Shah Fazli
Gabriel Rheaume, Hello, and welcome back, please tell us about the good news, or maybe any bad news, if there is, about The Shores We Walk, since when we interviewed you first about a few months ago, what do you want everyone here to know about this book, anything in particular, and tell us please what people say about the book, the characters, and the story, are you happy with it, take us through the story a little please, and post an excerpt in the end? — with Gabriel Rheaume.
Gabriel Rheaume This story is about 90% true. What I want people to take from it, is that drug use will eventually destroy you and the people around you. All the tragedy in this story is real. The crimes that were committed, suicide, overdose, death, these things happened. I have a handful of friends right now that are no longer with us and some doing a lot of time in jail or prison because they chose to live a life of excess and abuse. When using hard drugs like heroin, these things will happen, it's just a matter of time.
Gabriel Rheaume I've almost given up on The Shores We Walk, but sometimes people contact me, and I've been told multiple times, "This changed my life." That is what I was going for, and that's what keeps me promoting it. I think this book is like a handbook, for maybe parents, or people in a relationship with people with a drug problem. This is a shared story, I am not one drug addict, I am every drug addict. My target audience is people suffering from addiction.. or maybe people that are just curious about drugs, so that they can get the real story, before it's too late.
Gabriel Rheaume The Shores We Walk is basically a story about a young man (Francis), that grows up in a small town, moves to Detroit to attend college, and how all the temptation sucks him in and destroys him. His "high school sweetheart" gets a drug problem, kills herself, then Francis starts using heroin to cope, and things just spiral further out of control, his friends start dying, he turns to crime to support his drug habit, people abandon him. He tries a million things to get better, but nothing helps.. until he has a real "moment of enlightenment" and a spiritual conversion, that takes place in a delusion, and changes his perspective on life.
Gabriel Rheaume I post a lot of excerpts dealing with the tragedy and the gruesomeness of addiction... for once I'd like to focus on the beauty and prose that I write.
Gabriel Rheaume "My visits to her cottage now are customary. I am filled with an eternal serenity, I see a mutual peace in her eyes, but I am certain that those looking at us see madness. The “simple pleasures” of life that I had always heard people speak of, became a pleasure. The joys of the world are prominent as though the chorus of Christmas carolers echo into the summer.
I have never seen so much sun shine through windows in rays as in her cottage. I catch the rays in my hands and drink the gold as it pours from the sun. Spiders spin silken webs into dartboards. Relaxing on the beach is a vacation from the megalopolis of Detroit. The revolving sands on the shore are a reflection of time and the cycle of life. Rocks crystallize, metamorphose, and reform to break down and repeat.
This tourist town is vacant in the winter, but by late May it could be confused with any metropolitan city in America. We entertain each other with small gifts like fresh fudge and ice cream cones, and sit in cafés letting our hearts swell like balloons. I stare into her eyes like fishbowls, every second I sink deeper in love. The town is quiet before sundown, so we continue our fun on her private beach.
We never have enough tequila. Whether we drink it with salt and lime, or margaritas, chilled or blended, the juice from the cactus is the proper nourishment for our conversation and love. The sun rises with tequila and sets with Tequila Sun Rises. Not many things are as satisfying as sipping a frozen mixed drink, on the hot beach, beneath the celestial orb of the sun, or moon, watching the perpetual motion of the lake.
We play in the sand like children and escape the horrendous world by skipping stones and building sandcastles. We achieve a pastorality that the romantics would dream of, although our world is so much more shattered than theirs.
The state of pastorality in our society requires an appointment. It is rare that a person has the opportunity to saunter through lush meadows or wander onto an apple orchard where the air is inviting like a scented candle. To achieve peace there is an hourly rate and the rich and poor suffer similarly, but wealth and poverty are only matters of perception."
Shah Fazli David Blaine, Gabe, what are you working on next? How is life in the Blue Water area treating you?
Gabriel Rheaume I wish I could say I have a steady project that I'm working on, but right now, I write when the inspiration hits me, I have a small collection of short stories, a little bit of poetry, and a couple of ideas I'm throwing around, but really I spend more time playing the ukulele than anything else!
