INTERVIEW: Bestselling Author of "Time Travelers Wife' Audrey Niffeneger

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Audrey Niffenegger . She is the author of the outstanding debut novel, 'The Time Traveler's Wife,' which became an instant bestseller about a love that transcends time. The book is an inventive and unconventionally rendered tale of Clare Abshire and Henry Detamble, a man afflicted with a genetic disorder which causes him to slip sporadically through time.

Time Travelers Wife became a 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. The film was directed by Robert Schwentke, screenplay by award winning screenwriter, Bruce Joel Rubin.

Her new novel which is now available in every bookstore and on line, Her Fearful Symmetry is a conventional ghost story /modern day gothic tale with just the right amount of supernatural to lend to the mystery, but not so much that it becomes really scary.

You will like the ghost story aspect of the book, which will surprise everyone. It’s a haunting tale with intricate complications of love, identity and sibling rivalry.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Audrey Niffenegger-- the woman behind the bestselling author?

A Niffenegger: As a teenager I was confused, depressive, reticent and spent a lot of time alone in my room, drawing and writing. In fact I was a slightly gloomier version of myself as an adult. Even now I tend to dislike talking about myself or revealing personal details; I'm not one of the great interviewees, I'm afraid.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you the most?

A Niffenegger: I am very interested in the way writing fiction allows me to make something totally abstract—a book full of words—which the reader can use to make an elaborate world full of people, places and events that don't really exist except in my mind and the reader's.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

A Niffenegger: I don't think about the readers very much as I write, except when it comes to questions of clarity: I don't want to confuse readers, but I also want to use ambiguity at certain points in the story to make the reader decide for themselves what has happened.

I don't use outlines, but at the beginning of a novel I will write down everything I know about each character and will refer back to these lists for continuity. I don't story-board unless I am working on a visual book.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in developing the character, Elspeth in your book “Her Fearful Symmetry”? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? How did you overcome these challenges?

A Niffenegger: The most delicate thing about writing Elspeth was to make her gradually more monstrous as the book goes on. It had to be obvious why Robert had loved her, and also obvious that she was changing and becoming something other than human. Everything about this novel evolved slowly over the seven years I worked on it. The process was one of solving small problems one after another, with occasional revelations about the larger shape and purpose of the book.

E.I. How much of ‘Valentina, Julia & Robert’s life is planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with any of your characters?

A Niffenegger: At first there is no plan, there are only characters. It took me several years to figure out each character's story and to make them all converge, but that's the fun part of novel-writing, when you finally see how the chaos is going to become functional. How do I know what the characters will do? Often I have no idea until I write the scene; if I know the characters well I can improvise and they will behave in ways that are true and surprising.

E.I. If you were asked to read a page from “Her Fearful Symmetry” book, is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

A Niffenegger: I don't think there's any one page that would make sense on its own. Perhaps the bit late in the book when Valentina is sitting in the back garden, looks up at the window of the flat and sees Elsepth as a darkness against darkness.

E.I. When you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

A Niffenegger: By the time I hand the manuscript off it has settled and the characters have become quiet in my head; it is not hard to part with them because they are finished. At that point I am eager for the book to be edited and published so that the readers can take over the book.

E.I. You've created a cast of characters so remarkably captivating that your readers definitely clamor for more; are we to be so fortunate as to see them again?

A Niffenegger: No, see above; when a book is completed the characters and their story feel finished to me and I want to make something new.

E.I. What can fans anticipate from you in the coming months? Can you give us a hint of what to expect?

A Niffenegger: I am going to be touring for quite a while and also making art for an exhibition at my Chicago gallery, Printworks, in September.

E.I. And, finally, if you could say "thank you" to someone for helping you become a successful writer, who would it be?

A Niffenegger: There's no one person, it was a group effort. I had some excellent teachers in high school and art school. My agent was and is a marvelous teacher and editor, and I am fortunate to work with several terrific editors at my US and UK publishers.

E.I. Ms. Niffenegger, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

A Niffenegger: Patience is almost as important as talent.

To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.

For more of Ms. Audrey Niffeneger's book information please visit her website at http://audreyniffenegger.com/

FAVORITE OF THE WEEK: Jon Krakauer - Author of “INTO THE WILD”

Welcome to Up Close and Personal. Once a week, on a Sunday, a favorite author, journalist will be featured as ‘Favorite of the Week”. The article will give them more exposure and publicity about their recent work.

This week we choose Jon Krakauer. He is an editor of the Modern Library Exploration series, a writer and mountaineer, well-known for outdoor and mountain-climbing writing. His father introduced him to mountaineering as an 8-year-old.

After graduating from college in 1977, he spent three weeks by himself in the wilderness of the Stikine Icecap region of Alaska and climbed a new route on the Devils Thumb, an experience he described in Eiger Dreams and in Into the Wild. In 1992, he made his way to Cerro Torre in the Andes of Argentine Patagonia -- a sheer, jagged granite peak more typical of those found in the Himalayas or Pacific Rim and considered to be one of the most difficult technical climbs in the world.

