Memoir
Publication Date: April 9, 2023
Publisher: Moonlit Dawn Publications
Do unsettling truths bring harsh judgment? They do, but the price of denial is steep.
D.K. Sanz’s story begins in the drug-infested New York City streets of Woodside, Queens, during the tumultuous HIV/AIDS pandemic of the 80s and 90s. It offers a glimpse into how a now often-overlooked pandemic impacted Sanz’s nuclear family.
From her earliest days, Sanz was the easily forgotten stranger, always a little out of sync with the rest of the world—a tough but naive kid and aspiring writer. Her triumph over illness and addiction includes amusing anecdotes and nostalgic, heartwarming memories.
Grateful to be Alive delves deep into Sanz’s confessional self-sabotage, self-destruction, and the harrowing downward spiral she almost didn’t survive. Her never-before-told story ranges from recklessness and impudence to empathy, forgiveness, and love.
D.K. Sanz has since published several books, primarily poetry but also a novel, and she continues to work on sequels and an all-new fantasy series. You’ll find some of her poetry at the end of this book.
Whether struggling or not, you will find Grateful to Be Alive is a story of hope, of defying insurmountable odds, finding joy, and a gradual transition toward authenticity and becoming the person Sanz always wanted to be.
Interview with D.K. Sanz
What is your schedule like when you’re writing a book?
Well, first, I’m always writing a book, sometimes more than one book at a time. My schedule is very structured and disciplined. I generally write every day, holidays included. On a day with no other commitments, I will write from 4:30 a.m. to about 7 a.m. and again between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., 12 p.m. to 1 p.m., and often 2 p.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m.
Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
I wrote a novel and several poetry books under the name Kyrian Lyndon. D.K. are my actual initials, though, and Sanz is an abbreviation of my mother’s maiden name.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
Yes, but not in the past few years. I’ve been reading one book after another, and I just love it.
Does your family support your career as a writer?
My mother did. My son also supports it 100%.
How many hours a day do you write?
On a good day, five.
If you could invite any three people for dinner, whom would you invite?
I’m an introvert, so I’d prefer to do it for people who aren’t strangers. In that case, I’d have to say, my son, my sister, and my nephew would be the three.
Would you share something about yourself that your readers don’t know (yet)?
Video games. I love playing Dr. Mario. I don’t know what it is; I love that game. When I’m home on a Saturday or Sunday, I’ll play several times throughout the day.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
Readers want different things. Some are looking for romance. Some want to delve into something profound. Some shy away from scary or depressing things, and others embrace it. I’m also not focused on being original. No one has ever accused me of being unoriginal, at least not yet, but so much has been said and done by now. I write from the heart and hope that there will be people who appreciate my words.
How do you celebrate when you finish your book?
There’s usually a celebratory lunch with loved ones.
If you could be mentored by a famous author, who would it be?
Okay, well, I guess it has to be one among the living, but if I could bring someone back to work with me, I would choose Charles Dickens. J.R.R. Tolkien, or one of the Brontë sisters. Of someone alive today, it would be George R.R. Martin. Yeah, I love him.
Thank you for the interesting questions!
Thank you for visiting with us today.
About the Author
D.K. Sanz is the author of Grateful to be Alive: My Road to Recovery from Addiction and Shattering Truths, a dark, suspense coming-of-age novel. She has also published three poetry collections, A Dark Rose Blooms, Remnants of Severed Chains, and Awake with the Songbirds – Poems from the Pandemic. Before the release of Grateful to Be Alive, Sanz wrote under the pseudonym Kyrian Lyndon.
She is forthcoming about being a person with many years of recovery, as well as a trauma survivor. Throughout her journeys, she expressed her thoughts through poetry, embracing every challenge to triumph over adversity. In her conviction that learning, growing, healing, and evolving is a never-ending process, she remains as grateful for the dark days as she is for every flicker of hope and light. She considers herself a cheerleader for those trudging on against all odds in the hopes of living their dreams.
D.K. loves psychological thrillers, horror fiction, nineteenth-century British literature, parallel universe fiction, and dark romanticism. She enjoys music, art, history, fitness, video games, and cooking.
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