Shirley Yoshinaka
Shirley was born and raised just outside of Toronto, Canada. She
remembers creating her first book in Grade 4, including illustrations and
binding with yarn. The protagonist was a bird named Harold, and the
book was called The Bird That Couldn't Fly. It was not a runaway
(flyaway?) bestseller, but it sparked her love of writing.
Shirley's interests include playing the piano, reading, and travelling.
London, England is her favourite city to visit, followed closely by New
York. She is an avid lover of films and live theatre, especially musicals
and classical music.
Shirley has degrees in Biology and Education. After several years of
occasional or substitute teaching, she has settled into administrative
work. She currently works at the local university.
Thank you, Shirley, for your wonderful book and this great interview.
Sandra - How did you discover your passion for The Phantom of the
Opera story?
Shirley - It happened when I listened to the Andrew Lloyd Webber
musical for the first time, which is going back about 20 years ago. I
borrowed the Original London Cast record album (yes, a record album!)
out of the library out of curiosity because I'd heard that Michael
Crawford was in it. I remembered him from the British comedy "Some
Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", but I didn't know he could sing. When I first
heard the overture with the organ, I literally got chills down my spine. I
immediately fell in love with the music and the story. I've seen the
musical several times now on stage and it still remains in my top 3
favourites, the others being West Side Story and Les Miserables. At one
point, I was so obsessed with the music of Phantom, I bought the piano
score and practised for hours on end. I can still play the songs!
Sandra - How did begin the idea of write a novel based in this subject?
Shirley - I read a few fanfiction stories online - some good, some bad. I
then decided to write my own story. I did it mainly for my own
satisfaction, and was pleasantly surprised when others really liked the
story too.
Sandra - In your Phantom sequel Erik begins a new life completely
different at the life he had, how did the inspiration to write this story
come from?
Shirley - I wanted to give Erik a chance at finding love and happiness. I
felt he should begin this new phase by leaving Paris. Since I still
wanted music to be an important part of his life, I decided that he had to
continue composing. I will let you in on a little secret for the inspiration
behind the "deception" part of the plot, even though it's rather silly.
There was an American television show called "Remington Steele" that
was quite popular in the mid-'80s. The concept of that show was that
female private detectives were not taken seriously, so the heroine
invented her male boss - Remington Steele. Then one day, a mysterious
man entered her life and started pretending to be Remington Steele. Do
you see the connection with my story? I told you it was silly, but there
you go.
Sandra - What do you think about the possible reality/myth of this story?
Shirley - I actually did not realize until fairly recently that it is
considered to be a possible reality. It's an exciting idea. There have been
so many renditions of the story in different forms, like "Beauty and the
Beast", for example. It has become a timeless and classic story, and yet is
open to different interpretations.
Sandra - What do you think about the main character from the original
novel, Erik? Tell us your personal opinion about him.
Shirley - Erik is an enigma. He is a genius, and thus walks a fine line
with madness. He has committed terrible deeds like murder, yet we are
able to forgive him. We want to forgive him. Why? For me, it's because
he is a man of such passion, capable of great love. Erik is fascinating,
complex, and deserves to be loved in return.
Sandra - Melodie, the protagonist of your book, is a new character in
Erik's story created completely by you. I find this really intesresting.
Describe us this new character, your motivations towards her and her
relationship with Erik.
Shirley - Melodie is a rather innocent young woman who has led a
sheltered life. She shares a gift for music, similar to Erik. She also is a
bit of a loner, having no close friends, and this has perhaps made her
more independent than most women of her time. I wanted her
personality to be a counter-balance to Erik's dominance. Christine was
someone that Erik could easily manipulate. Melodie had to be stronger,
more stubborn, and intelligent enough to match Erik's brilliance. Music
is their common bond and what initially brings them together. Through
their working relationship, Melodie first admires Erik and then
gradually falls in love with him. She is able to recognize that he is still
essentially a good man, even when he doesn't fully believe it himself.
Sandra - Have you read Leroux's book? What's your opinion about it.
Shirley - I am a bit ashamed to say I have not completely finished
Leroux's book. I have read approximately one third of it. I have far too
many books on my shelf that I have bought but not read. I do intend to
finish it one day. Perhaps I can re-address this question then?
Sandra - I've read Gerard Butler and the Phantom movie (2004) were an
inspiration for you, is this true?
Shirley - Yes, that is true. I loved the film as much as I love the stage
version of the musical. Gerard Butler brought a sensual power to the
Phantom, something that I had not expected. But it was his final scenes
in the lair, fraught with such raw emotion and despair, that led me to
writing my book. I wanted the Phantom to get his happy ending!
Sandra - What would you say to all Phantom fans who are discovering
your new book?
Shirley - I know that many people think Christine is Erik's one and only
true love, but I disagree; that is not to discredit the love that Erik had for
Christine. That is why I give him a two year period of mourning in my
story. The relationship he builds with Melodie is slow and based on
mutual respect. So, I hope even fans of Erik/Christine will give my book
a chance. I am thrilled that most reviews have been positive so far. The
whole process took about one year, from writing the first draft to making
the final revisions and edits. I hope the Phantom fans enjoy my book.
Sandra - Have you written any book before this one? Have you any
future projects?
Shirley - Deception is my first book. My current project is a new novel
that is far removed from Phantom. It is actually based on a screenplay
that was written by a co-worker of mine. It is a contemporary story set
in the Bahamas and involves murder, drug-smuggling, and a little
romance. I also have been asked many times to write a sequel to
Deception. I confess that I do have a rough idea in mind. While I cannot
commit to anything, I will say that it is a possibility in the future.
