Spotlight of The Month
Start the Book, know the Author
Good day all, I am feeling expansive and just grand. I am so excited about the book, and dauntless in getting it launched. Before offering free chapters here, I thought readers might want to know a little bit more about me and the book.
What is the first book or movie I ever fell in love with? ……..There are so many. Top of the list for books-of-influence for me might have to be “From The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” The layers! The mystery! Claudia and Jamie! The Metropolitan Museum! What is not to love? And, for movies? That might be another post entirely but I can say that after seeing Star Wars at age six I started writing fan fiction (I called them plays) the next day. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial was the first movie that I went back to the cinema for, by myself, twice. I was 8, I think.
What inspired me to write this story? ……..It was summer. 2013 perhaps? I was confined indoors due to some stupid illness and to make myself feel better I binged a bunch of John Hughes films. I realized that though he covered a lot of different areas with his coming-of-age stories, none of them had anything to do with film itself. The story wrote itself from there.
Which of the characters in this story are closest to my heart, and why? ……..Oh, boy. I think of course I would say Stella the protagonist, she is the most dynamic of them all and I find her arc just beautiful. However, I love the concept of ethical “gray areas” and I believe that everyone is subject to them even if we don’t think about it. For instance, Huy, who is the “pure heart” character in the story, also has a VHS pirating business on the side. Lots of fun layers.
One thing from the 1980s that you wish would come back?……..Written letters. A close second is 35mm analog film projection. Has a different feel than digital.
What do you hope readers will feel when they finish the book?……..Inspired. A good book always inspires me. Books have often steered the ship of my life because of what I was inspired to do after reading it.
Thanks for being here! Today is free download day for the book. Just click the picture and be transported! More to come.
