April 26, 2013
Welcome Author
Valerie Constantine
Author bio: Valerie Constantine was born in
Baltimore, Maryland. She has always
loved books and spent too many nights reading by the light of her bedside lamp
until 3 a.m. (Those were the days when
she was able to stay up that late.) She
graduated from Nancy Drew to Shakespeare and went on to study at the University
of Maryland where she received a degree in English Literature. She is an active community volunteer working
with a Washington, D.C. organization that fights human trafficking and also
with Caritas Society of St. John’s College Annapolis, which raises funds for
student financial aid. In her spare time
she reads, kayaks and travels. She
spends part of the year in England and lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her
husband and Zorba, their brilliant King Charles Cavalier. Circle Dance, which she co-authored with her sister Lynne
Constantine, is her first novel.
Personal favs:
Drink – Jack
Frost Herbal Tea from Baltimore Coffee & Tea
Food – Anything
Italian
Vacation – The
Greek Islands
TV show – As Time
Goes By
Movie – Shirley
Valentine
Animal – My dog
Zorba
Sport – Kayaking
Book – Pride and
Prejudice
Book title: Circle Dance
Brief synopsis of your book:
Young, smart and beautiful with
everything figured out – or so they thought.
Born into a prosperous Greek American family, sisters Nicole and
Theodora have achieved the perfect balance between the old world rich in Greek
tradition and the freedom of life in America. As the dramatic plot unfolds, the
two young women must confront deceit and betrayal and their own maturing
passions – while they struggle to preserve the values they cherish. Set in
Baltimore, Annapolis and the tiny island of Ikaria, Greece, Circle Dance
provides a view into the lives of a dynamic family that has successfully
achieved the American dream without abandoning the customs and traditions
handed down through their Greek heritage.
Artfully intertwined plots bring generations together in a dance of
rejoicing and mourning, loss and healing that will keep readers enthralled
until the last page.
Current book or project you’re working on:
I’m working on two projects – the first is a story
set in New Testament times and the second is a contemporary novel.
What was the inspiration for your novel?
My sister and I talked and talked about collaborating
on something together and the more we talked, the more we liked the idea of
telling a story about family from our experience growing up in a close knit and
very large Greek American family. We were both married with children and
thought this would, if nothing else, be a wonderful legacy for our children
(and eventual grandchildren) – a look, as it were, into an old country/new
world drama that they would never experience as 3rd and 4th
generation Americans.
Please share three interesting facts about
your book which are not covered in the synopsis.
1) Redemption is
not always possible.
2) There is a
look inside the workings of a political campaign.
3) The Greek food
will make your mouth water.
Who is the most complex character from your
current novel? I would say it’s Nicole, one of the two
sisters who are the protagonists of Circle
Dance. She appears on the surface to be self-confident and independent, but
underneath has much emotional turmoil to resolve.
Are there any characters in your book that
remind you of yourself?
Probably
Theodora, although I feel a connection on some level with all of the characters
since I share characteristics with each of them. I think writers put a little
bit of themselves into all of their characters – even the bad ones.
If you could pick any well known or famous
author to review your book who would you pick and why?
I would choose
Joanna Trollope, firstly because I love her work and secondly because she
writes with such insight and understanding of what makes us tick. She explores
with such relish the relationships and family dynamics we all experience.
What, who, and when were you first inspired
you to write?
I have always
wanted to write and am a keen observer of people – it’s one of my favorite
pastimes. And I’ve always loved stories about families and their interactions.
Reading took me to places I’d never been and introduced me to people I’d never
met. I loved dreaming up stories from the time I was in elementary school and
when I finally got to high school, my absolute favorite subject was English
Literature. The continued exposure to the classics at university sealed the
deal.
Genre/Author/Reader:
What genre does your book fall into? Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Which genres do you write? Contemporary Fiction and Historical
Fiction
What is the first book you remember
reading, that affected how you thought or felt about something?
George Orwell’s Animal Farm. It shocked me to the core!
Is there a book you loved that was also
made into a movie that you also loved? If so, how did the movie connect with
you?
I loved The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri and
thought they did a great job bringing it to life on the screen. It is the poignant
story of an Indian immigrant family and the struggles they and their son face
as they assimilate in America. Family again…
Which three authors have inspired you the
most, and why?
1) William
Shakespeare – This sounds so self-important, but I don’t mean it that way at
all. I just marvel that anyone could possess such incredible genius in all
areas of writing – the spellbinding plots, the complex characters, the magnificent
writing, all the words and phrases that have become a huge part of the lexicon.
He’s awe-inspiring.
2) Susan Howitch –
The first of her works that I read was Penmarric,
which is set in beautiful Cornwall and is the saga of a family divided against
itself. She went on to write another family saga Cashelmara and also the incredible series on the Church of England.
It’s all about the workings of the family for me.
3) Sinclair Lewis
– I read Lewis as a teenager – Main
Street, Babbitt, Dodsworth, Elmer Gantry – and have re-read them as an
adult. His works stand the test of time and are a disquieting and perceptive
examination of human nature.
Have you ever read a book you couldn’t
finish reading? I feel compelled
to finish what I start, even though there are times I regret it.
Do you read a book, while you are writing a
book? I do – usually
several at a time.
The process:
How many books have you written? Which book
is your favourite and why?
Circle Dance is my first full-length novel. I am now
working on two others.
Is there anything that helps get you in the
mood to write? Writing puts me
in the mood to write. If I waited for the “mood to strike”, I would probably
never write a word.
What were three challenges you faced when
writing your book?
1) Co-authoring
was the biggest challenge.
2) Editing and
rewriting were often laborious and tedious.
3) Maintaining a
strict writing schedule while working full time was sometimes difficult. We
promised each other that we would each write 15 pages (at least) a week.
What lessons have you learned as an aspiring
writer?
Humility. Patience. Also that you must
push yourself to write, especially when you don’t feel like it. You can’t wait
for your muse to show up. And it’s been beneficial for me to continue reading
about writing, reading GOOD writing, and taking writing classes.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If
so what helps you to ‘overcome’? Often a walk,
being in nature, will get the creative thoughts going. And sometimes sitting
back and listening to music that I love will help.
What is the most important thing you’ve
learned, either in the self-publishing or traditional publisher, route?
Diligence and perseverance. If you’re going the traditional route,
don’t be discouraged by rejections. The best authors have received plenty but
soldiered on to get published. As Winston Churchill said, “Success
is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
How can people connect with you?
Where can readers find your book?
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