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 Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels
your ultimate source of tidbits
and tantalizing scoop happening in romance, chick-lit,
mystery, and suspense!
Also see Previous
Interviews |
Kathleen
McCleary
July 1 , 2008
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There’s no place like home. Dorothy
knew what she was talking about, didn’t
she? I love the house I live in now. About three
years ago, we traded in, so to speak, our two-story
home for a one-story. Why we hadn’t thought
of it sooner, I’ll never know. Who needs
steps with a hip replacement? Not me! That’s
for sure.
When we first found this house, I was immediately
sold. It backs up to natural preserves with every
imaginable type of wildlife living just a stone’s
throw away. And, what makes this house the perfect
home for me is a simple crabapple tree
outside my kitchen window. Every morning, I watch
my favorite birds stop by to eat. Every season,
I marvel at its beauty. In some ways, that tree
represents the seasons of my life.
But, imagine if you had to leave it
all behind. Think of all the memories your house
holds. Your child’s first steps. The holiday
gatherings. Heartache and happiness. If only these
walls could speak. Well, that’s exactly
what this month’s Jens’
Jewels did. In her debut novel entitled
HOUSE & HOME, HGTV.com’s
Kathleen McCleary takes us on one woman’s
journey to find peace with closing the door to
her past. Beautifully written, this story will
pull at your heartstrings as you come to treasure
the simplicity of calling a place home.
As part of this interview, Hyperion
Books has graciously donated five
copies of HOUSE & HOME.
So, don’t forget to look for the trivia
question at the end of the column. Good luck!
Go ahead and grab yourself something cold to drink
and get to know the gifted writer, Kathleen McCleary.
Jen: Most Jen's Jewels have been authors
who have had the lifelong dream of writing a book
and getting it published. Your story is uniquely
different because although this is your debut
novel, you have been in the publishing business
for many years (and with much success!) Please
tell us a little bit about your educational and
professional experience that led to your career
in publishing.
Kathleen:
I walked a very convoluted path into writing fiction,
although, like your other authors, I always dreamed
of writing and publishing a novel. I was a comparative
religion major in college, and then went on to law
school. After one semester, I knew I didn't want
to be a lawyer and that I wanted to do something
more creative. So I went to vocational school to
learn how to type (believe it or not, I had managed
to get through high school and college without typing
skills!) and then moved to New York, where I got
an entry-level job working for a health magazine.
I went on to work as a writer and editor on the
staffs of several magazines, including USA Weekend,
Money, and Entrée, a trade magazine for the housewares
industry. When my kids were young I stopped working
full time and started freelancing for a variety
of publications, including Ladies Home Journal,
Good Housekeeping, More, The New York Times, Martha
Stewart Living and HGTV.com. But it was all non-fiction.
I always had in the back of my mind the idea that
I'd love to write a novel. But it wasn't until I
moved across country four years ago (my husband's
job required a family move from Oregon to Virginia)
that I found a topic I cared about enough that I
felt I just HAD to express it through fiction. It
still seems unreal to me that I'm publishing my
first novel at age 48!
Jen: Being a columnist
on HGTV.com allowed you to spread your wings as
a journalist and explore a wide range of topics.
Back in 2004, you wrote a poignant article entitled
"Can you have a love affair with a House?" Is this
the inspiration behind your writing HOUSE & HOME?
Kathleen:
Yes. Right after I moved, the
editor for HGTV.com asked me to write a regular
biweekly column about fixing up our fifty-year-old
house. I told him I was still grieving over leaving
behind my house in Oregon, so he asked me to write
about that first. It was writing that column that
made me start to think about writing a novel about
a woman who loved her house so much that she literally
couldn't give it up. Shortly after I filed the
column, I wrote the first paragraph of the novel.
And that was all I had for a very long time-several
months really. I just needed to let that simmer,
and then the rest of the story started to unfold.
Jen: Throughout the story, I empathized
with Ellen, the lead character, with her internal
struggle of leaving behind a structure that holds
such meaning. I would feel the same way if I were
forced to sell my home. Do you feel that it would
be less of an issue for a man to walk away from
his house rather than it appears to be for a woman?
Or is this solely Ellen's obstacle to overcome?
