE, WIVES AND SISTERS is the gripping story of a young woman on the run from evil, powerful men. Receiving phenomenal media coverage and reviews, Collins’s WIVES AND SISTERS portrays a world eerily similar to that of killer Mark Hacking, who killed his pregnant wife Lori. The parallels between the deception Mark Hacking built around his education and the lies perpetrated by the character Mark in WIVES AND SISTERS are uncanny, right down to the same first name.
WIVES AND SISTERS opens with a look back at the sudden disappearance of Allison Jensen’s best friend, who was kidnapped while playing in the woods near home. One moment her friend was beside her; then she was gone. When no leads emerged, she was given up for dead. Now, years later, trying to fill in the gaps of a patchwork memory, Allison still gets no answers from the Mormon community in which she lives. She is stuck in a world where she does not fit with a father who tyrannizes and torments heras the self-appointed messenger of God. Why is she being fed half-truths? When a brutal attack makes her desperate to escape Mormon bonds, Allison finds herself on a collision course with community leaders as they cover up the steps of a sexual predator.
Like Mark Hacking, Collins’ character Mark Peterson is trying to live a life of impeccable standards, dictated by Mormon tenets, and when he fails, the consequences are deadly, as he will do almost anything to protect his standing in the community of Saints. Allison is determined to bring Mark and those who didn’t stop him to justice, before they stop her from piecing together the tragic past that has haunted her for so many years.

As a former member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and lifelong resident of Utah, Natalie R. Collins brings authentic color and voice to Allison. In her extensive research of the history and teachings of Mormonism, she has discovered that it is a very large organization with a violent and colorful past. WIVES AND SISTERS is a story familiar to many young men and women raised inside the strictures of fundamental religions. Many times there is a “protect the Church at all costs” mentality among Church leaders, which leads to a sheltering system that enables offenders to abuse their victims over and over again without consequence. Heartbreaking and thrilling, WIVES AND SISTERS will keep readers firmly on the edge of their seat.

Natalie answered my questions here. Check out her awesome answers!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL “WRITING DAY”?
Get up, talk a long walk to formulate ideas and listen to the "voices" of my characters. Write for an hour, referee fight between daughters, send them to their rooms, write for another hour, answer the call of hungry children, write for two more hours, then work on promotion for about three hours.

DO YOU RECALL THE KERNEL OF INSPIRATION FOR THIS BOOK?
I was going to write the story of my life, my memoirs, and my parents had a fit. So I took my story, mixed it with the story of a lot of other people, and I had something MUCH more interesting than my own story would ever have been. Thanks Mom and Dad!

PICK A CHARACTER IN THE BOOK AND TELL US WHAT TRAIT YOU SHARE (OR COME CLOSEST TO SHARING) WITH THAT CHARACTER.
Allison, the main character. The one trait we share is desire to know the truth and the answers. She is not a follower. I was never a follower. I did not have a problem following rules, or instructions, as long as you could give me a good reason why. "Just because" was never good enough for me. Now, of course, having children, I am cursed daily with my own youthful foibles. "Because I'm the mom" is not a good answer, and so I always have to explain why. Oh well.

IF YOU WERE STUCK ON A DESERT ISLAND, WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE A MAGICAL TRUNK THAT GAVE YOU LIMITLESS BOOKS TO READ, OR A LIMITLESS SUPPLY OF PAPER ON WHICH TO WRITE?

Are you KIDDING ME? How am I supposed to choose? I guess I would rather have the limitless books to read, because if no one was there to read the books I was writing, what would be the point?

BEER OR WINE? Definitely wine. Beer makes me bloated.

CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? Vanilla. LOVE Vanilla. It's my favorite flavor and smell....


Be sure to check out the book and Natalie's blog, Trapped by the Mormons, at http://www.nataliercollins.com/weblog: