Your real name and
pen name?
I only use my real name, Darcia Helle, which almost always
has people stumbling to pronounce. For those who are curious, it’s Dar-SEE-ah
HELL-ee.
Please share some of
the best memories of your childhood.
My best childhood memories all stem from salt air, ocean, my
dogs, and books. Each summer, my mother and my grandparents rented a cottage
together, right on the beach on Cape Cod. (“Down The Cape” to those of us from
Massachusetts.) We lived less than an hour’s drive away, so it wasn’t a big
excursion or exotic trip. For me, it was simple freedom. We’d spend the days on
the beach, playing in the ocean and reading in the shade. At night, when the
beach cleared, we’d take the dogs for a swim. There were no schedules, and the
overall mood was always lighter and freer.
Each trip began with a visit to the used bookstore a few
miles from where we stayed. I remember the place as being huge, though I’m sure
that was just a child’s perception. My mother would let my brother and me stock
up on as many books as we wanted. I was probably 12 when I came upon The
Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. I remember staying up late into the night reading
that book. I was, without question, enthralled. That one book sparked my
ongoing love of edgy crime, mystery and suspense.
About your education.
After high school, I did a little more than a semester of
college. I had no direction in mind, or maybe too many directions. What I
wanted most was to study English, psychology, sociology, and ancient history.
What I absolutely did not want was to study art history, geology, chemistry, and
calculus. I was not good about sticking with subjects that didn’t hold my
interest. (Something I never mastered.) Boredom and rebellion got the better of
me. I dropped out, went to cosmetology school, and worked in my mother’s hair
salon for about 15 years. During that time, I developed an interest in
alternative medicine. I got my B.S. in Natural Health and Nutrition, did some
writing for emerging health websites on the still nascent internet. I started
working toward my M.S., but by that time my own health had drastically
deteriorated. I have an assortment of chronic health problems, including
chronic Lyme disease, which is what prompted my interest in alternative
healthcare. These health complications forced me to stop working and put a stop
to further education. In the end, that worked out okay because I turned more to
writing and found where I belonged.
What career did you
plan during your education days?
I didn’t plan, which was a large part of my problem. I just
wanted to learn things, though I had no idea what I wanted to do with that
knowledge.
What languages you
can speak and write?
Only English. I grew up in a Portuguese-speaking home, but
only two words stuck with me. One is casa (house), and the other I can’t say
(or type) publicly.
 |
| 1975 - Mom and Grandparents at Cottage |
What is your biggest
source of inspiration in life?
Wow. Inspiration comes from absolutely everywhere. This
might sound trite, but I suppose my biggest source of inspiration in life is
life itself.
What hurts you most
in this world?
Injustice in its many forms hurts me most. So much of it,
really: People starving while someone spends $1,000 on caviar. People living on
the streets while the extraordinarily wealthy own five or six mansions.
Children who are abused by the very people meant to love and protect them. Fortunately,
there is always light to balance the darkness.
What is the biggest
challenge you have faced? How did you overcome it?
By far, my biggest challenge has been my health. As far as
overcoming it, I haven’t. At least not in the sense that I found a cure or even
an effective treatment. I have, however, learned to move beyond it or around
it. I’ve known too many people who have been consumed by their illness, and I
never want to live my life that way. When living with chronic illness, I think
the trick is to find a passion. We all need that thing that takes us out of
ourselves. For me, that thing is writing, both fiction and nonfiction. Fiction
writing allows me to step into another world entirely. The process takes me
away, and it’s impossible to focus on my physical pain when a character is
leading me down his/her own path. With nonfiction writing, I get absorbed in
the research. I love finding a way to put facts together so that the story is
both interesting and educational.
 |
| on beach - 1974 |
If you had to live a
day of your life as one of the living or dead personality, who would it be and
why?
The philosophical part of me would say I’d live a day as my
husband. As close as we are to the people we love, we can never truly know
someone unless we’ve experienced life from their perspective. I’d love to
really know how he sees the world.
The purely selfish part of me would love to experience a day
as Robert Plant, back in the early 70s, at the height of Led Zeppelin madness.
