After Here by Dave Wolffe
Mortality isn’t an easy topic to tackle. But that didn’t stop Dave Wolffe from penning After Here (Palmetto Publishing), his speculative and thought-provoking story of life after death. Following the character of Joe Golden, Wolffe fills Heaven with loved ones and strangers who have passed before Joe, all there to share their wisdom. As the protagonist searches paradise for his late wife, Wolffe offers three alternate endings for what closure may look like to individual readers. We got to talk with Wolffe about this experimental story of the longevity of love and what he hopes readers take away from Joe’s story.
Q: What inspired you to write this story?
A: I retired three years before I wrote After Here — a time when I was about to turn sixty years old. It was at this juncture in my life when I began thinking about my own mortality. As of result, I created a place in the afterlife in which I would be physically comfortable and not be lonely to exist in after my death.
Q: What was it like imagining Heaven in this book? Did you already envision it to be the way you described?
A: It was as if I let my mind do the walking, so this image, came to me spontaneously. I hadn’t thought about this idea before writing the story.
Q: Did you always know that the story would have three alternate endings?
A: The three endings came naturally. As I think about it now, I had hoped to give readers who both believed in the afterlife, and those unable to imagine it, an ending to the story.
Q: What was the most challenging scene or chapter to write?
A: After Here seems to flow by itself, taking on its own journey with me along as a passenger. The most challenging part was editing the thoughts that just spilled out of my mind.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from After Here?
A: I’m hoping readers derive some comfort from this story knowing their deceased loved ones are in a peaceful place and are not alone. I also feel this perception of the afterlife will give those still alive reassurance when their life ends, they will experience a tranquil afterlife and once again be in the company of all those who passed away before them.
Q: What’s your next writing project?
A: I am revising my book Peace The Other Side of Anger which had been written for parents, teachers and social workers to assist teens with intense emotions in positive ways. I am hoping to complete this endeavor by June, 2024. In addition, I plan on releasing a mystery I had written within the next two years.
Dave Wolffe, MS, was an educator/guidance counselor in the New York City public school system for over 30 years. He was also an adjunct lecturer at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in its conflict resolution program. Dave is the author of Peace: The Other Side of Anger, which is used in an anger management program he developed for and with teens, and Settling the Unsettling: Understanding and Resolving Conflict, which is used with college students. He currently resides in Connecticut.
