An Interview with Rebecca Lake-Bonenfant
Rebecca Lake-Bonenfant lives in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire, minutes from Lake Winnipesaukee. She lives with her supportive husband, book-crazy daughter, and old-soul little boy. She enjoys spending time in nature, reading, writing, and being a wife, mother, and dog mom to her two doggies.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I’ve always loved to write, and one day I just had an idea. It started flowing out of me. I like to believe that sometimes the ideas choose us. I never even read a lot of fantasy until a couple of years before I was inspired to write about the Apherian Realm. I just fell in love with the whole genre after reading ACOTAR. I mean, I think a lot of people did.
Describe your dream book cover.
This is a secret because I plan on making all my covers my dream covers eventually!
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
I made a soundtrack for Beyond the Shimmer. It includes songs like “Everything She Does Is Magic” by the Police, “Here Comes the Sun” by The Beatles, “Blinding Lights” by Lisa Ostergren, “Pocket Full of Sunshine” by Natasha Bedingfield, and “Devil Doesn’t Bargain” by Alec Benjamin, to name a few. I was surprised to find so many songs that resonated with the theme or characters in the book. It was so fun to make. I love to listen to it to get in the zone for writing my next book in the series.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
I think my love for writing started early. I wrote a lot of poetry as a teenager. I loved Poe, and many other poets. Writing was therapeutic for me. I think it just helped me work through all my emotions at first. Then my first year in college, I was told by a teacher I really respected that “It would be a sin if I didn’t write.” Her belief in me sparked something that has never gone out and I am forever grateful for that.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I don’t think I have a favorite place to write. I feel like it doesn’t matter where you are. When inspiration hits you and the flow of writing starts to pour out of you, that’s exactly where you’re supposed to be. So I guess my favorite place to write from is the ‘zone,’ which is a mental place, not a physical place.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Believe in magic!
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
I hope that they fall in love with the world and the characters. I put my heart into creating this beautiful escape and I just want them to enjoy it and want more.
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