From The Dark Side Guest Nicole Ireland

All of us involved in this anthology project are pretty excited. From The Dark Side is a great opportunity for all of us to share our writing and benefit literacy, it is a win-win situation. Having read the stories and poems inside, I can say it is good.

My good friend Nicole Ireland, who has hung out here with a guest blog before, has been kind enough to come back(we didn't scare her, whoo hoo!) and do a piece on her short story, Second Chances. Not only did I read the excerpt, but I got to read the whole story and it is very good. So without further ado, here she is in her own words.

1~ First, can you tell us a little about who Nicole Ireland is?

A: Well, I’m a small-town girl from Lebanon , Maine . I’ve lived here for most of my life, and I can’t imagine raising my children anywhere else. Actually, there is one place. If I was rich, I would love to live up near the White Mountains in New Hampshire. There’s something about that area that I’m drawn to, and whenever I visit there, I feel at peace.

 

What else can I tell you about me? I have two children, a little girl who will be nine in January, and a little boy who turns three in September. I’m a work-at-home mom whose main job is for a pizza dough production company in Sanford, Main. In addition, I’m also a freelance writer.

 

In my spare time, when I’m not writing, I like to read. It’s not uncommon for me to be reading three or four books at once.

 

2~ Can you tell the readers a little bit about Second Chances? What inspired it?

A: The main inspiration for Second Chances came from a personal experience of mine. A few months before my son’s first birthday, I went through a cancer scare. I had to have a mole removed and biopsied since there were certain characteristics of it that worried my doctor.

 

During that time, I went through a wide range of emotions. I didn’t know what the results would be, and my doctor didn’t seem all that encouraging. So it was natural for me to wonder what would happen if the worst occurred and I was told I had cancer or worse could die.

 

I remember trying to eat dinner one night with my family and seeing my children sitting beside me and asking myself “What will happen to them if I die?” It was like my heart broke in two. The pain I felt inside at the thought of leaving my babies without their mom was a fear I never want to endure again. My children are my life. I love them more than anything, and the thought of them growing up without me is something I never want them to experience.

 

To help handle my fears, I would say to myself “Just let me live and I promise I’ll share my story with others.” So when I found out that my mole was not cancerous, I was elated.

 

After that, my fears lay dormant in my mind until a couple of friends and family members were diagnosed with cancer. It was then that those fears arose again, and I started to think about my story and how I could turn it into something others could relate to. That’s when I started writing Second Chances. I didn’t finally finish it, and get it to the point where I felt it was good enough for publication, until this past May, so it took about a year for me to write it.

 

During that time, I can’t tell you how many tears I shed. I still can’t read it without crying because I poured so much of myself into it. I feel like I infused each word in the story with my emotions and fears, and I think people sense it when reading it. At least, I hope they do.

 

My biggest hope for Second Chances is that it impacts others – that it resonates with them. There’s a lesson there for all of us, and I think if readers open themselves up, they can be touched by the story and take some something away from it that may help better their own lives.

 

3~How did you come to be involved in the anthology?

A: I became involved in the From the Dark Side Anthology after I sent Jenny (Jennifer Hudock) a copy of Second Chances. She was one of the people that originally read it. There’s one part in the story that wouldn’t have been added had Jenny not suggested it. (I owe her a lot.) When she asked to include it in the anthology, I was beyond ecstatic. I was a bit afraid, though, because I felt a bit out of my league. I knew I was going to be surrounded by some immensely talented people, and it intimidated me. It still does.

 

4~What do you think is special about this anthology? What sets it apart from others?

A: To me, the biggest reason this anthology is so special is because the proceeds from the sale of it go to the Letters and Light Organization, which promotes creativity in youth and adults. When I heard who the proceeds were benefiting, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I wanted to be a part of it.

 

There were several teachers during my time in school that believed in me and my talent. The person who influenced me the most was my sixth teacher Ms. Clarrage. She always had words of encouragement for me and was always supportive of all my writing endeavors. I honestly owe her a great deal of thanks. Who knows where I’d be today if she hadn’t cared like she did.

 

So by taking part in this anthology, I’m helping to encourage other people’s creativity and hopefully helping to spawn the next generation of great writers.

 

5~What's next for you?

A: I’m going to keep writing. I have a piece that I’m working on right now that is about 2/3 done. I’d like to finish it by August. I also have other pieces that are in various stages of completion that really need my attention and love, so I’m sure I’ll visit them at some point. In addition, I’ll also keep writing for my three Examiner topics.

6~ Where can fans go to find out more about you?

 

A: If you’d like to learn more info about me, you can visit me at www.nicoleireland.com or via Facebook at www.facebook.com/nicole.normandeau or Twitter at www.twitter.com/NicoleLIreland.

Comments

[Nicole]

Squee! Of course you didn't scare me away. Thanks for taking part in my interview idea.

[Morgan Elektra]

This is cool Pat. Are you going to interview all the contributors? That would be really interesting!