Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Charlie Lovett

Charlie Lovett is an award-winning playwright and author of the New York Times bestseller The Bookman’s Tale and other novels. His plays for children have been seen in over five thousand productions worldwide. A former antiquarian bookseller, he collects books and memorabilia related to Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland and has written extensively on Carroll. He hosts the literary podcast Inside the Writer’s Studio. Lovett and his wife, Janice, live in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and in Kingham, Oxfordshire.

Lovett's new novel is Escaping Dreamland.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I feel like the title of Escaping Dreamland works on two levels. First, Dreamland is the amusement park on Coney Island where the three historical characters, Magda, Tom, and Gene, spend a day in 1906. Almost everything about the relationships among these characters either leads to or springs from what happens at Dreamland and in a real way the characters find ways to escape from the mistakes they made that day. But Dreamland can also be a metaphor for sleep or for non-reality. The novel explores the relationship between stories and real life, between fantasy and reality, and so I think the title also works as a kind of caution to the contemporary character Robert that he needs to escape from a world of memories and stories and deal with reality.

What's in a name?

Names are a big deal in this book. One of the main themes of Escaping Dreamland is identity and the ways in which society forces us to subvert who we really are. Take Magda, for instance. Her real name is Magdalena Hertzenberger—the daughter of German immigrants. But Magda longs to leave her German identity behind and become an American, so she starts to go by Mary Stone. Then, when Magda wants to write a book and the publisher will only consider books written by men, she presents herself as Marcus Stone. And finally, to her readers, she is known only by the pseudonym Dexter Cornwall. So, I create four layers of identity in four different names for a single character.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

I think my teenage self would be delighted because this novel was inspired by some of my early teenage (or perhaps slightly pre-teen) reading—the Hardy Boys mysteries. My teenage self believed these books were written by someone named Franklin W. Dixon and one of the first things my protagonist Robert Parrish discovers is that Dixon never existed. That would surprise my teenage self. But if teenage Charlie might be surprised at some of the historical facts in the book, I think he would be thrilled with the idea that books he read for fun on rainy Saturday afternoons might still have some place in his creative life forty years later. And he would, I think, be fascinated to discover the larger historical and cultural context of the Hardy Boys, and the history of other children’s series books leading up to those mysteries.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I don’t consciously base any of my characters on any one person but rather on what I observe of human nature in myself and others. That being said, since I know a lot more about my own human nature than anyone else’s, it’s inevitable that parts of myself will manifest in my characters. Sometimes it’s little things, like the fact that Robert Parrish and I both love The Princess Bride, other times it can be something a little deeper or darker. Robert feels like an imposter as a successful author and hates when people ask him what books influenced him. While I don’t have as bad a case of imposter syndrome as he does, I can remember being puzzled that total strangers would turn out to hear me talk about my books and wondering if I could really call myself an author if I hadn’t read Tolstoy or Hemingway. All four of my main characters in this book are writers and in sharing their creative process with readers I certainly draw on my own.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I feel a strong connection between place and story, so places influence my writing quite a bit. That’s easy to see in the case of Escaping Dreamland where so much of my inspiration came from New York City—in both its early 20th century and early 21st century incarnations. Since the day I first set foot on Broadway in 1982, I have loved New York and found it endlessly fascinating to explore. Escaping Dreamland gave me the chance to discover parts of the city I had never seen. I dug into archives at the New York Public Library and New York Historical Society, read old newspapers, pored over antique atlases, and more. With the exception of reading some children’s series books and a few novels of the period, my research for Escaping Dreamland was almost exclusively non-literary and I found my inspiration in everything from a postcard of Dreamland to a menu from Child’s Restaurant.
Learn more about the book and author at Charlie Lovett's website.

The Page 69 Test: Escaping Dreamland.

--Marshal Zeringue

Monday, September 28, 2020

Nathan Makaryk

Nathan Makaryk is the author of Nottingham, and a theater owner, playwright, director and actor, living in southern California. None of these pay very well, so he also has a real job teaching audio systems networking software to people who have no idea he's also a novelist and theater guy. He likes dogs and scotch because of course he does.

Makaryk's new novel is Lionhearts (the second installment in the Nottingham series).

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I think most people are familiar with King Richard the Lionheart, but the plural Lionhearts opens it up to a bit of intrigue. Just like I’ve done with many Robin Hood tropes in the previous book, this book deconstructs the trope of King Richard swooping in to save the day, and takes a hard look at what it takes for a person to call themselves a “Lionheart.” It’s also a hopeful and uplifting word … and then halfway through the book, an entirely new definition comes into play which hopefully changes the reader’s take on what the title actually means.

What's in a name?

Well, many of my character names are dictated by Robin Hood folklore or by history, so sometimes my job is just to create nicknames to distract you from the fact that almost everyone in Medieval England was named “William”! Other than that, I’m a fan of shortening archaic medieval names to something more accessible: I have a fussy, educated man named Quillen who goes by Quill, and an enraged, grieving father named Beneger, who goes by Ben. I think short names or nicknames help a modern reader feel a bit more personally connected to each character, and I prefer them to historically accurate names like “Æthelred.”

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

He’d simply be shocked that it exists at all! I grew up loving books but I always assumed you had to dedicate your life to “becoming a writer” to get published. It wasn’t until a friend of mine published a book that I realized, “Wait, we’re allowed to do that?” Don’t get me wrong, it still took years of hard work – but it’s possible to accomplish it “on the side” without going to some theoretical Writer University to get your Official Writer Degree.

 Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Oh I’ve never changed either. I can’t fathom writing a book if I don’t have a specific story I want to tell, and that means knowing exactly where it starts, how it ends, and each of the critical tentpole events in between. I’m definitely not a “pantser”, who feels it out as they go. For me, it’s only the connective tissue that ever changes: finding stronger ways to get from point A to point B, or adding obstacles to raise the stakes. Frankly, the idea of “alternate endings” in movies drives me crazy: if the plot and recurring themes aren’t all driving towards a specific, poignant conclusion, then what was the point in telling the story?

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I think every author puts pieces of themselves into the main characters, even if it’s something small. For me, most of my characters are fairly analytical, and make their decisions based on logic rather than those pesky emotion things. In fact, I’ve found the best way to send the plot off the rails is to let a character react emotionally instead of rationally, which introduces all the twists and turns you need to make obstacles for your characters.

 What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I get most of my inspiration from things I hate, so it would be ungentlemanly of me to list them here. Particularly in movies, when I see plot holes or unrealistic twists, it just sets my mind churning on how to improve that story and what the ramifications would be if the storytellers actually abided by their own rules. That’s why I like to deconstruct tropes and stereotypes in stories like Robin Hood, and build a new version that’s familiar but far more realistic.
Visit Nathan Makaryk's website.

The Page 69 Test: Lionhearts.

