|
Kate Sweeney's
–
Interview
with the Author.
This
month’s Interview with
the Author will be Jocelyn Powers, author of Clarity, which
was just released a couple weeks ago.
First, let me thank you for participating, Jocelyn. We’re going
to interview all the Intaglio authors and get the word out! So,
before I start rambling…here we go!
Thank you Kate for inviting me to do this
interview…let’s ramble, shall we?
To
start off, please tell us about yourself?
You started off with a hard one. I’m not
very good at talking about myself. Let’s see, I am a native
Missourian. My family is small. My cousin and I are only
children, but we are more like brother and sister. I have always
been athletic and a real tomboy to boot. I think it was no
surprise to most when I came out. I’ve always had an interest in
art and creative ways to express myself. I think it was no
surprise either when I chose art as my major in college.
I am a huge animal lover. Currently I have
only one dog, my Weimaraner. My girlfriend has two big black
dogs so the house is full of chaos when we get them all
together. I would love to have a house and acreage to have more
animals someday.
I love the NFL. My dad was a huge football
fan and I would watch with him on Sundays. The Denver Broncos
are my team. A friend took me to a game years ago, and I was
hooked. I also love the St. Louis Cardinals (sorry Kate) and
have been a life long fan.
You
Missourians and your Cardinals will be the death of this
Chicagoan! But let’s not get sidetracked. You were recently in
Ptown for Women’s Week, and had your first book signing. Tell us
all about it….
I love P town. This was my second trip up
for Women’s Week and first time as a published author. I did
signings for Clarity at Womencrafts and Now Voyager alongside
authors J.E. Knowles and Karin Kallmaker. What a thrill, and a
bit nerve raking to share the table with such an accomplished
author as Karin. I have to admit I was nervous to the point that
my hands were shaking. I must offer apologies to the first few
readers whose books I signed. Sorry for the shaky penmanship!
Once the nerves subsided it was fun. I got to talk books with
everyone. I was pleased to see many of the fans leave with
stacks of books that included a copy of Clarity along with many
other Intaglio authors.
I look forward to attending Women’s Week in
2010, hopefully with my second book. I also hope more of the
Intaglio authors and fans will join in the fun. The entire week
was jammed with activities.
That
sounds like a great idea, Jocelyn. So, how long have you been
writing? Do you write only fiction?
I did a lot of writing in college for the
minor degree in art history I received. I also have to write
never ending reports for my full time job. The fiction came, as
everyone may know from the dedication in Clarity, at the
encouragement of my dear friend Sheri. I have always had stories
in my head, but never took the time to put them into words on
paper. For me writing has become another avenue for expressing
my creative side. Clarity took me about 3 years to finish. It
would have taken less time, but for personal reasons I had to
put it aside for awhile. When I finally got back into it I
finished it in about 8 months.
Well
I’m sure the readers are glad you found the time to finish
Clarity. Besides writing, I understand you have an interesting
job…
Interesting, and I think perhaps different.
I make my living as a paramedic. I worked for a number of years
in advertising after college. It didn’t take me long to figure
out that I didn’t like corporate America. I enjoyed the work,
just not the office politics. So when I went looking for
something I could feel good about and could make a difference
doing, my mom suggested the medical field. Fate led me to the
world of EMS. I love it. Everyday is different. Every call is a
challenge. The important thing is that I like doing a job that
not everybody wants to do or can do. I can’t say that I have
seen everything, but I have seen a lot. I am constantly amazed
at the things humans can do to themselves. Sometimes it’s funny.
Sometimes it’s sad. One definitely needs a stiff upper lip and a
cast iron stomach to survive in a career in EMS.
I
can’t imagine doing that type of work, but I think there may be
a good story in there. Now, I ask this question all the time…Do
you use an outline for a story or are you an unorganized mess
like me?
A little of both. When I create a story I
start with an outline and biographies for each character. All
neat and organized. As the story beginnings to develop, that’s
when it all explodes.
I carry a voice recorder and a small note
pad with me when I have a book in progress. I never know when I
will come up with dialogue or some other piece of the story. In
order not to lose it I write it down or dictate it for later
use. My partner at work thinks I’m nuts by carrying on a
conversation with myself. When I sit down to write I get all my
little notes and recordings out and try to make sense of the
pieces, and that’s when the chaos begins. My writing becomes a
bit like a Jackson Pollock painting, a mixture of controllable
and uncontrollable factors. I start with a simple outline and
build layer after layer with the pieces. I am surprised as I
write that the story seems to take on a life of its own and
tells me where it wants to go, and it’s not always in sync with
my original outline.
