Dangerous Beginnings
Drawing
upon her time and experiences both here at home and in Mexico, Nova Scotia
author Barbara McKinley Morrison has penned her first novel, Dangerous
Beginnings. Recently we spoke with her about her literary debut.
What inspired you to
write this story?
I
had a dream. A dream of writing a book. From that dream came the outline and
characters for the story. I started writing it, rather typing it, as soon as I
awoke. During my husband's illness, when money was running low, I decided to
purchase lower priced online prescription drugs, vitamins and supplies. My
doctor advised me not to as the quality was not there. I guess it's the old
saying, you get what you pay for.
Did it come together
quickly or did you really need to work at it?
Once
the research was done and my characters found their personalities, the story
itself came together rather quickly.
What was the most
challenging aspect of the process?
The
difficult part of writing the story was not the writing. Researching and
reading the illegal pharmaceutical drug trade articles by IMPACT,
RCMP, and Interpol was challenging. The long hours spent picking them apart for
relevant information was the most difficult.
What was the most rewarding part of the experience?
I
found a confidence in myself that enabled me to accomplish a dream.
What did you learn
during the process?
Most
of my school learning in English grammar had disappeared sometime during the
past fifty years. Seriously though, I found this criminal activity to be
atrocious, raking in many billions of dollars for the criminals, and the public
not being kept informed by the agencies fighting it.
How did you feel when
the book was completed?
Lost
and lonely. It was though my friends, Susan, Rat, Miguel, and their friends had
left me.
What has the response
been like so far from those that have read it?
The
comments have brought happiness, joy, and satisfaction. The readers befriended
the characters and want to go along on more adventures with them.
What's next on your
creative agenda?
I
do have an outline for my next novel. We'll see a more mature Rat as he
prepares for university, still involving Susan and Miguel in dangerous
situations and murder. The research will start in November and the writing
continue for about year. November will be busy with book signings in
Bucerias and The World International Book Fair in Guadalajara, Mexico from the 29th
of November until the 3rd of December. I'm looking forward to this with
excitement as I will be attending.
