Author Interview with Mary Kennedy -part one
March 31, 2007 by Marianne H. Donley in category Archives tagged as Author Interview
by Marianne Donley
Mary Kennedy is a multi-published author, and a clinical psychologist in private practice on the east coast. She specializes in forensic work, and her clients have included murderers, psychopaths and convicted felons. When not traveling to exotic locales, she lives with her husband and five neurotic cats. The cats have resisted all her efforts to psychoanalyze them, but she remains optimistic.
She writes young adult novels, middle grade fiction and mysteries. She has sold 37 novels, and has made both the Waldenbooks, BookScan and Publishers Weekly best-seller lists. Mary’s latest book, Secrets of a South Beach Princess, is available now from Berkley Trade.
Q – Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories? What? Why?
Mary Kennedy – I do return to fish-out-water themes because I find it adds ready-made conflict to the plot. In Secrets of a South Beach Princess, my latest Berkley book, the heroine is blonde, rich and famous. She’s the “It” girl of South Beach, the daughter of a wealthy hotel owner. Yet even though her life is all “glitz and glamour” she never feels quite at home in this environment and strives for a new identity.
Jessie, in Tales of a Hollywood Gossip Queen, is another example. She’s a small town girl who finds herself working for an A-List magazine in Hollywood, interviewing stars on the red carpet and mingling with celebs. Yet she never quite fits in, and sometimes her small town values put her at odds with the Hollywood “players.”
The interesting part about fish-out-of-water stories is that you have to decide whether the main character blends in with her new environment, assimilating new values, or whether she stays true to her roots. And sometimes it’s a combination of both!
Q – You’ve written so much…how do you keep your ideas and writing fresh? (How do you keep finding new ways to say similar things?)
Mary Kennedy – I think that’s part of the challenge of writing–to explore familiar themes with a new twist. And sometimes even a very simple idea can develop into a complex plot if you remember to “up the ante” for the main character. In Confessions of an Almost-Movie Star, Jessie is thrust into the limelight when she lands a movie role opposite a Hollywood hunk –but there’s a price to pay when she realizes her best friend wanted the same part. Instant conflict!
Q – Do you have any writing rituals? Schedule?
Mary Kennedy – I don’t have a writing schedule but I make sure every minute I spend at the computer counts! I started out as a copywriter at a rock radio station, and I learned to write an enormous amount of material every day in spite of constant noise and distractions. I moved on to become a television newswriter and that was great training,too. A high-pressure environment, killer deadlines, no second-guessing. You learn to write fast, to be focused and productive, and to not make mistakes.”
Q – What kind of writer are you? A page a day or a burst writer?
Mary Kennedy – I try to write a scene every time I sit down at the computer. And I try to never leave the computer unless I feel good about what I’ve written and unless I know what the next couple of scenes will be like. It’s hard to go to bed if you know you have a “problem” waiting for you when you get back to the computer the next day. It’s much better to know you’ll be able to tackle a new scene–and a new problem–in the morning.”
Q – Are there any words of inspiration on your computer, in your office or in your mind when you write?
Mary Kennedy – “Never give up and never let them get you down.” Also, “Never accept a ‘no’ answer from someone who doesn’t have the authority to say yes.” Both these phrases have been helpful to me in business, in writing and in life.
Q – What’s the best advice you ever received?
Mary Kennedy – The never let them get you down quote. It came from my father who believed in the power of persistence.
Q – What’s the worst?
Mary Kennedy – My fifth grade teacher who told me she didn’t think comedy was my forte.
Q – Have you ever suffered writer’s block? If so, how did/do you get past it?
Mary Kennedy – No, honestly, I haven’t. Taping the Visa bill to the fridge is amazingly energizing.
Q – How do you stay motivated? What drives you to keep writing?
Mary Kennedy – Like all writers, I have dozens of characters and plots running in my head at any given time. Every once in a while I decide that one of them deserves to be in a book. To date, that has only happened thirty-seven times but who knows?
Q – What are you dying to try next?
Mary Kennedy – I’d love to write for television, but since Hollywood isn’t calling, I guess I’ll have to put that at the bottom of my wish list. More realistically, I’d like to put my forensic psychology experience into a book.
Mary will be using her psychology experience to teach OCC/RWA’s April Online Class is INSIDE THE CRIMINAL MIND: CREATING THE PERFECT PSYCHOPATH.
Her class will run from April 16 to May 13 (four weeks). COST: $20 for OCC members and $30 for non-member. Enrollment deadline is April 14, 2007.
For more information about the class including how to enroll, please see our website http://occrwa.com/classes_April.htm
Part two of Mary’s interview will be posted tomorrow.
Industry Spotlight: Selina McLemore
March 30, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Industry Spotlight.
by Dana Diamond
By now we’ve all heard about Warner Books changing its name to Grand Central Publishing. But have you heard about Selina McLemore?