I am still learning and stumbling my way to
a better novel. I have yet to truly figure out what works best
for me.
A
voice recorder, eh? I’d probably lose it.
Anyway, any favorite authors?
Yes, several. Of course I am a fan of both
Kate Sweeney and Robin Alexander. I like the Kate Ryan series.
They’re pure fun to read. The same for Robin. I love her sense
of humor. I laughed out loud at Hayden Tate on many occasions.
I am a longtime fan of Jane Austen. She had
a real understanding of the anticipation and struggle that is
romance. Her writing is filled with powerful emotion and
realism. Much like herself, her female characters were strong,
quiet women with substance.
I
also enjoy the work of Andrew M. Greeley. He has a talent for
telling contemporary stories that build on forbidden desires.
Many of his characters are of Irish descent, which appeals to me
because of my own heritage.
Tom Clancy is one of my favorites in the
action category. Patriot games would make my top ten list.
Boy,
do Sheri and I have you gals trained or what? Of course, I’m
joking; so no emails, please. Do you need a certain atmosphere
in which to write? Mornings, evenings…?
I don’t necessarily need an atmosphere, but
I find that I do my best work in late afternoon into the
evening. I am somewhat of a creature of habit, and I have
routines throughout the day that I follow. I feel more relaxed
later in the day with my chores done, dog walked and a workout
at the gym. With the day winding down it’s a bit quieter around
my house and I can really work myself into a zone. I also have
piano music on to enhance the creative side of me.
On the other side of the coin, I work 24
hour shifts and some days I have a lot of free time which means
I have the opportunity to write. A large portion of Clarity was
written in between 911 calls.
Since
you’ve written a romance, will you write any other genres?
I really enjoy writing the romance. In a
world filled with ugliness it’s nice to sit down with a book
that has a happy ending. As the writer it is enjoyable to take
the characters through the story and help them find each other.
I may try my hand at crime. I am intrigued
by the complexities of today’s criminals. The internet has given
even a small-time bad guy or girl the opportunity to become an
international crook. So I see the potential for diverse, rich
characters in exotic places.
Oh,
sorry, Jocelyn. I thought you said erotic. Shows you where my
mind is. Ahem, finally, what do you do for recreation? Where’s
your favorite vacation spot?
I used to be an avid soccer player,
however, several injuries resulting in surgical repairs has
reduced me to a gym rat. I do still love to snow ski, just at a
much slower pace these days. My girlfriend, Julie, has also
gotten me back on my bike. We take several long rides throughout
the week. I still dabble in video editing, something that has
crossed over with me from my former career in advertising. Once
again another creative outlet.
As for vacation, I must credit Julie with
this one as well. I hadn’t taken a vacation in a very long time.
Since we’ve been together she has jetted me off to Miami, New
York City, and we leave for Antigua in a few days. I can’t
forget Provincetown. Despite the weather in October, I really
enjoy my visits.
One of my old favorites is and always will
be Breckenridge, Colorado. Pretty town and great skiing.
Thanks, Donna. There’s some interesting insight I’m sure our
readers will enjoy.
So,
who do you want to hear from next? Drop us a line and let us
know.
Until
then, thanks for stopping by, and keep reading ~~
This month’s
Interview with the Author
will be with Maria V. Ciletti, author of
Clinical Distance,
which was released in May.
First, Maria, let me thank you for
participating. We’re going to interview all the Intaglio authors
and get the word out. Okay, before I start rambling…here we go!
To start off, please tell us about yourself.
I’m a registered nurse. I worked five years in
a nursing home and five years in a hospital on a surgical floor
where we took care of urology and neurosurgical patients. I’ve
been working as a medical administrator for 17 years with my
brother who is a family practice physician. I am the oldest of
three children. I am of Italian descent and lived in
Niles,
Ohio, my entire life. I met my
partner, Rose, at an LPGA event in 1999, and we have been
together ever since.
A nurse, eh? Well, I got this pain… Oh, later.
So where do you get your inspiration/ideas for your stories?
A lot of it comes from real life, especially
my medical background. My first book,
The Choice, was set in
a nursing home. I have to say working in the nursing home was my
favorite job. I felt like I really made a difference there. It
was very rewarding and I learned a lot about nursing and about
life in general.
