Diane Chamberlain's Blog, page 8

Questions from a Reader

I did a live Google+ Hangout yesterday during which several of my readers participated. One of my readers, Amy Feld, was unable to hook up with the Hangout (it was a technological challenge, for sure!), so she sent me her questions separately, and I thought I’d answer them here for everyone to see.

(Here’s the Google+ Hangout link, if you’d like to check out the interview. It was fun, but if I look and sound like I had a cold, you’re right!

And here are Amy’s questions:

Q.In Necessary Lies, how did you manage to  perfectly capture Jane’s feminism in 1960 in such a way that made her uncommonly progressive for that era, yet if we judged her by today’s standards, her use of phrases like “my husband allowed me to work…” would seem subservient today.

A. In so many different aspects of this novel, I tried to strive for the middle ground because I wanted the story to feel realistic. For that reason, I didn’t want to make Jane a flaming feminist. At the same time, she’s not a meek little housewife. She was raised in a household that valued helping those less fortunate and that was a huge part of who she was. When she married and found herself with money and a comfortable lifestyle, she didn’t forget her roots. I think the fact that she does still have traditional values common to women in 1960 made her actions in helping Ivy that much more dramatic.

Q. Is your Sheltie Keeper named after Keeper of the Light?

A. Yes, he is! One of my dogs was named “Chapel” after the Chapel House in my first novel, Private Relations, and I knew that two of my adopted dogs were meant for me because of their names. My big, long departed golden retriever, Ben, came into my life when I was writing Secret Lives, in which one of the central characters is named Ben. My other Sheltie, adopted just this last year, is named Cole, which was the name of a main character in Private Relations. When I heard his name, I knew he’d be ours.

Q. I thought The First Lie added so much to Necessary Lies, to me it was integral to the enjoyment of the book. How were you able to mature Ivy’s voice from 13 to 15 in such a nuanced way? I could see the more proper vocabulary (or less improper ), more sophisticated (or less unsophisticated) words. Was this difficult?

A. For anyone who doesn’t know, The First Lie is a short story available only in ebook format and it takes place two years prior to the opening of Necessary Lies. In my opinion, it’s not at all necessary to read it, but it is an added bonus. Here’s the truth about the short story: It was written months after Necessary Lies, not before. I decided to write it after a conversation with my publisher, during which we discussed having a short story that linked to the book. So rather than “mature” Ivy’s voice, I “immature” it for the short story. It was fun to imagine what she was like two years earlier and no, I didn’t find it difficult. I felt as though I knew her so intimately by then. I was thrilled to get to revisit her, since she’s one of my all-time favorite characters. I also wrote a very short story about Ivy and the neighborhood children for a United Kingdom magazine, My Weekly. I don’t know if that’s been published yet.

Q. So many writers use multiple voices that sound exactly the same, with you they are entirely distinct and unique.

A. Thank you. This is a challenge. It was quite easy in Necessary Lies because Jane and Ivy are different ages and from such different backgrounds. It was much harder in a book like The Midwife’s Confession, for example, in which four of the five point-of-view characters are women in their forties with similar backgrounds. What I do in a case like that is write the book, then pull out all the scenes from each character’s point of view and read through them to be sure I have a distinct voice for that character. I like that part of the process.

Thanks for your great questions, Amy, and I hope you can join me in another Google+ Hangout someday soon!

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Today’s Pub Day for Necessary Lies!

I’m inviting you to join me in 1960 rural North Carolina, where a fifteen-year-old girl named Ivy Hart wants only two things: to hold the tattered remnants of her family together and to one day marry and have children with the boy she’s loved since she was a little girl. I’d like you to see how hard she works on a tobacco farm to keep a roof over her family’s heads, and how the neighbor kids who are her friends on the farm cannot be her friends off the farm because they are black and she is white. I’d like you to feel what it’s like to know that your ability to have a family of your own could end in a heartbeat. I’d like you to see that Ivy is full of goodness and love.

