For the teenagers of Chicago’s North Shore, everyone has something to hide.
In a daring attempt to impress the elusive Sophia, Michael makes the biggest decision of his life, stealing over a hundred thousand dollars from St. Theodore Community Church.
That same night, Nichole’s insecurities are finally forgotten with a drug she soon won’t be able to control.
When Michael makes his getaway, he sees his friend Joseph cheat on his girlfriend with the priest’s daughter and knock over a candle that sets the church ablaze.
As the consequences of that night unfold, Joseph is blamed for the fire and the missing money. Can the teenagers of the North Shore confess their vices to help their friend? Or will their greed, infidelity and jealousy change all their lives forever?
Goodreads Summary
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Author Q&A
Give us
some background, what did you do before writing this book?
I went
to college at Loyola University Chicago and received my undergrad in Biology
and a minor in Biostatistics. I then went on to receive my M.B.A. from Loyola’s
Quinlan School of Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship.
What
were the events that inspired the book?
The
book was inspired by different experiences growing up. Those key events and
experiences were then intertwined with the more current events of our church’s
media coverage.
Some
parts of your book are things you actually experienced, they must have stuck
with you for you to want to write about them years later. Did you always know
you wanted to tell these stories?
I kind
of had a premonition growing up that these events would be shared. My friends
and I would always say we should’ve had a show like Laguna Beach, or something
of that nature. So, in a way, I did think these stories would be told in one
way or another, I just didn’t think I’d be the one to tell them.
Like
other stories of turmoil, we are drawn to A North Shore Story because we can
relate to the characters. Can you elaborate on what is relatable about the
internal struggles of the book’s characters?
What
makes these characters extremely relatable to readers are the confidence and
relationship problems each one of them goes through, whether it be friendship
or romantic. Some characters go through other internal struggles such as
underage drinking, drug use, and sexual peer pressure. I think that everyone at
one time or another has been in one of these circumstances.
What
was your favorite part of writing this book?
Since
this was my first book, I didn’t know what to expect. I thought I was supposed
to have a template or well-thought out plan before writing anything. Instead, I
jumped into it head-first and developed the story as I wrote. I feel that doing
it this way allowed myself to be more creative and not stick to a “script” per
say. I was even surprised at what I was able to create.
What
inspired you to write this story so many years later?
What
originally got my gears turning was the media’s coverage of our former priest
and his embezzlement of church funds. I then started to think about our time
growing up at our church and the
events
that our friends and I experienced. After pinpointing key events, I began
formulating the plotline which now makes up A North Shore Story.
You
know some of these characters in your waking life. Who was the most exciting to
write? How have they changed because of what happened?
The
most exciting character to write about was definitely Kate. Kate, and the girl
who she’s based off of, has a very exciting personality and a distinct
attitude. When our friend read the story, she loved how she was portrayed in
the storyline. I think that she, along with the rest of our friends, have changed
in that we’ve learned how to tackle the problems that Kate and the rest of the
group are dealing with right now.
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Thanks for sharing.