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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, July 20, 2015

when to hold on with everything you have left - The Day Of The Wave by Becky Wicks

"The Day of the Wave is fiercely intense and undeniably epic in its desperate pursuit of lost dreams, unwavering hope, and ultimate redemption. This is an astonishingly indescribable journey of two people whose world was savagely ripped to shreds and yet they refused to give up on the tiniest flicker of hope that burned within them. " - Goodreads, Amber

Description:

Torn apart by the tragedy. Thrown back together ten years later by destiny... Isla and Ben were just sixteen when the Boxing Day tsunami ripped through their beach resort in Thailand. Just days after forming a life-changing bond, both were missing and presumed dead.

Based on real life events, The Day of the Wave is a story of healing, learning to let go, and figuring out when to hold on with everything you have left.

MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mrs. Becky Wicks
What research did you do for The Day of the Wave and what it was the most emotional fact you discovered? How did you decide what to use in your story?
It was definitely a journey researching this one! I started it while I was still in Sri Lanka and speaking to people about their experiences in and after the tsunami - it was what inspired me to write about the event in a way that I was sure hadn't been done before. I watched every YouTube video, every documentary and read every article I could find about the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami before I started writing. I wanted to understand the timeline of events but more than that, I wanted to feel the depth of emotion that you can only feel by hearing all those survival stories. 

The one thing that stuck in my mind was the scuba diving team who were underwater in all their gear when the tsunami happened. It was literally a 7-minute video on YouTube about their experience that gave me the idea for Ben's story. When the guys talk about emerging after it happened and looking towards the shoreline, one says "that's when we saw the bodies floating towards us." It really moved me. I included that in the book.

Second chances – are they real, are they deserved? Why such theme for Isla and Ben?
I wanted to give these characters some light at the end of the tunnel. They were both affected by the tsunami in different ways and it's not until they meet up again ten years later that they really start to heal, because in each other they find the understanding and compassion that's been missing in all their other relationships. A second chance for them is more than just re-igniting the flame between them - it's an opportunity to live to their full potential and be each other's rock moving forward.

What should readers look for in a romance story?
I'm not sure it's up to an author to decide what a reader looks for in anything. The author usually just writes the book they want to write and hopefully, the right readers will find it and like it. :-)

Between fiction, non - fiction, novels and short stories – how different is to write them and what is your author “mark”? 
Writing non fiction is harder than fiction, for me anyway. You put your real heart on the line and it's you people are judging when they write their reviews, not your writing and characters. My author's mark is probably emotional tension. I'm an emotional Scorpio and I think that probably comes across in my work!

About the author:
Becky Wicks is mostly powered by coffee. She had three travel memoirs published by HarperCollins before going the indie route. Her first book in the Starstruck Series, 'Before He Was Famous' recently reached #1 in Amazon's Coming of Age and New Adult & College categories. The second in the series, 'Before He Was Gone', and the third, 'Before He Was A Secret' are both out now along with 'The Day Of The Wave' - a romance based around the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. 

Becky blogs most days at beckywicks.com and always welcomes distractions on Twitter (especially if you have cat photos):

25 comments:

Nikolina said...

Enjoyed reading your interview, thank you!

Patrick Siu said...

I have enjoyed learning about the book. Thanks for sharing it.

Unknown said...

Thanks for the interview! Learning more about an author is always fun. I think writing non-fiction would be harder than writing fiction too. Thanks :)

Jan Lee said...

Nice that this book is based on real life events. I'd love to read this! :)

Audrey Stewart said...

I am so excited to read this book. Good job on the interview.

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the interview!

--Trix

Unknown said...

I enjoyed your interview! Your book sounds terrific! Thank you for sharing!

Victoria Alexander said...

Really great post! I enjoyed reading it, thanks for sharing :)

Juana said...

I will def be purchasing this story. I can't wait to read it.

Bridgett Wilbur said...

This sounds like a book that I would enjoy reading. Ty

Arf2-D2 said...

I like that the author researched the topic thoroughly. From the synopsis, it sounds like she wove a wonderful tale out of a tragedy.

Danielle merkle said...

Thank you for the amazing giveaway!

Belinda M said...

Wow sounds like a great book and I can't wait to read it. Best of luck and thanks for the giveaway too

Maranda Hymes said...

This sounds awesome. I love stories based in fact. Can't wait to read.

Christy said...

I loved the book!!! Great interview!

wendy Hutton said...

sounds like a great read

Stephanie LaPlante said...

This sounds like a very heartwarming story!

Unknown said...

I look forward to reading your books and keep up the great work.

Unknown said...

It sounds like a great read! I enjoyed the interview too! Thank you for the post and the giveaway!

Dan Denman said...

I like the cover and description of the book. It sounds like an amazing story.

Sara said...

This looks like a great book, thank you.

Juana said...

I would love to read this story.

Arf2-D2 said...

I really like the cover

Ally Swanson said...

Excellent post! I really enjoyed reading the book description and the interview. Looking forward to reading this book!

Linda Trinklein said...

Linda T !!!! OOOHHHHH I hope that is me :)