“Have you ever wondered if the leader of an organization is actually leading, or if someone else in the shadows is pulling the strings?”
– D.R. Berlin
D.R., thank you for being with us. Could you introduce yourself to our readers? Please share your background, the journey that led to your career as an author, and what drives your storytelling.
Born in Fall River, Massachusetts (home to Lizzy Borden, Emeril Lagasse, and the USS Massachusetts), I attended BMC Durfee High School where I was the Salutatorian. I attended MIT, majoring in biology with a minor in writing, and played varsity volleyball. Fast forward to graduating from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY, joining the Army, being stationed at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Center (Intern of the year), three years as a General Medical Officer at Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC, completing my residency in General Surgery at the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA, (not related to the medical school) and moving to Orange Park, FL, where I’ve lived for 20 years.
Drafted as the unofficial photographer of my children’s sports teams, I’ve been affectionally dubbed the “Mamarazzi.” I minored in Writing in college and The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor has been swimming in my head for years. Now that Mom’s Taxi is officially closed and my presence is no longer needed in the stands on the soccer or football fields, I have the time to devote to realizing my dream. Since the first day I started to outline the story, the words have flooded the pages like a tsunami, and haven’t stopped. This book is the first in a series. I chased a dream and now am a self-published author. I set my goals high and work every day to achieve them.
Your novel The Third Estate: Secrets of the Manor has received multiple prestigious awards, including the BREW Seal of Excellence, the Atlas of Stories Award, and more. What does earning such wide recognition mean to you, and how do you think it reflects the impact of your book?
I’m honored to receive these prestigious awards. The time and effort the judges invested in reading and critiquing The Third Estate Secrets of the Manor is greatly appreciated. It will provide potential readers with the information they need to make an educated decision if they would enjoy the story before purchasing the book.
What inspired you to write The Third Estate? How did your experiences in the military and medicine influence the themes and characters in the book?
Have you ever wondered if the leader of an organization is actually leading the organization? Are they in charge, or someone else? Who whispers in their ears? Who do they trust? Who actually makes the decisions? Are the people behind the scenes, who hide in the shadows, who have secret agendas, actually in charge? The military and medicine share common themes: attention to detail, dedication, and concern for others. Both have a methodical way of weighing risks and benefits, considering alternative managements, formulating a plan, and following through for success. Many of the characters in the story embrace this approach to problem solving. However, this is a lot of bad decision-making in this story. Disclaimer: This story is fiction. I don’t know anything about shadowy organization, Really, I don’t.
Your book explores themes of courage, loyalty, and identity. Why are these themes particularly significant to you, and how do you think readers can connect with them in today’s world?
Courage is built on three principles: strength of mind and body to accomplish a goal, confidence in yourself you can achieve a goal, and motivation to “do the right thing” in every situation, not just the ones we pick and choose, which is often not popular and rarely easy. We make a million decisions a day, some important, most insignificant. In every decision we make, we need the courage to do the right thing, the loyalty to our principles to guide us, and to be secure in our identity to be ourselves.
The novel’s narrative is layered with intrigue and complexity. Could you share your creative process, from conceptualizing the story to crafting the intricate plotlines that have earned such acclaim?
Sophie and Lovac’s stories are intertwined, run parallel, and finally clash, before separating again at the end of the story. I’m a plotter. First, I outlined Sophie’s story from beginning to end. Lovac had minimal importance in my first draft. As I continued my subsequent developmental edits, I realized that Lovac’s actions in the first chapter are what propels the motivation and consequences of the main characters, and he deserved more of a story line. As the edits progressed, Lovac’s story became just as important as Sophie’s and added much needed layering in the intrigue and complexity of the story.
Beyond the BREW Seal of Excellence, your book has won several other awards. Could you share a brief overview of these accolades and what they signify in your journey as an author?
An early draft of my novel was named a Chanticleer International Book Awards 2023 Finalist (Clue Division – Thriller & Suspense Fiction). I entered 12 contests that year and won one. Many contests offered judges’ feedback for an extra fee, which was worth every penny. I learned more from what the judges didn’t like than what they did and applied that insight to future edits.