My Book, The Movie: Lionhearts.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Marjorie Agosin

Marjorie Agosín is the Pura Belpré Award–winning author of I Lived on Butterfly Hill. Raised in Chile, her family moved to the United States to escape the horrors of the Pinochet takeover of their country. She has received the Letras de Oro Prize for her poetry, and her writings about—and humanitarian work for—women in Chile have been the focus of feature articles in the New York Times, The Christian Science Monitor, and Ms. magazine. She has also won the Latino Literature Prize for her poetry. She is a Spanish professor at Wellesley College.

Agosin's new novel is The Maps of Memory: Return to Butterfly Hill.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title of this book is the heart of the story; it came later to me, when the narrative was done. The characters of the book have created maps of the places their disappeared classmates lived. Each map becomes a memory of a lost life due to political upheavals. To create a cartography of a life is also to create a memory.

The editor liked this title. This collection is part of a series, and the first book is titled I Lived on Butterfly Hill, so we added a subtitle after The Maps of Memory: Return to Butterfly Hill. I love titles and I always give them as gifts to our fellow writers so this came as if it just happened. I am sure the unconscious plays a central part of a title but this one simply came and it is the perfect one.

Chile is a very long and thin country and everyone says, Oh yes Chile I have seen it in a map. This title evokes the story of a young adult involved in very brutal times, when a Dictator took over the nation and made those that did not think like him to simply disappear. The Maps of Memory wants to honor those that vanished and those who had ideals and wanted to create a better nation specially for those marginalized by the very wealthy.

What's in a name?

I gave the name Celeste to my character. It's beautiful in many languages but I love that Celeste also means sky or celestial and she is a dreamer and always gazes at the Chilean sky, one of the most pure and beautiful skies of our planet. The other characters are named after real people in my family, like my mother Frida. Celeste's grandmother is named Frida and Celeste's nana is named Delfina for my own nana that raised me.

The other name that is important to remember is Esmeralda, from Emerald like the stone. I did not know that Esmeralda would be the central part of the novel. A torture ship used by Pinochet forces is called La Esmeralda.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would love the story and be surprised that so much is happening and that the novel moves fast.

I am a poet and poetry reads slowly but my teen age self would read it all at once. I mean without skipping a beat ... and this is also part of the adventuresome spirit of the novel.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

For me it is always the beginning as it sets the tone of the story. It was hard to find the beginning, as each chapter felt like a beginning but my editor helped me find the right one. It begins with Celeste's mother looking at the ship where she was captive, La Esmeralda, and I knew this is how this novel had to begin.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I see a lot of myself in this novel. Celeste is a poet and a dreamer but she is more courageous than me and dares to do a lot, like looking for her parents and her friend who disappeared. I am also a doer but in a quieter way. Celeste is a young girl of action and deeply engaged with history and the world around her... but her longings and her love of the Spanish language and love of the country she left are very much my own emotions.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I have been inspired by world literature and world history and politics. I see that all of our shared humanity longs for freedom and dictators always leave. I am also inspired by Chile, a country of poignant beauty and was able to write about Chiloe, an island in the south of Chile where much of the story takes place. I am also inspired by the life of my family who fled the Holocaust and made Chile their home. Their courage has made me want to tell this story.
Learn more about The Maps of Memory: Return to Butterfly Hill.

--Marshal Zeringue

Friday, September 25, 2020

Margaret Mizushima

Margaret Mizushima is the author of the award-winning and internationally published Timber Creek K-9 Mysteries. She serves as president for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, was elected the 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and is also a member of Northern Colorado Writers, Sisters in Crime, and Women Writing the West. She lives in Colorado on a small ranch with her veterinarian husband where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals.

Mizushima's latest novel is Hanging Falls.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

Hanging Falls, the title of the sixth Timber Creek K-9 Mystery, is all about setting, and from page one it’s meant to move the reader right up a mountain trail along with Deputy Mattie Cobb, the book’s protagonist. At the end of that trail lies a pristine lake, a sparkling jewel sheltered by mountain peaks and fed by a waterfall carrying runoff from rain and melting snowfields. Unfortunately, the serenity of the setting is shattered when Mattie and her K-9 partner discover a body snagged within the boughs of a felled pine floating at the edge of the lake.

In 2015 my editor and I discussed the title of my first book in the series, Killing Trail, and we decided that each future book title would follow that same convention. Oh boy, with that decision our work was cut out for us. As the years go by, each book requires I brainstorm several titles to submit to my publishing team, and then we decide which one best fits the heart of the story. But coming up with Hanging Falls was different. I thought of the title first, and then wrote the book. By the time I finished, I knew it was the only title I could even consider, and the publishing team agreed.

What's in a name?

My series is set in a small fictional town in Colorado, and I wanted my protagonists’ names to have a western ring to them. In the case of lead protagonist Deputy Mattie Cobb, the name Mattie was inspired by one of my high school classmates, and I felt that the surname Cobb had a western flair.

My other protagonist, Cole Walker, is a veterinarian who serves the small community, takes care of Mattie’s K-9 partner Robo, and often becomes involved in helping solve a murder that’s presented in each book. Again, I chose the name because it sounded western to me, but I was later surprised to learn that in real life, a man with this same name once worked as a deputy in my small hometown, which sits at the northern end of the San Luis Valley in Colorado.

And last but not least is my dog character’s name Robo. A friend of mine worked as a K-9 officer and trainer before her retirement, and she had a German shepherd partner named Robo. She told me many stories of her dog’s prowess, which inspired the skillset of my character, and I ended up gaining her permission to use his name in the story.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would be very surprised at the fact that I write novels. I grew up on cattle ranches, first in Texas and then in Colorado, so cattle, horses, dogs, and cats were always a part of my life. I thought I would pursue a career related to animal husbandry, but ended up studying speech pathology instead, a choice I didn’t see coming until my senior year of high school.

I eventually married a veterinarian, and animals continued to be an integral part of my life. All of my experiences influence my books, including my infatuation with mystery reading as a child. And of course, my husband’s work inspired my veterinarian protagonist, Cole Walker, although all of this was part of the great unknown when I was a teen.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Endings are by far the hardest for me to write. My books each contain multiple layers—my character arcs for the individual story and the entire series, the murder investigation, subplots that tie into both the character arcs and the murder case, work that Cole Walker has to do that will tie into the investigation, leads that Mattie and Robo must uncover, and above all action and suspense. By the time the plot unravels and I reach the end of the book, all of these plot strings must come together. Sometimes I find myself reaching for the dangling ends, and I can’t quite grab them. Figuring out how to do so generates many a sleepless night.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

My characters are not like me, though I see parts of them in the people who inspired them. Mattie Cobb is spunky and courageous, but she is troubled by repressed memories of childhood abuse, thankfully something I never experienced. My work as a speech therapist often exposed me to abusive family situations and trauma though, giving me insight into symptoms and treatment for this type of problem.

