BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors.

Recently, we talked to D.R. Berlin, about her writing and recently released book, THE THIRD ESTATE: Secrets of the Manor, a gripping thriller that prompts readers to question the true nature of authority, trust, and truth in a world where appearances can be deceiving. (read the review here).

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What inspired the premise of your book?

Have you ever wondered if the leader of an organization is actually leading the organization? Are they in charge, or someone else?  Who whispers in their ears? Who do they trust? Who actually makes the decisions? Are the people behind the scenes, who hide in the shadows, who have secret agendas, actually in charge?

Disclaimer: This story is fiction. I don’t know anything about your shadowy organization, Really, I don’t.

Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?

Sophie and Lovac’s stories are intertwined, run parallel, and finally clash, before separating again at the end of the story.  I’m a plotter. First, I outlined Sophie’s story from beginning to end. Lovac had minimal importance in my first draft. As I continued my subsequent developmental edits, I realized that Lovac’s actions in the first chapter are what propels the motivation and consequences of the main characters, and he deserved more of a story line. As the edits progressed, Lovac’s story became just as important as Sophie’s and added much needed layering in the intrigue and complexity of the story.

Are any of your characters based on real people you know?

 I received a mug from my family for Christmas: “Be Careful or you’ll end up in my book.” I laughed. That’s not how I do it. I pay attention to current events, interesting people I observe in my travels, and past experiences to craft interesting scenes and characters that jump off the page.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced as a writer? What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

It took me about a year to finish my first draft. When I first started, I had placed clues and descriptions early in the novel in anticipation for the great reveal at the end. I researched several topics and left specific details, like the color of the smoke and the smell of the fire. Later in the novel, at the time of the reveal, I was baffled with why I wrote it the way I did. I had to go back and re-research my clues to find the answers. Lesson learned. Document the answers of the clues when I write them. During one of my many revisions, I realized that I needed an addition character, not currently in the book, to notice a specific detail and comment on it. I had to go back to the beginning and add in this character in the appropriate chapters for the character to notice the important detail at the end. The most important change from earlier drafts was that, in the end, in a believable situation, Sophie must find a way to save herself. You will just have to read the novel to find out how!

How many rewrites did you do for this book?

A LOT. It took my one year to write the first draft, and a few years to edit it. When the story grew, improved, and took its final shape, my motivation exploded to pull it across the finish line and get it published. I tried querying agents, with no luck. One took the time to suggest improvements. Her suggestions were very helpful and I’m grateful. I researched other avenues, and decided to self publish with the help of Outskirts Press to format and distribute for me. Now, I’m a self-published author with control over my own destiny.

Please tell us a bit about yourself.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts (home to Lizzy Borden, Emerald Lagasse, and the USS Massachusetts), I attended BMC Durfee High School where I was the Salutatorian. I attended MIT, majoring in biology with a minor in writing, and played varsity volleyball.

Fast forward to graduating from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, joining the Army, being stationed at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center (Intern of the year), three years as a General Medical Officer at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC, completing my residency in General Surgery at the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, (not related to the medical school) and moving to Orange Park, FL, where I’ve lived for 20 years.  Drafted as the unofficial photographer of my children’s sports teams, I’ve been affectionally dubbed the “Mamarazzi.”

I minored in Writing in college and The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor has been swimming in my head for years. Now that Mom’s Taxi is officially closed and my presence is no longer needed in the stands on the soccer or football fields, I have the time to devote to realizing my dream. Since the first day I started to outline the story, the words have flooded the pages like a tsunami, and haven’t stopped. This book is the first in a series. I chased a dream and now am a self-published author. I set my goals high and work every day to achieve them.

What’s next for you?

I’m not ready to quit my day job, yet. I’ll take a week or two and enjoy achieving a goal I’ve pursued for the past few years. I’m now a published author and the feeling of accomplishment is amazing. I’ve already outlined the next book and will channel my energy and motivation into making the second book even better than the first.

Do you read your book reviews? Do they please you or annoy you? Do you think you can learn a lot from reading criticism about your work?

I read with great interest every word of any book review I receive. An early draft of my novel was named a Chanticleer International Book Awards 2023 – Finalist Clue Division – Thriller & Suspense Fiction. I entered 12 contests that year and won one. Many of the contests offered judges feedback for an extra fee, worth every penny. I learned more from what the judges didn’t like, then what they did, and applied that insight into my future edits.

Fast forward to 2024, when my manuscript underwent several more edits, with developmental, copy, and proof reading. I entered 24 contests: Placed in 13 from Winning to Honorable Mention and everything in between, plus a bunch of book awards and seals. 

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?

I love my front cover of my novel. I have fierce photoshopping skills and thought I could do my own cover. I read many articles reinforcing that a book is indeed judged by its cover. I shopped around and found Christian Storm, a book jacket designer, who is a genius! I sent him my concept and thought, he is going to be wowed by my photoshopping prowess. The images he sent back were nothing short of amazing.

Second place goes to my editors and third place goes to the book awards that I entered.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

A friend of mine at work recently stopped me in the hallway and said, “Thank you.” I said for what? She said she was following me on Facebook and watching my journey from afar. She thought, “I can do that too.” She also wrote a book and told me I gave her the motivation to not only finish it, but self publish. If I could do it, she could too. 

If you think you can or think you can’t, your right. Think you can, and anything is possible.

My advice? The only person you have control over is you. Set a goal, reach for the stars, and enjoy the journey along the way.

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