In April I enjoyed the privilege of being interviewed on My Bookcase Slays, by host and author Melissa Westemeier. It was a terrific conversation and she was very complimentary about The Harvey Girl. Thanks, Melissa!
She was kind enough to send me a list of her questions in advance. See below for me putting my best foot forward, which I always do in writing and almost never verbally. I’ll post a link to the video as soon as I have one.
What inspired this project?
Falling in love. First with the American Southwest when I began spending the holidays with extended family, and second when they took me to La Posada, one of the last living Fred Harvey hotels which has an enormous Tina Mion painting of two of the last living Harvey Girls in the lobby. There was no going back until I found out more, about the Harvey Girls and Fred Harvey and the Gilded Age in which they lived. It has been a journey, one I’m still on.
What characters do you love? love to hate?
With the best will in the world I can write a character description in the outline of a novel and then he or she will inevitably have their own ideas about who they really are. Florence was a huge surprise as she grew from an innocent, carefree girl into a smart, capable young woman who may be evolving into a first-rate sidekick. I love her more with every word I write about her. I sure hope she doesn’t die.
The bad guys in The Harvey Girl kept changing on me, as in I had to keep reminding myself that they were in fact bad guys, especially Bob Parker. What a charmer. The bastard. I fell a lot harder for him than Clare did, and a good thing, too.
What surprised you while writing this book?
The parallels between the Gilded Age and the now. On the one hand, it’s alarming as hell how often in American history we remodel our government to allow for what I call “oligarch creep.” On the other hand, I find it comforting to learn that we have managed to survive our every effort at total self-immolation. So far.
What scene came first?
I don’t remember? But if you held my feet to the fire I’d guess it was Clare on the train coming down the high iron (railroad slang for main line) out of the Rockies and across the Chiricahua Desert with the Sangre de Christo Mountains on the right. I’ve driven that road half a dozen times and it is always gobsmacking.
Setting is the single most important thing in all my books. When I figure out where the book is set (the planet Mars, the Park in Alaska, a Coast Guard cutter, China in 1323, Alexandria in 47BCE, the American Southwest in 1890, you get the idea), the setting tells me who lives there and then I can figure out the kind of trouble they’re going to get up to.
What scene got cut/didn’t make it into the book?
What, are you reading over my shoulder? I just cut the first three chapters as originally outlined in the plot of The Iron Trail, the second Harvey Girl novel, and replaced them with two chapters the first of which will make you wince and the second of which has a lot more action. I think it’s probably best that my editor remains on that side of the pond (the UK) until his heart rate returns to normal.
What are friends/family saying after they finish reading?
So far so good. One of the Danamaniacs who interviewed me at the launch said she found it a very visual read, which surprised me. I’m just writing like I usually do. But here’s hoping some film producer with deep pockets heard her say that.
What’s a cool object in your workspace?
A translucent piece of polished agate I found in a gift shop in Silver City, New Mexico. It was at a museum just up the street that I discovered Butch Cassidy and the rest of the Hole in the Wall gang were rumored to have hung out there on occasion. Really? And I wasn’t even thinking about writing them into future books.
Also, interesting question and thank you for making me realize that I have a different talisman for every series—like a tiny black sitting cat for the Cleopatra series that is a replica of one in the Egyptian collection at the Met, and a knitted mouse monk made for me by a fan for my medieval trilogy, Silk and Song. For Kate Shugak it’s a tiny ivory otter. How ‘bout that.
What are you currently reading?
The Apache Wars by Paul Andrew Hutton (research for The Iron Trail), Poetry as Enchantment by Dana Gioia (all writers wishing to improve their craft should read poetry and about poetry), and The Heir of Whitestone by Catherine Coulter (fun).
What beverage pairs well with your book?
You probably want me to say Caymus Cabernet (yum) or my friend Rob’s limoncello (yummier) but I don’t drink much or at all while I’m writing or reading. Need a clear head for both.
There are still five signed first editions at the Poisoned Pen.
Otherwise
#thiswritinglife Chatter The Harvey Girl Melissa Westemeier My Bookcase Slays