Jennifer K. Lafferty's Blog: Authors' Musings, page 11
May 26, 2012
Interview with Author Marianne Petrino
Whether it’s an urban, metaphysical chick lit like “Coffee with Thunderbolts” or a memoir about her adventurous trip to Sicily -- "Full Tank & No Damage: Three on a Sicilian Odyssey" -- an afternoon spent with one of Marianne Petrino’s books is sure to be entertaining.
Let’s here what Marianne, herself has to say about her varied and colorful work.
Q: Do you have one main source for inspiration; if so, what inspires you most?
A: Everything in life inspires me and finds its way both into my writing and any creative activity I enjoy. Just getting out of bed to face another day filled with the unknown is a daily, human, heroic act worthy of documentation. Our days make for interesting chapters.
Q: Do you enjoy the actual writing process? What is your favorite part of writing?
A: I suppose I do enjoy writing because, starting with my Thundercats fan fiction, I have been writing in one form or another with regularity since around 1989. I don't continue with activities that are devoid of pleasure. (My life is strewn with my rejects, sad to say). Constructing the first sentence in any piece of writing is terrifying and exhilarating, a natural high.
My favorite part of writing is reading something I wrote some time back and wondering who the person was who wrote that piece. The first time that happened to me, I had to admit to myself that I was actually a writer. Reading older pieces always makes me reflect on my life and is an experience I value.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with "Coffee with Thunderbolts"?
A: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" was my first attempt at writing a novel that was completely of my own creation. In the past, I had written serial Thundercats fan fiction. I took on this challenge during the 2010 National Novel Writing Contest. During the month of November, you had to write a 50,000 word novel. I wanted to see if I could do it (the accomplishment). I knew that if I could do this, I could write a travel book documenting my trip to Sicily with my mother and my husband. The book was also a means to an end in learning how to self-publish a novel.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with "Full Tank & No Damage: Three on a Sicilian Odyssey"?
A: My mother has had a difficult life because her mother had one, and that fact has colored my life too. I wanted to take her to the village in Sicily where her mother had been born. In doing so, it brought the story full circle and gave her family bragging rights. She did something no one else in the family had been able to do since the early 1900s: return to Sicily. One way to defeat her initial resistance to going was to promise her that I would write a book about our experience. For myself, I also wanted to give my mother immortality by weaving her story into the book.
Q: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" is a fantasy with a spiritual side to it. Did you set out to write a book with a strong sense of spirituality?
A: The "spirituality" in "Coffee with Thunderbolts" just came naturally from me. I could have written a story about a girl finding a goldfish in a bowl on a city street, and it would still be loaded with "myth and magic", just like my fan fiction. It is all because I am a sensitive and come from an Italian culture that is comfortable with unseen messengers, the value of dreams and knowing through tarot, ritual, or some other means.
Q: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" is extremely imaginative. Is fantasy your preferred genre?
A: When you are a sensitive, your life can be a fantasy. Since everything I have written, even my travel book, has the fantastical supernatural in it, I would have to say that fantasy must be my preferred genre in every way. It is something I never really thought about before you asked.
Q: Many authors would find it overwhelming to even attempt any kind of metaphysical book. Did it come naturally to you?
A: It came very naturally. The gurus of writing say, "Write what you know." So, I drew my material from my personal experience of being a sensitive, my Italian cultural heritage, my training, and my study of "metaphysics" (or whatever people want to call it nowadays).
Q: Aunt Rosemarian, in "Coffee with Thunderbolts", seems to be a much needed mother figure for Elena. How important do you think it is for someone who does not have a positive relationship with their mother to find an Aunt Rosemarian of their own?
A: I think it is very important for every individual to have someone who has her/his back, whether that person is a mother figure or not. To think that we are in this big mess called Life alone is the greatest mistake an individual can make. That is what I hoped Elena would learn from her journey. One day, she might form a new closeness with her mother because of it.
Q: Do you identify with either Elena or Aunt Rosemarian, if so, how?
A: All of the characters in the book are a reflection of myself, even the "villains". But if I had to choose, I'd say I'd identify the most with Rosemarian. She is utterly imperfect in every way, yet she has the raw courage (even if she won't admit it) to knowingly face each new day and wrestle her challenges to the ground, even if she wets herself in the process. That is what it means to be alive for all of us. We all know success and failure, and character grows out of what we make of our experiences.
Q: You narrated your book "Full Tank & No Damage: Three on a Sicilian Odyssey" in your own voice. Was it difficult to write in this diary style? Did you feel self-conscious, writing a memoir, as opposed to creating fictitious characters?
A: The voice being my own made the job easy. Before writing my travel memoir, I got a book on how to write travel pieces. The book indicated that a memoir was the most difficult form of travel writing. I threw away the book and decided to tell the story as if I were relating it to a person as we were having coffee and pastries, Italian style. So I was never self-conscious about the story, for it was my own. Indeed, I hoped it would inspire others to talk to their parents before they were gone and learn about their family history. I usually don't outline my books, but I found I had to in this case to keep all the events straight. My mother and husband read the draft to make sure I had gotten it right. As for fiction, my mother is convinced that the book would make a great movie script. The story has already formed a jump point for a new novel (see future writing plans).
Q: Travel tends to be a big source of inspiration for authors. Are you eager to write more books set in Sicily?
A: I'd certainly like to go back to Sicily, spend a year in Cerami, watch life unfold, and then, write another book about my experience there. They have such wonderful festivals. The scenery is spectacular. Life there is difficult, but vibrant in every way. In fiction, I have often found Italians and Italian-Americans under represented. I do hope that my small contribution will help change that.
