Thanks to
my friend June Gillam for “tagging” me to promote The Next Big Thing! In June’s latest blog post she wrote about her upcoming
thriller, House of Dads.
http://junegillam.com/2013/04/24/the-next-big-thing-blog-tag/
Now it’s
my turn to tell you all about my novel.
What
is the title of your book?
Welcome
Stranger
Where
did the idea for the book come from?
Years ago
(or maybe I should say Once Upon a Time) while on a field trip with my special education
class, one of my students--a Hmong boy born in a refugee camp in
Thailand—struck up a conversation with a homeless man sitting at the Regional
Transit bus stop on L Street near Downtown Plaza. I was so touched by the man’s patience and humor as he spoke
with this child and me that I began writing about him as soon as I got home
that night. The episode became a
poem, then a short story, and now a novel.
What
genre does your book fall under?
Literary
fiction.
What
actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Amy Adams
has the range to play a woman who is intelligent yet naïve, so she’d be my
first choice for protagonist Cassandra Apple. Cassandra’s love, Harvey Random, is a combination of Eli
Stone’s sweetness and Sherlock Holmes’ quirky intensity, so Jonny Lee Miller
(who’s played both characters in recent TV dramas) would do well as my novel’s
male lead.
What
is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Shy
special education teacher Cassandra Apple falls in love with the gregarious,
ivy-league educated yet homeless Harvey Random. (Not your typical Rom-Com!)
Will
your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m
currently shopping Welcome Stranger, seeking representation.
How
long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Since
this was my first novel, and I wasn’t sure what I was doing, the first draft
took approximately 24 years and 5 months.
Subsequently, I’ve learned to whip out 50,000- word first drafts in 30
days or less every November during National Novel Writing Month, i.e. Nanowrimo.
What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I would
humbly liken my work to the novels of Sue Monk Kidd and Anne Lamott, who both
write stories featuring strong female protagonists and spiritual (though not
necessarily religious) themes.
Who or
what inspired you to write this book?
It has
been a dream of mine since high school to write novels, and I am very grateful
to see my first book manifest. I
must give credit to my late mother who was always my biggest supporter. I have a wonderful circle of friends
and fellow writers who have also encouraged me. The insights of my friend and spiritual guide, Craig, have
also offered me amazing inspirations for my writing. Finally I would be remiss if I did not mention HC, who has
been the perfect muse—annoyingly elusive yet enchanting—lo, these many seasons.
What
else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Welcome
Stranger explores
issues such as homelessness, mental illness, emotional abuse, and the state of
our public education system. But
at its core, it is the story of Cassandra’s spiritual journey. Harvey becomes Cassandra's lover, but he
is also the holy fool who leads her to a greater understanding of her own
soul.
And now
it’s time for me to tag a wonderful writer, friend and mentor, John
Crandall. You can find John at
http://poethealing.deviantart.com/
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