I tend to start out with characters that I like and put them into an interesting situation. I don’t know how my stories are going to end, and therefore, I have to write the story in sequence.
Mia Grace – 24 November 2013
The Back Flap
When the past and the present collide…
Hailey Kent knows how she wants to spend the summer before her junior year in high school: hanging out at the pool with Jenna, her BFF; riding her new trail bike on Vermont’s country roads; and flirting with Jenna’s hot older brother, Cody.
Hailey’s plans are shattered when a post-graduation accident puts her brother into a coma. Feeling guilty for not stopping him from going out that night, she seeks solace in exploring an old house and its overgrown gardens.
A mysterious correlation of events propels her back in time to the Vietnam War era, where she realizes she can use her knowledge of one boy’s fate to save his life.But first, Hailey needs to convince him of her sanity.
About the book
What is the book about?
Sixteen-year-old Hailey Kent blames herself for her older brother’s tragic accident. She suspected that he wasn’t going to the alcohol-free, drug-free graduation party sponsored by the high school, but she never shared her suspicions with her parents. She carries the guilt with her constantly, wishing she could relive that night.
Renewing the gardens at an old, abandoned house on a rural back road becomes her personal therapy. But one day, the old house is no longer empty and abandoned. It’s occupied by a teenager named Peter Wells and his family—a teenager who she knows was killed in action in the Vietnam War at the age of twenty. She has traveled back in time to the 1960s, and now she has the opportunity to do for Peter what she didn’t do for her own brother. But first, she has to convince him that she’s for real.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing this book in my head about 20 years ago, but didn’t put anything in writing until December 2011.
How long did it take you to write it?
Completing the first draft took several months. The subsequent rewrites, which involved some major changes, took another year. First, I had to come to terms psychologically with the need to make major changes to the story. Then, I had to execute them.
Where did you get the idea from?
My husband and I enjoy riding in his pickup truck on back roads here in Vermont, looking for old cemeteries and other historical spots. One time we followed some tire tracks and came upon an abandoned house set back in a field, so we stopped and looked inside. On an inside wall beside the front doorway, someone had written, “I used to visit my grandparents here in the 1930s. Please treat this old house with respect.”
That started me thinking about who might have lived in that house and what their story might be. My imagination went on to “What if we came back some evening, and the lights were on, and the family from the 1930s was there?” And then, “What if we knew something about that family’s future that we could warn them about—perhaps a tragic death that could be avoided?”
My first inclination was to write about someone from the 1930s who would end up dying in World War II. Then, somewhat to my chagrin, I realized that, for today’s young people, the Vietnam War is what World War II was for me.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
There were a few parts. My original story had Peter reacting differently to his newly acquired knowledge, but my content editor felt the story was too dark. She left it up to me, however, and I struggled with that decision for a while. I finally decided to go with her suggestions.
Transitioning Hailey from one “life” to another was also a challenge. I wanted her to know both her previous life experience and her changed one, but that wasn’t logical. The “new” Hailey could only know her “new” life, and that presented challenges in itself. Logic can be such a bummer!
What came easily?
Writing the passages about the old house came easily. I could see it all in my mind, and when it came to describing the house when it was occupied in the 1960s, I was in my glory. I simply described my parents’ living room and my grandmother’s kitchen in that era. I was on a little time travel trip of my own.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I would have to say they are fictitious. Generally, I borrow a lot from people I know, being careful not to make anyone too recognizable, of course. But in this case, Hailey and her friends are not taken from anyone in particular, and Peter is just my idea of an appealing young man coming of age in the ‘60s.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Marilyn French’s The Women’s Room was the first novel that set me on a path of wanting to write contemporary fiction—telling a “slice of life” story that wasn’t a mystery, a thriller, suspense, or action, but more character-driven. I loved Kinflicks by Lisa Alther. I could relate to so much of what she wrote. Sue Miller influenced my desire to add tiny details that make all the difference. I still remember, decades later, reading The Good Mother and loving how I could “see” her toddler walking down the hallway with her pj’s stuck in her little butt. I’ve read everything Wally Lamb has written because I love his character-driven style. Someday I hope to set a mood that transports the reader to a place they’ve never been the way David Guterson did for me in Snow Falling on Cedars.
