David E. Shaolian: A number of summers ago, I was the camp photographer at a great camp, and some staff members were consuming alcohol and/or drugs, something that occurs, to some degree or other, at all overnight camps.  After all, everyone is there to have a great time, so it’s inevitable.  This issue, which is highly exaggerated in the novel for dramatic effect- and the safety concern it poses, inspired the novel.  However, I should mention that while the camp in this novel could be virtually any camp, in reality, it’s completely fictional, as are all characters and events.  

 

HAPPY CAMPERS was also inspired by some classic works of literature, especially William Golding’s Lord of the Flies; although the two novels are quite different, my novel deals with some of the same issues.  Once the story came to me, it got stuck in my head, and I kept getting flooded with more and more ideas, until I decided to begin writing the novel.  

 

 

David E. Shaolian: It is befitting in the sense that there are many surprises, things that you would never see coming in the story.  In fact, some of these events, which were never in the original draft, would have surprised even me.  There is one event in particular that’s really ‘out there’ later in the novel, and I had never considered including it originally.  It was included in the final draft since it is crucial to the protagonist’s character development and the story’s progression.

 

 

David E. Shaolian: Simon Green, the protagonist, could easily be considered ‘a fish out of water.’  At camp, he’s considerably older that almost everyone, so he doesn’t relate well to many staff members, and his values differ greatly from theirs.  As a result, some of these relations are highly antagonistic. He spends a great deal of his time there alone. Even back in the city, he’s a bit of a loner, since all his friends are married and busy with their families, while he’s still single, so he rarely sees them. I think many people can relate to feeling out of place or lonely at times. 

 

Also, Simon experienced a break-up a few years before the novel opens, and has not recovered, so he is still discontented, and feels a great deal of regret as the novel opens. Most people have experienced this at least once, so this is another way readers will connect.      

 

 

David E. Shaolian: I found it very helpful.  I wanted readers to understand what Simon Green is all about, what makes him tick. He’s basically a good person who tries to do the right thing, but he has some character flaws, which are an impediment.  No other perspective would allow readers to access the character, his thought process, actions, and the impact of his decisions like the first person point of view.

 

 

David E. Shaolian: Yes, this concept definitely applies to HAPPY CAMPERS. There are three main villains in the novel, namely Miranda Divine, Haze (Jake Hazelton), and Ted Savage.  Miranda is the camp director, who turns out to be extremely cruel and corrupted.  It is also largely due to her weak leadership that the situation is so chaotic at camp.  There are some fascinating revelations about her as the story unfolds.  Haze is the camp program director, who is often high on drugs, and unconcerned about his responsibilities, or anything else, except having a great time.  Ted Savage is a very violent counsellor, who is also often high, and blindly obeys his close friend, Haze.

 

A good villain is someone who is evil or corrupted, someone the reader dislikes more and more as additional information is revealed in the story.  The reader hopes that the villain gets what he or she deserves by the end of the novel, that there is a sense of justice.  In HAPPY CAMPERS, although Miranda Devine is quite loathsome,  she is briefly humanized too, through an account of her back story.

 

 

David E. Shaolian: I do enjoy camping a great deal.  I had a wonderful time as the camp photographer, roaming around the campsite as I worked, meeting lots of great people, and enjoying the facilities, especially the lake.  I also enjoy pitching a tent at a campsite with friends or family.  I did that a few times many years ago, and it was lots of fun too.

 

 

David E. Shaolian: Although HAPPY CAMPERS is a serious story with some potent messages, there is some mild humour throughout the novel.  It’s not all doom and gloom, but I included some humour to lighten the mood, especially before some very intense scenes.

 

 

David E. Shaolian: Hopefully, I will write more novels.  I absolutely love writing, but I need the right idea to be inspired. 

 

Q: Tell us about David E. Shaolian. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

 

David E. Shaolian: When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, photography, classic literature, swimming, dining out, and travelling.