Eternal Designs
Gracie C. McKeever
ISBN: 9781606010013
Siren Publishing
Reviewed By Josee Morgan
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Marriage
counselor Gale Sinclair could not be more vexed: he knows that
impartiality is the cornerstone of his profession, but he can't help
the fact that he's fallen madly in love with one of his clients, the
lovely Zoelle. Having been approached by her in a desperate effort to
salvage her marriage to wealthy real estate tycoon Laurent Crews, Gale
becomes so captivated by Zoelle that he rushes to her aid one night
when she makes a fervent plea for him to stem the swelling tide of
Laurent's growing rage. Unfortunately, in his haste to save her, Gale
falls victim to a horrendous accident with a tractor trailer on a
night-darkened, rain-slicked road…
When he awakens, not only
is it three months later, but he's not even the same man he used to be
– literally. Much to his surprise, Gale's soul has been infused into
the body of Zoelle's estranged husband, Laurent, and he suddenly finds
himself struggling to reconcile the feelings that he still carries for
her in the spirit, while trying to reignite in her the old flames of
passion that used to burn for a man that she now loathes in the flesh…
Amid
all this drama, Gale also has to contend with the fact that the reason
his soul entered Laurent's body in the first place is that someone
killed him – or at least tried to – and he finds himself in a race
against time to discover the identity of Laurent's would-be dispatcher.
As he steps up his efforts to win over Zoelle, the mystery surrounding
his looming assassination heats up, and he begins to learn some
disturbing truths about where the loyalties of close friends and family
truly lie…
Eternal Designs
is not only an action-packed thriller, but it's also a tight-fisted
tale of suspense and intrigue. Gracie C. McKeever continues to amaze
with her uncanny ability to weave a tantalizing tapestry of unique
characters, enrapturing plotlines, and cinematic detail. She has
mastered the difficult technique of presenting this literary trifecta
in such a powerfully compelling way time and again, and she only gets
better with time. In each tale that she crafts, the vividness of her
characters and the vigor of her storytelling create exciting, enticing
worlds to which the reader will long to escape time and again. Highly
recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Gracie C. McKeever (Eternal Designs)
Apex Reviews: Gracie, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking very much forward to learning more about your book and other efforts.
Gracie C. McKeever: Thanks for having me! I'm excited to be here and very much looking forward to sharing information about Eternal Designs!
AR: What's the significance of the book's title?
GCM: Like most of my titles, Eternal Designs is a play on words. Zoe is an interior designer by trade (hence the design part of the title), but also I waned to make a statement about other types of design, the machinations, schemes, and plots that men are forever hatching for one reason or another - plots like assassination and revenge, to name a few - plots that will always be afoot as long as humans exist (this is where the eternal comes in).
AR: Is it the sheer power of Gale's will that compels his spirit to remain in the earthen realm and ultimately occupy Laurent's vacated body?
GCM: That's an excellent observation and an interesting way of putting Gale's reincarnation! Of course, he had some help, but his desires and sincerity play a large part in his ability to come back after his death, the ultimate wish fulfillment. I also think of his comeback as a sort of reward for being the type of man that he is - basically good, and one whose biggest joy and mission is to help people.
AR: As Zoelle revives Laurent (Gale), you mention in the book that the pool of blood in which he is lying mysteriously disappears...how does Gale manage to pull off that neat trick?
GCM: It's not so much that Gale pulls it off (he's pretty much unaware of what's happened to him at that point and doesn't have much control over his environment or surroundings), but rather the higher power that brought him back that pulled off this, one of many "tricks."
AR: How is it that it takes Zoelle so long to finally realize that her husband is - literally - no longer the man that he used to be?
GCM: Zoe is a bit jaded by the time Gale reanimates Laurent's body. Also, she's a cynic and logical by nature. She isn't one to believe in something she can't see or touch. So, despite her background and/or experience growing up around the black and white magic (voodoo), she remains in denial for most of the book until she's faced with what she considers incontrovertible proof of Gale's reincarnation. Before this, to believe what her heart was telling her rather than what her brain was telling her was unthinkable, and she didn't want to get her hopes up again just to have them dashed (something that had happened often during her marriage with Laurent). Like most humans, she was protecting herself from disappointment.
AR: Your characters are often drawn to one another on a profound spiritual level, the depths of which they're often not aware of. Are you a believer that love exists on such a deep plane and that we don't actually choose the people that we fall in love with?
