EXCERT FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR OF
"SHARK ASAULT: AN AMAZING STORY OF SURVIVAL"
How did you come to write a book about a shark attack?
I was about 2/3 of the way through writing my book "Why Being Happy Matters" when a friend, Sharon, contacted me about a presentation she'd seen by Nicole Moore where she recounted almost dying from being attacked two times by a shark. Sharon approached Nicole and suggested she ought to write a book about this, but Nicole wasn't keen, book writing being foreign territory for her. But one thing about Sharon, she doesn't give up easily. So she said she knew an author – that'd be me – and felt the two of us would get along well and that I could write the book for her: would it be alright if she were to set up a meeting if I was interested? Nicole somewhat reluctantly agreed so Sharon called me and filled me in. I was immediately intrigued and became even more so once I devoted time to researching everything I could find: interviews, reporting, stories, Nicole's blog... there was a lot of background on the internet.
You say you were intrigued...
Yes, well I saw this as an author's dream. I mean, imagine being able to take people to the "scene of the crime" and explain what being attacked by a shark is like. Not once but twice! So many people I've met say this is their worst nightmare. And being in a position to describe this, from a writing perspective, well, it was a challenge that really excited me. And then there was the other part of the story: Nicole's life before and after the shark attack. To be able to capture that – especially her indomitable "never say die" spirit – wow, that was something worth investigating for a guy like me who's fascinated by what makes people tick. So yes, I was definitely intrigued. But not too hopeful that anything would develop from this, given Nicole's apparent lack of enthusiasm.
So what happened from there?
I emailed Nicole and asked if we could meet. Took a while to hear back from her, which didn't augur well, but she eventually agreed. So before heading down to Orangeville where she lives, I put myself in her shoes and tried to figure out why I might not want to pursue a book. Then, I set out on a very snowy day to make the two hour drive. She welcomed me and invited me to sit in the kitchen. I said to her, "Look, I get the feeling you're not too keen to write a book about your experiences. Let me assure you I'm not here to convince you to do that. But, perhaps I can answer some questions you might have. In fact, if I were in your place, I can think of four reasons I might not want to go ahead. Can I go over those with you?" She agreed, and for the next hour I laid out what I thought were reasons someone wouldn't want to do this, and then gave her my answers to these concerns. In the midst of this, her father (who lives with Nicole, her husband and two daughters) arrived and sat down at the table too. Was I being judged? In any case, he asked a few questions about my background, seemed satisfied and got up and left. Hmmmm... what was that all about?
Were you put off by that?
Maybe a bit, but just unsure what was going on. I mean, Nicole was not saying much about my presentation, so I didn't know how she felt, and then in walks this guy, unannounced, sits down, fires off a few questions, gets up and leaves. Anyway, I finished my bit and said, "So there you have it Nicole, you know where to reach me if you ever feel you'd like to go ahead." Frankly, I had no sense of whether I'd ever hear from this lady again. But I'd made my pitch and if it wasn't of interest, I still had a book to finish and more in the offing. So I got up to leave when she said, "Don't go. Sit down." She looked me in the eye and said, "Let's do it." Could have knocked me over with a feather!
And from there...?
From there, we hammered out a deal about how we'd proceed and three years later, "Shark Assault: An Amazing Story of Survival" was published.
Three years... why so long?
Actually, it took two years. But there was a one-year break in the middle of the process during which Nicole had to take care of some personal matters. Those two years was comprised of many interviews with her, with her family members, with people who'd traveled to Mexico with her, the Mexican hotel staff, doctors, nurses... lots and lots of people to get the story from.
Did she have any trouble talking about such a ghastly event happening to her?
No. In fact as a writer, I was very fortunate to end up with what I call my two "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards. The first came when she told me she'd had no PTSD, no nightmares over this and actively encouraged me to ask any questions I wanted. She never got worn down answering, or at least that I was aware of. And this took some real stress off the process. The second came about when I was feeling my neck a bit, wanting to ask some personal questions but feeling awkward about that. You know... this lady has one arm: how does she put on a bra? She'd had skin grafts on both thighs and her stomach: does she need to wear special undergarments? Does it affect intimacy? That kind of thing. (I'm shy at the best of times so I knew this wasn't going to be very comfortable.) So I confessed my angst to her one day and she laughed, saying "Peter, I'm a nurse. Seen it all, heard it all! Ask away, my friend." And I must tell you, that took the stress off and meant we could be very open with one another as I put forward my inquiries. And this has resulted in a much better, more authentic book.
