An Author Interview on My Published Book

I’m excited to announce my first ever author interview! These questions were asked by an amazing reader who took the time to write them out.

After publishing the second edition of A Change of Heart in March 2020, I’ve been working on the sequel (shh!).

Without further ado, let’s jump in!

What inspired Odele’s story?

I’m not exactly sure, as I wrote this book when I was nine. But I remember sitting down and wondering what would I do if my home burnt down? What if I lost everything? How would I react?

To be totally honest, I’m a pantser, so I had no idea if it was even going to be good enough. I had an idea and ran with it. I just kept writing Odele’s story, and after writing the first chapter, I decided it was going to be about a girl rousing from depression who needs to recognize the support of other people around her. I have notebooks full of “A Change of Heart” chapters, many of them omitted from the published novel. However, one of the only things I kept from the original first draft was the scene of Odele watching her house go up in flames in the first chapter.

What inspired the character herself?

In some ways, Odele is a rougher version of myself. I personally enjoy writing rude characters. As I started to write Odele and process her emotions, she sort of evolved into the person she is now. Her internal struggles--pride, self-sufficiency, bitterness, her anti-social mindset--all play a big part in her personal journey ultimately to hope and acceptancence. However, the story truly evolved as it went from a story about a girl, depression, and friendship to what it is now, a story of hope.

Who is your favorite side character? Why?

Does this make me a bad author if I say I like most of my side characters more than my main character? :P

Personally, I like Holly. She’s cheerful, optimistic, and quick to see the good in others--everything Odele lacks and definitely needed in a friend.

My second favorite side character is probably a tie between Edward, Sybil, and Amanda. I’ve worked on developing Sybil more in the sequel, and personally I’ve found her to be fascinating. She’s stylish in her own way, an aspiring authoress, and is contemplative and determined despite her innocent facade. Also, she’s extremely mysterious, and mysterious characters are just too fun.

I love Edward because he’s so hardworking. He and Holly are both a cheerful and humorous team, helping to lighten the series. Plus, of course, Amanda and her attempts at broken English and her jabbering away in Spanish is just totally funny. I love writing in Spanish, though I’m nowhere near as talented as Amanda and Edward are yet.

What character and part of the plot was easiest to write?

The easiest character to write was probably Holly. She’s just so easygoing and literally developed herself. I’m actually not even sure how she became a character! She just shoved her way in, so to speak, and made her way into A Change of Heart, where she became one of my favorite characters.

As for the easiest part of the plot to write. . . I’m actually not sure. I wrote the plot at age nine, so I can barely remember. I do remember the moment I sat down to write the opening scene--and the words just kept coming. It was the opening door into Ajames Village and Odele’s story, which is the reason why it’s one of the only scenes that was kept from the original draft.

Do you mind sharing one deleted scene from the first draft?

Disclaimer: This is unedited and written at the age of nine. Sir Bradley (the name of the founder in the first draft) is changed to Sir James, as his name is Sir James in the published book. Enjoy!

“Don’t you want to see your mother again?” Edward asked.

“She’s dead.”

“You may never know if you don’t try to find out.”

“Do you think that Sir James is still around?” An idea struck her.

“Yes, I think so. Let’s go check.”

Sir James was dueling a tall man when they finally found him through the crowd. When he saw them, he muttered something to the man and strolled over to them, greeting Odele with a warm smile.

“Do you know about that fifty-year-old woman you wrote about in the news clipping?” Odele asked. “What happened to her, and where is she?”

“I found her last month behind the burning house and took her to Mrs. Darla’s house, since she’s the nurse of the village. But she told me the next day, in the late afternoon, that a man and a middle-aged woman came to her home and stated that they were sent to bring the woman back to where she came from. They apologized profusely for the inconvenience, saying she wasn’t right in her head. The burned woman showed no signs of knowing either of the people.”

“And Mrs. Darla took note of all this?” Odele asked quietly.

“Yes. She suspected something was wrong.”

This (and many other scenes) didn’t even make it to the second or third draft, but it’s still fun to look back on how much Odele has changed! In fact, in this draft, Sir James is named Sir Bradley, and Alena is named Nellie!

What message do you hope to portray with this book?

I hope to portray the message that no matter what you’ve been through, no matter who you are, no matter how scarred you have been by life, people, or experiences, that you can always find hope. No matter what happened to you in the past, you can rise and find opportunities to help others, no matter how badly you’re hurting. The light of hope always shines brighter in the darkness, just as it did in Odele’s life.

Do you have any advice for other young writers like yourself?

Just write. I’m personally such a perfectionist, and I’ve learned so much from writing A Change of Heart about how writing and perfectionism do not go together. Don’t tell yourself that you’re too young to write, to change the world with your words. God used a shepherd boy to defeat a giant--and He can use you. Your first draft will be rough, but you can continue tweaking and chipping and come up with a diamond. Don’t stop the flow of your pen. The more you write, the more you’ll have to work with.

In conclusion, you’re not too young enough. Write more and more and you’ll find yourself with a diamond, one that can be polished into perfection--and if not perfection, to a smooth shine.

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Hope you enjoyed the interview! What are some questions you have for me? Have you read A Change of Heart? If so, who were your favorite characters? What did you take from it? Let me know in the comments!