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The story behind The Black Velvet Coat by Jill Hall
October 6, 2015 By Terry 5 Comments
Jill G. Hall is a former teacher turned artist and writer. Her debut novel is "The Black Velvet Coat," which is about two women separated by time whose lives intersect and are both forced to face their fears to realize their full potential. In addition to her writing, Hall was a teacher in inner-city public schools and has been a San Diego artist for a decade.
"I write very intuitively," said Hall. "However, after I finished 'The Black Velvet Coat,' I realized one of my main messages came from my work facilitating creativity groups with people trying to find their paths toward fulfillment. I've found that it isn't always easy to determine what you really want but if you keep searching with an open heart, start on the road and stay on it you can reach your dreams."
The idea for the novel came to Hall when she saw a coat similar to the one in the novel at a yard sale. "I kept thinking it was too fancy and passed on it. That night I dreamt about it and early the next morning I knocked on the neighbor's door and then it was mine. Shortly thereafter it showed up on my writing practice pages with Anne, a San Francisco artist buying it in a thrift shop and 'The Black Velvet Coat' was born."
The connection between the two begins when Anne sees a vintage photograph taken of Sylvia and decides to solve the mystery of what happened to the young heiress decades before.
Jill G. Hall said she'd been a mosaic artist for over ten years when she decided to branch out and dabble in collage. "I signed up for a class and the instructor told us our work for that session needed to be text-based. I was really stumped but then realized I was writing a novel and had oodles of text to choose from. Searching through the pages I pulled out some of the most dramatic lines to use and had a blast making pieces with those incorporating vintage postcards, magazine photos and even some found objects to create assemblages."
While making those choices, Hall studied the postcards and photographs, and the process helped her to add depth to her writing by describing the details of the art pieces. Her two characters are Anne and Sylvia, a present-day artist and a young heiress from the 1960s. The connection between the two begins when Anne sees a vintage photograph taken of Sylvia and decides to solve the mystery of what happened to the young heiress decades before.
"We are in exciting times when women can have more than one occupation throughout their lives. I enjoyed writing the contrast between the lives and time periods of my two main characters. Someone recently asked me if I had fun doing the 1960s pop culture research for my book. And I said, 'Honey! I'm sixty years old and grew up in the 60s. I did very little research. Most of it came right from my memories.'"
Hall also said there were surprises during the writing of "The Black Velvet Coat." One of those involved a mischievous puppy she wrote into the book. "It was strange because at that time I wasn't much of a dog person. She was named Lucy, had a long body, droopy ears and blinking eyes. She was so real to me that I just had to find her."
October Double Trouble Contest code: #60sAreCool
In fact, Hall and her family searched at animal rescues and the humane society, but couldn't find the puppy. "Then one day, on our way to the hardware store, we walked by a pet shop and there she was in the window looking up at me." Hall knew immediately that she'd found Lucy. They took the dog home and the beagle-bassett has been a part of their family for more than ten years.
For her next novel, Hall will be stepping back further in time. She said, "It's about a 1920s New York debutante who loses it all in the stock market crash and becomes a burlesque dancer to save her family and herself. I still take tap dance lessons and definitely am incorporating my own experiences into her story."
Learn more about Jill G. Hall on her website at jillghall.com.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, One Step Ahead - Featured Tagged With: New Authors
Sudden Justice — going behind the story
September 10, 2015 By Terry 4 Comments
Les Hoffman is a retired research executive, a licensed Professional Engineer, and an amateur actor and boxer. In Sudden Justice, Hoffman's debut novel from Dark Oak Mysteries, Hoffman couples his technical, stage, and fighting experience with a passion for American heroism.
"I am a lifelong fan of the action/adventure genre, and believe I understand what is important to the reader," said Hoffman. "I believe in the American Dream, and the tremendous strength we derive from the diversity of our people and the equality of opportunity that we strive to achieve."
