RM: Hello,
First of all, thanks for agreeing to answer the questions I have for you J
I really enjoyed reading ‘Beyond
Believing’ and it is a book I am going to treasure forever. The words connected
to me on a different level and I couldn’t put it down once I started reading
it. I thank you for this opportunity to ask you some questions I had while
reading this amazing book. This is not going to be a usual run of the mill set
of questions, please feel free to answer them as per your preference!
DD: I am so THRILLED, HONORED and TOUCHED that you
enjoyed it! I can certainly put you on the list to review the next two! J
1.
Tell
us a little something about yourself (obviously NOT what was in your author bio
at the end of the book!)
Let’s just say I’m not very good at following
directions, including recipes. This
translates into me reading ingredients and mistaking them for instructions. A
perfect example to demonstrate how horribly wrong this can go is when I offered
to make a dessert for the first wedding shower I attended. I offered to bring a
“fruit pizza”. I thought, “Perfect! Something light, fresh AND sophisticated”.
The results were far from fabulous. As I began to make my masterpiece, I
started reading and mixing the “ingredients”, one after the other, including
the granulized Jell-O packet. When I got
to first “instruction” it read “bring Jell-O to a boil.” It was then that I
realized my irreversible, humiliating error resulting in me showing up
empty-handed to the shower. It turned out to be a great lesson on trying NOT to
be an over-achiever of fancy.
2.
When
you started this book, did you plan it out to be a trilogy? If so, what
prompted you to keep such a catchy title?
No, it actually started out
as a single novel and the original title was going to be “Hank and Frank” which
are the nicknames of two of the main characters. As I went through the journey
of writing the story, I realized there was so much to explore with the
characters that it felt like an injustice to try to pack it all in one book,
which is when I decided to make it into a series. The original title didn’t
embody the soul of the book so I really soul-searched long and hard to come up
with the name, The Beyond Series! It really captures the essence of how these
characters and their journeys are so divinely connected.
3.
Why
‘Beyond’?
The word “beyond” encapsulates the underlying
theme of the book. Throughout the book events and circumstances happen to these
characters that can be considered “beyond belief”. The title is not only a play
on words but a metaphor of sorts. It makes the reader question concepts like
coincidence, fate and happenstance. Is it really just coincidence or is there a
higher power at the helm, guiding their path.
4.
I
have read about your friends and your life events being an inspiration for this
series. Could you tell us a bit more about that?
Everyone goes through struggles in life whether it
be a loss, a disease, financial or relationship struggles. Challenge come in
many different forms and takes on different shapes and sizes. Some are hard to
comprehend, like September 11th. I wanted to write about the
experiences I have been through and try to incorporate hope and humour to
encourage people who might be going through a hard time right now.
5.
Which
character was your favourite while creating?
My favourite character is Finn. He is someone that is completely fictional so
it was fun to explore who he was, where he came from and the struggled he
endured.
6.
Which
character (your creation, of course) do you relate to the most? (I am guessing
it is Olivia!)
Yes, Olivia’s life closely mirrors many of my
personal experiences but with some added flare to for interest. It was fun to
mix in fiction with reality to add some spice to the story!
7.
Dan’s
life and end shook me to the core because I had a buddy who faced something
similar and the twist at the end was amazing. Do you, in real life, believe
that these happy coincidences could occur?
In my personal experience, I absolutely,
whole-heartedly believe there are no coincidences. I believe everything happens
for a reason and even if the path you are on ends for some reason, it is to
take
8.
In
further books of the series, would we travel with the same lead characters?
Yes, I will continue the journey with both of
these characters. They both went through
parallel hardships on their journey to each other so you can expect them to
overcome some challenges as they continue their journey together.
9.
How
difficult was it, writing first person narratives from two different
characters’ point of view?
I really approached the book as if I were telling
a story to a friend. I imagined I was sitting across the table from my
audience. It was so intriguing to take on the persona of two completely
different characters, even different genders from different parts of the world.
I had to immerse myself in their surroundings.
10.
Is
Paris one of your favourites? If so, could you tell us, in one line, something
that would make us go there and visit at least once? (The city doesn’t need
that type of advertisement, but I would like to hear about it in your
perspective!)
Are you sitting down? I have never actually BEEN
to Paris – GASP! So if I convinced you in the book then I am honoured and
humbled. It is definitely on my bucket
list for the “Love Lock” Bridge alone!
11.
The
book was laced through with humour. That stood out mostly, and the characters
were self deprecating sometimes. Was this style naturally yours, or did you
write that way to suit the characters.
This is my normal voice. I have a pretty
sarcastic, self-deprecating sense of humour which is what I lead with. My family and friends have always encouraged
me to pursue story-telling, writing or comedy because it seems to come somewhat
naturally to me and is situations are relatable.
12.
When
can we expect the next books in the series? I really look forward to reading
them.
My goal is to have all the books out on the market within 18 months
to keep my audience engaged. So look for Beyond Love to be out before Christmas
and Beyond Forever to be released summer, 2016
Now for some rapid fire questions!
Your literary inspiration?
There are many but one in
particular that changed my life is Paulo Coelho who wrote The
Alchemist
Your favourite comfort book?
Anything romance related that
sucks me into a different world.
Could you name the top five books in
your shelf?
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
(Unfathomable Perserverance)
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
(Inspiration)
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
(Humor)
The Notebook by Nicholas
Sparks (Endless Love)
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
(Laws of Attraction/Positive Thinking)
I love a Trilogy because if
you fall in love with the characters you have the anticipation of more. I’ll admit it - the Fifty Shades series.
Which is your preferred reading
environment?
My bed
Which environment helps you write better?
A quiet, comfy and cozy work
space that is warm and inviting.
Paperback or digital books?
Paperback.
Your hobbies?
Traveling, Shopping, Movies,
Live Music, Reading…
What do you think is the most striking
and important feature of any book – its cover or summary?
The cover has to grab me for
me to even pick it up!
One advice for aspiring writers?
Just start writing but about the
story in your heart!
If you could change one thing in the
world with your words, what would it be?
Stop all of the senseless
violence and hatred. Love is the only answer!
NOTE FROM READERS MUSE: We extend special thanks to the author for answering our
questions in such short notice. Your answers were really candid, amazing and I really
enjoyed this interview!
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