Q: Rebecca, I’m so glad you came tonight to share your story and your work with us. Can you please start by telling us a little more about your personal self, where you live, what you do, hobbies, family, etc?
A: Thank you Debra, I’m very happy to be here. I was born in the suburbs of San Francisco and still reside in the Bay Area. I just cannot imagine leaving this wonderful location. I have been married close to 30 years and have three grown children.
After my second child was born, I decided to be a stay at home mom. Those early years I dedicated to raising my children. They are all adults now, so that has left me time to pursue my other interests. I have always enjoyed doing crafts and sewing, so in the early 90’s I started to make dolls for a store in San Jose, California. I then turned those doll designs into patterns. I still design dolls to this day, but not as often as I used to. It is a hobby now instead of a business.
Q: When did you begin to write?
A: At the age of 12, I co-wrote a story with a friend appropriately titled “Friends”. It was just a way to spend the summer doing something other than playing Monopoly or riding bikes. I still have the hand written manuscript of that story. I laugh when I read it now. What were we thinking back then?
When my youngest daughter was 1, I took a class on how to introduce literature to children. We had an assignment to come up with an engaging way to get children involved in enjoying books. I came up with the idea of writing a poem about children. I have always written poetry, so that was easy.
We all know children love rhyming words. With the poem, I included fun activities. This would help introduce the written word while exploring the meaning of the poem through mediums such as art and music. I have one of the poems with 3 activities on my website.
When my daughter entered 7th grade, I would go to pick her up at school. I would wait in my car reading until the dismissal bell rang. One day I thought, “I’ll write a story.” The next day I brought a notebook and started writing. I did this every day for the remainder of the year. I was determined to finish the story, so six years later I finally finished the tale.
I never entertained the idea of trying to have it published. I was writing it simply for fun. My mother read the manuscript said, “I love it! Send it off to a publisher. So, that’s
exactly what I did. Mother’s always try to encourage their children to grow. And, my mom is no different.
The book I wrote is one of those books that you can curl up next to a glowing fire and read on a cold day. Or, read while laying under an umbrella at the beach, inhaling the fresh air.
Q: “Rise Above the Truth” has such a poignant theme. What made you decide to write that particular story?
A: I wanted to tell a story about how one woman could find forgiveness within her heart and allow love to penetrate her soul. The story started with one idea and morphed into the story it is today.
Even I am surprised, by how the story evolved. The journey the main character Misty took me on while writing the manuscript, was as emotional and exciting for me to write as I hope it will be for you to read. This book touches on all emotions from sad, to happy, and everything in between.
Q: How did you find your voice for this book?
A: Well, I took a little life experience and sprinkled it into the story. There are many elements in the novel that we can all relate too. Like having to deal with the aftermath of the choices someone else made, that profoundly affected us in some way. Possibly destroying our life as we know it. I wanted to show that your can change your circumstance with an open heart. Nothing has to remain as it is.
I have quite the imagination, so if something happened in my own life I would think, “What would I do if it happened differently? How would I have handled that particular situation?” I tried to think of alternate ways to deal with adversity.
Q: What do you like better, researching a book or writing it?
A: Oh, definitely writing it. I do very little research. I tell a story from my heart. If I come across something I want to add and know little about the topic, then I research it. I just let the story flow from my mind to the keyboard.
Q: What is next?
A: I’m currently working on the outlines for two novels. The first one is about a child that has been missing for 12 years. The working title is “Grant Me Serenity” The second book is about a young woman that loses her job, but that does not stop her from giving back to her community. The working title of that book is, “Sweetness of Candy”. I have not decided which one will be the book I will focus on as the next novel. I’m still working through the plot lines.
Q: Where can we see more about your books?
A: You can visit my website www.RebeccaThein.com There you can read the First Chapter of my book, as well as “Rain Fun” a poem for children. And yes, we actually did what the poem depicts when I was growing up. It was a lot of fun.
I do sell the book on my site for less then you can find it anywhere else. And I will autograph your copy.
In addition, I have a page with reviews posted. You will also find answers to questions that people asked me. And an assortment of novels by talented authors. Hopefully there is something for everyone.
