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5 Minutes 5 Questions With… Diana Spechler author of Who by Fire

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Diana Spechler, author of Who by Fire
(Harper Perennial)


diana spechler headshot who by fire book cover

(click on the above pictures to see reviews of this book on Amazon.com)

Bits and Ash were children when the kidnapping of their younger sister Alena, an incident for which Ash blames himself, caused an irreparable family rift. Thirteen years later, Ash is living as an Orthodox Jew in Israel, cutting himself off from his mother, Ellie, and his wild child sister, Bits. But soon he may have to face them again: Alena’s remains have finally been uncovered.

Now Bits is traveling across the world in a bold and desperate attempt to bring her brother home and salvage what’s left of their family. Told from the alternating points of view of the three family members, Who By Fire is a searing commentary on guilt, grief, and the inescapable bonds of family from a fresh and extremely talented new voice in American fiction.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Who by Fire?

Diana Spechler: I wanted to explore the way it makes me feel as a Jew in America to hear about a suicide bombing in Israel. It’s so horrifying, yet there’s a disconnect because of the physical distance. Originally, I wrote a story about Bits, a secular Jew in America, and her brother, Ash, an Orthodox Jew in Jerusalem. At the beginning of the story, Bits hears about a suicide bombing in Jerusalem. By the end of the story, she still hasn’t heard from her brother. It’s very unsettling, which is probably why I felt compelled to return to it a few months later and start expanding it into a novel.

JP: Kidnapping and world traveling to bring a family back together are some pretty heavy things for the average person to deal with. How have your readers reacted to what you offer in Who by Fire?

DS: Fortunately, readers don’t seem to find the book too heavy, even though the subject matter is. In fact, I’m more often told that the story is funny. The truth is, no matter how you spin it, kidnapping is heavy. But dysfunctional families have plenty of funny moments. The Kellermans go to great lengths to avoid communicating with one another. There are many secrets and deceptions, some of which the reader picks up on, even when the characters don’t. There’s plenty of comic relief.
JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Who by Fire getting out to the public?

DS: I have a great agent and I’m with a great imprint, Harper Perennial, at HarperCollins. Both of those things help tremendously. My publicist is always working to get my novel into the light of the mass media. Beyond that, a lot of it is up to me. I’ve forced my friends and family members to become foot soldiers for me, talking about and recommending my book to everyone they know. I’m counting on them to get the buzz started. Fortunately, I also have a fabulous book tour lined up, and Target was kind enough to choose Who By Fire as a “Breakout Book.”
JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Who by Fire?

DS: The writing of the novel took me four and a half years. Then we had to sell it, wait for it to come out, etc. My process? Writing furiously, then staring at the screen for hours on end. Checking my email. Going for a run. Staring at the screen. Crying about the futility of life. Having insomnia. Writing furiously, then sending the mess to my readers (a few writer friends I made in grad school with whom I exchange work). Getting feedback. Crying. Revising tirelessly. Walking a constant line between inordinate self-love and dangerous self-loathing. Writing furiously. Revising. Staring at the screen. Repeat.

JP: What’s next for Diana Spechler?

DS: People have asked me if they can expect a sequel to Who by Fire, and the answer is no. I feel like the characters in the book need to go on with their lives without me. I only cause them grief. Currently, I’m working on a new novel. This one is a story of transformation through loss set at a weight-loss camp in North Carolina.

www.dianaspechler.com
www.harpercollins.com/DianaSpechler
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5 Minutes 5 Questions With… Lurea C McFadden author of FeMALE TRAITS Part 1 and 2

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Lurea McFadden, author of FeMALE TRAITS Parts 1 and 2
(Bruce Publishing)


lurea mcfadden head shot femail traits 1 book cover female traits 2 book cover

(click on the above pictures to see reviews of this book on amazon.com)

The story of sexy, smart and very married Grace Trufant and her playa lifestyle. She is married to Edwin Trufant, a successful, loving husband. Somehow she requires more attention than this foine upstanding man can offer.

Constantly on the prowl, Grace plays hard. In fact, she is a playa in her own right. Her relationship with present lover Brian Lawson is the one that could put her out of her game and in the office of a divorce lawyer. Add to that the protective nature of Edwin’s best friend Sonya James, and the battle is on. Grace forgets that “game recognizes game” when she runs into Sonia. The two have never seen eye to eye, and Sonia can smell a rat when it’s in front of her.

Grace struggles to stay in her marriage and play outside of it simultaneously. Things get sticky when Brian changes direction and wants more from their relationship. When her infidelities are brought to light Edwin is the one who suffers most. Having never felt Grace deserved the affections of Edwin, Sonia ends up in his arms as the rebound woman. This is the tale of Grace’s extra-marital affair, love and support of good friends, and lessons learned along the way.

And then there is PT II…

Grace Trufant is back again. Estranged from her husband because of her infidelities, she is losing her husband Edwin to his best friend Sonia. Grace Trufant learns she is pregnant and not sure of the paternity of the child. The threat of single motherhood is not a situation she will entertain. Grace plots and schemes to keep ties with her former lover Brian and her estranged husband intact until the arrival of her baby.

