Interview with Gwendolen Gross and book giveaway

**Giveaway is now closed**

Gwendolen Gross grew up in Newton, Massachusetts and then studied science writing and voice performance at Oberlin College. Since then, she has lived in Australia, San Francisco, San Diego and now resides in Northern New Jersey with her family. She has worked as a snake and kinkajou demonstrator, naturalist, opera singer, editor, and mom. Gwendolen is also an award-winning poetry writer (1999 Adrienne Lee Award) and writing instructor. She has written three novels already. Her fourth novel, "The Orphan Sister" was released this week by Simon and Schuster.


She's here to talk to us today about writing, traveling and other interesting facts about herself. She also has two copies of "The Orphan Sister" to give away to some lucky readers in the US and Canada. To find out more about her, check out her blog and visit her on Facebook and Twitter.

(Author photo credit: Chia Messina Photography)

MP: What is your usual writing routine?
GG: Well, I have to admit I’m erratic. Sometimes I write madly during school hours (avoiding all laundry and teaching work and only stopping to walk the dog), and sometimes I do laundry and teaching work and walk the dog and barely squeeze in twenty minutes to write. A lot of it is dictated by kids’ needs, but I think this is a good thing. In some ways, having to squeeze it in makes it more imperative.

Ideally, I write a certain number of words per day—when I’m in the middle of a book, or even just exploring what comes next, what is true and funny and fascinating enough to write. I mark it out in a planner—starting slowly, often, taking notes and writing 500 words a day. When I’m in the thick of it, sometimes it’s 2,000, or more. I must be honest: I love it.

MP: Do you always know how a story will end when you start it? Or does the ending change as you go?
GG: I believe both in the alchemy of words and time and in planning things out. I take a lot of notes, make a lot of mad nighttime scribbles. I usually have some idea of the end, sometimes a very specific idea, and most of the time, it changes as I approach. Sometimes I rewrite endings several ways just to see which is best, just to remember that writers have the power to make hope in whatever they do. Not always happy endings; just ending with potential to live on in a reader’s mind, which is the best honor a reader can give an author. I know I have that feeling about my favorite books.

MP: Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, how do you remedy it?
GG: I don’t get writer’s block (touch wood, feh feh, as my grandmother would have said). This past winter I had a glass of wine at a restaurant. The wine was called Writer’s Block. I was suddenly very superstitious, so I tried writing that night. Luckily, even though whatever I wrote was stained by dessert (raspberry coulis, I believe), I wrote something. Sometimes I have to write a lot of words that won’t be used for anything. Each book gets a purgatory file as I work—that way the words are kept for another project, though usually, sorry words, I just combine things anew the next time.

Perhaps the most effective writer’s block prophylactic is just writing. And writing. And giving yourself topics, and giving yourself permission to cut wide margins and work on fitting later.

MA: How does location play a role in your novels?
GG: Location is as important as character, or plot, or point of view. Part of the joy of reading is going places you’ve never been—or revising places you’ve visited, or smelling and feeling places you once lived, a la Proust. I remember how much Out Of Africa made me long to go; how excited I was, as an adult, to finally go to Chincoteague to look for Misty’s great-great grandbabies.

Lately, I’ve heard from other readers that they really enjoy fiction that takes place where they live, that the mix of fiction and reality gives them a sense of all possibility, a thrill. I suppose the fictional dream is just like any other dream, except that you can revisit it whenever you want.

MA: What is the best compliment you have ever received on any of your novels?
GG: Oh my. I suppose with "The Other Mother" when people said they were trying to decide which mother was them, and they felt for each (a working mom and a stay at home mom), I was thrilled, since that was my goal. With The Orphan Sister, hearing that it’s a page-turner makes me want to kiss the reader, because I’d really hoped to make it both suspenseful and rich with sisterhood truths. Plus, I love it when I can make someone laugh.

MA: If "The Orphan Sister" were to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?
GG: Maybe Natalie Portman. She’s stunning and seems so thoughtful in addition to her talent. Or Rachel McAdams, maybe. I need some acting twins for O & O — Connie and Cassie Powney? Cynthia and Brittany Daniel? Do you have any ideas? And Eli—Sendhil Ramamurthy? Since I love Eli (another best compliment—my sister Samantha, who is twenty years younger than I, asked if I could please, please, please provide a real Eli for her), he should be someone gorgeous, enigmatic, steady, and dazzling in debut. Now I want to see it!

MA: What is your favorite summertime activity?
GG: Swimming! I love swimming. Lake swimming, ocean swimming. I was on swim team in high school, though I much prefer outside. We have a spring-fed lake/pool in town that’s open in the summer, and we all go as a family. My husband and I (he’s a triathlete and much more regimented about workouts than I) take turns swimming a mile in the lake. Then we read. And read. (And eat ice cream and take turns watching the kids.) My sister Claudia Rose is an ocean swimmer—admirably crazy. I’m very proud of her accomplishments (like swimming Buzzards Bay, and the Sitka, Alaska Sound). Second, I have to say, is horseback riding. My daughter is passionate about riding, and I started riding along with her a few years ago—it’s harder than it looks, and pure delight.

MA: Do you have any quirks or hang-ups?
GG: Quirks. Well, I hate the meshy mass of cantaloupe seeds. I can’t explain it exactly; it evokes a visceral response, a horror, almost. I feel wretched just writing it. I don’t mind cantaloupe, though, and I’m not generally squeamish. (But just re-reading this is going to give me the heebee jeebies.)

MP: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
GG: Only one place? But I have a huge list! I’d like go to Iceland, because I’ve read about exquisite ice hotels and the Icelandic ponies have a unique gait, the tolt, which is supposed to be smooth and wonderful both to observe and ride.

MP: If you could have any celebrity, dead or alive, come to dinner, who would you choose?
GG: Mark Twain. I love frogs, and I think he’d be hilarious, and he could meet our dog, Huck Finn.

Special thanks to Gwendolen for chatting with us and for offering the books for our giveaway.

How to win "The Orphan Sister":
Please comment below with your e-mail address.
(Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

Bonus entries (can be listed all in one post):
1. Please tell us: If you could have any celebrity, dead or alive, come to dinner, who would you choose?
2. Follow this blog and post a comment saying you are a follower (if you already follow, that's fine too).
3. Post this contest on Facebook or Twitter or in your blog, and leave a comment saying where you've posted it.
4. Join Chick Lit Central on Facebook. Edit settings if you don't want to receive a lot of messages at your e-mail account. (If you're already a member, let us know that too.)
5. Add a friend to our Facebook group. (Tell us who you added.) Be sure to remind them to edit their settings.

US/Canada only. Giveaway ends July 12th at midnight EST.


More by Gwendolen Gross: