Nova Scotia author Laura Best generously agreed to answer a few questions about her brand-spanking-new novel Flying with a Broken Wing.

Basic Details: Nimbus Publishing; September 2013; Paperback; 216 pages; 7.75 x 5.25 inches; ISBN: 9781771080385

The novel is available at many fine retailers including your local books and online at Chapters/Indigo and Amazon.

1) What inspired you to write Flying with a Broken Wing?

When I’m writing a story, a line will often come to me right out of the blue. It was the case with Flying with a Broken Wing. Years ago, my mother and I had a conversation about reincarnation. She made the comment that, as a child, she always wondered what her next life would be like. Her words stayed with me, and years later sparked the idea for the first sentence of the book. “From as far back as I can remember I’d lie in bed at night and wonder what my next life would be like.” Although I immediately knew the character wasn’t speaking about reincarnation, I was interested in knowing why a young girl would even be thinking about a brand new life. What was so terribly wrong with the one she had?

I was also inspired to create a character that is visually impaired since my mother is visually impaired.  I wasn’t sure there were many books out there with a visually impaired protagonist, so I decided to create one. It was important to me. Many years ago I wanted to write my mother’s story, but I soon discovered that creating fiction from fact is not as easy as it sounds. I eventually gave up the idea. But once that first sentence came to me, the character of Cammie quickly emerged all on her own. As I continued to write I began to learn the details of her life; not only was she visually impaired, but she’d been abandoned at birth and was being raised by her bootlegging aunt. It was easy then to imagine why she’d want a brand new life.

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