About the Book
exhausted, heavily
drug-addicted and recently fired from her last movie. Looking for something to
cling to, she decides she needs a house to give her the roots, the stability,
she has always lacked. She finds a house on the beach owned by a well-known
artist, Edith Lindsey. Marilyn meets Edith’s three year-old daughter, Meredith
and become convinced that the child is the little girl she gave up for adoption
three years ago. She wants the house and the child. She can have neither.
Thirty years later, the child, now a model going by the name of Amanda Grace,
becomes haunted by Marilyn Monroe. Is she a ghost? Has she defied time and
space to find the child she could not have? Or is Amanda Grace losing her mind?
What gave you the idea for your book? How long
did it take you to write it? The
idea came to me because I’ve always been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe and her
hold on the American imagination. She seems to represent so much, to women as
well as to men, and I wanted to capture that. I wrote many drafts over several
years. At first the dtory was a novella, then it became a short story published
in Emry’s Review. I couldn’t leave it alone, though and turned it back
into a novel about a young school teacher who’s haunted by Marilyn. In the end,
my character became a model.
Which character was your favourite to create?
Why? Marilyn because I
could hear her voice in my head. She literally poured out of me. The other
characters, by comparison, were difficult to create.
If you were asked to make a soundtrack of your
novel, what songs would be on it? Moody jazz pieces. John Coltrane. Miles Davis.
If it were turned into a movie, who would play
the leading characters? No
idea.
What is your writing process? Was there a part
that was difficult to write? I
write a little, then rewrite. It’s exactly what “they” tell you not to do, but
I can’t move forward until what I have looks and sounds right. I probably
produce around five pages a day because of this. And I always start the day by
editing yesterday’s output. Once I finish a draft, I may very well make major
changes as I complete my final revision.
As I indicated
earlier, the difficulty in this novel was finding the right character to be
Marilyn’s daughter. Was she an ordinary woman? Was she in show business? Was
she beautiful? I knew she needed to suffer insecurities as an adopted child,
and I knew that she did not see her life as a success. But I struggled with
what form all that would take
About The Blog
Tell us about your blog. My blog, Lee Zamloch’s Blog: Notes on the Writing Life, is about
the ups and downs of being a writer. I ask questions, muse about things that
drive me crazy and/or inspire me, and offer tips and suggestions on what has
and has not worked for me. I do not claim to be an expert or have all the answers.
I simply share my experience and my path as a working writer.
How did you come up with your blog name? The name is my name (Lee Zamloch’s Blog) along
with a description of what the blog is (Notes on the Writing Life). It seemed
simplest to let the blog speak for itself.
How long have you been blogging? I started blogging in July. I’m brand new.
What is the most enjoyable thing about
blogging? The hardest? The
most enjoyable thing about blogging is getting to express my opinions,
impressions, and stray thoughts about writing. The hardest thing is coming up
with a topic every week.
What advice would you give to others who are
just starting out? Develop
your own voice. Be yourself. Don’t try
to imitate anyone else, even writers you most admire.
About the writer/blogger
What is a normal day like for you? Take us
through your usual routine. This
isn’t fascinating,
but here goes: I rise at 7:00, drink coffee, eat breakfast,
then I work out for 45 minutes to an hour. After my shower, I check emails,
then write. (I’m working on a novel at the moment) After lunch, I clean house,
take my Siberian huskies to the dog
park, or grocery shop. In the evening I socialize and/or watch TV and/or go to
the movies.
What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to hike, bike, read, travel.
Is there a certain book that has made a lasting
impression on you? Too many to
count, but one that had a huge impact on me was Iris Murdoch”s The Sea, The
Sea.
Other than your own, what blog do you think
totally rocks? Anne R. Allen’s
Blog. Also Joe Konrath’s.
Is there a certain genre of book you will not
read? I don’t read romances.
If you could choose one book to turn into a
movie, what would it be and who would you cast? The book I’m reading now, The Hypnotist
If you were stranded on a desert island, what
five things would you want to have with you?
My dogs, my boyfriend,
my IPad, my IPhone., my favourite jeans,
Bonus Questions
Chocolate or potato chips? Chocolate, no contest
Cuddling in front of a fire or under the stars? Fire, but it’s a close call
Favourite book/pizza toppings/TV show? Can’t pick a book. Favorite pizza topping is
pepperoni; TV Show, “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Boss”, “Newsroom.”
Coffee or tea? Coffee
Paperback or ebook? Ebook
No comments:
Post a Comment