Q: Your Sicilian adventure was such a personal journey for you. Did you view yourself or your heritage differently, afterward?
A: The journey to Sicily began with my grandmother's story. In doing genealogy, my fascination with Cerami grew. I became prouder of my Sicilian heritage and of my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother after the trip. My father's people came from the mainland in Basilicata and Genoa, and my mother's father was Neapolitan. After this trip, I knew that my heart sang the Sicilian song of my grandmother the most. The wildness of the land matched my rebellious nature and my affinity for mountains. While there, I felt had come home.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I am currently editing the sequel to "Coffee with Thunderbolts" called "A Star Rose in Cerami", which I wrote during the 2011 National Novel Writing Month. As you can see from the title, Sicily does figure in the plot, which is a Rosemarian and Augustus road trip of sorts. I hope to have it out by the end of summer 2012. For the 2012 National Novel Writing Month, I am considering doing a juvenile/young adult novel with SF/Fantasy elements that has been percolating in my brain for some time. In March of this year, I went to London for 2 weeks, and may consider writing another travel piece. But I am not sure whether to do so as a travel article or another small book. I am still pondering that question. I have woefully neglected my Thundercats fan fiction, so a short story or two for that collection may appear by year's end. In actuality, my preferred form is the short story, so into 2013 I might consider getting started on a short story collection. So much of what I write down comes from dreams and is more suited to the shorter format.
Let’s here what Marianne, herself has to say about her varied and colorful work.
Q: Do you have one main source for inspiration; if so, what inspires you most?
A: Everything in life inspires me and finds its way both into my writing and any creative activity I enjoy. Just getting out of bed to face another day filled with the unknown is a daily, human, heroic act worthy of documentation. Our days make for interesting chapters.
Q: Do you enjoy the actual writing process? What is your favorite part of writing?
A: I suppose I do enjoy writing because, starting with my Thundercats fan fiction, I have been writing in one form or another with regularity since around 1989. I don't continue with activities that are devoid of pleasure. (My life is strewn with my rejects, sad to say). Constructing the first sentence in any piece of writing is terrifying and exhilarating, a natural high.
My favorite part of writing is reading something I wrote some time back and wondering who the person was who wrote that piece. The first time that happened to me, I had to admit to myself that I was actually a writer. Reading older pieces always makes me reflect on my life and is an experience I value.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with "Coffee with Thunderbolts"?
A: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" was my first attempt at writing a novel that was completely of my own creation. In the past, I had written serial Thundercats fan fiction. I took on this challenge during the 2010 National Novel Writing Contest. During the month of November, you had to write a 50,000 word novel. I wanted to see if I could do it (the accomplishment). I knew that if I could do this, I could write a travel book documenting my trip to Sicily with my mother and my husband. The book was also a means to an end in learning how to self-publish a novel.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with "Full Tank & No Damage: Three on a Sicilian Odyssey"?
A: My mother has had a difficult life because her mother had one, and that fact has colored my life too. I wanted to take her to the village in Sicily where her mother had been born. In doing so, it brought the story full circle and gave her family bragging rights. She did something no one else in the family had been able to do since the early 1900s: return to Sicily. One way to defeat her initial resistance to going was to promise her that I would write a book about our experience. For myself, I also wanted to give my mother immortality by weaving her story into the book.
Q: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" is a fantasy with a spiritual side to it. Did you set out to write a book with a strong sense of spirituality?
A: The "spirituality" in "Coffee with Thunderbolts" just came naturally from me. I could have written a story about a girl finding a goldfish in a bowl on a city street, and it would still be loaded with "myth and magic", just like my fan fiction. It is all because I am a sensitive and come from an Italian culture that is comfortable with unseen messengers, the value of dreams and knowing through tarot, ritual, or some other means.
Q: "Coffee with Thunderbolts" is extremely imaginative. Is fantasy your preferred genre?
A: When you are a sensitive, your life can be a fantasy. Since everything I have written, even my travel book, has the fantastical supernatural in it, I would have to say that fantasy must be my preferred genre in every way. It is something I never really thought about before you asked.
Q: Many authors would find it overwhelming to even attempt any kind of metaphysical book. Did it come naturally to you?
A: It came very naturally. The gurus of writing say, "Write what you know." So, I drew my material from my personal experience of being a sensitive, my Italian cultural heritage, my training, and my study of "metaphysics" (or whatever people want to call it nowadays).
Q: Aunt Rosemarian, in "Coffee with Thunderbolts", seems to be a much needed mother figure for Elena. How important do you think it is for someone who does not have a positive relationship with their mother to find an Aunt Rosemarian of their own?
A: I think it is very important for every individual to have someone who has her/his back, whether that person is a mother figure or not. To think that we are in this big mess called Life alone is the greatest mistake an individual can make. That is what I hoped Elena would learn from her journey. One day, she might form a new closeness with her mother because of it.
Q: Do you identify with either Elena or Aunt Rosemarian, if so, how?
A: All of the characters in the book are a reflection of myself, even the "villains". But if I had to choose, I'd say I'd identify the most with Rosemarian. She is utterly imperfect in every way, yet she has the raw courage (even if she won't admit it) to knowingly face each new day and wrestle her challenges to the ground, even if she wets herself in the process. That is what it means to be alive for all of us. We all know success and failure, and character grows out of what we make of our experiences.
Q: You narrated your book "Full Tank & No Damage: Three on a Sicilian Odyssey" in your own voice. Was it difficult to write in this diary style? Did you feel self-conscious, writing a memoir, as opposed to creating fictitious characters?