And then I’d like you to join me in a well-to-do neighborhood in Raleigh, the capital city of North Carolina, where a twenty-two-year-old social worker named Jane wants only two things: to make her new husband happy and to work for a while before having her own family. I’d like you to imagine how she feels when she discovers that those two powerful longings are in opposition to each other. I’d like you to understand her humiliation when she needs her husband’s permission to get a prescription for birth control. I want you to see how hard she works to help people less fortunate than she is. I’d like you to see just how much she’ll risk to do what she believes is right. I’d like you to see that Jane is full of goodness and love.

I’m inviting you to see what happens when Ivy and Jane’s worlds collide.

Necessary Lies has already been available for a month in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and the reader reviews have warmed my heart. I can’t wait to hear what my American and Canadian readers think of this story I’ve been dying to tell for years. Do let me know your thoughts, and remember that I love visiting book clubs via Skype and speakerphone. I hope to hear from you soon!

 

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Story Weekend: Resilience (and a contest)

I know you thought I disappeared from the blog for good! My deadline had to take precedence, and I’m still not finished with my work-in-progress, but I’ve missed my blog readers so here I am for the weekend! I’ve been dealing with deadlines, all sorts of great promotions for Necessary Lies (which just happens to be #5 on the Irish bestseller list this week! US release is September 3rd), packing to get out of town, and lightning taking out everything we depend on for our work and play (TV, Internet, phone, invisible fence and numerous other things yet to be discovered!). Therefore, this weekend’s topic is Resilience. I bet you all have a story of your own resilience . . . or perhaps someone else’s that’s inspired you. We’d love to hear it! I’ll use a random number generator to pick one of your comments to win an audio version of Necessary Lies on Monday.

If  you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:

▪   The story must be true

▪   Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge. Happy writing!

 

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It’s Pub Day in the United Kingdom for Necessary Lies!

For once, my UK readers get to go first! For those of you in North America, your turn will come soon: September 3rd. (That’s the UK cover on the left; the North American cover on the right).

I’d wanted to write this book for many years and I’m thrilled it’s finally seeing the light of day. When I first told my agent about the idea six years ago, she talked me out of it writing it. She may have been right; it wasn’t a good time in my career to tackle such a controversial, weighty topic. But now it is, and I’m so excited to share this story, inspired by real life, with my readers.

I’ll be blogging about Necessary Lies over the next couple of months, but for now I’d just like to share some of the reviews that are pouring in.  I hope they’ll encourage you to lose yourself in Jane and Ivy’s story. And please, let me know what you think.

“Two girls names are carved inside a closet–what could have happened there? Set in the rich and morally complex territory of the rural South in 1960, the plot of this enthralling novel transfixed me from the very first pages, and its vivid and sympathetic characters haunted me long after the last. Chamberlain achieves that rare and irresistible combination: suspense and heart.”
—Christina Schwarz, New York Times bestselling author of Drowning Ruth and The Edge of the Earth

“. . . heart-wrenching historical fiction. . . captivating. . .this engrossing novel digs deep into the moral complexity of a dark period in history and brings it to life.”—Publishers Weekly

“Absorbing and haunting, this should strongly touch Chamberlain’s fans and draw those who enjoy Jodi Picoult and Barbara Delinsky.” —Booklist

“A well-researched page-turner.  The stakes mount to dizzying heights . . . Chamberlain certainly knows how to escalate tension.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Diane Chamberlain’s Necessary Lies is the most important book she has ever written. Based in truth, you will be reminded how poverty is our enemy and how power is dangerous when it’s in the wrong hands. I don’t think I will ever forget this book or its wonderful cast of characters. Beautifully written, compellingly told. Book clubs will love it.”
—Dorothea Benton Frank, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Original Wife

“Diane Chamberlain gets to the heart of human relationships in her writing . . . An important and gripping story, told with honesty and sympathy.”
—The Little Reader Library  

“This is a stunning novel that will touch your heart and leave you wondering if you would ever have the courage to stand up for what you believe is right.”
—Laura Love Lock Book Reviews 

“If you want a tale that will linger with you long after you’ve finished reading, and a story that will really make you think, then start reading Necessary Lies.”
—Feathered Quill Book Reviews

