The Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan


Publisher:  DX Varos Publishing (March 7, 2023)
Category: Literary Fiction, British and Irish Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction
Tour Dates March 13-April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1955065702
Available in Print and ebook, 396 pages

Description Campbell Sisters by Eileen Joyce Donovan

Helen Campbell is the eldest and most practical of three sisters, daughters of hard-working Irish emigrants living in New York City in the 1950s. She does what she can to keep the wild-child middle sister, Carolyn, in line and support the youngest, Peggy, as she pursues her dreams of becoming a doctor. Then Helen meets Charlie.

While it’s love at first sight for those two, Carolyn’s antics threatens to derail all the sisters’ future happiness. However, through thick and thin, the three sisters strive to prevail, though not necessarily in the ways they thought they wanted.

Awards and Praise for Eileen Joyce Donovan

2019 Marie M Irvine Award for Promises, 2021

When Word Count competition for A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma

“This story is well written and immerses the reader in the period rooting for Alex. At times, I found her decisions a bit rash, but I remembered myself fighting for my career in a male-dominated field. The story is well-researched, and I enjoyed it immensely.”- Carol Amorosi, Author of The MacKay Mysteries, Series

“It was compelling to read of the mores of the time: school teachers couldn’t drink in public, staying at a boarding house came with a set of restrictive rules and trying to get lead stories in a newspaper entailed being part salesperson/part private investigator.
With the role of newspapers and reporters being in the news of late, this depiction of a young woman learning the ropes in a competitive, male dominated field was fascinating in the scope of how tough it is to get a story right.”- Susan Wands, Author of Magician and Fool

“I don’t normally read historical fiction, but I so enjoyed this book set in the 1920’s. The theme is timeless as the main character is determined to make it in a man’s world. Great read!”- Stacy Wilder, Author of A Liz Adams Mystery, Series

“The characters and fast paced plot drew me in and kept me reading. I enjoyed the historical details and the fact that every time I thought I knew how a character would react, I was wrong. The author is too skilled to fall into stereotypes.”- Grammarian, Amazon Review

Interview With Eileen Joyce Donovan

TR: Please tell us something about The Campbell Sisters that is not in the summary.  (About the book, character you particularly enjoyed writing etc.)

EJD:  My initial idea for this book came from conversations I had with my grandmother. She was born in the US soon after her parents arrived here from England, but she fell in love with a man whose parents had emigrated from Ireland. Given the animosity at that time towards the Irish, she knew they would never approve of the marriage so they eloped. Her story intrigued me and The Campbell Sisters was born from it.

TR: I always enjoy looking at the names that authors choose to give their characters. Where do you derive the names of your characters?  Are they based on real people you knew or now know in real life? How do you create names for your characters?

EJD:  When I write historical fiction, I try to fit the names to the time period. I usually research favorite names of their birth year and go from there. For this book, I thought about great aunts’ names, but they didn’t seem to fit. So, then I had to think about the characters’ personalities and what names would suit them. Helen sounded somewhat staid and reliable. Carolyn sounded whimsical, but a little out of the ordinary for the girls’ neighborhood. And Peggy sounded young and vibrant.

TR: Where did you get the inspiration for your cover?

EJD:  Actually, the cover was designed by Ellie Kay Bockert Augsburger of Creative Digital Studios. It was entirely her creation and I think she did a wonderful job. I’m totally in love with the cover.

TR: Which actors would you like to see play Helen, if the book were to become a movie, play, or mini series.  (you are welcome to choose actors for other characters as well)

EJD:  Unfortunately, I may be the worst person in the world to answer this question. I don’t often go to movies and I never know who the actors are. It drives my friends crazy when they tell me who the lead actor was for such and such a production, and I stare at them with a blank look. The names mean nothing to me. Now, if we were talking about a classic movie (I do watch a lot of TCM), I would pick Bette Davis for Helen and George Brent for Charlie.

TR: What kind of messages do you try to instill in your writing?

EJD: A great question. I try to portray strong women, even if they are fictitious ones. In all my books, the main character has a goal, which she pursues no matter how many obstacles stand in her way. Hopefully, this will encourage other women to go for their dreams, no matter the odds.

TR: What draws you to this genre? 

EJD: I enjoy learning about different past times and the mores of them. I also like to think about what women of that time period were like and how they achieved their successes. And this from someone who hated history class in school.

TR: Will Helen and her sisters have more to tell readers in the future?

EJD: No. They’ve told their story. Now the readers can imagine what the Campbell girls are up to in the future. Everyone will see a different outcome and I think that’s how it should stand.

TR: Do you have any writing projects that you are currently working on?

EJD: Oh, so many! Right now I’m finishing up the revision/editing process on a contemporary romance while I’m researching a possible next historical on a lady prospector in the Old West. I’m also toying with the idea of a fantasy short story based on a piece of a novel I wrote long ago. So, I’m keeping busy and hopefully out of trouble.

EJD: Thanks, Teddy, for this opportunity to talk with you and your readers.

TR: Thanks so much for the interview, Eileen!

About Eileen Joyce Donovan

Eileen Joyce Donovan has been writing her entire life, in one way or another, whether it was imaginative stories for friends, or advertising copy for clients. At the persistent urging of her husband, she finally agreed to seriously edit and revise one of her stories and take the plunge. Years later, her persistence paid off and both her debut historical fiction, Promises, and her second novel, A Lady Newspaperman’s Dilemma, won prestigious awards. Her short stories have appeared in several anthologies, and her essays have been included in various Chicken Soup for the Soul editions.

She lives in Manhattan, New York and is a member of Authors Guild, Women’s National Book Association, Women Fiction Writers Association, and The Historical Novel Society.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/etdonovan1

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