Fast forward to 2024: my manuscript underwent developmental, copy, and proofreading edits. I entered 24 contests, placing in 13, with accolades ranging from Winning to Honorable Mention, plus various book awards and seals.
Chanticleer International Book Awards 2023 – Finalist (Clue Division – Thriller & Suspense Fiction)
Winner / Finalist
NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner for Fall 2024 – Young Adult Literary
Global Book Award Finalist
Best Book Cover Finalist
Best Debut Novel Finalist
Thriller / Adventure Winner – Young Adult
American Writing Awards Finalist
Fiction Mystery / Suspense Finalist
Fiction Best Cover Design
Books Shelf Book Cover Contest Winner
Hollywood Book Festival Winner (Unpublished)
Paris Book Festival Winner (Unpublished)
New England Book Festival Winner (Unpublished)
Page Turner Writing Award Long List / Finalist (2024)
Other placements:
The International Firebird Book Award 2024 – 2nd Quarter – 2nd Place
Outstanding Creator Awards Summer 2024 – Third Place Thriller, Third Place Military Thriller, Honorable Mention: Best Character, Best Supporting Character, Best Villain
Halloween Book Festival Runner Up Wild Card
New York Book Festival Honorable Mention (Unpublished)
Southern California Book Festival Honorable Mention
Fiction Book Awards Literary Titan Gold Book Award 2025
Xanadu Book Award Highly Recommended
Other recognitions:
Award of Xcellence
Books, Reviews, and Everything Written – The Chrysalis BREW Project’s BREW Seal of Excellence 2024 and BREW Readers’ Choice Award 2024-2025 Finalist
Atlas of Stories Award 2025
Beyond Boundaries Reads Book Award
Booknomad Tales Five Stars Award
Spotlyts Story Award
Maincrest Media Seal of Approval
Book Nerdection Must Read Award
5 Stars Reviews:
Readers’ Favorite
Chanticleer Book Reviews
Bookview Reviews
Literary Titan
Booknomad Tales
Diversity, resilience, and innovation seem to echo through your work. How do these values shape your storytelling, and what role do you believe they play in fostering connection and understanding among readers?
My goal is to write an entertaining story that resonates with as many people as possible.
How do you balance your professional and creative roles, and how have they informed one another throughout your journey?
I work hard and play hard. I write in every spare minute because I find it enjoying and relaxing to create interesting characters that get themselves into a lot of trouble.
With storytelling being a powerful medium, do you see your work aligning with any of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals? If so, could you share how your themes or advocacy contribute to a better, more unified world?
When astronauts look upon the Earth from space, they see mountains, plains, oceans, and clouds. We breathe the same air, walk on the same Earth, and look at the same stars.
“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” -Maya Angelou
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision… It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie
When we all work together, we can make the impossible, possible, one person at a time.
What advice would you offer to aspiring authors or those seeking to create impactful work in any field? What lessons have you learned that you believe could guide others in their journey?
A friend of mine at work recently stopped me in the hallway and said, “Thank you.” I said for what? She said she was following me on Facebook and watching my journey from afar. She thought, “I can do that too.” She also wrote a book and told me I gave her the motivation to not only finish it, but self publish. If I could do it, she could too. If you think you can or you think you can’t, your right. Think you can, and anything is possible. My advice? The only person you have control over is you. Set a goal, reach for the stars, and enjoy the journey along the way.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right—so think you can, and anything is possible.”
– – D.R. Berlin
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We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your perspective in the comments:
- What part of this interview resonated most with you, and why?
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- How do you see storytelling contributing to a better and more unified world?
Alignment with the UN SDGs
- Quality Education: Encourages lifelong learning and inspires others to pursue their goals.
- Decent Work and Economic Growth: Highlights the value of perseverance and innovation in creative industries.
- Reduced Inequalities: Emphasizes themes of courage, loyalty, and identity that resonate universally.
- Partnerships for the Goals: Demonstrates the importance of collaboration and shared vision in storytelling and advocacy.
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