A: The voice being my own made the job easy. Before writing my travel memoir, I got a book on how to write travel pieces. The book indicated that a memoir was the most difficult form of travel writing. I threw away the book and decided to tell the story as if I were relating it to a person as we were having coffee and pastries, Italian style. So I was never self-conscious about the story, for it was my own. Indeed, I hoped it would inspire others to talk to their parents before they were gone and learn about their family history. I usually don't outline my books, but I found I had to in this case to keep all the events straight. My mother and husband read the draft to make sure I had gotten it right. As for fiction, my mother is convinced that the book would make a great movie script. The story has already formed a jump point for a new novel (see future writing plans).
Q: Travel tends to be a big source of inspiration for authors. Are you eager to write more books set in Sicily?
A: I'd certainly like to go back to Sicily, spend a year in Cerami, watch life unfold, and then, write another book about my experience there. They have such wonderful festivals. The scenery is spectacular. Life there is difficult, but vibrant in every way. In fiction, I have often found Italians and Italian-Americans under represented. I do hope that my small contribution will help change that.
Q: Your Sicilian adventure was such a personal journey for you. Did you view yourself or your heritage differently, afterward?
A: The journey to Sicily began with my grandmother's story. In doing genealogy, my fascination with Cerami grew. I became prouder of my Sicilian heritage and of my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother after the trip. My father's people came from the mainland in Basilicata and Genoa, and my mother's father was Neapolitan. After this trip, I knew that my heart sang the Sicilian song of my grandmother the most. The wildness of the land matched my rebellious nature and my affinity for mountains. While there, I felt had come home.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I am currently editing the sequel to "Coffee with Thunderbolts" called "A Star Rose in Cerami", which I wrote during the 2011 National Novel Writing Month. As you can see from the title, Sicily does figure in the plot, which is a Rosemarian and Augustus road trip of sorts. I hope to have it out by the end of summer 2012. For the 2012 National Novel Writing Month, I am considering doing a juvenile/young adult novel with SF/Fantasy elements that has been percolating in my brain for some time. In March of this year, I went to London for 2 weeks, and may consider writing another travel piece. But I am not sure whether to do so as a travel article or another small book. I am still pondering that question. I have woefully neglected my Thundercats fan fiction, so a short story or two for that collection may appear by year's end. In actuality, my preferred form is the short story, so into 2013 I might consider getting started on a short story collection. So much of what I write down comes from dreams and is more suited to the shorter format.
Review of "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Rebecca by Daphne du MaurierMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Like so many people, "Rebecca" is one of my favorite books of all time! I don't even have to think twice about giving five stars I wish I could give it more than that. Daphne du Maurier was a brillant author. This novel has everything; romance, suspense, drama and wit. The book plays on our emotions and gets to readers on levels that few books can. Everyone should give this book a chance, no matter what their taste.
View all my reviews
May 25, 2012
Interview with author Kayden Lee
Have you ever wanted to take a walk on the wild side? If so, “Abandoned Angel” by Kayden Lee may be just what you need. This novel centers on a victimized woman named Angelina “Angel” Hart, who is frantically trying to rescue her small son from her abusive, ex-con husband Spike. Things become even more interesting and complex when she accepts help from sexy, bad boy biker Blaze, resulting in the ride of her life.
So, what does author Kayden Lee have to say about “Abandoned Angel”?
Q: I got the sense that the story, or at least parts of it, had been ruminating for a sometime. Did you live with the story for a while, allowing it to grow and develop gradually, before you put pen to paper; or did you go right to work on it soon after the idea came to you?
A: After coming up with the idea for Abandoned Angel, I simply sat down one day and wrote the first chapter. I was so excited about the story line that it seemed to flow without much effort. From there, the story sat untouched at times while I developed the characters and the plot in my mind. I often feel asleep at night envisioning what might happen next, only to awake the next morning eager to put it on paper.
Q: In what ways, if at all, do you identify with the character of Angel?
A: I have had a wonderful life while Angelina, on the other hand, has had a life full of heartache and abuse. Although we are very different, I can identify with her love of her child, and willingness to do whatever it takes to protect him. I believe many parents will identify with Angelina because of this. As parents, we do the best we can, and although we make mistakes, we pick ourselves up and work at keeping our kids safe.
Q: Are you the kind of writer who writes continually or just when a particularly compelling idea strikes?
A: I write when the desire to write hits, which is usually centered around an idea that intrigues me. At that time, I can become a bit obsessive with the story – or so my husband would say. I am also the type of writer though, who tends to rewrite things frequently, which can become frustrating and time consuming.
Q: “Abandoned Angel”, despite all the grittiness and abuse, could be an escape for readers who have never inhabited a world as raw, dangerous and action packed as this one. Was it your intention to create an environment so foreign to the average reader it would peak their curiosity?
A: I believe that most people are looking for some type of excitement in their lives - something that gets their blood moving. Although the world created in Abandoned Angel is not ideal, it is exciting, and dangerous, and ultimately, something to get lost in. It was my intention to draw the reader into a world that would both intrigue and, perhaps, unsettle them.
Q: How did you get the initial idea for “Abandoned Angel?”
A: The idea came to me while my husband and I were on a motorcycle trip enjoying the serenity and beauty that riding allows. There is a freedom that comes with being on the back of a Harley that is hard to explain, but this “freedom” is what triggered the characters in Abandoned Angel. When I first started writing the story, I would jot down notes from the back of the bike to help me remember the sensations felt while riding.
