I’m pleased to welcome Bonnie back for her second appearance on my blog. Here, she shares the heart-wrenching and heartwarming tale behind her new novel, Neurotically Yours!
When you’ve been battling your way through the dating scene for almost two decades, it’s comforting to know that your many hellish experiences weren’t in vain. In fact, as a writer, they rarely are. I think I subconsciously knew that with each disappointment, each humiliation, I was building a valuable reservoir of material, or depending on how you see it, a goldmine of garbage! With some distance, I sensed that those ill-fated experiences could be converted—not just into great copy, but into humorous entertainment.
Although I began writing my second novel, Neurotically Yours, only two years ago, these indelible events had long been burned into my memory like branding on a cow. Despite the fact that six years ago I finally married my Long Awaited One, I never forgot the purgatory from whence I came, and I never stopped empathizing with those still out there body surfing the tidal waves of potential romance.
I think that’s why so many people identify with my protagonist, Dara. In some ways, she’s every woman who’s ever been out on the scene too long: frustrated, jaded, and yes, neurotic, but deep down, still hopeful that love will find its way into her life despite the odds.
Not everything that Dara weathers happened to me (if that were the case I’d probably be undergoing shock treatments at Bellevue). Some of the stories are from friends, others are tantamount to urban legend, or spurred from my imagination, but that doesn’t make them any less relatable. I think many women will see aspects of themselves in Dara as I do. In fact, as confirmed by my loving and long-suffering husband, I have once again created a character with whom I hold much in common. Dara is opinionated, sardonically witty, and often displays a cynical edge, but this is merely a cloak for her immense vulnerability, something that becomes more and more evident throughout the story. She also suffers from hormonal strife (read: serious PMS), and therefore, can react to situations in less than a lady-like way. In other words, she’s human, with human faults and frailties, and that’s one of the main reasons readers find themselves invested in her plight.
I hope you’ll read Neurotically Yours, laugh a little, and enjoy the wild ride of Dara’s life. If you do, I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for joining us here, Bonnie! For more about Bonnie, and her novels – which are wonderful – please visit her website.