Smiling at Grief
by Carol L Dougherty
Released: Jun 08, 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Why this book and why now?
I spent a lot of time at the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. When I wrote a law school research paper on non-profit theatre I included Stratford and met a lot of people throughout the process. Three of the people became the inspiration for three of my main characters – when I wrote their dialogue in Smiling at Grief, it was as if they played the parts for me.
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
The first version of Smiling at Grief had Kate as the protagonist, not Pen. I briefly tried having both as co-protagonists, but Pen’s voice eventually took over center stage!
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Pen would binge Prime Suspect – what could be better than hours of Helen Mirren. Pen would likely sit there and take notes!
What’s your main character(s)’s favorite book and why?
Pen’s favorite book is Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. She read it shortly after meeting the black mare outside of Bath, and in her child’s mind, she combined the real mare with the mare of the story and they became one and the same magical horse for her.
What song does your character put on to start your book launch party?
Pen would play “Ghost” from the Indigo Girls Rites of Passage cd. The ghost of Danni plays a major role in the story and this would be Pen’s way to acknowledge that.