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Q&A with Judy Strick, Author of Kingdom Come, CA

A powdery pink glow infused the garage, and the door to the house closed behind me. To my utter astonishment, all the things I thought had been shipped off to the Salvation Army shimmered before me, resurrected from my past. the room was filled with quivering echoes of my childhood…. ~ from KINGDOM COME, CA

KingdomComeCA_HiRezCoverJudy Strick’s debut novel, KINGDOM COME, CA is a story about uncovering a past thought to be carefully stowed away, in both the  literal and figurative sense.

When a new family moves into an old abandoned house near recluse, Ruby Wellman, Ruby isn’t pleased. And when the neighbor’s son makes a strange connection with her, one that pulls at her memories, she is even more unsettled. Set in Southern California, KINGDOM COME, CA is steeped in landscape and mysticism and speaks to what happens when we finally let go of the past that grips us.

I’m honored to host Judy Strick today to talk about her book. And, there’s a book giveaway! Drop your name in the comments at the end of the post for a chance to win.

CC: On your website, you write that inspiration for Kingdom Come, Ca arose out of an incident with a “wandering print” (a cool story in itself, by the way). How did you decide on the story’s setting?

JudyStrickJS: I have a thing for small towns. I lived in Rapid City SD when I was very young. I harbor vividly strong memories of small town life, although perhaps it was not even a small town in those days. But that’s the way I remember it. Memory is slippery. As a child I visited Kanab Utah, and recalled it as the perfect archetypal small town until I went back as an adult to find it nothing at all like I remembered: what I found was a non-descript stuccoed town of very little charm; Perhaps at this moment in time it’s changed and is charming. Who knows?

CC: The strange connection between the protagonist, Ruby Wellman, and six-year old Finn is immediate, intense, and unmistakeable. And, it opens the story up to two plot lines–that of Ruby as she wrestles with her past and of Finn as he struggles with his own secrets. When you set out to write the novel, who came to you first, Ruby or Finn?

JS: Ruby was there first. She lived in Van Nuys, Ca and like the current Ruby, was scarred in an accident. Ruby #1 was so badly damaged that she wore a burkah- Finn was in my mind, somewhere. When Ruby #2 moved to Kingdom Come, Finn showed up, of his own accord, with his sea-glass green eyes.

CC: Your creative career has passed through several mediums: from art, children’s books, and screenwriting to novels and short stories. Do you still dabble in art or other genres?

JS: I tend to be somewhat obsessive-compulsive about what I’m working on. When I stopped being an artist I walked away cold. I never even doodle any more. I wish I had walked away as easily from lousy relationships, as I do from work that no longer works.

CC: What are you reading these days?

JS: I’m almost finished with Rick Bragg’s biography Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story. It’s wonderfully written, and a fascinating study of “The Killer,” and even more so of the Southern roots of rock ‘n roll.

CC: What piece of writing advice do you turn to most?

JS: To just keep doing it and doing it and doing it until you finally figure out what the hell it is you’re doing. I worked on KINGDOM COME, CA, for four years. It taught me so much, to keep pushing, and going for perfection, as you define it.

~

Judy Strick is a native of Southern California. She holds an MFA from Otis Art Institute, and in a former lifetime was a fine artist and then a toy designer. She studied screenwriting at AFI and fiction writing at UCLA, and has spent the last 10 years honing her novelistic skills. Kingdom Come, CA is her debut novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her 2.5 dogs.

Visit www.judystrick.com, where you can download (for free) her new short story series Living on the Fault Line: Tales from L. A.

Don’t forget: drop your name in the comments by noon on Tuesday, March 3rd, for a chance to win a copy of KINGDOM COME, CA, courtesy of Darlene Chan PR. 

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Q&A with Therese Walsh, author of The Moon Sisters

The scent of dragon was in truth the scent of human connection. . . . it was wanting just the same. . . .

‘Well, there is that, isn’t there?’ I said [to Hobbs], giving him what he needed and what was true at the same time. ‘You are saving me–helping me, at any rate–and when I need you the most. Don’t you think that’s an argument in favor of things happening for a reason?’ ~ Olivia Moon in The Moon Sisters

MOON_SISTERS_8_29 (2)I admit, the quote above doesn’t do justice for the magical kind of read within the pages of Therese Walsh’s new novel, The Moon Sisters. What the quote does, for me anyway, is highlight the way in which one of the protagonists, Olivia Moon sees the world.

Olivia has synesthesia, which means that sights and sounds can trigger her other senses, too. Hope tastes like “a mix of berries” to Olivia, like “the drizzle of honey and another drizzle of lemon” and her mother smells like “the scent of clothes right off the line on a summer day, the sunshine itself.” She also has complete confidence in fate. Her outlook on the world, both physically and spiritually, sends her packing after the death of her mother and propels her on a journey of discovery as she deals with her grief.