Mr. Krakauer's popularity as a writer came from being a journalist for Outside magazine. He received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters--a prestigious award intended "to honor writers of exceptional accomplishment in 1999." His writing has also appeared in Smithsonian, National Geographic Magazine, Rolling Stone, and Architectural Digest.

He is the author of Into the Wild which was published in 1996 and became a bestselling non-fiction book about the adventures of Christopher McCandless. The novel is an expansion of Jon Krakauer's 9,000-word article, "Death of an Innocent", which appeared in the January 1993 issue of Outside magazine.

The book was adapted into a 2007 movie of the same name. "Into the Wild ," the film, debuted in 2007 starring Academy award-winner and Tony winner, Marcia Gay Harden, Emile Hirsch, Kristin Stewart, best known for playing Bella Swain in Twilight paid tribute to this film under the direction of Two time Academy Award winner, producer, Sean Penn.

Sean Penn, is a two-time Academy Award winner for his roles in Mystic River and Milk, as well as the recipient of a Golden Globe Award for the former and a Screen Actors Guild Award for the latter.

In the story, Chris McCandles, top student and athlete has excelled with nearly all A’s in his class. He says that he thinks his grades are good enough to get into Harvard Law School. His parents couldn’t be more proud of him and offered to give him how ever much money he needs for school and buy him a new car. To Chris, there is nothing wrong with his current car and it just seems like it would be another access material object.

With school finished, Chris decides that it is time to go out of his comfort zone and really explore the world. At the age of twenty-three he gave away his worldly possessions. After graduating in 1990 from Emory University, Chris McCandless ceased communicating with his family, gave away his savings of approximately $24,000 to Oxfam International an organizations working with over 3,000 partners in around 100 countries to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice.

Chris began traveling, later abandoning his car and burning all the money in his wallet. He ventured out across America on a two-year journey and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wildersness, with little food and equipment, hoping to live a period of solitude. So many things in society disgust him, that he figures that he best thing to do is get away from it, at least for awhile and flips his lifestyle upside down.

Chris McCandless died in a wilderness area in the state of Alaska. Jon Krakauer concluded in his book that Chris McCandless died from eating the seed pods of Hedysarum alpinum, commonly known in Alaska as the wild potato, which supposedly contained a toxic alkaloid that led to his starvation.

Into the Wild is a truly beautiful book that grabs you by surprise. It also tells you the danger and loneliness that someone faces when people aren’t around. Living freely and with an independent mind is how the true treasures in life are revealed.

Jon Krakauer gave 20 percent of his royalties to Mr. & Mrs. McCandless, who in turn established a foundation in their son's name “Christopher Johnson McCandless Memorial Foundation.” The money has found its way, via Christian charities, to such far-flung locations as an orphanage in Cambodia. They want to reach out to children and help them and their families."

Jon Krakauer's book attained the status of a classic, it became required reading in many secondary schools and Outward Bound–style programs. Billie McCandles says she's received scores of letters from students, and she answer every one of them.

His latest book “Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman” is about an athlete, professional football player, soldier, the NFL player who gave his life for his country.

In May 2002, Tillman walked away from his $3.6 million NFL contract to enlist in the United States Army. He was deeply troubled by 9/11, and he felt a strong moral obligation to join the fight against al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Two years later, he died on a desolate hillside in southeastern Afghanistan.

In the novel, Where Men Win Glory, Jon Krakauer draws on Pat Tillman’s journals and letters, interviews with his wife and friends, conversations with the soldiers who served alongside him, and extensive research on the ground in Afghanistan to render an intricate mosaic of this driven, complex, and uncommonly compelling figure as well as the definitive account of the events and actions that led to his death. Before he enlisted in the army, Tillman was familiar to sports aficionados as an undersized, overachieving Arizona Cardinals safety whose virtuosity in the defensive backfield was spellbinding. With his shoulder-length hair, outspoken views, and boundless intellectual curiosity, Tillman was considered a maverick.

America was fascinated when he traded the bright lights and riches of the NFL for boot camp and a buzz cut. Sent first to Iraq—a war he would openly declare was “illegal as hell” —and eventually to Afghanistan, Tillman was driven by complicated, emotionally charged, sometimes contradictory notions of duty, honor, justice, patriotism, and masculine pride, and he was determined to serve his entire three-year commitment. But on April 22, 2004, his life would end in a barrage of bullets fired by his fellow soldiers.

Jon Krakauer's new novel Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, is now available in bookstores and online!

Photo of writer-director, Sean Penn and Jon Krakauer in front of the bus Chris McCandless used as his Alaska base camp taken by Alaskan wilderness veteran, Roman Dial.

To learn more about Jon Krakauer, please visit his website.
To purchase Jon Krakauer’s book, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble.

INTERVIEW: Sally Gardner - Award-winning British children author of “I, CORIANDER”

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Sally Gardner. She is a British children's writer, illustrator and she lives in London. Her award-winning book, I, Coriander, is set in 17th-century London. It tells the story of Coriander, the unhappy daughter of a silk merchant.

Her books THE RED NECKLACE & THE SILVER BLADES has been option for film and television rights by Dominic West, and his production company White Soup.

Dominic West is a British director and actor, celebrated for his portrayal of ‘Jimmy McNulty’ in THE WIRE, on which he was also a director in its award winning final season.