That is wonderful, Maria. Now that we know
where you get some ideas, how long have you been writing? Do you
write only fiction?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I
remember getting a portable Royal typewriter for my 10th
birthday. It was the greatest gift. I used to write stories on
that thing until the ribbons wore out.
I’ve been writing seriously since 1996. I joined a
writer’s workshop at The Little Professor Books in
Youngstown. The workshop was two hours
one Saturday a month, but, boy, did we learn the essentials of
what it took to be a writer.
The workshop was taught by two authors, Susan
Dexter and JoAnna Cassidy. They were a tremendous help in
putting me on the right track. I got my first short story
published in 2000. I not only write fiction, I also write
non-fiction medical articles, some of which were published in
Medical Economics (2003) and Family Practice Magazine (2000,
2001, 2002, 2004). I also had an article published in Ohio State
Medical Journal (1999) on vaccines and how the insurance
companies find ways not to pay for them. A short story I am very
fond of, “Taking Care of Ellie,” was published by La Chance
Publishing, which is a nonprofit organization that deals with
diseases like Alzheimer’s, cancer, and autism.
My story was published in its Voices of Caregiving
Anthology, which came out in 2008. That story was based on the
opportunity I had to care for my aunt who was dying from breast
cancer. It stands out because during that journey, I noticed
that most of the other caregivers were gay and lesbian, as well.
Um, you’re showing your age with the
typewriter sentence, but anyway, what do you do to get rid of
writer’s block?
I walk. I usually walk two miles each morning.
This seems to clear my head. When walking doesn’t help, I just
sit down and write. Even if it’s crap, it’s still something, and
when I go back over it the next day, it wasn’t as bad as I
thought.
I ask this question all the time…Do you use an
outline for a story or are you unorganized like me?
I am very unorganized, although I am working
on that. I write stuff down, then try to organize it, but most
of the time, it doesn’t work. Although I think working from an
outline might be easier, it just isn’t me. I recently got an
iPhone, and it has a wonderful program for keeping notes in it.
I use that a lot and it seems to be helping with my
organizational skills.
I’m glad you’re working on it, Maria. I know
how you feel. Hey, any favorite authors?
Jodi Piccoult, I would say is my favorite
right now. I love the controversial topics she takes on. I also
like Christopher Rice, Anita Schreve, Rita Mae Brown, and
Patricia Highsmith.
When I’m in the mood for a mystery, Les Roberts, and of course,
Kate Sweeney. I am
currently reading Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen, which I am finding to be a very
good summer read.
Kate Sweeney? Who’s she? Do you need a certain
atmosphere in which to write? Mornings, evenings…?
I usually write in the early mornings. I get
up with Rose, who is a police sergeant, at 5 a.m.
Once she goes off to work at 6, I go over my writing
from the previous day. I can usually get in a solid hour or so
before I eat breakfast, go for my walk, then get ready for work.
Lately, I’ve been taking my laptop to work, and I write on my
lunch hour in my car. I like to drive to a different place for a
change in atmosphere.
Since you’ve written a romance, will you write
any other genres?
I have always enjoyed reading romance, so I
guess that’s why I’m drawn to writing them. I’d like to try my
hand someday at mystery, though.
And finally, what do you do for recreation?
Where’s your favorite vacation spot?
Rose and I just returned from a wonderful
vacation in Rehoboth Beach
with eight of our closest friends. It was so relaxing there,
beautiful beaches, shops, and millions of places to eat. I was
also able to do a book signing for
Clinical Distance at
Lambda Rising Book Store on
Baltimore Avenue. Jocque, the manager
there, was a great host. It’s a wonderful bookstore, and I
suggest anyone who has the chance to go to Rehoboth, stop in.
Rose and I also like
Las Vegas
and P-town. My very first book signing was in Las Vegas. It was really cool. For recreation,
I like to walk, Rollerblade, or bike. We put a pool in the
backyard a few years ago for our nieces and nephew to come over
and enjoy. So it seems like every weekend at our house is a
party when they are around.
Great talking with you, Maria. I’m sure the
fans got a little more insight as to what makes Maria Ciletti
tick!
So who’s up next? Drop us a line and let us
know who you’d like to hear from. Until next time, thanks for
reading~~
Mary
Jane Russell - The Arcanum of Beth
So, Mary Jane,
lucky you, you’re the first in the spotlight. Here we go.
Whoa, you gave me a flashback. I once told my boss as he was nudging me
forward at a press conference about a new industry coming to
town that I had designed the site plan for that I was a
workhorse and not a show dog.
First off,
please give us a little background about yourself.
