Author Interview: Elizabeth Chadwick

Interviewed by Tamela McCann

Welcome to my inaugural historical fiction column! I’ve always loved historical fiction and it’s my hope that with this column, I can share some of my favorites I’ve read over the years and learn of even more from you guys. Though my favorite subject is British history, I’ll pretty much read anything historical. If it happened in the past, it’s bound to pique my interest.

In this first column, it is my delightful honor to bring to you an interview with Elizaberth Chadwick, author of some of the very best historical fiction out there. I’ve been reading Ms. Chadwick’s novels for years and can tell you she’s only getting better with each novel. Any time anyone asks for a good historical fiction author, she’s my go-to gal. I even make it a practice to turn her books facing outward on bookstore shelves because I believe everyone needs to be reading her works! Her novels are generally set in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in England and most of her newest novels involve real people and situations. Beyond being a terrific writer, she’s also very warm, witty, and open.

TM: Your latest novel, To Defy a King, (available in the UK) is about Mahelt Marshal Bigod. What surprised you most about her?

EC: I wasn’t so much surprised, as very interested in the way that different family dynamics played out. At home Mahelt was the beloved firstborn daughter. A real daddy’s girl who had a fine sense of her own worth and who had been a little spoiled being for a while, the only girl among four brothers. She was about seven before her next sister was born. Even while children, especially daughters had to do their duty and marry where they were told, and even while there were boundaries, nevertheless, there was leeway within those parameters, and Mahelt had been indulged. When she married and entered a family where the world no longer revolved around her, and where rules were more rigid, she had a hard time adapting, especially as she was also at that difficult adolescent stage. So it was fascinating to see how she coped (or didn’t) with her new circumstances, and the same for the family she married into. Some of them, especially her father in law, found having her live with them, rather like having a firework exploding in a library!

TM: Your latest novels are based on real historical figures–John Marshal, William Marshal, Roger Bigod. Why did you begin to focus on actual people rather than those you created yourself?

EC: There were two reasons. One was a commercial decision. In the mid 90’s, historical fiction hit the doldrums and my sort of historical adventure fiction went through a difficult time. I was still keeping my head above water, but I saw a lot of friends sink at at that time. However, biographical fiction suddenly took off, The Other Boleyn Girl being the forerunner, and I recognized that this was the future. I had also been considering writing biographical fiction for some time of my own accord. I wanted to get my teeth into something meatier as my career progressed. It was just a matter of having the confidence to do it.

TM: Do you have a personal hero/heroine from history? And is there someone you’ve discovered that you absolutely despise? Why? And who is the strangest person you’ve encountered?

EC: This is going to sound odd, but I don’t think I actually do have a personal hero or heroine. There are people I deeply, deeply admire in history. William Marshal and his father John – I have written about both. The Empress Matilda and Adeliza of Louvain, who are my subjects at the moment. There are aspects of their stories that show me what remarkable women they were. However, there are so many stories untold or yet to be discovered and so many people, often unsung who have done the most amazing things, often filled with self-sacrifice and devotion to their fellow humans. The strangest person would probably be Ralph the Farter, a character who appears briefly in To Defy A King. His lands were held from the king for the task of coming to court every Christmas and performing ‘a leap, a whistle, and a fart’ for the king’s entertainment.

As to a character I despise. Well, that’s a bit too harsh a word, but if there was one I’d rather not spend time with, it would be King John. I know he probably had his good points. He was a keen reader for one thing, and I’m sure I could have a lovely conversation with him about nice jewellery because he was all for gems and bling, but I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. Other than his reputation for having murdered his nephew and having hounded and starved to death Maude de Braose when she accused him of the murder, it’s good enough for me that the great William Marshal (who’s sons John took hostage) told John’s heir, Henry III, that if he ever behaved as his father had done, he wished him a speedy death. As some readers may know, I use the Akashic Records as part of my research, http://www.elizabethchadwick.com/akashic.html. My investigations into the personality of King John via this medium have corroborated William Marshal’s opinion.

TM: Your novels typically take place in the eleventh or twelfth centuries. What is it about that era that intrigues you?

EC: I became interested in the period in my teens when I fell for a knight on a TV programme and it’s a passion that has stayed with me and deepened as I’ve continued with the research. My first ever attempt at historical fiction was inspired by Keith Michelle in The Six Wives of Henry VII, and it was a Tudor story. If the knight hadn’t come along, who knows, I might have been ahead of the game in writing Tudor biographical fiction. I also considered writing Regency at the start of my career when I had a passion for the novels of Jane Aiken Hodge. I now have almost 40 years of research under my belt with reference to the 12th and 13th centuries, so to start again in another time period, I’d have to do a lot of reading to bring myself up to that standard of research. I might consider going earlier or later by a hundred years either side, as these timescales are within striking distance of the research.

TM: You say your novels have soundtracks (blog site: http://elizabethchadwicksoundtracks.blogspot.com/). How does that work? Does the song or the story come first?

EC: Music has always had a strong pull for me. Right from the moment I wrote my first novel as a 15 year old, I have used songs as a way of understanding my characters and getting into and developing their emotional lives. Songs in themselves tell stories - frequently of deeply or strongly held feelings and I harness the resonances in lyrics and music as part of my creative process. I had popular music soundtracks to my novels long before film makers started using them regularly in blockbusters, on TV and to sell cars and insurance! Indeed, I was rather miffed when the Heath Ledger film A Knight's Tale came out, because it had pinched my way of marrying the medieval story with the medium of the rock song!

As to which comes first: It’s a blending of strands. So for example, I used Kiki Dee’s “Amoreuse” as the main lovesong in To Defy A King. The lyrics and the ambience exactly suit the moment. I played it over and over to fix it in my subconscious, and I took the image of some of the lyrics like a colour on an artist’s pallete, to write a scene for the couple filled with light and clarity. When all the barons were fighting for position and the country was going to hell in a handcart over the Magna Carta crisis, I happened to hear Seether’s “Fake It” (the uncensored version) and it so suited the mood of the moment that it had to go on the soundtrack.

TM: What are you reading now? Anybody you’d like to promote to historical fiction lovers?

EC: Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh and absolutely loving it. It has a flavour of M.M. Kaye’s Far Pavillions. There is a lot of slang in the dialogue, which I thought added to the texture, but some readers might find it a bit much. But with that caveat (which doesn’t bother me in the least), I think it’s wonderful. It has definitely won a place in my ‘Historical fiction hall of fame.’ I have also recently enjoyed Mudbound by Hillary Jordan, Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel, and the wonderful Sourcebooks re-issue of Cecelia Holland’s Great Maria. I really relished that one.

TM: I’m so excited that your books are now starting to become available here in the U.S.. Any news on which ones may be released here soon?

EC: For the King’s Favor is published on September 1st by Sourcebooks (it was titled The Time of Singing in the UK), and To Defy A King comes out next March. Then there’s another title, as yet undecided for the autumn. If all goes well, Sourcebooks will continue to publish more. They will also be available on Kindle as Sourcebooks publish them.

Elizabeth Chadwick’s blogs:
http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwick.blogspot.com/
http://elizabethchadwicknews.blogspot.com/
http://elizabethchadwickreference.blogspot.com/
www.elizabethchadwick.com

Check out the following titles by Elizabeth Chadwick:

Author Interview - Joshua Henkin

By Melissa

Joshua Henkin spent ten years working on his latest novel, a sweeping portrait of a marriage and the decisions, reactions, problems and happinesses that face every day life. In Henkin's words, the novel is "about what it's like to be in your twenties and thirties--even your forties in some cases--when you're waiting for life to begin and you find to your surprise that it already has begun and that the decisions you make have consequences that you're not even aware of yet." He has spent considerable time and effort reaching out to the blogging and reading communities, not only to promote his book, but to connect with readers. He was more than willing to take the time to answer a few questions.

MF: I liked Julian and Mia's relationship; it felt at times, very ordinary. Why did you choose to explore marriage and commitment as a major theme in Matrimony?

JH: Thanks for these questions, Melissa. I really appreciate them. The “why” questions are always the hardest ones to answer because they assume fiction writers are much smarter than they are. I’m always saying that novelists need to be a little stupid, and if they’re not stupid naturally, then they need to cultivate stupidity. I’m only sort of kidding. I’ve seen a lot of writers who were too smart for their own good and their books ended up suffering. In any case, a novelist doesn’t think in terms of themes. At the very least, I don’t. I’m not saying the themes of marriage and commitment aren’t in Matrimony, but I certainly didn’t think about them as I was writing the book. I think purely in terms of character and narrative, and I let my characters guide me. I happened to write about characters who got married young and then endured a variety of difficulties over the course of the next fifteen years. But I wasn’t thinking about marriage and commitment when I was writing my novel. I was thinking about my characters, doing my best to inhabit them as fully as possible. Whatever themes that emerged came in through the back door.

MF: Interesting. I've never thought of it that way, but it does make sense. I'm sure you get this question a lot, since your main character is a writer, but: is the book in autobiographical in any way?

JH: Matrimony is not autobiographical in any obvious way. The only character based on a real character is the dog, who’s a dead ringer for my wife’s and my dog (except that our dog is a golden retriever and female and Cooper is a Labrador retriever and male). All the other mammals in the book are invented. I didn’t meet my wife in college, her mother didn’t die of breast cancer, she didn’t cheat on me with my best friend (of if she did, she hasn’t told me yet!), and, alas, I’m not nearly as wealthy as Julian is. A lot of people assume that if I’m anyone in the book I must be Julian, since he’s a writer and I’m a writer, he grew up in New York and so did I, and both our names begin with “J.” But if anything, I’m more similar to Mia. Her background is certainly a good deal closer to mine. I’m Jewish and she’s Jewish, and we’re both children of professors.

MF: I read somewhere where it was noted that you shied away from many of the big things in life: birthdays, anniversaries, deaths (Mia's mother's death is mentioned, but not dwelt upon). Is there any particular reason for this?

JH: I’m not sure what you’re referring to—if anything, I’m always telling my students (and myself!) that one should always shoot for high-stakes situations, which is why birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, Bar Mitzvahs, Thanksgiving meals, etc. are among the best occasions for stories. In fact, when I started Matrimony, I thought the whole book was taking place at a college reunion (I was wrong, it turned out). Perhaps what you’re referring to is something I’ve said about how the seemingly mundane moments of life can be the most revealing. The dinner party scene in Ann Arbor, for instance, while not monumental in terms of the plot of Matrimony, is essential in terms of the feel of the book—the way it gives the reader the sense of Julian’s feeling like an outsider, which is central to the book and leads to some of the trouble Julian and Mia experience. As for Mia’s mother’s death, while it’s true that we don’t see the actual funeral, Mia’s mother’s illness and death are dwelt on quite a lot. In fact, to my mind Mia’s mother’s death is the central incident in the novel. It’s what changes everything—what prompts Julian and Mia to get married much early than they would have (and should have). Without Mia’s mother’s death, I’m not sure they would have gotten married at all. It’s the life-changing event for all the major characters.

MF: Yes, that is what I was getting at; the exploration of the mundane. Though I can see what you mean about Mia's mother's death being the central incident of the novel. Which brings me to: which character or situation was hardest to write? Easiest?

JH: They’re all equally hard. Nothing’s easy. My job as a writer is to try to make things seem easy, but that’s one big illusion. Matrimony took me ten years to write and I threw out more than three thousand pages. There wasn’t an easy moment.

MF: That's an interesting fact. As readers we get the impression that everything just dashes off the ends of writer's fingertips.

I'm from the Ann Arbor area, and I have to admit that I was distracted by the presence of the city in the book. (Perhaps that's solely because Ann Arborites are notoriously attached to their town...) Why did you choose to set so much of the book in Ann Arbor?

JH: A fellow an Arborite! Anyone who’s spent time in Zingerman’s Deli is a friend of mine! I probably set a lot of the book in Ann Arbor because I lived there for eight years. I tend to set my fiction in places I’ve lived. I’m better at imagining people I don’t know than at imagining places I’ve never been to.

MF: I know you're involved in blogging and participating in reading groups. Can you tell us about some of your experiences there? What have you found/learned by interacting with readers in this way?

JH: I could go on for hours. It’s all been incredibly positive and helpful—from guest blogging to talking to book groups to all sorts of other things. I’m now up to 100 book groups, and there’s more to come. It helps sales of the book, certainly, and that’s an important thing, especially in what’s a very difficult publishing climate. But even more important than that, blogs and book groups have allowed me to have contact with so many readers out there, and that’s been extremely valuable.

MF: I'm always curious about the technical aspects of writing. Do you have any writing rituals, like a specific time or place to write?

JH: I try as much as I can to write every day because if you write every day you live with your characters—you think about them even when you’re not writing. If you take a few days off, you have to reintroduce yourself to your characters. I prefer to write in the morning when possible because that way the work’s not hanging over me all day. It’s like going to the gym. If I go early in the day, then I’ve gotten it done, and I don’t spend the rest of the day saying to myself, “I need to go to the gym.” I often write in the Brooklyn Writers Space, which is a quiet space for writers where I’m a member and where I’ve studiously avoided learning the Internet password. But I work at home too sometimes. I think it’s important not to be too wedded to a particular time and place to write. A writer needs to learn how to write under any circumstances, even with your kids sitting on your lap, which is something I’ve gotten adept at doing.

MF: Interesting. What writers have influenced you the most? Why?

JH: It’s hard to know. You hope it’s the writers you like more than the writers you don’t like. I love Fitzgerald, Cheever, and Richard Yates. I’m a big fan of the short stories of Alice Munro and Lorrie Moore. A lot of people have compared Matrimony to Wallace Stegner’s Crossing to Safety, which I certainly take as a great compliment. Crossing to Safety is a wonderful novel.

MF: I'm always looking for good books for my reading list. What are you currently reading? What five books do you think every person should read?

JH: I recently finished Roxana Robinson’s most recent novel Cost, which I thought was terrific. I’m not very good with top-ten lists or top-five lists. I certainly think Lolita is an amazing novel. So is Revolutionary Road—a great book long before Kate Winslet graced the cover.

MF: I'll have to look those up; thanks! And, if you don't mind telling, what can we expect from you next?

JH: I’m about 200 pages into my new novel, which is already overdue at the publisher. But I’m fairly confident it won’t take ten years (famous last words!). It’s tentatively called The World Without You, and it takes place over a single July 4th weekend. Three adult sisters (mid to late thirties) and their spouses/significant others return with their parents to the family’s country home in the Berkshires, the occasion for which is the fourth anniversary of the brother’s death; he was a journalist killed in Iraq. When he died, he left a pregnant wife, who subsequently gave birth to a son, who is now three. The wife has moved out to Berkeley, where she’s a graduate student in anthropology, and she’s fallen in love with and has moved in with another man. She may end up marrying this man, and even if she doesn’t, she’ll likely end up marrying someone else, and that person might adopt the son. The dead brother’s widow comes to the reunion, too, with her son, though without her boyfriend. The three-year-old, then, is the object of narrative struggle. For the grandparents and the aunts, he’s their grandson and nephew, respectively; most important, he’s the embodiment of the dead brother. For his mother, though he’s that too, he’s principally her son and she’s moving on. In a sense, then, the novel is about grief and the ways that in some instances, at least, a spouse gets over the death of a spouse while a parent never gets over the death of a child.

MF: Sounds intriguing. Thanks for your time, Josh!

JH: Thanks for doing the interview. I really enjoyed it!

You can find out more about the author, his involvement in reading groups and his books at his website.

Author Interview: John Shors

Interviewed by Melissa

Avid traveler, former journalist, and author of a bestselling book based in India, author John Shors' newest novel is Beside a Burning Sea, the tale of a Japanese soldier and several Americans who are stranded on an island in the Pacific during World War II. He was more than gracious to be interviewed via email for ER while on vacation recently. You can find more about Shors and his books at his website, and read a review of the book here.

MF: I'm not aware of many World War II books that are set in the Pacific front (that may just be me; there is probably a lot out there!). Why did you decide to set your book in that time and place?

