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The following is a "Question & Answer" session about Mind
Sweeper by Deborah O'Toole.
Where did you get the idea for the
storyline in Mind
Sweeper?
It was August 2007. I was
watching MSNBC News on television
at my house in
Spokane, Washington when there was a break in regular
coverage to report the Crandall Mines disaster
in Utah. While the accident was tragic, within
minutes the idea for Mind
Sweeper began formulating in my
head. I don't typically get inspiration from bad
news on the tube, but this time it was
different. I think I had the complete outline
for my story within an hour, all jotted down on
paper. Later that day, I began writing in
earnest.
The main character in the story –
Beth Mills – is a battered woman who is frankly
relieved her abusive husband was killed in a
mining accident. Did you draw on her
circumstances from personal experience?
Fortunately, I've never been in a physically
abusive relationship. However, I've been on the
receiving end of emotional and verbal abuse
before, as I'm sure most people have been at one
time or another. It wasn't hard to equate the
feelings of anger and resentment from verbal
abuse into a fictional aspect, although all
incidents in the book came from my imagination.
Physical abuse is not something to be taken
lightly. I tread very carefully when writing
certain scenes for Mind
Sweeper.
Beth's abuser – her late husband
Aaron – appears in her dreams following the
mining accident. Were the scenes meant to
portray her as emotionally vulnerable because of
the years of violence she suffered at the hands
of her husband?
Beth lived in fear for many
years before Aaron died. She can't help but be
relieved that he is out of her life for good, or
so she thinks. The stress on her emotional
makeup was tremendous, which caused the core of
her entire personality to shift. Even after he
was gone, Beth still felt residual terror in her
own home, especially when he begins to appear in
her dreams. When she realizes there is more
truth than fiction to her dreams, the sick dread
of her marriage returns. Even though she thinks
he's safely buried in the family crypt just
yards from her home, he is ever-present in her
mind as if he's still alive.
After her dreams, Beth can smell
the lingering aroma of her dead husband's "Aqua
Velva" aftershave, which makes her think she
might be losing her mind. Why did you choose
"Aqua Velva" as a trigger?
Smells can often
trigger memories, or reactions to certain
situations. Odd, isn't it? We can forget about
an incident for years – whether it's bad or good
– and one little thing, such as a particular
smell, can bring it all back. The human mind is
an amazing organ, obviously. I wanted to explore
Beth's senses in relation to her memories of
Aaron.
Aside from the physical violence,
Aaron was also verbally abusive. Before he died,
he used to castigate her for the way she looked,
the foods she ate and the way she kept house.
When she's finally rid of him, she lets cleaning
slide and eats what she wants.
For Beth, it's
like being set free for the first time in years.
She can now enjoy even the most simplest of
things, whereas before she wouldn't dare. She
waits until after Aaron's funeral, and then
loads up on her favorite foods: frozen burritos
and waffles, TV dinners, chocolate ice cream,
candy bars, popcorn, butter, and real cream for
her coffee.
In the early years of her marriage to Aaron,
Beth miscarries after Aaron beats her. Later, on
the same day her mother dies, Aaron also shoots
and kills Beth's beloved dog Gaby. How difficult
were those scenes to write?
Just when Beth thinks it can't get any worse,
more hell comes her way. Writing the scenes of
physical abuse were perhaps the most difficult.
I found myself getting angry even as I put the
words to page. Of course, it's all fiction but
one can't help be disturbed by the events as
they unfold. Knowing such acts of violence can
and do occur on a daily basis in real domestic
settings is the most alarming part of all. In
other words, wrapping the scenes in a cloak of
fiction does not detract from acts of violence
that happen in real life.
I also dislike
writing about animals being hurt, but I had to
underline the extent of Aaron's depravity. In a
way, it makes it easier to understand when Beth
is overjoyed by his death.
How did you become knowledgeable
about mining specifics – such as common mining
terms and possible causes for mine collapses?
I
did a great deal of research. I also read
available documents in relation to mining
accidents, such as MSHA (Mine Safety & Health
Administration) reports in order to comprehend
the lingo. While the Crandall Mine disaster
inspired Mind
Sweeper, I didn't use their statistics in
creating the mine collapse in the story. I drew
from several resources, inside and outside the
United States, to devise my own fictional - yet
plausible - disaster. In addition, my late
father (Bernard "Barney" O'Toole) was a
Geophysicist, and his life's work revolved
around various types of mining in all parts of
the world. I learned much from him about the
industry. Of all my books, dedicating Mind
Sweeper to him seemed the most apropos.
Beth falls in love again, despite the hell she's
been through.
At first, I wasn't going to give
Beth a romantic interest after her husband died.
Then as I went along, I realized she
needed something to give her hope; something
that makes her believe love exists in good form
rather than the ugliness she grew accustomed to.
Real life doesn't always lend itself to
fairytale scenarios, but it was nice to write a
happy ending for a change.
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