Interview: Rebecca Donovan, author of 'What If'

Rebecca Donovan, Paste BN bestselling author of What If, joins HEA to answer some questions about her new release and how it's both different from her popular Breathing Series and how it's similar.

Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Rebecca! Please tell us about What If.

Rebecca: What If is about so many things. It's about how powerful friendship can be. It's about the innocence of first love. It's about the choices we make every day, even the small ones, and how they change our lives. The story is mainly told by Cal Logan in his sophomore year of college, but the past and the present intertwine throughout the book. There are two other narrators who bring his childhood to life. And Cal has some flashback moments, too. It was a complicated story to construct! But in the end the readers will really feel connected to each of these friends.

Joyce: The twist ending must just be eating you alive as you wait for readers to get there. How are you coping? Chocolate? Binge-watching favorite TV shows?

Rebecca: When I finished writing What If, I went back and reread my favorite scenes because I missed the characters. I hope that my readers fall in love with them as much as I did. That emotional connection is more important than the mystery. If some of the readers have it figured out before the ending, that's OK. But I want each reader to be able to make that journey on their own, without any outside influence. The less they know going into it the better. So I'm closing my eyes … hoping the secrets remain secret, and that every reader gets to unveil them on their own.

Joyce: What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time?

Rebecca: I think it's very possible for everyone to get a chance to meet again for the first time. Time and life take us along different paths, and we're always changing. So you have the ability to be a better version of yourself every day. As long as we're able to let go of preconceptions, then second chances are very possible. I'd love the chance to get to know someone all over again as if for the first time!

Joyce: How is this story different from AND similar to your popular Breathing Series?

Rebecca: The storylines are distinctly different. What If is wrapped within a mystery, while The Breathing Series has a stronger suspense element.

On the other hand, both The Breathing Series and What If are rich with friendships. Relationships are at their core. And in order for these relationships to thrive, there's a need for trust, and ultimately acceptance. What If is a much lighter story, with its playfulness and quirks, but they both revolve around choices the characters make in their lives and the consequences of their decisions.

The main male characters are polar opposites in personality. Evan is insightful and driven. While Cal is laid back and avoids conflict. They are very similar at heart, though. Both Evan and Cal are good guys who only want what's best for those they care about. Guys who are easy to fall for.

Joyce: What can readers expect to see from you next?

Rebecca: I have several projects floating around in my head, but the one that is speaking to me the loudest is The Burning Series. It's a spin-off of The Breathing Series. In this trilogy, I will explore Jonathan Reese, a character introduced in Barely Breathing. He is the most complex and controversial character that I've created to date. And I believe his dark and violent past deserves to be told. It's a story that's going to push me into a very troubling world, and as excited as I am to write again, I'm a bit nervous to have such a disturbed character in my head.

Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Rebecca: I hope the underlying meanings of my books resonate with readers, that they're more than just "stories." The Breathing Series was about hope and not giving up. The message within What If is that we determine our paths with every choice we make. When readers close the book, I truly want them to be inspired. To realize they have the ability to create the life they want. All they have to do is believe in possibilities.

Find out more about Rebecca and her books at www.rebeccadonovan.com.

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HEA curator and contributor Joyce Lamb is a Paste BN best-selling author of romantic suspense and three-time RITA finalist and has been a professional journalist for 25 years. You can reach her at jlamb@usatoday.com and follow her on Twitter (@JoyceLamb). You can also follow HEA on Twitter (@HEAusatoday).