Q: The most compelling part of “Abandoned Angel” is Angel’s desperation to rescue her kidnapped son, Justin, from her abusive, ex-con husband. Did you set out to write a story centering on the all-encompassing love of a mother for her child?
A: When I began writing Abandoned Angel I did not have a clear direction in mind. I created the relationship between the main characters, and went from there. Somewhere along the way this love and desire to protect her child became pertinent to the story.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with this book?
A: I hope to allow people to escape the reality of their own lives, while getting caught up in the danger, love and adventure of the story. In my opinion, a good book is one that affects the reader in such a way that they experience different emotions while reading the book. It is my hope that Abandoned Angel causes many people to simply feel.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I am currently working on Dead End Stranger, a suspense novel centered around three young women who become stranded after trusting a group of strangers. After Dead End Stranger is complete I will be finishing a sequel to Abandoned Angel.
So, what does author Kayden Lee have to say about “Abandoned Angel”?
Q: I got the sense that the story, or at least parts of it, had been ruminating for a sometime. Did you live with the story for a while, allowing it to grow and develop gradually, before you put pen to paper; or did you go right to work on it soon after the idea came to you?
A: After coming up with the idea for Abandoned Angel, I simply sat down one day and wrote the first chapter. I was so excited about the story line that it seemed to flow without much effort. From there, the story sat untouched at times while I developed the characters and the plot in my mind. I often feel asleep at night envisioning what might happen next, only to awake the next morning eager to put it on paper.
Q: In what ways, if at all, do you identify with the character of Angel?
A: I have had a wonderful life while Angelina, on the other hand, has had a life full of heartache and abuse. Although we are very different, I can identify with her love of her child, and willingness to do whatever it takes to protect him. I believe many parents will identify with Angelina because of this. As parents, we do the best we can, and although we make mistakes, we pick ourselves up and work at keeping our kids safe.
Q: Are you the kind of writer who writes continually or just when a particularly compelling idea strikes?
A: I write when the desire to write hits, which is usually centered around an idea that intrigues me. At that time, I can become a bit obsessive with the story – or so my husband would say. I am also the type of writer though, who tends to rewrite things frequently, which can become frustrating and time consuming.
Q: “Abandoned Angel”, despite all the grittiness and abuse, could be an escape for readers who have never inhabited a world as raw, dangerous and action packed as this one. Was it your intention to create an environment so foreign to the average reader it would peak their curiosity?
A: I believe that most people are looking for some type of excitement in their lives - something that gets their blood moving. Although the world created in Abandoned Angel is not ideal, it is exciting, and dangerous, and ultimately, something to get lost in. It was my intention to draw the reader into a world that would both intrigue and, perhaps, unsettle them.
Q: How did you get the initial idea for “Abandoned Angel?”
A: The idea came to me while my husband and I were on a motorcycle trip enjoying the serenity and beauty that riding allows. There is a freedom that comes with being on the back of a Harley that is hard to explain, but this “freedom” is what triggered the characters in Abandoned Angel. When I first started writing the story, I would jot down notes from the back of the bike to help me remember the sensations felt while riding.
Q: The most compelling part of “Abandoned Angel” is Angel’s desperation to rescue her kidnapped son, Justin, from her abusive, ex-con husband. Did you set out to write a story centering on the all-encompassing love of a mother for her child?
A: When I began writing Abandoned Angel I did not have a clear direction in mind. I created the relationship between the main characters, and went from there. Somewhere along the way this love and desire to protect her child became pertinent to the story.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with this book?
A: I hope to allow people to escape the reality of their own lives, while getting caught up in the danger, love and adventure of the story. In my opinion, a good book is one that affects the reader in such a way that they experience different emotions while reading the book. It is my hope that Abandoned Angel causes many people to simply feel.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I am currently working on Dead End Stranger, a suspense novel centered around three young women who become stranded after trusting a group of strangers. After Dead End Stranger is complete I will be finishing a sequel to Abandoned Angel.
May 22, 2012
Interview with author Rebecca Elswick
Appalachia seems to have a way of nurturing the creative spirit and providing inspiration for so many writers, painters and other artists. One good example is award-winning author Rebecca Elswick. Her book “Mama’s Shoes” set in an Appalachian coal mining town during the 1940’s and 50’s, is the story of a troubled young mother, Sylvia Richardson and her daughter Sassy. Their hopes, dreams and struggles are expressed in their own words, as each takes turns narrating the book.
So, what does Rebecca Elswick have to say about “Mamas Shoes”?
Q: Most writers say they find inspiration everywhere. Is this true for you or do you have a particular source of inspiration for the majority of your work?
A: Inspiration is all around me. I find it everywhere – eavesdropping on two elderly gentlemen talking at the doctor’s office, a phone conversation with my eighty-nine-year-old mother, and of course, reading a good book. I don’t believe you can be a good writer unless you are an avid reader. For years I have kept an “idea” file where I record everything from dreams to interesting names I come across.
I also spend time with other Appalachian authors. Appalachian authors are different from any other authors I have encountered. We are like this huge family, and going to workshops is like going to family reunions where everybody sits around and talks about stories and writes. Appalachian authors are accepting and nurturing of new writers.
Q: You describe yourself as a child of Appalachia. How has your environment influenced your work, in particular “Mama’s Shoes”?
A: I’ve always wanted to write a book about the Appalachia I know - a book that dispels the negative stereotypes about Appalachians. We are an intelligent and hard-working people who are family orientated to the point of being clannish, which I believe comes from our Scott-Irish heritage, or in my case, Welsh heritage. One of the themes in Mama’s Shoes is growing up in the coalfields of Appalachia. I wanted to portray the hard-working women of Appalachia who accomplish so much with so little. The only thing many of them ever did for themselves was go to the beauty shop and get their hair done.