My veterinarian husband inspired Cole Walker, and—though it’s a secret—Cole just might have some of the same personality traits. Both care a lot about their families and animals and are often torn between the time required to run a busy veterinary practice and taking the time needed to be a good dad to their children. I love creating issues for Cole that force him to make these choices.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

My life experiences influence my writing the most. From the rural life I’ve led focused on animal care and agriculture to my love for the high country of Colorado to specific experiences such as dog training in obedience and search and rescue, I feel like I’ve prepared to write this series my entire life. And Hanging Falls is no exception. I loved writing this particular book, and I hope readers enjoy it as much as I do.
Visit Margaret Mizushima's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Margaret Mizushima & Hannah, Bertie, Lily and Tess.

Coffee with a Canine: Margaret Mizushima & Hannah.

My Book, The Movie: Hanging Falls.

The Page 69 Test: Hanging Falls.

--Marshal Zeringue

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Brian Freeman

Brian Freeman is an internationally and New York Times bestselling author of mystery and detective and psychological suspense novels, including Spilled Blood, which won the 2013 ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His books have been sold in forty-six countries and twenty-two languages and have appeared as main selections in the Literary Guild and the Book of the Month Club.

Freeman's new novel is Funeral for a Friend.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

In the early days, my working titles often changed by the time the books made it into print. Rachel's Body became Immoral. Vegas Baby became Stripped. In fact, I think I was on my fifth novel, The Burying Place, before a title stuck all the way through the publishing process. So I learned not to become too emotionally attached to them.

Honestly, working titles are probably more important for me than the reader. A title grounds me in the story. Some writers can stick “Untitled” or “Title to Follow” at the top of their manuscript and get going. Not me. I need to have a title to bring the project to life.

On the other hand, by the time a book appears in print, I’m really not sure the title does much to engage the reader with the story itself. It’s really just a tease – something interesting, dramatic, and mysterious to get the reader to pick up the book. It may or may not have anything to do with the plot.

But just to prove there’s always an exception to the rule, Funeral for a Friend is actually a very meaningful title for my new novel. As the reader gets toward the climax, it adds an element of anticipatory horror, as people wonder – Would he? Could he?

What's in a name?

Some names are meaningful. In the case of Jonathan Stride, for example, his name reflects that determined, step-by-step essence of his personality. On the other hand, other names simply feel right; they pop into your head and you simply know that’s the perfect name for a particular character. Or the names may come from some wild places. My hero Frost Easton takes his name from a highway sign in southwestern Minnesota!

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

This is the life I dreamed about as a teenager, but back then, I couldn’t have imagined the depth or challenge of the writer’s life. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done before, yet it’s also the most rewarding. It’s all-consuming to the point that I would love to have a little more distance from it sometimes (which rarely happens), but I also find it creatively energizing. For example, I wrote Funeral for a Friend simultaneously with The Bourne Evolution (my first Jason Bourne book for the Robert Ludlum estate). That’s a combination of circumstances even my teenage self would have had a hard time believing!

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Beginnings are always harder. The first third of a novel is the most intense and demanding, because you have to get to know the story and the characters. It’s a little easier with a series book like Funeral for a Friend, because I already know the main characters so well. But regardless, it takes time for a new story to wrap itself around your brain and take on a momentum of its own. Once the story and characters have come to life on the page, then it all goes much faster. My endings don’t change much, but I’m constantly editing and tweaking the early chapters.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Oh, I think there’s a little bit of me in every character I create – something that should probably make my readers very nervous! On the other hand, there’s a little bit of the reader in every character, too. I deliberately paint my characters in watercolors, providing just enough detail to seed your imagination so that you can build out the rest of that person in your mind. I think that helps create an emotional attachment between the reader and the characters. That’s why, when a reader asked me if I would recognize Jonathan Stride if I met him on the street, I said no – but I bet you would.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Inspiration comes from so many different places. Sometimes it’s just opening up the newspaper. Readers delving into Funeral for a Friend will certainly see some “ripped from the headlines” elements that were inspired by current events. Usually, I’ll twist those events around to make you think about all the complexities and shades of gray we face in difficult issues. Other times, locations will suggest stories, too. There’s an area in Duluth on the Lester River called The Deeps, where kids often dive and swim. Unfortunately, after heavy rains, the undertow can be incredibly dangerous. It’s a beautiful, treacherous area – and simply seeing it made me want to set scenes there, which I did in this book.
Visit Brian Freeman's official website and follow him on Facebook.

--Marshal Zeringue

Monday, September 21, 2020

Jenny Milchman

Jenny Milchman is the USA Today bestselling Mary Higgins Clark award winning author of five psychological thrillers, including Wicked River and The Second Mother.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

Oh, how I hope the title takes readers into the story! We struggled with it like crazy, and the original title was completely different. It was the name of the island where The Second Mother is set.

My editor pointed out that all of my previous titles concern nature, setting, weather, and that while those are elements in my work, they miss a psychological dimension that is also there.

When The Second Mother came to me, it was like a jab to the skin. I hope it opens up all sorts of mysterious questions in the reader’s mind. What is meant by the “second” mother? Who will she turn out to be in the book? Is there a “first” mother? And if so, what happened to her?

The Second Mother is about the mystery of how families are made—and undone.

What's in a name?

The most straightforward answer to this is to talk about Callum McCarthy, the warm, fierce, tormented Irish immigrant with whom my heroine starts to fall in love. Callum’s last name was chosen by a reader who won a contest and wanted to memorialize a lost friend.

But a slightly deeper answer would be to talk about the sheriff, Tim Lurcquer, who lives far away but drops in on the novel at key points, wise and observing, and who offers one tip that sends the novel reeling in a new direction—and the right one—at a necessary time.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

Could we make the teenage me just a tad older—early twenties? Because in that case, not surprised at all. The Second Mother is about a woman who accepts a post as teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island off the coast of Maine—and at that age, I was considering applying for such a position.

Teenage me would be surprised, shocked, stunned that I’m a published novelist. Dreams—even unvoiced ones—really do come true.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I loved writing the beginning of The Second Mother. It’s the business-as-usual part—the calm before Julie upends her whole life and moves to Mercy Island. And Julie’s life is going so dreadfully badly—things just have to change. I loved seeing her prepare, pack everything up, anticipate her fresh start. She has no idea that even the freshest of new starts can turn rotten.

But I loved writing the ending even more. Because out of all those bad things comes, finally, triumph—and it was so much fun to watch Julie fight her way to victory.

I fear I didn’t answer your question exactly. But hopefully I did make readers want to learn who my heroine has to defeat—and how she does it.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

They’re stronger than I am. But they’re all outsiders like me. They’re who I would be in my wildest dreams of battle. They’re my role models, my inspiration, and my heroes. They’re who I hope I would be if I had to.
Learn more about the book and author at Jenny Milchman's website.