Olivia’s sister, Jazz, sets out on the same path, traveling with her sister all the way to a place called Cranberry Glades, but more by way of rescue. Jazz is the logical one of the sisters, she believes, and is determined to bring her wandering sister home and make her face the reality of what happened to their mother. Only after they both take chances along the way, either willingly or by force of hand, do they find the truth they are looking for, along with compassion for themselves and for each other and understanding for those they love most.

Fate, logic, and chance: three words that help weave this beautiful tale of grief, recovery, and relationships.

I’m honored to host Therese for an interview today and thrilled to be able to share a copy of her novel. I read The Moon Sisters in short order, which is always a sign that I’ve got my hands on a really great book. Drop your name in the comments; Random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, April 1st (seriously).

Now, welcome Therese Walsh.

CC: How did fate, chance, and logic play out in the development of The Moon Sisters from the seed of an idea to full-grown novel?

pic to useTW: Fate, luck, control, and logic did play a significant role in developing the story, to set up the more philosophical conflicts that Jazz and Olivia Moon would have to contend with while trying to come to terms with their mother’s death and with their own perceptions of what happened.

From the start of the story, Jazz Moon rejects the ideas of luck and fate—those, to her, are ether. She believes in logic, in “if this, than that” scenarios, and she believes in control via logic. But after her mother, Beth, dies, there’s a gap between logic and control that no longer makes sense. Though she may not consciously realize it, much of her journey is about coming to terms with control.

Olivia, on the other hand, was raised to believe that “everything happens for a reason” (fate), though you should also cross your fingers and wish for good luck just to be certain your bases are covered. She’s neither interested in control or logic, but prefers to live by whim.

Is life directed by fate, luck, or even chaos? Is it controllable? Is it always logical? These arguments aren’t at the surface level of The Moon Sisters, and I wouldn’t say they’re the primary themes of the book, but they are critical and rather thrum under the story’s skin like blood.

CC: How was writing The Moon Sisters different from writing your debut novel, The Last Will of Moira Leahy?

TW: They were both personally challenging novels for me to write, but when I wrote (and re-wrote) The Last Will of Moira Leahy (2002-2008), I did it for me. I wasn’t under contract. I was exploring my ability as a writer, and then pushing up against and redefining those boundaries as I grew. It was an exhausting but intensely rewarding experience.

When I wrote The Moon Sisters, I was under contract, as I had a two-book deal with Random House. Instead of writing for myself, as an exploration of ability, I was writing for a publisher, who had an expectation of ability. And, really, I had to live up to that expectation. That made me nervous, and even made me a little fearful. What if I couldn’t do it? What if I only had one book in me?

Ultimately, I did work through those fears, and—who knows?—maybe the fear helped. I’m very proud of the book The Moon Sisters has become; it’s the truest and best thing I’ve ever written.

CC: In a conversation we had on Twitter, you said several readers have seen themselves in either Olivia or Jazz. I certainly carry shades of Olivia in the way she deals with her mother’s “up and downs” and in her belief in serendipity. What about you? Are you more of a follow-your-heart kind of person like Olivia or all business like Jazz? Or, are you a healthy mix of both?

TW: I’m definitely a mix of both. I can see myself in each of the characters, even a character like Hobbs.

Each of my real sisters is more like one of the Moon sisters than the other, though: I have both a whimsical, Olivia-like sister, and a pragmatic, Jazz-like sister.

CC: As co-founder of Writer Unboxed, a flourishing website for writers, and a host for the Writer Unboxed group on Facebook, you are in contact with a huge online writing community. Do you meet with writers locally as well? If so, how does the face-to-face compare to the online world when it comes to camaraderie?

TW: I do have a handful of local writer friends who meet every few months to talk about everything and anything, often over lunch and sometimes after massages.

You might think that meeting online friends in real life for the first time would be uncomfortable in some way, but for the most part I find that those meetings buzz with authentic connection. There’s immediate recognition, almost always (thank you, Facebook!), and easy conversation because commonalities have already been determined online. And truthfully, my first response when I meet someone from my online world is usually to want to give them a hug.

So all in all, I think the real world compares quite well with the online world. I believe you can forge real connections online, and that those connections can be strengthened all the more when you meet face to face.

Therese Walsh’s second novel, The Moon Sisters, was published on March 4th, 2014 by Crown (Random House). Her debut, The Last Will of Moira Leahy, was named one of January Magazine’s Best Books of 2009 and was a TARGET Breakout Book. Therese is the co-founder of Writer Unboxed, a site that’s visited daily by thousands of writers interested in the craft and business of fiction. She has a master’s degree in psychology. Aside from writing, her favorite things include music, art, crab legs, Whose Line is it Anyway?, dark chocolate, photography, unique movies and novels, people watching, strong Irish tea, and spending time with her husband, two kids and their Jack Russell. 