JS: For the very reason that you mentioned--there just aren't many contemporary novels about World War Two that are set in the South Pacific. Everything seems to always center on Europe. After spending three years in Japan, I was intrigued with why Japan went to war with the U.S. The thought of having both Americans and Japanese stranded on an island and being forced to rely on each other to survive was really appealing to me as a writer. I should also say that Beside a Burning Sea isn't just a war story. It's a novel about relationships.

MF: Why did you decide to make haikus such an integral part of the story? Tell us a bit about writing them, if you can.

JS: My Japanese character, Akira, is poet, and as his relationship with Annie, an American nurse, evolves, he begins to teach her about his love of poetry. Specifically, his love of haikus. I start out each chapter in Beside a Burning Sea with a haiku written from Akira's perspective--on what he is musing over at a particular moment. I did this for several reasons. One, to provide a change of pace to the reader. Two, to provide greater insight into Akira's character. Readers seem to enjoy these poems, and I've had many people send me emails with haikus that they've written. I've enjoyed reading these creations.

MF: Which character in the book do you relate to the most?

JS: I probably connect with Akira the strongest. I'm really happy with how he turned out. I also enjoyed creating the relationship between Jake (the ship's engineer) and Ratu (a young stowaway). The process of creating this sort of father-son relationship was really rewarding for me, as I think that these characters' voices are unique and strong.

MF: Is there anything you hope readers will get out of your book?

JS: I don't consider Beside a Burning Sea to be an anti-war novel, but it certainly does contain a few messages that I think are important to remember. War is often depicted in a glamorous manner, and I've long had a problem with that. There was nothing glamorous about World War Two. The conflict between my characters and the conflict that surrounds them reflects my thinking.

MF: One of the unique things about you -- and your books -- is your willingness to connect with readers through bookgroups and email exchanges. Tell us a bit about why you decided to reach out to readers this way. Has this affected the way you look at your books or your writing process?

JS: I wanted to give something back to the readers who support me, and created a book-club program, through which I call into book clubs (via speakerphone). To date, I've spoken with about 1,300 book clubs. I've enjoyed these experiences quite a bit, as I think have readers. Anyone interested in my program can simply email me at shors@aol.com to set up a call. Through my program, I've learned how important books are to readers. I've been asked thousands of very insightful questions.

MF: You've been a journalist and worked in public relations; how does writing novels compare to those writing-based professions? Better, worse, easier, harder?

JS: Being a novelist is harder in some ways, because you're doing almost all of it on your own. You don't have a team. You have a project, and the success or failure of that project squarely sits on your shoulders. That can be quite stressful, especially as deadlines approach.

MF: Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

JS: All of my novels are set overseas. Beneath a Marble Sky tells the story of the Taj Mahal. Beside a Burning Sea is set in the South Pacific. My third novel, Dragon House, will come out in September of 2009 and is set in modern-day Saigon. I love to travel and my travels inspire my writing.

MF: Do you have a special time or place to write? Any writing rituals?

JS: I wish I had giant chunks of time in which to write, but as the father of a pair of toddlers, my day has constant interruptions. Of course, this has great upside as well. I don't haven't any writing rituals, other than sometimes I prefer to write longhand.

MF: What writers have influenced you the most?

JS: Novelists who have tackled multi-layered works set abroad. James Clavell would be a good example.

MF: So, if you don't mind telling us, what can we look for from you next?

JS: Well, I'm working on the back cover for my upcoming novel, Dragon House. Here's what I have so far:

Set in modern-day Vietnam, Dragon House tells the tale of Iris and Noah—two Americans who, as a way of healing their own painful pasts, open a center to house and educate Vietnamese street children.

Iris and Noah find themselves reborn in an exotic land filled with corruption and chaos, sacrifice and beauty. Inspired by the street children she meets, Iris walks in the footsteps of her father, a man whom Vietnam both shattered and saved. Meanwhile, Noah slowly rediscovers himself through the eyes of an unexpected companion.

Resounding with powerful themes of suffering, sacrifice, friendship, and love, Dragon House brings together East and West, war and peace; and celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

MF: Thanks for your time, John.

JS: Thanks!!!!

Author Interview: Howard Whitehouse

By Melissa F.

Every once in a while, I come across a book that I think is just perfect. The Island of Mad Scientists: Being an Excursion to the Wilds of Scotland, Involving Many Marvels of Experimental Invention, Pirates, a Heroic Cat, a Mechanical Man, and a Monkey, was one of those books. Technically the third in a series of books featuring three very lively, funny, enjoyable young teen characters, it nonetheless works well as a stand-alone read. One part adventure book, one part P.G. Wodehouse, it promises to captivate readers of all ages. See my review here. When Howard Whitehouse was offered up his time for an interview, I couldn't resist the chance to talk to the person behind this hilarious book. Besides, I heard he does all his own stunts.

MF: Because I started the series on the third book, I missed out a bit on the origin story of the characters. (If you don't mind explaining it a bit.) How did all the kids meet? What were their first two adventures (in a nutshell)?

HW: ‘The Strictest School in the World’ is a prison break novel, set in a Victorian boarding school. Emmaline’s very hoity-toity upper class parents have sent her home from India to attend this hugely repressive girl’s school to become a proper young lady. What she really wants is to become a pioneer of aeronautics (as one might). But she’s scared of plunging to her doom in the process. She’s staying with her eccentric Aunt Lucy the summer before school begins, and there she meets Rab – “Rubberbones”- an enthusiastic village lad who never seems to get hurt. And he has an uncanny ability to float. So she has a test pilot. But, after a couple of not entirely successful attempts at flight, she is sent to St. Grimelda’s, where almost everything is banned. She meets Princess Purnah, who is also a prisoner – sorry, pupil, there. There are unsuccessful escape attempts, and a lot of trouble with the school pterodactyls. Plus friendly Romany travelers, mad old colonels and a lot of groceries are used as missiles.

The second book, “The Faceless Fiend” begins a few weeks later, with all three youngsters staying at Aunt Lucy’s cottage, where the deranged Professor Bellbuckle is attempting to educate them. He’s not very gifted as a teacher. But then villainy intrudes when an international criminal mastermind, known as the Faceless Fiend for his, er, total lack of an actual face, schemes to kidnap Purnah for reasons involving international politics of a nefarious sort. In the sort of mix up that comes from dressing up in the bedroom curtains, Rubberbones is seized in the belief that he is the princess. The action moves to Darkest London where Sherlock Holmes and a rented balloon help to locate the abducted boy on the roof of a very tall house, but the Fiend’s Masked Minions intervene, and Rubberbones is lost again, wandering the
East End in search of his own family. There’s a lot of Dickensian stuff with rat-killing contests, elderly dogs, and street urchins. Purnah, meanwhile, tangles with her old headmistress and some stuffy bureaucrats who want her to go back to St. Grims, while Emmaline become involved with a stunt aviator called The Belgian Birdman. In a thrilling finale at the newly opened (and now opening) Tower Bridge, Emmaline uses the birdman’s craft to save her friends from the clutches of the Faceless Fiend as they fight on the roof of an out-of-control coach.

There are chocolates and cream cakes involved, as well.

MF: So, where did you get the idea for Emmaline and Rubberbones? How about Princess Purnah?

HW: I’d been reading about lot of wacky Victorian inventions for a gaming project that never took off, and it occurred to me that – as in “Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines” – these crazy early aircraft would be ideal for a funny adventure story. It was when I decided that the pioneer aeronaut was a kid – and then, specifically, a teenage girl – that Emmaline came to mind. The idea was that she’s intelligent and thoughtful, brave in many things but terrified of doing the thing that is most important here – actually flying. So, of course, in all three books she has to pluck up her courage and fly in devices that she knows are completely unsafe.

Rubberbones is the boy everyone knows, the impulsive lad who, no matter what he does, never seems to get hurt. He was the obvious match for Emmaline. He’s all heart and no planning.

Princess Purnah is one of those characters that writers will tell you simply jump out of the story and demand a starring role. She’d begun simply as a foreign girl who the mean girls picked on and the teachers couldn’t be bothered to educate in the English language. She was a bit of a victim. But then she just burst out of the story by trying to escape, and I knew I had to rewrite some of the earlier text to at least suggest that there was another side to her.

MF: Did you plan to write for middle grade readers? Or is that just where the story took you? (Or did the publishers/agents decide all that?)

