Nicole Brooks is the author of the new novel No Higher Ground. Her other books include Watch What She Can Do. She lives outside Calgary, Alberta.
Q: What inspired you to write No Higher Ground, and how did you create your character Raven and her family?
A: Raven and her family existed way before the flood and let's just say that Raven is very special and close to me. I guess writing a book is cheaper than therapy!
Originally, I had them trapped in a 100-car pileup in a blizzard, but a mentor said they needed to be more isolated. Slowly, as I thought of new situations to put them in, I remembered the real life floods of Southern Alberta in 2013. People were trapped on the roofs of their houses.
That was the moment it all clicked. Isolation, a ticking clock, and resurfacing memories escalate this story to a fever-pitch!
Q: The writer Ellen Won Steil said of the book, “As flood waters rise and time runs out, the tension is matched by an intimate exploration of the bond between mother and child.” What do you think of that description?
A: Honestly, I love that description and I'm so glad she mentioned the mother-child bond because that was actually the thematic intent of this book. I grew up without a real mother and I always wondered how that affected me.
When I became a mother myself, the question became even more relevant, because how was I to mother two small children when I had never been mothered myself? Perfecting the bond was critical for me and to the story.
Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: The ending has changed a little. My first drafts focused on the protagonist (Raven) learning to forgive those who had harmed her but then a beta reader told me that Raven deserved to be the hero of her own story and, well, from there, things got a bit dark, but way more satisfying!
Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: I love titles that have dual meaning. Literally the family has to run for higher ground to survive the floodwaters. And mentally/emotionally, Raven has nowhere left to go as the secrets of the past are revealed to her on the roof. By the end of the book, there is no higher ground for her to go to, from the water or the truth.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Remember the 100-car pileup on a mountain pass during a blizzard? Well, the family and plot are being reimagined. I guess I'm working on my climate/survival thriller brand!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I have a second book coming out with Blackstone in July of 2027 that I'm so excited to introduce to readers! Jean Mallory Needs a Win is an upmarket/book club book that dissects personal loss, grief, community, and.... pickleball! Think A Man Called Ove but with a grumpy 42-year-old female protagonist.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment