Just let me take a moment to do a couple of house-keeping chores... Last week when I started posting my blog at a second location I neglected to post the urls. So the myspace blog is at http://blog.myspace.com/annycook and the blogspot blog is at http://www.annycook.blogspot.com/. I guess I was just too excited to think of everything. So if you want to comment, now there's no excuse not to.
Hmmm. Now back to our previously scheduled programming. I'm posting early as Jenyfer lives in Egypt--don't you think that's cool?--and I would like for her to be able to read it before she goes to sleep.
1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change? I started writing just over ten years ago (with a couple of years-long hiatus in there to have babies!) in total isolation - just me and my computer, the blue screen and gold text of Word Perfect my only companion. I had no idea what I was really doing and whether or not what I was writing was any good. (Looking at it now, it's pretty bad!) If I could start over again I'd probably seek out some sort of writers group to join for support and feedback - which thanks to the internet I have now.
2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer? Since I was on my own no one ever really gave me any advice in person. I read books and the things I learned were: a rejection isn't personal and it isn't the end - it's one person's opinion which you can take or leave; learning to self-edit is a vital skill; andperseverance is as important as talent when you are trying to get published.
3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? This is a tough question. I'm not much of one to idolize people and from my travels I have discovered that there are many, many fascinating people in the world who are just regular everyday people whose names wouldn't mean anything here.
Practically speaking, I'd love to meet Nora Roberts so I could pick her brain about how she keeps coming up with such great stories, time after time after TIME!!
4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be? Of all the books I've read the first two that spring to mind were Scarlett O'Hara - I'd like to slap her upside the head and say "What were you thinking?" and Roland from Stephen King's Dark Tower series. He's an intense and fascinating creation.
5) What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be Superwoman - able to juggle family life and all that goes with it along side a bestselling writing career with style and grace (and no yelling!)
Either that or Queen of the World.
6) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for? If they don't remember me its okay, new things come along all the time and people forget. It would be nice if people would continue to read and enjoy my stories though.
Want to know more about Jenyfer? Read her blog at http://jenyfermatthews.blogspot.com/
Here to Stay by Jenyfer Matthews from Cerridwen Press
Jenyfer has given us a lively story about second chances. Julia and Patrick are near the end of the painful process of divorce. Julia has providentially inherited a house in New Jersey that she has decided to renovate and keep. Patrick travels from their former home in Chicago, determined to try one last time to convince Julia that they belong together. It’s a tough sell.
Julia, still hurting and uncertain about her future, is not inclined to listen to Patrick. Seeking a reason to stick around, Patrick hits on the idea of helping her with her renovations. And things aren’t too bad until he falls off the roof. In a hair-raising series of odd events, Julia and Patrick must work together to solve the mysteries surrounding Julia’s inheritance.
This was an interesting book for me as getting-back-together-in-the-ninth-inning stories are not generally my cup of tea. But Patrick and Julia kind of sucked me in with their story. I wanted to shake them both sometimes and they certainly got me involved. They say if you don’t care about the characters the author hasn’t done her job. Well, I was involved and if I hadn’t been reading it in the middle of the night I probably would have groaned and yelled and shouted, “Look out! He’s behind you!” or something similar. If you want an exciting, romantic who-done-it next, I heartily recommend that you get your own copy of Here to Stay.
Anny
Nicely done, both of you! Jen, I totally agree about Scarlett O’Hara. The woman would have been much better off if someone had slapped her silly early in the book! And that’s a great review, Anny. It’s really nice when a book that we think might not capture our interest manages to suck us in.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you liked it, Anny :)
ReplyDeleteExcellent interview...and yep that is the same response I had about Scarlett. Ashley Wilkes? Come on girl!
ReplyDeleteAnnie, Great inerview, down to earth enough to make us realize how some authors had it tough when they started. We can see a little bit of ourselves as writers with difficult beginnings in your interview.
ReplyDeleteJenyfer, I like the subject of your book, the reconciliation idea that becomes irresistible flame.
Mona Risk