My Book, The Movie: The Second Mother.

The Page 69 Test: The Second Mother.

--Marshal Zeringue

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Marieke Nijkamp

photo credit: Karin Nijkamp
Marieke Nijkamp is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of YA novels, graphic novels, and comics, including This Is Where It Ends, Even If We Break, and The Oracle Code. Her short stories can be found in several anthologies. Nijkamp is a storyteller, dreamer, globe-trotter, and geek.

My Q&A with the author:
How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I’m fairly good at titling short stories, but my novel titles are rarely mine alone. In this case, the working title for the book was All The Darkest Parts Of Us. And it’s true enough—it’s a story about a group of teens who go to a cabin in the woods one last time to play the RPG that bound them, only for their game to turn deadly, with their secrets threatening to break them.

But it’s not just a thriller about secrets, self-discovery, and growing up. It’s also what happens when friendships start to fragment and all those hairline fractures none of the characters wanted to acknowledge, grow.

Hence, Even If We Break. With much gratitude to my editor, who is wonderful at taking snippets from the book and turning them into spectacular titles.

What's in a name?

I love naming characters, and I spend far too much time on name meaning websites. I’m not always looking for names with specific meanings (though there is that too), but I also try to make sure the names fit together. That they don’t all sound alike, for example.

In this case, there are the characters’ names, but also the names they use for the characters they play. To make sure that didn’t get confusing, name and character name all start with the same letter. So Finn plays Feather, Liva plays Lente, and so on.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

Only surprised that it’s a whole lot more contemporary than what I read at the time. I read so much fantasy. (I still do.) But I also was an avid roleplayer, so the RPG part wouldn’t surprise teen!me in the slightest.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Quite a few of the characters here have bits and pieces of me. For example: Ever, the game master, is nonbinary, like I am. Maddy is autistic, and I am too. It was important to me to have that representation in the book, because it’s sadly still too rare. And I’m really grateful that I got to explore those elements of identity here.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Music. Games. Playing RPGs with friends. Taking long walks outside. Things like that.
Visit Marieke Nijkamp's website.

The Page 69 Test: This Is Where It Ends.

The Page 69 Test: Before I Let Go.

--Marshal Zeringue

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Wendy Walker

Wendy Walker is the author of the psychological suspense novels All Is Not Forgotten, Emma In the Night, The Night Before and Don’t Look For Me. Her novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages and topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad. They have been selected by the Reese Witherspoon Book Club, The Today Show and The Book of the Month Club, and have been optioned for both television and film.

My Q&A with Walker:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The title does a lot of work highlighting the theme of the book and also the basic set-up for the plot. Molly Clarke disappears on a back road far from home. A note is found that says “Don’t look for me” and explains that she is leaving because she feels her family will be better off without her. When she is not found, the search is called off and she is presumed to have walked away from her life. But, of course, that is not the case. When taken alone, the title might not be quite as effective as it is. However, because my books fall squarely in the thriller genre, and when taken together with the book’s cover which depicts a woman running away from an approaching vehicle, the fact that this is a book about a missing woman is quickly conveyed.

What's in a name?

I spend a lot of time finding names for my characters, and even the towns and streets in the story. I keep a spreadsheet with names I’ve used in prior books so I don’t repeat them, and then I grab an old phone book (which has last names) and pull up a website with baby names for boys and girls. I then make a short list for each character. I think about the character’s personality and then try to match that with a name. What’s interesting about this process is that my visceral reaction to a name might be very different from another person’s because these reactions are based largely on people and characters we’ve encountered in real life. As the writer, I name characters that evoke the response in me because I have to stay true to the character throughout the story. If I can do that, the reader will come along with me for the ride!

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

The ending is the hardest to plot. There are high expectations with thrillers to create a great twist, and this is usually the starting point for me – how will it end? The beginning is much easier because I always use a “cold” start – placing the reader in the center of the action that is already taking place. My novels often span only a few days or weeks, even if the backstory is more developed as the action unfolds. For me, hooking the reader by pulling them right into the heart of the story is highly effective. I always know where to start once I know where it will all end!

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

My characters all have parts of me somewhere in them. I think it’s impossible to separate completely from a character, even one that is not at all like me. Everything we experience in our lives, people and situations and other stories in all forms, shape our perceptions of character traits, personalities, reactions, motivations and emotions. It’s a primal human trait and important to our ability to socialize and have relationships. Even when we are writing, we are drawing from our human experience. Some of my favorite characters are ones I am nothing like and are unlikable, period. In crafting them, I had to draw from characteristics that I find unappealing – and that necessarily draws from my own experiences throughout my life.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I am a huge consumer of streaming series, the darker the better. I am always watching out for twists and turns and characters that I’ve never seen before – and I think about how they add to the experience of the story. I truly believe that entertainment is as much about how a story is told as it is about the story itself. Turning to a different medium and experiencing story telling in that form helps to expand my thinking about how I might tell my own stories in written form.
Learn more about the author and her books at Wendy Walker's website.

The Page 69 Test: Four Wives.

The Page 99 Test: Social Lives.

The Page 69 Test: Don't Look for Me.

--Marshal Zeringue

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Ellen Byron

Ellen Byron is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Cajun Country Mysteries. The USA Today bestselling series has also won multiple Best Humorous Mystery Lefty awards from the Left Coast Crime conference. She also writes The Catering Hall Mysteries (under the pen name Maria DiRico), which launched with Here Comes the Body.

Byron’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. She’s written over 200 national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. She also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Byron lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and rescue chi mix, Pogo. She still misses her hometown - and still drives like a New York cabbie.

Byron's new novel is Murder in the Bayou Boneyard.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

The titles for my Cajun Country Mysteries have to accomplish three tasks: clue the reader in on the plot theme, have an element of suspense, and a hint of the Cajun Country location. Pulling off this hat trick isn’t easy and coming up with a title for this particular book was a struggle. The working drafts were titled Halloween Horreur, but I knew that would never fly because you can’t have a foreign word in a title, and “Horreur” is so close to “Horror” that people would assume it was a typo. I batted around title ideas with everyone. I have a list of at least thirty. My publisher finally stuck the landing with Murder in the Bayou Boneyard. The title is great because it relays to readers the book is a mystery set in Louisiana that somehow involves a cemetery. It also inspired a wonderful cover that brings home the storyline and amps up the atmosphere by adding the plot’s semi-abandoned mansion and the red eyes of a mythical creature called a rougarou, plus pumpkins and a dog in costume, which lets readers know the action takes place around Halloween.

What's in a name?

