You have written 22 successful nonfiction self-help books. Why go to fiction now? Isn’t that risky?

     There would be far more risk in not writing it. All of my non-fiction books advise readers to move with their instincts and trust inner guidance. When that happens to me, I have to take my own advice. Linden’s story began to speak to me 12 years ago, and it would not let me go. I wasn’t looking for a story to tell. The story was looking for someone to tell it.
     Readers of my non-fiction books have told me that storytelling is one of the best elements of my writing. This is the most important story I have ever told.

Who is Linden? What is his last life?

     We meet Linden as he stands on the rail of the Golden Gate Bridge, about to leap. At that moment a monk passes by and tells him that if he runs away, he will have to come back to this world and his situation will only be worse. The monk convinces Linden that if he is going to die, he must do it like a master, and graduate from the lessons of life rather than give in to fear. Linden makes a mystical deal to die and never be reborn, even if he wants to. Then a strange and unexpected event occurs that makes Linden want to change his mind. But can he reverse the destiny he has set in motion?
     The book asks and suggests answers to several questions many of us have faced: Can you make a new decision today that can offset unfavorable decisions you have made in the past? Do painful experiences come to us by chance, for punishment, or are do they ultimately contribute to our success? Is life worth living, anyway?

Do you have to believe in reincarnation to get the message of the book?

     Not at all. To the contrary, the book does not take a position on reincarnation, but it invites the reader to think about why we are here and what happens to us after we die. Even more important, it moves the reader to think about how we live and why.

Do we really have a destiny, such as meeting a soul mate, having a certain child, following a particular career path, or living and dying in a certain way? Or do we have free will?

     Both. Each of us chooses the experiences that will most help us grow and awaken on a spiritual level. We make soul contracts to meet certain people who will love us and others who challenge us―and some who do both. No meeting, event, or relationship is accidental or random. It’s all a part of the life course we have set in motion.
      At the same time, we have free will about how we will approach the events we encounter. We can see ourselves as victims of outside forces beyond our control, or claim mastery over our lives by choosing attitudes that yield happiness and success.
      If you believe your life is determined by your spouse, boss, economics, genetics, germs, astrology, or any outside factor, you have missed the point of living. These factors can influence, but they cannot control. On his journey, Linden discovers how the forces he thought were out to get him ultimately serve him. Like Linden, you and I control our destiny by our thoughts, attitudes, and actions, and that is the level at which we are free and truly unlimited.

It is said that all fiction is basically autobiographical. Have you ever thought about committing suicide?

     I’ve not really considered suicide as an act, but, like many people, I have wondered what I am doing in this life, and questioned if life is worth living. When I have been in pain, or observed others suffering, I have asked myself and God, “What is the purpose of a human life?” and “Why do people suffer?”
      A counselor once told me that the way and amount I was working was like suicide. I would numb myself by sitting at my computer a great part of the day doing office work I detested. My life force dwindled and at the end of the day I would lie in bed feeling like the day was a waste.
      Lots of people commit suicide by dying a little more each day until they are more dead than alive. They don’t jump off a bridge, but they work themselves to death, or drink, or worry, or fight with people they love. That’s not as dramatic as a leap into the bay, but it accomplishes the same effect, just more slowly.

In the book, Linden has several love interests over time. How does that affect his destiny?

     Each love interest pushes and pulls Linden to figure out who he is and what he can have in relationships. One partner uses and abuses him and drives him to give up on women and life. Another shows him a possibility for how much a good woman has to offer if he is open to receive her. Another supports him at every turn and believes in him in ways that he never believed in himself.
     Linden’s journey of love is not very different than most of ours. Each of our relationships, whether in romance, family, or friendship, calls forth a different aspect of ourselves. Some relationships challenge us to dig deeper into ourselves to find strength we did not know we had. Others are harbingers of possibilities we did not know existed. Others awaken us to beauty and value in ourselves that we overlooked or denied. Yet they all serve. Ultimately, Linden must learn to love himself, which is what we all must do, rather than depending on others to fill in our emptiness or fix our brokenness.

Would you say that Linden is a good role model for those of us who might be going through a difficult time romantically, economically, or in stressful family situations?

     Absolutely. Initially we can identify with Linden’s humanity. He is not a hero in the sense that he is perfect, wise, and strong. He is a regular guy who is awake a bit and asleep a lot. He has strengths and weaknesses, and while we may criticize him for his foibles, he, like all of us, is just trying to make sense of his situation. As his story unfolds, he uses his predicament as a platform to change. While Linden is not a hero on page 1, he is on a hero’s journey that draws forth his greatness as he becomes willing to embrace life rather than escape it.
     As you and I may face apparent limitations in our financial world or love life, and we hear lots of people around us moaning about how bad things are, we are invited on our own hero’s journey. Do we just roll over and give up because the TV constantly blares depressing economic indicators? Or do we roll up our sleeves and figure out how to hold our head high and walk through the current crisis until we come out on the other side with dignity?

Is this book for or against religion?

     Linden’s odyssey forces him to look several different religions squarely in the eye, decide for himself what is true and helpful, and what is not; and ultimately to make a stand for what he believes. Likewise, the book encourages readers to make up their own minds about what elements of religion work for them, and what elements work against them.
      Religion can liberate and it can oppress. It takes courage to claim what liberates and let go of what oppresses. If readers come closer to liberation and farther from oppression, I will consider the book a success.

There are lots of novels on the market. Why would Linden’s Last Life get readers’ attention?

     Yes, there is a great deal of fiction on the shelves by excellent writers. Most of these books are geared more toward simple entertainment than illumination. Mysteries and romance novels capture your attention for a pleasant diversion, but they don’t necessarily uplift you or contribute to your life more than offering a momentary respite from the banality or pain of your daily world. That’s helpful, but it’s a rare novel that helps upgrade the quality of your life for having read it.
      Linden’s Last Life offers big-picture life lessons in the guise of a thrilling story. Yes, there is adventure, intrigue, romance, pathos, humor, and surprises. And yes, key insights are wedged in the action that invite readers to look at their own life in new ways and discover possibilities for happiness that they may not have know existed.
     I like to call this genre “meta-fiction.” Some gifted authors have opened doors in this genre, such as Richard Bach, Dan Brown, and J.R.R. Tolkien. I would like to widen that pathway in the new millennium and invite lots of readers to walk it. A stunning motion picture will follow the novel, produced by an extraordinary team that understands the value and power of transformational entertainment.

What would you most like readers to receive from Linden’s Last Life?

     I hope that readers will recognize that Linden’s journey mirrors their own. Here is a man who feels broken and defeated, standing literally at the crossroads of his destiny. He receives the gift of another chance at life, and although he initially resists it, ultimately he accepts it. He encounters people who love him even when he does not love himself. He is confronted with his own fears, arrogance, and errors, as well as his kindness, wisdom, and courage. He is called to step into his own power, and he must struggle with the responsibility for his own life. If each of us can just claim dominion over the things that once oppressed us, we won’t need to make this our last life. It can start to feel like our first.