Parallel Lives in Sliding Doors, The Midnight Library and The Other Me!

I love parallel life stories. I guess the idea that one choice can lead to a whole new set of circumstances, a whole new life, is intriguing to me. 

Whenever I think about my life and choices I've made along the way, there's always so many what if's and if only's about things I could have done differently. What if I made a different choice THAT one time. So many scenario's could lead to huge life changes for all of us. 

What if I'd taken that job as a pharmaceutical sales rep when I was in my twenties? Would I have made my way to book writing, the way I did in this life? Would I have moved to Calgary? Would I be retired? Would BETTY WHITE still be my dog???? 

Of course she would.

Truthfully I wouldn't change anything in my past, because I always want to be Max's mom and Betty White's best friend, but sometimes I do think about the ways things could have been different based on choices I've made.

One of my favorite "old" movies about parallel lives is Sliding Doors.

Gwyneth Paltrow at her best. Short hair, long hair, accent, beautiful, vulnerable, sad. I love her in that movie. Have you seen it? It's a nice film, worth a watch and definitely was an inspiration for my YA novel, The Other Me, coming out in 2027 from Yellow Dog, (an imprint of Great Plains Publishing!)

I recently read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig with my book club. (I have a GREAT book club that I'm so grateful I found!) This book explored parallel lives on a whole new level. I mean what if there really are hundreds, thousands of parallel lives that we are all living, based on different choices we made. That theory and story idea was expanded on and explored in Midnight Library. I loved the book and how many different lives were explored. The book was a little dark not that I minded. I'm a fan of dark, but overall there was still a sense of hopefulness in the book that explored parallel lives, choices and even the meaning of life.  

My parallel life story, The Other Me, (for now this is the title- will it change? Stay tuned with me to find out!) didn't go as far into the parallel life theory. My book uses the theme of parallel lives occuring but with the characters in that world having no real knowledge of them. The book suggests that parallel lives are going around us without an understanding of why or how. Exactly how I like it. It could be, but is it? I like the idea that some people theorize, that we never die, that we just keep moving on to new parallel life. That's not the basis of the book but to me, it's a nice thought. A good explanation of death. It's a nice story to me, the idea that we go on to live different versions of our life over and over. That appeals to me.

Another medium, has a great show about parallel lives. On Prime TV, it's called The Devil's Hour.  It's really well done and I'm anxiously awaiting season 3. I think the show is British, based on the accents, but it's such a GOOD SHOW! In The Devil's Hour the characters begin to remember their past lives, and when they start playing with fate, the entire world of the character's in the story change.

In The Other Me, aspiring teen actor, Bella Babb is having a tough time. Even though she's landing acting roles and her career is fire, she recently lost her childhood crush in a tragic accident and something weird is going on with the camera he left with her before he died. As Bella tries to figure out what 's happening, her life is filled with even more tragedy. What will she do when it all comes down to a choice that will change her life and the life of everyone she loves forever?  

Do you have a favorite parallel life story? Do you believe in parallel lives? Do you want to?

Thanks for popping back the blog. I'll be chatting more about parallel lives. And choices. And life. And course, more about Betty White, my spoiled white golden retriever who is afraid of plastic bags, Christmas decorations and cardboard boxes. 

Until then. Make good choices. You never know what might happen.