Sally Gardner is also the author and illustrator of picture books including The Fairy Catalogue, The Glass Heart and The Book of Princesses. She also illustrated the Polly books by Francesca Thomas, and is the creator of the Magical Children series, which feature unconfident children who blossom when they are gifted with magical powers.

Ms. Gardner has been very successfully published by Orion Children's Books, where she is notably the illustrator of the Norwegian author, Jostein Gaarder's novels as well as the creator of beautiful color picture books.

Her work is characterized by her uniquely wonderful and witty imagination and her exquisite illustrations. She was a theatre designer for many years and this is reflected in the collage effect of much of her artwork. She also specialized in costume for fifteen years before moving into children’s books.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give us three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell your readers about Sally Gardner today -- the illustrator and the woman behind the Award-winning British children author.

Sally Gardner: My first job was as a sales assistant at the original Pollock’s Toy Theatre shop in London, aged 16. I was severely dyslexic and school managed to bash all my confidence out of me. When I was a teenager I was chubby and about as confident as a wombat, but I was very determined to do something with my life and prove them all wrong – show them I wasn’t ‘silly sally’. I got a 1st class Honours degree in theatre design and then won an Arts Council scholarship to become a theatre designer, after which I was involved in notable productions around the world, both for Opera and theatre.

E.I. What is it about the art form of illustrations and writing that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

Sally Gardner: Basically I’m doing what I absolutely love and there is nothing and I mean nothing I would rather be working in and in that I feel truly blessed. I started with the illustration because I believed I couldn’t be a writer due to the fact that I couldn’t spell my way out of a paper bag. But spelling and grammar don’t make a writer thank goodness - two of my heroes also apparently had problems in that department: Scott Fitzgerald and the boss Hemingway. Writing novels is a bit like being a marathon runner and now I’m past the half way point of my next book and I’m feeling pretty exhausted!

E.I. Please tell your readers about your book “The Red Necklace”? What sparked your interest about this book? What were your favourite aspects?

Sally Gardner: Magic. I am very interested in and believe in magic. I think it’s around us in more ways that we see. I also love periods of history that are like divorcing parents and the French Revolution had all the ingredients that a storyteller might need: a walled city, an Aristocrat in love with a gypsy and the most evil of evil villains who thrives on the bloodshed. I also become fascinated with the plight through the ages of the gypsies and the loss, due to the prejudice and development of our societies, of their rituals and magic.

E.I. In your novel how much of the lives of your characters Yann Margoza, Count Kalliovski and Sido is planned out in your head? How do you know where to go next with your story? How does your creative process work?

Sally Gardner: My poor editor’s hair has turned white over this very question. All I can say is that the beginning of books are a sort of vision, or visually clear, like a film - the first part of the book is so clear and quick to draft, but after that’s written, on the whole my planning goes to pot. I spend much time going up the wrong paths and having to retrace my steps. I find that however much you plot, if a character is not ready to be bumped off by chapter 7, you have to let him live and are horrified to find its not until chapter 12 that meets his demise! I have tried to plan my current novel more tightly, however and for the first time think I've got plotting a bit more sussed!

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

Sally Gardner: I read lots and lots of books, especially those written at the time it’s set in. My current novel is set between wars so I watch old films and footage and documentaries – I also listen to audio books and visit the theatre. I spend a lot of time thinking up my characters from the shoes upwards, once I start them they have their own lives - in ‘I, Coriander’, I wanted Hester to be horrible but she would only be charming no matter how hard I tried - I’m not a control freak about my characters, but I am a perfectionist, and I hope my readers feel too that that characters are very much alive, with wills of their own.

E.I. If you were asked to read a chapter from the book (The Red Necklace), is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

Sally Gardner: This is difficult to answer as there are quite a few pivotal chapters, but what springs to mind right now is the drama of the first theatre scene at the Marquis’ Chateau, with Torpalin’s death in front of the Marquis – it shows the duplicity of Kalliovski – he's like a cat with a mouse, and it shows what he’s capable of. It also sets up all the other characters’ personality traits quite well.

E.I. When you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

Sally Gardner: It’s not as simple as that unfortunately. It goes to the editor, the editor comes back, with ‘why’s’ and ‘what if’s’ and you have to go over it again – I rewrote the Silver Blade in six weeks having been dissatisfied with the first draft. A first draft to me is like a lump of clay that needs to be moulded before it dries up completely. All my characters stay with me long after i’ve written them. It took me a very long time to lose Coriander. And Yann and Sido - I still think about them all the time.

E.I. You've created a cast of characters so remarkably captivating that your readers definitely clamor for more; are we to be so fortunate as to see them again?

Sally Gardner: I can’t rule that out and I don’t want to rule that out but I don’t want to plan a series, I want it to be organic, if there is ever a time I feel it’s right then it will be written. At the moment though you may be suprised at the direction im taking my work in - and no, it’s not vampires! But it is rather unusual and exciting...

E.I. The novel is being developed for film, were you involved in the casting process? Had you considered British actors or American actors for the starring roles in the movie? And will you served as production advisor on the film location?