“Necessary Lies is so well written and the subject matter is so compelling that I could not put the book down. It is a riveting story.”—The Voice of Oma

“This book will stick with you and it should. 5 STARS, a must read for women.”
—KT Book Reviews

“Warning: this novel will steal your time and all commitment to other obligations, too—once you open it, nothing else will matter but seeing it through to the white-knuckle, heart-racing end.”
—Katrina Kittle, author of The Blessings of the Animals

“Ms. Chamberlain brilliantly captures the feel of the early 1960′s in the South. Her characters are authentic and heartfelt, the story is captivating, and her writing is lovely and compassionate. Necessary Lies shines!”
—Lesley Kagen, New York Times bestselling author of Mare’s Nest

“Amazing! Diane Chamberlain’s Necessary Lies is a powerful portrait of courage and redemption teeming with characters you won’t soon forget. In Chamberlain’s most luminous tale to date, Necessary Lies expertly intertwines history and matters of the heart — love, loyalty and choosing what is right, no matter the consequences.”
—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and One Breath Away

“Emotionally piercing, courageously provocative — Necessary Lies is a story-telling triumph. Diane Chamberlain expertly weaves a beautiful tapestry of rich characters as memorable as they are enchanting, characters so intriguing it requires Herculean efforts to tear oneself away from this riveting tale. Necessary Lies is that rare novel so captivating the reader feels bereft after turning the last page.”
—Elizabeth Flock, New York Times bestselling author of Me & Emma and What Happened To My Sister

 

 

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Midweek Questions from My Readers: Part 3

On Facebook, I asked for some questions that were a bit out of the ordinary and received plenty! So here’s part 3. Feel free to answer any of these questions yourself in the comments if you like! I’m trying to alternate “personal” and “professional” questions, so here goes:

Q. When you were young, did you feel the need to be part of the “in” or “popular” group?

A. I never was part of the “in” crowd, but I was always lucky to have a bunch of good friends. Of course I wanted to be popular, but I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I think back to those school years and wonder how the popular kids had the confidence to get involved in so many activities and to stand out. I was school phobic until my third year of college (that is a looooong time!), which means I was always anxious in school and never spoke up in the classroom. However, outside of school I was sociable and happy.

Here’s a good example of what I mean. This guy, I’ll call him Stan, sat next to me in home room for three years. In our senior year, I had a boyfriend I’ll call Joe. One night Joe and I went to the local diner. Stan was sitting in the next booth with some friends. I was being loud and smoking and having fun joking around with Joe. I was out of matches, so I asked Stan for a light. As he lit my cigarette, he asked “Do you have a sister at PHS? There’s this girl in my homeroom who looks a lot like you.” I was shocked…and so was he when he realized the fun-loving diner girl and the mouse in his homeroom were one and the same.

 

Q. How do you find experts to help you with your books and how do you approach them to get their help?

A. Part 1 of the question: The internet has made this easy. I just search for the expert I need. I also belong to a large local women’s organization and I can ask them via email if they know an expert in the field I’m researching.

Part 2 of the question: If I have some serious brain picking to do of a particular expert, I ask them to lunch of dinner. This has gotten easier as I’ve become more successful and can be taken more seriously, but even while writing my first two novels, I took an obstetrician, a primatologist, a meteorologist and a Smithsonian ornithologist to lunch. (Not all at the same time!) I’ve been amazed at how forthcoming people are when I ask for help. Most people love talking about what they do to a captive audience!

 

Q. Have you always had a dog in your life, even when you were little?

A. No. My mother was afraid of dogs and I took on her fear, although I was also very curious about them. When I was in college, I lived with some other young women for a while and one of them had a dog and that changed everything for me. I began to see dogs for the cool critters they are. Still, I didn’t get my own until I was thirty-five. I had a string of wonderful Golden Retrievers, followed by a Bernese Mountain Dog. Then when I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, I knew I needed to “downsize”. That’s when I turned to Shelties. I have two of them now, Keeper and Cole. I can’t imagine not having a dog in my life!

