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This past January, I reached what is considered a much dreaded milestone in
life for many women…I turned forty. Honestly, it wasn’t
as bad as I had expected. Sure, I have a noticed some fine lines and I guess
I’m now supposed to be reading More magazine
instead of Glamour, but all things considered, my
life is pretty much the same.
In passing, a dear friend asked me if I had to choose, what would be my
greatest accomplishment thus far. Without skipping a beat, I replied, “My
sons.” Isn’t that the truth? Can you think of anything more
life altering than giving birth to another human being? I live and breathe
for my boys, as does my husband. There is nothing we wouldn’t do
for them and rightfully so. They are our world.
 With
that being said, this month’s Jen’s Jewels,
Barbara Delinsky, epitomizes the true meaning of love not only through her writing,
but also with the way in which she leads her life. And, her latest release, The
Secret Between Us, touches upon our theme for the month…love. It’s
the emotional story of a mother and daughter who are unexpectedly put into a
situation that tests the power of their love and ultimately changes their relationship
forever. As you know from her previous novels, Barbara’s talent for
weaving an emotional drama is second to none. I truly think this novel is one
of her best. Find this book in our catalog.
As part of this interview, Random House Books has graciously
donated five copies to give-away to my readers. So, don’t forget
to look for the trivia question at the end.
Go ahead and grab some chocolate (Valentine’s Day is coming, so why not
treat yourself to something sweet?) and get to know my friend, Barbara Delinsky.
Jen: After I completed my background research,
I had to take a moment to reflect on the trials
and tribulations that you have overcome. From
losing your mom at such an early age to being a
breast cancer survivor, you have faced much adversity
and have come out such a vibrant human being ready
to tackle life’s next challenge. So
that my readers have a better understanding of
your journey, please give us a brief overview of
your personal and professional background.
Barbara: I was born and raised in suburban
Boston – and, funny, I don’t see
myself as having overcome trials and tribulations. Yes,
my mother died when I was eight, but my dad was
still around, so my childhood was pretty ordinary. I
took piano lessons, flute lessons, and ballroom
dancing lessons. I spent summers at camp,
then, when I was sixteen, learning how to type
and to drive. Soon thereafter, I
was kicked out of Honors English because I couldn’t
keep up! Still, I earned a B.A. in Psychology
at Tufts University and an M.A. in Sociology
at Boston College.
Following graduate school, I worked as a researcher
with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Children, and as a photographer and
reporter for the Belmont Herald. I did the newspaper
work after my first son was born. Since I was heavily
into taking pictures of him, I worked for the paper
to support that habit. Initially, I wrote only
in a secondary capacity, to provide copy for the
pictures I took. In time, I realized that I was
better at writing than photography.
I became a professional writer by fluke. My twins
were four when, by chance, I happened on a newspaper
article profiling three female writers. Intrigued,
I spent three months researching, plotting, and
writing my own book - and it sold.
 Today, my novels are character-driven studies of
marriage, parenthood, sibling rivalry, and friendship. I’ve
also put together a book on breast cancer, which
I have survived as my mother did not. This
book, Uplift: Secrets From the Sisterhood
of Breast Cancer Survivors, is a handbook
of practical tips and upbeat anecdotes that I compiled
with the help of 350 breast cancer survivors, their
families and friends. The entirety of my
proceeds from this book has gone into my charitable
foundation, which funds an ongoing research fellowship
at Massachusetts General Hospital. I
gotta tell you. It doesn’t get any
better than that. Find this book in our catalog.
Jen: As you have said,
writing was really not on your agenda as a profession
of choice until you read an article about three
female writers and then decided to take a stab
at it. Please take us through your writing process. Plot first?
Characters? What is the most essential piece to
constructing the story? And most importantly,
typically how much research goes into each novel?
