Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Marie Nadine Gaston, and I was born and raised in Haiti. I have a bachelorโs degree in psychology from the University of Miami and spent the first decade of my professional life in South Florida working in a community mental health setting improving the lives of the mentally ill.ย I returned home to Haiti years later to do communications work with international development organizations empowering impoverished communities and strengthening systems in governance, justice, and health in developing countries like Haiti.ย ย
I still do consultation work in project communications as I explore a new opportunity as an affiliate marketer. I started this new venture last year and am having a great time getting to know my followers. I target women empty nesters, like me, who want to rediscover and pursue their lifelong (or new) dreams now that the kids have left the nest. After all, Iโm pursuing mine, which is to become a respected and established author of stories that make people happy. โNonstop Osloโ is my first published book.
I am a hopeless romantic and an avid reader of historical romances. I have enjoyed writing since junior high school. I write stories and poetry. I have two beautiful adult daughters and recently became a grandmother to a darling little boy, Sacha.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Nonstop Oslo”?
โNonstop Osloโ was never meant to be a book, so I canโt really speak of challenges when writing most of it. It was just my imagination at play as I was anticipating a trip to Oslo to see my favorite band play at home, and the entire process was just pure fun! However, when it became apparent that this story was going to be published (at the insistence of my friends) and I was researching some publishersโ requirements, I was challenged to add about 8,000 more words to my manuscript so that I could have at least 50,000 words. That was the frustrating part for me because as a personal fantasy, the story, as it was written, seemed perfect to me, so why ruin it? I really didnโt know what direction to take the story at that point. I already had the perfect ending, so I was wondering where I would add those thousands of words. In the middle of the story? What would I add? Should I ruin my perfect ending with some drama? I really didnโt want to do that. So, I suddenly came up with the idea of writing a really long epilogue. In the end, I am glad that I took up the challenge because I am really happy with how that last part turned out. It truly makes the story complete and simply beautiful.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
I used to read a lot of Harlequin Romance books from authors from the United States, England, Scotland, and New Zealand when I was a teenager up until my young adulthood. This is how I built my English vocabulary (Iโm a native French speaker). In later years, I discovered historical romances from authors like Kathleen Woodiwiss, Johanna Lindsey, and Lisa Kleypas, and I was hooked.
Q4. Whatโs your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
There was a time when Kenskoff was my favorite place to visit. Itโs a small town up in the hills just above Port-au-Prince, and the temperature there is much cooler than that of the city, especially during what is considered winter months in North America and Europe. We had our summer home there and we used to spend part of every summer and Christmas vacation there throughout my entire childhood. It was a beautiful, cool, verdant environment with wild berries all over the place. Kenscoff meant lots of fresh air, horseback riding (I sucked at it, by the way, but boy, was it fun!), long walks with cousins and other vacationing kids from the neighborhood, berry picking, roasted corn on the cob, picking snails, tending a small vegetable garden in our back yard, eating plums and apples off our trees, and playing Pokeno for pennies. Blissful timesโฆ
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
Far from me to speak as a seasoned author, but I donโt really have a ritual like lots of authors do. When I was writing โNonstop Osloโ, I felt kind of giddy and giggly inside and just grabbed my laptop and started pounding away at the keys, completely engrossed in my fantasy. It helps to put some music on and drink a glass of wine to create the mood that I want so I can immerse myself better in the story. There is a fair amount of research that goes into writing because you want to be as genuine as you can. Most people never get to travel, so it’s great to do justice to them by describing faraway places with as much detail and accuracy as possible.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Nonstop Oslo’?
It didnโt take that long to write the first part of the book, maybe four to five months. It was back in October/November 2015, so I donโt really remember. Then when I traveled to Oslo in April 2016, I did some editing while I was there to correct some of my assumptions. Then, I thought I was done with the story until late 2016/early 2017, when my friends encouraged me to publish the story and I went on to add the epilogue to bring it up to over 50,000 words. That last part took maybe a month or two.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your book?
โNonstop Osloโ can be purchased on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and on Archwaypublishing.com (online bookstore). It comes in two formats: hard copy and eBook. Also, please visit my authorโs website and blog at marienadinegaston.com, and my Facebook page, Nadineโs Corner. Itโs the one with my picture on it ;-). Please leave comments!
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Nonstop Oslo’?
When my publisher asked me if I had any idea about what I wanted my book cover to look like, I only had one word: blue. Thatโs my favorite color and this was my first book, so I wanted it to be special. I told them anything with blue skies or a blue ocean would be fine by me, especially since the protagonists come from different worlds. There are blue skies and oceans between them. Then, a couple months later, while sitting in my car, an idea came to me, and I grabbed a piece of napkin that was in the car and started sketching blue skies and clouds and a plane making the route between Haiti and Norway. I drew the plane making a loop in the skies in the form of a heart. The design team ran with it and produced that beautiful cover.
As for the title, โNonstop Osloโ is really a double entendre. In the literal sense of it, itโs a direct flight to Oslo with all the dreams that this trip of a lifetime entails; and figuratively, itโs all about the many things that happen to Vivienne at once when she meets Logen and her mind is reeling from it all. At one point, feeling overwhelmed with emotion, she says, โitโs nonstop Oslo, and I want it to stop!โ
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
First of all, I write from the heart and just go with the flow. I didnโt have a book plan when I was writing this story. I had no idea what was going to happen. I just went with the flow and surprised myself the whole way through. The dialogue, the interaction between the two main characters were all a surprise to me as well. It was a fun ride. I canโt think of a better way to keep things fresh.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that arenโt in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
I canโt share secrets.ย All needs to be discovered by reading this wonderful love story.ย I can say one thing, though: there is somewhat of a mystical occurrence in this story. ย Itโs up to the reader to discover it.ย And, oh yes, Vivienne is basically me!ย Howโs that for a secret?
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