Appalachian literature has a wonderful sense of place that gives it this amazing flavor. Southern Appalachians are so tied to their part of the country that you can’t tell a story without telling about where the people come from. Farming and coal mining are such parts of life here that they help define who we are.
Q: Do you personally identify with the characters in your stories? If yes, do you identify more closely with Sylvia or Sassy in “Mama’s Shoes”, and why?
A: I was born and raised in a coal mining town, like Coal Valley, where I still live today. My father and grandfather were coal miners. There are bits and pieces of me in all of my stories, and this is true for Sassy and Sylvia. I was a shy child whose best friends were books. I was that little girl who helped out at her Mama’s beauty shop, and my Mama was a beautiful, auburn haired beautician.
I identify with Sylvia’s postpartum depression, having experienced it myself after the birth of my twins. It was important to me to portray this in the book, especially how doctors in Sylvia's day did not see this as a true medical problem. I think it’s safe to say, that sadly, that is somewhat true today.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Mama’s Shoes”?
A: My journey to publication is a bit different –entering contests are to thank for my getting Mama’s Shoes published. It actually began in 2003 with a contest in Writer's Digest. It was an opening line contest – write an opening line for a novel based solely on the picture provided. The picture was a pair of flip flops on the beach with the water almost touching them. I had read the magazine for years, but never thought about entering a contest, but something about that picture haunted me. I found myself thinking about it all the time. Then one day it came to me: Mama always said you could tell a real lady by the shoes she wears, but then nobody ever accused Mama of being a lady.
I entered the contest and was runner-up! That planted a seed for a story. I eventually wrote a short story and showed it to a friend of mine. She kept urging me to write more of Mama's story, but I put it away and didn’t think about it again until 2006, when I studied with the Appalachian Writing Project. I dug up the story and started working on it again, expanding the idea from a short story to a novel.
In 2008, I applied to the Hindman Appalachian Writer’s Workshop. My submission was the first 30 pages of Mama’s Shoes. I continued to work on it and in 2009, I returned to Hindman with the novel almost completed. I revised and revised and starting looking for an agent until March of 2010 when I discovered another contest, again sponsored by Writer’s Digest. The grand prize was a publishing contract. The contest was called Pitch2Win. The object of the contest was to pitch your novel on Twitter, which limited the pitch to 140 characters. I read though hundreds of entries already posted and found that most of them were basically the same "My book is about..." So I tried a new approach. I went back to the line I'd used in 2003 and tweeted - Mama always said you could tell a real lady by the shoes she wears, but then nobody ever accused Mama of being a lady. They called me the next day and wanted to talk about my novel.T wo weeks later I was notified I was one of fifty finalists. I had to submit a synopsis and biography and wait. Then I got the phone call! I won the grand prize, a publicity plus publishing contract with Abbott Press, a subsidiary of Writer’s Digest.
Then in January, I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. Mama’s Shoes made it all the way to the semifinals which were the top 50. The contest began with 5,000 so even though I didn’t make the top 3, I feel really good about it.
My ultimate goal is a publishing contract.
Q: The characters in “Mama’s Shoes” are very vivid. How did you achieve this? Were they based on real people or do you just have a good technique for characterization?
A: My mother was a beautician and I grew up in the midst of the beauty shops where she worked. I have vivid memories of “the shop” as my mama called it. I especially remember the smells – a combination of the chemicals and the clouds of cigarette smoke that was ever present. She always gave me little jobs to do like emptying the ashtrays and folding towels, and I would listen to the customers talk while I performed my tasks. The women were so used to me that they talked like I wasn’t there, so I heard some real “good” stories and unfortunately for them, I remember many of them! I also had two older sisters who were always fixing their hair, putting on make-up and nail polish and generally being “girly” girls.
My father was a coal miner, but in his younger days, he was a bus driver. I remember riding the bus with him when I was a little girl and speaking to the passengers. He was a World War II veteran, and I used his path through the war for my character Gaines Richardson, but unlike my character, my father survived the war. For example, my father was General George Patton’s driver, a fact I didn’t know until I was married. My father never liked to talk about the war, but one day we were watching television with him when the movie “Patton” came on. My father casually remarked, “He was a bigger SOB than anybody knows.” Stunned, I asked, “How do you know?” That’s when he told me about it.
It seemed natural to weave my characters into the world I knew so well.
Q: You mention your Welsh ancestry in your author’s bio. As a fellow Welsh girl I have noticed that writing and storytelling seem to come very naturally to the Welsh. Is writing or storytelling a part of your own heritage?
A: I come from a long line of story tellers. My daddy loved to tell stories about growing up in southwestern Virginia; in fact, his favorite television show was “The Waltons.” He said it portrayed what life was like when he was a boy. My maternal grandfather was also a big story teller. He used to tell me about working in the coal mines when they used a pick and shovel and had ponies to carry the coal out of the mine. He was a miner when they carried canaries underground with them. I followed in their story telling footsteps, only I decided to write down my stories.
Q: There is a quote from “Jane Eyre” at the beginning of “Mama’s Shoes”. Have you been influenced, as so many female authors have, by the work of Charlotte Bronte?
A: Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. Perhaps, my love of strong women protagonists comes from it. All of the books that Sassy reads in the novel are taken from the books I read and loved at her age. I still read Anne of Green Gables over and over and claim it as my favorite book. Also, when I was a little girl, I remember waiting for the book mobile which was a traveling library. It came to Grundy once a week because we didn’t have a public library, and I was allowed to borrow one book. I remember vividly, borrowing Jane Eyre. It was a brand new book and the title was written in gold. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen!