GCM: I think I enjoy the idea of everyone having a soul mate more than I actually believe it. It's a nice concept to think that there is someone out there for all of us, someone with whom we are meant to share our lives. This is probably the reason why I write romance. The idea of soul mates (and destiny) is such a timeless romantic ideal, and also probably why my first series, The Matchmaker, deals with a psychically gifted and idealistic Neo Pagan who is intent on finding and hooking up all of her younger siblings with their soul mates.
AR: As our reviewer mentioned, your characters are also quite lively and unique, with very compelling personal identities. Do they tend to be based on people you know, or are they the fruits of your imaginative labors?
GCM: Actually, my characters are a combination of my imagination and people I know. There is a little bit of me, my friends, family, and even enemies in all of my characters. Some of my characters are composites of several real life people, and some are just completely made up, but even the ones that are made up have components of real-life people, they just may not be people I know personally. Readers are likely to recognize their sister, brother, mother, father, boss, or kids in any or all of my characters and relate to them. This is where their universal appeal comes in.
AR: You're quite the prolific author. Please share more with our readers about the other books that you've written.
GCM: I'd be happy to! I have several books and series, in several different sub- and cross-genres of romance, erotic romance, and erotica available from Amira Press, Awe-Struck E-Books, Fictionwise, Rapture Publishing, and Siren Publishing as follows:
Available at Amira Press http://www.amirapress.com:
• Gray Badge of Trust
Available at Awe-Struck E-books http://www.awe-struck.net:
• Dancing in the Dark
• Flames Past
• Miles To Go
Available at Fictionwise http://www.fictionwise.com:
• Desert Dreams
• New Life Incognita
Available at Rapture Publishing, LLC http://www.rapturepublishing.com:
• Rapture Volume 1 – Print Only Anthology (Featuring Sisters of Emsharra Novella Sentinels' Hunger)
Available at Siren Publishing, Inc. http://www.sirenpublishing.com:
• Adult Fable: The Wolf in the Mansion
• Adult Fairy Tale: Nine Inches of Snow and the Ebony Princess
• Between Darkness and Daylight
• Eternal Designs
• In Plain Sight
• Once Upon a Time: Print Anthology, Various Siren Authors (Featuring Nine Inches of Snow and the Ebony Princess)
• Sisters of Emsharra 1: Guardian Seductress
• Sisters of Emsharra 2: Predator's Salvation
• Spells Cast in Shadows
• The Matchmaker 1: Beneath the Surface
• The Matchmaker 2: Terms of Surrender
• The Matchmaker 3: Manifest Destiny
• The Matchmaker 4: Emilia's Emancipation
• Zara's Bois 1: Zack and the Dark Shaft
• Zara's Bois 2: Ingenue's Choice
• Zara's Bois 3: Bouncer's Folly
AR: What's next for you?
GCM: My current work-in-progress is Bruised But Not Broken, the fifth book in The Matchmaker series and my first story ever involving a ménage a trois. As you can imagine, I'm very excited to see how this book will be received by my core audience and look forward to picking up an entirely new audience who might also be persuaded to read my previous work and backlist. Bruised But Not Broken is tentatively scheduled for released Spring 2009. Also, I'm looking forward to finally seeing my erotic short story Leap of Faith in print in Zane's Eroticanoir anthology Caramel Flava II in the Summerof 2009.
AR: Will you be making any upcoming readings/signings or other appearances that you'd like our readers to know about?
GCM: At this time, I don't have any appearances and/or signings scheduled in the near future. Online, however, I can always be found hanging out on various blogs and Yahoogroups (Paranormal Romance, Welcome To Temptation, Siren Bookstrand, Erotic Excerpts, Romance Erotica Connection, Coffee Time Romance, Fallen Angel Review Chatters, The Romance Studio, The Romance Room and a host of others) chatting and networking.
AR: Where can people learn more about you?
GCM: Readers can check out my site at www.graciecmckeever.com to learn more about me, my books, and my publishers.
AR: Also, how can people contact you directly?
GCM: Readers can contact me at gwiz10@optonline.net. I'm always happy to hear from readers (especially if they enjoyed and have something nice to say about one of my books).
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
GCM: I just want to thank Apex Reviews, once again, for having me. I always enjoy my time here and answering the in-depth questions and the entire interview process here. Finally, I hope that I have piqued the curiosity and interest of your readers enough that they'll want to go check out some of my books.
AR: Thanks again, Gracie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
GCM: Wishing you continued success, too!