On Tues., Oct. 15, Diana Stevan of Campbell River, launched her debut novel, A Cry From The Deep, at the Campbell River Library. Trevor McMonagle led her in conversation regarding her story and writing process.
Stevan has worked as a family therapist, teacher, writer broadcaster for CBC television’s Sports Journal, professional model, and actress, but her big dream has always been to write a novel.
The seed for A Cry From The Deep was planted in 1999, when she and a fellow writer attempted to write a screenplay about a woman in the past connected to one in the present. Nothing came out of their many meetings, as they couldn’t agree on the plot.
But Stevan couldn’t let the seed die. She began developing her story over six years ago, and discovered that what she wanted to tell would require a lot of research. Since she’d made her lead character a scuba diver, and all she’d ever done was snorkel, it meant she had to spend countless hours consulting not only those who dive, like local diver, Ruedi Plestcher, but also checking internet resources regarding shipwrecks and diving locations in Ireland, where much of her story takes place.
The story is about Catherine Fitzgerald, an underwater photographer, who takes an assignment to cover a notorious salvager’s hunt for one of the lost ships of the Spanish Armada. But before she goes, she buys an antique Claddagh ring, that sets off nightmares and visions that rival the intensity of the hunt itself. As she begins to unravel the mystery of the woman who haunts her dreams, she has to come to grips with her own struggle to find true love.
Set in Provence, Manhattan, and Ireland, this romantic mystery and adventure exposes not only two women’s longings, but also the beauty of the deep ,where buried treasures tempt salvagers to break the law.
Available at Coho Books, and on Amazon. You can visit Diana at http://www.dianastevan.com