Interview with Annette Smith
May 29, 2007
One of the books I’m giving away this month is Annette Smith’s latest novel A Bigger Life. Here’s the back cover copy.
Joel Carpenter’s life was never supposed to turn out this way. But after making a careless choice four years ago, his marriage was permanently shattered. Living in a small town deep in the heart of Texas, he now finds himself estranged from his ex-wife, Kari, and sharing custody of their son.
Just when Joel thinks the worst is behind him, he realizes he is facing his greatest challenge yet. And in the midst of deep tragedy, Joel is learning that forgiveness is way more important than freedom. Hopefully it’s not too late.
SB: Is A Bigger Life the first in a series?
AS: A Crooked Path is my next novel and it’s due to release in September or October. Like A Bigger Life, this book is set in Eden Plain, Texas. However, it has a totally different set of characters and a completely new theme. A Crooked Path is the story of Manny, a Mexican laborer. It deals with racism and class issues and how they affect relationships.
SB: Sounds good, Annette. How did you come up with your main character Joel in A Bigger Life? What did you do to get the male voice right?
AS: Two years ago, at my young daughter’s urging that I do something about my hair, I made an appointment with her new stylist. Almost as soon as I sat down in his chair, Paul began to tell me his story. He was the father of a three-year-old son, a child whose mother had been killed in a hit and run only two months before. As Paul told me poignant bits and pieces of his story, I was blown away by his voice and his honesty. He was broken, yet devoid of self pity, surviving with the help of friends, many of whom were single dads.
Leaving the salon that day, I could not get Paul’s voice out of my head. When I arrived home, I began to write A Bigger Life. Since that day, Paul and I have become friends. While in no way a factual account of his life — this is a work of fiction — his voice and his spirit are on every page.
As for writing in the male voice, I seem to have an especially sensitive ear for the subtle nuances of how people talk. I love to eavesdrop on people’s conversations in public places. Strangers tend to tell me their stories. I’d much rather listen than talk. When I was writing A Bigger Life, I would picture my friend Paul saying the things my character, Joel, was saying. That helped to keep the male voice accurate. I also had a couple of male readers who caught things that didn’t ring true.
SB: It sure worked!
It was eye-opening seeing the dads’ viewpoints as fathers who only had their kids on weekends, etc., and one of the dads, who was quite broken up that he wouldn’t be able to raise his own daughter, really moved me. What made you want to take on this aspect of the story?
AS: Again, getting to know Paul and listening to him interact with his friends opened up a new world to me. Here’s the deal. I’m a mainstream, white bread, church-going, middle-aged woman. I grew up in an intact family. I’ve been married to my college sweetheart for 28 years. My two children are university graduates enjoying stable marriages. The world of single parenthood, especially young, single fatherhood, was not one I knew. However, as I grew to know and love Paul, I developed a deep level of respects as well as a certain level of understanding for men in this situation. Their world fascinates me. At the same time, it breaks my heart. I believe it is my love and compassion for my character, Joel, that makes this book so real.
SB: When you’re not living with your characters, you’re a hospice nurse, a wife, and a mom. What do you like to do when you need a breather from it all?
AS: Music, nature, and the company of good friends does it for me. Music calms and energizes. My tastes are quite eclectic but the good stuff always elevates my mood. So does nature. I live in a gorgeous part of Texas. Even a few quiet minutes spent sitting on my front porch looking at the trees and listening to the birds fills my soul. I have an assortment of wonderful friends. There are few things I enjoy more than sharing a long lunch or an afternoon of conversation with one of them.
SB: I’m relaxed just thinking about it.
On Fridays here, we focus on taking segments of our life and finding ways to create routines for them that make our work easier. What’s the best tip you have that’s helped some area of your life?
AS: For me, the key is the process of learning to be true to myself. It’s so easy to get caught up in meeting others’ expectations. My best tip is to live with intention. My goal is to continuously decide what is important to me and my family and arrange my life in ways that promote those things. I try to value people more than things. Always. My desire is to live life fully, but I try to keep a wee bit of margin in the area of time, energy, and money. I am at my worst when I am too too rushed, or too broke.
SB: Good advice, Annette. Anything you’d like to add?
AS: Thanks so very much for the opportunity to chat. Been fun!
Mary DeMuth, another author we’ve interviewed here, says “A Bigger Life is a touching look at authentic people grappling with complicated choices and painful circumstances. If you enjoy modern Southern drama with well-drawn characters and a beckoning plot, pick up this book.”
Well said, Mary. You can visit Annette’s web site and blog at www.annettesmithbooks.com.
Comments
One Response to “Interview with Annette Smith”
This sounds really good!