CLP Blog Tours Interview and Excerpt: Tea and Primroses by Tess Thompson
I am happy to welcome Tess Thompson to the blog today! She is answering a few of my questions plus sharing an excerpt from her latest release Tea and Primroses
**Interview**
Can you describe Tea and Primroses in a tweet (140 characters or less)?
When famous author Constance Mansfield is murdered, she leaves behind
devastating secrets that threaten daughter, Sutton’s, life.
What are you currently reading?
Wally Lamb’s, “We Are Water.”
Do you experience writers block? Any tips on overcoming it?
The only time I do is when I don’t have the plot of whatever I’m working on
completely worked out. For example, the current manuscript is taking a bit longer
than I’d like because I don’t have all the puzzles put together. What I do in that
case is rewrite what I have because the better you know your characters and the
stronger the first chapters are (if you’re stuck, for example) the more likely you
are to figure out your missing plot points. If you’re without any ideas for your next
novel or short story, pick up a newspaper or a magazine (Vanity Fair is a good
one for this) and see what stories interest you. Might there be something you
could use for a story? Or, you can look through your notebooks or journals and
see if you have anything jotted down that you could use. Sometimes I’ll wake up
with a line in my head and I’ll jot it down in a notebook and come back to it later.
It can be the beginning of a novel or a chapter or an idea for a character. Also, I
find that doing something brainless, like taking a walk or a shower and purposely
not thinking about anything will allow a plot idea or character to enter your mind.
Where do you complete most of your writing? Any certain time of day that you
prefer?
I always work at my desk in my home office. I have to be careful of carpel tunnel
issues because I work a lot so, unfortunately, I have to be disciplined about
sitting at my desk and typing on my ergonomic keyboard. I used to wander
around the house writing on the couch or in bed but those days are over.
Are you currently working on another novel?
Yes, I’m working on a novel called, “Blue Midnight”, about a recent divorcee who
decides to search for a long lost love.
What is the hardest part of the writing process for you?
The first draft, no question. Once I have the main story on paper, then the fun
begins. I love to rewrite, fiddling with sentences or certain details to make it come
alive.
What are your favorite genres to read?
Literary fiction, mysteries, romance, suspense.
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
I want them to turn the last page and feel hopeful about their own circumstances.
My novels are meant to inspire the reader to live their lives with purpose and
courage, to live fully awake.
How important do you think social media is for authors these days?
Social media is extremely important, especially for new authors trying to establish
a fan base. It is a way to reach readers without having to invest a lot of money in
a publicist or other traditional marketing venues.
What would be your advice to aspiring writers?
Write as much you can. Read as much as you can. Invest in every book on
writing fiction you can find and devour them like your life depends on it. Write
what you love about what you love. Write the book you want to read. Don’t worry
about the odds or if you have talent or not. Find your own voice because it is like
no one else’s and you can write the stories no one else can. Write like you have
something to say that matters.
**Excerpt**
Chapter One
June 2013
Dear Sutton,
I guess I’m gone if you’re reading this. I write one of these letters every June just in case something unexpected happens and I die. I’ve been doing this for six years now, ever since Roma died and I realized you and Declan would be orphans once I go.
I know I won’t need to remind you how much I love you since I’ve said it to you every day of your life. I hope, despite my lifelong love affair with words and my unquenched ambition, my actions left no doubt in your mind that you were everything to me. I’m prouder of you than anything I ever did, professionally or personally. I was humbled and honored to be your mother. Thank you for being my lottery. That said, in mother fashion, I must leave a small list of instructions.
1. I would like to be cremated and my ashes spread in the sea foam on our beach—just you and Declan.
2. I want a huge party thrown in my honor and for everyone to make nice speeches about me. I’m just kidding about the speeches part. No one is left that really knew me except for you and Declan, Louise and Aggie. Regardless, I would like a party where you invite all the townspeople who have wished to see inside the house for twenty years now. Please ask Louise to help you, because you’ll probably be sad and not thinking as clearly as you normally do. But, Love, make it a really good party, the kind most of the people of Legley Bay wouldn’t normally be invited to. Spend gobs of money. Over-serve them top shelf alcohol and provide buses back to town so nobody drives drunk and hurts anyone. And hire a good caterer from Cannon Beach, for God’s sake,
and not Myrnas (no apostrophe—never ceases to amuse me) Fish House. Make sure there’s some kind of potato dish—the kind I never ate and which I’m probably regretting now wherever I am. Hire servers in crisp white aprons that carry around trays and offer delectable little treats like shrimp and those bacon-wrapped dates you’re so fond of. Gosh, it sounds lovely and so civilized! My mother would have hated it. But she’s dead too so we don’t have to worry about her. Anyway, the party is a way for me to say I’m sorry to all the good people of Legley Bay for never hosting any parties at the house—completely selfish of me, I know, but I hate all the mess and fuss and the small talk—please, kill me now. Ha! I’m already dead, so that’s really not so funny. Clearly I don’t really think there’s any chance I’m dying this year since I make such light of it in this letter. Remember, I’ve been doing this for six years and I haven’t died yet. After the party, invite the gang over and play darts and dance in the basement like you all used to in high school. Sometimes at night when I’m here alone I think I can hear you all down there but then I realize it’s just the wind.
3. Don’t marry Roger. You don’t love him. He’s weird. I never understood one thing he’s ever said.
4. Call Declan. Get him to come home. You love him and always have. For Heaven’s sake, this whole nonsense between the two of you has gone on too long.
5. Invest some of the money I left you. I was surprised how it grew over the years and you will be too. That said, please don’t hesitate to spend a small amount frivolously, like on lovely clothes or a trip somewhere or even a ridiculous little sports car. I want you to have whatever you want. I did it all for you anyway.
I know you won’t mind how much I left for Declan. He was like a son to me, as you know. But, as it turns out, there was so much to go around. We have the thirteen bad movies to thank for that.
Okay, I must close. I have to get my word count in before 4 or I don’t get to have a glass of wine. Love you, always, Mommy
Author Bio:
Tess Thompson is a novelist and playwright with a BFA in Drama from the University of Southern California. In 2011 she released her first novel, Riversong, which subsequently became a best seller.
Like her main character in the River Valley collection, Tess is from a small town in Oregon. She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle, Washington with her two young daughters, Emerson and Ella, and their puppy Patches. She is inspired daily by the view of the Cascade Mountains from her home office window.
Tess is working on her next novel and regularly blogs about her journey as a mother, author and friend at www.tesswrites.com.
Connect with Tess!
http://tesswrites.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTessThompson
https://twitter.com/TessWrites
Buy the Book!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1bTdhBt
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tea-and-primroses-tess-thompson/1118622407?ean=9781620152096
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tea-and-primroses/id814544996?ls=1&mt=11
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/Tea-and-Primroses/vPRyj0FM30i1NXt81gGUeA?MixID=vPRyj0FM30i1NXt81gGUeA&PageNumber=1
