AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DOLLEY CARLSON

AUTHOR INTERVIEW – DOLLEY CARLSON

Welcome Dolley! I am so thrilled to have you on my blog.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family.

I’m originally from Boston. Family moved to CA when I was 11. Husband from Chicago & his family moved to CA when he was 11. God’s plan was at work way back then – we have been married for 45 years.

Two daughters. Katie – Stay at home mom with 5 children under 9. No multiples. Lives 8 min from us.

Candy – TV producer. She has a dear heart for prison ministry, specifically mothers and children. Single. We’re praying for one more good man! J

We all live in So. Calif.

Tell us about your latest book, and how it came about.

The Red Coat – A Novel of Boston – I’ve written four non-fiction books and always wanted to write a novel but I needed to learn the craft and did at an advanced writer’s workshop in L.A. The Red Coat popped up in one of my pieces and I just knew this was it! Fellow writer and dear friend, Dianne agreed when we discussed the possibility on the way home.

Think Downton Abbey, but set in the heart of Boston. Here’s a short synopsis:

Meet the proud, working-class Irish and upper-class Brahmins of Boston¾through the contrasting lives of two families and their friends and neighbors in the 1940s and 50s.

Irish domestic worker Norah King’s decision to ask her wealthy employer, Caroline Parker, for an elegant red coat the Beacon Hill matriarch has marked for donation ignites a series of events that neither woman could have fathomed.

The unlikely exchange will impact their respective daughters and families for generations to come, from the coat’s original owner, marriage-minded collegian Cordelia Parker, to the determined and spirited King sisters of South Boston, Rosemary, Kay, and Rita. As all of these young women experience the realities of life—love and loss, conflict and joy, class prejudices and unexpected prospects¾the red coat reveals the distinctions between cultures, generations, and landscapes in Boston throughout this time of change, challenge, and opportunity.

See how the Parkers and the Kings each overcome sudden tragedy with resolve and triumph, and witness the profound impact of a mother’s heart on her children’s souls.

Can’t wait to read this. It sounds wonderful!  

Share about your genre and why you write in this style.

My genre is historical novel. I’m Irish and we’re storytellers J so I had the framework for the story. My grandparents were Irish immigrants and settled in South Boston in 1917. My heart holds so many family stories of the day and those met my imagination and love of faith, family, fashion, human behavior, romance and history.

What inspires you?

Observation. I’m a people watcher and listener x infinityJ!

In the case of The Red Coat I wanted to capture the history of the city as it was from 1941 – 1955. South Boston, where I lived as a little girl is on a peninsula surrounded by the sea. Although other ethnicities called it home the largest demographic and its reputation is Irish. Gentrification has set in because of the fabulous locale and I really want future residents to know all about the holy ground of “Southie.” I am so grateful for my good memory – my husband Tom says that God gave me an “extraordinary memory” because He had plans for me to be a novelist.

I would agree that you really are a good listener, dear friend.

Tell us about your writing process.

Well, dear Golden, as any writer will tell you – settling down and sitting in the chair is the hardest part of writing. But once I’m there I can sit still and write for 3-4 hours at a time. I enter the story and lose all track of time. Because my work is historical it also requires a great deal of research. Which I love! I have researched many times in Boston and on a daily basis join my editor’s praise when she says with a sincere heart, “Thank God for Google!”

I also search Ebay for pertinent items related to the period – The Red Coat has an unusual format in that I have used vintage postcards depicting places and people of Boston – as sidebars – and I have also developed sidebars without illustrations – they are intended as a way to take the reader aside and whisper a little something extra about what they are reading.

Readers have told me they love the sidebars. So grateful they do!

That sounds really interesting. In my Civil War novel, His Steadfast Love, I put famous quotes about the conflict and/or song lyrics from the day at the beginning of each chapter. People loved them.

What are your writing goals?

I have received many requests already for a sequel to The Red Coat. One enthusiastic reader said she’d like one as soon as possible and added “And I mean it!” Such a blessing to have people so excited about the characters. About mid book there’s a turn of events that has prompted readers to email and Facebook message me about how they felt about . . . They just wanted me to know how much they cared about that character.

What do you wish someone had told you about writing?

I wish they had told me to start sooner. When I was in 6th grade my teacher told me I had a gift for writing and I heard the same from a high school teacher. I went back to school as a young mother and my English professor said, “You’ve got it! You should be journaling every day.”

I was so focused on raising my family that I determined writing was something I would do some day. You know, Golden, on second thought, I think the timing was perfect. Although some may disagree J I am a baby-boomer so times a wastin’!

I wish I’d gotten started earlier too. 

Tell us something about yourself that nobody knows.

Sometimes I’ll be so focused on the work that I’ll write through the night ‘til three or four in the morning. Makes for a pretty fuzzy day but as my Grammy used to say, “Darlin’ you’ve got to strike while the iron is hot!”

What hobbies do you enjoy?

I love to bake! And I love to set a really pretty table! Not just for company J My husband and I are empty nesters but a nice table setting brings both of us joy! I love this quote from Martha Stewart “Give your china something to do.” Not that we eat off china every night but the point is . . .enjoy!

I love going to plays, musicals, independent movies and concerts! Love!

Zumba is my primary exercise along with power walking by the ocean while listening to Irish tunes and worship music (Ipod)!

Love going to plays and musicals, and Zumba! Wish we lived close together where we could enjoy each other’s company.

Where can your readers contact you?

I can be reached at the book’s website – www.theredcoatboston.com

And on Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/authordolleycarlson and a message or on the page.

The Red Coat – A Novel of Boston is available on Amazon.com at http://tinyurl.com/q7lngl4 and barnesandnoble.com at http://tinyurl.com/p6w9hsy.

It can also be ordered from my website.

I’m honored to personalize and sign copies upon request.

Thank you so much, Dolley, for being with us. I’m excited about your new book!

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