The Making Of Nebraska Brown
Excerpt:
Tommy sat down beside me. His musky cologne smelled familiar. His espresso-colored brown hair parted over on the left side of his head draped over his ears in dogged springiness. I’d told him I liked it shorter. I knew that, too“Of course. We were supposed to meet there for lunch, like we always do on Tuesdays. What’s going on? Why are you playing games?”
I let my head fall into the cushion. Tears tempted me to cry them. They’d been behaving for hours now. I clamped my lids shut, breathed through my mouth“I’m not playing. I don’t know what happened. I can’t remember why I’m here or who I am. Who you are.”
His hand fell on my knee like winter’s first snow, easy and without a sound. When he spoke, he used that same tone—sweet and calm as dawn“Ana it’s me. Tommy. And you’re you. We’re us Have been for over a year.”
I wound my fingers with his, searched his face for the other half of this“us” he referred to. He pulled me close Caramel wafted at me from inside that bag, slapping me around, calling me silly. Tommy held the small of my back in his palm. His hands were large strong and sure, the kind of hands that had never had a frightened moment in their whole life.
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Author Interview:
1. How did you come up with the title The Making of Nebraska Brown?
1.Typically titles are either the first or last thing I decide. In some cases a title is the catalyst for an entire piece of work, though this is rare.
More often than not I assign a temporary working title to a novel and wait until the first draft is completed before pin down an official name. With this book the title was derived from a line spoken by one of the lead characters.
I like to choose something that is directly relevant, yet not obvious. I am drawn to titles that are different, that you aren’t likely to come across anyplace else.
2. What inspired you to write this book?
2.I wanted to create a story that somehow straddled two separate continents and yet were very much converged. have always had a fascination with Italy and its beautiful countryside and colorful natives. Similarly, I am drawn to Midwestern culture. It seemed natural to me to weave the two together and have one young woman’s life trapped between both. I also adore mysteries, so that aspect of the story was almost a given.
3. How long have you been writing?
3.I’ve been writing ever since I was a young girl. I created notebooks ful of characters, scenes and scripts. I was also the type to keep a journal. always recorded my thoughts, feelings and observations. In addition to that, I was an avid reader. Nose in a book. Lost in the pages. Felt very much like home to me. After my kids were older and not as dependent on me I decided to take some creative writing classes to hone my craft. It’s safe to say that for me writing has been a lifetime in the making.
4. Was it hard for you to write this book?
4. The duality of the events (past and present) combined with revealing the details in bits and pieces definitely presented a few challenges.
I had to keep a “flow chart” in order to be sure things weren’t divulged out of order. However, I really enjoyed the experience of putting this one together.
5. As a writer, what has been your three main struggles?
5. Time, patience and subjectivity.
6. What are some silly things about you that your readers don't know?
6. I will often text my kids acting as if I’m the dog, using her tiny pretend-doggie voice. For example: “Ate another one of your socks today naughty girl sometimes.
7. How has your support been?
7.I’m most fortunate in that I have many friends who are sharing this journey with me. My family is also incredibly supportive. PLUS I have an amazing editorial team behind me.
8. How do you handle a bad book review?
8.I try to remember that old adage about the peaches. You can be the sweetest, juiciest peach in the entire peach world, and yet there wil always be someone who dislikes peaches Again, it speaks to personal taste and subjectivity.
I try to be mindful of that. When I read a book that don’t dig, I usually say nothing at all. It upsets me greatly when I see authors being trashed to within an inch of their lives just because someone didn’t like their work. Especially when a simple “Not the book for me” wil suffice.
A difference in opinion of what defines good literature shouldn’t equal a free pass to being a review bully I hope to see a time when people will agree or disagree on a book without all the biting negativity.
9. What future projects are you working on?
9.My current work in progress is another New Adult/Upper YA mystery which I’m about a third of the way through with. also have a book due out next year called Sing the Wild Horses which is a dramatic contemporary YA story about family, love, identity and of course a little bit of murder too…
10. Leave our readers with some last words.
10. I’m a quote junkie. I will leave you guys with my favorite one of all time from Maya Angelou. This is the smartest piece of advice I’ve ever heard in a quote. “When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.” Trusted advice for every area of our lives.
If you could meet any author, who would it be?
Hands down - Harper Lee! I would adore having a good long chat with that woman. Have a feeling she still has an amazing story or two inside of her.
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About The Author: * Louise Caiola--
As a young girl growing up on Long Island, Louise spent most of her allowance on Nancy Drew mysteries. She soon realized that one day, she might have a story of her own to tell. Maybe even more than one story.
Although motherhood took center stage in her ife for many years, Louise went back to college after her children were older to study that which she knew deep down was her true passion creative writing. She soon began to craft a collection of short stories which were published n the inspirational online magazine, FAITH HOPE AND FICTION.
Shortly thereafter, her first novel, Wishless, a contemporary YA, was penned and ultimately released in 2011 .
After having her next novel picked up by Immortal Ink Publishing, Louise was invited to join their publishing team, where she is now working in editing, marketing and acquisitions A confirmed bibliophile, Louise enjoys reading outdoors on a warm spring day and watching her pup chase leaves on a breeze.
