Slumberland
By Derra Nicole Sabo
Genre: Biography
How do you dream? Are your dreams in color or black n' white? Do they feel surreal or all too real?
Well, I'd like to introduce you to my little slice of bittersweet. These subconscious woods hold every fear and my anxieties masked are as wolves. Nightmares that play on a loop for weeks, even months at a time. Symptoms of waking in cold sweats and shaking. The only moments of peace are found in the sporadically studded dreams that happen every now and again. These woods house every past demon as well as certain past versions of who I once was. This place is worse than death, yet it inspires. So...
...Before my alarm clock goes off, before I take the last train out of here, I take one last glance back, one last glance at all of the Polaroids pinned to every tree branch, polaroids of every dream and nightmare that have stolen my nights since '95...
These dreams...these woods...this place...it's my upside down...
This is my Slumberland…
Reviews:
"I enjoyed ‘Slumberland.’ It is a poetic, dark, abstract look into Derra Nicole Sabo’s dreams. I was reminded of many odd and repetitious dreams.
I really liked Sabo detailing how the unfamiliar and the familiar can offer both comfort and terror to the dreamer. I’ve always known the fact, but had never thought about it in those terms before..."
"I enjoyed weaving through every retelling of the author's remembrance of her dreams and nightmares. How she explains their importance through reflection of them is an eye-opener too..."ﾟﾟ
"there was something about Slumberland that resonated with me. It is, in essence, a collection of short dream stories that are weaved together in an inexplicable way. The author goes kind of dark, but her phrasing is beautiful. It is abstract and poetic..."
(the little widgets after the reviews are supposed to be butterflies...if you can get them to be them? lol)
Simplicity, as strange as that sounds. My life has been a link of chaos in a busy way. The last few years have been simpler as my health has been amazing, my mental health has been on point and I've mastered a more organized schedule that allows me to get what I need done without feeling like all my ducks are running a muck throughout town, lol. I think that sometimes we have a tendency to make life harder than it needs to be. Life will always throw you curveballs when you least expect it, make the remaining parts of life simple and less stressful. You don't need to add on chaos, life will hand you enough of it on it's own.
What do you do to unwind and relax?
Cooking and watching movies...yep, food and entertainment are how I like to wind down from a busy day. I'll put on a movie and then start cooking in the kitchen. I'm not sure why, but that combo has always been relaxing for me.
Nothing says calm like a bowl of Spaghetti and watching Iron Man 3. Last night I made a steak salad and watched John Wick.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less!
Witty, smart, sarcastic, humorous and adorable ;)
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Actually, to this day I don't think I consider myself a writer. To make myself sound like even more of a nerd, I don't think that anyone reads my blog or my books until a comment or review is submitted or someone tags me in a post. Then I'm like; "Oh yeah, people actually see my writing after I hit the publish button or a book is up on Amazon, lol". Writing is just something that I enjoy, it is what I do.
Do you have a favorite movie?
These "favorites" questions are easy yet the most difficult to answer for some odd reason. Maybe because I am someone who has more than just one favorite. However, since I was a kid, The Nightmare Before Christmas has always been a favorite of mine. I can relate to Jack in many ways. To this day I watch it at least once during October through December, usually around my bday in November.
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?
Hi Hollywood? Can you please connect me with Mr. M. Night Shyamalan and let him know that my book Slumberland should be brought to life by his creative brilliance. Thank you. ;)
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
My spirit animal is definitely Iron Man. When Tony explains how his Iron Man suits are like his security blankets in a way, how he feels protected when he's wearing one...I totaly get that. Now, I don't have any awesome Iron Man suits, however, I have a few (or more than a few) hoodies. I can't begin to explain the mental schematics behind this, but anytime I am wearing a hoodie, I feel protected and in a way powerful. It's strange, I know, but whatever works right?.
What inspired you to write this book?
Flat out, I was nervous having Slumberland published. These books that I continue to write still have a deeply personal connection embedded into them. These twisted dreams and nightmares of mine have become a part of me in a weirdly realistic way. When writing anything, non fiction or fiction, the second it is out into the world it is open to criticism from every negative troll that crawls out from under their bridge. Even though the knowledge of this is lit up in my brain, I still write and share my personal experience because more times than not someone out there reads my books and feels less alone or weird. No, you are not the only one who has felt certain ways or been through those storms. We are more connected in our own personal experiences than we think. But, we don't know that until someone shares something for the world to read. Art, in all forms, brings out the connections that are buried. Slumberland is a partial collection of my insane dreams, an entertaining read as readers have called it. Turns out, others out there have had some pretty weird dreams as well.
What can we expect from you in the future?
As many of you who know of me already know, I was born with a rare disorder, Epidermolysis Bullosa, and what a life I live, However, the spotlight tends to always land on those of us with the malfunction, when honestly, it should be put on those who are in our lives. I am not the only one that my EB affects, I know that affects my family and friends. So, I am turning the tables and getting their scoops on what it's like for them to have someone in their life who has a rare disorder.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
Mystikx, who starts out as the masked hooded creature who taunts me in my nightmares, the underground villain of Slumberland in a way, turns out to be an actual person. However, I haven't revealed who Mystikx turns out to be just yet, Stay tuned...
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Slumberland?
So, besides Mystikx who is a masked hooded shadow that haunts the woods of Slumberland, there are also wolves that prowl the grounds and crows that patrol the dark skies. Because these are dreams, certain family members have made appearances as well, such as my Dad and Ma'. Some dreams I am fighting myself and others feature a handsome stranger that I simply refer to as "You". I never know who will make appearances in my twisted subconscious thoughts, it's always a surprise as to who the characters will be.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
I suppose in a way the concept for Slumberland had created itself. In fact, it's been a concept growing for the latter part of 14 years and continues to morph. I think it's somewhat cool and inspiring to know that there's an idea brewing in the middle of your mind, percolating in strength each day until you have this full story.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I am a fan of theme parks and while most of my nightmares happen in the woods, I wanted to combine the two. Sleep or slumber is one aspect in life that i have struggled with due to these dreams and nightmares. Land, well that just seems to be the word attached onto any awesome park, i.e. Disneyland. So, Slumberland was born and unleashed.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Traveling down subconscious lane was an interesting experience, as well as overwhelming. I enjoyed recalling dreams where my Popee and I have coffee together or the dreams that leave me with a spark of hope for the future. Certain nightmares I left out, trying to write them out became too frustrating. Perhaps they'll land themselves in a Slumberland sequel. You never know.
My name is Derra Sabo...I am California born and raised. I spend my days writing, sipping on coffee and listening to music. When I'm not busy typing away, I love spending time with my family and friends. Days spent at the beach ended by burgers at In-N-Out. Growing up I wanted to become a fashion designer/ drummer, but somewhere along the way writing grabbed ahold of me and I've never looked back. Over the years writing has aided in healing from my past. Being born and living with a rare disorder led to being bullied throughout life as well as surgeries growing up. Writing and music are my sanity.
$20 Starbucks
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The cover art seems appropriate for the book. Good job
ReplyDeleteI love the cover! The colors are beautiful.
ReplyDelete