In a captivating story, Arlene Diniz , co-author of “Corajosas”, takes us to follow the frenetic life of Kai Fernandes, a 17-year-old young man with a big dream: to be a professional surfer. In “At the End of That Day,” waves aren’t just a sport for Kai; They are a refuge amid family tribulations and the challenges of adolescence.
As Kai seeks to fulfill his life’s purpose, he faces the alcoholic bitterness of his father, Sidney, and his mother, Eva’s tireless battle to support the family. With the support of his friends and the lessons of faith shared by Gabriel, owner of the Sunshine snack bar, Kai finds himself facing a path full of obstacles and learning.
However, when an accident in the water puts his participation in an important surfing championship at risk, dark secrets about his father’s involvement in illegal activities come to light. In the midst of these trials, Kai is challenged to find hope and forgiveness, even in the most difficult times.
With a delicate and engaging narrative, Arlene Diniz reminds us that, even in adversity, faith and support from those around us can restore hope. “At the End of That Day” is a story of overcoming, love and faith that invites us to see life from a different perspective.
Arlene Diniz, author and defender of love and the Word of God, brings her experience in work aimed at teenagers to the pages of this book. Resident in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro, she shares her message of encouragement with readers, showing that, even on the cloudiest days, there is always a light capable of illuminating our path.
The protagonist Kai Fernandes is a young man who dreams of being a professional surfer. How did you develop the idea for this character and what inspired you for this path?
On a random day at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I was watching a series on Netflix in which the relationship between a teenage character and his father was very difficult. I thought “What would happen if Jesus entered this story?”, then the idea of “At the End of That Day” was born. As I live on the coast and wanted to write a story with this beach atmosphere, I combined the two things. From this, I started to build the idea of this teenager who, despite having a big dream, had many difficulties in achieving it, mainly due to the harsh reality at home.
In the plot, Kai finds surfing a refuge from life’s challenges. How did you approach the importance of sporting activities as a way of facing adversity, especially during adolescence?
Kai ends up “throwing” all his frustrations into the sport. He tries to channel his anger, the difficulties he experiences at home and the disappointments in life by getting on the board. And of course he would have several other bad options to do this – options that I even work on in some situations throughout the story. However, he took a healthier path. Sport has the power to help teenagers channel their emotions, which are so intense at this stage of life, into something positive and beneficial. I believe that Kai’s story is a good way to encourage teenagers to see sport from this perspective.
Kai’s relationship with his family is a central aspect of the story, especially his relationship with his father, Sidney. How did you build this family dynamic and what messages would you like readers to take away from this aspect of the book?
Kai’s family is a portrait of many, unfortunately. A father who has problems with alcohol, a mother overwhelmed by work. Kai ends up in the middle of it all, which has many emotional consequences. I have come into contact with many teenagers with similar problems at home. Building this family meant giving these teenagers a voice and, who knows, bringing them hope too. I think this is one of the main messages of this aspect of the book, that as long as there is breath, there is hope. Broken homes can be remade. And that, even if the people around us don’t change, God can make our view of them change.
One of the themes present in the narrative is faith and hope, especially given the difficulties faced by the protagonist. How did you approach these themes in a way that was authentic and meaningful to young audiences?
By including these themes in Kai’s journey, I tried to do it in a way that teenagers could identify with. Even if not to the same extent as Kai, but what teenager has never been given a cold shoulder, whether in relation to school, friendships, love, future, family and everything else? And what teenager never wished they had hope in the midst of all this? At the End of That Day comes to show that yes, there is Hope and there is a God who cares about their lives.
The book portrays challenging situations, such as Kai’s accident and the secrets involving his father. How did you balance the complexity of these events while keeping the story accessible and inspiring for a teen audience?
Despite being very tense moments, all the construction around these events ensured that the story remained accessible. The group of friends played an important role in this, in fact. Bringing a little comic relief, comfort and joy to Kai’s life – and to the reader’s too (I hope, lol ).
You mention that you write books to spread the love and Word of God. How do you see the importance of young adult Christian fiction as a means of reaching and impacting this age group?
Over the years as a writer of young adult Christian fiction, I have seen how this genre has blessed teens and young adults. There are countless messages I receive about how the stories made them reflect on their lives, how they decided to get closer to God when reading the books, or how their attitudes towards God and people changed… That in itself already It makes me realize the importance of fiction books for this age group. Books impact our lives. A story has the power to instill thoughts and ideas, make people reflect, generate empathy, transmit values. Teenagers consume secular films, series and books all the time and are receiving everything that is given to them there. Christian youth fiction comes to connect with people of this age in order to instill Kingdom principles while also being a great option for healthy entertainment.
His experience writing blogs since he was 15 has certainly influenced his writing style. How do you see the evolution of your voice as an author over the years and how is this reflected in “At the end of that day”?
Writing has always been my passion. I have diaries since I was a pre-teen where I poured my heart onto the pages. With my first book, in a way, it was like that. Writing was pure emotion. However, over time, I realized the need to look for something more and study the art of writing. My studies, combined with my experience, helped me grow a lot, especially in the last two years. At the End of That Day is the result of all this. I felt my voice as an author mature much more in this work and take a different direction as well. Having the most sensitive themes and the deepest reflections, but without losing the “freshness” that a teenage story requires.
What was the process of co-writing the book “Courageous: The Tales of the Unenchanted Princesses” like and what lessons did you bring from that collaboration to the writing of “At the end of that day”?
It was one of the best experiences of my life as an author. Having to write a story inspired by another (Snow White) and with a very limited number of words helped me develop as a writer. I learned to keep the text as clean as possible and to see that it was possible to challenge myself and advance, you know? This helped me become more confident and experienced in writing No Final D That Day. In addition to counting on the help and support of the other writers of Corajosas . We not only support each other when writing our stories in the book, but also when writing our individual works. Its a blessing.
You live in Paraty, Rio de Janeiro. How did the local environment and culture influence your writing and the creation of the book’s setting?
In every way possible (laughs). I was walking along the beach near my house and I could almost see Giovana sitting on a sarong drawing while Kai surfed together with Arthur and Ervilha. In the neighborhood where I live and in the surrounding area, we have a reality of social inequality very similar to that described in the book as well. This has always been part of my life and it was an aspect I wanted to bring to the story.
In closing, what are your future plans in writing young adult Christian fiction and what messages do you hope to convey to your readers through your works?
I have many plans. I want to write until my eyes grow weak with age – God willing. There’s no shortage of ideas! I’m already drafting a new story. And I hope to continue sharing about the gospel and its power to transform lives.
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