Q: “Mama’s Shoes” is narrated by both Sylvia and Sassy. Do you find it easier to write in the first-person or did you just think it would be more effective for this book?
A: I wanted to tell their stories and I wanted “them” to do it. The author Lee Smith is a friend of mine and she read an early draft of the novel. She loved it as a first-person narrative. Lee is from my hometown and has been a wonderful mentor to me. My book’s cover boasts a glowing review from Lee and the author Amy Greene, who is a dear friend and mentor.
Q: Two important themes from “Mama’s Shoes” are struggle and hope. When you first started working on this book was it your intention to try to inspire hope within the reader?
A: When I started writing Mama’s Shoes, I wanted to write the kind of book that I liked to read. I adore stories that are uplifting and that make me think. I like a little mystery, well-developed characters, and of course, conflict.
I think of Mama’s Shoes as a story of redemption – how love redeems us. It’s a story of relationships – between mother and child, relatives, and those people who are not our blood kin but are our family none-the-less. I wanted to show that even though Sylvia did a horrible thing by giving her daughter away, she was able to seek forgiveness, and ultimately, forgive herself.
So, what does Rebecca Elswick have to say about “Mamas Shoes”?
Q: Most writers say they find inspiration everywhere. Is this true for you or do you have a particular source of inspiration for the majority of your work?
A: Inspiration is all around me. I find it everywhere – eavesdropping on two elderly gentlemen talking at the doctor’s office, a phone conversation with my eighty-nine-year-old mother, and of course, reading a good book. I don’t believe you can be a good writer unless you are an avid reader. For years I have kept an “idea” file where I record everything from dreams to interesting names I come across.
I also spend time with other Appalachian authors. Appalachian authors are different from any other authors I have encountered. We are like this huge family, and going to workshops is like going to family reunions where everybody sits around and talks about stories and writes. Appalachian authors are accepting and nurturing of new writers.
Q: You describe yourself as a child of Appalachia. How has your environment influenced your work, in particular “Mama’s Shoes”?
A: I’ve always wanted to write a book about the Appalachia I know - a book that dispels the negative stereotypes about Appalachians. We are an intelligent and hard-working people who are family orientated to the point of being clannish, which I believe comes from our Scott-Irish heritage, or in my case, Welsh heritage. One of the themes in Mama’s Shoes is growing up in the coalfields of Appalachia. I wanted to portray the hard-working women of Appalachia who accomplish so much with so little. The only thing many of them ever did for themselves was go to the beauty shop and get their hair done.
Appalachian literature has a wonderful sense of place that gives it this amazing flavor. Southern Appalachians are so tied to their part of the country that you can’t tell a story without telling about where the people come from. Farming and coal mining are such parts of life here that they help define who we are.
Q: Do you personally identify with the characters in your stories? If yes, do you identify more closely with Sylvia or Sassy in “Mama’s Shoes”, and why?
A: I was born and raised in a coal mining town, like Coal Valley, where I still live today. My father and grandfather were coal miners. There are bits and pieces of me in all of my stories, and this is true for Sassy and Sylvia. I was a shy child whose best friends were books. I was that little girl who helped out at her Mama’s beauty shop, and my Mama was a beautiful, auburn haired beautician.
I identify with Sylvia’s postpartum depression, having experienced it myself after the birth of my twins. It was important to me to portray this in the book, especially how doctors in Sylvia's day did not see this as a true medical problem. I think it’s safe to say, that sadly, that is somewhat true today.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Mama’s Shoes”?
A: My journey to publication is a bit different –entering contests are to thank for my getting Mama’s Shoes published. It actually began in 2003 with a contest in Writer's Digest. It was an opening line contest – write an opening line for a novel based solely on the picture provided. The picture was a pair of flip flops on the beach with the water almost touching them. I had read the magazine for years, but never thought about entering a contest, but something about that picture haunted me. I found myself thinking about it all the time. Then one day it came to me: Mama always said you could tell a real lady by the shoes she wears, but then nobody ever accused Mama of being a lady.
I entered the contest and was runner-up! That planted a seed for a story. I eventually wrote a short story and showed it to a friend of mine. She kept urging me to write more of Mama's story, but I put it away and didn’t think about it again until 2006, when I studied with the Appalachian Writing Project. I dug up the story and started working on it again, expanding the idea from a short story to a novel.
In 2008, I applied to the Hindman Appalachian Writer’s Workshop. My submission was the first 30 pages of Mama’s Shoes. I continued to work on it and in 2009, I returned to Hindman with the novel almost completed. I revised and revised and starting looking for an agent until March of 2010 when I discovered another contest, again sponsored by Writer’s Digest. The grand prize was a publishing contract. The contest was called Pitch2Win. The object of the contest was to pitch your novel on Twitter, which limited the pitch to 140 characters. I read though hundreds of entries already posted and found that most of them were basically the same "My book is about..." So I tried a new approach. I went back to the line I'd used in 2003 and tweeted - Mama always said you could tell a real lady by the shoes she wears, but then nobody ever accused Mama of being a lady. They called me the next day and wanted to talk about my novel.T wo weeks later I was notified I was one of fifty finalists. I had to submit a synopsis and biography and wait. Then I got the phone call! I won the grand prize, a publicity plus publishing contract with Abbott Press, a subsidiary of Writer’s Digest.
