Saturday, September 21, 2013

"The Bridge of Deaths" by M. C. V. Egan

BLOG HOP 
The Bridge of Deaths 
by M. C. V. Egan 


I'm happy to be taking part in my first blog hop for the Virtual Book Tour Café. Today, we are celebrating the International Day of Peace and M. C. V. Egan's book The Bridge of Deaths. You can read my interview with the author as well as enter the giveaway to win some fabulous prizes. Make sure you hop along to all the other stops listed below!

Description
On August 15th, 1939 an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. Crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykobing/Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland with the world at the brink of war the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police, created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.
In the winter of 2009-2010 a young executive, Bill is promoted and transferred to London for a major International firm. He has struggled for the better part of his life with nightmares and phobias, which only seem to worsen in London. As he seeks the help of a therapist he accepts that his issues may well be related to a 'past-life trauma'.
Through love, curiosity, archives and the information superhighway of the 21st century Bill travels through knowledge and time to uncover the story of the 1939 plane crash.
The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve "One of those mysteries that never get solved" is based on true events and real people, it is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through sources in Denmark, England and the United States, it finds a way to help the reader feel that he /she is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.
The journey takes the reader to well known and little known events leading up to the Second World War, both in Europe and America. The journey also takes the reader to the possibility of finding oneself in this lifetime by exploring past lives.

Book Trailer


Review
This is the story of one moment in time that could have caused an entirely different world history had it been effective. I must admit, I am not much historical spy novels, but M. C. V. Egan caught me at the get go. This book grabs you at the beginning and will not let you go until you have finished reading it. Even after it is all said and done, you find yourself still wondering about some of the questions raised by the book.
Even though the meeting on the plane did not accomplish the moment in time it was intended to, it still changed many lives. Ms. Egan's meticulous research into the incident that killed her grandfather brought the incident to life for many people. It has raised many questions for the people involved and the people who helped her research it. The actual factual research spans many continents and generations. It is well researched and specifically documented. No stone was left unturned in the investigation of this crash. Even the less than recognized methods of research fit seamlessly into the flow of this book.
The actual story cannot be absolutely proven due to lack of evidence, but the story is told by the addition of a fictional character. This is a novel approach to a sticky situation. It is a way to get all the information collected into the book. The imagination and dedication that went into this book is self evident on every page. The book is published in the fiction genre, but leaves the reader with the impression that the book is historically correct. It is a unique way to answer what happened on that fateful day of the plane crash at the bridge of deaths.
Like I said before, the book leaves you still thinking about it, long after you have finished reading it. I did not pay much attention to the cover, other than it looked nice before I read the book. Afterwards, just looking at the bridge gives me chills. It reminds me that something went on there that is still haunting many people to this day

Interview With the Author
Hi Catalina, thanks for joining me today to discuss your book, The Bridge of Deaths.
Hello Lynda. Thanks for inviting me to your blog today and Hopping for Peace!
What is your book about?
The Bridge of Deaths is based on a 1939 plane crash in Denmark. It is a factual historical book with a fictional narrative woven throughout to tell the story. The POV is from the perspective of three people researching the events.
Wait a minute, 1939? WWII started that year, so why do you celebrate PEACE?
Yes, Hitler invaded Poland in September of 1939, and that was the beginning of that horrible war. I started out with five real corpses, a burned out plane under water, and political stories surrounding the roots of WW II. I am by nature happy and optimistic, so I could not write a dismal and sad story. I created a fictional character, Maggie who is an adamantly opposed to war, and very much in love. Maggie believes that in order to oppose something she needs to be as informed as possible.
As I developed Maggie, she influenced me to also communicate about peace. When I finished the book, I thought, "To be so young to believe in the impossible," but the more I thought about it the more I realized that the first step is in having the DREAM, the DESIRE, so why not PEACE?
Describe your writing in three words.
Fluid, strong, and determined.
Are your characters in the book based on anyone you know?
I think there are bits of myself and many people around me in all of them, with a strong dose of fiction to round them out. The real documented ones are, however, kept as honest and factual as can be.
Was there any research involved in your work?
Oh, yes. I visited archives in various countries, used books, newspaper microfilms, and I also used the unorthodox world of psychics (psychometry) and past life regressions (not my own).
Do you have a muse?
I think so, but it is very difficult to describe her … I think she is shy.
Once a character is fully developed, do you set them free or do they still dance around your mind?
I was about to answer that I release them, and then I realized all this revolves around Maggie, so I guess they do linger and visit.
Is the thesaurus one of your best writing friends?
The thesaurus and numerous dictionaries. I have lived in several different countries, so I use many multilingual dictionaries. I love all research and information material, I guess I sound like a geek!
Not at all, Catalina. Thanks for dropping by and answering a few questions. Best of luck with the rest of your blog hop.
Thank you again for inviting me.
ƤҼƌҪҼ ƌƝƊ ĻƠṼҼ βԼƐֆֆїɳɠֆ ƌƝƊ βԼїֆֆ

About the Author
M. C. V. Egan (Maria Catalina Vergara Egan) is the author of The Bridge of Deaths. The story came about through a lifelong obsession to solve the mystery of her maternal grandfather's death in faraway Denmark.
Her grandfather died on August 15th, 1939, in a passenger airplane with a small group of men; all of whom left an interesting trail of doubt as to who they really were. This was two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland and the world plunged into WWII.
The research for this took M. C. V. Egan to Denmark and England, through the unusual world of psychics, to a Peruvian Shaman, and past life regressions.
She lives in South Florida with her husband Tom Egan, their teenage son, and five pound Chihuahua. She is fluent in four languages: English, Spanish, French and Swedish.
Peace is her passion, writing and reading her life, and many other creative outlets fill her days.

Giveaway
Enter the giveaway for your chance to win some amazing prizes.
Links

Blog Hop