My protagonist’s full name is Magnolia Marie Crozat, although everyone calls her Maggie. I wanted her to have a name that evoked Louisiana, and Magnolia does that. Then I created a back story where Magnolia Marie was the name of a distant and admirable ancestor on Maggie’s mother’s side of the family. While Maggie has great respect for this ancestor, she is much more comfortable as a Maggie and not as a Magnolia. The dichotomy between the two names illustrates the conflict between the legacy she carries as the member of a storied Louisiana family and her rebellion against it as an artist who spent twelve years living in New York City. Maggie is not and will never be the stereotypical delicate Southern flower that her full name calls to mind.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teen self is the one who discovered Agatha Christie and read every mystery by Dame Agatha that she could get her hands on. I think she’d be thrilled that in the village of Pelican, I created the Louisiana equivalent of Miss Marple’s St. Mary Mead.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I’m a plotter, so I lay out a story with a lot of detail before I start writing. I find beginnings much harder because you really want to pull a reader into the story. If I don’t get the beginning right, it doesn’t matter how good the rest of the book is because the reader has already moved on. I get a rush when I nail the very first line and very first page. I put so much effort into this that – knock wood! – I have yet to get an editorial note on the first page of a manuscript. Those first pages have stayed the same from draft #1 to publication. Here’s the first line of Murder in the Bayou Boneyard. I couldn’t move on to write the rest of the book until I made it work: “It’s a good thing we lay our departed to rest above ground,” Gran whispered to Maggie, “Because if I sunk any further, I’d be standing on a coffin.”

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

I think it’s hard to write a protagonist who doesn’t reflect yourself in some way. Maggie and I share a lot of the same characteristics – strong-willed, stubborn, loving, acerbic – but I think she’s less of an extrovert than I am. Still, I often see myself when I write her. But here’s the interesting thing regarding the protagonist of my Catering Hall Mystery series, which I write under the pen name of Maria DiRico. Even though that series is totally inspired by my real life – Mia, my lead character, literally lives in my nonna’s old two-family home in Astoria, Queens – I don’t see myself when I write her. I see a combination of a close friend of mine and the actress Leah Remini.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

I’m influenced by Louisiana history, the news, and family – always family. That’s a running theme in everything I write – both the family you’re born with and the family you create through friends and workmates. A huge source of inspiration comes from another source. For years, I did a form of improvisation called Theatresports. It taught me how to collaborate, to say “yes” to offers, to ask myself, “What happens next?”, and to take chances. It was fantastic training for both my career and my personal life.
Visit Ellen Byron's website.

Coffee with a Canine: Ellen Byron & Wiley and Pogo.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Jennie Liu

Jennie Liu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Having been brought up with an ear to two cultures, she has been fascinated by the attitudes, social policies, and changes in China each time she visits. She lives in Western North Carolina with her husband and two young sons.

Liu's new novel is Like Spilled Water.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

Having a daughter is like spilled water is an old, well-known saying in China that refers to the notion that sons are more valuable than girls, because traditionally once a daughter was married, she became part of her husband’s family. Despite Like Spilled Water’s setting in modern China, the insidious hold of this worn-out idea is evident in Na’s family from the start when we find that her brother has died.

About your previous novel, Girls on the Line, you said both main characters were relatable to you. Is that true of Na, the protagonist of Like Spilled Water, too?

I wrote Na, who was raised in the countryside by her Grandma, to be somewhat naïve, which I can certainly relate to being at that age. My own overtired parents raised my siblings and me with benign neglect, but they kept us pretty sheltered and close to home outside of school hours. With five kids, they were far from being tiger parents, yet their unspoken authority over us at the time still bewilders me. Even though we were raised in the States, it’s like our obedience was written in our DNA. Writing LSW was partly an attempt to unpick that.

What would surprise American readers most about the social and cultural context of Like Spilled Water?

The pressure on the young people in China is enormous and can be traced much to the One Child Policy, its unintended consequences, and the country’s social policies. But like in any culture, when you’re raised and immersed in a certain way of life, it may be hard to see that there may be something to question, especially in such a collectivistic, authoritarian country like China.

What's the strongest link of Girls on the Line to Like Spilled Water?

GOTL is a story about what happened to two unadopted girls under the One Child Policy. When I was ready to start a new book, I wanted to do a retelling of one of my favorite novels, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, When I tried to configure a story set in the States, I quickly saw that direct retelling wasn’t going to work because I didn’t want to write a marriage story or a story that featured the lives of wealthy people. All the things I had learned about the One Child Policy from GOTL was fresh in my mind, and the image of my own girl cousin sprung to my mind—she was left-behind in the countryside to be raised by her grandma while her parents took her younger brother to the city. From there, the story took off, again with the fallout of the One Child Policy threading through.
Visit Jennie Liu's website.

My Book, The Movie: Girls on the Line.

The Page 69 Test: Girls on the Line.

Girls on the Line Q&A with Jennie Liu.

--Marshal Zeringue

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Kelly J. Baptist

Kelly J. Baptist was born and raised in the great state of Michigan. She’s lived in Alabama, Florida, and Minnesota, but somehow found herself right back in her home state. Baptist won the 2015 We Need Diverse Books short story contest, and her winning entry is included in the middle grade anthology, Flying Lessons and Other Stories. Her new novel, Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, is a follow-up to that story. Baptist also won the 2017 Lee and Low New Voices Honor Award for her picture book manuscript, The Electric Slide and Kai, which is scheduled for a September 2020 release.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I think both titles and covers have a huge responsibility for pulling readers into the story. They are the "first impressions" that are so important for potential readers who are quickly browsing for their next reading adventure. For me, I usually have a firm title before I begin writing the story, as I did with The Beans and Rice Chronicles of Isaiah Dunn, the prequel to this current work. In writing the follow-up, I didn't have a title when I started, but I knew I wanted Isaiah's name in the title again. As I thought about how resilient Isaiah was and how his late father wrote him as a superhero character, I wanted the title to be affirming and reflective of how I personally felt towards Isaiah and kids like him. Thus, the title Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero was so fitting. I got the title about halfway through writing and didn't consider anything else.

What's in a name?

