Book Release Interview - A DIVIDED MIND Q&A
1. What was the
inspiration behind this story?
When my son, Kyle was in his senior year of high school and
confessed he was “hearing voices,” my maternal instinct was to make them go
away. Kyle’s reaction was to discover what was going on. My son and I navigated
the world of mental health together without any clue of what was ahead.
As his mom, I often felt powerless to help. In those times,
I found that the journalist in me surfaced. As a career journalist, I ask a lot
of questions. My teenage son wasn’t too talkative. I asked questions I wasn’t
sure I wanted to know the answers. But what started as a search for answers
grew into a fictionalized story of what could happen if a divided mind is left
untreated.
Kyle let me into a world I never knew he had endured. But
instead of resigning himself to this life, I saw a young man choosing to have a
different path. He worked tirelessly with counselors and mental health experts
until he found someone in the field who understood and knew how to treat him.
There was never an “easy” solution. But Kyle’s determination to be more than
his disease was heroic.
By answering all my questions and delving into the darkness,
the story unfolded. I knew how far a mother would go to protect her child and
my son told the story of how far a divided mind will go to protect itself.
2. Tell us about your main character.
Branson Kovak will break your heart. From the
way he weaves humor in explaining his symptoms to his high school counselor to
the inner demons he shoulders alone, he is a beautiful survivor.
3. Which is your favorite minor character and why?
Aaron Kovak is Branson’s identical twin brother.
Aaron made me laugh by his reaction to certain situations. Instead of
devastation, Aaron often showed another side to coping with his brother’s
mental illness. By keeping things light, he often helped his brother the most.
Aaron was also intense when he needed to be. He truly took the reigns as the
oldest twin. His relationship with Branson remains one of the selflessly ones
I’ve ever written.
4. What is your favorite personality trait of your main character?
His honesty. Branson is painfully self-aware.
5. What is your favorite personality trait of your bad guy/girl?
Tara Lafontisee is a single mom, who has crafted her life
and those of her children toward optimal success. Her aim at perfecting her
family’s image is her attempt to erase her two past failed marriages. When
Branson confesses, he’s hearing voices, the house of cards falls. However, what
emerges is a single mom, who no longer cares what you think of her or her
family. And when she no longer cares about public perception, she’s even more
dangerous.
6. Tell us something funny about one of your characters.
The humor. The entire family uses humor to offset
situations.
7. One of your characters is going on a shopping spree. Where does he/she go and what does he/she buy?
Branson likes the local convenient store for Mountain Dew
and candy.
8. Your character is at a bookstore. Which section is he/she shopping in? What book is in his/her hand right now?
The only family member that would be at the book store is
Tara, who would check on her New York Times bestselling book and where it’s
located in the store!
9. Your character has the music blasting. What’s playing, and what is he/she doing while listening?
Branson & Aaron like the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Tara
prefers The Allman Brothers. Little Jack likes Jesse’s singing from “Full
House” reruns.
10. I’m inviting your main character to dinner. What should I make?
Anything with a lot of carbs. This family is going through
crisis – some aren’t eating (Tara), others are overeating (Branson) and others
are left to fend for themselves. (Carson & Jack).
11. Your main character is planning a vacation. Where is he/she going?
Mexico. When I was writing “A Divided Mind,” I often
imagined whisking my son, other kids and myself off to a beach in Mexico. The
ocean can cure anything.
12. Were you surprised by the behavior of any of your characters or the direction of your plot at any point while writing?
Here’s the best kept secret – there are two endings to “A
Divided MInd.” The one I wrote and the one my son suggested, which is how the
work concludes.
When I shared my ending to the story with Kyle, he shook his
head. "It's not realistic,” he said.
I was torn. His suggested ending didn’t follow the ending I
imagined, but I knew in my gut he was right. And now, I couldn’t imagine a
different ending.
13. Please share a few favorite lines or one paragraph.
10
quotes from A divided Mind by M. Billiter: #1
– 6 are in Branon’s POV; 7-13 Tara’s.
1.
There was no doubt
my mind was off the rails.
- I couldn’t seem to get across to anyone who would
listen to me or actually hear me that, while I may have been losing my
grip on reality, I wasn’t going to lose my shit on someone else.
- My tone was sharp and piercing, like one of the many
knives I collected. Knives I had to give to my mom when I told her about
the “static” in my head.
4.
I opened the door
and was thrust into the hallway of my high school, surrounded by the chaos of
people running around, trying to get to their next class. The nose was a
welcome relief, because for a minute, it shut out the static.
