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 Wishes.
We all have them. Some are simple like hoping
it doesn’t rain on a child’s first
communion day. Others are more complex like praying
that the cancer doesn’t take a loved one
away. No matter what you are wishing for, it’s
always fun to imagine what if it actually could
come true.
This month’s jewel takes wishing upon a
star to an all new level in her latest release,
TWENTY WISHES. I first had the
pleasure of meeting Debbie Macomber at The
Book Expo a few years back. She was charming,
delightful, and full of energy which didn’t
surprise me in the least. If you have ever read
one of her books then you know firsthand how her
warm personality spills over into her writing.
It’s as if she’s inviting you in for
a cup of tea while sharing one of her signature
stories that make us all want to come back time
and time again.
Find
this book in our catalog.
Over the past few years, many of you have written
in requesting that I interview Debbie and I am
so pleased to finally be able to bring her to
you. As part of this interview, MIRA BOOKS
has donated five copies of TWENTY WISHES
to give away. Please look for the trivia question
at the end so that you can enter to win! This
book is definitely one of her best! So, go ahead
and grab a cup of coffee and get to know New
York Times Bestselling Author, Debbie
Macomber.
Jen
: Some of the
most fascinating stories told by authors are the
ways in which their careers were launched. Please
tell us a little bit about your personal and professional
background and what led you to pursue a career
in publishing.
Debbie:
Writing was an idea and a desire I’d entertained
since I was in grade school. I always knew deep
down that one day I would write books. And yet
I was afraid, especially since I’m dyslexic
and never did well academically. So it was easy
to push this dream into the future with all kinds
of justifications and excuses. It was only when
a cousin I’d grown up with died of leukemia
that I realized life holds no guarantees. David’s
death spurred me on to pursue my goal. I started
out with a rented typewriter that I set on the
kitchen table and moved at mealtimes. In fact,
I can remember bouncing a baby on my hip with
one hand and typing with the other!
Jen : I think what appeals most to your fans about
your writing style is your ability to create characters
who are genuine, heartwarming, and quite simply
believable. How do you create such blockbuster
stories that consistently wind up on bestseller
lists? Do you base your novels on people you know
and events that happen in your life, or do you
just come up with an idea and run with it?
Debbie:
I come from a family of storytellers, so the plotting
aspect of novel-writing comes naturally to me.
Really, anything is grist for the writer’s
mill, if you’ll pardon the cliché;
anything can trigger a story. (I could make one
up about a tube of toothpaste if I had to.) As
for the ability to create believable characters—and
thank you for saying so—I feel that comes
from being an observer of life and of people.
I’m fascinated by people and always interested
in what they do and why they do it. In particular,
the dynamics of relationships intrigue me. Ultimately,
of course, plot and character are intertwined.
You can’t really separate one from the other.
Jen : From start to finish, about how long does
it take you to complete your typical novel and
how much research do you do? What does an ordinary
work day (minus book tours and appearances) look
like for you?
Debbie:
I’m beginning to wonder if there is such
a thing as an ordinary day! However, let me try
to describe what comes closest to a “regular”
working day for me. I’m the granddaughter
of farmers, so I get up early (at around 4 a.m.).
After reading my Bible and writing in my journals,
I head to the swimming pool. By the time I finish
and go into the office, it’s 7:30 or 8.
The first thing I do is read all my mail, then
I write a blog, if the spirit moves me, and finally
I tackle my writing. When I’m in the middle
of a project, I set a prescribed number of pages
to write each day, and I work until I’m
done for that day—usually at 4 or 5 in the
afternoon.
Jen : Writing is not easy, as you well know. And,
crafting a tight, well-written book can prove
to be a Herculean task even for the most accomplished
author (like you!) What is the most challenging
part of a book for you to write and why? What
part is the most enjoyable and why?
Debbie:
The biggest challenge for me, as it is for every
writer, is to write the right story. Because I
have so many ideas, I’m constantly torn.
Which book should I write next; which idea should
I develop? In fact, I pay a great deal of attention
to my readers’ reactions, and on a number
of occasions their requests (or even suggestions)
have influenced my direction. A case in point
is A GOOD YARN, which I wrote because readers
were telling me they wanted more Blossom Street
stories. The truth is I love every aspect of my
career, from working out the story, to writing
it, to meeting readers. As far as the actual writing
goes, the process is pure joy for me. I even like
doing revisions, which are an opportunity to improve
and refine the book. My editor and I are working
toward the same goal, after all—the best
book possible.