A recent addition to the Grand Central Publishing team, and because she’s so fabulous she discovered one of my all-time favorite authors Mary Castillo, I wanted to know her thoughts on everything from how to get to the top of her slush pile to how much she really cares about author blogs. Along the way, I also found out her favorite all-time book and just what an editor does for fun…aside from reading.
Q – As you just moved to Grand Central Publishing, can you talk about what drew you to them and makes you so excited to work for them?
A – What I have always liked about GCP (the publisher formerly known as Warner) is that they are highly selective about who they publish, and once a project has been acquired everyone is fully committed to making it a success. This is a group of people who truly love books, and their passion for their work is evident in their lists. In addition to GCP being an environment I wanted to work in, it also offered me the opportunity to pursue a long-time personal interest: books for Latinas
Q – What lines are you acquiring for?
My primary focus is to develop our list of high-quality commercial fiction for the Latina audience–specifically English-dominant Latinas living in the US. There are no rigid rules in terms of word counts or content guidelines; I’m looking for richly crafted, culturally significant stories with vibrant voices and dynamic characters worthy of the strong women we’re creating these books for.
Additionally, I’m continuing to work on romance and general women’s fiction. Essentially I get to work on everything I love to read–you can’t get luckier than that!
Q – What is the best way to get to the top of your slush pile?
A – Start with a bang. I think writing a great query letter is one of a writer’s hardest tasks. You have to a lot do to and very little space in which to do it. So know exactly what your hook is and put it up front.
Q – What is the best way to get to the bottom of your slush pile?
A – Emailing me a query without an explicit invitation to do so (you really don’t want to be the person whose large file crashes my server). Sending me a full manuscript without querying me first (my desk is not a party for your 600 page manuscript to crash). Sending me something I’ve turned down before UNLESS I’ve asked you to revise and resubmit (moving to a new house doesn’t mean I left my memory at the old one.) I think I’ll stop now so I have room to answer the other questions…
Q – How much do you pay attention to author blogs when acquiring fiction? Platforms?
A – Blogs are tricky. Generally speaking, I don’t consider a blog alone a platform. True, we’ve seen some bloggers become bestselling authors, but more often than not, that doesn’t happen. That said, I do read blogs in search of new voices and will email bloggers I like to see if they are working on novels. I encourage my authors to start blogs because I think they are a great way for connecting with readers. And, should I publish your book, I always tell sales, marketing and publicity about your blog so that we can incorporate it into our strategy.
In terms of acquisition, sure, platform is important, especially in a competitive market. But no new writer should start deleting files for fear that her lack of platform will forever keep her from selling her book. If I love your writing it won’t matter to me that you don’t have an extensive backlist or a TV show or aren’t a celebrity.
Q – Do you have a favorite/interesting story about how you acquired a manuscript?
A – This is like asking a mother if she has a favorite child. Sure, we all know she probably does, but saying so would make the others feel bad.
Q – What is the biggest mistake you see established authors make in their careers?
A – Trying to jump on a certain trend bandwagon even when it plays against their personal strengths. Every author, new or established, should know her strengths–and her weaknesses. If you’re best at writing character-driven relationship novels, but know plotting is more of a challenge for you, don’t try to write a fast-paced mystery just because you heard those were “hot”. If you’re voice is naturally sweet and funny, don’t suddenly decide to write something gritty and dark because you saw it worked for someone else. I recommend that any established author thinking of changing direction should discuss it with her editor and agent first.
Q – Aside from reading, what are some of your favorite ways to spend your day off?
A – How many times did you have to ask this question before realizing you needed to start with “Aside from reading…”?
I’m a people watcher, and now that it’s getting nice out, one of my favorite places to sit and do that is my fire escape. I realize to those of you with houses and yards that must sound odd, but trust me, it’s great. I live on a particularly bustling, semi-famous street in Greenwich Village, so there is always something interesting happening. And my fire escape is an ideal place to observe without being observed.
Q – Can you name a few of your all-time favorite books and why you love them?
A – Recently a friend recommended a book to me by saying “This will remind you of why you love reading.” The book was I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith, (best known in the US for 101 Dalmatians) originally published in 1948. If you ask me what it’s about, my answer would be vague: two sisters, their family, their life, love, anticipation. I suppose I could call it a coming-of-age novel, but that tag tends to solicit an eye roll when used. But my friend was exactly right; the book made me remember why I love reading. I was completely engaged at every single moment. Not a word is wasted. The characters feel completely original and also completely timeless. The focus is always on the present moment, on living, experiencing, surviving the now. It’s become my little black dress of book–perfectly suited for me every time.
For extras from my interview with Selina, be sure to check out her hilarious answers to the Ten Questions. Grand Central Publishing prefers agented submissions. Send to:
Grand Central Publishing
237 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dana Diamond is Co-Media Director for OCC/RWA, a contributor to OCC’s e-zine A Slice Of Orange, and hard at work on her next book.
For Dana’s past interviews with New York Times Bestselling authors and other industry professionals visit the Orange Blossom section of OCC’s award-winning website.
