Fantasyland by D.J.Starling-Review and Interview with the Author

Fantasyland
by D.J.Starling
Release Date: June 3, 2013
Genre: romance, adult, contemporary

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/ Barnes and Noble / KOBO / The Book Depository

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“Believe in magic. Put a song in your heart. Know the power of love.” FANTASYLAND “Won’t you come on in? Meet all the lonely people. Be there when they discover that dreams that you dare to dream really do come true.” “Sandi.”.. Shattered by a devastating loss, she’s struggling to move beyond her grief as she embarks on a new life. But when a charming stranger elicits a magnetic attraction, unyielding heartache overrides her desires and undermines her chance for happiness.

“Rick.”.. Teen idol at fourteen, well-polished Hollywood playboy by seventeen, he enjoyed a hedonistic lifestyle into his twenties. Yet he’s plagued by gnawing self-doubts and the fears they feed when his world is rocked by the sudden reappearance of a woman he had vowed to forget.

“Steve.” . . Driven by staunch principles, he’s satisfied with the simple, quiet life he leads. He never could have imagined the twists and turns in the path ahead that will change him forever and force him to battle guilt and betrayal in his quest for his heart’s desire.

•••••••••••••••

Wow

That was AMAZING !!!

I loved D.J. Starling’s first book, Deja Vu, and looked forward to reading Fantasyland. I was really eager to read, and wondered if the author could pull me in and keep me entertained. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I cried. It was an emotional roller coaster, and I did not want to get off !!

The story begins in the present, and a huge tragedy awaits our heroine. We then jump to the past, and here is where the heart of the story lies. Now, if you’ve read her first, and I have, that one jumps a little further, and has a whole different twist, (I’m coming away from this book, back on track Julie) 😉

The characters were all adorable, and I fell in love with a few of them. The love between Rick and Sandi is magical and perfect. Sometimes it was a little too perfect for me. I expected from the back cover a series of disasters. I wasn’t really disappointed once I was way into the book. In fact I was surprised to read the end, I could have read it forever. And I did wonder where Steve came into the story, I won’t spoil it, but I did do the “OH MY GOD” moment 😉

Fantasyland touched me deeply, and it really is an original love story. If you get the chance, please add this to your reading list, you WON’T be sorry.

Copy supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Julie B.

TRC: Hi D.J. and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

We would like to start with some background information, would you please tell us something about yourself?

DJ: D.J. STARLING is a penname derived through a combination of a dream, an apparition, and fate. Instinct told Donna Joyce to embrace the moniker, and an author was born. Wisdom led her to recruit Marsha Fischer after they got acquainted in a writers’ workshop in Fort Lauderdale, and a productive partnership began.

Relying on each other’s unique strengths as well as distinctive personalities, we’ve blended our literary voices to bring engaging characters to life in compelling stories that will have readers weighing the differences between coincidence and fate when considering the people who fill their lives.

For this interview, we’ve chosen to answer the questions as ourselves, and as D.J., who has developed her own personality and unique style, including the habit of speaking in song lyrics.

TRC: FANTASYLAND is your latest release in 2013. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

DJ: Spanning more than twenty years, beginning in 1972, FANTASYLAND is a unique love story reminiscent of a fairytale romance with a one-time teen idol cast as Prince Charming. The story sparkles with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood—where everyone knows happily ever after doesn’t always last forever—and also touches on the turbulent times of the Vietnam era. As an extra added attraction, the characters’ shared love of song is the impetus for the celebration of 20th century music that plays through the pages.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

DJ: DÉJÀ VU was our debut novel, FANTASYLAND is our second, and TILL THERE WAS YOU will be next. Each one is (and all future books will be) a stand-alone story, although there are some small connecting threads. Still, we don’t see it as a series, just some great characters we love working with, who genuinely like each other, and we hope to keep going as long as we have fresh ideas to keep them interesting, and any new friends that might come along.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the characters of Fantasyland, which models or actors would best represent Steve, Rick and Sandi?

DJ: Early versions of Sandra Bullock as Sandi, Rob Lowe as Rick, George Clooney as Steve.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

DJ: In the beginning, we direct the characters, but once they are fully developed, they direct the writing.

TRC: Are you a plotter or a pantster?

DJ: As our writing has developed, we’ve steadily evolved from pantsters to plotters. We now focus heavily on the plotting first, but as we develop the characters, we have been known to alter the plot to better fit the emerging personalities.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writers fail in this endeavor?

DJ: Characters must be real and relatable, and come alive in the minds of both writer and reader. To deftly elicit the necessary emotions, from the characters and their audience, an author has to understand the mindset of every character, to know where they’re coming from. For us, the best way to accomplish that is to create an entire life history for everyone we introduce. We generally know much more about their background than we need to reveal, yet it’s important we know in order to create and illustrate the characters’ motivations in a way in which the reader can relate. Unfortunately, in my very humble opinion, some authors don’t seem to delve below the surface when creating their characters.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

DJ: Subtle foreshadowing is key to believability. The reader can be surprised, but then realize there were clues all along.

TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines?

DONNA: I do my best to get things done before I reach panic time
MARSHA: I work best under pressure so I don’t fear deadlines.
D.J.: I just whistle while I work and let Donna & Marsha do the worrying

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about you?

D.J.: That I’m just one singular sensation.

TRC: Writers Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do you handle the stress and anxiety of Writers Block?

DJ: We actually welcome the occasional writer’s block since we realized that it’s a sign that we’re going in the wrong direction with the story, and it’s time to reevaluate.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with family, friends and fellow authors. With whom do you bounce ideas?

DONNA: Mostly with Marsha, but also with my daughter when I want a younger perspective.
MARSHA: Mostly with Donna, but also with my husband when I want a male perspective.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

DJ: TILL THERE WAS YOU is our next book, which tells Michael’s love story.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
DONNA: Lately, I’ve been addicted to frozen grapes
MARSHA: Chocolate
D.J.: A taste of honey

Favorite Dessert
DONNA: Cheesecake
MARSHA: Chocolate
D.J.: Apple, peaches, pumpkin pie

Favorite TV Show
DONNA: Among the current lineup, Big Bang Theory
MARSHA: The Good Wife
D.J.: I get by with a little help from my Friends

Last Movie You Saw
DONNA: Watched the original Ocean’s Eleven just the other day on one of the cable channels. One of my all-time favorites!
MARSHA: Lincoln

Dark or Milk Chocolate
DONNA: milk, always
MARSHA: dark, always
D.J.: These are a few of my favorite things!

Pet Peeve
DONNA : poor grammar
MARSHA: poor customer service
D.J.: instrumentals

Secret Celebrity Crush
DONNA: It’s not a secret anymore—most powerful was Dino Martin, Jr.
MARSHA: As a young girl, it was Bobby Sherman
D.J.: Everybody loves somebody sometime.

TRC: Thank you Donna, Marsha and DJ for taking the time to answer our questions. It is always a pleasure to talk with the author(s). Congratulations on the release of Fantasyland and DeJa Vu. And DJ for singing a serenade throughout the Lightning Round