Authors: Colleen Oakley
Before I Go (41 page)
Have you always dreamed of writing a novel? When did you first know you were a writer?
I’ve been writing stories since I first learned to hold a pencil. I think my mom still has some of my books that I wrote in elementary school (I bound them and everything!) in a box in the attic. So yes, I’ve always dreamed of writing a novel, but like most writers, I have a hard drive full of unfinished manuscripts, so I wasn’t always sure I would actually realize my dream.
What was the most challenging part of writing this story?
There were so many challenges, but I think the hardest thing was to strike the right tone. The subject material is obviously fraught with emotion, but I didn’t ever want it to be too maudlin or depressing. I hope that I achieved a good balance.
Even though the story of Daisy’s Lots of Cancer is filled with sadness, your writing style conveys a lightheartedness and humorous tone. What role does humor play in your life?
I’ve never been great at dealing with very serious, grave situations. I’m usually the person in the corner cracking a joke or trying to say something witty or clever to lighten the mood. Sometimes I’m probably wildly inappropriate, but sometimes I think it’s really necessary. I remember when my grandfather (who was a very funny man) died, my entire family sat around telling the most hilarious stories about him and laughing until we cried. So maybe I come by it naturally, but I really do believe that laughter is the best medicine.
Do you think Daisy is a picture of someone who refuses to grieve?
That’s a good question. I think I’ve always seen Daisy as someone who’s in denial, but refuses to admit she’s in denial. She uses Jack—and finding a wife for him—as a way to avoid processing what’s really happening to her. I also think grief is partly about accepting that not everything in life is within our control, and that’s something Daisy obviously has a really hard time with.
Is there a message you hope readers take away from reading
Before I Go
?
My favorite books are those that touch me in some inexplicable way. I do hope the book reminds people to love hard and live their lives fully in the present. But I think my biggest hope is that readers find something in my book that they connect with emotionally—whether it makes them laugh, cry, or throw the book across the room in frustration.
When you’re not writing novels and essays, what are some of your favorite ways to spend time?
Laughing with (and sometimes at) my husband and my unbearably cute kids, throwing dinner parties, and watching clips of Jon Stewart and Jimmy Fallon online (I’m never awake late enough to watch them live). I’m also a reluctant runner—I’m often training for some type of race that I have no hopes of winning.
Your Twitter bio says you are a margarita enthusiast. What is your secret to making a fantastic margarita?
Jalapeño tequila. My website designer (the fabulous Maria Palladino) introduced me and now I’m hooked. Try it! You won’t be disappointed.
Which character in the book was the most fun to develop?
The easy answer is Kayleigh, because she’s so wry and her character really allowed me to bring comic relief to some tough scenes. But I probably enjoyed writing Daisy’s mom the most. I love her quirks—the obsessive bird-watching, the incompetence with technology—and I really enjoyed writing her full-on emotional outbursts. She doesn’t hide her sadness and it was somewhat of a relief to write her, since every other character is so guarded with their feelings.
Do you have a “bucket list”? If so, what are some of your favorite hopes on your list?
To learn to ski. To master one magic trick that baffles adults and children alike at parties. To have a first-person encounter with the Loch Ness monster. I realize these aren’t all completely realistic. Skiing is hard.
What can we expect from you next?
I’m working on a book about a young girl who’s a medical marvel—she’s allergic to other humans. It’s going to be amazing. Or really terrible. Depends on the day you’re asking.
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Colleen Oakley
makes her fiction debut with
Before I Go.
Formerly editor-in-chief of
Women’s Health & Fitness
and senior editor at
Marie Claire
, she is an Atlanta-based writer and editor whose articles and essays have been featured in national publications including
The New York Times, Ladies’ Home Journal, Shape, Redbook, Fitness, Martha Stewart Weddings
, and
Woman’s Day,
among others. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook, and visit
www.colleenoakley.com
.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
authors.simonandschuster.com/Colleen-Oakley
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Gallery Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2015 by Colleen Tull
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First Gallery Books hardcover edition January 2015
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Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco
Jacket design by Lisa Litwack
Jacket art © Wendy Stevenson/Arcangel Images
AAuthor photograph by C. Noel
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-4767-6166-4
ISBN 978-1-4767-6168-8 (ebook)
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