Rebecca Lyons – 10 Questions (2023)

1. Why did you initially decide to write a book?

In 2018 I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate the human relationship to death and ceremony through alternate technologies and approaches. I came back with a wealth of information which I thought would benefit the Australian public and so I wrote a book about my findings.

2. What genres do you enjoy reading?

Wide and varied. Fantasy, historic and feel good fiction then anything death related!

3. What do you love most about being an author?

The opportunity to put a message out into the worlds which is bigger than any one person.

4. What is currently on your TO BE READ pile?

Winners – Frederick Backman, Technologies of the Human Corpse – John Troyer, and Magic Kingdom for Sale Sold! By Terry Brooks.

5. What drew you to the subject of your latest novel?

Death is my passion and life’s work – I am highly motivated to better the end of life and death experiences for people in Australia.

6. Where is your novel set? (If you write fantasy, how would you best describe the world of your latest novel)?

My writing is based solely in the realm of non-fiction.

7. What’s the most interesting book you’ve read in the last year – and why? There are three…

Sapiens – Dr Yuval Noah Harari, because it challenges the notions of humanity as we have been raised to understand it.

Standing on the Edge – Joan Halifax, because it asks us to examine our emotions while questioning our motivations.

Debt – David Graber, because it reframes human history and considers how society got to where it is and what we owe each other as a consequence.

8. What authors do you love to follow? I follow –

Frederick Backman, Caiseal Mor, Neil Gaiman, Tracey Harding, Joan Halifax

And those who have died that I still devour – Terry Pratchett, Anne Rice, Anne McCaffrey, Sara Douglass…

9. Do you prefer paperbacks, hardbacks or ebooks, as a reader – and why?

Paperbacks, nothing beats the smell of paper – old or new!

10. What else would you like your readers to know about you or your books?

We all have stories to tell if we are brave enough to step into the vulnerability and share them. If we do it is one of the best gifts we can give each other.

You can find Rebecca here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moonchild7901

Website: https://yountaboo.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61420148-a-heartfelt- undertaking

Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/Heartfelt-Undertaking-Rebecca-J-Lyons/dp/0645408506/