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Antiques have always intrigued me for the simple
reason that owning a part of history in no matter
what capacity is truly fascinating. Take
for instance a Louis XIV chair. (Keep in
mind that I am a former French teacher.)
Imagine what it would feel like knowing that
every time you sat down you were actually sitting
on the Sun King’s throne. I just get chills
thinking about it. Okay, maybe your vision
is a little different than mine, but you get
the gist.
 This month’s
jewel cleverly combines her love for antiques with murder. How’s
that for a storyline? A former antiques and rare-books business owner herself,
Jane Cleland uses her prowess in the field to create a cozy mystery complete
with interesting tidbits that make even the novice antique collector excited
about the profession. Of course, any story
that can entertain as well as educate is a definite
must-read in my book.
As part of
this interview, St. Martin’s
Minotaur has
generously donated five copies of her latest
release, ANTIQUES TO DIE FOR,
to give-away! So, don’t forget to look
for the trivia question at the end of the column.
Good luck! Find this book in our catalog.
Go ahead and
grab something cold and sweet to drink and get to know my friend, Jane Cleland.
Jen: Please tell us a little
bit about your personal and professional background
that led to your becoming an author.
Jane: Personally, my parents both influenced
my gravitating toward  writing. My mother was
a mystery writer, and on some level, I grew
up thinking that’s what women did. She
communicated her love of language to me; I
was raised to revere precision in language.
To this day, my goal is to write so that my
meaning is unambiguous.
My father was a non-native speaker who
struggled with English. It’s tough to
write unambiguously when your reader doesn’t
know the language well. I always strived to
express myself so that he understood me; I
rarely did. I suspect that 38 years after his
death, I’m still trying.
Professionally, I’ve been an instructional
designer, seminar writer, and corporate trainer
for 25 years. One of a corporate trainer’s
chief responsibilities is making complex business
principles clear. I’ve developed the
ability to distil complexity to its essence
and communicate what I’ve determined
are the key points so that people don’t
merely “get it”; they also can
apply it (whatever “it” may be).
Also, I’ve written four business
communications non-fiction books. After my
last one was published, Business Writing
for Results, my agent remarked that I
used so many examples and anecdotes in my writing,
she wondered that I hadn’t considered
writing fiction. It had never occurred to me
that I could actually write a novel that got
published.
Combine my background as the daughter
of a mystery writer and a man I wished I could
have communicated with more effectively with
my career as a trainer dedicated to communicating
complicated issues unambiguously—add
in an intuitive agent and a diligent, determined
writer (that would be me)—and Josie Prescott,
my protagonist, was born!
Jen: Combining your love
for antiques with your passion for writing must
be the best of both worlds for you. Your
first novel, CONSIGNED TO DEATH,
introduced us to your business savvy antiques
appraiser, Josie Prescott. Would you say
that Josie has similar character traits to yourself
or is she truly a figment of your imagination? What
do you like best about her?
Jane: Let me start by confessing that
I don’t love all antiques equally. I
love rare books and some art. Specifically,
I love fine bindings, and my special passion
is eighteenth century reference books. And
who doesn’t love Vermeer and the other
Dutch Masters?
Another confession: I’m
not an antiques appraiser. However, I love
business. I have an MBA, and I really enjoy
watching Josie’s business grow. The happenings
at Prescott’s Antiques & Auctions
form an important sub-plot in the books.
My editor said something I love. About
a year ago, her assistant left and she needed
to hire someone new. She e-mailed me and asked
if Josie was available to help her interview.
Isn’t that wonderful?
Does Josie have similar character traits
to me? Well... she wears work boots and I never
would. She’s petite, whereas I’m
average in height and build. I would say that
there are many parts of myself that I can’t
help but introduce into Josie—they are
intrinsic in how I see the world. At the same
time, there are many quirks of her character
that have nothing to do with me, and which,
frankly, I don’t understand. For instance,
where did she develop her love of line dancing?
It makes no sense to me. If I tried to line
dance, the most likely outcome is that I’d
trip and kill myself.
Jen: At the beginning of your
career, were your intentions solely to write
a stand alone title or did you envision a series
in the making from the get-go? What is
the most challenging part of writing a series?
Jane: I set out to write a series.
Actually, it never occurred to me to do anything
other than that. I like series. I read series.
Specifically, in my Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries, I
set out to create a sweet and decent world,
a place where I’d want to spend time.
Jen: Please take us through
your writing process. Do you outline the entire
book before you actually sit down to write or
does the story unfold as you engage in the process? What
part of the book do you look most forward to
writing and why?
