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.
About the Book:
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 5 People You Meet in Heaven or The Celestine Prophecy, you’ll love Illusion of an Ending.
For More Information
- Illusion of an Ending is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
- Read excerpt here.
Would you call yourself a born writer?
Yes, from a very young age I always knew I would be a writer. I remember being a kid and writing story after story, but realizing I did not know enough about life to write a real book. That certainly did not stop me from attempting. In elementary school, I handwrote my first 150-page book, similar to my idols, R.L. Stine and Christopher Pike. I was at a Montessori school at the time, and our teacher created this thing called our “novel”—a blue notebook that we got to write in every day if we wanted. I continued to write in high school—children’s stories in Italian for a class project, poems about love not working out filled with teenage angst, along with short stories in my Writing for Publication class, before I moved onto college and an MFA program all focusing on creative writing. My mother—who is one of my biggest supporters by the way—almost convinced me to go to school for some kind of sports medicine since I was also very much into coaching and doing gymnastics, and she thought a job in that field might support me better financially. Yet, a calling is a calling and I knew it could not go ignored!
What was your inspiration for Illusion of an Ending?
Illusion of an Ending was inspired by a car accident I got into leaving work one day in the small city of Cranston, Rhode Island. It turned out that the other driver was in a rental car all the way from southern California. I remember realizing that there were no accidents, that I would write it, and that I would move to California too, though I did not totally believe it at the time. I later found out that on that same day, a friend lost his childhood friend in an accident about an hour away from where the man in the rental car lived in California. I later received the inspiration for my novel—a character who had just passed away in a motorcycle accident, but had a very important message to pass along to his grieving mother and the world of the living.
Shortly after, I discovered Chapman University in a Google search for MFA programs in southern California. Lucky for me, there was a young woman who lived literally 20 minutes away from my prospective school who had transferred to be on our gymnastics team at Rhode Island College just months after I found my dream school online. I was able to stay with her family while visiting the school, and just a few months later moved to California after being accepted with a small fellowship into Chapman’s MFA program. Oddly enough, I found that everyone I met was connected in strange ways. The synchronicity going on in my own life inspired the synchronicity in my book. I knew I would have three different characters whose lives, seemingly separate, would all come together as part of a plan they created before they were born.
What themes do you like to explore in your writing?
I love to explore themes like life before/after death, life purpose, timelessness, and so forth. I’m very much into writing Visionary & Metaphysical fiction, a genre that is not too well known, but is certainly emerging. I have to say though, many of the books which fit into this genre like Paulo Coelho’s the Alchemist, The Celestine Prophecies by James Redfield, The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom continue to make a strong impact in peoples’ lives, withstanding the test of time. It has been a goal of mine to have a positive effect on peoples’ lives with my writing.
How long did it take you to complete the novel?
I started writing this novel for my thesis in graduate school in 2006. I finished about two and half years later, though the book went through some transformation after that. From the time I started it and the time I published it, it was about 8 and a half years.
Are you disciplined? Describe a typical writing day.
As a kid, I was super disciplined, always finishing my homework before gymnastics practice and striving for straight A’s. I have been a super hard worker my whole life, but I’ll admit, there are times when I got burnt out from not giving myself a break. Being an independent author, I’ve been learning to balance writing with marketing, and other daily tasks before I tackle my evening job as a gymnastics coach. I try to wake up, enjoy a little breakfast with my husband if he’s home before work, workout, and meditate before getting ready for the day. Then, I tackle writing and marketing, with a little rest before I leave for the gym. I’m also having a baby within the next couple of months, so I will have to create a whole new schedule to adapt to motherhood!
What did you find most challenging about writing this book?
I definitely think it was challenging not really having one definite “protagonist” and “antagonist,” in my novel but rather, taking three different characters’ lives and showing how they were all meant to come together. Also, although fiction, I tried to incorporate metaphysical concepts based on peoples’ real experiences with life after death. It was important for me to make it as realistic as possible. Much of what seems like fiction to some people is very real to others, depending on ones’ experiences and beliefs.
What do you love most about being an author?
It is extremely rewarding knowing that a child has enjoyed my children’s book, or hearing that my novel has made a difference in someone’s life.
Did you go with a traditional publisher, small press, or did you self publish? What was the process like and are you happy with your decision?
At first, I found a small press interested in publishing my children’s book as well as my novel. When things didn’t work out, I decided to publish Illusion of an Ending independently after successfully publishing my children’s book, Tina Tumbles. Since their releases in April/December 2014, it has truly been an honor to learn that both books were awarded Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards.
Where can we find you on the web?
You can find me at:
www.facebook.com/AuthorDanielleSoucyMills
twitter.com/DSoucyMills
instagram.com/DanielleSoucyMills
goodreads.com/DSoucyMills
daniellesoucymills.blogspot.com
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