Today I have the honor of interviewing Elliot Grace, author of South of Charm, here on my blog.
-What
inspired you to write South of Charm?
When I
was still quite young, a second or third grader if memory serves, my family
moved north from Sarasota, to the lesser populated Holmes County countrysides
of Ohio, and roughly a mile or two south of a town called Charm. Many
have written over the years of a certain nostalgia associated with growing up
in quaint mid-western towns where the grass grows a bit slower, and where the
retired salesman on the corner lot, is on a first name basis with the young
family of four at the end of the block. My goal was to capture some of
that rural magic from yesteryear, garnish it with a healthy dose of family
dysfunction, and sit back, allowing them to figure things out on their
own.
-Are
any of the events in your book based on real-life experiences?
For
every event that takes place in a story, there's a spark of personal
inspiration that has somehow breathed life into the words on that page,
regardless of the genre or subject matter. Danny Kaufman, the main
character, is a ten year old boy whose life slowly unravels around him.
As I wrote "Charm," I held his hand and walked him through some
of the tough spots in the story, for many of them were snippets of my childhood
as well. Memories in need of an outlet. The experience was refreshing for
the both of us ;)
-How
did you come up with the title?
"South
of Charm" was actually the third title of the book. After deciding
against the previous two, my editor and I kicked around several dozen ideas
before this one snuck up on me during a production meeting at work one day.
I excused myself from the room, called David from my office, whispered
the words, "How about South of Charm?" into the mouthpiece, heard him
squeal in delight, and returned to an otherwise forgettable meeting at the day
job. I'm a fan of titles that may or may not suggest a double meaning.
Charm is an actual place, a tiny inkblot on an atlas. However,
there are many scenes in the story that one would consider far less than
charming. It took longer to decide on the title than to write the story,
but once figured out, we were confident that we'd nailed it.
-Which
authors do you think had the greatest influence in your writing, and who are
your favorite writers?
As a
youngster, the work of Terry Brooks and Robert Cormier kept me up way past my
curfew on most nights. I hold those two responsible for the late hours I
keep, drumming the keyboard. Along with them, John Sandford stands alone
atop my favorite list of authors.
-How
long have you been writing?
I wrote
my first story, "Terror Castle," during Write to Read Week in
elementary school. If memory serves, it was penned in the third grade.
That book earned me a face to face meet and greet with an actual writer
who visited the school, and later read my story to the entire student body.
I haven't stopped writing since.
-What
do you find is the most important element of a book? Is it the plot,
characters, setting, writing style, something else?
My
tastes have changed with age. There was once a time when every book I
read simply had to carry me to faraway lands, mystic planets littered with evil
druids, and heroes wielding swords of flame, an ancient wizard at their side
for good measure. Nowadays, it's all about the penmanship. When I
open a book for the first time, it's not the story that concerns me, but how
the picture has been painted. I wouldn't hesitate in reading a story
deemed "utterly boring" by many, if the writing is a
masterpiece.
-Is
there any advice you would give to other writers?
Be
willing to accept criticism. Truly listen to the advice of peers, and
those who've read your work. And lastly, remember that some of the best
writers are also admitted bookworms. There are no high dollar critique
groups capable of improving one's work, like that of a good book from an
excellent storyteller.
-Do you
have any new projects in the works at the moment?
I'm
currently several chapters into a YA novel about a group of boys up to no good in,
"The Fellas." To be quite honest though, I've recently
whispered an idea past my editor that's been nipping at my train of thought
over the summer. This one's about a girl. Her name's Derby, and to
be frank, she's been keeping me up at night, desperate for attention.
This girl has quite a story to tell...I think perhaps I'll tag along for
the ride ;)
**********
An excerpt from South of Charm:
We're huddled in the far corner of my bedroom. Arms wrapped around our knees in the dark. The approaching footsteps grow louder. Ominous thuds. Our mother, but somehow not. She's standing outside my door. We listen to the creak of the hinges. My sister clenches my arm. "She's coming," she whispers. "She's broken."
Links to purchase:
Kindle Edition of South of Charm
Paperback version
And if you'd like to find out more about him, Elliot Grace blogs at So close, but.... He's also hosting a giveaway, the details of which are HERE.
Thank you so much for coming by, Elliot!
-----The Golden Eagle