I also had another boss who told me it’s a sorry dog that won't wag its
own tail. So, here goes…you know this would be easier sitting at
a bar with a drink. LOL
I'm a native Virginian, raised on a family farm that was sold when I was
19 to benefit several local colleges after my grandfather
decided my father wasn't worthy to inherit since he refused to
become an engineer and my sister and I couldn't inherit since we
were just girls. Frankly, I think the old SOB did me a favor by
teaching me early on to work for what I truly wanted as my own.
I was co-caregiver with my mother to my father as he went through
worsening strokes from the time I was 22 until almost 30; and
looked after my mother the last three years of her life. My
father's family goes back to the early Quaker settlers in
Virginia—I'll use that in a project soon. He was a B-17 crew
member during WWII—I collect books about the planes and have his
flight jacket, helmet, and medals. It took my breath away when I
saw the Memphis Belle and later witnessed a B-17 start up and
taxi to take off. There may be a book in that. My favorite
photograph of my mother is of four generations with Mom about
five years old and standing on the footrest of her
great-grandfather's high backed wheelchair—he was part of
Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg during the Civil War. Mom was
also cousin to one of the Bedford Boys of the WWII D-Day
invasion notoriety.
I've been fortunate that even though late to come out (I hate to admit I
was around forty), I've had four very special relationships. I
love that my partner's toddler grandson considers me just
another grandma; I've been a part of his life from the time he
was born and can't wait for him to really begin talking.
Something tells me I'll be haunted by that statement when he's
asking questions nonstop.
Be very
careful what you ask for, MJ. When his vocabulary grows, we’ll
interview him, and get the scoop on you. Now, where did you come
up with the title Arcanum, and without giving away too much,
tell us about The Arcanum of Beth…
Can I answer this candidly and not be sued?
Oh, hell, here goes. Of course there is a tiny part of my
own life in Arcanum. I
went through an extremely bad breakup, with family members
involved, over a woman I had been crazy about. The breakup made
me think I was just plain crazy.
My e-mail password is from a Tennessee Williams play; so when I needed a
clue to help solve Beth's murder by accessing her e-mail, I
looked until I found a word that is not commonly used—the book
is about Beth's ultimate secret.
My best friend is an attorney. I have admired her work with child abuse
cases during the years I've known her. When the concept of
Arcanum first began to take shape, I wondered how she would solve my
murder. My imagination, or psychosis, took off with plotting and
writing. She tolerated my legal questions with patience and good
humor, just as she has most of my foibles. She was a little
miffed with me for making the character based on her gay during
the rewrite; she wanted
Arcanum to be more of a crossover book showing a strong
friendship between straight and gay women…again, material for a
future book.
That’s sounds
like a great idea for another story now that you’re getting
established and have an audience for
The Arcanum of Beth!
Other than your best friend, who inspired you? Do you have any
favorite authors?
You'll be sorry you asked this question. I've always been a reader. I
started tracking the books I read in 1981; from then until now,
over 500.
My father was a carpenter; my mother a kindergarten teacher and
children's librarian…maybe that's where the desire to 'build'
books came from. They read to my sister and me each night and
later made sure we had stacks of books from the library. One of
my absolute favorite memories of my father is the day that he
was off from work and took me to register for school and then to
the new county library. The librarian took the time to talk to
me, find out my interests and show me the books she thought I
would like. I remember collecting Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden
books—I wish I had the first edition Nancy Drew I traded away in
elementary school for Spiderman comics.
My favorite writers (see, I didn't forget the question, just had to
build up to the answer) as an adult are Dick Francis, Dennis
Lehane, Greg Iles, John Grisham, Charlaine Harris, Virginia
Lanier, Sharyn McCrumb, J. M. Redmann, Gerri Hill, and of course
Rita Mae Brown. The writers with the greatest impact on me—John
Irving and Harper Lee. I love the movie
Infamous with Toby Jones as Truman Capote and Sandra Bullock as
Harper Lee; it's such an insight to the sometime agony of
wrestling with words and ideas and the toll it takes at the same
time that it can be the most gratifying rush.
Would it be too subservient to mention Kate Sweeney and Robin Alexander
here as two extremely good writers whose example to follow?
Not at all. A
little subservience goes a long way, but that’s another story.
So, how do you write? Do you need the right setting or mood?
Mornings are best for me. I have an office in a third floor renovated
attic that few others venture into; my partner refers to it as
my woman cave. I have an antique roll top desk that is packed
with pens, pencil, and paper that I buy as though a junkie with
a habit—I confess to an office supply fetish.
