WELCOME
S. R. Mallery
Author Bio:
Eclectic, I have worn
various hats in my life. In fact, at one interview, the interviewer even said,
“Wow! You’re either amazingly versatile or you’re crazy!” Starting out as a
classical/pop singer/composer, I moved on to the professional world of
production art and calligraphy. Next came a long career as an award winning
quilt artist/teacher, followed by being an ESL/Reading instructor.
My short stories have been
published in descant 2008, Snowy Egret, Transcendent Visions, The Storyteller,
and Down In the Dirt. "Unexpected Gifts", my debut
novel, is currently available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. "Sewing
Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads", my collection of short
stories, are due late 2013. Both books are published by Mockingbird Lane Press.
Unexpected Gifts
Brief synopsis of your book:
Can we learn from our
ancestral past? Do our relatives’ behaviors help mold our own? In
"Unexpected Gifts," that is precisely what happens to Sonia, a
confused college student, heading for addictions and forever choosing the wrong
man. Searching for answers, she begins to read her family’s diaries and
journals from America’s past: the Vietnam War, Woodstock, and Timothy Leary
era; Tupperware parties, McCarthyism, and Black Power; the Great Depression,
dance marathons, and Eleanor Roosevelt; the immigrant experience and the
Suffragists. Back and forth the book journeys, linking yesteryear with modern
life until finally, by understanding her ancestors' hardships and faults, she
gains enough clarity to make some right choices.
Current book or project you’re working on:
I’ve been doing last
minute edits on my “Sewing Can Be
Dangerous and Other Small Threads”, due out late 2013, and research on my
third book, a missing persons mystery that takes place during the American
Civil War period.
What was the inspiration for your novel?
I’ve always been highly
interested in U.S. history and at the same time, enjoyed thumbing through
family photo albums of my ancestors, studying their outfits and loving to hear
about their stories, etc. On top of that,
lying in bed many years ago, with my then three-year-old daughter and reading
one of my mother’s short stories, I suddenly realized there were three
generations together that night. I guess
all of that stuck somehow…
Please share three interesting facts about your
book, which are not covered in the synopsis.
1) There
are a couple of descriptions of what it was like to work on the Empire State
Building as a ‘high steeler’ during the 1930’s—the rhythm of their movements,
how they were totally brazen as they lined up on the high beams eating their
lunch, without any thought of falling 70 stories into traffic below.
2) There
is a description of what the 1964 Harlem Riots were like as three of my
characters get swept up into it.
3) There
is also a description of how Hobos during the 1930’s would hop on trains, in
order to avoid detection from the vicious ‘Bulls,’ as well as a description of
the famous ‘Hooverville’ encampment of veterans, protesting their lack of
benefits owed them.
What is
the most complex character from your current novel ?
This is hard for me to
answer, but perhaps Andrei, Sonia’s great-great grandfather from Bulgaria. Because life handed him a sudden, raw deal,
he evolved into a very different person after he was forced to come to the U.S.
and start all over again as an immigrant.
Are there any characters in your book that
remind you of yourself?
Yes. The main character, Sonia, who researches her
relatives, has OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), and I have some of that—the
kind where the mind never rests!
Enjoyed doing some of the
research on that, which comes out during her psych study groups.
If you could pick any well-known or famous
author to review your book, who would you pick and why?
That’s a toughie….OK, if
we’re doing hypothetical here, maybe Harper Lee (were she alive), because I
loved her simplicity, her pathos, and her touching, multi-layered To Kill a Mockingbird. If she gave my book a good review, I would be thrilled!
What genre does your book fall into?
Probably, historical
fiction/contemporary combo.
What is the first book you remember reading that
affected how you thought or felt about something?
Definitely, “A Tree Grows
In Brooklyn,” because I loved the main character, Francie. In her own quiet way, she was
fierce—protecting her little brother and in one unforgettable scene, standing
up to a local Christmas tree merchant, whose habit of throwing leftover free Xmas
trees roughly at people on Christmas Day was legendary. Besides that, she was a
total bookworm. I remember reading how
she would sit out on their fire escape in the summer and read and read and
read. That really impressed me.
Which
three authors have inspired you the most, and why?
1) Mark Twain.
I love his complete understanding of human behavior and his hilarious,
insightful, and ironic quips about the general condition of humanity.
2) O’Henry. I
love his clever phrasing, great story telling and of course, those wonderful
twist endings.
3) Harper Lee.
As mentioned before, her simplicity is deceptive. Behind it, lies wonderful ways of ‘showing’
rather than ‘saying’. In other words,
instead of something like, ‘I could tell Jem was scared…’ she would write
something like, ‘Jem didn’t answer, but the cot he was lying on was shaking.’
LOVE that stuff!!
Have you
ever read a book you couldn’t finish reading?
Yes. Now, before I get the hate mail, I would have
to say Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. LOVED it as a movie, but as a book, I got
totally fed up with all her many, many
clauses. I had to fight the urge to yell out, “Just say what you mean and get
on with it!!” Now, I know that was the style of many 19th century
authors, especially from England, but even Dickens didn’t do that much. You could read a description of his and
totally get into it. There, that ends my rant…
Do you read a book while you are writing a
book?