HW: I’d written a funny adventure book some years previously set in the Victorian army (but failed to find a publisher for it). That had been aimed at adults. I hadn’t really thought of writing for young readers until my friend Joanne Schwartz, a children’s librarian in
Toronto, suggested I try it (and handed me a pile of books to read). I started writing in a style that came easy to me – a bit formal and old-fashioned - and I thought it might work for, say, a twelve year old reader (not that I had a lot of knowledge as to reading levels). As it was, my editor told me that I was pretty much on the mark; sometimes I have to simplify something, or explain a bit of history, and every so often we have to take out a joke that’s too sophisticated (or too rude!)

MF: Who is your favorite character in the books? Why?

HW: I have to say Purnah, because she’ll stab me in the arm with a sharpened butter knife if I don’t. And Professor Bellbuckle, who is simply deranged.

MF: I have found that humor is fickle; not everyone laughs the same thing. Is there a "secret" to writing humorous stories? How do you go about it? Do you have an inspiration?

HW: Humor comes easily to me, sometimes at times it shouldn’t (which is why I should not be called on to testify in court or speak at a funeral). I teach creative writing courses for middle graders through my local library system, and I see that different people have hugely different senses of humor. This has a lot to do with age, of course, and what works as a written rather than visual piece; writing a banana skin gag, for instance, doesn’t really work very well,

For myself, I just sit down, start typing, and entertain myself. That’s pretty easy for me! Inspiration? Kids, cats, daily life. If I had to name a writer, it has to be P.G. Wodehouse for sheer hilarity. Of modern writers, Bill Bryson, Janet Evanovich and an English guy called Harry Pearson, who wrote a brilliant book called Achtung Schweinhund! about his (and my) obsession with model soldiers.

MF: How you decide to become a writer? Is it something you've "always" wanted to do?

HW: I tell the audiences at my appearances about my first efforts as a fictioneer. When I was about seven I wrote a wild west story where all the characters were teddy bears. I no longer work in that genre.

In my teens and twenties I wrote a lot of articles and games on military history, later writing two non-fiction books about Victorian battles in Africa. In the nineties I wrote some short stories and an unpublished novel about a completely idiotic (yet courageous) British officer called Binky Bagshot, which were not a million miles from the Emmaline and Rubberbones books in style. Twelve people in the whole world though they were terrific. I also wrote some “Victorian Science Fiction” short stories for a project which never came off.

It was only in my forties that I began writing for young people, and it seemed to work out all round.

MF: What are your five favorite books of all time (or at least currently)?

HW: Tough call!

My favorite kids’ book is “The Wind in the Willows.” I’d also add Lloyd Alexander’s “Prydain” series, although technically that consists of four books. I thought Phillip Reeve’s “Mortal Engines” series was terrific, as well.

Aside from that? Max Allen Collin’s “Stolen Away,” a mystery set around the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. Njal’s Saga. And something by P.G. Wooster? Hmm. So many of them. Maybe “The Code of the Woosters”.

MF: Code of the Woosters is brilliant, I have to agree. In a not-quite-completely unrelated question: do you have a favorite joke?

HW: This is a very visual joke, since it really demands the teller flapping like a penguin and making weird bird noises.

A man is walking down the street, when suddenly he is accosted by a penguin. The penguin flaps his wings, says, “Parrrrrppppp!!!!”, and sticks his little penguin wing tip in the man’s hand. He waddles along like this, while the man can’t get rid of him. They meet a policeman, who says, “Where do you think you are going with that penguin, sir?”
The man explains what happened. the policeman says, "If I were you, I’d take him to the zoo, sir.” “Oh, right!”, answers the man, gratefully. “Good idea! the zoo!”

The next day the policeman sees the man, together with the penguin, walking towards him, wing-in-hand, smiling and parrrrpping away..

“Didn’t I tell you to take that penguin to the zoo, sir?” demands the policeman.

“Oh yes, officer. It was wonderful. Thanks for suggesting it! We are off to the circus this afternoon!” replies the man.

MF: So, if you don't mind telling us, what can we look for from you next?

HW: My next thing for Kid’s Can Press, for 2010 (alas!) is “Bogbrush the Barbarian”, a hugely silly fantasy romp about a muscle-bound barbarian hero so stupid that all the other barbarians notice. It involves an epic quest to the city of Scrofula to prove that Bogbrush is, or might be, but probably isn’t, the true heir to the throne. It’s a lot of fun, with a fake "educational" aspect where I throw in ludicrous quizzes, “Did You Know?” bits, and life advice that any halfway bright ten year old will immediately disregard.

I’ve got the elements of a new “Emmaline and Rubberbones” novel (set partly in the American west, with the real life robber gang known as the Wild Bunch as characters), but so far it’s just an outline.

And I’ve just finished the first draft of a young adult novel about a dangerously computer-literate teenage girl, which I wrote in partnership with an actual teenaged writer. It’s very funny indeed, if I say so myself!

MF: Thanks for your time, Howard!

You can visit Howard at his website or blog. Or read chapters of his novels here and here. And if you didn't get enough of him in this interview, you can find some videos of him here.

Author Interview: Christine Son

Interviewed by Melissa

Christine Son is a lot of things: a woman, a lawyer, a Korean-American, a person who "loves peach cobbler, silly movies, laughter, stand-up comedians, The Daily Show, Hawaii, Balenciaga handbags, Texas Hold ‘Em, Belvedere vodka, chocolate, Spam (the quasi-food, not the Internet scourge)." And now, she can add writer to that list. Her first novel, Off the Menu, was recently released, and we're pleased that she was able to take time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions about her book, about being a child of immigrants, and about balancing lawyering with writing.

MF: This is your first novel; congrats! Since it's just been released, could you tell our readers a bit about your book?

CS: Off the Menu is about the balance that three, twenty-something year old, successful Asian-American women must strike between who they are (which is the embodiment of everyone's expectations, including their own) and what they want to be (which is different than what anyone would think for them). For example, a character named Whitney is a Harvard grad who is working at a large law firm, but she harbors secret desires to be a folk singer, a path that would floor her parents and, as she believes, her friends. Hercules is an incredibly successful restaurateur, but her relationship with her unassimilated Chinese father threatens her understanding of self. Audrey is adopted by incredibly wealthy parents who think she’s throwing away her life by marrying someone “beneath her.” The story’s also about friendship, because the main characters have been best friends for fifteen years, yet they don't share the most important aspect of themselves for fear of public failure and judgment. In a way, it's my story, as I became a lawyer in part to fulfill what everyone expected of me, my own secret ambitions of writing and my unwillingness to share with anyone what I was doing until the book had sold. Silly, I know. But I think a lot of people have experiences similar to mine.

MF: Lawyer to writer seems like a big career change. Was writing something you always wanted to do, or was this something out of the blue? Have you found it difficult to balance these two parts of your life?

CS: I think I always did want to write, but it seemed like such a luxury of sorts. There was the real world I had to deal with, school loans and family, familial expectations and my own notions of "success." But in the end, I realized that if I was ever going to write, I just had to do it. So I did. I left the law firm and went in-house with a company, which was great in providing a more human work-life balance. When I'm writing, my days are pretty long, and it does feel like I have two full-time jobs, but I love them both. I think that's really the secret to balance--going after those things in life that really matter to you (regardless of what they are) and letting everything else take a back seat.

MF: Do you hope to eventually leave lawyering behind and become a full time writer, or will writing just be something to do in addition to being a lawyer?

CS: People have asked me that a lot, and they always seem a little disappointed when I say that I actually quite like being a lawyer. At least being an in-house lawyer. So long as my relationships at home don't suffer, I'm thrilled to bits to be able to do both. Working gives me a perspective I might not otherwise have. It affords me relationships that I might not be able to dream up. I love my friends at work. And I enjoy the substantive matters of the law. So for now, I'm happy to be able to do both. Of course, when I'm having a wretched day at the office, it is nice to fantasize about leaving to write full time...

MF: How long did the process of writing from conception to finally seeing it in print? How do you feel finally getting your story out there?

CS: Off the Menu went through so many iterations. From first conception to finally seeing it on the shelves--I'd say it took about two and a half years. Publishing is such a hurry-up-and-wait industry. You write, write, write, pray, pray, pray, and then wait, wait, wait. But once a publisher says "yes," it seems like time travels at warp speed. There are tons of revisions, deadlines, editorial guidance. I am so incredibly fortunate to have had such an amazing editor who really molded the story and made it better. Off the Menu's pure fiction, of course, but all fiction is based on something familiar, whether it's a writer's experiences, or her feelings or her fears or whatnot. So, while I'm exhilarated to get my story out there, a part of me feels completely naked and vulnerable. This is my first book, so I don't know if that feeling ever goes away, but I hope that that insecurity doesn't affect the way I write in the future. I've been keeping Salinger's counsel in my mind, which is to say that I'm writing as if no one will read my work. It gives me the confidence and audacity to be honest and naked and vulnerable and all the qualities that make a book authentic.

MF: A lot of people get asked if their first novel is autobiographical. Since your novel about Asian women, I suppose this question is inevitable: did you get your ideas for the novel from your life or people you know?

CS: Of course! Whitney's story isn't exactly like mine. Neither are Hercules's or Audrey's. But I understand where they're coming from, the emotions and feelings they experience. I understand the pressure they put on themselves and the fears they have about disappointing their families or each other or themselves. And a lot of my friends understand the same things, which became a frequent topic of conversation. In fact, those conversations were in large part the impetus of Off the Menu. From a cultural stance, my being Korean (and in Texas, too) does give me another set of lenses with which to view my surroundings, another perspective that dovetails or diverges from those around me. At the same time, the issues in the book (and really, in life in general) are ultimately those that everyone can understand--the balance between the real world and the secret dreams we have, the desire to take care of or please our parents, the friendships that come with both support and increased (at least, perceived) expectation. So, to answer your question in very verbose way, Off the Menu was both a product of my own life and those of my friends, but I also think it's very accessible to everyone.

MF: I think so, too. Which makes me wonder: what do you think was more important in the process of telling this story: being a woman, or being a child of immigrants? Or do you think that they were both equally important?

CS: This is such a great question. The pressure of being a woman and of being a child of immigrants is so similar and so different. They both come with the notion that you have to try harder to succeed. Maybe it's not fair, but I've experienced it enough in the legal industry enough to know that I have to work harder, be better prepared, know my stuff better than the guy next to me if I want to move up. Plus, given that I look like a child, and an Asian one at that, it's even more important that I assert my authority from the outset if I want to be taken seriously. It's a process of perception, of dealing with the world as it sees me, whether shaped by looks or stereotypes or whatnot. Being a child of immigrants, by contrast, is a process of introspection, of dealing with the world as I see it. As I feel it. For sure, there are additional pressures to do right by my parents. What immigrant child hasn't heard her parents say that they moved to this country for her, even if it's not true? What second-generation kid hasn't heard her parents talk about the sacrifices they made to give her a better life? It's another notch on the belt of reasons why so many Asians strive to be doctors or lawyers or engineers, why so many of us feel more bound to traditional professions than to up the risk that we might disappoint our parents. At some point, though, I think we reach a place where we question what the definition of a "better life" really is, if it's the intrinsic joy of a myriad options or financial security. Satisfaction of fulfilled desire or material success. Certainly, this is a tension that children of immigrants share, but it's most definitely not unique to us.

MF: I like that you set the book in Texas; it's not something you expect from a book with Asian main characters. Do you think that there's anything inherent Southern about your book? Or are Asians in Texas somehow separate from your typical "Southern" culture?

CS: I don't know if there's anything inherently Southern about Off the Menu. For sure, there’s a unique flavor in Texas, and to a large extent, I think first-generation Asians are more insular and therefore less assimilative of idiosyncrasies in this state. Because there does tend to be more of a communal attitude (Asians sticking with other Asians), there’s less opportunity to absorb and adopt into one’s life the Texas or Southern culture here. I think second-generation Asians are much more in tune with Texas/Southern culture. I would certainly consider myself to be a Texan. As are the girls in the book.

MF: What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

CS: That it's never too late to reach out for what you want, no matter how small or big it is. It's your life, and you only get one shot. For me, it was so much worse to wonder what could have been with my writing than to have tried and failed miserably. The not-knowing is so much more tortuous and consuming and eventually, I find that it affects every aspect of my life. The book is uplifting, and while it focuses on each girl's conflict of the real world and the dream one, it's also about the friendship they share, the surprising encouragements and support they give each other. Yes, they're competitive and ambitious and aggressive and so on, but they're also each other's most ardent cheerleaders. Which I think is an invaluable comfort.

MF: What are your five favorite books of all time?

CS: So many to choose from! This list might change by the time the interview posts, but for now, I love, love, love: The Life of Pi by Yann Martel; Bel Canto by Ann Patchett; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and About a Boy by Nick Hornby.

MF: If you don't mind, what can we look for from you next?

CS: Well, I'm working on a new novel that focuses on two dysfunctional families who merge through a marriage of convenience. It's a bit of a mess right now, but it's essentially about blending haves and have-nots in an unconventional way. I'll definitely update as the story solidifies, though!

Thanks so much for your time, Christine!

Author Interview: Jennie Shortridge

Interviewed by Andi

Estella's Revenge has the great pleasure of hosting the first stop on Jennie Shortridge's blog tour to promote her latest novel, Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe. She is the author of two other novels, Eating Heaven and Riding with the Queen.


Andi Miller: For the Estella's Revenge readers that might not be familiar with your novel, could you sum it up briefly? It's often more interesting to hear a synopsis from the author herself than the interviewer.


Jennie Shortridge: It's about a woman's journey from "perfect" to better. Mira is a middle-aged, perimenopausal perfectionist whose goal in life has been to live perfectly. When one small piece of that life is toppled, the rest falls around it, and she finds herself in a car headed north from her idyllic Oregon Coast small town and family, dressed only in a thong and bathrobe, and accompanied by a small singing dog named Patsy Cline. Her car breaks down in Seattle, in a funky old neighborhood known to locals as "The Center of the Universe," and this becomes her Oz, where she can discover who she really is and what really matters.

AM: I really enjoyed reading about Mira Serafino's plight in light of her husband's indiscretion. I found it interesting that Mira took off without really knowing the extent to which her husband "slipped" with another woman. Were you ever concerned about keeping Mira believable or staying true to a seemingly "straight laced" character in this regard?


JS: I think that's what novelists worry about constantly, but I also realize that every human is unique. We each receive so many different inputs and experiences and have such varying emotions and reactions, you know? Mira freaked out, completely. Everything she did was against her character, partly because the persona she'd built for herself was a false one. And I think to some women, it doesn't matter if their husbands shared a bed or an intimate conversation--it feels like betrayal.

AM: One of my favorite parts of the book was learning about Mira's work days in the Coffee Shop at the Center of the Universe. All the details about food, coffee, and the preparation involved in a shift were wonderfully mouth watering. Are you a coffee addict yourself and have you had any experience working or lounging in a similar setting?

JS: Oh my God, yes! I live for coffee. I live in Seattle where it's dark all winter long and the only way to wake up is head for the local coffee shop and have a triple tall nonfat latte. I wrote a lot about cooking and food in my second novel, even more so than this one, and it does come from my background cooking in cafes, but also just as a person who loves to cook and to eat.

AM: You said in the Q&A included in the book that you've "never had children, or been a biology teacher, or lived in a small town, or gone through a separation from my husband…" Given the differences between you and Mira, do you have any tricks or advice on how to inhabit a character and begin to flesh them out in writing?

JS: I have an infinite capacity for empathy, too much sometimes. I find writing is a great outlet for that. I've always loved to imagine things, and make up things. I've always written and read about other kinds of people, and I have friends who I've lived vicariously through. When they're going through a break-up, or having trouble with a teenager, I'm a good listening ear and shoulder to cry on. I'm also a superb aunt, so I've hung out a lot with my nieces.

AM: Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe is full of quirky characters. Who was your favorite to write aside from Mira?

JS: I loved writing Thea. And Nonna's letters were fun.

AM: Would you categorize your novel as "women's fiction?" Why or why not? And what might set it apart from other books that deal with similar issues?

