Bridie Blake
My Dream Cast
Violet Hayes
"When I hold a guitar or write lyrics, it's like the world stops and all I see and feel is what I'm doing."
Rose Hayes
"Do you ever think that by denying yourself what you love, you're forcing yourself to be miserable?"
Sally Shaw
"You need a good dose of school spirit."
Carter Jenkins
"I want it so bad. I want to get out of here and do something. Be something, you know?"
Iris O'Connor
"Find something that makes you happy and do it. And then you may just find yourself and your place."
Marcus Chalmers
"Maybe one day we'll look back and realize they cared in their own way. That happens on TV a lot."
Fun Facts
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The idea for this story came from my obsession with the TV show Nashville and I wanted to write a book about country music. Although the book ultimately became about a lot more than that, country music still plays a role in it.
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The town of Wandorah is a fictional town in Tennessee that I tried to give a Stars Hollow feel to, where everyone knows everyone's business.
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I wanted to shine a light on depression, and the effect it has on the people closest to you. I hope I did the subject justice.
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I am not a songwriter, or a poet, so I spent time reading song lyrics and Violet's songs went through A LOT of drafts.
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While I probably shouldn't have favourites, Violet has been my favourite character to write so far and she'll always have a special place in my heart. The poor girl is dealing with a lot and isn't the best at dealing with it so can be prickly at times, but she has a big heart. You just got to hang in there with her.
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Gran (Iris) is the typical grandmother, who is constantly offering food and advice and a warm hug. She's my way of paying tribute to my grandparents.
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I've been toying with the idea of writing a sequel (or two). One that focuses on Violet trying to make it in Nashville, and one that follows Sally. If that's something you'd like to read, let me know!
The Soundtrack
Music plays a big part in A Distant Voice. Violet once dreamed of being a country singer like her grandmother, and although she's trying to keep her promise to her mom not to play, she can't switch off her love of music.
There were a lot of songs that helped inspire scenes in A Distant Voice, and songs that remind me of the story. Two that really stand out are:
I'm Only Me When I'm With You by Taylor Swift - this song describes Violet and Carter perfectly. They bicker and irritate one another at times but they know each other so well and it's with him that Violet can let her guard down.
21 Guns by Green Day - the song that Carter tells Violet reminds him of her. I had the song title blank for a while and struggled to find the perfect song for that scene until a friend of mine suggested 21 Guns and the second I listened to it, that was it. It was the song.