Visit her website at ThereseWalsh.com, follow her on Facebook and Twitter or sign up for her mailing list.

Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to get your hands on The Moon Sisters. Read more about the novel here. 

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Q&A: Leesa Freeman, THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

‘Hi, I’m Todd and I’m an addict…’ I stared into the watery black coffee in my cup, searching for answers that weren’t there.
~ from THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE

WisdomLeesa Freeman stopped by the blog in November with a guest post about her journey to publication. I invited her back to talk more about her debut novel and  some of the decisions she made when writing the book.

THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE tells the story of a young man on his path of self-discovery, navigating relationships (old and new) while doing his best to stay sober. When I read this book, I wanted to ask Leesa about common issues all writers face: writing from unfamiliar perspectives, tackling intimate scenes, and tried and true advice.

I’m honored Leesa returns for an interview and am offering a giveaway at the end. Drop your name in the comments for a chance to win a signed copy of THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE (random.org will choose the winner on Tuesday, January 14th).

Now, welcome Leesa!

CC: Writing a novel challenges an author in many ways, the choice of perspective being one. THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE is told through the eyes of a young man who, after a football injury, becomes addicted to drugs and lands in rehab. What was the biggest hurdle in starting out from this point of view (which I imagine was foreign to you in a myriad of ways)?

headshotnewLF: When the idea for this story came to me, there wasn’t a question in my mind that it had to be told from Todd’s point of view. There was a lot I didn’t know about him – that he was a recovering addict, for instance – but I had this overall idea about who he was and just couldn’t get him out of my mind. That said, I had no idea how to write as a guy and the last thing I wanted was for it to come off as some stereotypical dude, or worse, a chick’s schmaltzy version of a guy. I spent a long time writing some really bad stuff, paralyzed and struggling until I realized something fundamental: I wasn’t writing a guy who happened to be a person, but a person who happened to be a guy.  Once I figured that out, writing Todd became much easier because those fears and inhibitions began to disappear.

CC: I don’t typically ask this next kind of question, but here goes. I’ve read my share of sex scenes in books: some smooth and well-written; others thrown at the reader in such a way that is more jarring than exciting (and even a bit rude). The passionate moments in your book unfold naturally within the storyline and never feel gratuitous. There’s a real art to making those kinds of scenes work. I have avoided writing sex so far; my stories haven’t called for it, but I admit I’d be hesitant to try even if they did. From a craft perspective, what’s one tip you could offer a scaredy-cat like me?

LF: I guess the most important thing advice I can give is to write for yourself first. That includes sex scenes as well as anything else. If I sit wondering how a reader will react to how a scene happens, I’ll never write anything. I can’t predict what will turn a reader on – or off – and I don’t try. What I do try to do is figure out what will turn my characters on, what will satisfy them, then I make sure that those scenes add to, rather than detract from the overall story. If it is sex just for sex’s sake, it gets deleted, but if it needs to be there to enhance the story and move it forward, then it stays.

CC: Tell us about your next big project.

LF: I’m in the process of looking for an agent for my novel Into the Deep End about a young man, Luke Stevenson, who has been talked into (guilted into?) working at a summer camp for kids with Spina Bifida. As a paraplegic, he has more in common with the kids than he realizes, but he is still angry from the car accident and mourning the death of his twin sister. It takes Luke time to understand that his personality is not dependent on his body, nor is his capacity to love another dependent on his ability to walk.

CC: What are you reading these days?

LF: I just finished John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars, which I loved, but I’ll read just about anything so long as it is well-written, has fascinating characters, and a rich storyline.

CC: What is one piece of writing advice that has stuck with you throughout your journey?

LF: I love the Holley Gerth quote, “Be courageous and write in a way that scares you a little.” What that means to me is I can be complacent and write something that simply skims the surface of a topic, and it may be lovely and beautiful, but I don’t know that surface writing can truly touch the reader. I don’t believe that surface writing will stay with the reader long after they close the book. To create something memorable, I need to push myself, scare myself, and explore the depths of my own emotions so the reader can also explore the depths of the character’s emotions. That is my job, and if I do it well, perhaps my characters will become as real to the reader as they do to me, not just words on a page, but living and breathing people with their own hopes, dreams, and fears.

A native Texan, Leesa Freeman enjoys escaping the chill of New England, if only in her imagination, often setting her stories in the places she loved growing up. Some of her favorite moments are the ones where it’s just her, her Mac, and simply conversing with the people who live inside her head, and sharing their lives with those who take the time to read her stories. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and two daughters, where she is also an artist, avid baker, a self-proclaimed music snob, and recovering Dr. Pepper addict. Visit her website and follow her on Facebook.

Don’t forget: Leave your name in the comments for a chance to win a copy of THE WISDOM TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.