Sally Gardner: At the moment the film has just been bought by Dominic West and I’m not sure what plans they have for it or what role they see me in - it’s up to them but I would like to be involved. I have great faith in Dominic to make an excellent film and the nationality of the actors doesn’t matter, as long as they’re the good at their job and right for the role.

E.I. And, finally, if you could say "thank you" to someone for helping you become a successful writer, who would it be?

Sally Gardner: I would thank the main inspiration in my writing life: Judith Elliott. She was the first editor I ever worked with and she led me to believe in what I thought was an impossible dream.

To learn more about Sally Gardner, please visit her website.

To purchase Sally Gardner’s Books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes &
Noble

INTERVIEW: International Bestseller and Award-Winning Author: Lisa Unger

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with International bestseller and award winning author of contemporary fiction, Lisa Unger. She has written and published eight award winning novels.

Ms Unger, has also written works under her maiden name, Miscione. Lisa Miscione's "Lydia Strong" series includes: Angel Fire (2002), The Darkness Gathers2003, Twice 2004, Smoke 2005

Her writing has been hailed as "masterful" by St. Petersburg Times, "sensational" by Publishers Weekly and "sophisticated" by New York Daily News with "gripping narrative and evocative, muscular prose" says the Associated Press.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager?

LISA UNGER: I was a bit of a rebel, I suppose, with gothic leanings. Lots of New Orders and The Cure. But at heart I was a good girl, studying hard and making good grades. I was always a writer. I don’t remember a time before I defined myself that way. So I was writing lots of terrible short stories and maudlin poetry. I remember having a lot of teen angst, feeling crushed by a suburban environment and just dying to get to New York City. I have eventually wound up at New York University, later transferring to and graduating from The New School.

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you the most?

LISA UNGER: That’s a hard question for me to answer. It’s like asking what I like best about breathing. I just am this, always have been. When I’m writing, I am in the place where I am most natural, most truly myself.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

LISA UNGER: I don’t imagine my audience when I write, nor do I outline. In fact, I know next to nothing about my novels when I start writing. The germ could be anything … a line of poetry, a song, a news story, really anything, sometimes just a voice in my head. And if it takes root, then it becomes a novel.

Day to day, I don’t really know what’s going to happen, who’s going to show up, what they’re going to do. I write for the same reason that I read … because I want to know what’s going to happen.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge in developing the character, Isabel Connelly and Marcus Raine in” Die For You”?

LISA UNGER: I often feel as if my characters arrive fully formed in my head. It’s more as if I’m meeting them than creating them. They speak to me and I try to get to know them, to understand them. It feels more that way to me, as if I have very little to do with it.

That said, I think the key to developing character is much the same as the key to developing any kind of relationship: empathy. If you get to know your characters, accept them without judgment, love them even with all their flaws and shortcomings, then your characters will live and breathe for your readers.

E.I. Give us three "Good to Know" facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job, the inspiration for your writing, any fun details that would enliven your page.

LISA UNGER: I have a terrible fear of chainsaws and amusement parks … for many of the same reasons, the noise, the potential for disaster, possibly unqualified people handling dangerous machinery.

I was the worst waitress … ever.

I am an extroverted introvert. This means that I'm happiest in my hobbit hole writing stories, or staying home with my family. But you probably wouldn't know it if you ran into me at a conference or a party. I can put on my shoes and dance. But I'd rather be in my pajamas with a good book.

E.I. And, finally, if you could say "thank you" to someone for helping you become a successful writer, who would it be?

LISA UNGER: There are plenty of people I could thank. My parents for being great readers and giving me the gift of loving to read. I have had tremendous support from teachers throughout my education. My agent Elaine Markson signed me on with my first novel and has helped me navigate the waters of my career over the last ten years with unflagging enthusiasm. But my husband, more than anyone, is the rock solid foundation of my life. He believed in me from the day he met me. He has supported me in every way a person can support another person. He is my partner in every sense of the word, and I can honestly say that I would not be where I am right now without him. He knows all the million reasons why this is true! I am very blessed to have had so many wonderful people in my corner. So, yes, thank you, thank you, thank you!

Photo of Lisa Unger by Mr.Jeff Unger.

To learn more about Lisa Unger please visit her website at http://www.lisaunger.com/

To purchase her books please visit http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_0_7?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=lisa+unger&sprefix=lisa+un

FAVORITE OF THE WEEK: Award-winning historical novelist, Charles Frazier author of “Cold Mountain.”

Welcome to Up Close and Personal. Once a week, on a Sunday, a favorite author, journalist will be featured as ‘Favorite of the Week”. The article will give them more exposure and publicity about their work.

This week we choose Charles Frazier. He is the author of the highly acclaimed novel, Cold Mountain, which was an international bestseller, and won the National Book Award in 1997, as well as the Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

The book was sold millions and became a publishing phenomenon. Cold Mountain is an intensely cinematic story; it spans four seasons in the bucolic, visually ravishing Carolinas, and it is all about yearning, fiercely determined love. The story traces the journey of Inman, a wounded deserter from the Confederate army - the story is based in part on Frazier's great-great-uncle, W. P. Inman.