Once again she is back to her old tricks, but fate plays a greater part in the plan. Her husband now plans on marrying his childhood friend who has always been at odds with Grace. Tragedy, death and unexpected meetings also throw salt in the game as Grace maneuvers to take advantage of all situations.

Grace is not the only woman with FeMALE TRAITS in this one. Felicia Hubert, wife of successful accountant Stacey Hubert, has plans of her own. Along with the promises of sexual pleasures she offers her current lover, she sweetens the pot with the promise of part of her husband’s holdings. Thinking the grass is greener on the other side as she goes through a mid-life crisis proves to be too much for her to bear as she also learn what is important in her life.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write FeMALE TRAITS Pt. I and II?

Lurea McFadden: Talking with friends always seems to leave inspiration and room for creation when it comes to my writing. The ‘what ifs’ in the world coupled with good conversations cause my mind to wonder and my fingers to begin to write out the scenarios from those conversations. What I say after a good laugh and chat with friends takes over the mind, and a book begins.

JP: What sets FeMALE TRAITS Pt. I and II apart from other novels where the main character is a female with infidelity issues?

LM: I think Grace Trufant is real to so many people. I don’t really take her too far over the edge and remove her character from being believable. She is someone people relate to. Yes, I tend to tell some of the secrets to creeping and cheating but, point of fact, we already know the signs and secrets and most of the time don’t want to face them. FeMALE TRAITS makes you feel what the characters are feeling, and this makes you relate to the story and the book as well.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to FeMALE TRAITS Pt. I and II getting out to the public?

LM: Plain and simple, I go anywhere and do anything to keep my titles out there in the public eye. My friends joke that I have been sighted everywhere from Miami to Texas.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? What did you learn in doing the first book and lead you to do something different for the second book?

LM: My writing process is simple. I have fun. Yes, if it entertains me then it is worthy of remaining on the page. Once a story begins I enjoy allowing it to grow seemingly on its own. I learned how to develop and to lead the reader a bit more from the first novel. At least, I think I did but only the readers can say if I am getting it right. So far, so good!!!!!

JP: What’s next for Lurea C. McFadden?

LM: Perhaps, you will see Part III of FeMALE TRAITS for the holidays! I have already complete two different novels and plan to release them next year if things go as planned.

Website link www.lureamcfadden.com
Myspace link www.myspace.com/femaletraits

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P.S.S. If you want to be feature in a 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… series, email me at joeyDOTpinkneyATgmailDOTcom or myspace.com/joeyreviews

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5 Minutes 5 Questions With… Jacki Simmons, author of Shot Glass Diva

JoeyPinkney.com Exclusive Interview
5 Minutes, 5 Questions With…
Jacki Simmons, author of Shot Glass Diva
(Melodrama Publishing)


jacki simmons headshot shot glass diva book cover

(click on the above pictures to see reviews on Amazon.com)

What happens when you combine one part fast-talker, one part hustler and one part taste for danger? You get Honey Davis, a twenty one year old Harlemite who knows what she wants and knows exactly how to get it. When her parents cut her off from her trust fund after a bout of irresponsibility, the spoiled Honey knows she’s going to have to work to get back on her feet. Now smooth-talking and fast-walking, Honey will have to protect an innocent life as well as her own while she desperately seeks to turn back the hands of time.

Joey Pinkney: Where did you get the idea and inspiration to write Shot Glass Diva?

Jacki Simmons: Shot Glass Diva is actually very loosely based on some of my own exploits as a teenager and a young adult. I wanted to create a character that more young females could connect with because I believe she’s a character many of us know. Her problems, personality, temper and attitude aren’t that far off from mine. I think everyone knows a Honey.

JP: What sets Shot Glass Diva apart from other urban fiction novels?

JS: Shot Glass Diva is able to stand on its own. Although similar literary elements are often shared by different novels, Honey and the situations she endures in Shot Glass Diva are quite unique.

JP: As an author, what are the keys to your success that lead to Shot Glass Diva getting out to the public?

JS: It helps to know people! Seriously though, that’s the whole point of exposure, to get people to know you. I am still rather new to this. Over the past few years I’ve gotten to know some amazing people who have helped advance my career further in directions I didn’t think I would be able to go.

JP: As an author, what is your writing process? How long did it take for you to start and finish Shot Glass Diva?

JS: I try not to overanalyze my characters or their situations. While I am not knocking a carefully planned novel, I hate to read a novel that was overthought. You ever watch a movie and the actors all sounded like they were still reading right off the script? It’s a lot harder to translate emotions into the written word as opposed to seeing them outright. I don’t really have a process. I just write. Shot Glass Diva was actually the longest it’s ever taken me to complete a novel. I started it late last year and it was just finished very recently.

JP: What’s next for Jacki Simmons?

JS: There are a lot of things in the future for me. I’m planning a very big tour, my first real one since I began writing. I’m juggling two more novels and quite a few personal business ventures. My next novel is on the way, so lookout for it come the Fall of 2009.

Website link www.melodramapublishing.com
MySpace link myspace.com/msrippa

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P.S.S. If you want to be feature in a 5 Minutes, 5 Questions With… series, email me at joeyDOTpinkneyATgmailDOTcom or myspace.com/joeyreviews

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