Brandilyn Collins is the bestselling author of over twenty books, most of which are suspense novels. She is also a Lyme Disease survivor, and her latest book, Over the Edge, is the fictional account of a woman who is infected with Lyme and experiences many of the same debilitating symptoms Brandilyn herself once suffered from. In addition to battling Lyme, Janessa, the heroin in this story, becomes an unwilling soldier in the Lyme Wars, a very real medical controversy that has placed countless patients in the difficult––and dangerous––position of being maligned and misdiagnosed by doctors who follow the CDC’s overly conservative criteria for diagnosis and treatment. Here’s a little more background on Over the Edge from Brandilyn herself:
I had the opportunity to ask Brandilyn a few questions about her latest Seatbelt Suspense® novel…
How much time did you spend doing research before actually writing the book? Were you able to spend less time on research compared to your other novels because of your personal experience with Lyme?
My research was a combination of personal experience with Lyme plus learning in-depth information about Borrelia through studying books, articles, presentations, research papers, etc. My protagonist’s symptoms came from my own struggle with Lyme—right down to the scene in the first chapter in which she falls in the kitchen and can’t get up. You know how it is when you have Lyme—you have to learn a lot about the disease in order to drive your own treatment. But when I started to write Over the Edge, I had to delve much deeper, and be absolutely sure of my facts. Not only did I spend many hours in research, but when the book was done, I had it fact-checked by my early endorsers (Dr. Nick Harris from IGeneX, Jim Wilson of CanLyme, Dr Christine Green and others.) In general I’d say this novel took more research than my other suspense novels.
Over the Edge is the first novel about the Lyme Wars. How do you think this will impact Lyme Awareness?
I have high hopes that the novel will greatly help the Lyme community in this country by bringing attention to the plight of Lyme patients. Whereas many people may not pick up a nonfiction book about Lyme (even though some great ones have been written!), they may well read a suspense novel for sheer entertainment—or so they think. But in truth readers who know little of Lyme will come away with an understanding of the disease and the treatment/testing wars surrounding it. At the same time, Lyme patients, who know the disease all too well, will feel validated by the novel. The plight of my protagonist, Jannie, will resonate with them. These patients can then give Over the Edge to their friends and family (and naysayer doctors) to help these people better understand their plight.
Was the experience of writing this novel different from your previous books? If so, in what way?
No and yes. In my Seatbelt Suspense® brand, I promise my readers fast-faced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. So I came at this book as I’ve done all my others—I sat down to write a rollicking suspense that would live up to my brand. I must do that first—for bottom line, I’m an entertainer. I want to thrill readers through my stories. If I don’t thrill them, if I don’t keep them turning pages, they won’t finish the book—and will never hear the underlying theme. That goal aside, this book was a little different in that so much of my personal experience with Lyme was used for Jannie, my protagonist. She, personally, is not like me in any way. But what she experiences I experienced. Writing those scenes brought the horror all back for me.
During her illness, Janessa clings to her faith, at times grappling with why God would allow her illness. How did your experience with Lyme impact your faith?
Jannie’s journey of faith in Over the Edge also is like my own. Like her, I learned to praise God through praying the psalms, even in the worst of times. That was a very important lesson for me, and one that has stuck with me ever since.
Who are some of your favorite authors? Other suspense authors that inspire you?
I enjoy reading certain authors for specific reasons. Dean Koontz is a marvelous wordsmith and creates great characters. In the contemporary genre, I also really admire Anne Rivers Siddons for her characterizations and prose. I read a lot of fiction, so these names only scratch the surface. I’m also constantly trying authors I’m not familiar with.
What is the main thing you hope readers take away from Over the Edge?
A better understanding of Lyme disease and the patients who suffer from it. And an understanding of the Lyme wars—how there’s much more to the story than the circulated articles the public or those in the general medical field tend to see. I hope friends and family members will develop a greater empathy for those with Lyme after reading the book. I hope doctors and nurses will read it—and have their eyes opened to better watch for the illness. So much of the problem lies with doctors in general being uninformed—or worse, misinformed.
Any chance of a sequel to Over the Edge in the future?
No plans at the present time, but you never know. All my characters live on …
To learn more about Brandilyn and her heart-stopping suspense novels, visit her SeatbeltSuspense.com. Also, feel free to read the first chapter of Over the Edge before purchasing it here.
What a difference it makes to a book when it’s written by an author who had gone through what the main character went through!
Definitely!