About the Book:
Where is
the line between destruction and redemption?
What happens when one doesn’t know—do they fall or do they find their
way?
When the
tenuous ties of her family break, Birddog Harlin is forced to choose a path
which leads her away from those she loves, threatening to completely destroy
her before she ultimately seeks her salvation.
Birddog
is a willful and bitter woman whose husband, after years of suffering her
emotional abuse, leaves suddenly one morning. She is left with her precocious
and introverted young daughter who is devastated and angry, further
deteriorating their already strained relationship. But during a seemingly
insignificant moment with her daughter, Birddog privately recollects her own adolescence
and the tragic events which drove her to make the choices that threaten to
destroy not only her own life but also that of her daughter. Memories of
loss, love, and unbearable hurt flood her mind. But as each moment
recedes once more, Birddog realizes that although life is partially fated, it
is her own choices that determine her true destiny.
What is your inspiration? How do you get
through writer's block?
I find
my inspiration from the world around me, which can encompass anything from
other’s journeys to a beautiful and intricate piece of art to the way the light
streaks across the sky during an autumn evening. Life is inspiration; one simply must seek to
find it.
The
means to working through writer's block is really dependent on the cause of the
block. I personally feel that most
blocks are rooted in the pressure to be perfect and since perfection can't be
attained the best way to overcome is to write.
Sometimes the very act of typing words can encourage them to flow more
freely.
Do you listen to music when you write? Have a
completely silent space?
I listen
to music but it can't be a random compilation; I must have a specific playlist
of songs, which are fitting to the tone and feel of the story I am
creating. The genre of music must not
only complement but also inspire the mood, characters and setting. For my book, "Let the Willows
Weep," I listened to a lot of folk and folk-rock such as Gordon Lightfoot
and Cheryl Wheeler.
Who inspires you? What authors do you look up
to? Why?
Who
inspires me are people who are passionate and who believe in their craft
regardless of the challenges and adversities faced. There are many authors who I admire and
appreciate but there are really none that I can say I "look up to."
Instead, I try to emulate those attributes of several, which I find worthwhile.
When did you first start writing? What genre do
you prefer?
I have
always written but I didn't start professionally until about twelve years ago. I prefer literary fiction because I enjoy the
detailed character development and beautiful prose often employed in this
construct of writing.
If you had to choose another genre to write,
what would it be? Why?
Historical
fiction. I am fascinated with the
concept that all history is to some degree fiction since it is based on
accounts from other people who have their own subjectivity, biases, and
opinions.
Who is your favorite book or author? Why?
There
are many writers who I admire and whose works I appreciate and enjoy such as
Jane Austen, the Brontes, and Willa Cather to name a few. However, I believe in choosing one singular
author, I dismiss so many other great writers.
In regards to my favorite book, I have loved so many but if I were to
name a few favorites they would be "Wuthering Heights," "Jane
Eyre," and "The Sound and the Fury."
Do you have another job and if so what is it?
For most
individuals being a writer dictates that one does have another job. I am currently just focusing on writing but I
have been a professor, tutor and a personal trainer.
Tell me about your first book and how long it
took you to write the first draft?
My book,
"Let the Willows Weep" examines how hardship and loss affects the
construct of a family and the ways in which the family members change when
forced to face unimaginable situations.
The book explores the idea of life being either chosen or fated and how
both our decisions and our destiny create the life we lead. The first draft took a few years because I
was also earning my masters degree in literature at the time so there were many
starts and stops.
List all of your titles with a one-sentence
synopsis of each?
"Let
the Willows Weep" is the story of how hardship, tragedy and loss affect a
young girl and her decisions, which lead her to a dark place from where she
must turn to seek redemption in order to avoid her own self-destruction.
Who is your favorite character? Why?
I
believe most writers would agree that choosing a favorite character is like
choosing a favorite child. But
preeminent among mine would be Samuel.
Samuel is a character who loves purely and lives with joy even though he
has suffered the hatred and bitterness of others.
Who is your least favorite character? Why?
Ms.
Sprigg is my least favorite character because she is a schoolteacher who not
only turns a blind eye but also contributes to the suffering of one of her
young students. She is judgmental and
cruel when she should be approachable and kind.
Which character was most difficult to write?
Diggs was
probably my most difficult character to write.
I had to carefully create an individual who was genuine not
stereotyped. I needed to write him in a
manner, which would allow readers to love and feel for him not pity or
disregard him.
What scenes are most difficult to write?
For me,
writing romantic scenes is difficult.
Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
They are,
of course, my creation and therefore a part of me so I suppose there must be
some of my traits attributable to each but, to me, they are still completely
their own individuals with their own identities.
Indie pub or trad pub?
I actually
started down the road with traditional publishing but then made the decision to
self-publish based on my research regarding the changes in the field and my
desire to control my own destiny.
What is your favorite scene? Why?
My
favorite scene is in chapter 16. It is
when my protagonist, Birddog, is sitting with Samuel on riverbank flanked with
weeping willow trees.
Give a one-sentence summary.
Young and
in love, Birddog and Samuel sit quietly on a riverbank beneath weeping willow
trees as he explains that the river rises with the trees' tears, which they
cried for others who couldn't. Even
though life has stolen much of Birddog and Samuel's idealism, they still
believe that there is love and magic and hope in the world.
And now, an interview with Birddog Harlin,
What is your full name?
My full
name is Birddog Harlin. Birddog is not
my proper name, it's the name my older brother Denny gave to me because he
always said that I was as small as a bird but could be as strong as a big
dog. So he thought this name fit me just
right.
Where were you born/created?
I was
born where we are all born into a life filled with joy and tragedy. The town doesn't matter much because it's the
living in the town that makes us each a little like everyone else.
What would you say are your greatest strengths?
Weaknesses?
My
greatest strength is my ability to love beyond reasoning. I can see beauty where there is
ugliness. I can see hope where there is
desperation. I can see love where there
is hate.
My
greatest weakness is allowing others to blind me to what I can see.
Who is your best friend? And why?
My best
friend is my older brother Denny. Since
the day I was born he has been my protector and my defender against a world
that set a space to small for me to fit.
If you could be anything other than a daughter
and a mother what would you be and why?
It is
difficult to imagine another life when this one has left little room for
imaginings. Being a daughter and a mother was my fate but if I had a wish it
would be that my mother could have seen the good daughter I was and that my
daughter could have seen the good mother that I wasn't.
What is your favorite book and why?
I don't
have a favorite book instead I loved listening to my daddy and brother Denny's
stories. The details swam in my head and
the emotions held onto my heart. Their
words and laughter is what wrapped around me on cold nights. It never matter much that these words weren't
bound and covered because good stories come in all sorts of ways.
If you could take a vacation anywhere where
would you go?
Vacation
is escape and I all I really ever wanted to do was return back to the life I
had known and loved before every one else's fate overtook mine.
What do you think of your author?
She has
not lived my life or experienced my tragedies but yet she seems to understand
the pain of it all. My emotions don't
stay stunted with me; instead they spread across the pages allowing the reader
to know what I know, understand what I understand and feel what I feel. She is empathetic and she loves to tell
stories--I am happy that she chose to tell mine.
If you were the first on "Let the Willow
Weep" survivor, which character would win? Who would be voted off first?
I would
win. I might fall many times but I have
the resilience and determination to stand up again. My mother would be voted off first because
living up to other's expectations, especially when they don't matter, makes a
follower not a leader.
LINKS:
Let The Willows Weep on Books a Million
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