The first draft of anything is in longhand then transferred with a first
edit to the computer—I love the computer and the Internet. I
totally zone out when I write.
Hmm, we’ll get
back to the office supply fetish later. For now, do you write
from an idea or do you need an outline?
I'm a notebook person (aforementioned fetish). I play with characters,
settings, and plot in longhand then block the chapters,
adjusting as needed as I write the first draft.
How long have
you been writing? Is this something you’ve always wanted to do?
I remember trying to write poetry after seeing the movie
Dr. Zhivago; OMG that
was 1965 and I was around ten years old. I loved the books I was
exposed to in high school and began to wonder what it would be
like to write. While attending the local community college to
become a draftsman, I had an English professor who asked me what
I was doing in engineering when he saw the potential of a
Flannery O'Connor. I'm not sure what he was smoking at the time
but the comment stayed with me.
I became caught up in work and paychecks, trying to write but doing a
lot of stopping and starting and being too hung up on writing
about family and childhood. I'll always be grateful to the Blue
Ridge Country magazine for publishing an article for their
July/August 1992 reader's page
about "The Lesson I Learned From My Dad" for Father's Day. I
didn't think I'd ever write anything that meant more to me. When
I decided to exercise my option for early retirement at age 52,
I started on Arcanum
working at my dining room table while winding down a thirty-one
year career in local government and selling one house and
renovating another to move fifty miles to a neighboring city for
a fresh start.
Is the
publishing process what you expected? What have you learned from
this experience? Please say it’s a good thing, remember I’m your
publisher...
And I'm so grateful to you, Kate, and to Sheri Payton. I had completed
the draft of Arcanum
and queried a few agents and publishers with no luck—I thought a
handwritten note on the form rejection letter was a major
accomplishment. I happened to buy the December 2007 issue of
Writer's Digest magazine because of the article on gay and
lesbian fiction. I read about Intaglio Publications—you gave
great quotes in that article, by the way, Kate. I approached you
guys in the flood of submittals following the article; Sheri was
great about e-mails. The manuscript split your editorial board
and was rejected with the caveat that Intaglio was interested in
seeing it again if I was willing to make revisions. I couldn't
wait to give it a try. You e-mailed just the right questions and
suggestions to engage my brain. The manuscript was rewritten and
sent back to you with an additional 20,000 words. On Halloween
(there's a chapter in
Arcanum set at a Halloween party), eleven months after the
initial query, you made the offer of a contract on behalf of you
and Sheri. I had no idea what to expect or what was involved in
actually being published—writing the synopsis for marketing,
coming up with an autobiography, choosing a cover design,
working with the marvelous editor, Verda Foster. You and Sheri
guided me with great patience and humor.
I’d hate to be
asked this question, which is why I get to do the interview –
What motivates you?
The work ethic taught me by the example my parents set. Work is a core
value and essential to mental and physical well-being. The dream
of being a published writer was almost always in the back of my
mind…I have to try…I have to write even if it just fills the
drawers of my desk. I feel as though it is the work the first
half my life brought me to.
Do you only
write one genre? The
Arcanum of Beth is a mystery. Are there any romances in the
works?
I'm fortunate (or it's the crazy thing again) that there seems to be all
sorts of ideas for writing projects popping into my head these
days. The process involved with writing a book is such addictive
fun. I have the next nine books I want to work on rattling about
in my head—including the sequel to
Arcanum—with more
waiting to be developed.
One last
question. What’s your one guilty pleasure? C’mon, the readers
want to know…
Now you're going to make me embarrass myself, but since you only want me
to admit to one, why not?
Mary Chapin Carpenter. The first time I saw her in concert she was the
opening act for Vince Gill. All the other women around me were
nuts over him, but it was MCC who took my breath away. The next
time I saw her, I was walking to dinner with my partner and a
friend before going to her concert. We passed the theater as she
came out from rehearsal. I was close enough to finally meet her
and I froze, could not say a word. It took me a long time to
live that down. When I need to escape, or want to be blown away
by intelligent lyrics and that voice, I listen to Mary Chapin
Carpenter.
Great answers,
MJ. Thank for participating. I’m not sure I agree with your old
boss about the workhorse thing, but you made an adorable guinea
pig as our first
Interview with the Author.
Next up? Which
author would you like to put under the spotlight? Drop us a line
at publisher@intagliopub.com
Until next
time, keep reading ~
Kate
|