Cold Mountain became the an Academy award winning motion picture starring Oscar winning-actress, Nicole Kidman, two-time Oscar nominee, Jude Law, Oscar winning actor, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Academy award-winning best supporting actress, Renée Zellweger. Award winning British director and screenwriter, Anthony Minghella directed the film. Cold Mountain was one of the top grossing films of 2003.

His second novel, "Thirteen Moons," which Mr. Frazier returns his readers to Western North Carolina, telling the story. The book was published in 2006, with an $8 million advance from his USA publisher. Thirteen Moons introduces readers to another embattled hero on an unforgettable journey of the Cherokee Nation through the extraordinary life of Will Cooper.

Will, sold as a 'bound boy' to run a trading post on the edge of the Cherokee Nation, is adopted by the Cherokee and ultimately becomes the tribe's voice during the tragic days leading to the Cherokee Removal. Mr. Frazier’s novel tells us a story in which a rootless and restless protagonist Will Cooper, becomes a classic American soul as a result of his pursuits: a man devoted to a place and its people, to a woman, and his way of life, all of which are forever just beyond his reach.

“In the book, Will Cooper, through his life; and at 90-something-years-old, in an a age of telephones and automobiles, he is still waits for the phone to ring—hoping that it will be Claire on the other end of the line.” Thirteen Moons is steeped in history, rich in insight, and filled with moments of sudden beauty. This book is an unforgettable work of fiction

Charles Frazier born in 1950 in Asheville, North Carolina and grew up in the mountains of North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1973, received an M.A. from Appalachian State University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina in 1986.

Mr. Frazier did an undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After earning a B.A. there in 1973, Mr. Frazier completed an M.A. program at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

His favorite authors were Edith Wharton, Ernest Hemingway, and Edgar Allan Poe.

He currently raises horses on a farm near Raleigh, North Carolina, where he lives with his family.

Photo of Charles Frazier by Phil Bray

To purchase Charles Frazier’s books please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Alison Hart,author of young adult books, novels, mysteries and historical fiction, nominated for an Edgar Award

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Alison Hart. She is the author of more than forty books for young readers, including many popular mysteries and historical fiction novels for children. She loves writing books that keep young readers glued to the pages.

Her books “Riding Academy” series and “Shadow Horse” was a 2000 Edgar nominee for best children mystery.
At the age of seven she wrote, illustrated and self-published The Wild Dog, a book which she shows to young readers to make the point that it is never too early to be an author.

Alison has a master’s degree in Communicative Disorders from Johns Hopkins University. She taught elementary school and is currently a college instructor specializing in improving reading and writing skills.

Ms. Hart honed her craft writing Nancy Drew mysteries and quickly developed a love of strong characters who are thrown into suspenseful situations. Research is another passion for her. She loves old journals, letters and memoirs because they provide her with an amazing connection to the past. She believes that "well-researched historical fiction should bring to life the people, events and struggles of the past and make them relevant and real for today's young readers."

Her two books Gabriel's Horses and Gabriel's Triumph, are both Junior Library Guild picks. She has also written books for younger ages under the name of Alice Leonhardt. Among these books are: Turtles; Tide Pool Creatures; Mystery at the White House; and Why the Ocean is Salty.

She has also written books for American Girl/Pleasant Co. Publications in addition to her other novels for grades three and up.

Her upcoming novels are: Emma's River and Whirlwind. “Emma’s River” will be available April 2010 The main character, Emma and her pony Twist find sudden danger on the Missouri River. Based on a true river disaster in in 1854, Emma's River will take readers on an incredible steamboat trip back in time.

“Whirlwind” is the exciting sequel to the Edgar nominated Shadow Horse. Whirlwind (Random House May 2010) answers readers' questions: what happened to Whirlwind? Will Hugh get caught and punished for his crimes? Does Jas ever find her beloved horse? Do Chase and Jas ever admit they like each other?

Ms. Hart is a teacher at Blue Ridge Community College and lives in Virginia.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give us three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell your readers about Alison Hart today -- the woman behind the award-winning author.

A. Hart: I apologize, but I rarely talk about ‘me’—there are a few details on my website: I have lots of animals two cats, two horses, three dogs and I teach at a community college--that’s about as personal as I get. Also I haven’t won any awards yet! Nominated many times, yes, won, no.

E.I. Please tell your readers about your upcoming books, Emma’s River Peachtree Publishers, March 2010 and Whirlwind Random House, Mary 2010. What sparked your interest about these books?

A. Hart: Emma’s River takes place in the spring of 1852 on a steamboat traveling up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The story is based on a real steamboat disaster in Lexington, Missouri. Steamboat disasters were commonplace during this time, and they were horrendous. Fires, explosions and sinkings were common. Between 1819 and 1897, over two hundred and eighty-nine boats sank in the Missouri. Fog, high winds, ice, storms, and dark nights also made river travel dangerous.

Steamboats were also a microcosm of 1800’s society. The immigrants and deck hands traveled crowded together with cargo and animals on the main deck while ‘upper class’ folks traveled in luxury on the cabin deck. Emma’s River combines these elements with a plucky heroine and her pony for an exciting read!

