We've been discussing Janelle Brown's book cover and now it's time for Janelle to tell us about the book - All We Ever Wanted Was Everything - (and more)!
Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:
Suburban family goes into freefall after dad divorces mom on the day they make it rich.
Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?
A cafe, absolutely. It's the only place I can unplug from my cell phone, the Internet, and the siren song of dishes that could be done, house that could be cleaned, books that could be read. I'm a procrastinator and you can't procrastinate at a cafe: It's just you and your laptop.
Your favourite chick-lit book?
I'm never sure how to define chick-lit -- nor am I really crazy about that term. But if you go by the general guiding principle of a book about women, written by a woman, with romance at its center, then I'd have to say Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte. Bronte was the pioneer of fiction about women, and she certainly captured the torments of love.
Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?
I'm not sure she's a heroine in the classical sense, but I do have a deep and abiding love for the strange, shallow, and ultimately endearing Holly Golightly, from Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's.
What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?
Be patient. Writing fiction takes longer than you think - my novel took five years from inception to publication. And be willing to revise, revise, revise.
What are you reading at the moment?
More Than It Hurts You by Darin Strauss, about a woman who suffers from Munchausen by proxy (where a mother hurts her own baby in order to get attention). It's beautifully written and extraordinarily creepy.
What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)
A novel about a married couple whose lives are falling apart. Beyond that, my lips are zipped.
Do you have a theme song?
Not really - my music library is vast and changes frequently - though lately I've had a song by 1970's soul singer Gwen McCrae on heavy rotation on my iPod - 90% of Me Is You.
What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)
No one has ever asked me what I would have been if I wasn't a writer.
I think the answer would be that I would love to be either a) a movie producer or b) a chef. Not that I would be good at either, but I like to fantasize, sometimes.
Thanks, Janelle!