The concept of Aviva's book is also sublimely original. Here's the blurb (provided by www.widopublishing.com:) When fifteen-year-old Heather Jane Bell is diagnosed with alopecia and her hair starts falling out in clumps, she wants nothing more than to escape her home in London and disappear off the face of the earth. Heather gets her wish when her concerned parents send her to stay with a great-aunt in West Yorkshire. But shortly after she arrives, Heather becomes lost on the moors and is swept through the mist back to the year 1833. There she encounters fifteen-year-old Emily Bronte and is given refuge in the Bronte Parsonage. Unaware of her host family’s genius and future fame, Heather struggles to cope with alopecia amongst strangers in a world foreign to her. While Heather finds comfort and strength in her growing friendship with Emily and in the embrace of the close-knit Bronte family, her emotions are stretched to the limit when she falls for Emily’s brilliant but troubled brother, Branwell. Will Heather find her way back to the comforts and conveniences of the twenty-first century? Or will destiny keep her in the harsh world of nineteenth-century Haworth?
The cover: (LOVE. I see something new every time I look at it.)
I had to know how Aviva came up with this enchanting idea, so it was the first question I asked her when she agreed to an interview.
How did you come up with the idea for The Mist on Brontë Moor?
I visited the Brontë Parsonage Museum several years ago and came up with the idea shortly afterwards. It’s not hard to imagine the Brontës at home in the parsonage when visiting Haworth, as I’m sure many tourists have done. After my visit, I started reading biographies about the Brontës, and the more I read, the more interested I became in their lives. The idea grew from there.
What made you decide to give Heather alopecia?
My niece suffers from
alopecia. Her hair started falling out at age fifteen—the same age as Heather. I
had never heard of alopecia before my niece developed it, but I quickly became
aware of how much distress it can cause a person, especially a teenager.
Heather’s alopecia also
gave me the opportunity to relay some important messages. I have a teenage
daughter, and I am constantly surprised at how heavily teens are influenced by
their peers, ranging from what they wear to how they feel about themselves.
Heather is extra vulnerable because of her condition. At the beginning of the
novel, Heather is tormented by her peers and focuses heavily on her alopecia.
When she goes back in time, she is gradually able to relax because the Brontë
family is non-judgmental. Branwell is somewhat curious about her hair, but he finds
her beautiful regardless. Basically, I’m illustrating that if you accept others
as they are without fixating on their differences, they will, in turn, be more
accepting of themselves.
Did your characters have any surprises in store for you as the writer?
The Mist on Brontë Moor started as a mid-grade book, so all the characters were initially
much younger. I loved watching them mature into young adults. It really helped
with the character development because I got to know them so well. Branwell was
a mischievous kid and he played some nasty tricks on his sisters and Heather,
so I was pleased by how his charm and sensitivity shone through as a young man,
despite all his troubled moments. As for Heather, she handled her problems much
better as a teen. She turned out to be quite strong, and I am delighted with
that.
I love your cover. Are there any little plot secrets in the
design?
The cover sets the tone
for the novel. I wanted the graveyard and a lot of mist with the parsonage in
the background. The subplot also comes
into play, so the cover reflects much of what the novel has to offer.
When you think of your book, is there one line that stands out to
you?
The last line in the
book is my favorite; it is derived from a line in one of Emily’s poems, which
is quoted at the beginning of the last chapter. Of course, I can’t quote the
line here or it will give away too much!
How will you celebrate on the day of your release?
There will be an
international giveaway on Goodreads, starting January 8, to celebrate the
release of the book’s print edition. The winner will receive a signed paperback
copy of The Mist on Brontë Moor.
What's next for you?
I’m
working on another young-adult novel. This one is contemporary with a literary
theme as well. I am eagerly awaiting my pre-ordered copy of The Mist on Bronte Moor, and will read and review it as soon as possible!