Jen : We constantly hear in the publishing business
that for a book to be successful, it must have
sex and lots of it. Let’s be frank. You
are one of the most successful authors in the
business (over 60 million copies sold), you continually
hit the top of the bestseller lists, and your
books do not have explicit sex scenes (for which
I applaud you). What’s your secret? And
more importantly, why have you chosen not to give
in to the sexual revolution, if you will?
Debbie:
Why don’t I write a lot of sex scenes? First
of all, I’m married, so I don’t know
that much. (Just kidding.) I believe it’s
more romantic to leave something to the imagination,
and I know from reader responses that many people
prefer it that way. Not only that, the role of
sexual relationships in my books has to do with
emotions, with feelings, not with titillating
readers or providing sensational copy.
Jen :
Your latest release, TWENTY WISHES,
is the continuation of your highly popular
Blossom Street Series. How did you arrive
at the premise?
Debbie:
I’m so glad you asked that. I was doing
an autographing, and a reader, Arliene Zeigler,
asked to have her picture taken with me. Meeting
me, she said, was part of a list of twenty things
she wanted to do before she died. I loved the
concept, dropped the dying part and simply made
it twenty wishes. Once I had that idea, I started
thinking about which character would benefit most
from a list of wishes, and I came up with Anne
Marie. She was introduced in the previous Blossom
Street book, although at that time I wasn’t
sure what future part she’d play. As she
came into clearer focus for me, I saw that she
was the ideal character for this concept. Here
was someone who needed the motivation and the
sense of hope a list of wishes could provide—wishes
she’s able to articulate and work toward.
Jen :
A question I just have to ask…do you have
your own list of twenty wishes? And if so, would
you mind sharing with us a few of the things you
have included on it?
Debbie:
I do have a list, although it isn’t complete.
After my recent trip to Paris I want to learn
French. I want to fly kites with my grandchildren
on the beach and take a cake decorating class.
I’d love to rent a villa in Tuscany. I want
to chase butterflies with my youngest grandson.
I’d like to . . . don’t get me started!
Jen :
As I said earlier, your characterizations are
what separate you from the pack. In TWENTY
WISHES, your lead character, Anne Marie,
has many crosses to bear in various aspects of
her life. What are her strengths and weaknesses?
What makes her so appealing to your readers?
Debbie:
Anne Marie is widowed at age 38, and with the
death of her husband her dream of being a mother
is taken away from her. Women can identify with
her, because nearly every woman has faced a major
disappointment in life. We understand her grief,
her disappointment and her longing. We can cheer
and find reasons for optimism and hope, as we
see Anne Marie and the other widows go through
a healing process. I think that Anne Marie’s
willingness to take a risk—even a somewhat
reluctant risk—is part of her appeal. This
is true for the other widows, as well. Each of
them is finally able to move past the constraints
imposed by grief, by societal and family expectations,
by anger, and to find at least the beginning of
a genuine happiness. Anne Marie, for instance,
learns that she can forgive her stepdaughter and
actually create a new relationship with her that’s
based on the present and the future, not the past.
I think, too, that one thing all these characters
discover is that life is about change, about accepting
and sometimes initiating change.
Jen : I liked how you touched upon some sensitive
topics in this book such as the country club set
versus the working class as well as drug abuse
and physical limitations. What relevance do they
have in relation to the fluidity of the plot?
What message, if any, are you sending to your
readers by including these topics in the book?
Debbie:
Actually I wasn’t trying to make any statements
about class per se. With Lillie and Hector, I
wanted to surprise her and the reader by allowing
two people who seemed a most unlikely couple to
fall in love. As for Barbie and Mark—I fell
in love with Mark myself! I’ve always loved
the classic “wounded hero,” and again
I enjoyed taking two dissimilar people and bringing
them together. Class is definitely a barrier between
Lillie and Hector, just as Mark’s disability
is in his relationship with Barbie. In both cases,
they have to take risks and be willing to change
their lives in order to overcome these barriers.
Jen : Your career, which includes many accolades,
is quite impressive. To date, how many books have
you written? Which one is your all-time favorite
and why?