Shah Fazli Kurt Pozsgay, Gabe, talk about the biggest challenges you faced writing the book and publishing as an independent author. What were your biggest take-aways? What you do differently?
Dalton Phillips how long did it take you to write the book?
Gabriel Rheaume One of the hardest things about actually writing the book wasbeing so honest. There are some real heartbreaking moments in the book. The hardest scene for me to write was about my friend Matt, who died of a drug overdose in my apartment and that was tough. Also the scene with Christina hanging herself, I had to do research about death by asphyxiation and looking at things so closely was really painful. As far as the publishing aspect... the most challenging thing was editing! To comb a piece of work so meticulously is very taxing.
Megan Decker Do you think you have learned a lasting lesson from your experience?
Dalton Phillips how long have you suffered from addiction, and what is something you would tell someone struggling with addiction to do to get themselves help?
Gabriel Rheaume It took me a few years to finalize the book. I started writing it in 2006, and I was still struggling with addiction and in and out of rehab facilities. I didn't have a beta version ready until 2010.
Gabriel Rheaume Megan Decker, unfortunately with addiction, I don't think lesson's are learned that easily. I saw a lot of horrible things, like a corpse on my living room floor, and my main priority was trying to get $10 to get high, or at least stop myself from being sick. I just like to think that after putting out The Shores We Walk, I solidified that part of my life into something that I can put behind me.
Gabriel Rheaume Dalton Phillips, if someone has a problem, they need treatment. Is rehab a permanent solution? No. There has to be a willingness to change, but thankfully at rehab facilities, they give you encouragement and tools to get over your problems. Sometimes people just need a break from reality to go and clean themselves up, get away from the pressures of the world and focus on getting better. I have too many friends that talked about going to rehab, but didn't go, and now they're dead.
Gabriel Rheaume Dalton Phillips a lot of times, people are embarrassed to ask for help, they don't want their parents to know, or their co-workers to know... but they already know. When a person seeks treatment, that is when life starts to change and people begin to open up again.
Shah Fazli Melissa Renshaw, How has writing the book helped you move forward?
Gabriel Rheaume Melissa Renshaw, I have gained a lot of acceptance from being so honest about the situation I was in, and closure. I've been told by psychologists and therapists that the only way I will get over the trauma of so many close friends dying, is by being open about it, sharing my feelings, and putting it all out on the table, and The Shores We Walk, was probably the biggest form of therapy I have ever had.
Jenny Holst More of a statement than a question: Gabe, you should consider being a mentor to local kids. Your hands on experiences could help save lives. On a personal note: believe in yourself, only the strong can change themselves & inspire others.
Gabriel Rheaume Jenny Holst, thanks Jenny! Yeah, I'm always looking into work at rehab facilities or places that I can help troubled youth, I've always wanted to help people for a living I'm just waiting for that opportunity.
Gabriel Rheaume Thank you so much to everyone! It means a lot to see people showing up and participating. Just so everyone knows. The Shores We Walk is on sale for Kindle... 99 cents at Amazon!
Shah Fazli Thanks everyone and Gabriel for this great opportunity to share some time and some insights with each other in this way. Also visit. http://shahsightshop.blogspot.de/search?q=The+shores+we+walk
ShahSight Literary Book Shop: Search results for The shores we walkshahsightshop.blogspot.com
Catherine Mahoney http://www.amazon.com/The-Shores-We-Walk-ebook/dp/B006GCD82I/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1347198265&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Shores+We+Walk
The Shores We Walkwww.amazon.com
A fast paced story of love, drugs, death, and ghosts.The Shores We Walk is a spi...See more
Gabriel Rheaume Thanks again Shah Fazli! You always do a fantastic job, and you are a real asset to the writing community. Thanks for all the work and trouble you've put into this.
Shah Fazli Please like our page where we do all our interviews and we archieve these interviews, communicate, etc.http://www.facebook.com/BeInTheSpotlight?ref=ts&fref=ts
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Gabriel Rheaume And Catherine Mahoney, you also, my thanks equally go to you.
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