Wednesday, January 14, 2015

THE DUNES By Erin Sands ~ Releasing Your Fears, Restore Your Soul, Renew Your Life ~


THE DUNES, 
Releasing Your Fears, Restore Your Soul, Renew Your Life 
By Erin Sands

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Interview:

Crystal: I have the pleasure of having Erin Sands stop by to answer a few questions. Welcome Erin! I'm so happy to have you here today. Would you share a little bit about yourself with us today?

Erin: I am a Christian. I live in Southern California with my husband. I am active in ministry and I am passionate about issues that concern humanity. Whether it is policy based or related to opportunities being fairly provided for all, you will find me at the front line, marching and championing human rights. I love exchanging ideas with critical thinkers who look at life outside the box. I love faith driven passionate people who are open to new ideas and who realize the importance of giving back. I love creative people who use their talents to entertain and enlighten. These are the topics, the endeavors and the kind of purposed living that excites me and makes my heart sing. These are my passions.

Crystal: Do you have a favorite scene you would like to share with us?

“Giddy with the thought of their union, The Other began running. The hot sand had become merely a spring board for her resolve, and she arrived at the top of The Dunes in record speed. Excited to share her new body and renewed spirit with him, The Other sought him out.
 The Other: My love, I'm here now!  I'm here. I finally made it to the top! Where are you? You're not going to believe your eyes!  Come see! Come see what the Lord has done!
 But there was no sign of The One and no answer to her calls.
So she sat and waited.
Sat and hoped.
Sat and prayed.
Sat and cried for 57 days until finally The Other accepted the truth: The One had chosen not to love her because his limitations had a greater effect on him than she did.
The Other staggered at the realization. Her mind flooded with the death of her hope. What now? What now!”

Crystal: Where did you come up with the idea for your current release?

Erin: In southern California, in the city of Manhattan Beach there is a 100-foot sand dune that people come from miles around to use as a form of exercise. It is incredibly steep and the sand gives such a loose traction that it is extremely challenging to climb to the very top. Years ago I was one of the many who would go there in the blazing sun and attempt to make it to the top. The journey and the pay off were so intense that it made an impression on me. So when it came time to write the allegorical part of my book I instantly gravitated to that memory in terms of a character overcoming a hurdle in their life and the feeling of victory that comes from being able to conquer your “mountain” so to speak. That experience inspired me to title my book: The Dunes.

Crystal: What are you currently working on?

Erin: Several years ago I toured in a Christian play entitled S.T.E.M. It was a theatrical ministry vehicle I co-wrote with three of my dearest friends. It was composed of dramatic and comedic monologues where we gave our personal testimonies of how, by grace, we not only survived things like breast cancer, domestic abuse and low self-worth but triumphed through the power of forgiveness and faith. Our testimonies and our witness of God’s faithfulness encouraged women in similar circumstances to persevere, to have hope and expectancy in a God who is able to bring us through. We have recently decided to bring S.T.E.M to the masses in the form of a DVD, with added commentary from our present lives. That is what I am currently working on.

Crystal: Do you have any special routine that you follow when you are writing?

Erin: No. 

Crystal: Did you have to do a lot of research this book or any other?

Erin: The Dunes is really a journey for the soul, a journey, that as the author, I couldn’t ask readers to take if I wasn’t prepared to take it myself.  As I was writing The Dunes I was taking that journey and learning about my own fears and my own path to forgiveness. The research I did for The Dunes was done through prayer and in my heart. 

Crystal: Who are some of your favorite authors that you like to read?

Erin: I have enjoyed many books and many authors over the years, so this question is a little bit hard for me to answer. That said, the author that I go back to time and time again. The author that makes me think and reason in a new way is, C.S Lewis. I love his writing style and his profoundly astute approach to Christianity. 

Crystal:Is there a genre you haven’t written that you would like to try? 

Erin: One day I would like to write a book of short-stories.

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About The Book: 

If there was a journey that could masterfully change your life in seven revelations…would you take it?
In life, sometimes the kernels of wisdom and the richness of revelation can be found in the most innocent of stories; and so it is with The Dunes. Join one man and one woman in an exquisitely simple yet remarkably profound journey as you discover with them that the mountain you must climb in order to live the abundant life of your dreams is located squarely within your heart.

Illuminated in seven revelations; The Dunes carries the reader on a journey to not only examine the obstacles that are holding them back in life but to conquer and overcome them as well. With each revelation The Dunes intimately calls on the reader as the journey companion to face a challenge…a dare if you will that requires an uncompromising commitment to change. In the family of faith-based self help books The Dunes stands alone, simultaneously taking the reader from fiction to life and back again, equipped with a tailor made journal for the readers inner most secrets and reflections. The Dunes is part allegory, part testimony and part journal but the best part is the healing it offers your heart. When you’re ready to step out of your comfort zone and step into the miracle of your life…The Dunes awaits.
Caution: Readers of this book are subject to significant changes for the better. Side effects include frequent smiling and enjoying life in every season.

Genre: Christian- Mind-Body-Spirit-Self Help
Paperback: 230 pages
Publisher: The Dunes (May 22, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0615982948
ISBN-13: 978-0615982946

Buy Links:

B&N | AMAZON

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About The Author:
  
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in the Bay Area of Northern California, Erin grew up with an innate love for dance, theatre and the written word. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, Erin began her career in the arts as an actress and choreographer. After booking several notable roles in television and film, Erin began to use her gift of writing in blogs featuring political and social commentary, as well as developing content for theatrical use.
Although The Dunes, is a divine departure from Erin’s previous writings it is by far her most cherished work to date. “I wrote The Dunes initially as self therapy because I needed to release some painful experiences and disappointments from my past. I had this thirst to walk in the complete fullness of life with joy as my constant companion. I had no idea what effect it would have on other people. But when I saw people read it and be released from fears that had held them back for years…when I saw people forgive and be able to walk in the freedom forgiveness brings…when I saw people commit and serve and how those things opened up new opportunities in their life, I was just humbled. Humbled by the awesome power of God and humbled that I had been allowed to go along for the ride”.

When asked why she writes, Erin pauses and reflects on the truth of her heart. “I write because although I am only now beginning to truly love the process, I have always loved the outcome. Like a composer, words become my notes. I string them together in song eliciting the response of my reader, grafting a picture of my soul. Where besides the written word can you effect change so utterly and so succinctly? What besides the written word can pierce the universal collective mind? Everything begins with a thought, but it isn’t until that thought is articulated in written word and those words passed down can life changing movement happen. It must be written, it must be expressed on tablet, and when it is, we all become greater, whether the writing be genius or fatuity, it has evoked thought and debate. Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of that phenomenon? Why wouldn’t I want to share my story, give my testimony…add my paradigm to the mix? Whether it is a novel, a poem, an essay or an article, it is humanity visited. An insight into a new or sometimes shared truth. In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God and the word was God. And with that I live my life”.


Social Links:
Email: thedunesbook@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.thedunesbook.com
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheDunesbook
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TheDunesbook
Trailer: http://youtu.be/dxCc270iTDY






Tour Hosted by WNL Book Tours

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1 comment:

  1. Crystal,
    Thank you for hosting THE DUNES on your site today! I loved being interviewed by you....your questions were very insightful. I hope your readers enjoy THE DUNES excerpt as well as take a moment to check out my website and THE DUNES book trailer. Have an awesome day :-)

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