Q&A with Beth Hoffman, author of Looking for Me

I’ve come to accept that life, like the vast woodlands that surround my childhood home, is layered with mysteries. . . . We sift and search and question as we try to discover our truths and the truths of those we love, and sometimes…a mystery we never knew existed gets solved…. ~ Teddi Overman in Looking for Me

One of the reasons I love writing is because I am so introspective by nature. Sometimes, too introspective. As Teddi Overman (the main character in Beth Hoffman’s new novel, Looking for Me) says, life is full of layers, so much to be discovered and uncovered. Layers of mysteries. For me, those mysteries come clear through writing.

LFM

For Teddi Overman, her passion for restoring old antiques drives her along her journey of self-discovery and healing. As a young woman, she leaves her family farm in Kentucky for downtown Charleston to pursue her love of antiques and restoring them back to life. While she is away, her brother Josh mysteriously disappears and throws Teddi, and her family, into a state of limbo.

It is in her travels back to Kentucky–as she sorts through the pains of her past, through her strained relations with her mother, and through artifacts discovered in the barn and at the house–that Teddi not only uncovers the truth about her brother, but also the truth of her mother’s heartache and her love.

Beth Hoffman’s second novel rings of the charm, prose, and captivating story that made her first book a New York Times bestseller. And, there’s an added layer of mysticism in the story of Josh, in the connection that he and Teddi have with each other, the woods, and wildlife around them.

Beth Hoffman first stopped by the blog when I interviewed her about her debut novel. I’m thrilled to host her again for a Q&A about Looking for MeYou could win a copy of Beth’s new novel (with thanks to her publicist): enter the giveaway by dropping your name in the comments. Random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, May 28th–publication day!

Welcome, Beth Hoffman.

CC: In your first author interview here about your debut novel, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, you say that the character of CeeCee came to you late one night, “fully alive and her voice…so clear,” and that, in embracing that moment, her story unfolded naturally. I’d love to hear what inspired the story of Teddi Overman and her brother, Josh.

Author-PhotoBH: After I returned home from touring with CeeCee, I didn’t know what I’d write next, and quite honestly, I was too exhausted to think about it. One day I was cleaning my writing library and began to organize old photographs. I came across an envelope containing photos of my grandparents’ farm—some dating as far back as 1883. For a long time I studied a photo of Tony and Dolly, a team of horses that were the heartbeat of the farm, and then I came across a photo of my dad standing on a hay wagon when he was just a boy.

There were probably close to a hundred photos in all, and I spent a good while reliving my childhood and yearning for those simple days on the farm. When I was about half way through the stack of photos, I grew incredibly sad. I missed the smell of freshly tilled earth and the taste of sweet corn grown on the land that had been in my family for generations. Just as I picked up a photo of my younger brother, something flashed in my periphery. I looked up as a red-tailed hawk landed in the tree outside my window. He settled on a branch and then spread his tail for a moment to reveal his full regalia. He turned his head and looked in the window, and for a moment we both quietly considered each other. And then—wham—I knew I had the soul of my story.

CC: With the success of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, I imagine it would have been easy to write a very similar second novel. However, you traveled down a different path, still giving readers a story full of Southern charm and beautiful Beth-Hoffman style prose but weaving more mystery and darker themes throughout. Can you tell us about your experience in approaching and crafting this different kind of story?

BH: Novelists can become nearly paralyzed when facing the challenge of crafting their second book. Some end up writing a story similar to their debut, or even a sequel, while others have taken ten years or longer because they’re scared out of their minds, and with good reason. Expectations are high and the pressure to produce another winner is intense.

I had to push against the proverbial second novel anxiety and constantly tell myself: Just write what you want to write. I was adamant in my desire to create something entirely different, and when the hawk landed outside my window, I knew I had the right story. What matters to me most as I maneuver through my writing life is that I keep growing and exploring new subjects, settings, and characters.

CC: One theme that drives Looking for Me is the mistreatment of animals and human disregard for their sanctuary. Knowing this is an issue close to your heart, what would you like readers to take away from this story?

BH: I’m deeply disturbed by the cruelty inflicted on our animal friends. If I had one wish for something a reader would take away from my story, it would be that they lend their voice to help bring an end the horrors committed against animals and birds (domestic and wild) and their natural habitat.

CC: When you’re not writing, what do you love to do most in your free time?

BH: My greatest joys are simple—spending time with my husband and our four-legged children, studying nature, working in my gardens, and reading. I also enjoy antiquing with girlfriends and just recently I’ve become interested in photography.