They remain my favorite band and he remains my favorite singer. I can’t hold a
note to save my life but, in my mind, I am a rock goddess. It would be cool to
experience a day as the ultimate rock god.
In both circumstances, I’d like to experience a day as a
male so that I can truly see the flipside of things. But only one day.
What is your favorite
genre and why?
Since the day I read The
Outsiders, my favorite genre has been suspense. I love exploring the dark
side of human behavior, when that fine line of right and wrong is completely
blurred. I want to see what happens when you put a good person in an impossible
situation. Why do some people fall off the cliff into oblivion, while others
claw their way out of the pit? I love the sense of the unknown, not so much in
questioning who the bad guy is, but what made him bad to begin with.
 |
| Mom at Beach - 1975 |
When did you start
writing? What is the purpose of your writing?
I started writing as soon as I was taught how to put words
together. I wrote my first “book” when I was five. For most of my life, I never
stopped to question whether my writing had any purpose at all. I suppose the
point of it was to provide an outlet for the constant thoughts and voices in my
head. If I don’t write, my head will surely implode.
Which of your work
has been published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?
I currently have nine novels and one short story collection
of my own published. Three of these are part of a dark suspense series, and the
rest are stand-alone suspense novels. I’m also excited to be included in the
first short story collaboration from The Mind’s Eyes Series, which features
another author and a photographer. Information and excerpts from all those are
on my website: http://www.QuietFuryBooks.com
We are getting ready to publish the next short story
collaboration in the Mind’s Eye Series. This one features multiple authors and
two photographers.
My true crime articles appear on the All Things Crime Blog (http://www.allthingscrimeblog.com),
run by Patrick Moore. I post direct links to my articles on my website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/allthingscrime.html
What are your
forthcoming writings?
I’m currently writing a paranormal suspense novel (no
vampires) that will be the first in a series. This is a bit of a departure for
me. I’ve always been a fan of paranormal suspense – psychic phenomenon, etc.
But, for the most part, my writing has not ventured along this path. One of my
novels – INTO THE LIGHT – features a ghost as the main character, so to some
degree that one is also paranormal. There are no ghosts in the novel I’m
working on, and the paranormal aspect is a strong part of the storyline.
What are your future
plans?
The best laid plans…
I am a terrible planner. Really. I suck at it. I can’t even
plan dinner properly. Halfway through cooking something, I have to call my
husband to bring home emergency ingredients. I have future dreams (a house with
no neighbors closer than a half-mile, a home library encompassing a city block,
a yard big enough for a dozen rescue dogs, enough money to support all those
dogs), but I have no real future plans. I guess I’m more of a ‘go with the
flow’ person.
How much real life
goes into a fiction writing?
The answer depends, of course, on the individual writer as
well as the genre. My writing is very much character-driven and, for me,
realism is essential. This is true even within the paranormal suspense novel
I’m currently writing. The characters are “real” people, living real lives and
facing real challenges. I have to get the details right. The emotional
responses have to fit.
That is not to say I stick details of my own life within my
novels. With the exception of one of my novels, every character and every
situation is pure fiction. But it all has to feel real, which can be harder
than one might think when dealing with psychological-based fiction. What helps
me get it right (I hope) is that I read a lot of nonfiction. My shelves are
filled with books about sociology, psychology, and true crime. I read about
psychopaths so that I better understand how one might respond to any given
situation. I know the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath, not
because I expect my readers to, but because I want my characters to emerge in a
way that feels like real life.
Is high level of
imagination important to have for an Author?
Absolutely! But I think even more important than imagination
is empathy. An active imagination allows us to come up with a million different
“what if?” scenarios. Empathy is what allows us to step inside a character
totally unlike us and see the world from his/her perspective.
Your dream
destination on Earth?
I haven’t found it yet, but it involves mountains and the
ocean, undisturbed and unpolluted land, wildlife, my husband, my dogs, and no
tourists.
Your origin of birth
and other countries you have visited/ stayed. What best things you liked in
these countries around the globe?
I was born in Massachusetts. My grandmother emigrated from
Portugal when she was a child, and my grandfather’s family came here to the US
shortly before he was born. That’s on my mother’s side. I have no contact with
my biological father and know little about his history.