The name of the book is "Shark Assault": how did that come about?
I get asked that a lot. First of all, as an author who understands marketing, I know you have to have a website for your books. And sharkattack.com was taken! So, that wasn't about to happen. But more than that, as we considered various titles, I realized that a shark attack describes a moment in time, whereas this book was about the overall impact the event in Mexico has had on Nicole. From coming very close to losing her life... to a series of dreadful medical operations and procedures... to friendships that came under stress... to... well, you know... it was pretty all-encompassing. Still is, in fact. So it soon became apparent that the attack of a shark had had a profound on Nicole's life: it had truly assaulted her from so many points. Result: "Shark Assault" became our title. But I did want to add that second line, "An Amazing Story of Survival" because it tells so much about her approach to life.
Were there challenges involved in writing this book?
Oh yes! Many. One was trying to understand why and how this awful event had happened. Did you know you're more likely to be struck by a bolt of lightning than be attacked by a shark?
You're kidding! OK then, so why did it happen?
Well, I knew I couldn't totally rely on Nicole to get all the facts straight because, as much as she had strong memories of the event, she was dealing with such stress and anxiety and trauma that she wouldn't be able to tell me why this had occurred. So I sought out three of the world's foremost shark experts and together we pieced together the details. I came to understand that it was a "perfect storm" of four elements that combined to create the scenario where this tragic event happened. Nicole was just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the combination of those four factors is unlikely to ever happen again.
So, what were those four elements?
You'll have to read the book to discover that.
Fair enough. You do a lot of presentations to groups about "Shark Assault". What questions do you get asked?
I guess the one people most ask is how Nicole is today and what is she up to? And the answer is, she's in a clerical position at the hospital in Orangeville where she had worked as an RN before the shark attack. Not totally satisfied with that, because she misses interacting with patients, but at least she's in healthcare, and that's important to her. Other than that, I believe life is good for her. Last I heard, she and her family continue to travel to Mexico for vacations and she still swims in the sea.
Really?
Sure. I do too. When you read the book, you come to understand that sharks do not like eating people. What happened was so rare, so unusual – being the result of that "perfect storm" I talked about – that the likelihood of it ever happening again is virtually impossible. Now, that being said, there are steps you can take to avoid being of interest to sharks, and there's a page on our website, sharkassault.com, that explains things you can steer clear of.
But isn't it amazing that after what happened, she still swims in the ocean?
Not when you know Nicole. And not when you realize sharks don't like eating people.
Do you stay in touch?
No, not any longer. We did stay in touch for some time and I certainly enjoyed Nicole’s company and doing presentations with her. She really is such an inspirational force to be around: her karma rubs off on you. But after a series of bad events impacted my personal life, I could tell she didn’t agree with how I dealt with things. She’s such an amazingly positive person and when someone else doesn’t measure up to her standards - and I couldn’t - it just becomes a distant relationship. I get that. So it seemed best that we cease communicating. Too bad. I did set her up with a public speaking agent who books events for her, so she no longer needs me to work at that on her behalf. And she has her own circle of friends and her family, and I'm just a guy who writes books. Onwards!
Did writing "Shark Assault" prepare you for writing other books?
In the sense that the process encouraged my ability to interview people to get behind the facts of the story, yes, I suppose a bit. But you know, I was already doing that with the 37 people from around the world I interviewed for "Why Being Happy Matters" and on the TV show I was hosting at the time, "Be My Guest".
What's next for you?
Just completed my fourth book, "Pushing The Boundaries! How To Make Life Awesomer." and I'm really pumped about it. I've interviewed 30 people from around the world – some very well known – to reveal how these people take risks most of us won't, how they think outside the box and color outside the lines. It's being considered by publishers right now. And I’m working on other books, such as “Until I Smile At You: The Ruth Lowe Story”.
Sounds great. Good luck.
Thanks. You can check out those two books at pushingtheboundaries.life and ruthlowestory.com.
