Gina Farago Talks Werewolves
Welcome to Day Four of Gina Farago’s interview. Gina’s book, Ivy Cole and the Moon, is the tale of a responsible dog-training werewolf living, and killing, in a small mountain town.
In the last installment of Gina’s revealing interview she told us that part of the reward for her in writing this novel is helping others come to better understand and appreciate wolves.
JW: Whats important for you about doing something worthwhile like this for the wolves and the dogs?
GF: I have always grown up with a real concern for the environment, a real concern for animals. I’m a member of the Defenders of Wildlife, the World Wildlife Fund, the Humane Society and its very satisfying for me to know that I can combine my passions. I can be a writer. I can entertain with a story. But I can make a difference to perhaps educate and help people learn about wolves and love wolves and consequently, love dogs because they’re so much love for dogs in my story that I feel that someone who may never have given their family pet much thought or has never owned one might think, wow, I never realized the amount of depth that a dog can bring to a family.”
JW: Take us to a point in time when you’re telling yourself that this is the right book, the right subject, the right everything.
GF: There was a magical moment for me. Surprisingly, it wasn’t right at the wolf facility. It was down the road. They were having a cookout for the participants of the seminar. It was October. It was very crisp night. The sky was clear. The moon was out and there was a campfire. I was sitting at the campfire just myself and my husband. One of the little handlers came over and began asking me about my book. Before I knew it a small crowd had gathered because all the other participants had come over. So now I’m sitting at this fire. I’m surrounded by this small group of people. I’m telling the story about Ivy Cole and in the distance, the wolf pack started to howl. And so it was like I was being serenaded by the wolf pack as I told the wolves story. And that is a moment I will never forget.
JW: I’m getting chills as you’re telling me about it. As you see this time in your minds eye, what goes through your mind?
GF: Grateful. I feel grateful.
I feel grateful that God has put me on a path where I can combine the things I love and get these opportunities to do these really special, remarkable things and then share them with other people. I just feel grateful.
JW: What is it about the combination of the wolf and this magical moment you’re telling us about that’s really adding to that grateful feeling?
GF: I almost feel like I have their validation.
I was telling the story and I was talking to these people who also loved wolves and I was talking about how I wanted to do right by the wolves in my story. It would be very easy to write a werewolf story and make people walk away hating the werewolf and wishing the werewolf were dead and that is not the goal of my story. I wanted them to love the wolf and love the werewolf. I’m talking about this and the wolves started to sing to me, it was almost felt like it was a sign that you’re on the right path.
JW: How does that make you feel?
GF: Really good. It makes me feel encouraged. It gives me the confidence that I am doing what I’m supposed to do and I am working on the sequel so her story will continue onto another book.
Join us tomorrow for part five of this seven part series!
