Léna Roy Interview

The synopsis, from Goodreads: Seventeen-year-old Luke lives and works at the Moonflower Motel in Moab, having fled New York City where his father Frank drowns his sorrows after the death of Luke’s mother. Back in New York, eighteen-year-old Ava meets Frank at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. When these lost souls converge in Moab, what happens transforms them all.

I confess, it sounded like a huge downer to me. I figured it would be dark, possibly too high on the grit factor for me, so I put off reading it. Finally, I decided Léna was so cool that I needed to interview her. (I've been keeping up with her on Facebook for awhile, she has a really interesting blog and she's Madeleine L'Engle's granddaughter. How awesome is that?) To do a proper interview, I needed to read her book too. The lesson I learned? Don't judge a book by its blurb! Yes, the book deals with dark topics: death, alcoholism, mental illness, drug use, but the book itself is hopeful. Pair that with the amazingly unique characters and it's a story well worth reading. Try it for yourself!


 The Restless Writer (RW): What came to you first, the plot, the characters, the setting or something else?

Léna Roy (LR): Great question! I think it would have to be the setting, and then the characters. I had gone to Moab on vacation 17 years ago and was so stuck by it I decided to move there for a year. I was a therapist for troubled teens at the local mental health center. I knew that someday I would write about it. Then, back in the city, one day I had a vision of Luke moving into his trailer and hanging a painting. It haunted me for so long that I had to write his story. Why was he there? What was the painting?

RW: I loved the setting for Edges, since I have no personal experience with it. How did you decide to tell Luke's story in Moab?

LR: It had to be Moab!

RW: The recurring bear elements in the story were fascinating to me. Is this something you had to research specifically for the book?

LR: Ah, the bear. When I was writing, the bear (Ursula) came from somewhere deep inside my sub-conscious and had to be part of the story. It was one of the most fun and magical moments I have had  with writing, because I didn't think of her - she just appeared. I had to rewrite those parts a LOT.  Some people see her, and some don't. It is supposed to illustrate that there are many levels of reality, and that there are different truths for each person. Tangerine doesn't see the bear - she doesn't need to. She has her own faith. Ava catches a glimpse of something outside of herself, something her higher power could be. Hank - well, his grip on reality isn't so reliable. And Luke doesn't know what to believe. That's why Cin askes him: "Well, the question is, what do you want to believe? Do you want to live in a world where things are possible, or in one where they aren't?"

RW: How do you write? Extensive outlines or more by the seat of your pants?

 LR: Both! I have to write a really crappy first draft first though, so I'm a panther at first. Then for the rewrites, I really think about plot, structure and character development that makes sense.

RW: The story tackles a lot of heavy issues: alcoholism, drug use, runaways, mental illness, family estrangement and death. However, the story doesn't get bogged down in darkness. To me, the story had the perfect balance between the serious subjects, reality and hope. Was it easy to find this balance or did you have to work through various drafts to get to that?

LR: Thank you!!!  There were many drafts! But I primarily wanted this to be about healing - there are so many books out there that deal with the descent into addiction and the dark stuff, with no hope. I mean, I can write about all of that, but others have done it better!

RW: What audience did you have in mind while you were writing this book?

LR: I did not really have an audience in mind. My first draft had altering points of view between some of the adults and Luke, Ava and Tangerine.

RW: Do you visit Moab frequently?
LR: I haven't been back there in 16 years! But this summer, at the end of August, we are finally going! My husband and I met there - we have three children together, so we have been waiting until the youngest was old enough to do all of the hikes we love. She will be 8 this May! (And we have two boys - ages 11 and 13.)

RW: There are a lot of fascinating characters in this book. Which of them became particular favorites of yours? Will we see any more about them from you?

LR: Hal is very close to be heart as is Cin. I have a companion book to Edges already written called The Land of the Lost and Found. Bruno, a minor character in Edges becomes the focus, and I introduce some more characters too.

RW: What are you working on next?  

LR: I am still writing a rough draft of something so I can't talk about it, but I just finished India Flips - a story about a girl who follows a friend onto a Reality TV show.

RW: You are the granddaughter of one of the most beloved children's authors ever, Madeleine L'Engle. Have you ever felt daunted by her legend or just inspired?

LR: I could write a whole book about this! There is no simple answer. It is definitely both! I couldn't take myself seriously enough as a writer (even though I always wrote) because I could never be like her. And then publishing! I think that people expect me to be like her whether they are aware of that or no - I have a lot of fans who are also Madeleine fans, but I also know that some people were disappointed that I wasn't MORE like her. But my grandmother HAS informed my world view and inspired me - we were very close, and I wouldn't be myself without her! She lives on in my heart . . .

Thank you so much, Léna for a great interview and for writing a great book!

A long time coming...

If you can wade through the rambling in this 3 minute (one take) video, it'll be worth your while. Or worth my while. One or the other. 

Historical Research, for the less-than-inclined

Today, I am especially excited to interview Chloe Massarello of Imagines Historiarum. For one thing, Imagines Historiarum is a very valuable research company for writers who might need some assistance with heavy duty research. (Even lighter research.)

And how, exactly, did I discover Imagines Historiarum? I am so proud to be related to its brilliant founder! Ms. Massarello is my cousin, so, her work comes with my personal quality guarantee. Check out her website. Her credentials are impressive. So, I decided to ask her some questions in case some of you fine readers and writers wish you had your own personal researcher. 

Welcome to The Restless Writer, Chloe! 

The Restless Writer (RW): What sparked your decision to start Imagines Historiarum?

Chloe Massarello (CM): I have always expressed my interest in history through a variety of creative outlets, from painting and writing to reenacting. The more I thought about what I would like to do with my degree, the more I realized that I would enjoy working with others who engage with the past creatively. For most people, finding a professional historian can be quite difficult. Academic historians affiliated with institutions are often too busy to assist with research and answer questions posed to them by community members, and most historians who operate historical research consulting firms work with governments, institutions, and businesses as opposed to private individuals. I want to reach out to authors and others who need historical knowledge for their work and projects and serve as a resource for them.

RW: What are you favorite historical fiction books?

CM: Three books spring to mind that I feel achieved great success as works of historical fiction: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis, The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley, and Doc by Mary Doria Russell. The first is not strictly historical fiction because it deals with time travel, but Willis’s account of the plague’s effects on a small village and the ways in which her time-traveling main character confronts difficulties, including a significant language barrier, is empathetic to an unusual degree. Willis has a knack for placing the reader in the comfort zone of her characters, revealing details that differ from our own time yet orient the reader within the time that she is visiting. I think the most powerfully evocative devices that Willis uses in the book are church bells, ringing the canonical hours. In the isolated village of Doomsday Book, the bells punctuate the passage of the day and serve to connect the village with surrounding habitations, because the ringing can be heard far away. As the plague advances across the landscape, the bells of other habitations begin to fall silent until the bell in the village church is the single voice for miles. The effect within the story is both eerie and tragic and all the more significant because Willis successfully communicates the importance of the bells to the reader. When they fall silent, it is disorienting and ominous and believably authentic.

From Jane Smiley’s work I took away an appreciation for the hard-bitten reality of life in medieval Greenland. Smiley’s prose is terse and unemotional, reflective of the toughness of her characters surviving in a time and place where nothing can be taken for granted. Her writing brings to mind the spare style of the sagas.

Lastly, Russell’s book doesn’t spare the reader from discomfort either; she throws Latin, French and German onto the page. Her story follows Doc Holliday from childhood through young adulthood as he learns to cope with tuberculosis, and the dialogue in the book often reflects the nineteenth-century upper-class education appropriate to the main character.
In summation, I found all of these books convincing as historical fiction because they required me to look at the past being related on the page as separate and uncomfortable, in a good way. Part of being a historian is learning to think in a manner that is empathetic to the time being researched, to understand that a historical actor’s thoughts and actions were formed in a very different context than our own and that our rules often don’t apply. Successful historical fiction borrows from this dynamic; it should challenge you as it presents you with something timeless.

RW: What time period would you most like to visit and why?

CM: The future, when the warp drive has been invented and I can travel to wherever and whenever I please! Honestly, the answer depends on what I am studying. The more I research the more questions I have. Since I have been sitting with the early Plantagenets and their contemporaries for so long, I suppose it would be remiss of me not to visit them first.

RW: What kind of historical research projects have you already done?

CM: The largest sustained project I have undertaken is my own thesis, which represents two years of research, writing, and translation work based on primary sources. Most of the research I have done as a student, volunteer, and professional has been geared towards addressing specific questions, whether the questions are about a time period, a person, or a particular object (a document, a Roman oil lamp, items uncovered at Fort Vancouver, etc.). On my own time I have engaged in everything from genealogical investigations to baking hard tack.

RW: What kind of projects do you hope to get?

CM: I am open to and enjoy a wide variety of projects and research topics, and I encourage anyone who has any questions or ideas to send me an email. Whether you want research assistance or editorial support for a work of fiction or nonfiction, from books to articles, or an entirely different project, I can lend you a hand.

RW: Do you like to write historical fiction?

CM: I loved writing historical fiction when I was younger and plan to start working on it seriously in the near future. Right now I have two ideas gelling in my mind. One is based on my thesis research and the other will probably end up closer to the fantasy genre but is heavily influenced by historical themes that interest me.

RW: What can clients expect to receive from you? (a line edit of their work? a report on relevant info. for their chosen time period?)

CM: The answer to this question really depends on the needs of the client. I can track down answers to specific queries and provide a narrative with sources for future reference; locate sources for the client’s own research, providing a bibliography with or without annotation; provide guidance on the challenges of source-reliability, interpretation, and conflicting information; copyedit and line edit the client’s work (either in hardcopy or as a Word document, although hardcopy is preferred); fact-check a client’s work and produce a list of suggested corrections; and more.

Oxford, England. Because I love it. 

RW: What did you write your Master's thesis on?

CM: My thesis is centered on the commissioning of a thirteenth-century work known as the History of William Marshal. I am particularly interested in the political use of historical texts in the Middle Ages. The History recounts the (mostly political) life story of William Marshal (c.1147-1219), the first earl of Pembroke and regent of England following King John’s demise in 1216. Marshal’s son, also named, unhelpfully for purposes of clarity, William Marshal, commissioned the History after his father’s death. After reading the History, I wanted to know why the younger Marshal commissioned it. My curiosity was sparked by the defensive tone of the History and the lack of substantial work by historians on the subject of the Marshal son and his connection to the document. It’s quite difficult to use a source when you don’t know why it was created. I’ll just say that my thesis involves war, political machinations and maneuvering, and an unprecedented marriage. Pretty good stuff, no? I plan to upload my thesis to my website soon.

RW: Many people hate research. What do you find most compelling about it?

CM: The moment of discovery when a piece of information causes everything to fall into place is addictive! There’s nothing quite like the evil-genius (or benevolent-genius) feeling that you get when something you’ve uncovered creates sudden insight. I love that conducting research constantly demands that I think in new ways and try new angles of approach. It’s exhilarating! 

Thank you so much, Chloe! Best of luck with Imagines Historiarum. (PS. We absolutely need to talk more because you're a genius!!) 

Author Angst

This picture represents me at this very moment. I have the house to myself. Plenty of time to sit down and write. I took advantage of it. Sat myself down, opened my file and realized, 'Crap. This scene isn't going anywhere. Don't know how to fix it right now. Blah!' So frustrating! This might have something to do with the fact that I tend to write by the seat of my pants. A 'pantser' if you will. (seriously, it means you write without a plan. No outlining. I didn't make it up.)

So, now I'm annoyed that I have this time to write and I'm not using it to advance my story. I love this story. It's going to be fantastic. But, clearly, I haven't given it enough thought yet. All in good time.

Since I have the writing time, I thought I'd return to my blog. (aren't you delighted?) Since you're hoping for some information here, I'll mention some of the top songs on my writing playlist for this story I'm not writing currently. What do you think of this?

1. Paradise - Coldplay (this is the song that actually inspired the whole thing.)
2. Shadow Boxer - Fiona Apple
3. Stay or Leave - Dave Matthews
4. Broken Crown - Mumford & Sons
5. I Will Not Forget You - Sarah McLachlan

And, lest you think I've forgotten about it. Dream Girl is out to publishers at this very moment. She's on her job interview, waiting to get hired. So, here are some of her top tracks too, in order of most listened to while writing.

1. Fear - OneRepublic
2. Vanilla Twilight - Owl City
3. Evangelina Butterfly Dupree - The Aldous U Collective
4. Distance - Christina Perri
5. To the Ghosts Who Write History - The Low Anthem
6. Won't Stop - OneRepublic
7. Lullaby - OneRepublic
8. Porcelain - Moby
9. Trapeze - Iron and Wine
10. House of Wax - Paul McCartney

There Was an Old Woman

It's here! Yesterday, my third MeeGenius picture book, There Was an Old Woman: Alphabet Adventure went live.

I am blown away by Lori Taylor's brilliant artwork. What do you think?

I'm going to be writing an article about this book and how it came about for the SCBWI Michigan Chapter newsletter, so I don't want to give away all the info. right now but I do want to mention one thing. I can't stress how important it is to join a professional organization like SCBWI.

Now, it's true that traditional publishers don't usually allow an author to choose who illustrates their books. In my case, I've been privileged to choose, and work with, two extremely talented and fun artists. (Ingvard the Terrible for my Pajama Girl books.)

For me, working with an illustrator who belonged to SCBWI was of the utmost importance. It led me to choose Ingvard, besides his awesome illustration style. And I met Lori while carpooling to a conference on the other side of the state. We wouldn't have met if it wasn't for SCBWI. If we hadn't met, I wouldn't have decided to look up her portfolio. And the rest, as they say, is history. Well, in this case, not ancient history because our book just came out yesterday.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. I'd love to see some reviews in the comments.

Thanks for your support!

2013 Books

Now that Christmas is behind us (and I hope we all have warm memories of it) I feel like looking ahead to some books being released in 2013 that I'm itching to get my fingers on.

The first one, thanks to an excerpt in GoodHousekeeping: The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin. The excerpt was enticing and I was pleased to see Melanie Benjamin as the author. I really enjoyed her book The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb. I'm currently in a historical fiction mood. (reading The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields right now...a fictionalized tale of Edith Wharton and her midlife affair. Enjoyable and interesting thus far). The Aviator's Wife is about Charles Lindburgh and Anne Morrow. The book comes out the day after my birthday...in case anyone needed that little tidbit. Looks good. Must read.

Next is Shades of Earth by Beth Revis, which comes out the same day as The Aviator's Wife. This is the conclusion of the Across the Universe trilogy which I've been loving. It's YA sci-fi with a dash of romance and some thriller in there as well. Beautifully written, the first two books have been so good they make me jealous. Makes me grow as a writer to read them. Since the 2nd book was every bit as gripping as the first, I can't wait to see what will happen in the third.

Also, A Touch of Scarlet by Eve Marie Mont is coming out in March. She wrote the fabulous A Breath of Eyre and will be doing A Phantom Enchantment next...which is the one I'm really really dying for. But, A Touch of Scarlet will motivate me to finally read The Scarlet Letter, which I managed to get through school without ever having to read. I wanted to. I like Hawthorne. But I guess the time was never right. Now must be the time. So this one will be a treat for a number of reasons.