There are times, however, when Hoffman sees an inequality in the foundation of our society. "Most people like to believe that they can always turn to the law to protect themselves in an unjust situation. Civilization rests on the rule of law, so an attack on the fundamental principle of due process is unsettling, representing an attack on our way of life."
These situations represent a valid, ethical challenge to the rule of law for every circumstance. They are the driving force of vigilantism.
What happens when one can't turn to the law? Hoffman said, "On the one hand, taking the law into one's own hands is a violation of the fundamental due process principle that allows us to thrive as a society. Who among us is wise enough to replace the checks and balances of judge, jury, and executioner? On the other hand, there are many situations where the law is inadequate to correct an obvious injustice. These situations represent a valid, ethical challenge to the rule of law for every circumstance. They are the driving force of vigilantism.
"Although we can always strive to improve and evolve our laws, there never will be a system that will deliver justice in every instance. By extension, there will always be a role, arguably a need, for vigilantism."
I'm an admirer of heroes who risk personal danger to help others
Les Hoffman also said he's always enjoyed stories about bold people who make a difference on their own. "Particularly, I'm an admirer of heroes who risk personal danger to help others. Overseas, this might be called a 'cowboy mentality.' Whatever you call it, it's a real thing, and it's found more in this country than anywhere else in the world.
"I've written Sudden Justice with a bit of a twist on the vigilante theme. The protagonist, Bryce Daniels, is a family man with a unique skill-set with which I am somewhat familiar. In addition to his physical abilities, he is a master of disguise and deception, and an engineer by vocation. These capabilities provide a fertile toolbox of options to tackle the variety of challenges he faces. My background as an amateur boxer, actor, and Professional Engineer help provide a realism to the story."
During his days as an engineering professional, Hoffman focused on technical writing. He's happy he can now spend time fulfilling his creative side. "In addition to writing fiction, I have performed in a number of live theatre productions in the surrounding communities. The ability to empathize with a wide variety of characters is something that is germane to both pursuits. I find it very stimulating. My wife always tells me how energized and upbeat I am after a writing session. You can't put a price tag on that."
Double Trouble Contest Code #Justice
Hoffman chose his protagonist's skill set based on his own. He did the same for another character introduced in Sudden Justice. The character's name is Holmes and he's a very large, intimidating male German boxer.
Hoffman said, "We actually have three female pet boxers at home, including one named Holmes. They are all American Boxers, which is a much smaller breed than the commonly known German Boxer. Holmes was our first 'small boxer' after many years of German boxers. When we got Holmes we were not aware there was a smaller breed, and thought she was a genetic anomaly. We nicknamed her 'Baby Holmes.' She is also the sweetest dog we've ever had. These attributes are in direct contrast to her rough and tumble male namesake in Sudden Justice."
For more information about Les Hoffman or Sudden Justice, visit him on Facebook.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, One Step Ahead - Featured Tagged With: crime fiction, New Authors
Greenfellas — Robert Lopresti says it has issues
September 8, 2015 By Terry 9 Comments
Robert Lopresti spent his first three decades in New Jersey. Lopresti is the author of more than fifty mystery short stories, which have been published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, The Strand, and numerous anthologies. Lopresti hadn't written a full-length novel in more than a decade when a hurricane and environmental students inspired him to write Greenfellas.
"I am half-Sicilian," said Lopresti, "but the closest I have to a mob connection is a great-grandfather who traded his ice cream parlor for a career in bootlegging." Why would a writer without a mob connection choose to pen a mystery in which a mobster is the hero? The answer is Lopresti wanted to write what he calls a comic crime novel—with issues.
"When I started writing Greenfellas, my home state of New Jersey, which is where the book is set, was getting clobbered by Superstorm Sandy. A relative of mine drove to the shore most days for months to help those made homeless until he suffered what sounded to me like Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."
It seems to me the system that's supposed to address this sort of problem isn't working…
Lopresti disagrees with those who deny climate change exists. "I'm no scientist but 90% of climate researchers who have written on the subject say it is real, and that sort of majority tends to win me over. You can argue that any one strange weather event is not related to climate change, but have you noticed how many of the damned things we've had lately? It seems to me the system that's supposed to address this sort of problem isn't working. I wanted to explore some aspects of that and see if I could find a hint of a solution."
As an environmental-sciences university librarian, Lopresti does a lot of work with environmental students. He said, "These kids are an inspiration. They see the problems more clearly than most of us—they are out there in the woods, mountains, and oceans dealing with them. But, they remain cheerful, optimistic, and determined to make a difference. I am delighted to help them with finding resources and improving their papers, but I wished there was something more I could do."
With that desire to make an incremental difference, Robert Lopresti considered his options. "I write on my lunch hour almost every day," he said. "The result has been more than fifty published short stories, but I decided to take a shot at a novel."
One of the big breakthroughs came when a friend told me about a disastrous gathering his son had been to in New Jersey…
When Lopresti began, he had only brief titles for four sections of Greenfellas and wrote by the "rising mountain method." He said, "I started with the scenes I knew best—the highest peaks—and let the structure reveal itself as if the ocean was receding, revealing a long mountain range. One of the big breakthroughs came when a friend told me about a disastrous gathering his son had been to in New Jersey. 'Wouldn't it have been funny if the mob had been involved?' he asked. Well, he was right. So I rebuilt it around my gang of Mafiosi."
September Double Trouble Contest code #GreenMob
For Greenfellas, Lopresti said he sent his mobster hero to an ecology professor to get an overview of the issues. He said, "I explained the premise to three professors at my university and asked what they would tell my hero. I mashed their answers together with my own screwy views and that was the advice my hero received."
For more information about Robert Lopresti or Greenfellas, visit his website at Roblopresti.com.
Filed Under: Author Interviews, One Step Ahead - Featured Tagged With: mystery, New Authors
Story behind Hester Young's The Gates of Evangeline
September 3, 2015 By Terry 25 Comments
Hester Young began writing in the first grade. According to her bio, she covered topics as diverse as elephant death, divorce, selective mutism, and killer bells. In high school, she wrote a soap opera in which her friends had passionate affairs with Hollywood heartthrobs. Young has come a long way from those early days as a budding writer, as evidenced by her debut novel, "The Gates of Evangeline," which was recently released by G.P. Putnam's Sons.
According to Young, "This book was inspired by a pair of dreams. The first dream was one that I myself had of drifting through a Louisiana swamp in a rowboat. There was a little boy sitting across from me who told me the terrible story of his death. The images from that dream stayed with me for a long time, and eventually became the opening scene."
Many writers are inspired by their dreams, however, in Hester Young's case, the second dream wasn't actually hers. "The second dream came from my grandmother. In 1956, she had recurring nightmares of her four-year-old son falling from a window. One day she left him with relatives and, tragically, her dream came true. Needless to say, his death was an unimaginable loss she carried with her throughout her life. My grandmother's account of this dark premonition always stayed with me. When my dream collided in my head with hers, a novel was born."
With dreams such a significant part of the inspiration behind the story, it makes sense that they play a central role in "The Gates of Evangeline." Dreams, however, weren't Young's only inspiration.
"Without giving too much away," Young said, "I'll say that there is one scene in this book which involves the discovery of a very specific type of bone. I wrote this scene at 1 AM, and it gave me goosebumps. Hours later, I discovered an animal bone from that precise body part in my backyard. I have never found a bone before or after that, so it was a bit unsettling! I now keep the bone on my desk as a reminder that words are powerful things."
I hate reading books that leave me emotionally wrecked—life is hard enough!
In her own reading, Young prefers books that pose questions over those offering definitive answers. She said, "'The Gates of Evangeline' asks readers to consider a number of questions, such as, 'Is there more to our world than what we can perceive with our five senses? Are secrets inherently destructive? How does one seek meaning in life after a terrible loss?' But mostly, it asks readers to embark upon an emotional journey with its heroine. This is entertainment, above all."
Young also said she likes reading books that offer her a sense of hope. "I hate reading books that leave me emotionally wrecked—life is hard enough! So, although I am a mother writing about the loss of a child, the story is not a depressing one. I want my readers to walk away hopeful."
A number of personal experiences in Young's life have also influenced her writing. From her early days of writing a soap opera for her friends to her days at Tufts University and University College London, where she studied phonology, English syntax, and grammar, she's learned that writing—and trying—are important to her life.
Hester Young even spent time at the University of Hawaii on Oahu, where she tried surfing. The emphasis, in this case, would definitely be on trying something new. It was an experience that, quite literally, scarred her.
"My surfing scars are purely physical," Young said. "The first time I got lessons, I was surfing with some friends who were visiting from the mainland. I wiped out on some coral and scraped up my knee pretty badly, but I didn't want to inconvenience my friends with the injury. I remember thinking, 'Oh, my leg is gushing blood and that might draw sharks, so the polite thing is to discreetly limp out of the water and hope no one notices.' Sadly, the wound later got infected. Despite this inauspicious beginning, I would happily surf—and undoubtedly wipe out—again."
Judy Penz Sheluk believes authenticity matters
August 11, 2015 By Terry 7 Comments
Judy Penz Sheluk's debut novel, "The Hanged Man's Noose," is the story of Emily Garland, a freelance writer/journalist, and her friend, Arabella Carpenter, the owner of the Glass Dolphin, an antiques shop in the small, historic town of Lount's Landing. According to Penz Sheluk, "Arabella's motto is 'Authenticity Matters.' That philosophy is the underlying message in everything I write."
When asked why authenticity was important to her, Penz Sheluk said, "There's a quote by Khaled Hosseini (The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns) where he says, 'And that's the thing about people who mean everything they say. They think everyone else does too.' I'm that person. The one who thinks everyone else does, too. And you know, I'm okay with that. Because to me, authenticity does matter. What you say should matter. It shouldn't just be rhetoric."
Judy Penz Sheluk said "The Hanged Man's Noose" started off as a short story assignment in a creative writing workshop. "As a short story, it wasn't particularly good, but I loved the main character, Arabella Carpenter. I also loved Lount's Landing, a town I created which was named after a colorful nineteenth century traitor."
"I try to read at least one book a week, and one anthology or collection of short stories a month. Reading is the best teacher."
The traitor was Samuel Lount, who was hanged for treason in Toronto, Canada. Penz Sheluk added, "On Christmas Eve 2012, I decided to expand the story into a novel. That took another year and a whole lot of revisions, and in the end, Arabella became the sidekick to Emily Garland, the protagonist. But I still love Arabella. I'm currently working on the sequel to 'The Hanged Man's Noose' where Arabella will be the protagonist and Emily will be along for the ride."
Penz Sheluk said she's been an avid reader since she read her first Nancy Drew mystery. While she enjoys mostly mysteries and suspense, she also reads other genres. "I try to read at least one book a week, and one anthology or collection of short stories a month. Reading is the best teacher."
Reading may be the best teacher, but writing doesn't always make the best career discussion, as Penz Sheluk learned. "About ten years ago, my friend, who was a Girl Guides leader, asked me to speak to her Guides about being a writer on their 'Career Night.' I brought a few magazines with me, and a journal book that I used to jot down notes and ideas. I had this vision of inspiring a bunch of nine- and ten-year-olds to start writing.
"Unfortunately, the other guest that evening was a woman who custom-made dolls. That would have been tough enough competition, but this woman also made the dolls to resemble the consignor—same eye and hair color. Let's just say it was a humbling experience and I don't think I inspired too many kids to become writers!"
Learn more about Judy Penz Sheluk on her website at www.judypenzsheluk.com.
