Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I’ve been a Tampa-based writer and editor for decades, working primarily in non-fiction and memoir. For more than 20 years I specialized as a personal historian, and am proud to have been a pioneer of the profession. But when covid made it impossible to conduct in-person interviews, I concentrated on editing fiction—I really enjoy helping authors improve their work. My mantra is “Every writer needs an editor,” which applies to my own work, as well!
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Undone: A Novel of Betrayal”?
A2. First was making the time to write. Then there was the fleshing out the characters—both the ones who were planned and the ones who literally walked themselves onto the page! Also, a lot of research was needed for the more “technical” issues, such as the financial situations Lydia dealt with, and the medical situation at the end of the story.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Oh my gosh, where to begin?!? The two writers who made me think I should pull a Lillian Hellman and toss the keyboard out the window are Pat Conroy and Rick Bragg. Conroy is, in my estimation, the greatest writer of Southern fiction of the last half of the 20th century, and Rick continues to be the greatest writer of Southern non-fiction. Both write such poetic, lyrical sentences—but Bragg makes you laugh a lot more.
Other than those two, if I started listing, it alone would turn into a book!
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. Again, not an easy question to answer. I do love visiting Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in the summer but no more winters there for me! So, my real answer is again a two-fer: San Francisco and New Orleans.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Undone: A Novel of Betrayal’?
A5. After experiencing a betrayal myself, I read so many books about betrayal. None of them were what I was looking for—a story where a woman got her due. So I took Toni Morrison’s advice and wrote the book I wanted to read. And while living well may be the best revenge, so is publishing!
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Undone: A Novel of Betrayal’?
A6. I started in late 2016 and finished the first draft three years later—I was writing only on weekends, as clients took precedence on weekdays. In the summer of 2019 I made a trip to the Upper Peninsula for the first time in decades, and oh how that impacted my revisions! Then it went to my first readers, whose input led to further alternations.
I began searching for an agent in—drumroll, please—February 2020, and we all know what happened then, right? Agents closed up like everyone else After more than a year I ultimately decided to go with a hybrid. The book was to have been released in 2023, but production problems delayed it until May of this year.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. You name it! Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop dot org, Walmart, online retailers such as The Ripped Bodice, and through brick & mortar bookstores such as Skylight Books in Los Angeles, Schuler Books in Michigan, or Tomobolo Books in Florida.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Undone: A Novel of Betrayal’?
A8. Titles and headlines have never been my strong suit, so I didn’t even bother considering one until the book was nearly complete. Then I took a workshop on crafting the necessary logline required for submission to agents and/or publishers. It was in the process of reworking and distilling that over several months that the title presented itself. After all, it is the story of a woman whose world comes undone, and who ultimately undoes the world of those who betrayed her.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. The only way I know to keep things fresh for the reader is to keep it fresh for myself. Here, it was beneficial that I only write on weekends and holidays, as that allowed the story and characters to develop more before I took up my pencil again. But I do not plot—that’s something I’ve never been able to do successfully. I find, for me at least, it stymies the serendipity that can take place.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. From Natalie Goldberg: Puke it on the page. In other words, just write and don’t give a fig if it’s any good or not. Because odds are the first draft won’t be. It took me years to accept that, and not try to craft “perfect” sentences and paragraphs as I worked. I used to love drafting a story. No longer. Now I just want to get that first draft over and done with so I can get on to the real fun and what I love: revision!
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