Absolutely. As an
historical fiction writer, there is always tons of research to do, for plot as
well as ambiance, so there’s that. But I
also love to read fiction on my Kindle at night. It doesn’t seem to get in the way of writing…actually,
I think it helps my writing.
How many books have you written? Which book is your favourite and why?
I have written two books: Unexpected Gifts, and the upcoming Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small
Threads. To be honest, each one was
my favorite at the time.
Is there anything that helps get you in the
mood to write?
Music. I use it as total inspiration—when I’m
driving in my car, listening to Pandora, particularly when I try to get music
that fits the period I’m writing about.
In Unexpected Gifts, I went
from a tape during the late 90’s for my main character, 60’s tape, 50’s tape,
30’s tape, an Irish music tape (for one of my characters) and even an early 19th
century music tape. It was wonderful and
totally helped me think of plots, motivations, scenes, etc.
What were three challenges you faced when
writing your book?
1) Once I started,
realizing the scope of what I was trying to do was huge. That scared me for a while, particularly
since I had never written an actual book, just short stories.
But then I decided to
think of each chapter being like a ‘story,’ and that calmed me down.
2) Making sure that the
memoirs of Sonia’s relatives and her own life dovetailed. I had to make up a two-columned list—which
fault/problem with her ancestor coincided with her current relationships. That took a little doing…
3) Because I love history
so much, I tended to put so much detail that when my publisher first formatted
it, it was 650 pages! Yikes! So, we cut
it down by half, and I have to admit, it is a better book. It still has a lot of description and
ambiance, but it flows now, or so I have been told.
What lessons have you learned as an aspiring
writer?
I’ve learned that the
process of writing and research is very, very
different from marketing. I can get into
the latter, but when the balance is off, and I’m not really doing much writing,
I am not a happy camper. I’m constantly
learning to ‘back off’
from internet promotion
and work on my third book, about a Civil War missing persons case.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, what helps you to ‘overcome’?
If I sit down to write, I
can always come up with something, but, as is the case right now, I’m so
distracted with marketing, editing of my upcoming collection, that I still only
have a very basic plot outline for my next book. Until I figure out more about that, I will
feel uneasy, like a student on Xmas vacation, never really relaxing because
he/she knows there’s a big exam awaiting him/her as soon as school starts up
again!
What is the most important thing you’ve
learned, either in the self-publishing or traditional publisher, route?
I’ve learned so much from
my publisher---the back and forth editing process, the collaboration on the
book cover and trailer, the learning process of Twitter, FB, and Goodreads (I’m
STILL not all that savvy!).
I never considered being
self-published before, but as that route has increased and been accepted exponentially,
I find myself more and more open to it in the future. But until then, I’m okay where I am—my
publisher is very nice and patient with me, and that’s exactly what I’ve needed
as a newbie.
How long
does it usually take for you to complete a book?
Don’t ask! The one major drawback to being an historical
fiction author is doing all that research.
Oh, I’ve read historical novels that are nice stories but hardly have
anything that gives the real flavor of the period in them, and I’ve thought,
‘wow! If I did that, I could bang out a whole slew of books!’. But that’s just not me. The research fascinates me and gives me all
kinds of ideas, so I guess as long as I write in that genre, I’m stuck with the
time issue.
Do you have any ideas for your book and
Hollywood? Actors, directors, music.
Nothing specific, but you
can bet, when my second book is out for a little while, I will be trying to tap
into the entertainment field. Several
readers of my short stories, in particular, have said they would make great
movies. We’lllllll see………
Which book to movie conversion is your
favourite?
Actually, I can think of
three offhand. 1) “To Kill a
Mockingbird”, because it was so faithful to the tone of the book. 2)
“Pride and Prejudice,” for the reasons stated before. 3) “Billy Budd,” originally written by Herman
Melville, and brilliantly adapted for screen by the great Peter Ustinov.
Do you watch a lot of sciene fiction or fantasy
movies?
No, sorry. However, I have read Ray Bradbury and Roahl
Dahl and loved their quirky fantasies.
Do you study science, the planets, history, or
anything special to help you with your writing?
Of course history, that
goes without saying. But I studied some
Haiku poetry for a while to help with being succinct in my descriptions.
What,
who, and when were you first inspired you to write?
Because my father was a
television writer, I grew up with the sound of his Underwood typewriter
clicking away at night---it was very comforting to me. Other relatives also wrote books and
articles, so although I was so drawn to the whole field, I was also too intimated
to really try my hand in it until I was much, much older. But once I did, I couldn’t stop!
Person
favs:
Drink – chardonnay
Food – all kinds, except sushi
Vacation – visiting the British Isles
TV show – no
one particular show, but I love many series—Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Orange is
the New Black, Downton Abbey, Homeland, The Wire, etc, etc.