EXCERT FROM AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR OF
"SHARK ASAULT: AN AMAZING STORY OF SURVIVAL"
How did you come to write a book about a shark attack?
I was about 2/3 of the way through writing my book "Why Being Happy Matters" when a friend, Sharon, contacted me about a presentation she'd seen by Nicole Moore where she recounted almost dying from being attacked two times by a shark. Sharon approached Nicole and suggested she ought to write a book about this, but Nicole wasn't keen, book writing being foreign territory for her. But one thing about Sharon, she doesn't give up easily. So she said she knew an author – that'd be me – and felt the two of us would get along well and that I could write the book for her: would it be alright if she were to set up a meeting if I was interested? Nicole somewhat reluctantly agreed so Sharon called me and filled me in. I was immediately intrigued and became even more so once I devoted time to researching everything I could find: interviews, reporting, stories, Nicole's blog... there was a lot of background on the internet.
You say you were intrigued...
Yes, well I saw this as an author's dream. I mean, imagine being able to take people to the "scene of the crime" and explain what being attacked by a shark is like. Not once but twice! So many people I've met say this is their worst nightmare. And being in a position to describe this, from a writing perspective, well, it was a challenge that really excited me. And then there was the other part of the story: Nicole's life before and after the shark attack. To be able to capture that – especially her indomitable "never say die" spirit – wow, that was something worth investigating for a guy like me who's fascinated by what makes people tick. So yes, I was definitely intrigued. But not too hopeful that anything would develop from this, given Nicole's apparent lack of enthusiasm.
So what happened from there?
I emailed Nicole and asked if we could meet. Took a while to hear back from her, which didn't augur well, but she eventually agreed. So before heading down to Orangeville where she lives, I put myself in her shoes and tried to figure out why I might not want to pursue a book. Then, I set out on a very snowy day to make the two hour drive. She welcomed me and invited me to sit in the kitchen. I said to her, "Look, I get the feeling you're not too keen to write a book about your experiences. Let me assure you I'm not here to convince you to do that. But, perhaps I can answer some questions you might have. In fact, if I were in your place, I can think of four reasons I might not want to go ahead. Can I go over those with you?" She agreed, and for the next hour I laid out what I thought were reasons someone wouldn't want to do this, and then gave her my answers to these concerns. In the midst of this, her father (who lives with Nicole, her husband and two daughters) arrived and sat down at the table too. Was I being judged? In any case, he asked a few questions about my background, seemed satisfied and got up and left. Hmmmm... what was that all about?
Were you put off by that?
Maybe a bit, but just unsure what was going on. I mean, Nicole was not saying much about my presentation, so I didn't know how she felt, and then in walks this guy, unannounced, sits down, fires off a few questions, gets up and leaves. Anyway, I finished my bit and said, "So there you have it Nicole, you know where to reach me if you ever feel you'd like to go ahead." Frankly, I had no sense of whether I'd ever hear from this lady again. But I'd made my pitch and if it wasn't of interest, I still had a book to finish and more in the offing. So I got up to leave when she said, "Don't go. Sit down." She looked me in the eye and said, "Let's do it." Could have knocked me over with a feather!
And from there...?
From there, we hammered out a deal about how we'd proceed and three years later, "Shark Assault: An Amazing Story of Survival" was published.
Three years... why so long?
Actually, it took two years. But there was a one-year break in the middle of the process during which Nicole had to take care of some personal matters. Those two years was comprised of many interviews with her, with her family members, with people who'd traveled to Mexico with her, the Mexican hotel staff, doctors, nurses... lots and lots of people to get the story from.
Did she have any trouble talking about such a ghastly event happening to her?
No. In fact as a writer, I was very fortunate to end up with what I call my two "Get Out Of Jail Free" cards. The first came when she told me she'd had no PTSD, no nightmares over this and actively encouraged me to ask any questions I wanted. She never got worn down answering, or at least that I was aware of. And this took some real stress off the process. The second came about when I was feeling my neck a bit, wanting to ask some personal questions but feeling awkward about that. You know... this lady has one arm: how does she put on a bra? She'd had skin grafts on both thighs and her stomach: does she need to wear special undergarments? Does it affect intimacy? That kind of thing. (I'm shy at the best of times so I knew this wasn't going to be very comfortable.) So I confessed my angst to her one day and she laughed, saying "Peter, I'm a nurse. Seen it all, heard it all! Ask away, my friend." And I must tell you, that took the stress off and meant we could be very open with one another as I put forward my inquiries. And this has resulted in a much better, more authentic book.