Then in January, I entered the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest. Mama’s Shoes made it all the way to the semifinals which were the top 50. The contest began with 5,000 so even though I didn’t make the top 3, I feel really good about it.
My ultimate goal is a publishing contract.
Q: The characters in “Mama’s Shoes” are very vivid. How did you achieve this? Were they based on real people or do you just have a good technique for characterization?
A: My mother was a beautician and I grew up in the midst of the beauty shops where she worked. I have vivid memories of “the shop” as my mama called it. I especially remember the smells – a combination of the chemicals and the clouds of cigarette smoke that was ever present. She always gave me little jobs to do like emptying the ashtrays and folding towels, and I would listen to the customers talk while I performed my tasks. The women were so used to me that they talked like I wasn’t there, so I heard some real “good” stories and unfortunately for them, I remember many of them! I also had two older sisters who were always fixing their hair, putting on make-up and nail polish and generally being “girly” girls.
My father was a coal miner, but in his younger days, he was a bus driver. I remember riding the bus with him when I was a little girl and speaking to the passengers. He was a World War II veteran, and I used his path through the war for my character Gaines Richardson, but unlike my character, my father survived the war. For example, my father was General George Patton’s driver, a fact I didn’t know until I was married. My father never liked to talk about the war, but one day we were watching television with him when the movie “Patton” came on. My father casually remarked, “He was a bigger SOB than anybody knows.” Stunned, I asked, “How do you know?” That’s when he told me about it.
It seemed natural to weave my characters into the world I knew so well.
Q: You mention your Welsh ancestry in your author’s bio. As a fellow Welsh girl I have noticed that writing and storytelling seem to come very naturally to the Welsh. Is writing or storytelling a part of your own heritage?
A: I come from a long line of story tellers. My daddy loved to tell stories about growing up in southwestern Virginia; in fact, his favorite television show was “The Waltons.” He said it portrayed what life was like when he was a boy. My maternal grandfather was also a big story teller. He used to tell me about working in the coal mines when they used a pick and shovel and had ponies to carry the coal out of the mine. He was a miner when they carried canaries underground with them. I followed in their story telling footsteps, only I decided to write down my stories.
Q: There is a quote from “Jane Eyre” at the beginning of “Mama’s Shoes”. Have you been influenced, as so many female authors have, by the work of Charlotte Bronte?
A: Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. Perhaps, my love of strong women protagonists comes from it. All of the books that Sassy reads in the novel are taken from the books I read and loved at her age. I still read Anne of Green Gables over and over and claim it as my favorite book. Also, when I was a little girl, I remember waiting for the book mobile which was a traveling library. It came to Grundy once a week because we didn’t have a public library, and I was allowed to borrow one book. I remember vividly, borrowing Jane Eyre. It was a brand new book and the title was written in gold. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen!
Q: “Mama’s Shoes” is narrated by both Sylvia and Sassy. Do you find it easier to write in the first-person or did you just think it would be more effective for this book?
A: I wanted to tell their stories and I wanted “them” to do it. The author Lee Smith is a friend of mine and she read an early draft of the novel. She loved it as a first-person narrative. Lee is from my hometown and has been a wonderful mentor to me. My book’s cover boasts a glowing review from Lee and the author Amy Greene, who is a dear friend and mentor.
Q: Two important themes from “Mama’s Shoes” are struggle and hope. When you first started working on this book was it your intention to try to inspire hope within the reader?
A: When I started writing Mama’s Shoes, I wanted to write the kind of book that I liked to read. I adore stories that are uplifting and that make me think. I like a little mystery, well-developed characters, and of course, conflict.
I think of Mama’s Shoes as a story of redemption – how love redeems us. It’s a story of relationships – between mother and child, relatives, and those people who are not our blood kin but are our family none-the-less. I wanted to show that even though Sylvia did a horrible thing by giving her daughter away, she was able to seek forgiveness, and ultimately, forgive herself.
May 21, 2012
Interview with author Michael Meyer
The art of writing a great thriller or even a good one often eludes the most gifted of authors. But if there is one thing most readers can agree on it’s that when the elements come together just right a thriller can truly live up to the name. It is obvious within the first few pages of “Covert Dreams” that author Michael Meyer is not only a very talented writer but that he has a definite flare for the genre. The reader gets the sense that they are about to be taken for one wild ride, with this book, centering on the journeys of two men; one who travels to Munich in search of the reason behind his strange life-like dreams, and another in Saudi Arabia, who’s wife mysteriously disappears.
Let’s hear what Michael Meyer has to say about his book “Covert Dreams” and about the writing process.
Q: “Covert Dreams” explores two very popular themes, missing persons and mind games. Why do you think these themes continue to be so popular in the suspense genre?
A: Suspense has always been very attractive to people. We want to know the what, why, how, and who. Lookie-loos abound in our world. We are curious. We want answers. We hope to learn from the dread that happens to others.
Q: Dreams are an important part of this story. Have you always had an interest in dreams, such as dream analysis or psychic dreams?
A: I have always been very fascinated with the brain. My own dreams are often bizarre, and I wonder if even the great Sigmund Freud could get to the bottom of them. I know they serve a purpose, but I just haven’t figured out what that purpose is.
Q: The descriptions and narration in “Covert Dreams” are very impressive. Do these aspects of writing come naturally to you?
A: I have written my whole life. I love to write. I am fascinated by language. If you are going to come visit me, for instance, are you going or coming? Why would I swipe my credit card at a cashier’s stand if I already own the card? Can a goose goose a goose? Does something burn up or burn down? The possibilities are so endless. In addition, I taught writing at universities literally throughout the world for over forty years. Writing has always played a major role in both my professional and personal life.
