My Crazy Corner

Separating Reality from Fiction: The Truth Behind the Life and Writing of Angela Fristoe

It's a pretty common belief that authors draw on their life experiences to write, but how much is fiction and how much is real? When I was younger, I always thought writers wrote about their lives which led me to believe that with such a boring life, I could never be a writer. Now I know that sometimes even the most boring event can be turned into something fantastical. So, I thought I'd tackle a few real and fictional details from my novels.

Songbird
In Songbird, Dani Mays struggles to break free from her past as she is constantly inundated by memories of her horrific childhood and her murdered brother. While she deals with the arrival of someone from her past, she risks losing the one person she loves absolutely.

Detail 1: Dani has lived in numerous foster homes.
This is complete fiction. I've never been to a foster home, though growing up my next door neighbors were foster parents.

Detail 2: Reece repeatedly says "I'll love you forever".
This is real, though not in the same context. My dad used to say this to my sister and I whenever he asked us to get him something.

Detail 3: Dani goes to her brother's funeral.
This is a mesh of real and fiction. My sister is alive and well, but Dani's response was based on the funeral of one of my friends and her son's reaction during the service.

Lie to Me
This is the first in A Touched Trilogy. While Phoebe's sisters have always been gifted with their abilities to heal and see the future, she's just been Phoebe. Then one little lie from her best friend and suddenly Phoebe's hearing a voice in her head whisper "liar". Now Phoebe has to figure out how to convince everyone else that her best friend is in danger. Not an easy thing to do with a nosy grandma and a very distracting new boyfriend.

Detail 1: Phoebe is a triplet.
Fiction. I only have one older sister.

Detail 2: One of Phoebe's friends is involved in an unhealthy relationship.
This is real. Years ago one of my friends was in an abusive relationship and sadly some of this character's story was based on her experiences.

Detail 3: Nathan, Phoebe's boyfriend, wins a Stewie doll from a claw machine.
This is a mix of real and fiction. I did win a Stewie doll, but it was from a water gun game at the Houston rodeo, and just like Nathan I gave it away.

Heal Me
Book 2 of A Touched Trilogy focuses on Phoebe's sister, Lily. Lily is a healer and has never doubted that taking away someone's pain was the right thing to do. But all of that pain and anger has to go somewhere and she's the one taking it in. When someone close to her dies, she spirals out of control. She clings to her new friend Micah, but he has his own problems. As Lily begins falling for him, she realizes that while healing others is easy, healing herself is much harder.

Detail 1: Lily is short, fragile, and a redhead.
This is fiction. I don't actually know anyone who looks like Lily, even though there are a number of redheads in my extended family, but I love how she looks in my head.

Detail 2: Lily has to deal with the death of a loved one.
This is fiction. While I've dealt with the deaths of friends and family, the way Lily loses this person is one that I have not had to face.

Detail 3: Lily dresses up as Black Widow from the Avengers for a Halloween party.
This is fiction, though I'd love to be able to wear that outfit. The last Halloween party I went to I was dressed as a butterfly.

   

About the Author
Born in Northern Canada, I grew up on the Canadian prairies amid dreams of becoming the next Dian Fossey or a world famous flight attendant. Those, however, were never meant to be. Instead, I moved to the US where I divide my time between family, writing and my day job as an instructional coach.

I've been writing for almost 7 years and love creating new characters and worlds. I'm working on finishing the last book of A Touched Trilogy, as well as a number of other stories I've had floating in my head for a while now.

In other exciting news, Songbird has just been released in audiobook form and is narrated by the amazing Pamela Lorence and is available through Audible.com. The audio book of Lie to Me is currently in production and is expected to be released by the end of September!

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