The Beautiful Bureaucrat - author/reader discussion

[Lori, Super Mod]

Have a safe flight Helen! Enjoy the gorgeous weather : )

[Constance]

Thanks so very much for all the glimpses into your writing process, Helen. It's been fascinating! Hope you enjoy the Miami Book Fair. I hear it's wonderful. I'll definitely look up Vendetta Vida and her book.

[Diane]

Thank you Helen for sharing your book, your time and comments with us. It is fascinating to hear about your creative thoughts and comments. That gives a whole new level of perspective and dimension to the book.

[Helen]

Thanks, all! Safely in Miami and happy to take more questions if any arise over the weekend ...

[Cory]

Ha, the snake on the arm -- I knew I'd missed something big! And I also hadn't picked up the Trishiffany/Persephone connection, although reading the two names side by side...of course!

Another question for the discussion -- what drove the decision to make Joseph and Josephine living paycheque-to-paycheque, subletting, etc?

Hope you're having fun in Miami!

[Helen]

Thanks, Cory! It's delightful to be here ... quite a different world from New York in November.

I wanted Joseph and Josephine's journey to be taking place on a precipice ... I wanted the stakes to feel so high (almost exaggeratedly so) for them. Hence the instability in all realms of their life, including that most basic primal need for shelter. I also think this helps justify why Josephine sticks with the job--truly out of necessity.

(And ... a side note: my husband and I did go through some real estate troubles some years ago that meant that we had to live from sublet to sublet for a while ...)

[Peg - reading heals]

Helen, what are you working on or planning with you writing in the near future?

[Lori, Super Mod]

Well guys and gals, we're on our final hours of discussion with Helen. Does anyone have any last minute questions they want to throw out there?

I'm going to take this moment to thank Helen for joining the group once again, making copies of her book available for us and being a genuinely awesome chick!

It was great to have you back Helen and I wish you nothing but continued success with The Beautiful Bureaucrat!! I'm flattered to have been able to host the discussion with you.

[Helen]

Peg--thanks for this final question. I have a short story collection, Some Possible Solutions, forthcoming from Henry Holt in July--plenty of transformations, quasi-dystopias, aliens, and other bizarre scenarios ...

And I can't wait to start the new novel that's brewing in my mind these days, about a mother who has to make a very strange and difficult decision ... now the trick is just to find a quiet moment amid kids and holidays and teaching and etc.!

Lori, thank you so much for all of your support in my own journey, and for your support of the written word in general. It's always a delight to be involved with TNBBC.

Everyone, your questions have been fantastic and I'm honored that you spent some time with The Beautiful Bureaucrat.

Happy reading to all!

warmly,
Helen