A name is everything! Isaiah is a biblical name and means God Is Salvation, and while I didn't know that when I named my character, it matches with Isaiah's constant drive to help or save his family from the downward spiral he sees them on. Isaiah is a very strong name, which is fitting for a very strong kid. I gave his best friend the nickname Sneaky for two reasons: 1. He was a sneaky kid when he was little. When I was younger, my sister and I played a game called Sneaky Soldiers, where we would spy on people, preferably at big family gatherings. I wanted to honor that memory. 2. He's really into sneakers. There's another character, Angel, who, at the beginning of the novel, is absolutely nothing like her name. I wanted that contrast to be strong.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

I think my teenage reader self would be surprised that I was writing for children! But at the same time, my teenage reader self would've felt so excited to see the cover of this new novel and to read about such a relevant and moving story. As a teenager, I was very proud of my heritage and would've felt empowered to see this title.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

I find it harder to write endings. I've typically been a pantser, (ie, writing by the seat of my pants) so I'm used to allowing the story to take me somewhere that I may or may not know about. I have a general idea of how a story will end, but sometimes events in the story change the direction. I think the hardest part of writing endings is being so close to completing the work and feeling the anticipation and urge to just get it done! Very similar to childbirth, where you are tired of pushing and just want that baby out! With Isaiah, I originally wanted the story to take place over the course of a year. As I progressed through the story, however, I found that would've drawn things out unnecessarily and so I had to adjust my ending.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Yes, I do see myself sometimes in my characters. In Isaiah Dunn Is My Hero, I'm definitely like Sneaky when it comes to the candy hustle and saving my money for special purchases. I can also identify with Isaiah's mom and the tough task of grieving while still being responsible for kids and their needs. Isaiah's love of writing poetry also reminds me of myself when I was his age

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Hands down, Kobe Bryant. Not in terms of subject matter, but in how I approach writing. I take so much from his Mamba Mentality and the idea of striving to be better every single day. I have a small tattoo of his jerseys and name on the wrist of my writing hand and it serves as a reminder to push past writing (and life) obstacles and put my all in everything I write. Outside of God and family, Kobe has been my biggest inspiration.
Visit Kelly J. Baptist’s website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Gerald Elias

A graduate of Yale, Gerald Elias has been a Boston Symphony violinist, Associate Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony since 1988, Adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Utah, first violinist of the Abramyan String Quartet, and Music Director of the Vivaldi Candlelight concert series.

His novels include Devil's Trill, Danse Macabre, Death and the Maiden, Playing With Fire, and Spring Break.

Elias's new novel is The Beethoven Sequence.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

For The Beethoven Sequence, I took my cue from the master of the thriller, Robert Ludlum, he of The Bourne Identity and dozens of his other best sellers with a similar title structure. As a reader, when I see a title like that, I think, "Hmm, that's intriguing. I feel a secret conspiracy coming on, or an international plot, or power behind the throne lurking somewhere in the darkness. I wonder, "What that's all about?"

Of course, the title has to have an integral relationship to the story, whether it's the name of the main character or whatever device it is that functions as the drama's trigger. In the case of my book, the Beethoven Sequence is a musical construct that was created by the mentally imbalanced protagonist, Layton Stolz, whose obsession with Beethoven's vision of liberty is so perverted that in the end he becomes a monomaniacal despot. I hope the prospective reader will look at the title and say, "Ooh, The Beethoven Sequence. Now that sounds interesting!"

What's in a name?

As I write a book, I constantly change the names of the characters until I've settled on names that really fit their personalities. On occasion, I've sometimes confounded my editors when I've neglected to correct every one of the changes, and they write back saying, "Who the hell is so-and-so on page 168?" Whoops.

During a first draft, I often just plug in names as place holders, knowing that I'm going to change them. But that doesn't always happen. In my Daniel Jacobus mystery series, for instance, I took my son's name, Jacob Daniel, switched the order, and plugged it in. It stuck! Six books later, and it still works. Not that my son will ever forgive me.

For The Beethoven Sequence, here are the names of two of the main characters I eventually settled on, and why:

The protagonist: Layton Stolz. It's a blunt, working class name. Nothing poetic about it. What you see is what you get. Someone you wouldn't expect to get very far in the world. In a nod to Dickens, many of whose characters' names "sounded like" their personalities, someone with a strong imagination might construe "Layton Stolz" as sounding like "Latent Dolts." In any case, you can tell that for someone with a name like Layton Stolz to become president of the US, there would inevitably be a mountain of challenges to climb.

Stolz's loyal assistant: Ann Smith. I couldn't think of a plainer name. (Apologies to all those beautiful Ann Smith's out there.) The tragedy of Ann Smith is that she has no personality of her own, and the only way for her to find meaning in life is to attach herself to Stolz like a barnacle to a killer whale. It's only at the bitter end that she realizes the horror of her choice and the emptiness of her life.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

I recall reading Nineteen Eighty-Four as a teenager (long before 1984 and not long after Joe McCarthy) and thinking, "Oh, my God, this is so horrifying because it's so plausible!" and counting the years left until we reached the title's doomsday date. Because Orwell's literary approach was so rooted in the here-and-now and so mundane it made the terror of Big Brother eminently believable. For years, I looked over my shoulder everywhere I went (and am starting to again).

With The Beethoven Sequence, with its own dystopian direction, my teenage reader self would be asking the questions, "Can this really happen? Can a deranged political outsider with no experience in governing really become president? Can someone in that position consolidate his power, eliminate his enemies, and destroy democracy while purporting to defend it?"

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Typically, my books start with a central idea and a rough plot outline, but I allow myself the latitude for that idea to morph into something substantially different or bigger. For The Beethoven Sequence the initial idea was: What could the potential ramifications be if the extraordinarily popular Suzuki Method of violin playing were given an injection of super-steroids? The book actually started out as a short story, but as I developed the characters, I found I had no choice but to expand it into a full-fledged thriller.

As I always do, I sketched a basic plot, Point A through Point Z with some stops in between, but as I got to know the characters more and as the complexities of the story began to reveal themselves, both ends of the book evolved, especially the ending.I hope I will have convinced the readers that the ending seems inevitable. But it certainly didn't start that way!

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

As my Daniel Jacobus mystery series takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world, I’ve seen the world from many of my characters’ perspectives, so I find a little bit of myself in many of them, even the villains. One time, giving a talk at a bookstore, I introduced Jacobus as "a blind, curmudgeonly, over-the-hill violin teacher," upon which the bookstore manager quipped, "Does that mean, Jerry, that the book is autobiographical?" Before I could reply, he corrected himself. "Oh, of course not. You're not blind."

There's no possibility I'll fall into that trap with The Beethoven Sequence, in which all the characters are totally the products of my decidedly macabre imagination and of reading the daily headlines.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Call it prescience rather than inspiration, but believe it or not, I really did write much of this book before the current administration in Washington.
Learn more about the book and author at Gerald Elias's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Beethoven Sequence.

--Marshal Zeringue

Monday, September 7, 2020

Sarah Warburton

Sarah Warburton is the oldest of four sisters, raised in Virginia, and an avid reader and knitter. She has a B.A. in Latin from the College of William and Mary, an M.A. in classics from the University of Georgia and another from Brown. Warburton has worked at independent bookstores--Page One Books in Albuquerque and Books on the Square in Providence--and spent ten years as a writer, which led her to become lead editor for UpClose Magazine. Her short story "Margaret's Magnolia" appeared in Southern Arts Journal, and her Pushcart prize nominated story "Survival English" appeared in Oyster River Page. Now she lives with her family--husband, son, daughter, and hound dog--in the mountains of Southwestern Virginia.