The name of the book is "Shark Assault": how did that come about?
I get asked that a lot. First of all, as an author who understands marketing, I know you have to have a website for your books. And sharkattack.com was taken! So, that wasn't about to happen. But more than that, as we considered various titles, I realized that a shark attack describes a moment in time, whereas this book was about the overall impact the event in Mexico has had on Nicole. From coming very close to losing her life... to a series of dreadful medical operations and procedures... to friendships that came under stress... to... well, you know... it was pretty all-encompassing. Still is, in fact. So it soon became apparent that the attack of a shark had had a profound on Nicole's life: it had truly assaulted her from so many points. Result: "Shark Assault" became our title. But I did want to add that second line, "An Amazing Story of Survival" because it tells so much about her approach to life.
Were there challenges involved in writing this book?
Oh yes! Many. One was trying to understand why and how this awful event had happened. Did you know you're more likely to be struck by a bolt of lightning than be attacked by a shark?
You're kidding! OK then, so why did it happen?
Well, I knew I couldn't totally rely on Nicole to get all the facts straight because, as much as she had strong memories of the event, she was dealing with such stress and anxiety and trauma that she wouldn't be able to tell me why this had occurred. So I sought out three of the world's foremost shark experts and together we pieced together the details. I came to understand that it was a "perfect storm" of four elements that combined to create the scenario where this tragic event happened. Nicole was just a girl in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the combination of those four factors is unlikely to ever happen again.
So, what were those four elements?
You'll have to read the book to discover that.
Fair enough. You do a lot of presentations to groups about "Shark Assault". What questions do you get asked?
I guess the one people most ask is how Nicole is today and what is she up to? And the answer is, she's in a clerical position at the hospital in Orangeville where she had worked as an RN before the shark attack. Not totally satisfied with that, because she misses interacting with patients, but at least she's in healthcare, and that's important to her. Other than that, I believe life is good for her. Last I heard, she and her family continue to travel to Mexico for vacations and she still swims in the sea.
Really?
Sure. I do too. When you read the book, you come to understand that sharks do not like eating people. What happened was so rare, so unusual – being the result of that "perfect storm" I talked about – that the likelihood of it ever happening again is virtually impossible. Now, that being said, there are steps you can take to avoid being of interest to sharks, and there's a page on our website, sharkassault.com, that explains things you can steer clear of.
But isn't it amazing that after what happened, she still swims in the ocean?
Not when you know Nicole. And not when you realize sharks don't like eating people.
Do you stay in touch?
No, not any longer. We did stay in touch for some time and I certainly enjoyed Nicole’s company and doing presentations with her. She really is such an inspirational force to be around: her karma rubs off on you. But after a series of bad events impacted my personal life, I could tell she didn’t agree with how I dealt with things. She’s such an amazingly positive person and when someone else doesn’t measure up to her standards - and I couldn’t - it just becomes a distant relationship. I get that. So it seemed best that we cease communicating. Too bad. I did set her up with a public speaking agent who books events for her, so she no longer needs me to work at that on her behalf. And she has her own circle of friends and her family, and I'm just a guy who writes books. Onwards!
Did writing "Shark Assault" prepare you for writing other books?
In the sense that the process encouraged my ability to interview people to get behind the facts of the story, yes, I suppose a bit. But you know, I was already doing that with the 37 people from around the world I interviewed for "Why Being Happy Matters" and on the TV show I was hosting at the time, "Be My Guest".
What's next for you?
Just completed my fourth book, "Pushing The Boundaries! How To Make Life Awesomer." and I'm really pumped about it. I've interviewed 30 people from around the world – some very well known – to reveal how these people take risks most of us won't, how they think outside the box and color outside the lines. It's being considered by publishers right now. And I’m working on other books, such as “Until I Smile At You: The Ruth Lowe Story”.
Sounds great. Good luck.
Thanks. You can check out those two books at pushingtheboundaries.life and ruthlowestory.com.