Kathleen:
It's funny, as much as I have always believed
that this kind of house obsession is a female
thing, I've been surprised at the number of men
who have read the book and said they could relate.
When I was first writing it, I took an online
novel writing class through mediabistro.com. One
of our first assignments was to post a brief plot
outline and synopsis. Several of the men in the
class read mine and just couldn't get it- they
couldn't understand how anyone could feel so strongly
about a house. But then I started posting chapters
and the guys really got in to the story. One of
them even said, "I think this is a 'chick' book,
so I don't know what it means that I like it.
I'm not sure where this story will end up taking
me but I absolutely love the place it has brought
me to at this point." I think both genders can
relate to the idea of losing something you love,
something that represents safety and security
and comfort.
Jen: In light of the seriousness behind
the overall theme of the book, you lighten it
up with Ellen's harebrain schemes to essentially
force a take-over of her former house. What role
does her sidekick, Joanna, play in making her
come to terms with the finality of it all?
Kathleen:
Where would we be without our girlfriends? Joanna
is kind of a composite of two dear friends of
mine, women I've known since high school. She
is Ellen's sounding board, her confidante, her
cheerleader, her comic relief and her reality
check, which are all the roles that really good
friends play in our lives, don't you think?
Jen: In most books involving a potential
divorce, the husband is made out to be a cad,
but not so in HOUSE & HOME. From his first scene
to his last, I found Ellen's husband Sam simply
endearing. Why did you choose for him to be this
way?
Kathleen:
As anyone who's been in a relationship knows,
people are complicated and relationships are complicated,
and it's rarely just black and white. Any long-term
relationship usually involves highs and lows,
periods of intense closeness and intimacy and
periods of feeling distant or underappreciated.
Any two people have to negotiate and re-negotiate
what things you can tolerate, and what things
are deal-breakers. Sam isn't a bad guy, but he
and Ellen are very different personalities and
she has to figure out what is important to her.
I think it would have been difficult for Ellen
to grow as a person throughout the course of the
novel if Sam had simply been a cad. And he is
endearing, but he's also exasperating. To me,
that's what makes him real.
Jen: A question I just have to ask…a
hotdog diaper? Does it really exist? Was it your
idea? And if so, are you contemplating perhaps
a patent before your book hits the bestseller
lists?
Kathleen:
I completely made up the hotdog diaper, and I
don't even eat hotdogs! Actually, in the final
version of the book the hotdog diaper has been
replaced by a slightly less repellent (but equally
wacky) invention-the Baby Beeper, to help people
find their lost babies. In the final analysis
my editors felt that a woman as smart and cautious
and responsible as Ellen just wouldn't mortgage
her beloved house for a hotdog diaper, and I agreed.
It needed to be something that even careful Ellen
felt was worth risking everything for. You'll
have to let me know what you think of the new
invention! I think it is more true to the passions
that motivate the characters. That said, my eleven-year-old
daughter has been convinced from the beginning
that the hotdog diaper was the real stroke of
genius in my writing, and if I'd just pursued
that instead of finishing the novel, I'd be rich.
I'm still hoping to prove her wrong!
Jen: To thicken the plot, you introduce
a potential suitor for Ellen. How does this temptation
change the perception she has of herself? Does
it make her a stronger person or does it alternately
bring to light how vulnerable she can be?
Kathleen:
I think it's only because Ellen feels vulnerable
and lost-grief-stricken, really-that she is tempted
by a relationship with Jeffrey. Ellen is a pretty
careful, responsible, moral person-not the type
to enter casually into any relationship, let alone
a relationship with a married man. Losing the
house, which to her represents stability and security
and happiness, unmoors her, sets her loose from
everything she's held on to, including her assumptions
about who she is and what she is capable of.
Jen: Even the most seasoned writers sometimes
struggle with perfecting the art of their craft.
In relation to HOUSE&HOME, what part of the book
was the most difficult to write and why? The most
enjoyable?
Kathleen:
Great question! The scene with the fire at the
end of the book was very difficult to write. Believe
me, I sobbed into my keyboard many times as I
worked on it. It was just very emotional for me.
