FROM THE DESK OF
DONA PENZA TATTLE,
ESQ.
AND
ASSOCIATE WRYE
BALDERDASH
Greetings,
“Oh the weather outside is
frightful, but m’dear it’s so delightful cause it’s the month of hearts and
roses, soooooo let it snow, let it snow, let it snoooowwwww!” Tattle throws out her arms as she belts out
the song.
“Huh?” Wrye looks at her and
blinks. “Aren’t you sorta mixing
holidays? Not to mention those that
don’t live in cold weather climates, and….”
Tattle interrupts him. “I’m just so excited about it being the
Valentine month. So, much romance, so
much love….”
It’s his turn to cut her off. “So much chocolate.”
She grins. “Well, there is that, but I am also excited
because we are highlighting the delightful Jeanne
Arnold, a young adult romance author, whose debut novel STUBBORN has recently been released
followed by
THE HAUNT OF THIRTEEN CURVES in June
2014.”
“Well,
let’s get ready.”
Tattle
picks up a picnic basket. “Already
ready, Freddy, for our monthly Love of Literature Leap!”
“Whoooo’s
Freddy,” echoes as the two disappear from the office and land in Jeanne’s
kitchen, where she is diligently tapping away on her laptop.
“Ta
da!” announces Tattle and immediately brings out her mysteriously bottomless
basket, a steamy hot tea pot filled with chai tea, another pot of hot chocolate
and a filled coffee pot, along with cutlery, china plates, scones, strawberry
jam, sweet cakes, tea cakes, and, of course, chocolate. “Hope we’re not late,” Tattle announces as
she arranges everything around the laptop.
“And welcome to our gossipy…errr…chit-chatty world.”
A bottomless basket
of anything that resembles a baked good is always welcome on my desk. I’ll take
a coffee, black. Thank you.
“Hmmmm,
I guess we are a bit unconventional while doing an interview, but, you and your
stories are so interesting, we just had to pop in and find out more about
you. So, first question: If there was an alien invasion, and you could
only take one thing, would it be your laptop or a bottle of water or your stash
of candy? ” asks Tattle.
Wrye
rolls his eyes. “What sort of question
is that? Shouldn’t you ask her about her
book STUBBORN?”
“I’m
getting to that.”
I would take the
laptop. No question.
“Very
responsible answer. Now, about STUBBORN, from what we can see, this
book has been inspired by your own teenage years, and your fabulously romantic
marriage. Our spies errrr…. ummm…. I mean, our reliable sources tell us you
married your high school sweetheart. In
light of that, do you see your hubby in your hero?”
I did eventually
marry my high school sweetheart, so I have plenty of inspiration. I always use
bits and pieces of my husband’s personality in all of my books, including STUBBORN.
My male love interests have his dry wit and sarcasm and some physical features.
Each of the Halden brothers in Stubborn has one of his characteristics.
“And,”
adds Wrye, “Tell us a little about that story?”
STUBBORN
is set in present
day Williston, North Dakota, the epicenter of America’s latest and most
explosive oil boom. Seventeen-year-old Avery Ross is sent across the states as
punishment to help her aunt run a boarding house for oil field hands. When a
boy with a sultry Texan accent comes to her defense, Avery has no clue that his
actions will lead her into the most explosive summer of her life. She discovers
a connection between her aunt and the striking boy and becomes entangled in
their battle over oil rights, loyalty, and love. Avery falls for the brooding, younger
brother, Gabriel Halden, against her aunt’s forewarnings and creates more
tribulations than any of them could anticipate.
Tattle
sips her tea, adds two more teaspoons of sugar that magically appear on the
table. “Which of the three heroines that
our mole ferreted out are you most like, Avery Ross, Marcella Jackoby, or Eliza
Roussin?”
“Our
mole doesn’t ferret out anything. He’s
in a cage,” Wrye whispers.
Tattle
waves her hand away and awaits Jeanne’s answer.
There’s a little of
me in each of them. I’m emotionally related to Marcella Jacoby from The Haunt
of Thirteen Curves. I had her innocent, reserved personality as a teen. I wasn’t
shy but I was quiet and observant. I found myself writing myself into that
story, feeling my heart tug for both of her male love interests the way she
does. As for Avery Ross in Stubborn, I had her fighting personality deep inside
me as a teen. I still do. And I fell for the boy, just like she does. Yet physically
I’m nothing like her. And when my character Eliza Roussin had to make a choice
between following her heart or her calling, she and I definitely were thinking
alike.
“By
the way, for those of you who don’t have a pet mole, Eliza Roussin is from
Jeanne’s current project, THE WORST
POSSIBLE WAY.” Tattle nibbles on a
sandwich. “Now, let’s get down to the
nitty gritty. Are you a good liar?”
“You
don’t have to answer that!” Wrye gives
Tattle the hairy-eyeball that suggested she was either insane or rude.
“I’m
just trying to get to know her better.
After all, liars are the best writers.
So, spill, m’dear, just how good a liar are ya?”
I’m a fabulous liar.
I plan to make a killing as the best liar in the publishing world.
“Now, think food, savory or sweet, meaty or veggie, creamy or
gritty? If you were a food, what food
would you want be?”
I love crunch and
salt so anything in a noisy bag that I have to fight to tear open is perfect
for me.
Wrye takes to the food question and adds one of his own. “After Avery leaves New York for North Dakota
does she experience a difference in culinary cuisine?”
She has the pleasure
of eating lefse, a flat Norwegian potato cake that resembles a soft taco. In
North Dakota, everyone refers to soda as pop. Other than that she’s surrounded
by Gabe Halden’s candy stash, but she doesn’t have a sweet tooth or the need to
keep Willy Wonka in business like he does.
“Good response, Jeanne. Now, just
one more question, and you can get back to work. If you could live your novel STUBBORN for several days, which part of
the book would you like to be in and which character would you be?
Oddly enough, I’d chose to be Avery
Ross when she’s wandering through her high school aimlessly, despondent and
distressed over a boy after a tumultuous, heart wrenching summer. Knowing what
surprise she has coming…I’d suffer just to be part of it.
Tattle realizes the entire basket of goodies had re-packed itself,
indicating the wonderful interview was over. “Oh, m’dear, it is time to leap
back to our office. It has been a treat
to spend time with you and we will certainly add your stories to our TBR list.
Even though we’re far…far…far…far…faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from our teen years,
we can still enjoy a romantic venture of those gone-by-days.”
Wrye nods, “Young adult romances aren’t just for the young, but for the
young in spirit. Thank you so much for
allowing us to invade your kitchen.” He
offers a gentlemanly bow.
Thank you for the
pleasant distraction. I’m always happy to share stories about my writing and I
would never turn down visitors offering treats.
The duo appear in their office.
Hope everyone enjoyed our visit with
Jeanne Arnold. Until next month, keep reading!
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Created
and written by
Angelica Hart and Zi
He heBooks
by Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER
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