Barbara: The process of my writing has
evolved over the years. Most often now, the
premise comes first – in the case of The
Secret Between Us, “Mom lies for
daughter, and it backfires.” Then I
start sketching out characters – giving
them backgrounds and personalities. At the
same time, I do my basic research, and that varies
by the book. I worked with geneticists for Family
Tree and with accident lawyers, family
doctors, and optometrists for The Secret
Between Us. Once that’s done,
I jump right in and actually eke out the first
three chapters. These early pages are so
crucial (and difficult) that I spend more time
on them than on the rest of the chapters combined. By
the time they’re done, though, I finally
know my characters enough to proceed. That’s
when I do in-depth plotting and outlining. I
have to ensure that the story sticks to the central
theme(s) I’ve chosen, that the emotional
progression is correct, and that each and every
scene furthers the plot. By the way, when
the book is done, I go back and cut as much as ¼ of
what I’ve written. That’s for
tightness and pacing, and, as painful as it is,
it is crucial.
Jen: If you had to describe your niche in this
business, what would it be? What makes your
writing so different and appealing that it keeps
readers coming back for more? (I am one of those
readers, by the way.J)
Barbara: I write about the emotional
crises that we face in our lives. Readers tell
me that they identify with my characters. They
know them. They are them. I'm an everyday
woman writing about everyday people facing not-so-everyday
challenges. And believe me, I love readers
like you to bits. I’ve built my career
one reader at a time. I owe a dept of gratitude
to you all!
Jen: Has there been a defining moment in your
career when you have taken a step back and have
thought to yourself that yes, your work has made
a difference in this world? If so, what has proved
to be the most meaningful and why?
Barbara: The defining moment would be
when I realized that my name was recognizable
enough for me to be able to help women with breast
cancer. The result was my non-fiction book, Uplift:
Secrets From the Sisterhood of Breast Cancer. My
success as a novelist made this book possible,
and the fellowship funded by the proceeds of
this book is training now doctors in research
that will hopefully lead to a cure.
Jen: The first book of yours that I read was Looking
for Peyton Place which I selected
for my thirty-something book club. We
all loved it and wound up checking out all
the other titles we had in the library! In
your latest release, The Secret
Between Us, you once again shed
a different light on an event that could happen
to any of us. How did you arrive at the
premise?
Barbara: This is one of those plots that’s
been tossing and turning in my mind for years. I
remember Grace Kelly. I remember how she
died. I remember that her fifteen-year-old
daughter was with her in the car that fateful day,
and that the girl acted out for years afterward. The
official story is that Grace suffered a stroke
while she was driving. But the psychologist
(and mom) in me always wondered whether the daughter
was actually the one at the wheel. If so,
her misbehavior would be understandable, given
the guilt she would have felt. Not that I
blame her father, Prince Ranier. With Grace
dead and Stephanie having her whole life ahead,
I’d have made the same choice …
And so The Secret Between Us was
born. The scenario is slightly different,
but the premise is the same: What happens when
a lie, told with the best of intentions, goes
wrong?
Jen: What I love best about your characters are
the multi-layered facets of their personalities. Readers
can easily relate to them and thus feel a connection
to their story. What are your main character Deborah
Monroe’s strengths? Weaknesses?
Barbara: Deborah is an amazingly adept
woman. She is a skilled doctor with a family
practice, an active single mother, a caring sister
and daughter, and a devoted friend. Those
are her strengths – things we all admire.
Her weaknesses? She needs a life plan. She’s
always had one, and it did follow its preordained
course until her marriage fell apart. She
didn’t plan on that, and may not have handled
it well. Then comes the accident. She
didn’t plan on that, either, and clearly
didn’t handle it right. How to confess
to having made a huge mistake? How to accept
that we can’t plan out our whole
life?
Jen: Deborah Monroe’s daughter, Grace, must
comes to grips with the reality of what she has
done versus disappointing the one person in her
life who has never let her down, her mother. Who
really is to blame? Grace or Deborah …and
why?
Barbara: I think, here, that you’ve
actually hit on another of Deborah’s weaknesses,
and it’s a case of history repeating itself. Much
as her father had expectations for her, she has
expectations for her own kids, especially for
her daughter. Just as, in the aftermath
of the accident, she has to make her father understand
that she isn’t him, she has to accept
that what was right for her may not be
right for her daughter.