Whirlwind is a suspenseful mystery set on an animal rescue farm in present-day Virginia. It is the sequel to Shadow Horse, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. Since I am an animal lover and have been riding since I was five years old, many of my books are about horses, plus I have been writing mysteries since my first story was published in Highlights Magazine in 1984. Yeah, a long time ago. Combining horses and mystery is a natural for me. Whirlwind has a twisting plot laced with romance and animal rescue details. To me, the book crackles with each turn of the page. I can’t wait for it to come out!

E.I. In your novel Emma’s River, how much of the lives of Emma and her pony Twist is planned out in your head? How do you know where to go next with your story? How does your creative process work?

A. Hart: For all my books, I do an incredible amount of research. For historical fiction, I begin the creative process by reading general history books to understand the era. For Emma, I also read about steamboats and steamboat travel and then read journals and diaries. I noted down broad details such as which states were territories at the time as well as tiny facts such as what the immigrants ate as they traveled until I filled a notebook. I toured the Louisville Belle with a ‘captain’ who knew every detail about steamboats and visited the town of Lexington on the Missouri River. As I research, characters and plot ‘stew’ in my head until the characters are clamoring to be “written” so they can tell their stories. I work hard to mesh accurate history and sensory details, making readers feel as if they have traveled back in time, with an intense and suspenseful story arc that keeps young readers turning the pages.

E.I. Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in story boards all over your walls?

A. Hart: I work many different ways depending on the editor. Some request a complete manuscript, others a synopsis and first chapters, others a detailed outline and first chapter. However, for all my books and proposals, the research comes first—before I write anything. I create plot and characters as I learn the factual and sensory details—whether the story is a mystery set on a present day rescue farm or historical suspense set in the past.

E.I. When you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

A. Hart: This varies with the project. I just finished a romance and suspense YA that I loved writing and it was difficult to part with. However, often I am on deadline and another project is waiting, so I have no choice but to send it off, and really I am not ‘parting’ with it for long, since I know the revising stage will soon follow.

E.I. What can fans anticipate from you in the coming months? Can you give us a hint of what to expect?

A. Hart: I just finished final edits on book four in a new American Girl series very hush-hush until launch date. I have handed my agent a completed YA manuscript titled Remembering Kate, which will require revisions before she sends it out to publishers. I am researching book seven in the Horse Diaries series Random House, which will be about a Thoroughbred racing in the 1930’s. It is tentatively titled Risky Chance and is due April 1st. And I am brainstorming and doing early stage research for a sequel to Whirlwind.

E.I. And, finally, if you could say "thank you" to someone for helping you become a successful writer, who would it be?

A. Hart: Writing and publishing books, like raising a child, takes a village. I would have to thank family, friends, editors, my agent and anyone who has helped me with research. Lastly, I need to heartily thank teachers, librarians and media specialists who champion historical fiction; they’re the ones who help my books reach young readers!

Photo of Alison Hart by Beth Thompson

To learn more about Alison Hart, please visit her website
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Nobles

FAVORITE OF THE WEEK: Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Anne Tyler, famous for her novel “Accidental Tourist” her latest novel is “Noah’s Compass”

Welcome to Up Close and Personal. Once a week, on a Sunday, a favorite author, journalist will be featured as ‘Favorite of the Week”. The article will give them more exposure and publicity about their recent work.

This week we choose Anne Tyler, she has been writing novels for more than forty years. Her first, "If Morning Ever Comes", was published in 1964—and while many of her novels encapsulate one or several whole lives, her protagonists tend to be people her own age, which these days means people in their sixties.

Most of her short stories have been published in The New Yorker, The Saturday Evening Post, Redbook, McCall's, and Harper's,

Her latest 18th novel, “Noah’s Compass” is about Liam Pennywell, a man of unexceptional talents, plain demeanor, modest means and curtailed ambition.

At age 60, he's been fired from his teaching job at a second-rate private boys' school in Baltimore, a job below his academic training and original expectations. An unsentimental, noncontemplative survivor of two failed marriages and the emotionally detached father of three grown daughters, Liam is jolted into alarm after he's attacked in his apartment and loses all memory of the experience.

His search to recover those lost hours leads him into an uneasy exploration of his disappointing life and into an unlikely new relationship with Eunice, a socially inept walking fashion disaster who is half his age. She is also spontaneous and enthusiastic, and Liam longs to cast off his inertia and embrace the joyous recklessness that he feels in her company.

Her eleventh novel, Breathing Lessons, received the Pulitzer Prize in 1989. The Accidental Tourist was awarded the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1985 and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 1986.

The Accidental Tourist became a 1988 American drama film. It was directed by four-time Oscar nominee, Lawrence Kasdan and scored by John Williams. “The Accidental Tourist” was one of the most acclaimed films of 1988; it was nominated for several awards including four Academy Awards. The cast includes academy award-winner, William Hurt, Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner, Kathleen Turner and Oscar-winning actress, Geena Davis.

Ms. Tyler's ninth novel, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, which she considers her best work, was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the PEN/Faulkner Award in 1983. She has edited three anthologies: The Best American Short Stories 1983, Best of the South, and Best of the South: The Best of the Second Decade.

