An Exclusive Mini Interview with Danielle Smith... "The Beast Within" Female Protagonist
It’s a beautiful day in Southern California. The sun is shining and the breeze is flowing while I sit on a park bench waiting for Danielle Smith to join me. I was early, but it looks like great minds think alike as I watch her walking up, all smiles. Her look is causal. Her white flowy button up shirt catches the wind while it also plays at her hair. I feel myself smiling as if her good nature is contagious. Right now she has a lot to be happy about. She is the heroine from the upcoming novel written by Alanah Winters’, “The Beast Within”. The buzz is growing and people can’t wait to get their hands on the book. I even found myself being curious after reading the Chapter 1 teaser. The pain and confusion displayed in the few pages is enough to make any person wander through a lengthy spectrum of questions.
After our greeting, Danielle easily makes herself comfortable sitting next to me. This is Danielle’s first print interview, but that fact doesn’t show as she causally talks about the beautiful weather and her children. The feeling of welcome exudes off of her, making me almost forget why we were here in the first place. Her easy going nature continues as I guide the conversation towards our interview.
I’m excited to be the first to cypher through your head, so to speak. Thanks again for letting me.
Yeah of course, I hope I can give you what you’re looking for. There’s a lot going on in that brain of mine that could use a good cyphering. This is a mini interview, right? Alanah is a stickler about too much getting out before the book is available.
Yes, this is just a meet and greet for the fans to hear you in your own vernacular before the book launch. Since you brought it up, how do you feel about working with Ms. Winters?
It’s really great actually. I feel as if we’re both growing together in this journey. The more time we spend in each others' space the stronger the ideas, emotions and skills become.
So there’s nothing that you would rather do without during her process?
There are times that the process can be tedious, painstakingly slow or just erased altogether. But there’s beauty to be seen even in that. Now that I think about it, those are the times we bond the most as author and character.
Tell me if this is too much, but Ms. Winters worked one on one with several characters of the book, right?
Yes, she did. It’s true that I’m the primary character in this novel, but the story is told through the eyes of other characters as well. So you might have a few chapters in my point of view then it will switch to Killian, Major Hardaway or Porsha.
Wait a minute, I heard of Killian in the novel’s blurb, but who are Major Hardaway and Porsha?
Oh my God, see you almost got me. My lips are sealed.
Hey you can't blame me for trying. However, the excerpt really showcase that there are things at work that leaves a lot to the imagination. So tell me, while Alanah wrote this novel how were you impacted personally from the story that it's portraying?
I was impacted in every way a person could be. I think other wives, mothers and women in a whole can relate to the inner struggle of trying to stay relevant to themselves. So many times we as women find ourselves stuck in a role and the people around us start to only see the titles we hold instead of the people we are. If that cycle persists long enough, we too forget pieces of what makes us who we are. Which can also make it impossible to accept the changes that life throws at us, but there are those times that life doesn’t give us a choice. I don’t have it all figured out yet, but I like to think I’m still on my journey of self-discovery.
Aren’t we all?
Exactly, it just manifests itself differently for some than others.
Where do you see yourself 5 to 10 years from now?
Happy…
Happy? Do you care to elaborate?
The one thing this journey has taught me so far is that happy isn’t a destination. With every turn and flip it needs to be found and created. So if a person is blessed enough to find a way to keep their wheel of fortune spinning and landing on happy they can’t be doing too badly.
So is there anything you would like to leave for the people reading?
Well, I just hope they enjoy being able to experience my life’s journey through Alanah Winters storytelling and stay with us because we have a lot more to share.
Again thank you for your time, it’s been a pleasure.
The pleasure has been all mine.