RITA FINALISTS!
March 29, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as OCC News
Keeper Shelf
March 28, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Keeper Shelf.
by Sandy Novy-Chvostal
Okay, my good friends know it, so the rest of the world may as well know it, too. I really didn’t join OCC/RWA to become a writer; I joined because I was an avid romance reader. The sole reason I attended meetings at first was to gawk at the authors who wrote the books I read and love.
One of the primary authors I planned to gawk at was Christine Rimmer. (Yep, the same Christine who blogged right here a couple of days back.) Unfortunately, at the same time I joined OCC/RWA, Christine–although she has remained a member–moved out of the state and thus, out of convenient gawking range. (Sheer coincidence, I’m sure, no matter what my good friend Angie Ray says.)
Still, since then I’ve been able to meet (and gawk) at Christine at National Conference several times. And when she visited OCC to speak a year or so ago, I was ready for her. I arrived at the volunteer reception in her honor staggering under the weight of a bag filled with her books.
“Just a few from my keeper shelf,” I huffed, plopping the bag down to wipe my sweating brow. “I didn’t want to impose by bringing all that I have, but do you mind signing these?”
Well, Chris is really sweet. She graciously agreed, and only blanched a little when I stacked her books up three (okay, four) feet high in front of her. Then she started signing, while I stood there with my usual sang-froid and–well, gawked.
When she picked up a Silhouette Special Edition book in her Jones family series, SWEETBRIAR SUMMER, I sighed just thinking about that story, summed up nicely in the back blurb:
Hymn-singing spinster Regina Black was shocked to her virginal core. Imagine, Patrick Jones–North Magdalene’s most notorious bachelor dad–out to seduce her. She’d never permit it. Never. Not if hell froze over and Satan skated.
Yet, in just one sultry afternoon on Sweetbriar Summit, virile Patrick jolted angelic Regina off the straight and narrow–and into the arms of temptation! And his surprising proposition of marriage was one she knew she couldn’t refuse . . .
Now, all Chris’s books are fantastic, but SWEETBRIAR SUMMIT has elements that get a diehard romance lover like me every time–a virgin heroine, an Alpha-Alpha (aka hubba-hubba) hero, and a marriage of semi-convenience. Listed bluntly, these elements read as totally cliché.
But Chris, as she does in all her books, takes the story beyond the stereotypical, richly layering her characterization to make her people come alive. Yes, Patrick is an Alpha male; he’s also a caring, loving, sometimes flawed father who wants to do right by his often exasperating, far-from-perfect daughters.
And the sexual tension in Chris’s stories is amazing. The love scene in SWEETBRIAR SUMMIT is hot enough to burn. What gives it such dramatic impact is all the sensory details Chris weaves throughout the story leading up to it. Details unique to these two characters alone. Such as when the hero is performing the simple task of making a hamburger for the heroine:
He set the bun on her plate gently, opening it with his tan fingers and edging it between a tossed salad with vinaigrette dressing on one side and something Linda Lou had called Potato Surprise on the other. Then he eased the patty onto the bottom half of the bun.
Regina watched Patrick’s hands doing this simple series of actions, setting the bun on the plate, opening it, laying the meat on top. And she had that same feeling she’d had at her front door that morning a month ago, right after he moved in next door, when he came over to borrow the sugar for his father’s coffee and she’d looked at his feet and thought how beautiful they were.
It was with a feeling of sadness, of something splendid glimpsed too briefly, and then gone.
I can’t get enough of Christine Rimmer’s books. I read the old ones over and over and grab up the new ones (most recently RALPHIE’S WIVES) as quickly as I can.
They are keepers, every one.
Sandy Novy-Chvostal (aka Sandra Paul) has a degree in journalism, but prefers to write from the heart. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have three children, three cats, and one overgrown “puppy.” Romantic Times has labeled Sandra Paul’s work as “outrageously funny and surprisingly perceptive” while Rendezvous stated “Sandra Paul is imagination with wings.”
DOMESTICATING LUC (Silhouette Romance, Editor Mary-Theresa Hussey) is a finalist in the Romance Writers of America RITA Awards.
What Inspires You?
March 27, 2007 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as What Inspires You.
By Lori Pyne
Has a moment or a story stopped you in the midst of your hustle, bustle life and reminded you of the better side of our human nature? Some of the stories make me laugh; some make me cry, but they have all touched me, even changed me.
Tears flowed down my cheek when I read of the high school coach who allowed an autistic student to play in the last few minutes of a basketball game. His classmates cheered each of his attempts. The other side’s fans realized they were observing something special and added their support. The boy did not allow his lack of success to deter him. He tossed the ball up again. The place erupted when he scored. The crowd, no longer divided by sides, celebrated his victory.
A moment of kindness. Yet the impact lasts far beyond that moment for me and, most likely, for those who saw it in person and for others who were told the story.
What act of kindness continues to inspire you days, months, even years afterwards?
Lori Pyne, an active member of OCC, is often inspired by her friends and family.
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