BookView Review

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

Recently, we interviewed Debra BORCHERT, a clothing designer, actress (starring in her first television commercial with Jeff Daniels for S.O.S. Soap Pads), TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, technical writer for Fortune 100 companies and author, about her writing and her recently released book, His Last Christmas Gift, a layered novel that blends the intrigue of a domestic thriller with the emotional pull of a woman reckoning with her past (Read the review here.)

What inspired the premise of your book?

I’ve always wanted to visit the Christmas markets in France, and so I did. On the Metro in Paris a group of three men tried to mug me and my husband. I confronted the leader. Actually, I grabbed his coat and yelled at him, and he acted like I was crazy, which I definitely was. This event flavored our trip a bit. 

But we prevailed through sleet, snow, ice, and rain. Our journey was a bit difficult, but the scenery was fantastic and the markets magical. Because our trip wasn’t perfect, I realized my protagonist’s journey should have a few difficulties as well.

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?

A dilemma. I knew my character had to have a motivation to travel from Seattle to France, especially when she was widowed, unemployed, and broke. I happened to read an article in the Wall Street Journal about a symptomless, hereditary heart condition that kills people at a very young age. Although my protagonist is bereft at her husband’s possible infidelity, she’s determined to save his seven-year-old son’s life, and that her was motivation to go to France.

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?

My protagonist’s journey of self-knowledge changed the most. The more she revealed herself, the more she tried, the deeper her journey grew. 

How does your faith life/ethical outlook inform your writing?

In every one of the books I’ve written, quirky members of the clergy show up. I don’t invite them, they just arrive and touch my heart. In writing about Sister Georgette and Father Mateo, I gave them both qualities I would have appreciated when I was a child having to attend Catechism classes. I had a ruler-baring nun in my class and a priest who reeked of cigarette smoke. I don’t remember them being kind. I guess I wanted some pleasant memories of the clergy, so I created them for my books.

Has this novel changed drastically as you created it?

The manuscript changed greatly. In my first draft, I realized the protagonist’s mother had no voice. I had no scenes of her, and she’s the antagonist. Oddly none of my first readers realized that she was absent. But once I realized that mistake, I had great fun learning about her.

Which scene was most difficult to write? Why?

Claire nearly drowns. I love the water and swim three times a week. I had no idea and didn’t really want to know what people experience when they are overcome by water. I consulted the aquatics manager at my community pool where I swim, and he gave me the information I needed to make the water scenes authentic.

Which scene or chapter in the book is your favorite? Why?

Any scene with seven-year-old Luca in it is a favorite. Children have such spontaneity, and Luca constantly surprised me. He’s a cheeky devil, loves animals, and stole my heart. My favorite is when he meets Claire. 

What’s next?

I’m writing a series of later-in-life Christmas love stories, and I’m currently researching a Dikens-inspired London setting. And I saved my mugging experience for this poor protagonist.

***