Warburton's new novel is Once Two Sisters.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I chose Once Two Sisters because it felt like the beginning of a fairy tale. Right away you know that these two sisters are different, and that is the seed of the story. The older sister, Ava, used to tell stories to her younger sister Ava, and as an adult and best-selling novelist, she mined Zoe’s life for her plots. Ava is controlled, successful, and cerebral. Zoe is bold, reckless, and passionate. Each sister measures herself against the other. Also Once Two Sisters is only a half step away from Once Upon a Time, and throughout the novel Ava continues to use the storytelling technique as a coping mechanism. I hope that in addition to setting up the conflict, Once Two Sisters also hints at the promise of a happily-ever-after.

What's in a name?

I think Zoe answers this one best: “Two are always in opposition—good and bad, oldest and youngest, smart and dumb, black and white—and with names like Ava and Zoe, it was obvious we were the alpha and omega, the only two our parents intended to have.”

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

My teenage self would be surprised it took so long! Seriously, even as a teenager I read crime novels and thrillers, graduating from Lois Duncan and Agatha Christie to Barbara Michaels, Daphne DuMaurier, Stephen King and Ed McBain. I spent hours in the library, running my hands over the stacks, pulling out whatever caught my interest. I hope that my teenage self would open up Once Two Sisters, glance at the first page, and be hooked.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

The beginning of this book was so clear to me, like I could hear Zoe whispering in my ear. But when I submitted the first chapter to Embark Literary Journal (which only publishes first chapters) I didn’t even have the ending completely written. I knew where the story was going, but it took a long weekend with my writing group and a lot of queso and chips for me to write all the way to “The End.” And even after that I did plenty of revisions to get it where I wanted it.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

My sisters would laugh at this, but they are definitely a huge source of inspiration. As the oldest of four, I really think our families are the people we know the best, and yet because we think we know them so well, we can mischaracterize or just plan misunderstand huge parts of their lives. And I also find music hugely inspirational. While I was writing Once Two Sisters, I listened to First Aid Kit, a Swedish folk duo made up of two sisters, music from the television show Good Girls to pump myself up, and a playlist I created called “Creepy” with songs by Rasputina, Freedy Johnson, and Neko Case to get in the right frame of mind for the missile silo scenes.
Visit Sarah Warburton's website.

My Book, The Movie: Once Two Sisters.

--Marshal Zeringue

Saturday, September 5, 2020

Teri Bailey Black

Teri Bailey Black grew up near the beach in Southern California in a large, quirky family with no television or junk food, but an abundance of books and art supplies. She’s happiest when she’s creating things, whether it’s with words, fabric, or digging in the garden. She makes an amazing chocolate cherry cake—frequently. She and her husband have four children and live in Orange County, California.

Black's new novel is Chasing Starlight.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

For a year, this book didn’t have a title as I waited for the right words to pop into my head. You know, that perfect little phrase that explained to readers that this is a murder mystery set in Old Hollywood, with a main character inspired by Katharine Hepburn and Nancy Drew; a mansion filled with quirky, aspiring actors; a gangster subplot; the inner workings of a movie studio; and romance.

Then cover design started and I needed a title fast. I frantically scribbled ideas in a notebook. At first, I wanted something a bit obscure and literary. Maybe ... The Luminosity of Stars? My publisher (wisely) wanted something more sellable.

Since my main character is an aspiring astronomer, I thought it would be fun to play off the double meaning of stars—both the glamorous type and heavenly. I wrote down every star-related phrase I could think of, but nothing felt right—until I wrote down Chasing Starlight and knew it was perfect. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t thought of it sooner. But isn’t that always the way with good ideas?

What's in a name?

My main character was inspired by Katherine Hepburn—a smart, no-nonsense, say-it-like-it-is girl, who’s trying to remain sensible as she’s caught up in the allure of Hollywood and a murder mystery. I named her Katherine Hildebrand, and she went by Kate.

As the story evolved, I realized something significant happened to her four years ago, which changed how she felt about herself. In my second draft, she was called Kitty as a child (when she felt safe and loved) and changed it to Kate after that significant event. Now, whenever someone calls her Kitty, she quickly corrects them; she’s Kate now (a name of hard edges, as she points).

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

Not surprised. Growing up, I wrote prolifically from every genre: historical, contemporary, high fantasy, Regency romance, detective stories.

My first published novel, Girl at the Grave, happened to be a Gothic murder mystery set in the 1800’s, so when I set out to write a second book for the same publisher, I imagined a similar historical setting. But I wanted it set in my home state of California, and life was still very wild west in the 1800’s. I hadn’t planned on writing a western.

I wracked my brain for an interesting time and place in California’s history -- hit upon Old Hollywood and got very excited. My grandfather worked at the MGM Motion Picture Studio as a propmaker for thirty years, so I felt a personal connection.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

Endings are easy, because I know my characters and story so well by then. But beginnings are the fun stuff. Those first few chapters have no boundaries, with ideas pouring in—an intriguing situation, interesting characters, an atmospheric setting. I can change anything without having to rewrite an entire manuscript.

The muddy middle is the hard part, when I have to figure out what all these interesting people are supposed to be doing. At that point, I stop and outline the entire plot (loosely), and then start over at chapter one, with a better idea of where I’m going.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

Kate Hildebrand is a lot like me. More sensible than emotional. Organized. I laughed as I wrote one of my own pet peeves into her dialogue: a sign-up clipboard passed around a large meeting, nobody knows which way to pass it, so an entire section of the room gets
missed. For Kate’s perfectionist traits, I looked to my daughter, who writes daily lists and checks the weather forecast every night so she can plan what to wear the next day. (I write lists but tend to ignore them.)

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

As I started writing, I set out to watch a few old films to learn about movie making in the 1930's—and quickly became an obsessive fan, my TV airing a nonstop stream of black-and-white singing, dancing, and snappy dialogue.

Everyone should do themselves a favor and watch To Have and Have Not, Stage Door, The Big Sleep, The More the Merrier, and His Girl Friday. (I could go on.)

I’ll add a warning: Vintage films are often sexist and racist. In a strange way, it’s so blatant, it actually showcases how ignorant and abhorrent those attitudes are. Old movies are history lessons as well as entertainment, and sometimes that history shows its ugly side.
Visit Teri Bailey Black's website.

The Page 69 Test: Chasing Starlight.

--Marshal Zeringue

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Alexandra Joel

Alexandra Joel is a former editor of the Australian edition of Harper's Bazaar and of Portfolio, Australia's first magazine for working women. While occupying a number of other executive positions in the media industry she also contributed feature articles, interviews and reviews to national and metropolitan publications. She is the author of Parade: The Story of Fashion in Australia and Best Dressed: 200 Years of Fashion in Australia. Both detail the development of fashion, style and national identity. Her recent book, Rosetta: A Scandalous True Story, has been optioned for the screen by a major US-owned production company.

