I’m delighted to welcome author Jordan Gray to What Cathy Read Next. Jordan’s latest novel, In the Joining of Souls – Echoes of Yesterday is published today. Described as ‘A gripping novel of love, dedication, and redemption, perfect for fans of emotional suspense and small-town mysteries’, it’s available to purchase as an ebook from Amazon. Read on as I chat with Jordan about the book and his writing journey.
About the Book
Shattered trust. Buried secrets. A friendship on the brink.
In a small town where everyone knows everyone’s business, Jordie and Hannah share an unbreakable bond – until tragedy rips their world apart. As grief consumes him, Jordie embarks on a desperate search for answers, uncovering a web of lies that shatter his understanding of the past and force him to question the people he trusts and the memories he once clung to.
With guilt, betrayal, and long-buried secrets rising to the surface, Jordie must confront a devastating Can he ever truly move forward, or has the past already shaped his future beyond repair?
Find In the Joining of Souls on Goodreads
Q & A with Jordan Gray, author of In the Joining of Souls
Your debut novel, Secret of the Whispering Woods, was a middle-grade fantasy adventure. What attracted you to writing a book in a different genre?
I have always wanted to write, but never had – or made – the time to do it. Once I finally had the time and the courage to start, I decided that I don’t want to be stuck in a single genre. I started with middle-grade fiction, because they are generally a more forgiving audience and rookie mistakes would not be telling. I learned a lot and true to my objective, tried my hand at something completely different with In the Joining of Souls.
How would you describe the ideal reader of In the Joining of Souls – Echoes of Yesterday?
I wrote it for readers with a solid interest in human nature and how life’s events shape the human character, and who also prefers eloquent narrative, descriptive writing and real thematic depth to fast-paced, all-out action.
Your book has two main characters. How did you go about creating them and did they change much during the time you were writing the book?
Yes, and I love them both! Especially in Jordie there is a profound change – one of the most difficult humanly possible: learning how to deal with the worst life can throw at you, bearing it and moving ahead. Oh, and of course, learning to forgive and accept. Hannah is my hands-down favourite though. But I’ll let the readers discover her for themselves.
How important to the story is the book’s setting?
It is quite strongly grounded in its era and in the culture of its setting, but the themes are universal – part of the human condition, so to speak. So I would say that for reader immersion and enjoyment, the strong atmospheric style is important, but in terms of the central precepts, they are things we all grapple with daily so I think they’d be easy for everyone to connect with, regardless of the setting.
Were there any scenes that were particularly challenging to write? If so, why?
Yes, several! The book is deeply emotional and in some scenes my biggest challenge was to see the words I was writing through my tears!
What is your favourite and least favourite part of the writing process?
I love everything about writing, from first draft to re-write, second re-write, third, fourth etc. etc. etc. Even editing arguments! No favourite parts, honestly.
What are you working on next?
I have started on a new novel. It’s a lot less sweet than In the Joining of Souls and intersects with the paranormal, but not enough to put it in that genre. More character-driven psychological fiction/ suspense, if that makes sense.
About the Author
Jordan says: I am a lifelong reader, devouring everything from Ayn Rand to Stephen King. This love of storytelling fueled a lifelong desire to write. With newfound free time after bidding the corporate world farewell, I took the leap into authorship. My debut novel, Secret of the Whispering Woods is a middle-grade fantasy adventure that ignites imaginations. In a way, I guess it was an experiment, or a test – to see if I could do it. What it did do was to give me a taste for writing. From the very beginning, I have wanted to explore different genres. It seems to me that my stories tell themselves, and I can’t wait to see what the next one brings.
Connect with Jordan
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