Sorry it's taken me ages to get this posted. I've been taking a nice little break from typing for awhile, and I plan to continue being lazy for a couple more weeks (months?) before starting on book 3.
News!! I've decided to self-publish this series. For now, I'm busy doing research to see about the best options. Plus, I'm absolutely broke, so I'll need to figure out a way to earn some cash so I can pay for a professional editor. (donations are welcome. lol) But, sometime this year, I hope to see book 1 being sold. Some of you have already told me that you'd gladly leave a review on Amazon once the story is up, but if anyone else would be willing to help support my story in the real world, then please comment here. You have no idea how much it'd mean to me!!
Okay, now onto the Question and Answer portion:
How did you come up with Mercy's character? Was she inspired by someone that you know or just a figment of your imagination? - run_gbb TolaniOlusoga
I guess she was mostly a figment of my imagination. But, to be entirely honest, I have no idea where Mercy came from. I think she must be a compilation of everything I wish I could be, but just don't have the courage for. She's bold, confident, and insanely adventurous... while I tend to keep my thoughts internalized and try my very best to avoid confrontation and useless debates. I think I just combined the aspects about myself that I liked with certain traits that I wish I had, and Mercy was the result.
How long have you been writing? - run_gbb
I started off writing songs at the age of six. (Don't be too impressed by that; the songs were awful.) Most of my writing career has been with music. I've written 100+ songs. And while I experimented with writing stories on and off through my teens, I didn't really start writing books until 2015. Porcelain Skin was my first completed novel.
What inspired this story? - Fellylii i_like_cereal_
I've secretly always loved stories about mail-order brides or arranged marriages because I love watching the emotions build between two characters that originally feel nothing for each other. While mail-order brides are actually still a thing, I don't think the majority of them are as romantic as stories make them out to be. And since arranged marriages aren't real common in American culture, I didn't want to go that route either. I wanted to create a relationship that could grow into something magical and still be believable. So, a marriage that had lost its spark seemed like the perfect option.
Why didn't Mercy just throw in the towel? - racontour
Mercy is very much against divorce. She mentioned briefly at the start of the book that she doesn't believe in divorce unless there's unfaithfulness or abuse. In her case, there was neither. So, even though it was extremely difficult to suffer through, she refused to give up on her marriage even though, at times, she did play with the idea.
Did Mercy ever feel like her marriage was toxic? - racontour
She may have felt that way at times, but the truth is that it wasn't the marriage that was toxic. It was their inability to communicate that was the problem. Marriage is always hard, but when people refuse to deal with their issues as a team, then there's very little hope for things to get better. I named the series "Dismantled Pride" because that's ultimately the problem... people become too proud to realize that they might be at fault. A little humility can go a long way.
Do you feel like Mercy's mom had to die in order to achieve what you wanted to with the story? - JustSimplyFaith
No. Not at all. Originally, I hadn't planned for her to die at all. But, I had planned for the accident, but figured her mom would just end up in a coma. It'd be Mercy dealing with the possibility that her mom might never wake up (but in the end, she would have). But then, suddenly I found myself writing "she didn't make it", and I realized that I wrote that into the story for myself. After losing my dad, I needed a way to express those emotions, and I guess that's how I did it. It broke my heart to do it because I loved Mercy's mom, but that's reality. We lose people that we love and it sucks, but we learn to live with their absence.
Are you more like Emma or Mercy? - TolaniOlusoga
I'm most definitely more like Emma. I do my absolute best not to judge people or be cruel, so Emma's dark past has zero correlation to my life. Other than that, many of Emma's traits are actually my own. So... I hope you all liked her, because she's basically me. Haha :p (and if you didn't like her, then just don't tell me.)
What's your age? - ItsSilena
At the time of writing this (May 2017), I'm 27. *gasp*
Do you have Children? - sweettalkinglady
Yes. I have one daughter who's two and a half. :)
Update (April 2018): I have a little boy now too. His name is Ezekiel (Zeke). :D
Update (April 2020): I have another little boy. Declan. <3
How long have you been with your husband? - sweettalkinglady
We've been married since 2010. Whoo hoo!!! (I'm only a tiny bit old)
How do you plot the story? Does it come with flow or do you have it on your mind for awhile? - whitedeen
None of my stories (apart from my fantasy trilogy) has taken much thought. Porcelain Skin took practically zero planning. This book took slightly more planning and turned out worse (I feel like. haha). After writing these two books, I think I've come to realize that I work best when I have a basic storyline, a climax, and that's it. The rest of it is just emotion. I write what I feel, or what I think I would feel in a certain situation.
Will book 3 have Trevor and Emma in it? -
Um... I actually haven't decided yet. I guess we'll see where the story leads us as I write it. :D
Do you have plans for book 3? - Smilebob12345
Yes... kinda. Unfortunately, I've been dealing with several life problems right now, and on top of that, I'm in the midst of moving and setting up a home. So, I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to start writing again. I was also hoping to get Paper Bride edited before I begin posting the next book. So, things just haven't been working out for me lately. But don't worry, there will be a book 3. Just not sure when. (I'll try not to make you guys wait too long, though). ;)
Why do you write? - AmnaThanzeel
Two reasons: The first is simply because I want to make a difference. I want to make people think. I want to discuss difficult topics in a way that helps people view all sides of a situation without being judgmental. I want people to take something valuable away from my stories, to have deep moments of realization that encourage them to better themselves. That's the main reason. Reason two is much simpler... I just want to see how many of my readers are like me. Haha! I incorporate little aspects of myself into every character. So, when I write a particular character's reaction to something or opinion about something, sometimes I'm just trying to see how many of my readers agree with those things and how many find them ludicrous. :p Though, with Mercy's character, I honestly had very little in common with her. The main thing Mercy and I agree on is our view of marriage. I would be a fighter in her situation too. I think marriage should be valued and cherished, not thrown away just because it gets tough.
Will you continue this story or is it finished? - maureen203
Not sure yet... still deciding how I want the series laid out.
Why did you name your character Mercy? - SingAnonymous
Honestly, there was no reason. I literally just pick the first name that popped into my head. I've never even met someone named Mercy, so I'm not sure why my brain chose that name, but it somehow fits her, so I kept it. :p
What's your daughter's name? - spoby123456789
Her name is Eden. :D
How come Seth's family wasn't introduced in the book? - vanillalover1213
Seth's past is ugly. Like really ugly. He's lost basically all communication with his family (or what's left of it), so he has no interest in rekindling those relationships after the hurt they caused him. That's why we never meet them. Maybe in future books we'll see him make an attempt, but as of now, he honestly could care less about where they are or what they're up to. :/
Update: If you haven't read Liquid Feels... you learn about his past in it. ;)
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If you have more questions after reading this, then please do ask them. I'd be happy to add them in.
Thanks for joining me throughout this story and for caring enough to vote and comment and follow.
If you're curious about my self-publishing experience then you can always check out my Tiktok account: author.kdneal
Thanks! <3 Love you all!!
Kari