She is noteworthy among contemporary best selling novelists, for she does not grant face-to-face interviews and rarely does book tours, nor does she make many other public appearances, although she has made herself available through email interviews.
She is the eldest of four children. Her father was a chemist and her mother a social worker. Her early childhood was spent in a succession of Quaker communities in the mountains of North Carolina and in Raleigh.

She graduated at age nineteen from Duke University, completed graduate work in Russian studies at Columbia University in New York City and worked as a librarian and bibliographer before moving to Maryland.

In 1963, she married Iranian psychiatrist and novelist Dr. Taghi Mohammad Modarressi, with whom she had two daughters, Tezh and Mitra.

Her daughter Mitra is an author and illustrator of children’s books. Dr. Taghi Modarressi died in 1997. Anne Tyler resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where most of her novels are set, often crossing decades in a family's life.

Photo of Anne Tyler by Dianne Walker

To purchase Anne Tyler's books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble

INTERVIEW: Katherine Marsh - Edgar Award-Winner for Best Juvenile Mystery & Author of “The Night Tourist,” Universal Studio has movie rights

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing their views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Katherine Marsh. She is a winner of 2008 Edgar Award followed by an excellent sequel, “The Twilight Prisoner.” She is a writer of children’s fantasy literature and an editor of nonfiction articles. She was a high school teacher before moving to New York, where she began writing for Rolling Stone Magazine, and Good Housekeeping.

Some of her stories also appeared in New York Times. She is now a managing editor of “The New Republic” magazine where she specializes in politics and culture.

Her book, The Night Tourist is about a 14-year-old Jack Perdu, a shy, ninth grade classics prodigy, meets a girl named Euri who leads him into New York City's Underworld, and discover a ghost world. A place where those who died reside until they are ready to move on.

In Katherine Marsh's book, ghosts can fly, are invisible, and can move through any object. Ghosts spend every night haunting the City, and the book's hero (Jack) and heroine (Euri) definitely have their fun exploring both known places like the Guggenheim and less-known places like Roosevelt’s secret tunnel in Grand Central.
“The Twilight Prisoner” is the sequel to “The Night Tourist,” this exciting sequel blends together the modern-day world and mythology.

Katherine Marsh graduated from Yale where she studied English literature. She and her family lives in Chevy Chase DC with their two cats.

E.I. Would you share some early self-reflection to give us a sense of who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Give us three “Good to Know” facts about your first job experience, the inspiration for your writing career, any fun details or anecdotes that would enliven your page. Also tell your readers about Katherine Marsh today -- the woman behind the award-winning author and Journalist.

KM: I was the kind of teenager who couldn't wait to stop being a teenager, which I guess made me pretty ordinary. I'm an only child and so was shy in new situations (still am), extroverted and a little goofy with my friends (I remember making a ouija board out of a pizza box and then scaring my friends with it), and wasn't into any particular scene (i.e. I wasn't a goth or a deadhead or a mean girl). Like any good teenager, I took myself pretty seriously though, especially when it came to being well read and writing stories of my own, which I started doing in middle school.

It’s technically not my first job experience but it's one of my earlier and most colorful. A year out of college, I took a job as an editorial assistant at Good Housekeeping magazine. Three fun facts: 1) My Good Housekeeping desk was so messy that when I finally cleaned it, a year into the job, I found a half-eaten sandwich. 2) I was the recipient of a celebrity makeover in which I was made over to look like Meg Ryan (and for a while referred to myself as "the poor man's Meg Ryan" though these days I prefer to call Meg Ryan “the poor man's Katherine Marsh”). 3) The story that launched my journalism career was about Jay Bakker, the tattooed street preacher son of 1980s televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, a great guy who became a friend in the process. I wrote versions of his life story for both Good Housekeeping and, the magazine I worked for next, Rolling Stone.

Me, today? Behind the award-winning author and journalist lies a high-functioning neurotic ex-New Yorker who lives in a suburban neighborhood of Washington, D.C. with her reporter husband, amusing two-year-old son, and two kooky cats. To complicate the Meg Ryan image, I actually share a lot of qualities with the New York filmmaker Woody Allen including being claustrophobic (if you ever run into me hyperventilating on an elevator kindly look the other direction), obsessed with death, and confused by Southern California. I like writing, the TV show Lost, sleeping (I'm a 9 hour a night type of gal), playing guitar, Russian literature, American Idol, okra, poetry, pie, and going for walks with my son (the type where we cover one block per half-hour stopping to look at everything).

E.I. What is it about the art form of writing that enchants you, and gives you the enduring passion to continue in such a demanding profession?

KM: There are very few things that I feel like I'm good at. I'm a horrible athlete. I'm terrible at math. I get nervous talking to big groups of people. But what I feel like I’m a natural at is writing. This isn't to say that I don't have many, many days when I think that I've just written the lamest page ever committed to a laptop or that the act of writing isn't ever laborious or downright painful. It's that I am most myself when I'm writing. And that's somebody who is taking others on a journey and giving them a way to process the world--the highs and lows of it. It's an incredibly powerful experience because the first person going on that journey is always me.

E.I. Please tell your readers about your book “The Night Tourist”? What sparked your interest about this book? What were your favorite aspects?