As a wife and mother, I related so strongly to
Ellen's terror for her family that it was truly
painful to write. Some of the most enjoyable scenes
to write were the scenes with Jo and Ellen. I
loved their friendship and the dialogue came very
easily. The scene that was the biggest surprise
to me was the one in which Jordan shows up at
the coffee shop and confronts Ellen about Jeffrey.
I simply had not known that was going to happen,
and it stunned me even as I wrote it.
Jen: Choosing from the secondary characters
in the story, who is your favorite and why?
Kathleen:
I love Cloud. He's a very grounded, self-aware,
at-peace kind of guy, and he's a wonderful counterpoint
to and respite for Ellen during this crazy, turbulent
time of her life. Just being around Cloud is calming,
and the fact that he's always ready with clean
floors, a fresh pot of tea and a big smile doesn't
hurt either. I'd love to have Cloud in my life.
Jen: Do you have a website? E-mail notification
of upcoming releases? Blog? Do you participate
in author phone chats? And if so, how would my
readers go about arranging one? Is there a reading
group guide available for book clubs?
Kathleen:
Yes to all of the above! My website, www.kathleenmccleary.com,
has lots of information on me and the book, including
a discussion guide for reading groups, a place
to sign up for my mailing list, and contact info
to set up author phone chats or visits (I travel
back and forth between the east and west coast
several times a year, so if I'm in your area,
I'm happy to stop by for a discussion). One of
my favorite features of the website is something
called "Your House Stories." It's a place for
readers to share their own stories about houses
they love. When I first sent the book out to agents
and then publishers, everyone seemed to have a
story about a house that was important in his
or her life. I can't wait to see what stories
my readers have to share.
Jen: Are you currently at work on your
next novel? If so, what can you tell us about
it?
Kathleen:
I'm right in the middle of my second novel and
just loving it! I'm enjoying the process a little
more this time, because I have more confidence
that my trust-your-gut method of writing might
actually work. The book is about a married woman
with three school-aged children (13, 10 and 9)
who feels completely overwhelmed by what she sees
as the negative cultural influences assailing
her kids on every side. The family lives in a
lovely suburb of Washington, D.C., and Susanna's
life is the typical mad dash from one activity
to another. When her teen-age daughter starts
to have problems, Susanna decides to move the
family to a remote island off the northwest coast
of Washington state, to live without cable TV
or paved roads or shopping malls for a year. Of
course, nothing goes as anticipated….
Jen: Kathleen, my words can't do your
book justice. Well done! I think what makes this
novel stand out from the crowd is that your theme
(loving a house more than a marriage) is not something
readers come across every day. You made me think…about
my house, my family, my life. Thank you so much
for sharing this book with me. I wish you the
best of luck!
Kathleen:
Thank you so much! As a first-time novelist, I
just love hearing from people who have read the
book. And I really enjoyed your questions-they
made me think!
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Kathleen.
I highly recommend this novel for your book club
discussion. Most everyone can relate to the struggle
of sorting out the past while trying to move forward
in life. Please visit your local library or bookstore
and pick up a copy today!
Okay, it’s time for the trivia. Be one
of the first five readers to e-mail at
jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer
to the following question and you’ll win!
Name the main character in HOUSE &
HOME.
Later this month, I’ll be bringing to you
my interview with New York Times Bestselling
Author Linda Howard. You won’t
want to miss it! And, don’t forget to visit
me on my website, www.jennifervido.com,
for my monthly give-away contests.
Until next time…Jen
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Jennifer
Vido
When a twist of fate landed Jennifer Vido
at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable
discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot,
she knew that her career as a French teacher
would never be the same. A graduate of Vanderbilt
University, Jennifer is a member of Romance
Writers of America and reviews books for the
major publishing houses, such as Random House,
Penguin, and Hyperion. Currently, she is a
columnist and reviewer for www.freshfiction.com,
where her popular monthly column, Jen's
Jewels, also appears. As
a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's
Aquatic and Land Exercise Programs, she
is an advocate for those like herself who
suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause
of disability. In addition, she serves as
Vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees
of the Harford County Public Library where
she resides with her husband and two sons.
She may be reached at jensjewels@gmail.com and
JenniferVido.com
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