Getting real with Stevie D. Parker

By KC POITRAS

(This interview does include SPOILERS!!)

A witty, charming, and wonderful author with a heart of gold and the magic to help us escape into the world of fiction!

Q. When will your next book be released?

A. Hopefully, end of the year/beginning of 2023.

Q. Will there be a book with Mia and Rob's story?

A. You know, it’s funny. After the second round of rewrites on the original story after beta reader feedback, the last 1/3 of the book completely changed its course. Including the ending. The last chapter (five years later) was a re-write and added last minute. So, originally, the plan wasn’t to have a Rob/Mia story, but never say never, I guess!

Q. Can I have the recipe for the Flaming Marshmallow drink?

A. Haha! I’m thinking maybe Rumchata to make it white, mixed with marshmallow vodka and a skewer of roasted marshmallows on the top? Thinking of what a pain that sounds like it would be to make. Sounds pretty messy. Maybe I’ll experiment and try making it!

Q. How do you get such real-life, in-depth characters? I have read Wounds of Time and My Significant Nobody and felt the characters were so raw and real and could truly relate to their experiences. Do you pull from real life?

A. Yes, a lot of scenes and scenarios were based on stories from real events. The hard part is forming characters around these situations and giving them an ultimate storyline to follow.

Q. If you do Mia & Rob’s story, are you going to keep it in NY as with your other books or will you have it in Miami?

A. I try to only write about places I am familiar with. The suite in the Miami scene is based on a real hotel I normally stay at while visiting. That being said, being born and raised in New York, although I have some familiarity with Miami, I think I would keep it in New York.

Q. I’m not a writer lol, mainly because of dialogue. How do you think of such witty dialogue?

A. I was born this way! Lol. I have a very sarcastic sense of humor, and in some instances, I have written entire scenes based on a conversation I have had in real life or a line I’ve said to someone. Since writing Wounds of Time, now whenever I am out with my best friend, I’ll say something, and she’ll immediately go: “Write that down!” I now keep notes on my phone.

Q. You didn't let us experience Amber's relationship with Pete. Is there a specific reason for this? Did Amber develop deep feelings for Pete, or was she just with him, hoping to make James jealous?

A. Yes, this was intentional. We live in a third-person point-of-view world. I felt it was important to detail Amber and Pete’s relationship through the eyes of James for two reasons. A- you would get the real side of Pete, not the person he claims to be with Amber, and James' real emotions watching this. B- I think why Amber dates Pete should be left up to the reader to decide. As the author, I would say she was trying very hard to be with anyone BUT James, especially since she was struggling with accepting her own feelings, but that is the great part about writing it on his side, you can ultimately make your own conclusion.

Q. What do you have in the pipeline? Will it be along the same lines as Wounds of Time and My Significant Nobody?

A. One thing I am trying to avoid is being boxed into a specific genre. Wounds of Time is a romantic suspense, My Significant Nobody is a contemporary romance, rom-com. The next project I am working on is a trilogy exploring the paranormal, spiritual realm.

Q. A question you don't have to answer if you don't want to. How much of you is in your FCs? Is there one you relate to the most through your own experience?

A. I think there is a piece of me in every character I write, both male and female. As far as the women are concerned, Amber was the hardest to write because she is the least like me in personality, versus Samantha or Bianca (Wounds of Time).

Q. I absolutely loved James and didn't see him as the arsehole as everyone else did in the book. I personally saw him as an insecure and hurting man and I just wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright. Which character do you like the best and why?

A. I agree, James is definitely my favorite. Answering this question, I am realizing a pattern in both male characters, James and Vince (Wounds of Time.) Readers have commented on how their views of both male leads have changed drastically from the time they picked up the book until they finished it. I think the recurring theme here is “don’t judge a book by its cover”

KC POITRAS

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