The only places I’ve traveled to outside of the US were the
Bahamas and Jamaica. I was particularly struck by the dichotomy of Jamaica,
with the incredible beauty of the island, the opulent resorts, and the absolute
poverty of the locals. Families live in tiny huts, with no plumbing, while the
tourist industry rakes in money sending people to beaches the locals can’t
access.
In some ways, I suppose it’s not much different than
situations here in the US. I live in Florida now, where we have both a large
homeless population and a large tourist industry. The main difference here is
that our city government works hard at keeping the homeless hidden from the
tourists.
Your favorite time of
the day?
I’ve always been a night owl. I love the darkness and the
silence.
Your zodiac/ sunsign?
I’m a Gemini.
Your favorite color
and why?
My favorite color is deep red, a crimson color, leaning into
the purple spectrum. I don’t know why. I’ve always favored the color, though I
don’t like reds that lean into the orange spectrum.
What is the last book
you finished reading? What is the current book you are reading?
The last books I finished were:
Fiction - The Profiler by Chris Taylor
Nonfiction: Until You Are Dead, Dead, Dead: The Hanging of Albert Edwin Batson by Jim Bradshaw
Nonfiction: Until You Are Dead, Dead, Dead: The Hanging of Albert Edwin Batson by Jim Bradshaw
I’m currently reading:
Fiction - The Darkest Hour by Tony Schumacher
Nonfiction - Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero by Douglas Perry
Nonfiction - Eliot Ness: The Rise and Fall of an American Hero by Douglas Perry
Your favorite book
and why?
Far too many, and all for different reasons. If I had to
choose one, I’d say The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, simply because that book
changed everything for me.
Your favorite movie
and why?
I don’t watch a lot of TV or movies. I can’t even remember
the last time I went to a movie theater. I was profoundly impacted by The Green
Mile, both because of the story itself and because it was one of those rare
times when the movie actually lived up to the book. I’m not sure I’d claim that
as my favorite movie, though it’s certainly one that left a lasting impression.
Your favorite
celebrity and why?
Boo me now, if you must, but I am not a fan of celebrities
for the mere sake of their position in the entertainment world. I have to
admit, I couldn’t name most of the celebrities in magazines or in movies. I
suppose, if we’re talking favoritism on the merit of a single talent alone, my
favorite celebrity is Robert Plant. I’m not sure if he qualifies as a
celebrity. But I love what he stands for musically. (Sadly, I don’t know him,
so I can’t speak as to what he stands for personally.)
Your favorite food?
Watermelon
Some quickies:
Sun or Moon -
Both
Laughter or Smile –
I love the sound of genuine laughter, but I’m more apt to smile than laugh aloud.
Morning or Evening
- Evening
Coffee or Tea – Tea,
always. I don’t drink coffee.
Mountain or Sea -
Both
Long Drive or Short
Drive - Depends on who I’m in the car with and where we’re going.
Silence or
Conversation – Silence, mostly. I avoid small talk, but love in-depth
conversation with open-minded people.
Water or Fire -
Water
Air or Earth -
Both
Mars or Jupiter -
Jupiter, though I have no idea why.
Tulip or Rose –
Neither. Wildflowers
Red or Blue - Red
Left or Right -
Left
Glance or Stare -
Glance
What three words come to your mind for each –
Technology:
Computer, Internet, Headache
Life: Baffling, Beautiful, Short
God: Religion,
Personal, Jesus
Humanity: Hopeful, Destructive, Diverse
Terrorism: Fear, Religion,
Politics
Racism: Unacceptable,
Ignorant, Intolerant
Childhood Abuse: Heartbreaking, Unforgivable, Hateful
Love: Elusive,
Security, Warmth
Parenting: Challenging,
Rewarding, Chaotic
Old age: Wrinkles,
Wisdom, Ailments
State your signature
line/ tagline/ best quote:
I write because the characters trespassing through my mind
leave me no alternative.
The last line of your
autobiography would be…
I got lost in the song, and found the most meaning in the
space between the notes.
Twitter handle:
@DarciaHelle
Facebook page:
Personal Page: http://www.facebook.com/darcia.helle
Goodreads author
page:
Amazon link:
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