With an honours degree from the University of Sydney and a graduate diploma from the Australian College of Applied Psychology, Joel has also been a practising counsellor and psychotherapist. She has two children and lives in Sydney with her husband. She is a keen student of art, fashion, history and politics and is exceedingly fond of Paris.

The Paris Model is Joel's debut novel.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

I knew immediately that my book’s title had to be The Paris Model. It evoked both the setting and the fabulous, high fashion world inhabited by my heroine. Fortunately, my publisher agreed!

Although the title takes the reader straight into the story, the book also depicts the early life of Grace Woods, who was raised on a vast sheep and wheat ranch in country Australia. Only after making a shocking discovery does she flee to glamorous post-war Paris in order to solve the mystery of her true identity.

Having become a model for the newly famous couturier, Christian Dior, Grace begins a complicated romance with the mysterious Philippe Boyer. As she is drawn into his dangerous world of international espionage, she not only discovers the dramatic truth of her origins, but also the meaning of bravery, loss and the enduring love between a parent and child.

What’s in a name?

As The Paris Model is inspired by a real person, I used her actual name, Grace Woods. I should add here that readers will discover there is more to her name than either they – or she – might first have thought.

The names of Grace’s parents are also real, as of course are the many fascinating individuals she encounters in Paris, including Pablo Picasso, Rita Hayworth, Julia Child and Jacqueline Bouvier, the future Jackie Kennedy Onassis.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your novel?

I would have been stunned, mainly because I loved books so much and was so in awe of novelists I never dreamt I could actually be one myself.

Do you find it harder to write beginnings or endings? Which do you change more?

The start of the book is so much harder to nail down than the end. My beginnings never finish up being the beginning, because I always seem to jump into the issue or turning point that matters most to my leading character. However, as readers need to know much more before I make this sort of revelation, those passages inevitably end up being relocated somewhere else in the manuscript.

Endings are quite different. I find they come easily because by then I have lived my characters’ lives with such intensity that I just know how their story will conclude.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality or are they a world apart?

I really enjoy writing about strong, courageous women who tackle significant challenges – personally, professionally and even physically – though I’m not sure I’m as brave as any of my heroines.

I suppose that all my characters reflect some aspect of me, even the reprehensible ones, though it’s certainly a more hidden, darker side. They also reveal my fantasies: when it comes to one of my leading ladies I frequently think, ‘I want her life!’

Luckily for me, via writing, I’m able to walk in the footsteps of every one of my complex characters.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

History, travel, films, art… the list goes on, for you never know what will be the spark that sets you off on your next writing adventure.

When it comes to inspiring people, my father was a wonderful storyteller with an incredible imagination. To this day I can hear his voice conjuring imaginary worlds with verve and commitment. I hope I capture that vivid quality in my writing.

My mother was a very successful model, so I grew up seeing her swishing about looking incredibly stylish. Perhaps that’s one of the reasons I always include fashion in my books, not just because of the sheer glamour but also because clothes say so much about an individual’s personality and the era in which someone lived. This is particularly important for a novelist like me who writes historical fiction. Another huge influence has been my two earlier careers, the first in journalism and the second as a psychotherapist. I have had the privilege of sitting in rooms with countless individuals, asking them questions and listening to their stories. There could be no greater inspiration for a writer.
Visit Alexandra Joel's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Rosanne Parry

Rosanne Parry is the author of the many award winning novels including Heart of a Shepherd, Last of the Name and A Wolf Called Wander which has spent more than 40 weeks on the New York Times best seller list. Her new novel is A Whale of the Wild. Parry and her family live in an old farmhouse in Portland, Oregon. She writes in a tree house in her back yard.

My Q&A with the author:

How much work does your title do to take readers into the story?

Titles are hard, and A Whale of the Wild, had extra work to do. It is a companion novel to last year’s A Wolf Called Wander which has spent 40+ weeks on the NYT best seller list, so the title needed to be similar. And the wolf book sold a dozen translations, so we needed to pick a title easy to translate.

I had hoped to work the word “orca” into the title because my story is told from the point of view of a sister and brother orca in the Salish Sea, but we went with “whale” in the end because it’s more familiar in Europe and Asia.

I had also hoped to work in the word “journey” because the orcas travel from the San Juan Islands near the US Canadian border out to the open Pacific and back again to the Puget Sound south of Seattle all in search of their family and the salmon they need to eat.

In the end we went with “wild” because one of my primary reasons for writing from the point of view of an animal is to help young readers feel a connection—a sense of kinship—with the wild places of America.

What's in a name?

I’m always checking shop employee name tags for a good character name!

But with my orca characters I didn’t want to use conventional human names because names have historic and ethnic connotations I was hoping to avoid. Also the 70+ members of the Southern Resident Killer Whale community who inspired this book all have names I didn’t want to use because the book is not based on any particular orca.

In the end I chose to name all my characters with the names of stars. The matriarchs of the group are named for the brightest stars in the northern hemisphere. My main characters are named Vega and Deneb for the main stars in the summer triangle. The big males in the group are named for Rigel and Anteres after the supergiant stars. I like how those names confer a sense of dignity and timelessness.

How surprised would your teenage reader self be by your new novel?

My teenaged self would be shocked I chose to write for a living at all. I hated writing in school. I’m a terrible speller and when I was a teen I just assumed it meant I was a bad writer. What a relief to learn that the making up things part is really the most important bit when you are the writer. And cheers to my heroically patient editor and overworked copy editor for making my pages more correct than I could make them on my own.

Do you see much of yourself in your characters? Do they have any connection to your personality, or are they a world apart?

One of my greatest assets as a writer for young readers is my enormous family. I have lots of nieces and nephews some of whom now have kids of their own, so there’s always a middle grade aged reader in my life.

My main character Vega is an oldest child, she’s going to be the way finder of her family some day and that responsibility weighs heavily on her. So when I write from Vega’s point of view I am thinking about all the matriarchs-in-the-making in my own family—those girls who are such strivers, brilliant competitors, so caring, but also who worry and second guess more than they probably should.

Deneb is a younger brother and for him I’m channeling those boys with big sisters in my life who are big-hearted, funny, brave, and trying so hard to be a man among the men of our family. Even when they make a mistake, they are trying to do right.

What non-literary inspirations have influenced your writing?

Research is really one of my favorite parts of the writing process and so I relied a lot on the scientists who work on cetaceans in the Salish Sea for information that helped shape the events of the plot. I’m grateful to the Center for Whale Research and The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor and the Sea Doc Society on Orcas Island.

I’ve also learned a lot from the many Indian Nations of the Salish Sea who have thousands of years of history living side by side with orcas. They have also done much to support healthy rivers and remove dams in order to restore the salmon runs both orcas and Indians need to survive.
Visit Rosanne Parry's website.

--Marshal Zeringue