1) How did you come up with the story and decide to go back and forth between Ryan and Julia's points of view? I really enjoyed that I got both perspectives. Was/is it difficult to write that way?
The story began with a title: Don't Forget to Remember Me and then was built around it. There is more of an explanation in question 2. I decided to write in alternating points of view because I felt the reader needed to be in both of their heads to truly feel the pain. Plus, Ryan is the one who suffers the most, and while most first person romance novels are written in the female POV, in this case, getting inside the male's head was necessary. I didn't find on perspective more difficult than the other, and this was the second series I wrote from alternating POV's so I didn't find it strange for this set of books. (The first will be heavily edited before publication).
2) Ryan and Julia always say to each other, "Just don't forget to remember me," and the trilogy is called the Remembrance Trilogy. Is this saying something close to your heart, or did you come up with that just for these books?
Yes, that phrase was one that my college boyfriend used after we became separated after college, so yes, it was close to my heart, but then I thought, how could I make it mean even more? I wondered how painful would it be to forget such a beautiful love? And how would it feel to be the one who still remembers everything? Who's loss would be the greatest?
3) I like the image of the bracelet with Ryan and Julia's first initials entwined. Is there an actual bracelet that inspired the idea?
No, but the book may inspire a real bracelet. I'm looking into it. (I gave a powerpoint design to my book cover artist and she was amazing to make it just as I envisioned.)
The story began with a title: Don't Forget to Remember Me and then was built around it. There is more of an explanation in question 2. I decided to write in alternating points of view because I felt the reader needed to be in both of their heads to truly feel the pain. Plus, Ryan is the one who suffers the most, and while most first person romance novels are written in the female POV, in this case, getting inside the male's head was necessary. I didn't find on perspective more difficult than the other, and this was the second series I wrote from alternating POV's so I didn't find it strange for this set of books. (The first will be heavily edited before publication).
2) Ryan and Julia always say to each other, "Just don't forget to remember me," and the trilogy is called the Remembrance Trilogy. Is this saying something close to your heart, or did you come up with that just for these books?
Yes, that phrase was one that my college boyfriend used after we became separated after college, so yes, it was close to my heart, but then I thought, how could I make it mean even more? I wondered how painful would it be to forget such a beautiful love? And how would it feel to be the one who still remembers everything? Who's loss would be the greatest?
3) I like the image of the bracelet with Ryan and Julia's first initials entwined. Is there an actual bracelet that inspired the idea?
No, but the book may inspire a real bracelet. I'm looking into it. (I gave a powerpoint design to my book cover artist and she was amazing to make it just as I envisioned.)
4) Ryan had lots working hours and study time while becoming a doctor. Julia strives for her own dreams as well. Who do you think gives more to the relationship?
I think they both give up a lot. If Julia wouldn't have been able to transfer to NYC with her job and then moved to Boston... she would have given up the most. I think they found a compromise. He wanted her in Boston, she didn't go there, but she was much closer.
5) In the second book, Ryan has to go through pain and grief by himself while trying to heal Julia and be there for her. The emotions came across as very overwhelming to me as a reader -- there were times when I would have to put the book down because I would cry. While you were writing it, did you ever have to stop and step back from the book, maybe take a walk or work on another scene?
5) In the second book, Ryan has to go through pain and grief by himself while trying to heal Julia and be there for her. The emotions came across as very overwhelming to me as a reader -- there were times when I would have to put the book down because I would cry. While you were writing it, did you ever have to stop and step back from the book, maybe take a walk or work on another scene?
Of course, it made me emotional, but that's when I do my best writing. When I cry it's usually when forming the scene in my head... before I write it down.
6) Did you ever think about having Ryan just tell Julia about everything in the second book -- the relationship, the loss of the baby and what it meant to him -- instead of him taking the advice of the psychiatrist and trying to deal with it all by himself?
If I did that, the story would have ended and there would be no second book, which was all about HIS pain. And Ryan is much to unselfish to risk hurting Julia just to ease his own and would it ease it? He needed her to really remember him and how deeply they loved, not just be told about them. It would be a hollow victory if she knew the truth, but didn't FEEL it. It would mean nothing if she knew and didn't FEEL it.
7) The end of that book was very intense. Did you decide to allow Julia to realize what happened so the third book could continue the story, or was it because you finally had to allow Ryan to be able to come to terms with Julia "forgetting" him and their relationship?
7) The end of that book was very intense. Did you decide to allow Julia to realize what happened so the third book could continue the story, or was it because you finally had to allow Ryan to be able to come to terms with Julia "forgetting" him and their relationship?
Actually, the end of book two was where I was going to end the story. My readers asked for more of these characters so I thought up the plot for the third book. Ryan had to just throw up his hands and say "Having her love me now, without the memories, is better than not having her at all." She couldn't know if she'd remember, but she knew she loved him desperately. He didn't think she could love him as much as he loved her without all the memories, so she had to convince him. He worried her feelings only developed because he took care of her, but she always felt him, even if she couldn't remember him.
8) In the first two books, Ryan was always saying that Julia is the air he breathes, his soul and that there is no one else for him. How in the third book does he almost allow another woman to come between him and Julia after everything they've had to deal with?
That's the thing. He's a dude. He doesn't realize he's doing it at all. He's being a good friend and in his head, that's all it is. Julia sees it as taking a part of him that belonged to her and giving it to someone else... because remember they started as friends AND Julia fell in love with him for the second time when she was the patient, which is what Jane becomes int he third book.
9) Where did you come up with the beautiful poem Ryan wrote for Julia? Do you write poetry?
9) Where did you come up with the beautiful poem Ryan wrote for Julia? Do you write poetry?
Ryan and Julia live in my head. They're pretty real to me. Ryan wrote that poem, not me, if that makes sense. I don't write poetry at all.
10) What is the very first book you remember falling in love with?
10) What is the very first book you remember falling in love with?
Hmmm... In high school I read a lot of romance books because my best friend, Charlotte, turned me on to them. I loved Captive Bride, by Johanna Lindsey, I loved The Thorne Birds by Colleen McCollough, Captive Splendors by Fern Michaels, The Prophet by Kahil Gibran and The Odysssy by Homer. (The last two are pretty heavy reading!)
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