What sparked the idea for "Fault Lines"?

Initially it was intended to be a short story, but fortunately it didn't make the edit. I say fortunately because I really wanted to challenge myself by expanding on it. There were little bits of inspiration that had me wanting to explore it more, like when I almost lost my husband to an aortic aneurysm in 2005. He had been in a drug-induced coma and when he woke up from it he was having some crazy delirium. The stories that were playing out in front of him but not in front of us were wild. Also, in my life many times I have had dreams inside of dreams and I have always wondered if I'm actually awake in my reality because I start to question it in my dreams. I've also experienced a lot of death around me and I let my mind get creative about what happens after we die. But back to my husband. What if those coma dreams were more than just dreams? What if they were glimpses into other realities for him or something? And that was kind of the seed that grew into "Fault Lines."

How did you go from that initial spark to the complex narrative we see in the book?

Oh man, it was a journey. I started out just doing a ton of research. I mean, I practically lived on the internet. I was reading everything I could get my hands on about comas, consciousness, quantum physics... you name it. And the more I learned, or pretended to learn, the more questions I had, you know? It really hurt my brain. It was like this rabbit hole that just kept going deeper and deeper. 

I also had a lot of help from a close friend in the field who did a year long locum in neurology about 8 years ago, and he is very fascinated by the brain. He himself had a brain injury when he was a child and overcame a lot to get where he is today. He's such a nerd he reads this stuff for fun. He was so helpful for me though. I learned a lot.

How long did it take you to write "Fault Lines"?

From that first idea to the final draft, it was around 1100 hours of actual work and writing time. Which, when I say it out loud, sounds kind of crazy. But it never felt like work, you know? I was so damn invested in Micah's story, in trying to understand this world I was creating.

I actually attended four different writing workshops during that time too. They were invaluable, especially for learning how to kind of structure a complex narrative like this. And I also took two writing classes – one on character development and another on world-building. Those really helped me flesh out the different realities Micah experiences.

How did you approach writing Micah's character?

Micah was challenging to write, but in the best way possible. I wanted to really get inside his head, you know? To understand what it would feel like to question everything about your reality, your very existence. So I did a lot of meditation, actually. Trying to reach different states of consciousness myself. My family probably thought I was losing it for a while there. Maybe I was. I didn't have a whole lot of success.

Did you have any other personal experiences that contributed to Micah's journey?

Well, I've never been in a coma, thankfully. As I mentioned... my husband. But I did have this really vivid lucid dreaming experience once. It was so real, you know? When I woke up, for a few minutes, I wasn't sure which reality was the "real" one. And that feeling stuck with me. I’ve also passed out many times in my life and waking from that is a trip too. I tried to channel that confusion, that disorientation, into Micah's experiences.

Can you talk about how you developed the dynamic between Micah and Sloane?

Ah, Micah and Sloane. You know, their relationship is really the heart of the book for me. I wanted to explore this idea of love transcending consciousness, transcending reality even. Like, if you were split across multiple realities, would your love for someone be the constant that holds you together? 

Was it challenging to maintain the emotional core of their relationship through all the sci-fi elements?

Oh, absolutely. For starters, sci-fi has never really been my thing so I was already trying hard to get that much right. There were times when I worried the sci-fi stuff was overshadowing the love story part, despite it not being a love story. But then I'd remind myself that at its core, this is a story that is more about connection. About finding your way back to the person you love, no matter what. And that helped me keep the balance. I have pretty strong feelings about twin flames, kismet, and that kind of thing.

I don’t want to give away too much with this question but the book touched on some sensitive topics. How did you navigate that?

Yeah, that was really important to me to get right. I've had my own experiences and struggles and I know how isolating it can feel. I have had friends who have struggled as well. So I wanted to portray that accurately, but also show that there's hope, you know? That you're not alone. I have some background in mental health both on the psychiatry and psychology level, but also within the policing side of things. I still consulted with a few mental health professionals while writing those parts of the book. I wanted to make sure I was handling it responsibly. While they are significant parts of the story, I opted to keep the bulk of them somewhat simple and not extremely detailed. I did that on purpose.

Did you ever find it emotionally draining to write about these topics?

Oh, for sure. There were days when I'd finish writing and just feel... exhausted, you know? Emotionally drained. But it also felt cathartic in a way. Like I was working through some of my own stuff on the page.

How did you develop the concept of consciousness mapping in the story?

Oh man, the consciousness mapping. That was a whole thing. I started out just reading a bunch of articles about brain mapping and neural networks. And then I kind of extrapolated, I guess? Like, if we can map the physical structure of the brain, what if we could map consciousness itself? And then I went down this whole rabbit hole of quantum consciousness theories. I probably drove my poor friend crazy with all my questions. And to this day I still can't fully wrap my own head around it. I definitely took creative liberties. 

How did you balance the real science with the more speculative elements?

That was tricky. I wanted the book to feel grounded in real science, you know? But I also needed the freedom to push beyond what's currently possible. So I tried to start with real theories and then just... nudge them a little further. Like, take what we know about neural plasticity and crank it up to eleven.

How did you keep track of the complex structure with multiple realities and timelines while writing?

Oh gosh, don't remind me. No, it was a challenge, for sure. I have this massive notebook with scribbled notes, thoughts, arrows, lines, color-coded sections. It looks like something out of a conspiracy theory movie just missing those pins and strings. But it helped me visualize how all the different realities connected.

Did you ever worry about confusing the reader?

All the time. I must have rewritten a few chapters a dozen times, trying to find the right balance of intrigue and clarity. I didn't want to info-dump, but I also needed the reader to understand the basic concept of what was happening to Micah. It was a constant tightrope walk. I've had feedback that is mostly positive, but a younger subset of readers started to struggle with the story. The more negative stuff is more constructive than downright bad, but this really was a challenge I gave to myself, and a learning experience in the end.

The ending leaves some questions open. Was this intentional?

Absolutely. I'm not a big fan of neat, tidy endings in general. Life is messy, you know? And when you're dealing with concepts like consciousness and the nature of reality, I think it would be disingenuous to pretend we have all the answers. I wanted the ending to feel satisfying, but also leave room for the reader to keep thinking about these ideas.

What kind of reactions have you gotten from readers about the ending?

Oh, it's been a mix. Most people love it, some people want to throttle me for not explaining everything. But you know what? The fact that people are still debating it, still coming up with their own theories... that's exactly what I hoped for.

After spending so much time thinking about multiple realities, has it changed how you view your own reality?

That's a really good question. I think it's made me more aware of the subjective nature of reality, if that makes sense? Like, we all experience the world differently, and who's to say which experience is more "real"? It's definitely made me more empathetic, I think. More open to other people's perspectives.

What do you hope readers take away from "Fault Lines"?

I hope they come away with a sense of wonder about how complex human consciousness is. And maybe a new appreciation for their own reality, you know? But mostly, I hope it makes them think. About the nature of self, about the power of love and connection. And maybe if it sparks some interesting conversations... well, that's just the icing on the cake.

When and where will "Fault Lines" be available?

"Fault Lines" will be available October 13 exclusively on Amazon in Paperback and Kindle formats. The audiobook will be available on Audible, though it may be released slightly later due to some production issues.