Jen: Without giving away too much of the plot,
which part of the story was the most enjoyable
to write and why? Which part was the most
challenging and why?
Barbara: The accident was enjoyable
to write because it was high drama, and I love
writing that. Same with the climactic
emotional scene between in the alley between
Deborah and Grace. Here is mother-daughter
angst at its best. The most challenging
was probably the ending, because I was squirming
right along with Deborah, wondering if she was
finally getting it right.
Jen: What message, if any, are you sending to
your readers by writing this book?
Barbara: I
hate to think I’m
sending a message, but if there is something
I want readers to take away from The
Secret Between Us it has to do with
imposing our own expectations on those we love. Aiming
high is wonderful, as long as the person doing
the aiming has chosen the goal that is right
for him or her.
Jen: What has surprised you most about the publishing
business and why?
Barbara: It’s a business. Whoa,
is it a business – and with each year,
it becomes more so. The days when a good
book would succeed purely because it’s
good are gone. Now, for an author to be
successful, she must be willing to get involved
in things like websites, podcast production,
and phone meetings with book groups. She
also needs to be able to communicate with her
readers. This is all time consuming and
takes time from actually writing a book. I
know some writers far more talented than I, who
have stopped writing because they couldn’t
handle that.
Jen: As I mentioned earlier, you are a breast
cancer survivor. For those readers not familiar
with your Uplift: Secrets from the
Sisterhood of Breast Cancer Survivors book
and handbook, please tell us a little bit about
them.
Barbara: Uplift is
the book I wished I’d had when I was diagnosed
with breast cancer. Yes, I tell a little
of my own experience, but mostly this book is
comprised of snippets of wisdom and wit sent
to me by 375+ breast cancer survivors, their
families, friends, and co-workers. It tells
those newly diagnosed things that their doctors
don’t know, somatic things, personal things. AND
it is not frightening. There is no medical
talk in this book. It is simply secrets
shared between sisterly friends.
Jen: Please tell us about your website.
Do you have email notification of upcoming releases?
Do you participate in a blog? Are you available
for author phone chats? And if so, how would my
readers go about scheduling it?
Barbara: My website, barbaradelinsky.com,
is filled with content – but hey, I’ve
written a lot of books! There is information
on all my books, bio material, info on writing,
info on Uplift. Yes,
there is a blog. And yes, there is a contact
page for sending me notes and signing up for
my mailing list. I respect my readers’ time
and privacy, and therefore try not to inundate
them with eblasts, but I do send notices when
new books come out, when I’m sponsoring
contests, or when the first chapter of an as-yet-unpublished
book is posted. And yes, I do phone chats. To
schedule one, readers simply need to send a note
through my contact page. So… the
website is at http://www.barbaradelinsky.com ,
and the contact page is at http://www.barbaradelinsky.com/delinsky-contact.htm. Let
me say here, too, that I answer every note readers
send!
Jen: Are you currently working on your next novel? If
so, what can you tell us about it?
Barbara: The title is While
My Sister Sleeps, and it’s
the story of a family tragedy that helps a young
woman find her voice. Enough said for now … J
Jen: It has been an honor to be able to interview
you, Barbara. I think I speak for many when
I say that you truly are an inspiration to everyone
you have touched whether it be through your words
or your works of love. Best of luck in 2008!
Barbara: Thank you, Jen. Believe
me, I have been touched in turn by my readers – and
blessed that they care enough to want to read
more!
I hope you have enjoyed my interview.
If you haven’t
picked up anything for your mom for Valentine’s
Day, why not buy her a copy of The
Secret Between Us? I guarantee that
she’ll love it! Better yet, would you
like to win a copy? Okay, the first five people
to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with
the correct answer the following question will
win. Good luck!
Name the title of Barbara’s book
about breast cancer.
Next time, I am stepping out of my comfort zone
of romance and women authors and bringing to you
an interview with a phenomenal military suspense
author named John Lescroart. You won’t
want to miss it!!
Happy Valentine’s Day….Jen |
Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels