Conclusion of Interview with Thomasina Burke

Do you ever get writer's block?  If so, how do you deal with it?
We’ll see how the second book goes.  I hope it just flies out of my head like the last one did (if you can consider five years “flying”).  I think the best advice is to just put something down every day.  If you start to think ahead to how much you have left to write, you’d never get one word down because it would be too daunting.  I am helping encourage a friend right now that has a beautiful book in her head; I am doing a “pay it forward” with her.  Just as Annliza forced me to keep writing, I am gently nagging Carole to get her wonderful idea down.

 
How do you manage to balance your time between family, friends, and writing?
 Well, anyone that knows me says I am the queen of multi-tasking, kind of a whirling dervish.  Family and friends will always take most of my time; I cherish them all too much for any less.  However, I think everyone can carve out a little time for some quiet writing time.  I watch very little TV, and don’t have a lot of down time.  Definitely a woman that does too much!
 

If you could spend one hour with just one person, who would you choose?  Why?
 Wow, hard question.  Maybe someone like Mae West…an intriguing blast from the past.  However, if I really think about it, I would go way back to my young self and help her escape.

 
Vernazza, Italy was pretty much destroyed by a mudslide just over a month ago.  Would you tell us how you are trying to help out?  What about other charitable efforts?
 20% of book proceeds are going directly to the Save Vernazza fund (http://savevernazza.com/).  I wish I could sell a million books just to be able to give them some significant help, because rebuilding is going to be an overwhelmingly expensive and herculean task.  I also am participating in Operation Ebook Drop through Smashwords, which offers free ebooks to our servicemen overseas.  I also have given proceeds to our various clubs here at my school campus as fundraisers. 

 
Are you working on another book right now?  If so, would you please tell us a bit about it?
 I have the second book all planned in my head.  My husband and I have already had our “planning sessions”, which usually include a hike in Papago Park and some champagne!
 
Bridgette is going to face some difficult times after she has completed all of her travels and the reality of her life alone really sinks in.  She has some comfort in the fact that she is helping out through her “Bridge to Matt” fundraiser, but she is so bereft and lonely.  Bridge is willing to give love another chance, but may experience some heartbreak along the way.  She will find another love, whether it be a mother’s love, a romantic love, or both!  Can’t give away the punchline…but she will continue to travel, experience joy and heartbreak, and make her journey. 

 
Do you have any advice for writers who are striving to be published?
 If I can blunder through and do it, anyone can!  Seriously, every part of this project was a true testimonial to power of friendship.  I never would have finished it if it weren’t for the encouragement of Annliza.  It never would have gotten it edited if it weren’t for a trip friend that I met in Cappodocia, Turkey, happening to tell me that she had recently changed careers (Candy Green Gustavson).  Magic Bridge never would have gotten formatted correctly if not for my buddy Kelly (Miss Creative that can produce anything).  I certainly wouldn’t have gotten it into ebook format and kept the website updated if not for Tim Pepper at Fun House Publishing.  You can do it! 

 
How did you come up with the title?
 The title was the very last thing that was finalized.  We pondered that for almost the entire 5 years.  The first working title was Ashes. But, naturally, that evoked Angela’s Ashes.   What followed was a hilarious series of titles which were just awful.  Among the list:

Full Circle
Return Journey
Matt Remains
Bridge to Matt
Back to Crown King
 
We just couldn’t find the perfect title, and then one day we were crossing the “real” Magic Bridge, the gateway to Crown King, and I said “hey….what about Magic Bridge?”  As soon as the words were out of my mouth we both knew that it was perfect.  It had so many meanings:  the literal bridge into Crown King, where you leave your real life behind; the character of Bridgette, whose nickname is “Bridge;” and finally, the metaphorical Magic Bridge, in which you leave this life behind for whatever else might be in store for you!   I absolutely love the title, and I am already hard at work on finding the perfect title for Bridgette’s onward life adventures.
 
 
To all readers: 
Live life for the present, and make each moment count.
Explore your dreams.
Enjoy the Journey across Magic Bridge. 



Thank you, Thomasina, for such a wonderful interview.

I received my copy of Magic Bridge free from the author. If you would like you own copy of this wonderful book, I have provided an Amazon link for it below.