Danielle Soucy Mills is the award-winning author of
children’s book, Tina Tumbles and Visionary & Metaphysical novel, Illusion
of an Ending. A lover of books since childhood, she studied English and
creative writing at Rhode Island College, before moving to California to earn
her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Chapman University. She enjoys writing
books for both children and adults which inspire, encourage, and delve into our
Divine purpose for being. Danielle has made guest appearances on The Nancy
Ferrari Show on iHeart Radio, The Writer’s Divine Den Radio Show, and has been
featured in Bellésprit Magazine. She currently resides in San
Diego with her wonderful husband, Jesse, and her
ever-growing collection of books.
For
More Information
- Visit Danielle Soucy Mills’ website.
- Connect with Danielle on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Danielle at Goodreads.
- Visit Danielle’s blog.
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not
writing?
Thank you for having me! When I’m not writing, I love to
read or spend time outside enjoying nature. My husband and I love to go on
hikes which overlook our beautiful city of San Diego
or play night-time Frisbee with our light-up disk. I also work part-time as a
gymnastics coach, which I’ve been doing for over 15 years after 10+ years of
involvement in the sport. I still really enjoy flipping around too, though I’ve
taken a hiatus lately. Soon, life will change a bit as my husband and I welcome
our first baby into the world.
When did you start writing?
I began writing somewhere around 1st grade. I
remember sitting in a circle and reading the stories we made up to the class. I
was lucky enough to transfer to a Montessori
School in 3rd grade
where my teacher gave us this blue binder with a bunch of lined paper that we
called our “novel.” I did not take this book lightly. Sometime in the next year
or two after that, I went to work on my first novel similar to my idols at the
time, R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. It ended up being 152 hand-written pages!
I knew by then that this was what I wanted to do. I continued to write short
stories and poems throughout my adolescence, went on to major in English/creative
writing in college, and then onto my MFA.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
The most pivotal part in my writing life was releasing my
first book, my first “baby”, a children’s book about gymnastics. For so many
years, you are creating this thing from the depths of your soul. And then—a
hope, a dream, an idea— becomes a real physical object you can hold in your
hands, something that affects others in ways you hadn’t imagined when putting
pen to paper and fingers to keyboard. It brings me so much joy in knowing my
work has affected someone in a positive way, particularly a young child
learning to truly believe in themselves and their capabilities.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing
your next book, where would that be and why?
I think it would be great to travel to some tropical island
like Tahiti to start writing my next book! Although
let’s be honest, would I really get any writing done there? I certainly would
be inspired!
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you
do?
I would write more, market more, read more, exercise more,
meditate more, and spend more time outside. Although right now I do certainly
feel like there could be more time in the day, I continue to remind myself that
I have all of the time in the world. I know I will really need that mentality
once my daughter is born!
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
To be honest, I find that I receive inspiration for the
story and characters first, rather than the setting. And this may sound
strange, but I have the strong urge to write about dimensions that we cannot
see with our eyes, that exist right here alongside our world. I also feel drawn
to writing about places similar to where I grew up in New England,
as well as my “newest” home in southern California.
Back to your present book, Illusion of an Ending, how did you publish it?
I published my novel independently shortly after publishing
my children’s book. At first, a small publisher acquired them both, but things
didn’t work out. For some reason, I felt this strong urge to get my novel out
into the world because people needed the message. It really has been incredible
to know that it’s indeed helped many of the people I’ve heard from who’ve read
it. Also, I think it’s amazing the way the publishing world has opened up, and how
independent publishing is not as looked down upon as it was say 10 years ago. I’ve
enjoyed independent publishing, though I have not ruled out traditional
publishing either. Go with the flow right? I am firm believer that we are led
down the right path at the right time.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for
research?
My first book is set in my hometown of Gloucester,
Massachusetts because it is a place that
truly inspires me. Spending over twenty years of my life living there and then
moving away to southern California, I think it really made me appreciate it
more, and I couldn’t help but include its beauty and awe in my work.
Why was writing Illusion
of an Ending so important to you?
I had been trying to write a real book for many years during
my childhood, but realized I did not know enough about life. The way this book
was inspired—by my first car accident, and the way I moved from the east to
west coast to pursue my writing, and how everything literally came together
like the pieces of a puzzle—makes it super special to me. Finally finishing my
first “real book” after writing countless short stories and poems. But most
importantly, I felt like the characters’ had a message to deliver with this
book for people other than myself.
The first idea that popped into my head was that there was
this young man trying to let his mother know that he was okay after dying
suddenly in a motorcycle accident in his early twenties. I remember writing
down inspiration, including the final lines, and realizing that they connected
to people in my life who had lost their lives in ways similar to my character.
I continued to attract non-fiction books detailing peoples’ real-life
experiences and memories of planning out life lessons before they were born,
choosing their parents, and ultimately, when they leave the Earth. I wanted to
include these experiences in a fictional story, including the way the story of
our lives connect to others around us, not by coincidence. And also that while
our stories sometimes seem to be cut short too soon, or end altogether, there
is so much more taking place after we leave the Earth that we don’t often
realize—hence the title, Illusion of an
Ending.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think
that is?
I truly believe that our ideas and inspirations come from a
higher part of ourselves, as well as from “divine guidance,” if you will. It
sounds crazy, I know. I’ve always felt pretty intuitive about my life, and in
my writing, I trust that it has to be coming from somewhere other than just my
own mind?! Also, I think ideas come from the events in our lives. Stuff we
failed to learn. Stuff we finally learned. Stuff that inspired us to keep
going. It is my goal to continue to write books that make people—both kids and
adults—see the world in a different way.
Any final words?
I will leave with the final line of the Afterward in my
book: Trust that our stories go on, always and forever.
About the Book:
Title:
Illusion of an Ending
Author: Danielle Soucy Mills
Publisher: Aerial Awareness Media
Pages: 200
Genre: Visionary & Metaphysical Fiction
Author: Danielle Soucy Mills
Publisher: Aerial Awareness Media
Pages: 200
Genre: Visionary & Metaphysical Fiction
Three peoples’ life stories intertwine with a synchronistic twist.
Jimmy Pollaski, a young man at the peak of his potential, dies suddenly
in a motorcycle accident. As his spirit hovers above his lifeless body, he
calls out to his mother, Patricia, only to find that his words are inaudible.
He then promises to find some way to transmit his message to the world of the
living.
It is no coincidence that Lorrena Shaw can see him, along with other
spirits—a gift that Lorrena’s mother shuns. After her mother suddenly announces
that they will abandon their home in Connecticut to care for Lorrena’s grandmother—a
grandmother she has never known—Lorrena inevitably finds herself in the same
small Massachusetts city where Patricia resides.
As their paths
unite, Lorrena discovers the unbearable grief that haunts Patricia’s every
move. Now, not only must she convince Patricia that her son’s soul has survived
the fatal crash, she must also travel beyond space and time to access the
Akashic Records, the library of all of Human Existence, and write their stories
as one—a story that ultimately shatters the boundaries between life and death.
If you liked The
Alchemist, you’ll love Illusion of an Ending.
For More Information
- Illusion of an Endingis available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
No comments:
Post a Comment