Jane: As of Josie #4 – KILLER
KEEPSAKES – coming in April 2009 – I
outline. Well, it’s not an outline exactly;
it’s a detailed synopsis. I think of
it as a forest-tree thing.
My detailed synopsis is a high-level,
wide-angle view of the story and the characters’ motivations
from beginning to end—it shows the entire
forest as one image. Once my agent signs off
on the synopsis it goes to my editor for feedback.
Then, presuming she likes it, I write the novel,
integrating her input (i.e., the murderer was
too obvious; the resolution was too similar
to another of your books, etc.).
Jen: Your latest release, ANTIQUES
TO DIE FOR, is a delightful
story that combines love, murder, and of
course, antiques! How did you arrive
at the premise?
Jane: The series came to life because
of an editor who didn’t buy
my first novel. He said that, among other problems,
the premise was weak: a male PI based in NYC.
He encouraged me to try my hand at what is,
apparently, the fastest growing segment of
the mystery market—a female amateur sleuth
who’s not based in NYC. Since I’d
owned a rare book store for several years in
Portsmouth, New Hampshire, it was a logical
choice.
As to the origin of ANTIQUES TO
DIE FOR itself, I wanted to show Josie
as nurturing. Josie’s mother died when
she was thirteen; it was, as you can imagine,
a horrific and traumatic event—the
kind of experience that changes the course
of your life—by at least she had her
dad, a rock of stability and a constant source
of strength. When Paige, a twelve-year old
orphan, loses her sister, Josie’s friend,
Paige has no one. Josie is devastated on
her behalf and determined to help. Josie
is able to give a young girl hope.
Jen: One of the aspects of
your storytelling that I find especially appealing
is the strength of your secondary characters. Each
contributes to the plot without overshadowing
the main storyline. In this novel, the character
that stands out the most to me is the quirky
Officer Brownley. Will we be seeing more of her? Perhaps
maybe even a love interest in the future?
Jane: Thank you. Officer Brownley is
back in the fourth installment—KILLER
KEEPSAKES. (Out in April 2009.) She’s
been promoted to detective! (I’m not
going to tell you anything else about the plot!)
So far, I haven’t planned a romance for
her, but it’s an interesting thought.
Hmmm.
Jen: One of the best parts
of a cozy mystery is the proverbial hunk that
romances the leading lady and your main character,
Ty Alverez, does just that and then some. He’s
sensitive, kind, and compassionate towards Josie
which scores points with your readers as a definite
keeper! Does Ty have a dark side or a secret
past? Why do you think he and Josie make
a good pair?
Jane: You mention an important
fact—Ty’s past is unknown. I think
it’s a safe assumption that his past
will come up in a future book! Josie likes
manly men—men who are strong and self-contained.
I described her lawyer, Max, in the first in
the series, CONSIGNED TO DEATH as “paternal
without being bossy.” She feels things
deeply, but she isn’t demonstrative,
and after the loses she’s endured in
life, she doesn’t trust easily. With
Ty, however, she’s able to “surrender
to his strength.” As for Ty, he respects
and admires her—and he thinks she’s
hot!
Jen: In the novel, artichokes
play an important role in the plot. Please explain
to us the significance of artichokes in relation
to decorating and antiques. I found that
part of the book very interesting.
Jane: Thank you. I love writing about
the antiques from a sociological perspective—in
this case, in earlier generations, artichokes
were considered to be an aphrodisiac. Here’s
an excerpt from the book that explains more.
Josie is recounting a conversation she had
with the murder victim, Rosalie, to Officer
Brownley.
“We talked about antiques—how
I appraise them and she collects artichokes.” I
shrugged again. “Like I said, nothing
special.”
“Artichokes?” Officer Brownley asked, uncertain she’d heard
me right.
I smiled. “Artichokes are actually a pretty
popular collectible.”
“Really? Why?”
“People collect all sorts of things for all sorts of different reasons.
But there’s a longstanding tradition of integrating vegetables and fruit
into designs—textiles, architecture, paintings, sculpture, and so on.”
“Still... artichokes?” She raised a brow, which I took as a sign
of good natured incredulity.
I smiled again and nodded. “In ancient
Greece, they were considered to be an aphrodisiac.”
She shook her head, part amazed and part intrigued. “An
aphrodisiac,” she repeated. “What
else is popular?”
“Well, there are trends, of course,” I replied, enjoying her reaction. “But
it’s safe to say that pineapples are pretty consistently in vogue. They
were an expensive delicacy in Colonial times, so any hostess who served them
to her guests, well, to put it simply, she was putting on the dog. You see
pineapples all over—there are renditions in pottery and porcelain, pineapple-shaped
door knockers, fence and molding ornamentation, everything. Corn’s big
too—it indicates a bountiful harvest. And grapes—grapes represent
friendship and conviviality.”
