About the author: Evera D. is the writer and author of the new book Dance of the trees. Being a professional in the field of human science, she prefers to describe a person based on their emotions and not their characters, which drives the concept of her stories. Her younger self has visualised a perfect world of stories with characters and plots driving the state of mind. Being a fan of many authors, she has strived to collect a number of books, forming a self-proclaimed library. Her interests create a perfect blend of heart-warming romance and a nail-biting thriller’s tension. Her work brings out glimpses of her own experiences mixed with fiction. Her never-ending search for that one good book drove her to take the reigns into her own hands. After completing her studies in medicine, she did various literature courses to boost her knowledge and fellowship programs to be fluent in other vernaculars. Being a true Indian, she lives serving her patients with supportive parents and a grumpy old dog. When she is not writing or working, she likes to paint canvases with her imagination and explore new places to eat.
Summary of the book: They say it took six days to build the whole world but only a few seconds to shatter the effort.’ Ruby has built a fortress of dreams that is broken into pieces when Brian abandons her at the altar. When she has lost her way, the moment she picks herself up, Ruby is sucked into a cobweb of chaos and bloodshed. This story is about Ruby, Amelia, Kate, Catherine, Mary, and Jane, who have fallen prey to their weak hearts. They have no one else to blame but their love. They are crushed to the point of defeat and vulnerability, where there is no choice but death. Will they be able to survive the results? Is there really a happily-ever-after for them in this life? Is this the punishment they deserve for loving someone unconditionally? This tangle of tales follows the lead of several characters leading to the present protagonist’s search for survival. Let’s take a journey to the depths of human emotions and lives built on greed, lust, and jealousy, which ruin others in their path to the point of no return.
- Can you tell us a little about your book?
The name ‘Dance of the Trees’ instantly makes you wonder about the concept. It revolves around the fictional tale of a few bold women. The lives of all these women are different but connected with one common thread leading to the survival of our protagonist, i.e., Ruby. So, I can freely say there is not one but multiple lead roles and their struggle to survive and constant need to love. It involves terror, love, action, thriller, whimsy, and mystery. Quoting the back side of the book, I would like to say, ‘They say it took six days to build the whole world but only a few seconds to shatter the effort.’ - Is there a specific event that inspired this story or was this an out of the blue idea?
No, this particular book or the script has been very dear to me since the first day I started writing. As quoted in the book, some incidents have happened to me in real life. When you go through something as emotional as heartbreak or, let’s say, domestic violence, the story becomes less fictional, and the emotions become high-strung. In this debut novel, I have tried to describe the raw sentiments that wire into experiencing something you only hear about unless that happens to you. It would be justifiable to say that I find myself in every female character in my book, whether she is suffering a breakup, violence, or even a loss of a child. What started as a random fragment of painful memory has transformed into this book, and I hope readers can understand my true emotions. - What got you writing in the first place?
Writing came to me very early in childhood. I remember that as a student, I used to love attending English subjects solely to read new stories or write an essay or an excerpt. I have had few achievements in that department, but my love for fiction came later in adulthood. Especially when I was in my graduating, I started writing short stories, and the journey began. With this book, I must be very honest; it started with a few random paragraphs here and there. I was sure I was writing an entire book when I had a whole set of characters on the paper, and then it was the get-go. - What was your impression of your first draft when you read it?
Well, the first draft was after I had collected my characters and assembled my half-written paragraphs into one. The first thing I wrote was my introduction to the character Ruby. As I mentioned earlier, Ruby is the most I associate with, and when I described her for the first time, I was surprised. Ruby’s character is like every other woman out there, a female who could go to lengths for her love but has the guts to draw the line. The first time I drafted her was the moment I realised that she was going to touch the reader’s heart. I wanted to give her some dimension, and that’s when the other characters came into play. - Which part of your story connects the most with you? Why?
I find myself in every character of the book, especially the two lead female characters, i.e., Ruby and Amelia. But if I must choose one part, that would be the part where Brain comes back to Ruby, and she thinks everything is supposed to be okay. That night she experiences something so nerve-wracking. A case of domestic violence is a shock to a person who has lived her whole life diligently and crossed every X’s. Ruby’s pure emotions and self-disgust connect me with her the most. I remember the day I wrote that scene, it brought me to tears, and I swore I felt like I was standing in Ruby’s shoes, experiencing it. - What makes your book the one to read?
What started as a romance novel turned out to be a murder mystery, and I’m proud of it. When I read my whole draft, I was on the edge of my seat, clutching the papers thinking of the next element of surprise. So, if a reader asks me why they should read this book, I would like to say that if you are a fan of romance clubbed in with some thriller and violence, then go for it, it will not be a disappointment. And for my female readers, I would like them to think about any point in their life when they felt utterly lost and shackled with love. The moment when you want to raise your voice in protest but are intimidated by the thought that you love your partner, you should read this book because it raises such concern. It will make you think that this character should have done this and gotten out of it, but in the end, questions arise that could she have left so easily? - What was the best advice you got while writing?
As one of my mentors used to say, the holy grail of writing is experience. The more you stay true to your reality, the more emotions can be portrayed in your writing. Do not try to oversell. He advised us to write like we are living the lives of our characters, and it is not just a story, and that is what I do. If I have to describe a person going to the mall, I will play it in my head, travel a distance to the place of interest, and observe how people around me move and how I respond to them. - Who’s your all-time favourite author? Which book of his/hers made you fall in love with them?
It is challenging to choose just one. There are several great writers out there whose writing I adore and respect. But one particular book captured my attention and has not left my mind ever since. It is called ‘One Day at a Time’ by Danielle Steel. It is a story about two lovers who are separated by circumstances, and they manage to overcome all that, not worrying about the future and living their lives one day at a time. This is the thought I live by, and I guess it is right, too; we do not know the future, but what we can help is our present. And Danielle Steel has always been very close to my heart. Her heart resonated with the true emotions of the heart, and her stories were taken straight from real life. - What is your evergreen tip to the writers out there?
I’m in no position to advise novice authors, as I’m still learning. But I would like to state one particular thing my teachers have taught me: not to oversell. If you are writing for the first time, there are a number of different ideas in your head, and you will feel like getting it all on paper at once, which kills the book. Understand that the audience is very intelligent and will tend to close the chapters if you add a lot of extra information. So, keep it short and only describe when it is utmost necessary. Rest, I guess the world is your oyster. Write whatever you want, and however you want, do not hold back. - What was your hardest scene to write?
The hardest scene to write was the day when Ruby was left at the altar. I had so many emotions running wild in my head that getting it all at once was difficult. Then there was a part where I described the title of the book in that particular scene; to be honest, I had to rewrite that chapter multiple times before settling on the final one. Her heartbreak was so intense that I had to make it as her world had shattered and trust me, showing this emotion on paper is much more difficult than seeing it in your head. - Do you have another plot brewing?
Yes, of course, as you will know toward the end of this book, this is not it. This is the first part of the series, and the end remains a mystery to our readers. They will still be wondering about their favorite character’s happy end and the puzzle to their enticing mystery. I’m working on the second part of this book, and I hope it will be done before the year’s end.
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/935776027X?ref=myi_title_dp
