BookHuntersBlog.com

About Angels Along My Path of Thorns and Her Experience

BookHuntersBlog.com: Angels Along My Path of Thorns is so powerfully written. How difficult was it to relive that time of your life?

Gabriela Shea: There were many reasons for that delay but two of them are the most important. The first one was that I was not ready to go back and revisit those horrible events with the details I needed to do it in order to write my book. The second one was that I never thought that anybody would be interested in reading such a story.

BHB: Why did you eventually agree to write your story (after being encouraged by her husband and others for years)?

GS: For this there are also two important reasons. The first one was that my husband never gave up with his constant reminder that my story needed to be told to the world. The second one was that eventually I came to terms that at least my children should know what had happened to me and I felt the need to share my story with them.

BHB: How did revisiting the events in such details help you?

GS: Some events were extremely hard and brought a lot of tears to my eyes and I was only able to continue writing with my husband’s support, encouragement and understanding; this gave me the power to continue. Other events were happy and enjoyable. Writing Angels Along My Path of Thorns helped me come to terms with many events of the past, and also gave me the opportunity to reflect and consequently, to see myself as a woman of courage.

BHB: How did you manage to overcome your tragedy?

GS: I was fortunate to have people providing me with when I needed it the most. These are actually the angels in my book. Their support helped me to get the courage to get ahead with my life. Besides, I do not like playing the role of a victim and I would not allow myself to be sorry for my misfortune for the rest of my life. That would have meant that my kidnapper would have continued having control of my life and I was not going to allow for that to happen.

BHB: How did you meet David (her husband)?

GS: I met David while working as a banquet waitress at a very nice hotel in Edmonton, which in the seventies had the name of Chateau Lacombe. He was my boss, and at first we became good friends and then, well, things just progressed.

BHB: What is your exact function as a social worker?

GS: I do people’s needs assessment and provide short term counseling services to individuals, couples and families. I co-facilitate groups for women who live or who have lived in abusive relationships.

BHB: What lessons did you carry with you, and how have they helped you in your every day life?

GS: I have learned that even after experiencing a rotten childhood we can overcome pain, anger, and suffering to move forward on a positive path to become respectable, admirable and successful people; but most importantly, to become people with good hearts. I have trouble with people who try to justify their mistakes with the excuse that they had a rotten childhood.

I learned that after a divorce or separation parents should try to behave in a civilized manner with each other for the well being of their children. I have difficulties with parents when their marriage ends in a divorce not behaving in a civilized manner with each other for the love and wellbeing of their children, but instead use their children as pawns in their battles.

Finally, since I was close to death at such an early age, I have learned that I must do my best to enjoy life and be happy.

BHB: What can we all do to help, since these problems still persist today?

GS: Speak out, have zero tolerance for violence and oppression against women, children, or any human. Take the responsibility of being an example to future generations by instilling in them respect for human rights.

BHB: What needs to be done to actually change the situation in Guatemala?

GS: I wish I had an answer. There has been some education to prevent violence to women and children in Guatemala, but as long as the law supports outmoded and perverted customs it all looks bleak. In fact, people are being killed for advocating change. I don’t want to sound negative, but it is the reality.

BHB: Do you have a message to people who have been or are in similar situations?

GS: It is important for one to move forward and not adopt a mentality of being the perpetual victim.

BHB: Did you ever find it in your heart to forgive the person who did this to you?

GS: I am a Christian and I know that we are to forgive a person if he truly shows remorse, confesses, and asks for forgiveness, which he did not. Now that he is dead he has no chance to ask for forgiveness. Anyway, whether I forgive him or not will not have any bearing on what he has to answer for to his maker.

BHB: What sort of reactions have you received?

GS: If your question is related to feedback from my readers, it has been overwhelmingly wonderful. I have received a great number of letters from people who have expressed their gratitude for sharing my story and their congratulations for my courage. That means the world to me.

On Writing

BHB: Did you study the craft of writing or dive right into it?

GS: I had no skills as a writer and it as very difficult for me because English is my second language. I entered all the information and it was my husband the one who helped me arrange that information into chapters, polished up the language and punctuation, designed the cover, and designed the interior layout.

BHB: Why did you decide to self-publish?

GS: My husband and I did a lot of research about submitting the manuscript to a publishing company. We found out that it is not as easy as we thought. We could have faced several rejections before a publishing company would have accepted it. At my age I can’t afford to wait for rejections and I wanted to have the book available as soon as possible. We decided that self–publishing was the way to do it.

BHB: How difficult was the publishing process for you?

GS: Financially, it was not easy because we had to pay up front and then wait to sell the books to recuperate the investment. Now, in regards to the service provided by our publisher Trafford, it was great. They were very helpful providing us with the needed advice and guidance.

BHB How much of your own promotion do you do?

GS: Not very much. We launched the book in June 2007 and we had an open house for two days. I had a TV interview with Global News and also an interview with the Edmonton Examiner. We set up a booth at a social service convention. The book, however, has been selling well mostly by word of mouth.

BHB: Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

GS: If you write a book, start thinking about the title right at the beginning, for although this might appear to be an easy thing to do, it took us a long time to make a final decision on Angels Along My Path of Thorns.

BHB: What are your future plans?

GS: Translate Angels Along My Path of Thorns into Spanish. I already started but it is going very slowly.

BHB: How do you juggle writing with the rest of your life?

GS: With my full time work and the social life we have with my husband, it is obvious that my writing gets neglected.

BHB: Do you have any methods or rituals to your writing?

GS: I only need to be rested and relax with no telephone interruptions.

Thank you very much for this opportunity. Angels Along My Path of Thorns truly is a story that needs to be heard. Best of luck with everything.

For more information, the full review of Angels Along My Path of Thorns, and to read an excerpt of the book go to www.AllTheseBooks.com and http://www.BookHuntersBlog.com. Visit Gabriela Shea’s homepage at http://www.GabShea.com.

Posted on Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008 at 8:51 am under Author Interviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed and leave a response, or trackback from your own site.