JS: Inasmuch as my novels are about women for the most part, and appeal to female readers, yes. Elizabeth Berg said something like "I like women, so I'm happy if they want to call my books women's fiction." I don't really care what they call it, but I'd hate to have my books minimized by being included in a category that precludes other readers. What's funny is that about half of the Amazon reviews for Love and Biology are written by men!

AM: Since you're working on a blog tour, obviously you're receptive to the idea of bloggers dipping into the role of book reviewer. How would you forecast the importance of book bloggers in the publishing industry, and your career specifically, in the future?

JS: I think book bloggers, and customer reviews, are incredibly important to books these days. I think readers trust other readers WAY more than they trust reviewers, just as we trust friends' reviews of movies other those we read in the paper. I welcome it. I love hearing all of the voices out there talking about books!

AM: What type of books do you enjoy reading in your dwindling free time, and could you suggest some of your favorites for our readers?


JS: I enjoy lots of different kinds of books. It's harder to read fiction now that I write it. I'm always in a story, so can't get immersed in another one, or I don't want to. So, when I'm drafting, I'll read nonfiction. Lately I've loved Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex, Michael Pollan books, and books about teaching writing.

As for fiction, I have managed to consume a few lately, and I've loved The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein, The Little Book by Selden Edwards (a new classic, I'm pretty sure), and some old classics that I never got to the first time around.

AM: What advice would you give to new writers trying to break into the publishing industry?

JS: Write. Write something really wonderful that only you can write. Don't think about marketing until you have written it. Then go out and educate yourself about marketing at conferences, through books and organizations, etc. But first, write.

AM: I always have to ask, because it's my very favorite question—do you have any writing "rituals" or practices that you stick to?

JS: I write every weekday morning until I feel finished. And I try to set a timer to get up every 45 minutes so that my back will continue to let me write well into old age.

Thanks so much to Jennie Shortridge for her delightful answers and her captivating novel.


Visit Jennie Shortridge's blog.


Visit TLC Book Tours to visit other stops on Ms. Shortridge's tour.

Author Interview - Colleen Gleason

Interviewed by Heather F.

Colleen Gleason, popular author with the Estella's Revenge editors and countless other readers, is back with the next exciting installment of her Gardella Vampire Chronicles series. See my review here. And thank you, Colleen, for again gracing us with your delightful presence.

HF: So, what is Victoria up to now that she's back in London, in "When Twilight Burns?"

CG: Victoria is heading back home to London because she's been notified that the heir to the Rockley estate has been found, and, well, she needs to get her stuff out of the Rockley house. She also wants to return to London to forestall any chance that her mother and her two cronies will make another trip to Italy. :-)

HF: Okay, what gives? Just want is it about vampires that has everyone reading? You, Stephanie Meyer, the Casts, and more; it seems like vampires are everywhere!

CG: There are vampires everywhere! I think it really started with Ann Rice and Chelsea Quin Yarbro--at least, as far as contemporary authors go. (Obviously, there was DRACULA and THE VAMPYRE and other books/stories previously.) And then Laurell K Hamilton, and others like JR Ward, came along. Most of them portray the vampire as the protagonist, whereas in my books, of course, the undead are the villains.

I think some of the fascination with vampires is that immortality aspect, and the superhuman powers...along with the eroticism of having one's flesh penetrated (with fangs). The fact that a human can be changed or turned, and given those powers--and those limitations--makes for interesting reading. And for compelling conflict when they interact with mortals. Fascinating, really. I just don't have the urge to write a sympathetic vampire.

HF: One of the things I love best about you, besides your writing, of course, is how open you are with your readers through your website and your blog. Do you find that their opinions affect your writing?

CG: Thanks so much! What a lovely thing to say. (And now I'm blushing.) I really enjoy blogging, and I think part of the reason is that since I don't go to an office and I work alone, my blog has become that social outlet that I used to have with co-workers. A lot of my blog entries tend to be things like water-cooler conversations, or the kinds of things I'd complain/chat/expound about if I went into an office or other job every day, or if I met friends for lunch or at the bar. That's the kind of conversations I try to keep on my blog.

And now that I've been blogging for awhile, and I know who my audience is, that makes it even more fun--because I sort of know who I'm talking to. I know how certain people will respond. It's my social outlet, and usually, it doesn't take me more than fifteen minutes per day to write the blog. I admit, I'm not as good about coming back and keeping the conversation going--nor am I as good about visiting and commenting on other blogs as I used to...but I'm trying to get better at that.

I am very flattered that people find my blog interesting, and it always makes my day when people join in the conversation, too.

Oh, and do the blog-readers' opinions affect my writing? No. Because by the time they're reading the books, I'm already one or two books ahead of them--and the decisions have already been made. (Thank goodness!)

HF: Do you find it hard to take their opinions in stride and stay true to what you want to do as the writer?

CG: Sometimes it can be a bit cringeworthy, when I hear a particular point of view and I think...oh, huh. Interesting.

Or...hmmmm...he/she missed the boat on that. Or....NEVER!!! I'd never do that.

LOL. But that's okay--everyone has their opinions, and like I said, since the books are already written before the blog readers can even respond to them, it makes it easy for me to say--well, that's the way it is.

Aside of that, I really do know how I want the story to be told, so even if everyone was up in arms about something in regards to the story, I wouldn't change it. That's called "protecting the story", as one of my favorite authors, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, has said. And she's right.

HF: Now, Max and Sebastian, the hot, hot leading men. Do your fans have strong opinions on which one Victoria should end up with? I know I do!

CG: Yes, my fans do weigh in on who Victoria should pick. Max has a slight majority over Sebastian, but the Sebastian fans are bloodthirsty. Well, some of the Max fans are too. And there are several people who want to know just why Victoria has to choose, anyway? LOL. Since these books are categorized as Romances, unfortunately, she has to eventually ride off into the sunset with only one of them.

But I have had people threaten to write fanfic with a Max/Sebastian/Victoria menage. Or, even, a Max/Sebastian scene. (Though I've yet to see one.)

HF: Do you feel that by keeping your blog and such a strong presence in the blogging world has helped your career?

CG: It's impossible to quantify whether my blog presence has resulted in more book sales (although I know it has because people have told me so), but at the very least, it's helped me remain sane. And it also helps me to know that, yeah, there are people who read the books, and who enjoy them, and who are waiting for the next installment....it takes away that worry that I'm writing in a vacuum. So, in those ways, definitely it has helped.

HF: Has there ever been a question you are surprised you haven't been asked? What is it and, more importantly, what's the answer?

CG: I can't really think of one, except maybe for people to ask if I have a religious background and what is it--because of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles' mythology. It is highly influenced by Catholicism. And, yes, I'm Catholic. You can see the that in the series if you're looking for it--the bottom line being that the series portrays the ever-present battle between good and evil.

HF: Victoria went to some very dark places, literally and emotionally. How hard was it to write these scenes? Did you ever worry that you would lose control of your character?

CG: No. I loved writing those scenes. They energized me. I found my heart racing, and my breathing increasing. Seriously. The ends of the books--those last few chapters where everything piles up and the worst happens--are so amazing to write. My fingers don't work fast enough, and I find myself out of breath, and tense everywhere at the end. :-)

HF: What is your favorite scene from all of the books?

CG: Wow. That's a hard one. I don't know if I can name a favorite scene, but there are a few that I really loved....In THE BLEEDING DUSK, I really loved the scene where Sebastian, Victoria, and Max are all captured in the dungeon. And in RISES THE NIGHT, I really liked the scene where Max visits Victoria when she's been captured and disarmed. In WHEN TWILIGHT BURNS, one of my favorite scenes is the chapter wherein a taut string snaps. And I love the epilogue for AS SHADOWS FADE.

HF: What has been the biggest challenge, other than getting published, with writing this series?

CG: I think it's been wanting to make each book different from the last in the sense of its structure. Ie, is it a chase/adventure book (RISES THE NIGHT), a scavenger hunt (DUSK & SHADOWS FADE), a mystery (TWILIGHT BURNS), or what? I try to give each book a different feel as far as structure--but of course, each book is going to have many of the same elements: the Big Bad, the threat of the End of the World, fight scenes, etc. But the structure sort of needs to be a little different. And the underlying message.

