Describe the area you write in.
For years, I wore earplugs and wrote anywhere
I could, including in bed, at the kitchen table, at a coffee house, in the car
waiting for my kids to get done with practice (basketball, lacrosse,
football--take your pick). But then my husband and in-laws surprised me last
summer. While I was away for several weeks, they built me a little writing
studio. It’s 12’ x 12’ with a big porch, lots of windows, bamboo floors, one
huge built-in bulletin board, a homemade bookcase and desk. I bought a pretty
daybed and comfy chair. Oh, and it
overlooks a beautiful vineyard and forest. Truly, a bit of writer’s heaven on
earth.
What's your favorite season?
I love Spring. Fall comes in a close second.
Describe your ideal reading space (no expense spared here).
My writing studio is also a sweet reading spot.
The daybed has a bunch of pillows and a soft blanket and good lighting. Add a
cup of hot tea and a wonderful book…and hunker down.
If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?
I’d like to see Ljubljana, Slovenia because my
great-grandmother was from there and I’ve never been. I also want to go to
Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Africa, Thailand, and on and on---there are so
many places I haven’t seen yet. And I’d go back to anywhere in Europe in a
heartbeat.
How did you celebrate when you found out The Underside of Joy would be published?
It was my husband’s birthday. We had a good
happy cry. To surprise him for his birthday, I’d already arranged for us to go
ziplining through the redwoods. That turned out to be the perfect celebration
for his birthday and the book sale.
Wheeeeee! It has since sold in 17 countries, which I still can’t quite believe.
Tell us a little bit about The
Underside of Joy.
Here’s the synopsis:
To Ella Beene, happiness means
living in the Northern California river town of Elbow with her husband, Joe,
and his two young children. For three years, Ella has been the only mother the
kids have known. But when Joe drowns off the coast, his ex-wife shows up at his
funeral, intent on reclaiming the children. Ella must fight to prove they
should remain with her while she struggles to save the family’s market. With
wit and determination, she delves beneath the surface of her marriage, finally
asking the questions she most fears, the answers jeopardizing everything and
everyone she most loves.
Rather than the fairy tale version
of step-motherhood that pits good against evil, The Underside of Joy
explores a complex relationship between two women who both consider themselves
to be the children’s mother. Their conflict uncovers a map of scars — physical
and emotional — to their families’ deeply buried tragedies, including Italian
internment camps during WWII and postpartum depression and psychosis.
Where did the idea for The
Underside of Joy come from, what prompted you to start writing this
book?
I had a vision of a woman curled up in bed
under a blanket, feeling that she’d had everything she ever wanted and now had
lost it all. I didn’t know anything else about her, so I started writing to
find out more about her story.
Is there a character in The
Underside of Joy that really spoke to you when you were writing?
The main character and narrator, Ella,
definitely spoke to me and I liked her right away. But as I got to know all the
characters, I grew to care about each one of them.
What are you working on now?
A novel about a young American artist who
visits her father, a doctor working temporarily in Saudi Arabia. Things do not
go smoothly.
Do you have any upcoming tours, blog tours or events you would like
people to know about?
I’ve been on a blog tour for the past several
months and have quite a few stops left. I try to keep all my reading events
updated on my website event page: http://sereprincehalverson.com/events.php
Anything else you would like to share?
I’d like to thank you so much for having me.
I’ve been writing for many years but this is my first published novel. I really
appreciate the work you do to get the word out about books. So appreciated!
I am from a lot of places, but I now live in Northern
California and it feels like home. I worked for 20
years as a freelance copywriter while I wrote fiction
and raised kids. My husband and I have four grown
children. I’m a mom and a stepmom, and I have a mom
and a stepmom. The Underside of Joy is my debut
novel.
The Giveaway
Thanks to Amy at KMS Public Relations, she is giving away 1 copy of The Underside of Joy to an US resident. Fill out the Rafflecopter below, the giveaway will end next Tuesday 3/20 and the book will be mailed by KMS Public Relations. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posts
10 comments:
I am intrigued by the family dynamics of this story, and the underlying feelings of the two mothers. Thanks for the giveaway.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com
The thing that intrigues me the most is the love of a mother even if you are not the biological mother. I strongly believe that you can bond and love a child like your own even if it is not biological....and you should be their mother too if you are doing the job of the mother. I would love a chance to read this book....it sounds very good. Thanks for the giveaway!
GFC:aprildan01
What intrigues me most is the fact that that story deals with familial relationships.
sqwalker2@hotmail.com
i'm intrigued by the subject...thanks for the chance to read this story :)
karenk
kmkuka at yahoo dot com
It sounds like an intensely emotional story. I'd love to see how it turns out.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
What intrigues me is that Ella is a fighter and doesn't let life get the best of her.
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
I'm intrigued by the main character and how she deals everything.
I am intrigued by the title, initially, and also by the opening chapter which I read somewhere at some point, in which it was clear that the main character loves the children as her own, though they are stepchildren and she hasn't been in their lives very long.
This book looks interesting because it seems like a story that deals with real life issues.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
This sounds like a very intriguing book with lots of twists and turns. I like the fact that in delves into the history of the characters so the reader can better understand them. Fingers crossed that I win! :)
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
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