5.
For a moment, I
thought about telling my brother about the constant noise, the unending anger I
felt every day for no reason, and the lack of happiness that made me feel empty
and utterly alone. But as I stared into his hazel eyes, I saw his concern, and
I couldn’t burden my twin with my problems.
6.
Aaron’s eyes were a
reflection of my own before I began to lose my mind. He gripped my shoulder,
and for a minute it seemed like he knew what was happening, like our twin thing
was working.
7.
I touched the
screen, traced his face from a just a few months ago. What happened? I don’t
understand. Branson, come back to be. Please. I need you to be okay.
8.
I hit the steering
wheel and raised my fist to the heavens. I will never forgive You if
anything happens to my son. Never.
9.
When your child
confesses that they’ve been hearing voices and they can no longer keep the
“static” quiet, there’s not really anyone with whom to share this revelation. Who
would understand this and not judge? Who won’t look at my son differently?
10.
My work and
education were front and center. To the naked eye, they looked great, even
impressive, because that’s what I did for a living. I packaged people to look
amazing.
11.
I couldn’t even
muster a fake laugh. There wasn’t anything funny about mental illness, or
thinking that my Branson suffered from anything other than the occasional
teenage cold, cough, heartache or acne.
12.
The truth of how I
felt, nestled beneath all my anger, finally came out in a whisper. “I want his
dreams to still be alive. I don’t want to be the one who takes them away.”
14. How long did it take you to write this book?
Six months. And it was the hardest six months of my life.
15. If your book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the lead characters?
I love that this question was asked. I can’t think of a
better story to be made into a screenplay. I always imagined Jennifer Gardner
playing Tara – from her controlled professional life to her crumbling personal
life. I imagine Gardner would walk that fine line exceedingly well.
And since Branson is an identical twin... I think Dylan and
Cole Spouse (The Suite Life of Zack & Cody) would be unreal playing teens
and twins Aaron and Branson Kovac.
16. How did you come up with the title?
When I interviewed my son, the image/thought that kept
appearing was that of a mind divided.
17. Tell us about your cover art and how it pertains to your story.
I can’t wait to see what Claire designs!
18. Of all the books out there, why should readers choose this one? (What makes your book stand out from the rest?)
“A Divided Mind,”
delves into the emotional experience of mental illness from both sides of the
spectrum, the sufferer and caregiver. When I wrote this story, it was important
to shed stereotypes. Branson is a teen, struggling through a serious diagnosis
– but he’s not his disease. I was painfully aware that when it comes to mental
illness, there is considerable misunderstanding and tremendous judgment.
My hope is that I’ve created characters that are relatable
and a plot that is so believable it will generate honest conversations about mental
illness for a long time.
19. Is there an underlying theme in your book? If so, tell us about it and why/if it’s important to you.
Forgiveness. There’s not one character in this family, who
isn’t seeking or in need of forgiveness.
20. Fiction can often provide powerful life lessons. What message do you hope readers get from your book?
That someone with mental illness isn’t scary or
to shy away from. Additionally, people with mental illness are usually the
victims of violence then the perpetrators.
A Divided Mind
M. Billiter
Published by: Tangled Tree Publishing
Publication date: July 27th 2019
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller
Sometimes that little voice in your head isn’t always yours.
What if the only friend you have isn’t real? When the voices in his head begin to make sense, high school senior Branson Kovac turns to the one friend he’s still got… only to discover he’s not really there.
—
EXCERPT:
For everyone’s concern about me hurting myself or someone, cutting into a frozen frog didn’t prompt any crazed thoughts. Now the kid next to me who kept tapping me on the shoulder like he had a nervous tick, he deserved a beatdown just for annoying me.“Branson, help me out. What is this?” He pointed to a part of the frog.
“For the hundredth time, it’s the liver.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
No shit.
I was identifying the other parts of Kermit’s anatomy when tick boy tapped me again on the shoulder.
“What?” I glared at him and he backed away. That sudden jolt of anger triggered the shadow people. I shook my head, but it was still there. I saw a shadow of a person pick up the scalpel and attack tick boy with exact precision, cutting him across the throat. The only color I could see was red.
Author Bio:
M. Billiter is the alter ego of contemporary, award-winning romance author, Mary Billliter.
After writing more than a dozen love stories, she is exploring the other side. Best known for her emotional honesty, Mary doesn't write about well-adjusted people, but rather the wounds in life.
M. Billiter writes with clarity and raw emotion to explore difficult subjects and issues close to her heart.
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