House of Giral follows a woman orphaned as a child who sets out on a quest to rediscover her forgotten memories, only to uncover her family’s dark history. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Inspiration for the setup came from three different sources. Firstly, the vision of a girl whose life had become traumatically and tragically ‘interrupted’ took flight from the borderline personality depicted by Angelina Joli in the movie GIRL INTERRUPTED.

The idea of her trauma as LATENT genomic imprinting past forward from a previous life arose out of source material readings, especially those of archetypal origin (Jung, Freud, Hesse, Tao) and accumulated psychedelic research (Leary, Harvard Medical Program, Neuroplasticity)

Last but not least, spiritual inspiration, which guided the adventure, came from divination systems like Tarot, Astrology, and Kaballah, significantly so as they relate to the identity plight and challenges faced by an orphan.

What are some things that you find interesting about the human condition that you think make for great fiction?

The first is that distinction made between latent and manifest, that which is consciously known, subconsciously recognized through dream or song, and that which is unconsciously suspected.

The second interesting aspect is the dynamic interplay that exists in the soul between often competing and opposing forces of light and darkness, how the lives of each of our fictional characters seem synchronically bent from the get-go towards fulfilling a collective destiny.

The characters in House of Giral are extraordinarily complex. What is your process for creating such in-depth characters?

The simple answer requires only becoming attuned to unconscious archetypes. A more complex awareness, however, beckons a much richer understanding of the mechanics and metaphysics manifesting through the autobiographical muse itself.

What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?

Too early to say. Lots of connective ideas in the workings. Maybe down the road, a sequel will arise, or if reader responses are most favorable, perhaps a movie script.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website