~

Before beginning her writing career, Beth Hoffman was president and co-owner of an interior design studio. An artist as well as an award-winning designer, her paintings are displayed in private and corporate collections in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Beth lives, along with her husband and two very smart cats, in a restored Queen Anne home in a quaint historic district in Northern Kentucky. Her interests include the rescue of abandoned and abused animals, nature conservancy, birding, historic preservation, and antiquing.

~

Read more about Looking for Me in this great book review by Beth Fish on Beth Fish Reads. Then, visit Beth Hoffman’s website for an excerpt, as well as places to purchase the book. You can also subscribe to Beth’s author page on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.  And, don’t forget to drop your name in the comments for a chance to win a copy of Looking for Me!

Book Review: Here, Home, Hope

“I believe the saying that people come into your life for a reason. And things happen, like cancer scares, to keep us moving forward. Trying new things.” ~from Here, Home, Hope
~

There comes a point in our lives, sometimes more than once, when we reach a crossroads or a dead end, complacency or crisis, and we realize that change is inevitable, even necessary. Some of us pack up and move, others get married or have a baby, a brave few branch out into new careers or hobbies.

In Kaira Rouda’s debut novel, Here, Home, Hope, we are introduced to Kelly Johnson — a mother of two, a domestic engineer, and a woman in flux. Coming off of a recent breast cancer scare, and beginning to understand (and accept) that her sons no longer need every minute of her attention, Kelly Johnson sets out to find a new purpose for herself.

As it says in “About the Book” on Kaira Rouda’s website, “Kelly takes charge of her life, devising a midlife makeover plan.”

In her quest, Kelly discovers a passion and a hidden talent for a new career, as well as an appreciation for old friends, young teenagers, her life and her home.

Here’s a sneak peek at the book:

Kaira Rouda, herself, is a woman redefined, moving from Author of women’s business books to Novelist. She aims to translate her real life goals, of enlightening and empowering women, into the fictional tale of Kelly Johnson. There’s much to appreciate in Here, Home, Hope (and some to envy), like the value of risk-taking, the importance of genuine friendships, and of the support of a loving husband — who’s devotion goes unnoticed by Kelly at first. However, as a reader, I would have liked to see the story spend a little more time on some of the bigger issues broached in this novel, like eating disorders and depression.

On the other hand, many readers prefer books that don’t perseverate on the darker side of life, and, as Jenna Blum says in her book blurb, Kaira Rouda’s novel is definitely “upbeat” and “hopeful,” a light read. So, if you’re looking for a story with a taste of real life and a feel-good ending, you’ll enjoy Here, Home, Hope.

And, tomorrow just might be your lucky day. I’ll be hosting Kaira Rouda here for an interview, where she’ll talk about the move from writing nonfiction to novels and the one thing that so many of us strive for in life: balance. Stop by tomorrow’s post as well, get to know a little more about Kaira and her novel from her perspective, and enter the giveaway: one free copy of Here, Home, Hope.

On Themes, Characters, and Creative Spaces: An interview with Author, Danielle Evans

“Tell your mother she has never had any idea
how easy it is for something to be destroyed.”
— from “Snakes” in Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self

~

I’ll admit, I was first attracted to Danielle Evans’ collection of short stories, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, because of the title. But, it was the stories themselves, and the characters within, that held my attention.

Sana Krasikov (author of One More Year: Stories) calls Evans’ writing “quietly magnetic.” I love this description; it’s so true. Evans creates characters who are within my reach, even when their experiences differ from my own. I slid easily into their lives and found myself in the middle of deep loss, heartache, and threat. Yet, I didn’t want to look away. Instead, I was compelled to sit with the characters, even after the story ended, and then go back and read about them again.

After so many great reviews,from people like Lydia Peelle in the New York Times and Ron Charles at the Washington Post, I’m honored to host Ms. Evans here, where she answers a few questions about her collection and about writing.

For a chance to win a copy of her book, Before You Suffocate Your Own Fool Self, drop your name in the comments section. I’ll choose the winner on Tuesday, February 1st.