KM: THE NIGHT TOURIST is about a 14-year-old boy, Jack, who finds a secret entrance in Grand Central Terminal into the New York version of the Greek mythological underworld. Jack's mom died when he was young so he decides to stay in the underworld to find her with the help of a mysterious, smart-aleck, 14-year-old ghost named Euri. But over the course of his visit, Jack learns some secrets about his past and Euri's that change his plans and his future. It's a modern-day retelling of the Orpheus myth, the one in which Orpheus goes down to the underworld to try and bring back his dead wife, Eurydice.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how real life New York history and characters are woven into the story. The places Jack goes--including the secret ones beneath the city--really exist! (see my website katherinmarsh.com for photographic evidence). Since I'm a journalist by training I made sure to base some of my story on actual facts. Another is how the relationship between Jack and Euri develops—I won’t say more about that since I don’t want to give away too much of the book. But I will say that Jack and Euri must grapple with some tough emotions that I believe many kids, and not just adults, face in their lives--depression, isolation, and loneliness. Their story in part is about the right and wrong ways of dealing with these feelings.

E.I. In your novel how much of the lives of your characters Jack Perdue and Euri is planned out in your head? How do you know where to go next with your story? How does your creative process work?

KM: I know where Jack and Euri's stories will ultimately end. I don't know how I'm going to get there. I think it's good to have a goal or sense of your story arc but to be open to the changes that occur when you discover your characters. It's a nice metaphor for life too, I think. We all know how it's going to end and have a vague sense of what we want to accomplish but the fun comes in letting ourselves be open to our passions and to the changes—some good, some bad--of fortune and circumstance. Often if your characters are fully developed enough, they will tell you where the story should go. Jack and Euri both seem like old friends now to me--I know how they speak, I know how they think, if I took them out to dinner I know what they'd order.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

KM: I don't think a lot about my audience as I write. I think mostly about me. I'm a very picky reader and one of my best qualities as a writer and editor is that I'm easily bored. If a scene bores me, I worry it'll bore my audience and try to revise it. I didn't outline THE NIGHT TOURIST but I did THE TWILIGHT PRISONER. There's not one way I do things except that I constantly revise. The books change a lot from start to finish, even the one I outlined.

E.I. If you were asked to read a chapter from the book, is there one that you would personally select to share with your fans?

KM: I'd say the first chapter because that's how I judge most books myself. If you don't want to turn the page to chapter two and keep reading then I haven’t done my job. But I also have a soft spot for The Now That You're Dead Seminar chapter which is the introductory class that ghosts, including Jack, must attend once they arrive in the underworld.

E.I. When you finish a novel, it's off to your agent and publisher, then you're on to the next. Do you find letting your manuscripts, especially your characters, as easy to part with when finished?

KM: I find letting go very hard. After I finished THE TWILIGHT PRISONER, I ended up working on a couple of books unrelated to THE NIGHT TOURIST series. I'm very excited about these, especially my first young adult book, but I'd like to write one more book in THE NIGHT TOURIST series and am hoping for the green light from my publisher (Disney-Hyperion in case you want to lobby them!). Jack and especially, Euri, have some unresolved issues and I'm anxious to finish their stories and not leave their many fans hanging.

E.I. You've created a cast of characters so remarkably captivating that your readers definitely clamor for more; we are so fortunate o see them again in “The Twilight Prisoner.” Please give your readers a little clue about “The Twilight Prisoner?”

KM: THE TWILIGHT PRISONER (which comes out in paperback in April and is out now in hardcover) continues the stories of Jack and Euri. In a typical stupid teenage move, Jack decides to take Cora, a living girl he has a crush on, to the underworld to impress her. They get trapped there and together with Euri, who isn't too happy about this new girl, they must figure out how to escape. The Twilight Prisoner is based on the Persephone myth. But like THE NIGHT TOURIST, the characters that you think are Orpheus or Eurydice or Persephone change as the story develops. This is because the whole series is based on the Metamorphoses, the Roman author Ovid’s retelling of the Greek myths (and Jack's favorite book). Ovid suggests in the Metamorphoses that there is no life or death, just change. I've always loved that idea.

E.I. And, finally, if you could say "thank you" to someone for helping you become a successful writer, who would it be?

KM: My husband for supporting me when I began to write for children and encouraging me not to give up when I was frustrated. He made me believe that success was not just possible but inevitable. Everyone needs a cheerleader like that!

E.I. Both novels are being developed for film, where you involved in the casting process? Had you considered any young actors for the starring roles in the movie? And will you served as production advisor on the film location?

KM: Actually THE NIGHT TOURIST is the book being developed by Universal for film at the moment. I have a creative consultant credit but in all reality I have very little to do with the process of putting together the movie, casting included. My main hope is that George Clooney gets a role and that I get the chance to meet him. Oh, and I wouldn't mind a cameo as a ghost.

E.I. Ms. Marsh, Thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know your work a little better. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers all over the world?

KM: Thanks, E.I. Johnson for the opportunity to chat with you and your readers. My advise: Writing is a craft first, an art second. In other words, revise, revise, revise!

Photo of Katherine Marsh by Patrick Andrade.

To learn more about Katherine Marsh, please visit her website.
To purchase her books, please visit AMAZON and Barnes & Noble