Q: Do you prefer to write thrillers like “Covert Dreams”; if yes, why?
A: I have written two thrillers thus far and two comic novels. I guess I have eclectic tastes. I like to be thrilled, turning the pages as fast as I can in order to see what will happen next, but I also love to laugh. When I write, I am essentially a reader, never quite knowing how things will turn out in the end.
Q: It is common for writers to create central characters who are similar to themselves in some sense. Do you identify in any way with either B.J. or Stan; if so, how?
A: I know that bits and pieces of myself have found a home in my characters. For instance, the caring that B.J. demonstrates to his distraught wife, who is afraid of losing her husband, reminds me of me. Stan’s tenacity at not giving up in his search for his missing wife, no matter how difficult the circumstance, reminds me of me.
Q: Does your inspiration as a writer come from one special source or do you find inspiration from a multitude of sources?
A: I am a keen observer of others. I learn from what others say and do, and then my creative juices take over. I love to write. I find it to be very enjoyable. I write for myself, wanting the characters to be real people, the setting to be authentic, and the plot to be exciting. I am like a reader, rapidly putting words down in order to see what is going to evolve. However, my greatest inspiration comes from the many wonderful things that my readers post about my writing on my Amazon author’s site and elsewhere on the Internet. Their words are like the “wind beneath my wings.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Covert Dreams”?
A: I am retired, writing for fun, not necessarily for profit. I hope that many more readers will enjoy reading COVERT DREAMS and his siblings. Amazon Kindle had already enabled me to be an internationally read author. That, in itself, is an amazing thing, and all I hope for is more of the same.
Q: What are your writing plans for the future?
A: I plan to write until I die. I love it! I am currently hard at work on my fifth book, and I hope that this is still just the beginning for me.
To learn more about Michael Meyer and his books follow the links below.
My Amazon Kindle author’s site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005E7M8CW
COVERT DREAMS purchase site: http://www.amazon.com/Covert-Dreams-e...
My Pinterest author’s site: http://pinterest.com/temmike/#
My Facebook author’s site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyer...
My Goodreads author site: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Let’s hear what Michael Meyer has to say about his book “Covert Dreams” and about the writing process.
Q: “Covert Dreams” explores two very popular themes, missing persons and mind games. Why do you think these themes continue to be so popular in the suspense genre?
A: Suspense has always been very attractive to people. We want to know the what, why, how, and who. Lookie-loos abound in our world. We are curious. We want answers. We hope to learn from the dread that happens to others.
Q: Dreams are an important part of this story. Have you always had an interest in dreams, such as dream analysis or psychic dreams?
A: I have always been very fascinated with the brain. My own dreams are often bizarre, and I wonder if even the great Sigmund Freud could get to the bottom of them. I know they serve a purpose, but I just haven’t figured out what that purpose is.
Q: The descriptions and narration in “Covert Dreams” are very impressive. Do these aspects of writing come naturally to you?
A: I have written my whole life. I love to write. I am fascinated by language. If you are going to come visit me, for instance, are you going or coming? Why would I swipe my credit card at a cashier’s stand if I already own the card? Can a goose goose a goose? Does something burn up or burn down? The possibilities are so endless. In addition, I taught writing at universities literally throughout the world for over forty years. Writing has always played a major role in both my professional and personal life.
Q: Do you prefer to write thrillers like “Covert Dreams”; if yes, why?
A: I have written two thrillers thus far and two comic novels. I guess I have eclectic tastes. I like to be thrilled, turning the pages as fast as I can in order to see what will happen next, but I also love to laugh. When I write, I am essentially a reader, never quite knowing how things will turn out in the end.
Q: It is common for writers to create central characters who are similar to themselves in some sense. Do you identify in any way with either B.J. or Stan; if so, how?
A: I know that bits and pieces of myself have found a home in my characters. For instance, the caring that B.J. demonstrates to his distraught wife, who is afraid of losing her husband, reminds me of me. Stan’s tenacity at not giving up in his search for his missing wife, no matter how difficult the circumstance, reminds me of me.
Q: Does your inspiration as a writer come from one special source or do you find inspiration from a multitude of sources?
A: I am a keen observer of others. I learn from what others say and do, and then my creative juices take over. I love to write. I find it to be very enjoyable. I write for myself, wanting the characters to be real people, the setting to be authentic, and the plot to be exciting. I am like a reader, rapidly putting words down in order to see what is going to evolve. However, my greatest inspiration comes from the many wonderful things that my readers post about my writing on my Amazon author’s site and elsewhere on the Internet. Their words are like the “wind beneath my wings.”
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Covert Dreams”?
A: I am retired, writing for fun, not necessarily for profit. I hope that many more readers will enjoy reading COVERT DREAMS and his siblings. Amazon Kindle had already enabled me to be an internationally read author. That, in itself, is an amazing thing, and all I hope for is more of the same.
Q: What are your writing plans for the future?
A: I plan to write until I die. I love it! I am currently hard at work on my fifth book, and I hope that this is still just the beginning for me.
To learn more about Michael Meyer and his books follow the links below.
My Amazon Kindle author’s site: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005E7M8CW
COVERT DREAMS purchase site: http://www.amazon.com/Covert-Dreams-e...
My Pinterest author’s site: http://pinterest.com/temmike/#
My Facebook author’s site: https://www.facebook.com/MichaelMeyer...
My Goodreads author site: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Authors' Musings
Jennifer K. Lafferty, author of Movie Dynasty Princesses, reviews a wide range of books and discusses various aspects of contemporary and classic literature.
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