~

CC: The opening story in your book, “Virgins,” first appeared in The Paris Review three years before this book was published. Did you discover an emerging theme in your writing early on that led you to publish a book of short stories? Or, did you consider a theme and then craft the stories?

photo by Nina Subin

DE: “Virgins” was actually one of the last stories in the book to be written. It was published in 2007, just about a month before I sold the collection to Riverhead. Typically there’s about a year between selling the book and publication, but various things can slow that process down—in this case, my editor’s maternity leave, and my first full time teaching job, which coincided with the start of the editing process and meant I had to learn to divide my writing and editing time from my teaching time. I didn’t write most of the stories with any end goal in mind. By the time that I wrote the first draft of Virgins, in 2006, I had a sense that most of the stories that I was happy with belonged together somehow. The only story I wrote with the collection in mind was “Wherever You Go, There You Are,” which I thought tied together the themes of various stories, but took them someplace new. In the editorial process, a lot of what I had to think about was how these stories, which I’d always thought of as somewhat separate, could become one thing. At points I’d find that, for example, a particular story could survive having an element cut and still work, but cutting that element would take something away from the collection as a whole. There was a story that went in after the collection was sold, because it seemed to add some balance after a few stories were cut from the original version of the manuscript, and another that almost went in, but that in the end I couldn’t make claim its own territory—it seemed too similar to work I’d already done. So, there was a lot of thought about the book as a book, and not just a series of stories, but mostly I was thinking about topic and form and organization. Questions of theme I think are generally best left to readers and reviewers—at least personally, I find they can crush my writing if I let them guide it.

CC: Each of your stories is written with such strength and emotion. I especially love, “Snakes,” where you tackle issues of race, family, and failed expectations head on through the lives of Tara, Allison, and their grandmother, crafting each character’s emotional depth or shallowness with great skill. How do you approach character development? Do you spend more time getting to know each one before you write? Or, do you write more organically, allowing the characters to reveal themselves throughout the first drafts?

DE: I generally try to write organically, at least at first pass. The good thing about working in shorter forms is that if it doesn’t work, you can just throw it out. There isn’t that sense of pressure that you have with a novel that you’ve been working on for two years, or that you realize will be a decade long commitment. So, if I have an idea for a story, or I feel drawn to a particular character, I just write it, and if it doesn’t come together, I can abandon it, or I can leave it alone indefinitely and return to it months or years later, because a story is short enough to easily drop back into if there’s anything redeemable in it. “Snakes” is an example of that. The first draft of the story was one of the earliest things I wrote—it was actually something I wrote in one of my first college creative writing courses. For years I’d revisit it and not quite know what was off. I knew Tara was withholding something—there was always a kind of secrecy and repression built into the story—but I had no idea what. Then my editor read it, and in her critique asked some smart questions about Tara, and suddenly I had an answer. Once I had that answer it was easy to go back into the story and tear out most of what was there so I could rewrite it with greater clarity.

CC: In the Acknowledgments, you say, “The Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing is one of the best places a writer could ever call home.” I’d love to hear more about your experiences there and how they shaped you as a writer.

DE: I think if most early writers were to make a list of ideal gifts, those gifts would include time, money, and faith—not necessarily in that order. There are many institutions that are good at providing one or two of those things, but The Wisconsin Institute of Creative Writing really provided all three. There was a teaching commitment that was enough to keep you grounded, but not so much pressure that it cut into your writing time, there was a stipend that was enough to live comfortably on in that part of the country, and there was a real sense of community, a sense that we were there to do our work because someone genuinely believed in it. There are a lot of writing spaces where people feel like admitting that they don’t know something or need help navigating something is akin to failure, and I think the creative writing faculty at UW-Madison really worked to create a space where that was not the case, where it was safe to ask questions and you could expect thoughtful answers. Once you are in a position where people think you know the answers to certain questions, procedural or existential, about writing, you realize how much time it takes to answers those questions, and exactly how generous the people who kept their doors open for you were. Madison is also, hands down, the prettiest place I have ever lived.

CC: What are you reading these days?

DE: Student journals, forever and ever. But, I am amassing a collection of books to read during the summer: Gary Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story, Jane Brox’s Brilliant, a history of artificial light, Paul Murray’s Skippy Dies. I am looking forward to Tayari Jones’ forthcoming book, Silver Sparrow, which I had the pleasure of hearing her read from last Fall. Last year I read and loved many books, but especially Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From the Goon Squad and Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns. And, I exaggerate a bit about the journals. In the context of teaching, I also get to reread some of my favorite books and poems and stories—among them Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, Colson Whitehead’s John Henry Days, and Edward P. Jones’ The Known World. I’m teaching an independent study this semester where some of the books are chosen by the students, so I’m reading Blood Meridian for the first time, which I’m looking forward to.

CC: Do you have any final thoughts or advice for writers on the rise?

DE: My main advice is to do the work that you believe in, because that’s the only part of the process you can predict or control.

~

You can find Danielle Evans on her website, Facebook, and on Goodreads. You can purchase her book at Indiebound.org and on Amazon. Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy, then check back here on February 1st.

[tweetmeme]