Tell us about your heroine --- the female lead in your book.
What's her name?Angela Vander
Why did you pick that name?She is named aptly because she acts as an angel in the climax of the book. Her last name was originally Vanderhausen of royal Dutch descent, but was shortened to "Americanize" the family name.
Give us a brief description of how she looks.She was a Scorpio-Virgo-rising, of Dutch stock, and her ancestors were of royal origin. Two hundred and seventy-five years ago, they had become more than wealthy, being one of the first families to begin plying the business of slave trading in the original colonies. There was very little of the Vanderhausen’s fortune remaining by the time she was born.
I gave her a light complexion, which amplified the freckles on her face and body. She used to go through liquid sun shield like water, due to the human-induced ozone depletion, and the added moisturizing elements of the shield kept her skin smooth and wrinkle-free. She barely looked in her thirties, when she was actually in her mid-forties. Of course, her physical aging had a lot to do with her gene history more than anything else, but the shield certainly helped.
Is there anything unusual about her appearance?She has beautiful red hair and green eyes that captured you immediately when you were in her presence. It gave her the aura of a goddess.
What is her drive, her motivation?She is a virtuoso violinist driven to perfection by forces deep within her subconscious. Her brother died at an early age and another secret in her past causes her to seek love from the outside as she is very insecure and difficult to get along with anyone including Chris her lover, husband, best friend, and musical partner. She hides behind her talent in her own world of fantasy to shield herself from reality. Chris touches her soul as he is so down to earth and naturally tolerant of her moodiness and spurts of anger and she falls madly in love with him, as he her.
Does Chris really love her?Unconditionally without question. They love each other for different reasons and as Chris reveals later in the novel, they loved each other for what "they were not."
To quote Chris:
........Angela, don’t you think I’ve known who you are and who you are not? In all the years we’ve been together, don’t you realize that I’ve always counted on you being the person that you aren’t?” She cleared her nose and wiped off the tears.
“I don’t understand,” she replied. “The person that I’m not?”
“Think about it. We have struggled for years and not always been happy with each other. We’ve each had common goals and relied upon each other to achieve them. We pushed each other, we’ve insulted each other, and we’ve been through very difficult times. We never once faced the fact that alone we were incapable of doing it. We treasured each other because of the things we were not. We imagined. We took the chance, regardless of our fears. You are not the perfect wife, and I am not the perfect husband, musician, or person; but we loved each other for things that we could never quantify. We believed. We had blind faith in each other. I have let you down and you have let me down. The issue today is whether you want to be afraid with me or without me. If you love me, I don’t think you have to contemplate for long.”
Tell us about her family.Her mother and father are both musicians. Her mother is a pianist and teacher, her father is a high school teacher and gave up being a trumpeter many years earlier to support the family. They are both proud of their daughter but Angela and her father have a natural competitiveness that drives them to argue constantly. Her father is envious of her ability to be able to take her art to levels he could have only dreamed for, but he loves her unconditionally. Her mother constantly intervenes and becomes a referee between them at times.
Where is she from?Venice Beach, California
Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?It is the late sixties, the height of the hippie age and women's movement and she is independent and a dominant force. She embodies the emergence of females from that era and will not be told that she is to be a child-bearer and housewife, and takes her own path to capture success on her terms.
What does she want out of life?She seeks perfection in her music, and doesn't realize that it is not attainable. She spends her entire life pursuing it, only to fall short of her expections. She discounts her successes and doesn't realize how great she really is and that is due to the things that happened to her in her childhood that have driven her to greatness and ultimately brings her downfall. It is her denial of human imperfection that causes the conflicts within.
How would she describe you?A neurotic driving determined force that seeks perfection while knowing there is no such thing. LOL! Everyone thinks that I modeled Chris the male lead after me, and although Angela is a fictional character based in fantasy, I relate more to her than to Chris.
Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.First and foremost this a love story that shows unlimited devotion even after one mate dies. When we open up the first chapter, we already know Chris' wife is long gone and he has suffered greatly. The depression he allows himself to stay in for so long, changes as he begins to recount the past-though involuntary. The setting of the future, it's technology and the human nature that rarely changes though the ages is exposed during the exposition. The real fun begins when we go back to his youth.
One of the messages of this book was to show that regardless of the age, future, past, or present-the needs and wants of the human heart can never be replaced by technology. The other aspect was to show that regardless that these two people were together twenty-four hours a day and experiencing everything together, they grew apart because of the flaws that each had and those flaws prove to be what made them great as well. Great art comes from imperfection and like the ying and yang, there is always danger in beauty be it the cliffs of Big Sur and rocks below, the infatuation of human beauty, or the spiritual dogma entrenched by centuries of emotional manipulation.
"They believed without question, without doubt."
That is quite a lot to write into a romance novel, but it is what life is all about if one wants to take the time to understand it's meaning and one's place in it.
Chris is every woman's dream. A man so incredibly devoted that no other woman could ever take the place of his wife and soul mate Angela. A man so patient and understanding, gifted and tolerant of her mood swings and temper. He understood her every move and motivation and their music echoed the love that they both shared. They both gave each other confidence and the ability to dream their dream together. Angela's pure determination is what makes them the best they can be, and at the same time causes all of the heartache.
There are many other obvious and hidden messages within this "road of life" novel but it's main message is live life to it's fullest everyday! Don't expect life to treat you kindly and the "road" will be bumpy with potholes and dangerous curves, but it will take you places you have never been as long as you stay on it and that is the important part. Stay on it! Don't give up no matter what. Death is over-rated and the other side is an eternity. I know. I was there. Stay awhile and let time heal and be good to yourself and as the love of Chris' life tells him to remember that "Love is all there is. Never lose that gift."
Please provide your website link.www.onlymomentsbook.com
What is the link to buy your book?Amazon or go to www.onlymomentsbook.com
It was wonderful to meet her. Thank you for bringing her to meet us.
