Talania: A Trip Down Memory Lane by Crystal Spears

Fiction is just that:  fiction.  Once in a while though, you come across a story that, while it IS fiction, there is also a lot of truth mixed in.  I asked Crystal Spears a simple question:  What motivated you to write Talania and how much research did you do?  Here's what she had to say!

Hmmm.. I had the character names and a story already mapped out. It wasn't working for me, so I deleted the entire MS and went about my normal week. I was discussing awareness's with a good friend of mine online and as we were doing so, those Characters would not leave my mind. Thus, Talania being born. I quickly hopped off FB and grabbed a fresh notebook and started mapping out. 

As for research - I spoke with a ton of patients. I wanted their feelings, what their families were like etc. I wanted the emotions to be real. One particular patient was keen on Cosmo magazine. She said reading about feeling pretty again is what kept her going. I made sure I put that in my novel. Each and every individual I did speak with had different feelings and different ways to manage Chemotherapy. To this day I've never met a stronger group of people in all my life. I'm still getting comments on how actual my facts are about the process of Chemotherapy and how correct they are. 

I can't and won't take all the credit for that. My editor is an amazing woman who made sure each process was mapped out and worded correctly. So from the brave souls I interviewed to my amazing editor who checked and doubled checked everything, I am and will be forever grateful.

My review of Talania:

What did you think? Wow, that is a hard question to answer. Talania, A Trip Down Memory Lane by Crystal Spears is one of the most touching books I have read. It weaves the past and future together in such a beautiful way that there is never any confusion as to what is going on and why. The characters in the story have such a raw, real edge.

Evelyn is diagnosed with brain cancer. Unfortunately, the tumors are growing in the area of the brain that controls memory...three separate times. That means this poor girl has surgery, goes through extensive radiation and chemo,only to have to deal with it again and again. Each time, as she recuperates, she has to learn who her parents and her doctors are all over again. All other things from her past are hidden from her so that she can focus on healing.

Fast forward...cancer-free college student, living on campus and away from her parents and medical team. Freedom at last. The biggest difference between Evelyn and your typical student is the fact that Ev has fought a long hard battle against cancer, and she won. She is ready to experience life, but she has no memory of what she likes, where she's been, etc. She knows that she's had sex, but can't remember with whom.

Enter Tristan. Ev meets Tristan at 'Before and After', a local bar that is a popular college hangout. Tristan is the lead singer of the band "Lost". It seems that Tristan knows Ev from before...he knows things that she should. He has it all saved too, in pictures, DVDs, etc. from the time they spent together.

Tristan, hurt and angry, thinks Ev just dumped him and disappeared. Evelyn just doesn't remember him. Can these two discover what happened and can they find love on their trip down memory lane?

Talania is on sale now for .99 cent. Go get yours today and be ready to fall in love with Ev and Tristan!