Debbie:
I’ve lost count of the number of books I’ve
written but I know it’s well over a hundred.
(Remember, I sold my first book 26 years ago,
and during the time I was writing exclusively
series romance—typically shorter books.
I published as many as six to eight a year.) There’ve
been any number of books that have touched me
in a special way. Early in my career a Silhouette
Special Edition, REFLECTIONS OF YESTERDAY,
was one. My “Orchard Valley” trilogy
for Harlequin Romance was another. More recently
there was BETWEEN FRIENDS, a story that
was so strong in me I could barely sleep nights
while writing it. And it goes without saying that
THE SHOP ON BLOSSOM STREET is special to
me, as well.
Jen : It’s not too often that work can be
combined with pleasure, yet you have managed to
do just that! Please share with us how you were
able to combine your passion for knitting and
reading into one heartfelt pursuit.
Debbie:
Combining my love of knitting with writing just
seemed a natural progression. Actually I’m
surprised it took me so long! It means a lot to
me that the Blossom Street stories have
resonated with readers and moved my career to
a new level.
Jen : What has surprised you most about the publishing
business and why? If you could go back and do
one thing over, what would it be and why?
Debbie:
That’s a difficult question. I’ve
certainly made mistakes along the way, but it’s
been a learning and growing process. In retrospect,
I think perhaps I should have made the transition
from category books (series romance) to mass market
a bit sooner.
Another factor any writer should keep
in mind is that the industry always seems to be
in a state of flux, with changes on the publisher
side and on the retailer and distributor sides.
Jen : Are you currently at work on your next novel?
And if so, what can you tell us about it?
Debbie:
I’m currently writing SUMMER ON BLOSSOM
STREET, in which Lydia is teaching another
class. The germ of this idea came from my trip
to Australia, where I saw a sign-up sheet for
a class designed to help people quit smoking.
I’ve expanded on that in Lydia’s “Knit
to Quit” class. Each member of the class
(including, for the first time, a man) is trying
to break free from something, whether it’s
smoking, an unhealthy relationship or the effects
of stress. The story will introduce some new characters,
although Alix—one of my most popular Blossom
Street women—will be back. And Lydia’s
life is going to change in a very interesting
way….
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 scheduling
one? Do you participate in a blog?
Debbie:
My website,
www.debbiemacomber.com, is a source of all
kinds of information about me and my books, upcoming
reader events, contests and so on. My readers
also hear from me once a month via an email newsletter.
Also, once a year they receive an actual package
from me that’s full of goodies. My most
recent mailing, which just went out, included
my annual newsletter, a bookmark, calendar stickers,
and a coupon from my publisher for $2 off TWENTY
WISHES and a few other things. If readers
log onto my website and fill out the guestbook
form, they are automatically placed on a mailing
list to receive my annual mailing. My reader list
also receives notification of signings via postcard
if I am appearing within a 50-mile radius of their
zip code location.
Yes, I blog, and yes, I often do phone
calls with reading groups. In fact, last year
I had a reading group contest, and the group that
won (in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is being taken out
to dinner by my editor, Paula Eykelhof, and me
next month.
Jen : What is the best piece of advice you’ve
ever received in relation to your writing career?
Debbie:
Best piece of advice? Probably this: If your dream,
your passion, is to be a published writer, then
never, ever give up. Be flexible and practical,
keep on learning about your craft, celebrate the
small successes along the way—and don’t
give up.
Jen : Thank you so much for taking the time to
speak with my readers. It was an absolute treat
being able to meet you in person. Thank you for
making this world a much better place not only
through the kindness in your heart, but also in
the beautiful stories that you share with all
of us. Best of luck in 2008!
Debbie:
Thank you. It was a real pleasure.
I hope you have enjoyed this interview. Would
you like to win a copy of TWENTY WISHES? Be one
of the first five readers to answer the following
trivia question correctly and e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com
and you‘ll win! Good luck!
Debbie’s latest release, TWENTY
WISHES, is part of what series?
Next month, I’ll be interviewing Tyndale
author Laura Hayden. Her latest release
entitled AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
is the perfect read for this exciting election
year. You won’t want to miss it.
Until next time…Jen ☺
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Meet
the Author: featuring Jen's Jewels
