I am from upstate New York and
live in the mountains with my husband and two Bernese Mountain dogs, Max and
Hansel. I went to college forever, getting a doctorate in health care. I am now
retired, and started a hobby of genealogical research. While not writing or
running after the dogs, we travel to Alaska, Canada and the southern US.
When I was little, my grandmother
told me stories about the Italian immigrants who had come to America before the
Depression. I learned to love her stories. And I began to write my own. While
being in health care practice for years, I began to write my grandmother’s
stories. My first published book, The Ragman Murders, is based on what I
learned as a child. Now I have a chance to write. The stories I have found in
my genealogical research have expanded my source of plots and characters. What
struck me in all my research is that the men did things and the women stayed home,
or at least, that is how history has been presented. I have learned
differently.
Who is your favourite writer and
why?
By
the time I got into my teens, I was reading Jane Austen, Dickens, the Bronte
sisters and Taylor Caldwell, my favorite writer for years. At first I read to
learn history, since high school history I found very boring. Thomas Costain,
and Brock and Bodie Thoene, all historical fiction writers, came later. Costain
had the ability to take straight fact and make it read like a novel. The
Thoenes have the techniques to make me cling to the book using the smallest of
details to bring a scene to life.
Currently, I have read my way through most of Anne Perry and Diana
Gabaldon. Again all historical fiction. Now, I read for character development
and writing style. For excitement, I have read Carmen Amato’s Emilia Cruz
mystery series, a police procedural genre, not for the faint-hearted. I admit,
I know Carmen.
What attracted you to your
special genre?
I am sure it was my grandmother’s
story-telling that got me interested in family and, then, history. My
genealogical work simply cemented the interest.
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Who is your favourite character
you have created?
My characters are real. So far,
my favorite character is Giuseppe Amato, the POV of “The Ragman Murders”. He is trying to do the best for his family.
He is trying to be well-accepted in the community. He is trying to make money
as fast as he can. But things get in the way. And his understanding of
economics is not very good. He makes poor decisions, jumps into scenarios where
he has no understanding. And in the end, he does not accomplish what he sets
out to do. I like him because he is trying. I don’t like him because I disagree
with his techniques and lack of patience.
How do you develop your story?
I like true stories. Most of the
story line is researched. In The Ragman Murders, that meant looking at the old
newspapers of the time, reading books on the Mafia in Italy and America of the
early 20th century and doing research on the places where the story
occurred. That means Calabria, Italy and
New England. Since there are three timelines I had to follow for the book, this
took a while. I interviewed people involved, peripherally, with the story to
get an idea of the personalities of the characters. Then I had to put it all
together. I started with the main event and worked backwards to find the causes
of the final events.
In my new trilogy, Virginia
Legacy, I am doing the reverse, starting at the beginning and working my way
forward. This is the story of a very political family, so politics is
center-stage. Research about early Virginia politics and families is sparse.
Upcoming project or advice?
My advice to authors is do
anything you can to market. I give talks occasionally to groups about my book
The Ragman Murders. It is interesting for many because I live in an area with
many of Italian descent and stories about Italians intrigue them. Find a niche
of interest and fill it.
Thank you so much for joining us, Elizabeth. I hope you will come back again soon and keep us updated on your progress with Virginia Legacy.
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