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Speaker 1: You don't have to like her! Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 1: You don't. But you have to be connected enough that you want to know what's going
to happen to her. Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 1: Um, and, and root for her in some way that she's going to heal, but if she didn't,
you know, you just have to recognize it as the fault of her character. And when she falls,
you know, down, it's her picking herself up. Um, so yeah, just I'm going to be honest.
My books aren't always, you know, they don’t do, um...the protagonist isn't always going
to be the person that's going to be uh, the favorite... or perfect, definitely flawed.
You know love is a lot of, it's what makes him human.
Video Caption: How did you approach writing a three book series?
Speaker 1: Well, I originally did write all three books, you know way back when, um, when
I first wrote the story. Uh, because it was a story. It was her whole story right there,
and I had to finish it and tell it, uh. I was really connected, so it came out as I
wanted it to. Barely Breathing out of Breath I didn't have as much time to develop the
characters and where I put them so it felt flat, uh, there wasn't as much emotional connection
as a reader that you get with it. So I, uh, had to write them again to feel that Out of
Breath wasn't completed and done until the first round of Lying Enemy.
Speaker 2: Oh. Speaker 1: Yeah, so I wasn't happy with it.
I didn't really like the story until then because I, I actually kept writing it and
changing it and kept changing big pieces of things up until that moment. So when that
happened, um, I was like "Finally, this is it, this is the story."
Video Caption: Is the ending of each book the way you originally intended it to be?
Speaker 1: Barely Breathing changed, the ending changed a little bit (laughs) a lot (laughs).
Speaker 2: OK. Speaker 1: And that too. The alternate ending,
well actually we didn't put the alternate ending on there because I decided not to because
it's so extreme. (laughs) Speaker 2: (laughs)
Speaker 1: So extreme. My beta team was so freaked out when they read it. Um I actually
had, I put Jonathan on that middle of that road where he's, is he just broken and misunderstood,
or is he creepy and disturbed. (laughs) Speaker 2: (Laughs) Yeah.
Speaker 1: Like, is he, who is he? Speaker 2: Yes, yes.
Speaker 1: So he does things that you're like "Why is he in a room? I mean is he really
just checking his email?" Speaker 2: Yes, yes.
Speaker 1: "What, did she really see his truck in the parking lot?" Like things like those
little things, like, "Um, OK, Why does he have this sweater?" So, it could just be like
they are, the coincidences, these things that happen, what he says is really what happens.
Or, he's a little suckerish, I know. So I kinda left that, I left it on purpose to kinda
let you decide. I didn't have an answer for you. I know, I kinda, I don't know how I'm
going to do it for this book...we'll get to that after a bit. But I, um, as far as the
ending, I pushed it over him, the guy. Because when you, um when Emma rejected him, he's
humbled and reasons that another that let him down. He's like "I've done all this for
you, and you're still going back to him." And because she, especially when she’s cooking
and she sees these, all this that's she's doing for him. So they get to, they end up
getting...the original original version they kind of get in a scuffle, he ends up hitting
her and she defends herself. Speaker 2: What?
Speaker 1: Um, 'cause she's in the kitchen, knives fly, and one lands in, in the foyer,
she ends up stabbing him. Speaker 2: Wow.
Speaker 1: And killing him. Speaker 2: Oh my God!
Speaker 1: So, but in the second version of that she doesn't end up killing him again,
but Evan arrives. And he stabs Evan (laughs). Speaker 2: (Laughs) And so she did it to defend
Evan... Speaker 1: Yes.
Video Caption: Let's talk about the end of Out of Breath and the Breathing Series
Speaker 2: Since you said Barely Breathing and Out of Breath went through a lot of changes
story-wise, does the very end of Out of Breath the same as what you envisioned? Like, is
that how you wanted originally the book to end?
Speaker 1: Yeah, they were going to be together. Um, the house was new in this version with
it being so old. Um, but, it was going to be more, he was going to surprise her at the
end. And I said, you know what, she's never had the chance to do that to...because she
tried to throw a birthday party and it didn't… Speaker 2: Yeah
Speaker 1: It was miserable, a disaster, so um. I wanted her to get, to be able to do
her moment. And, there's things in high school that they never got to do. She never, they
never got to go to prom. Um, they never got to, uh, she never got to graduate. So, it's
just those thing, like I need to take those moments and give it back to them. So, that's,
those are subtle changes but they were together. It was a definitely romantic ending at the
end, um, it's just change what it was. So, um, and of course my epilogue at the very
beginning, it was kinda like a tease because I, I'm not a nice, neat…
Speaker 2: Happily ever after. Speaker 1: Right, yeah. So you’re seeing…
Speaker 2: What you can add… Speaker 1: Right, she's in her dress and she's
panicking and there's a hint of "Is this a wedding?" and then it was changing and she's
pulling up to her grandmother's house. But, it was just a, I'm not, that's just, again
keeping it real. They're, she's 20, I'm not going to do that again.
Speaker 2: They just got back together. Speaker 1: They just got back together. I'm
not going to do that. Video Caption: Can you tell me what you are
currently working on now? Speaker 1: So many projects in my head. So
many projects. So, I, uh, do two stand-alones first.
Speaker 2: Uh-huh. Speaker 1: This first one I'm writing right
now, is a male point of view, he's 20 in college. It's him telling her story.
Speaker 2: Oh. Speaker 1: So, he gets to know her. She crazy,
and it's a mystery really. And just, actually solving her mystery as her…
Speaker 2: Through his eyes. Oh OK Speaker 1: Yeah, so you get to know her, what
made her her, like as far as all her quirks and -isms, um, as he discovers them. So it
really is her story. Speaker 2: OK. And what about the second.
Speaker 1: That one is making to be crazy. That one is going to get me nice and warmed
up for Jonathan's messed up life. It's uh, it's going to be about emotionally abusive
relationship between a couple at college. Speaker 2: Oh OK.
Speaker 1: Uh, so the kind you have, it's going to be very emotional, very hard. And
I'm nervous to write, but excited at the same time. I don't know how people are going to
like me with that story because it's going to be, I’m going to [inaudible 00:06:29],
I already know it. And so I'm kinda geared up for that one.
Video Caption: Stay tuned for the final part of my interview with Rebecca Donovan where
she talks about Jonathan's trilogy. Rebecca Donovan Interview With BookReaderChronicl...
(Completed 09/17/13) Page 2 of 4