Q&A with Eric Gonzales on Broken Trust

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

A: Growing up I had always enjoyed writing poems and songs. I would personalize poems for friends based on a situation they told me. I also liked reading books. I read a book one time that didn't leave me satisfied. I mentioned to an acquaintance playfully that I could write a better book than that and he laughed and stated "You couldn't write a book...PERIOD!" That's how this book came about.

Q: How does Broken Trust differ from your previous work—either in tone, theme, or process?

A: The difference is being before this I had only written poems,, and that this was my first book, I didn't realize how time consuming it is to keep the plotline going, the time frame in the story, keeping up with characters, prose, etc., you really have to be able to give the reader the experience of seeing in their mind what they are reading.

Q: Which character or part of the story was the hardest, or most rewarding, to write?

A: The hardest, most emotional part of Broken Trust was when Jimmy introduces his son to his parents at their gravesite.

Q: Were there any surprises during the writing process - things that changed unexpectedly?

A: I almost changed the ending of Broken Trust, I went as far as to rewrite the whole ending where it involved another character. However, I stuck with the original version.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book?

A: One word, SATISFACTION!