Interview with Rebecca Donovan

Reason to Breathe is Rebecca Donovan’s first novel. She was born and raised in New England. Ms. Donovan is a music lover and roller coaster enthusiast. She lives in Massachusetts where she is currently working on her next novel.

Nerd Light Books: Reason to Breathe is unlike any teen book I’ve ever read, and I’ve read a lot of teen fiction. Where did you get the idea for such an original story? Was there a grand moment of inspiration or did it come to you in pieces?

Rebecca Donovan: The concept came to me over night, in a sleep deprived state. It started, innocently enough, about a boy and a girl and this amazing moment they share in an Art room. As the construction of their lives progressed, there had to be conflict... That's when I knew she had to have a secret - a terrible secret. She was being abused. I strategically created a life of a girl, any girl, who could walk down the halls of any high school, who wants so much to be perfect in public so no one will notice that her life outside of school is far less than perfect. Abuse is serious, especially at the hands of someone who is supposed to be trusted. You never know what’s going on behind closed doors, right next door.

NLB: Are there any of your real life experiences in the book?

RD: My life is one big “experience,” and I’ve found that it’s easier to write about what I know. I can research anything, but if I’ve actually done it, then I can describe it with accurate sensations and emotions. I love the a-typical dates of going rappelling or to the batting cages versus dinner and a movie. It was nice reflecting through the memorable dates I’ve had, and then to allow Emma and Evan to share them as well.

NLB: Music seems to play an important role in your storytelling. You describe songs that your characters listen to as if you had specific musicians in mind. Did music play a role in your writing process?

RD: I can’t listen to music while I write; it’s too distracting - when I write I am completely in my head, no need for additional stimuli. However, music does help me conceptualize before I start writing. I’ll find myself creating a scene influenced by a particular song - and that song usually makes the written version as well. Music is part of the setting and influences the mood as much as the room or the surrounding characters. It makes the moment more alive…

NLB: Were you anything like Emma in high school?

RD: I had Emma-ish moments in high school. My freshman year I was the invisible girl in the hallway who excelled in the classroom. However, the more social I became as the years went on, the less “excellent” I was in the classroom. I attended most of the Advanced Placement classes throughout high school, particularly in English and Biology. I was the co-editor of my high school's newspaper and photographer as well. (I actually went to college with aspirations of being a journalist.) I didn’t play soccer, but I did play field hockey. I love sports! So I was very active all through high school. The art talent I possess is writing - I may not be able to paint a picture, but I can describe it so you can see it.

NLB: Did you do any research when writing the story, or was everything you wrote purely imagination and experience?

RD: Ohhh yeah!! I had Google open pretty much the entire time I was writing. I researched everything from soccer schedules, to trails in Connecticut to Abercrombie models - yes, I have an image to help inspire me when describing Evan! Ha! My imagination needed facts to support it, so the two worked well together! It’s not going to be believable if it’s not supported by truth.

NLB: There are some amazing houses in Reason to Breathe, and you describe them in great detail. Do you have a secret passion for interior design or architecture?

RD: When I created the storyline, I ran it like a movie in my head - where I could hear, see and touch everything that made up the “scene”. In order to transport the reader to where I was at that moment, I felt I needed to describe the setting so that they could touch it too. The setting has an attitude of its own - from the town, to the school, to the rooms in each house. I also believe that the rooms and houses tell a lot about the people who live in them - they’re an extension of the characters.

NLB: But you didn't spend a lot of time dwelling on what the characters look like (especially Emma). Was that intentional?"

RD: I was intentional with a lot of details, or lack thereof, throughout the story. They may not be evident until read a second time, once all of the pieces have been put together. Emma has a hard time seeing herself. Since this is her point of view, the reader only gets glimpses of her when others intervene - Sara’s make-over and Evan’s picture. Evan and Sara’s images come across a little more clearly since they mean so much to Emma. And then there are those who I allow their personalities to depict them, such as George and Carol, without providing a single physical description. I believed this made their roles that much more powerful.

SPOILERS AHEAD! READ ON AT YOUR OWN RISK!

NLB: I’m sure many of your readers are wondering what made Carol the way she is. Emma does not seem to know why Carol treats her the way she does, but at one point in the story George mentions treatment and medication. Do you have any further insight for your fans?

RD: Carol is an enigma. She is an example of the question - can someone be born evil? I wish I could say Carol was easy to understand, and her motives could be explained away by paranoia or a psychological disorder. However, she is not. As I created her, developing her paranoia, jealousy, irrationality and destructible rage, I came to accept her as she was - without excuses.

NLB: Of course, the biggest question on your readers’ minds is, “WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE BOOK!? DOES EMMA LIVE OR DIE?!” I know better than to ask that, but the word is out on your website (www.rebeccadonovan.com) that a sequel is in the works. The optimists will take that to mean that Emma does in fact live, but it has also been speculated that the sequel could be written in the same vein as The Lovely Bones. Could the sequel possibly be written from the point of view of a deceased Emma or perhaps from a different character’s perspective? What can you tell the fans about the sequel?

RD: Don’t worry; the sequel does exist - although mostly in my head right now! I wrote the original sequel right after I finished the first novel. But it didn’t come out quite right - I damaged relationships, and the result was not what I intended. So I’ve started again. There will be changes. Familiar faces will return, and some new and very interesting ones will be introduced. It’s a completely different story with its own truths and consequences. Don’t worry; it will follow emotional suit with the first novel, providing plenty of heartache, love and suspense with a heavy dose of what you loved most - that it could be real. I have started writing it, and I’m so very excited to be back in their lives! Are you ready?