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
remembers creating her first book in Grade 4, including illustrations and
binding with yarn. The protagonist was a bird named Harold, and the
book was called The Bird That Couldn't Fly. It was not a runaway
(flyaway?) bestseller, but it sparked her love of writing.
Shirley's interests include playing the piano, reading, and travelling.
London, England is her favourite city to visit, followed closely by New
York. She is an avid lover of films and live theatre, especially musicals
and classical music.
Shirley has degrees in Biology and Education. After several years of
occasional or substitute teaching, she has settled into administrative
work. She currently works at the local university.
Thank you, Shirley, for your wonderful book and this great interview.
Sandra - How did you discover your passion for The Phantom of the
Opera story?
Shirley - It happened when I listened to the Andrew Lloyd Webber
musical for the first time, which is going back about 20 years ago. I
borrowed the Original London Cast record album (yes, a record album!)
out of the library out of curiosity because I'd heard that Michael
Crawford was in it. I remembered him from the British comedy "Some
Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em", but I didn't know he could sing. When I first
heard the overture with the organ, I literally got chills down my spine. I
immediately fell in love with the music and the story. I've seen the
musical several times now on stage and it still remains in my top 3
favourites, the others being West Side Story and Les Miserables. At one
point, I was so obsessed with the music of Phantom, I bought the piano
score and practised for hours on end. I can still play the songs!
Sandra - How did begin the idea of write a novel based in this subject?
Shirley - I read a few fanfiction stories online - some good, some bad. I
then decided to write my own story. I did it mainly for my own
satisfaction, and was pleasantly surprised when others really liked the
story too.
Sandra - In your Phantom sequel Erik begins a new life completely
different at the life he had, how did the inspiration to write this story
come from?
Shirley - I wanted to give Erik a chance at finding love and happiness. I
felt he should begin this new phase by leaving Paris. Since I still
wanted music to be an important part of his life, I decided that he had to
continue composing. I will let you in on a little secret for the inspiration
behind the "deception" part of the plot, even though it's rather silly.
There was an American television show called "Remington Steele" that
was quite popular in the mid-'80s. The concept of that show was that
female private detectives were not taken seriously, so the heroine
invented her male boss - Remington Steele. Then one day, a mysterious
man entered her life and started pretending to be Remington Steele. Do
you see the connection with my story? I told you it was silly, but there
you go.
Sandra - What do you think about the possible reality/myth of this story?
Shirley - I actually did not realize until fairly recently that it is
considered to be a possible reality. It's an exciting idea. There have been
so many renditions of the story in different forms, like "Beauty and the
Beast", for example. It has become a timeless and classic story, and yet is
open to different interpretations.
Sandra - What do you think about the main character from the original
novel, Erik? Tell us your personal opinion about him.
Shirley - Erik is an enigma. He is a genius, and thus walks a fine line
with madness. He has committed terrible deeds like murder, yet we are
able to forgive him. We want to forgive him. Why? For me, it's because
he is a man of such passion, capable of great love. Erik is fascinating,
complex, and deserves to be loved in return.
Sandra - Melodie, the protagonist of your book, is a new character in
Erik's story created completely by you. I find this really intesresting.
Describe us this new character, your motivations towards her and her
relationship with Erik.
Shirley - Melodie is a rather innocent young woman who has led a
sheltered life. She shares a gift for music, similar to Erik. She also is a
bit of a loner, having no close friends, and this has perhaps made her
more independent than most women of her time. I wanted her
personality to be a counter-balance to Erik's dominance. Christine was
someone that Erik could easily manipulate. Melodie had to be stronger,
more stubborn, and intelligent enough to match Erik's brilliance. Music
is their common bond and what initially brings them together. Through
their working relationship, Melodie first admires Erik and then
gradually falls in love with him. She is able to recognize that he is still
essentially a good man, even when he doesn't fully believe it himself.
Sandra - Have you read Leroux's book? What's your opinion about it.
Shirley - I am a bit ashamed to say I have not completely finished
Leroux's book. I have read approximately one third of it. I have far too
many books on my shelf that I have bought but not read. I do intend to
finish it one day. Perhaps I can re-address this question then?
Sandra - I've read Gerard Butler and the Phantom movie (2004) were an
inspiration for you, is this true?
Shirley - Yes, that is true. I loved the film as much as I love the stage
version of the musical. Gerard Butler brought a sensual power to the
Phantom, something that I had not expected. But it was his final scenes
in the lair, fraught with such raw emotion and despair, that led me to
writing my book. I wanted the Phantom to get his happy ending!
Sandra - What would you say to all Phantom fans who are discovering
your new book?
Shirley - I know that many people think Christine is Erik's one and only
true love, but I disagree; that is not to discredit the love that Erik had for
Christine. That is why I give him a two year period of mourning in my
story. The relationship he builds with Melodie is slow and based on
mutual respect. So, I hope even fans of Erik/Christine will give my book
a chance. I am thrilled that most reviews have been positive so far. The
whole process took about one year, from writing the first draft to making
the final revisions and edits. I hope the Phantom fans enjoy my book.
Sandra - Have you written any book before this one? Have you any
future projects?
Shirley - Deception is my first book. My current project is a new novel
that is far removed from Phantom. It is actually based on a screenplay
that was written by a co-worker of mine. It is a contemporary story set
in the Bahamas and involves murder, drug-smuggling, and a little
romance. I also have been asked many times to write a sequel to
Deception. I confess that I do have a rough idea in mind. While I cannot
commit to anything, I will say that it is a possibility in the future.
Please, don't copy this text and photos without my permission.
Copyright by Ladyghost.