 

Q. I get so involved in a book, in a character’s life! Does this ever happen to you when you write?

A. Oh yes! The strongest example of this for me was during the writing of my third novel, Secret Lives. One of the character’s stories is told through her journal entries. It was the first time I’d ever written in first person, and it made me feel very very close to the character, Kate. From the beginning of the book, the reader knows that Kate dies, but by the time I got to that part of the journal, I was beside myself. I didn’t want to let her go. I loved her so much. I even tried to figure out ways to change the story so I could keep her alive. But the story demanded her death. I still can’t read that one scene without sobbing.   

 

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Story Weekend: Your Favorite Place (and another Giveaway!)

I think every one of us has a favorite place. A chair by the sunny living room window. Flying in a glider above the sea. Paris! Tell us the story of your favorite place.

Monday morning 10am EST, I’ll use my trusty Random Number Generator to pick a commenter to win an audio book version of The Escape Artist.

If  you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:

▪   The story must be true

▪   Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge. Happy writing!

 

 

 

 

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Galley Giveaway!

My North American publisher just told me they have three Advanced Reading Copies of Necessary Lies to give away! So here’s what we’ll do. Leave a comment on this blog post–even just “hi!” will work. Thursday evening at 10pm EST I’ll use a random number generator to pick three of you to win. Unfortunately this particular giveaway is only open to North American residents.

Good Luck!

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Story Weekend: Sleepovers (and a giveaway)

The little girl across from me in Starbucks is excited about going to her first slumber party tonight (she seems way too young to me, but whatever!) so I thought sleepovers would make a good Story Weekend topic. What does that word conjure up for you?

I just received the  audio book version of The Escape Artist, so at 10pm EST Sunday night I’ll randomly pick a winner from all commenters to win a copy!

If  you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:

▪   The story must be true

▪   Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge. Happy writing!

 

 

 

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Midweek Questions from my Readers Part 2

On Facebook, I asked for some questions that were a bit out of the ordinary and received plenty!  So here’s part 2. Feel free to answer any of these questions yourself in the comments.

Q. If you had to live in one of your books with the people and in the community, which one would it be?

A. That’s a very tough question, since I love (most of) my characters and adore the settings I’ve written about. I think I would pick the Keeper of the Light trilogy. I’d love to live on the Outer Banks, and after writing about them for three books, the O’Neil family does kind of feel like my own kin. Lacey could teach me stained glass. My dogs could have Alec as their vet. But mostly I would love to climb to the top of that fictional broken lighthouse and look out over the sea.

Q. If you were not an author, what other profession would you be?

A. I would still be a clinical social worker. I particularly loved hospital social work, but I think given Rheumatoid Arthritis, I probably couldn’t have continued to work those hours, so I would go back to my private psychotherapy practice with adolescents. They are the most intriguing age group to work with! I miss my old profession and am glad I’ve had the chance to have two careers I love.

Q. If there was such a thing as time travel, and you could go to any time period, what would it be and why?

A. I would go a hundred years into the future. I’m fascinated to know what the technology would be like a century from now. More important, I’d like to know that the world is still in one piece, that we haven’t yet destroyed the planet, and that we’ve learned to take care of one another a bit better. I hope I wouldn’t be setting myself up for a big disappointment!

Q. What book (except one of yours) do you wish you had written?

A. To Kill a Mockingbird. Not because of it’s commercial success, but because of one of its primary themes: It’s more important to do the right thing than to win.

How about you? Want to pick a question and share your answer?

 

 

 

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Story Weekend: Honeymoons

 

What’s your honeymoon story? Maybe you’ve never had one, in which case you may need to borrow one from someone else. Either way, I hope you’ll play!

If  you’re new to Story Weekend, here’s how it works: I pick a theme and you share something from your life that relates to that theme, however you interpret it. Thanks to all of you who’ve been contributing. As always, there are a few “rules”:

▪   The story must be true

▪   Try to keep it under 100 words. Embrace the challenge! That’s about six or seven lines in the comment form. I want others to read your story, and most people tend to skip if it’s too long. I know how tough it is to “write tight” but I hope you’ll accept this as a challenge. Happy writing!

 

 

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