Movie – The
Miracle Worker, L.A. Confidential, Argo, Born Yesterday, Poltergeist—what can I
say? I’m eclectic!
Animal – cats
Sport – tennis
Book - (Please see my other answer….)
EXCERPT for Unexpected
Gifts:
(I’ve included a little
bit from Sonia’s various relatives)
Chapter
2: Sam––Living With Fear
[From Sonia’s father’s letters]
“….crack-crack-crack! Everyone froze. “Get the fuck down!” yelled our squad leader,
Sgt. Carbini.
We
dropped like stones, trying to listen for snipers over our pounding chests…..”
“….Nearing
the village, we passed women in their beige tunics, black pants, and Sampan
hats…Most kept their heads lowered as they walked, but the few who didn’t,
stared up at us with dead, black-brown eyes and pressed lips….”
“….Carbini
was first. He marched over to a hooch, flipped on his Zippo, and carefully lit
the underbelly of its thatched roof. It
smoldered for a few seconds, a thin, rising wisp of smoke twisting in the
tropical air. From that, a flame grew,
nibbling at the straw with a low, blue heat before suddenly bursting into a
torch, arcing up towards the sky in a yellow-hot blaze….”
Chapter
10: Tony’s Demons
[from Sonia’s great-grandfather
Tony’s journal]
“…In
1930, the big city breadlines expanded by the hour, snaking around buildings
like a cobra slowly choking the life out of its victims, but the farmers stayed
smug; they thought they were the bee’s knees…..but when record droughts, the
likes of which had never been seen, ravaged the Great Plains, farming became
impossible. By 1936, storms had picked up, slamming the entire country with
heavy rains, blizzards, tornadoes, and floods, and if that didn’t beat all,
giant black clouds of rolling dust and grit darkened the sky over the Midwest,
cocooning it like it was the end of the world….”
Chapter
12: Daria––Living With Proverbs
[written in Sonia’s Irish great
great-grandmother Daria’s bible]
“….And
they say I was born at an inconvenient time.
The year was 1902, and the moment, the wee hours of a rain-soaked morn
in County Kerry. A terrible storm it
was, with lightning that crackled the sky and hoarse winds that rattled the trees. If it be true that St. Patrick had banished
all the snakes from Ireland, it sure was a shame he didn’t bother with the
rain. But maybe that was too big a job
even for the likes of him, who knows?”
Chapter
14: Adriana––Guilty Freedoms
[from Sonia’s great Aunt
Adriana’s journal]
“…Eleanor
[Roosevelt] surreptitiously pulled me aside…”
“I
want you to go down to Alabama…”
“….speeding
off, I looked behind us at the Spanish Moss swaying in the sultry summer
breeze, the porch lights on, the fireflies sparking, the cicadas sawing their
song, and the memory of…double-edged gentility.
We both breathed huge sighs of relief and agreed how we could now fully
commiserate with the Negroes in our country, not only in the South.
BANG! My body lurched forward, my head
hitting the windshield. I could hear Jim
swearing.
“Dammit! They’re comin’ after us!”
Chapter16:
Adriana––Sentinels Amongst the Hoi Polloi
[From
Sonia’s great-great aunt Adriana’s journal when she was a young suffragist]
“…as
the nurse jammed a twenty foot tube, topped off with a funnel on one end, far
up into my right nostril, all my senses heightened. I could smell the stench of urine in my
underwear, feel the ties on my hands digging into my skin, the hard chair under
me prodding my backbone, and just before the steady flow of liquid food
descended into my nasal cavity, I heard the nurse heave the tiniest of sighs.”
Chapter
18:Andrei––Escaping Icons
[From
Sonia’s great great-grandfather Andrei’s journal working at the Ford Factory in
1915 Detroit]
“….The first couple of rooms were
filled with drive train assembly lines, the large, metal chains hoisting and
lowering engines onto chasses. The next
couple of rooms were only for women building spark plugs by hand, their backs
hunched over in awkward positions that foreshadowed major arthritis at too
young an age…”
~ • ~ • ~ • ~
SEWING CAN BE DANGEROUS
AND OTHER SMALL THREADS
Synopsis for SEWING
CAN BE DANGEROUS AND OTHER SMALL THREADS:
The eleven long short stories in “Sewing Can Be Dangerous and
Other Small Threads combine history, mystery, action and/or romance, and range
from drug trafficking using Guatemalan hand-woven wallets, to an Antebellum
U.S. slave using codes in her quilts as a message system to freedom; from an
ex-journalist and her Hopi Indian maid solving a cold case together involving
Katchina spirits, to a couple hiding Christian passports in a comforter in Nazi
Germany; from a wedding quilt curse dating back to the Salem Witchcraft Trials,
to a mystery involving a young seamstress in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist
Factory fire; from a 1980’s Romeo and Juliet romance between a rising Wall
Street financial ‘star’ and an eclectic fiber artist, to a Haight-Asbury love
affair between a professor and a beautiful macramé artist gone horribly askew,
just to name a few.
How can people connect with you?
Twitter: SarahMallery1
Where can readers find your book?
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