Do you have a target reader?
I write both young adult and contemporary women’s fiction. My protagonists tend to be female, although my women’s fiction also has strong male characters. I suspect my readers are primarily female.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I tend to start out with characters that I like and put them into an interesting situation. I don’t know how my stories are going to end, and therefore, I have to write the story in sequence. One time, I jumped ahead to write a chapter I knew I wanted to include and was eager to get on paper. I later found it no longer worked because my characters had taken the story in an unexpected direction. I don’t do that anymore.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I don’t outline because I’ve never written a story that had a predetermined outcome. With Correlation, I honestly didn’t know how it would come out. For me, writing a novel is not that different from watching a movie for the first time. It’s just that the movie’s in my head.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I have what is probably a bad habit of editing and re-editing to an extreme as I go, and it’s a tendency I’m trying to avoid with my next book. When I read, edit, and reread the first chapters so many times, I can practically recite them by heart, which is not a good thing. I lose objectivity and can no longer see it from someone else’s point of view.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I prefer to write in silence. I will play music while thinking about my writing during my daily drive to work and back. If I’m recreating a scene in the ‘60s, music is likely to be Motown or the British invasion groups. Billy Joel’s songs often tell great stories, and I find them useful for setting mood. I like sad love songs that make me feel the pain, and those can be useful for certain types of books.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did not submit it to an agent. I was already familiar with Red Adept as an editing service, and when Lynn formed Red Adept Publishing, I knew I wanted to go with her.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I’ve been writing for decades, but never really thought I would have the opportunity to see my work published due to the difficulty of breaking into the world of conventional publishers. When I began writing, the only way to self-publish was vanity press, and it was expensive. Then, in 2011, I met someone who had self-published a gorgeous book about his grandmother’s artwork. Knowing that it was possible to self-publish both e-books and on-demand print versions changed everything for me.
Making a living at writing would be wonderful, but it’s not what drives me to publish. I love how books can transport me to other worlds and times, and it’s what I want to do for others. I write because I have an urge to tell stories and share life experiences, and what I want most is to have people read my stories. The indie route makes it possible for the storyteller in me to reach an audience.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did it you do it yourself?
Red Adept Publishing provided the professionally done cover.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Again, Red Adept Publishing is taking the lead on this, giving me advice and helping me with a blog tour. Marketing does not come naturally to me, so their help is going to make all the difference in how this book receives attention.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Number one would be, have fun with it. If you love to write, then follow your passion. Don’t be afraid of the process, but be willing to accept that there are a lot of us out there. Go with the idea that, first and foremost, you want your book out there, too. Fame and fortune may or may not follow, but most likely, that’s not why you write.
Number two, get a good editor. No matter what you think you know, other sets of eyes are critical to catching both the unnecessary verbiage and the missing information. I edit non-fiction for a living, and my grammar and punctuation are not a problem, so I thought I would breeze through that part. What my editors caught regarding the story in Correlation was amazing.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, living there from birth until I was twenty-three.
Where do you live now?
I live in rural Vermont, on the border with New Hampshire, and have always held jobs in New Hampshire. I think of myself as bi-state-al.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I have grandchildren ranging in age from thirteen to twenty-six, and they help me stay in touch with what’s happening now, especially in the world of music. Otherwise, I’d be stuck somewhere in the 1970s and 1980s, which is where my preference in music still resides.
What are you working on now?
My next book will be another time-travel based on a house with names written in the attic. I guess I have a thing for houses with history.
End of Interview:
For more, visit Mia’s website, her Goodreads page, or follow her on twitter.
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