In THE REST FALLS AWAY, the theme was making choices. In RISES THE NIGHT, the theme was sacrifice for the greater good. DUSK portrayed regrets, and how making the wrong decision can haunt you and affect your world. WHEN TWILIGHT BURNS is about how we each have the propensity for evil, and that it's a constant inner battle. And AS SHADOWS FADE is about sacrifice, and also about acceptance of one's place/choices in life, and balance.

HF: Can you tell us a little of what to expect for Victoria in the last book?

CG: Victoria will face a different sort of evil demon than she's ever faced before, and this will result in the necessity of the Venators allying themselves--or at least cooperating--with the vampires in order to vanquish this evil. She'll go to Prague as well as the mountains of Lilith's lair, and there are a few surprising things that will happen. (I may hear from readers about this one. Yikes.) But, in the end, most of the loose threads will be wrapped up and Victoria will have a happy ever after--at least, as much as Illa Gardella can have.

HF: And what can we expect for Colleen Gleason?

CG: I'm currently working on a brand-new series due to be released in 2010 under a pen name (as yet to be decided!). There are no vampires in it, and it's not set in a historical time period, which is why I'll be writing under a different name. There will be paranormal elements to this series, and I've planned six books (am currently contracted for three). While there will be very strong female leads in the books, the series actually focuses on a group of five men (and the women they will love) who are thrown together when the world undergoes massive destruction...and they come out on the other side, so to speak, changed and bonded. Each book will focus on the story of one of them, although the books will overlap and integrate throughout the series.

It's very unique, and I'm really excited about it. More info when I have a name and titles and release dates, etc.

Thank you so much for having me here on Estella's Revenge! I always appreciate your time--and the great questions you have for me!

And thank you Colleen for your fascinating answers!

Author Interview: J. Scott Savage

Interviewed by Melissa

A riddle: What do you get when you cross a regional author with a great young adult fantasy idea, throw in an eager publisher, and put the whole shebang on the national scene?

Answer: J. Scott Savage, and his exciting first (national, young adult, and in a series) fantasy novel Farworld: Water Keep.

Thankfully, he was more than willing to take time out of his busy schedule to chat with me (via e-mail, of course) about Farworld, writing, and his first national novel.

MF: How did you come up with the idea of Farworld?

JSS: I bought it from a guy in Hoboken for twenty bucks. Just kidding. The idea for Farworld came from a short story beginning I wrote several years ago in which a wizard and a warrior go in search of a young boy who is about to be attacked by undead creatures. I was just playing around and never thought I would do anything with it. But ideas have a way of taking on a life of their own, so be careful what you let float around in your head

MF: Did you find it difficult to create and write a fantasy world?

JSS: For some reason I never thought I could write. I started writing Farworld at 2:00 AM to prove to myself I couldn’t do it and get this crazy story out of my head. But five hours and five thousand words later, I realized I was writing a fantasy and I was having a ball doing it. The rest of the book seemed to flow almost as easily. Once I got started, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner.

MF: Why did you decide to make the main character disabled? How did that affect the way you wrote the story?

JSS: From the very beginning, I knew about Marcus’s disability. That was the very first glimpse I got of Farworld. In many ways it made writing the book. But it had to be there for far too many reasons to list. At the same time, Marcus is not his disability any more than Kyja is her disability—which is every bit as real as Marcus’ in the world she was raised. Neither of them let their issues keep them from reaching their goals. They may be slowed down, or have to take another path. But they will not be ruled by their weaknesses.

What I was afraid of was that people might think it was a gimmick to sell books or something. That is not the case. Without Marcus’s physical disabilities and Kyja’s magical disabilities the story would never have happened.

MF: What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

JSS: Mostly I just want people to come away having enjoyed a good story and felt like they got their money’s worth. Washington Irving has a great quote.
“Methinks I hear the questions asked by my graver readers, ‘To what purpose is all this? How is the world to be made wiser by this talk?’ Alas! is there not wisdom enough extant for the instruction of the world? And if not, are there not thousands of abler pens laboring for its improvement? It is so much pleasanter to please than to instruct to play the companion rather than the preceptor. “What, after all, is the mite of wisdom that I could throw into the mass of knowledge? or how am I sure that my sagest deductions may be safe guides for the opinions of others? But in writing to amuse, if I fail, the only evil is my own disappointment. If, however, I can by any lucky chance, in these days of evil, rub out one wrinkle from the brow of care, or beguile the heavy heart of one moment of sorrow; if I can now and then penetrate through the gathering film of misanthropy, prompt a benevolent view of human nature, and make my reader more in good humor with his fellow-beings and himself, surely, surely, I shall not then have written entirely in vain.”

Anything more than that is gravy.

MF: You have created so many interesting and unusual characters in Farworld. Who's your favorite character in the book and why?

JSS: You can’t pick a favorite character in your own book, anymore than you can pick a favorite child. But I actually had a lot of fun writing Screech. He just made me laugh.

MF: I'm assuming this is your first novel. I apologize if it isn't... Is this how you make money, or do you have a "regular" job? Do you want to write full time? (How do you manage to find the time with four kids running around?) Was it hard to sell your manuscript?

JSS: It is my first national, my first young adult novel, and my first fantasy. So in many ways it does feel like my first book. But fortunately I’ve got the background of publishing four regional novels first to hopefully improve my writing. I do have a full-time job still, but I anticipate moving to full-time writing next summer. Honestly writing is just like a second job. You end up making sacrifices. But if the sacrifices I make this year translate into spending more time my family from next year on, it will have been worth it. Actually selling Farworld was easier than I expected, but the process took longer. There were a couple of times I wondered if it would really happen. But Shadow Mountain believed in the project and stuck with me.

MF: Can you tell us a bit about the process? How long did it take from conception to finally seeing it in print? How do you feel finally getting your story out there? How did the choice of Shadow Mountain as a publisher come about?

JSS: Well Lisa Mangum said if I didn’t go with Shadow Mountain she would fill my gas tank with Jell-O. Actually, I did have some choices. Two other publishers were interested in Farworld. But I’d been so impressed with the success SM had with Fablehaven and Leven Thumps that they were always my first choice. They have done an amazing job of selling more books than some of the biggest NY publishers. I mean five? four? NY Times hits in two years is incredible. It’s been almost two years since I first finished writing the manuscript to now. That’s actually not long in publisher terms, but it felt like an eternity at times. Still, I am so pumped to almost be there.

MF: Do you have a special time or place to write?

JSS: That goes back to the four kids. Whenever and wherever I can find a minute and a quiet spot.

MF: What are your top five favorite books of all time?

JSS: That changes by the day. I have so many favorites. Today I would probably list:
Bag of Bones by Stephen King
Shadowlands by Peter Straub
Enchantment by Scott Card
Life Expectancy by Den Koontz
and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

MF: So, what can we look forward to seeing from you next?

JSS: Well I still do a regional mystery series, called the Shandra Covington mysteries. Then my next book, Land Keep will be out next fall. And I’m working on an dark fantasy series about a PI/Hit Man who goes to Hell and has a chance to be sent back to Earth if he can solve a little problem for the big man.

MF: Thanks so much for your time, Scott!

JSS: No worries. Thanks for having me!

Author Interview - Jane Johnson

By Heather T.

I was lucky enough to have been invited to interview the author of The Tenth Gift, Jane Johnson. She was kind enough to answer my questions via e-mail. She is an interesting, talented woman and I’d like to once again offer my thanks to her for writing such an entertaining novel and for taking the time to reply to my questions.

HT: How long did it take to write this novel? Did you have trouble finishing the book and leaving Julia and Cat behind?

JJ: I started it in 2004, and finally delivered it in 2007, so I lived it for three years, and really immersed myself in it, so yes, it was hard to leave the characters behind. Though a relief, too, to be truthful: when I started out it seemed the most immense and difficult task and I was very, very relieved to have completed it to some degree of satisfaction.

HT: Did the writing process flow smoothly for you? Could you explain your process?

