An Interview with Maria Hammarland. Author of Flashback:The thing about fighting evil? It keeps coming back.
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
The thing about fighting evil? It keeps coming back.
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.
An Interview with Maria Hammarblad
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder. Tell us about your newest book.
This is actually the second time Flashback is published. It used to be with Desert Breeze Publishing, but they closed, so now it has been re-edited and is getting a new life. It’s about a war veteran who has a hard time readjusting to being back in the USA. He meets a girl and things are improving. But of course, just as he’s starting to get his life back on track, everything goes wrong.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your newest book?
I’m European originally, and I tend to mix British and American English. It can be awkward when I use British expressions that mean something completely different in the USA. Luckily, my editors have helped me catch things. For instance, I wrote that the heroine wore a jumper. To me, that meant a special type of shirt and I had no idea Americans don’t use the word for that type of clothing.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I’ve always been writing, but didn’t get a publishing contract until about ten years ago. I’ve been with Desert Breeze Publishing since, learning so much from the owners and the editors, and I was sad when they announced they were closing the company.
To be honest though, I write fiction for fun – it’s something I do because I want to. I make a living on non-fiction. Through the years, I’ve written about everything from hair care to medicine, but most of my work relates to pets.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I would say, “Maria, I know you think the words ‘that’ and ‘had’ are necessary to make complete sentences, but take them out anyway.” Also, I grew up reading a lot of very old books, so I had an outdated writing style. In retrospect, I should have read more current material to help find a modern voice.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
In Flashback, it was when Steve goes through withdrawal. I have lived with addicts and been through most of the things Anna goes through with him. Writing about it was difficult, even when putting it in someone else’s life, but it was cathartic too. Doing it helped me get over and forgive a lot that belongs in the past.
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
Not really. I kind of start writing and then the characters take over, so even if I wanted to stick to a theme it would derail and become something different.
What are you working on now?
Right now, I’m re-editing some more of the books that were published with Desert Breeze Publishing and I’m rewriting one of them. It was my first book and the style is too different from everything I do today. I also have some new science fiction novels almost finished in the computer.
Is there a release date planned?
I plan to have the next re-release out by September 1st. It will be Operation Earth – a science fiction romance about an alien invasion.
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
I feel like I shouldn’t have favorites, but of course I have favorites, haha. Adam from the Embarkment 2577 series – he is an android who most of the time doesn’t even understand himself. He tries so hard and things go so wrong.
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I read those books over and over until they nearly fell apart. I loved the way books – all books – open a gateway to another world.
What are your plans for future projects?
I would like to write at least one more book with the main characters in the Embarkment 2577 series, and I have ideas for background stories for several of the supporting characters. I just have to get around to it…
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
Yes! Thank you so much for having me over. I really appreciate it.
You're welcome. Good luck with Flashback as well and the upcoming books you mentioned, and thank you for being with us today.
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.
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