Finally, I'm excited for the release of my third picture book with MeeGenius. The text is final. The illustrations were completed last week (and they look simply stunning!!!). I'll be sure to shout from the rooftops when that becomes available for you. Speaking of such things, my incredible Pajama Girl illustrator has a new App available for Christmas, but it's never too late for a good story and great artwork. Please check out his Nativity Story.

I know this isn't a very big list. I'm going to need a lot of books for next year. What books are you looking forward to in the new year?  Please leave a comment and let me know!

Looking forward to 2013, I feel like good things are coming.

Merry Christmas GIVEAWAY!

The end of the year is upon us and holiday time is in full swing. I read several really great books this year so I thought I'd feature a few of them here should anyone care about the opinions of a librarian by day, writer by night.

In no particular order, my favorite reads of 2012.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis. (young adult) The second book in the Across the Universe series. It's my kind of sci-fi.The first book blew me away. The opening chapter was unlike anything I'd ever read and the rest of the book didn't let up. Book two didn't disappoint and the conclusion is due in January, one day after my birthday I might add. Definitely a trilogy worth reading.

Jiggy McCue: Murder and Chips by Michael Lawrence (middle grade) In full disclosure, this book was dedicated to me, which makes it the single greatest book ever written. But aside from that, it is a really fun murder mystery. Don't be fooled by the 'middle grade' designation. There is plenty of adult wit to hold the interest of any adult reader. Clever and fun, it'll keep you guessing. It's also the final book of the popular Jiggy McCue series. A fitting send off for the long suffering character, Jiggy McCue.

Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt. (adult/young adult crossover) "Wow." That pretty much sums up this beautiful book. Narrated by June, a 14 year old girl who is picking up the pieces after her beloved uncle, Finn, dies of AIDS. Finn was a free spirited artistic genius who also happened to be homosexual. A fact that was known in his family, but largely unacknowledged. This book is written so beautifully and the emotions are so raw and real that I didn't want to put it down. This falls into the category of books that I think everyone should read at some point. Very moving, you'll feel like you're watching something fantastic unfold while you read it. Definitely pay attention to this book and author.

Easter Ann Peters: Operation Cool by Jody Lamb (middle grade) In full disclosure, this book was written by a dear friend of mine and I'm in the acknowledgements section, which also makes this one of the greatest books ever written. But really, this book is striking in a similar way to Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. In this book, lively, unique and sweet Easter is trying to stop being a dork and make her 7th grade year shine. She makes a plan, Operation Cool, to help her achieve her goals. But as she starts making progress at school, her home life is falling apart due to her mother's battle with depression and alcohol addiction. The book skillfully balances Easter's hope and enthusiasm with her sadness, confusion and embarrassment. I compare it to Thirteen Reasons Why because it highlights the fact that people don't wear everything on their sleeves and you never know what other people are hiding. A positive message, powerfully written. It made me laugh and cry. Also a book that everyone should read.

Blind Spot by Laura Ellen. (young adult) How to classify this one? Powerful and unique, for sure. It's told by Roz, a young lady who's been diagnosed with macular degeneration. She wants desperately to just be normal, but as she fights against the accommodations she needs to make for herself, she finds herself in the middle of a murder case. What I really liked this about this book was the richness of the characters. Most of the main characters are troubled kids but this book makes them into real people. You get to see dimensions to them and view them as people coping with their disabilities or problems. And they don't all make good choices. Really great book. I would also recommend that people read this, if for no other reason than to get an idea for what it's really like to live with a disability. Very well done.

GIVEAWAY!

Since it's the gift giving time of year, I thought I'd give away an autographed copy of Easter Ann Peters: Operation Cool by Jody Lamb. All you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post with your email address and I'll pick a winner next Tues. and get the book shipped out to you. How do you like that? Merry Christmas!