Life Altering Reads: Author Interview

Last book you purchased? Tell us about it.

I bought Inferno by Dan Brown as a gift for my mother because she asked for it. And once she’s finished, I have dibs on borrowing it

Who do you admire?

I recently read an article on CNN about Dr. Georges Bwelle who grew up in Cameroon so poverty-stricken that his father died from lack of adequate medical care. Once he became a doctor, he started a nonprofit organization, ASCOVIME, which provides much needed free medical care to those who can’t afford it during weekends. What an astonishing and truly heroic man! For more on his story and on ASCOVIME, go here: http://www.ascovime.org.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation” from Walden by Walt Whitman struck a chord in me the first time I ever read it as a freshman in college. I had this scary image of mindless drones in office cubicles, drained of all vitality. I vowed that I would always live my life with passion and meaning.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

J’adore Paris – the cafes, the museums, the food, the bridges. It has showed up twice in my novels now; not a surprise since Paris is synonymous with romance.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

The middle has always been problematic for me. I’m an enthusiastic starter and finisher, but getting from one point to the other can be a harrowing journey. So with Dear Adam, once I got to the halfway point and felt my spirits flagging, I decided to do something different to stimulate myself. I was excited about the ending so I wrote it next. After that, I proceeded to go backwards until I reached the middle and the book was done.