I am honored to be part of Rebecca Donovan’s Out of Breath tour today and to have the chance to share my interview of Rebecca here! Make sure to check out the interview and enter the GIVEAWAY for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of the entire trilogy!
Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.
No secret here, I am a huge fan of The Breathing Series! I am so excited to have you here with us today Rebecca. Thank you so much for taking the time to be a stop on Brandee’s Book Endings and answering some questions for us.(If you have not read this series yet, The Breathing Series deals with many (but not all) of the below subjects.)Often while reading a book I wonder how an author can write about difficult subject matters and how they are able to capture the exact emotions the characters may be going through. Whether the situations in the book are regarding depression, a broken heart, guilt, death, suicide and/or coping mechanisms such as alcohol, drugs, self-inflicted injuries, or any type of abuse (mental/physical/sexual), I find myself wondering What? Why? How? What inspired the Author to write about these things?Why did the Author chose to tackle these subjects?How could the Author express the emotions that go along with these subject matters……Did they research for this, do they work in this field, have they or a loved-one personally gone through these things???
While writing this series, what influence did you hope to have on your readers and from what you have heard from your readers the past couple of years, do you believe you accomplished what you set out to do?
What I truly wanted was to write a powerful story that made people feel, whether they loved it or hated it. I want to make an impact. And I do believe that’s exactly what I did.
Your books tackle some tough subjects. You put a new meaning to the term “New Adult” – that it can mean so much more than a book including some steamy love scenes. You touch on serious social issues. Can you go into a little detail as to why you feel it is important to reach young adults who are going through domestic violence, substance abuse issues, or having suicidal thoughts.
It’s bothersome that “New Adult” has been given the sexually explicit reputation it has. It’s actually a story that has mature content and storylines dealing with the “coming of age” time in a person’s life.THE BREATHING SERIES is the story of a girl who has never been loved by those who were supposed to care for her. It’s her having to fight for the strength to be better, despite the emotional and physical abuse she’s endured throughout her life. She doesn’t make the right decisions most of the time, although her intentions are good. Emma’s is a life of pain, healing, and forgiveness. I hope this story touches each person who reads it, regardless of their current situation or history. I want it to leave an everlasting impression that allows each person to reflect upon their own strength and recognize that they deserve the love and respect every human being does.
Without us spoiling any specific details about this series, most of us know there is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of Book #1 – Reason to Breathe. Was it your original intention to have this be a series? Or was your intention to be 100% evil and leave it to the reader’s own imagination? I ask this because as I read book one, I “thought” it was a stand-alone and after digging around on your website, I was relieved to find out that there would be Book #2!
The Breathing Series was always intended to be a trilogy. In order to tell Emma’s story, I needed to know where she was going. I could not write the first book without understanding the ending of the last. Her journey may have been altered from the original version, but I wrote the conclusion of REASON TO BREATHE knowing that there would be another novel. So, yes, I was a little cruel leaving you hanging the way I did, but I always knew I’d be reaching down to pull you up as you dangled from the ledge.
Some of your readers are survivors of abuse. Many of their responses to your books are to thank you for finally giving them a voice. How were you able to give such realistic imagery—specifically for the abuse scenes from Carol? I know authors do a lot of research, where did you go and who did you talk to in order to produce such realistic descriptions?
The depiction of abuse was created within my head. I didn’t need to go beyond that. I had to go somewhere dark within myself to describe the cruelty one person can unleash upon another. It was probably more difficult to write than it was to read.
After Book #2 Barely Breathing, you left us hanging AGAIN! I did not see that coming, but I guess I should have expected it from you by then. Now that Book #3 Out of Breath does not leave us hanging, should we expect to see more from these characters and this series? AND can you tell us what we should be keeping our eyes open for from you next?
I know many readers wanted more. They wanted assurance that the characters were truly going to be happy and all was going to be right with the world. I don’t think I could ever write an ending that wraps everything up that neatly. But do know that most of the cast will be in Jonathan’s trilogy that I plan to write next year.I am currently writing a stand-alone novel told through the perspective of a twenty-year-old college student. The story is still too new to create a true synopsis. I can tell you I’ve already made myself laugh multiple times. But it’s really about figuring out who you are, despite how you may be perceived by everyone around you… and if that’s enough. It’s another emotionally charged story!Thank you so much again for taking the time to chat with us today. I congratulate you on the success of this series and wish you much more in the future. I can’t wait to see you again next month in Vegas!
ABOUT REBECCA:
Optimism seeps from every pore of my body. I truly believe that what’s supposed to happen… will! In that regard, I don’t know how to give up; it’s not part of my biological make up.I’m a passionate (and some would say, overly enthusiastic) person. I learn by doing (and have been burned more times that I’d like to admit), but I will always throw my entire self into whatever I do – fail or succeed.I think this is evident when I write, leaving nothing behind and spilling it all out on the pages. I give it all to my readers – love it or hate it.The path I’m on is very often my own, veering off the beaten path at the sight of something more interesting or captivating, getting caught in the vines and thorns in order to experience the beauty and intrigue others often pass by. And I always meet the most interesting people along the way.
CLICK HERE to go to my Author Page for Rebecca Donovan for more information about Rebecca and her books!
Emma leaves Weslyn and everyone in it behind to attend Stanford University, just as she always intended. A shell of her former self, she is not the same girl. She is broken, and the only way that she’ll be whole again is through forgiveness. Emma must find a way to forgive herself and recognize her own worth before she can receive the love she deserves. This final installment will have readers holding their breath until the very last page.
Optimism seeps from every pore of my body. I truly believe that what’s supposed to happen… will! In that regard, I don’t know how to give up; it’s not part of my biological make up.I’m a passionate (and some would say, overly enthusiastic) person. I learn by doing (and have been burned more times that I’d like to admit), but I will always throw my entire self into whatever I do – fail or succeed.I think this is evident when I write, leaving nothing behind and spilling it all out on the pages. I give it all to my readers – love it or hate it.The path I’m on is very often my own, veering off the beaten path at the sight of something more interesting or captivating, getting caught in the vines and thorns in order to experience the beauty and intrigue others often pass by. And I always meet the most interesting people along the way.