Character Interview: Brandy Chambers of 'Moon Over Alcatraz' by Patricia Yager Delagrange

We’re thrilled to be talking to Brandy Chambers from Patricia Yager Delagrange’s Moon Over Alcatraz.  It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Brandy.  How old are you and what do you do for a living?

I’m thirty years old and I’m an author. I have one book that’s published and I’m working on my next novel.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features?

One of the features I like about my looks is my long auburn hair that I can put up in a ponytail when I run. It flows a bit past my shoulders and is slightly wavy. I have a habit of curling the sides behind my ears so I often snap it up in a rubber band so I don’t fiddle with it.

What would I love the most about you?

I’m a kind person. I don’t like to participate in idle gossip and putting people down. I enjoy talking to my close friend and neighbor Cecilia about what’s going on in our neighborhood but that’s because I like the couples and children who live on Lauren Drive in Alameda. We have block parties and I hosted two in Moon Over Alcatraz - a summer party and a Christmas party. They’re always fun and a good way to catch up with my block friends.

What would I hate the most about you?

Probably the fact that sometimes I’m not assertive enough. To those people who are assertive, I can be irritating because I don’t stand up for myself. I should have been more honest and forthcoming with my husband Weston after our baby died. I should have insisted we go to counseling together. Maybe things would have been different.

Where do you go when you are angry?

When I’m angry I put on my running shoes and I just jam to the beach, always ending up at my favorite coffee house to have a latte and people-watch after my run.

What makes you laugh out loud?

I like to listen to people’s stories about something they did that was corny and kind of embarrassing, but harmless. The ability to laugh at yourself and tell the tales to your friends, to me, is endearing.

What is in your refrigerator right now?

A package of tortillas, a block of sharp cheddar cheese, a head of broccoli, and a six-pack of caffeine-free Coke.

What is your most treasured possession?

The rocking cradle that Edward purchased for my daughter. It has a device that plugs into the wall and rocks the cradle so that she can sleep easier. 

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is that something is going to hurt my daughter. After losing a child, the second child feels like a precious piece of delicate glass that might break easily. I can get a bit overprotective where she’s involved.

Are you a loner or do you prefer to surround yourself with friends?

I need my alone time because I’m an author. Thankfully, people know that and don’t come to my door unannounced because once I’m in the rhythm, I don’t like to be interrupted.

About the Author: 

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Patricia attended St. Mary’s College, studied her junior year at the University of Madrid, received a B.A. in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara then went on to get a Master’s degree in Education at Oregon State University. She lives with her husband and two teenage children in Alameda, across the bay from San Francisco, along with two very large chocolate labs, Annabella and Jack. Her Friesian horse Maximus lives in the Oakland hills in a stall with a million dollar view.

Her latest book is the romantic women’s fiction, Moon Over Alcatraz.

For More Information

• Visit Patricia Yager Delagrange’s website.
• Connect with Patricia on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Patricia’s books at Goodreads.

About the Book:

Brandy Chambers was looking forward to the birth of her first child. She and Weston move from San Francisco to the small town of Alameda to start a family, she’s writing her second book, and Weston

has a fantastic job working on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge project. Having this baby would make her already-wonderful life perfect.

But when the baby dies after a difficult birth, Brandy’s perfect life blows up in her face. Stricken with grief, she and Weston pull apart. This new distance leads them both to disaster. Not until a chance encounter with her high school friend, Edward Barnes, does Brandy pull herself together. Brandy and Weston agree to recommit to each other, striving to forgive infidelity and recreate their previous existence.

Everything is once again going according to plan—until Brandy discovers she’s pregnant. While she struggles to cope with this new obstacle, Edward Barnes returns to town and discovers she’s having a baby, while Weston is torn between his love for his wife and his anger at her betrayal. Can Brandy manage to keep her marriage to Weston together? Will Edward be a part of Brandy’s life if she and Weston separate?

For More Information

• Moon Over Alcatraz is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.