Back to the 60s with mystery writer Kay Kendall
August 6, 2015 By Terry 11 Comments
The 60s were a time of turmoil, filled with such diverse events as the Vietnam War and Woodstock. Among the baby boomers to grow up during the era was Kay Kendall, author of "Rainy Day Women." If the title sounds familiar, it's because it comes from a Bob Dylan song. Kay Kendall said all three of her Austin Starr mysteries bear the titles of Dylan songs.
"The times we grow up in help shape us," said Kendall. "I am a child of the sixties, and enough time has passed since then to allow that era to be considered historical, even though some of us boomers can remember it. Many issues that were relevant in the sixties are still current today."
Kay Kendall said she planned her first three Austin Starr mysteries so they would deal with issues which were dramatic back at the time, yet still relevant today. Kendall said, "In 'Rainy Day Women' murder stalks women's liberation groups in Vancouver and Seattle in 1969.
"My amateur sleuth Austin Starr shows herself to be a middle-of-the-road type person, trying to understand and to make her way through the turbulent times she lives in. When Austin looks for the person who is killing feminists in 'Rainy Day Women,' she learns about the women's movement by interviewing people caught up in it. The reader can decide which political or social positions he or she most agrees or disagrees with."
Kay Kendall said she became involved in what has come to be known as second wave feminism. Her involvement has changed Kendall's life. "I have known for a long time that I wanted to write about that movement, but the urge was pushed along by attitudes of young writers in my critique groups. One female college student was astounded when I read passages from my work that had male and female characters acting in ways that were common in the sixties but less so now. She said, 'It's a good thing I didn't live back then. I'd have smacked him.'"
What novel about the 60s would be complete with at least one hippie?
Recent renewed interest in the 60s helped in Kendall's decision to write about the era. It also helped that historical fiction is her favorite genre. "I wanted to write it as well as read it," she said. "I began my first mystery, 'Desolation Row,' even before the advent of Mad Men renewed interest in the sixties."
What novel about the 60s would be complete with at least one hippie? Kendall said, "The first agent I pitched my debut mystery to at a writers' conference appeared to be in her mid-twenties. She knew very little about the 1960s, but was nevertheless interested in my book. 'Will your story include hippies?' she asked. 'Because I really love hippies.' So I agreed that—yes indeed—I had included such characters, then rushed home and added a shaggy couple with a baby, making them prototypical in their hippie-ness."
Kay Kendall, who has degrees in Russian history, said she also likes having an international flavor in her novels. To help enhance that flavor, promises to always have Russian characters in her books. She also chose Canada as the setting for the first two. Having a Canadian and lived in the country for many years, the choice seemed natural to her. "I wanted to show Americans the differences between the United States and Canada are real and do exist. Our neighbor to the North is not synonymous with the fifty-first state."
Double Trouble Contest Code: #RainyDay
Before she was a writer, Kendall came from an advertising background. In fact, she was on the team that launched the worldwide publicity for the first McDonald's in Moscow. "On January 31, 1990, McDonald's opened its first restaurant in Moscow, serving 35,000 customers the first day. Media monitoring showed more than half of the world's population (at the time five billion people) knew about this."
At the time, Russia and the West had not yet ended the Cold War. The Berlin Wall would not fall until November 9 of the same year. Kendall said, "To see a capitalist McDonald's located a mile from the Communist Kremlin was incredible. After I participated in that project, I said that my tombstone should read, 'She did worldwide PR for Moscow McDonald's.' Because I studied Russian history and knew the language, I comprehended how significant the sale of Big Macs in Russia was."
There are two YouTube videos that provide insight into the events. The first video can be found here. A second video of the opening, in which Kendall makes an appearance in the front window, is here.
"I'm inside the restaurant looking out," said Kendall. "I'm the blonde in a black suit carrying a clipboard at the 22 second mark. My team was making that giant red bow the day before when the secret police informed us that Chechen rebels were in the city. They had a nuclear weapon in their van and planned to disrupt our opening while so many international film crews were present. We were jittery but pressed on—proving once more that all's well that ends well."
Learn more about Kay Kendall on her website at kaykendallauthor.com.
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