JJ: Hmm, not sure 'process' is something I have! I don't really have a disciplined routine, partly because I'm juggling so many things at once and many of them can get in the way of the writing. I'm not a quick writer, though: generally I will aim for 1000-2000 words a day, but if they don't come, they don't come, and it certainly doesn't happen every day. I keep a notebook, and I often find new material comes easier if I write longhand outside somewhere, especially in wide open spaces or by the sea, as if my imagination needs a lot of space in which to roam. Then I'll type the draft into the laptop and edit as I go.

HT: I noticed a bit of a supernatural strain throughout with the sad attic and Annie Badcock. I wondered if you plan to next write a novel which explores this theme more fully. I want to know more about Annie!

JJ: Yes, it's really a well-disguised ghost story! I do enjoy a touch of the supernatural and magical -- for me they enliven a book, and the next novel certainly involves these themes. But not Annie, nor indeed Cornwall, I'm afraid. In fact, Annie is based on a local character in my village, so I think I'd better leave well alone!

HT: Do you consider yourself to be a spiritual and/or religious person? Whether or not you do, do you think it had an impact on the story itself?

JJ: Not in any serious or organised way. I indulge in a bit of magical thinking and superstition from time to time (I blame my mother and Cornish ancestors); and I've had one or two strange experiences in my life which raise the question of there being things we simply don't understand, patterns of life that catch us in their toils. And yes, certainly, these things influence the story and how it's told.

HT: Do you keep a journal and record story ideas? Will we see more of Julia and Cat in a future novel?

JJ: I keep all sorts of notebooks and scraps of paper and computer files, but as ever, not in any organised way. A lot of them just stay in my head, and emerge when they join together, like story molecules! No more plans for Julia and Cat, though: I like to think I've set them free to live their own lives now.

HT: I like to re-read books and I wondered if you do the same and whether or not you have a particular favourite?

JJ: Yes: I have a very unretentive memory, so after a few years I can quite happily revisit a favourite book and find new things in it, especially with heavily textured, rich books like those by Mary Renault; or classics like Thomas Hardy.

HT: Is there a much loved quote you could share that speaks to your thoughts and feelings about life?

JJ: I don't go in much for aphorisms or pearls of wisdom (if I knew them I'd forget them!). But I do like, and try to follow, some of the 14th Dalai Lama's wise words:

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, Respect for others, Responsibility for all your actions

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

When you realise you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

Spend some time alone every day.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

Be gentle with the earth.

Once a year, go somewhere you've never been before.

Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

(Especially the last one!)

Thanks very much to Random House Canada for this one.

Author Interview - Daphne Grab

Interviewed by Melissa


Being a new author can be simultaneously exciting and thrilling, yet full of anxiety and intimidating: what will everyone think of my book? I've followed the development of Daphne Grab's first novel, Alive and Well in Prague, New York through the group blog, The Longstockings, as she's posted about the experience. A graduate of The New School in New York City, Daphne is not only a talented writer, former teacher, and city girl, but a busy mom of two preschool children. Needless to say, I was very excited that she was willing to spare some time for an interview.

MF: How did you decide to become a writer? Is it something you've "always" wanted to do?

DG: It was always in the back of my mind to be a writer, though I could never come up with a good idea for a book. Then about seven years ago I happened to read the acknowledgements of a book I’d just finished and I saw that the author had gotten an MFA at The New School in New York City. I was living in NYC and on a whim emailed the school asking for a catalog. When I saw that one option was to study writing for children I had an “a-ha” moment where I knew that that was exactly what I wanted to do. Once I realized who I wanted to write for, the story ideas came.

MF: This is your first novel; congrats! Can you tell us a bit about the process? How long did it take from conception to finally seeing it in print? How do you feel finally getting your story out there?

DG: Thanks! I got the idea for the book the summer before my last year at The New School. I wrote half the manuscript then and finished it and workshopped it a ton over the next year.

My teacher that first semester did a lot of neat things with our class and one of them was a mock submission. We each gave her five pages of our manuscripts along with a cover letter and she passed them on to Jill Santopolo, her editor at HarperCollins. Jill came to class a few weeks later and gave us feedback on what we had written. Mine was one of the stories she said she’d have asked to read in full, so after I graduated I queried her and two weeks later she made me an offer on the book! It was the most incredible feeling to know I’d actually sold a book. And though it felt like I’d completed a long journey, it was actually just the beginning. Jill is very hands-on and we revised the manuscript several times over the next 9 months or so. Then it went off to copy editing and I felt finished again but a month later it came back with a gazillion red marks because I am not the greatest with spelling and commas. All said, it will have been two years almost to the day between when I first got the offer and when the book came out.

It has been so strange in these past months to start getting reviews--I still can’t believe that people are actually reading this story that has lived in my head for so long! I am lucky in that the reviews have mostly been quite lovely, but there are still moments where I read someone’s interpretation of an aspect of the story and think, “Wow, that’s what I did there?” It’s kind of neat.

MF: Your book is about a girl -- Matisse -- dealing with her father's Parkinson's Disease. How did you choose to write about Parkinson's, rather than a different illness?

DG: I wanted to write about a girl whose father had a degenerative illness that would ultimately be terminal (cheerful, right?). It’s such a huge and profound thing to see a parent slowly lose the ability to care for themselves and to know they will not get better. I drew on my own experience of my father having ALS and I chose to write about Parkinson’s because it has certain similarities to ALS as they are both neurological illnesses. I didn’t feel ready to write about ALS, but more than that I didn’t want to write my own experience, I just wanted to able to draw on that experience in forming my main character and the story.

MF: The other issue Matisse deals with is the differences between living in the big city and a small town. Was that an intentional theme of the book, or do you think it just came about because of your personal life experiences?

DG: I liked the idea of the main character facing challenges on a number of fronts, some lighter than others. I grew up in a small town that suddenly had an influx of NYC tourists when I was a teen. It was such a funny thing to see these people all spiffed up in city clothes that would just get muddy if they took a walk in the woods. But now I see myself being “city” when I go back to my hometown, so at some point it occurred to me that it would be a fun issue to write about. So I think the answer is yes to both!

MF: What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

DG: That even in the face of terribly difficult things there are moments of fun and laughter and beauty. That connections to other people are crucial. That it’s better to face hard things than to hide from them. But my number one hope is that people enjoy it!

MF: You are part of a group blog. When did you start blogging? What inspired you to start? Has there been any benefits/distractions to your writing?

DG: The eight of us are New School grads from two different classes and we’d been writing together for a while when we decided it might be fun to do a group blog. I think we started in the fall of 2006, so it’s been a while. I think it’s benefited me in a number of ways, the most important being connecting to writers, teachers, librarians and readers. Spending a lot of time reading other peoples’ blogs can be a distraction but I think it’s great to know what other people are writing about and thinking about in the kidlit world, and I love that our blog is part of that.

MF: Where do you find inspiration for your writing?

DG: Everywhere! It starts with me being engaged by an idea or a scenario that can come from something I see or read or just start thinking about as I'm walking down the street.

MF: Do you have a favorite place to write? Any writing "rituals"?

DG: I write at my desk, which is actually my dad’s desk, and it’s stuffed into a corner on our bedroom because NYC apartments are small. I work for four hours in the morning, while my kids are at preschool, and my ritual is that about two hours in I do yoga for half an hour or so. It gets my blood flowing so I can last the final hour!

MF: What are your top five favorite books of all time?

DG: So hard to pick just five! But here they are:

The Color Purple, by Alice Walker
A Ring of Endless Light, by Madeleine L’Engle
Fifteen, by Beverly Cleary
Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger

MF: If you don't mind telling us, what can we look forward to seeing from you next?

DG: I just sold my second book so I’m actually very excited to talk about it! It’s called HALFTIME and it’s a middle grade book about a boy who is a huge football fan and a bit of a social loser at school. At the start of the book he learns that the baby his mother gave up for adoption 21 years ago is the best college football player in the country and the story follows the ups and downs as his new half-brother comes into his life. There are girls, bullies and family growing pains. And my work in progress is a teen book that I hope to finish and sell in the next year or so.

MF: Thanks for you're time, Daphne!

DG: Thanks so much for having me!

You can find out more about Daphne at her website: http://daphnegrab.com/. And please see Melissa's review of Alive and Well in Prague, New York in this issue of Estella's Revenge.