“Amazing,” Officer Brownley said, shaking her head.
Jen: How did you get involved
with Mystery Writers of America and
what is the most rewarding part of serving as
president of the New York chapter?
Jane: I joined as soon as my manuscript
sold—my agent encouraged me to become
involved in the mystery world. I didn’t
even know there was a mystery world!
After a year or so, I accepted an invitation
to join the chapter board. The next thing I
knew I’d been nominated as chapter president.
I find all aspects of the experience
gratifying. I love the people, the community,
and the opportunities the organization has
presented. So far under my watch we’ve
revamped the website, reached out to libraries
by attending their conferences, increased the
frequency of our communications, and established
a speaker’s bureau.
Jen: Whose opinion do you value
most when it comes to your writing and why?
Jane: My husband, Joe Stanko, for his
ability to catch continuity errors; my agent,
Cristina Concepcion, for her editorial savvy;
my St. Martin’s Minotaur editor,
Executive Editor Hope Dellon, for her insights
and her sharp eye and ear and sense; and my
friend, Katie Longhurst, for catching all sorts
of errors I never would have noticed.
Jen: What has surprised you
most about the publishing business and why?
Jane: How complex it is and how little
I understand it. I have an MBA and a pretty
good business sense, but I just don’t
get a lot about publishing.
Jen: Are you currently at work
on your next novel? If so, what can you
tell us about it?
Jane: I’ve just finished the
fourth Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery, KILLER
KEEPSAKES. It will be out in April 2009.
In the book, Josie’s assistant, Gretchen,
goes missing. As Josie works to find her, she
finds layers of deception surrounding a five-year
old murder. Using her knowledge of antiques,
Josie discovers the truth of Faulkner’s
observation: “The past
is never dead. It's not even past.”
I’m also trying my hand at a thriller
called NIGHT STARS about the CIA striving
to find art that’s being sold on the
black market to fund terrorist activities.
Jen: Please tell us about your
website. Do you have e-mail notification of upcoming
releases? Do you participate in author phone
chats? And if so, how would my readers
go about arranging one? Do you participate in
a blog?
Jane: My website, www.janecleland.net,
is filled with fun, FREE content related to
the Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries. For
example:
- I publish a newsletter about the
writing process, antiques and how they can
figure into mysteries, and other related
news and information. http://www.janecleland.net/htm/newsletter/newsltr.htm (Plus
fun content like unpublished facts about
Josie!) It’s free! Readers can
sign up at my website! http://www.janecleland.net/htm/forms/subscribefrm.htm
- Once you’re on my mailing list,
I send out announcements of my tour schedule
based on zip code—I love to meet readers! http://www.janecleland.net/htm/appearances/schedule.htm
- There are listings of all Josie’s
dad’s sayings per book. Many readers
have told me they find his words moving—even
inspirational. http://www.janecleland.net/htm/fun/dad.htm
- All the recipes mentioned in the
book from Josie’s mom are detailed
on the website. http://www.janecleland.net/htm/fun/dad.htm
- Excerpts from the books and blogs
are available as both text and audio. (MP3
podcasts available for download!) http://www.janecleland.net/htm/blog/blog.htm
- Book club discussion questions are
available for each book. They’re good!
(If I do say so myself!) I say they’re
good because they’re specific to each
book and, I hope, thought-provoking. http://www.janecleland.net/htm/book_clubs/bookclubs.htm I
love to participate with book clubs! I often
organize call-ins. Please e-mail me to arrange
a time: jane@janecleland.net
- There’s also a fun, interactive
promotion relating to antiques—readers
are challenged to pit their antiques appraisal
skills against those of the experts. It’s
called “What’s It Worth? You
Be the Judge,” and I think it’s
loads of fun!
I invite readers to visit and take a
spin! www.janecleland.net
Jen: Thanks so much for spending
some time with my readers. I really enjoyed your
novel and look forward to Josie’s next
big sale!
Jane: You’re more than welcome.
Thank you so much for helping me introduce
Josie to your readers.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Jane.
Please stop by her website or blog and let her
know that you read this interview! She loves
to hear from her readers.
Okay, it’s time for the trivia question.
The first five readers to correctly answer the
following question and e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com will
win a copy of ANTIQUES TO DIE FOR. Good
luck!
Name the title of the first book in
the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series.
Later this month, I will be bringing to you
my interview with Debbie Macomber! So many
of you have written to me requesting that I interview
her and finally, the time has come! You won’t
want to miss it!
Until next time…Jen ☺ |
Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels
