Interview of Dorothy Bodoin

by

Robert James Allison

1) What gave you the idea for the plot of Winter’s Tale?

At the end of the second book in my Foxglove Corners series, Cry for the Fox, one of the characters founded an animal shelter in memory of a slain animal activist. I wanted to bring that shelter into my next book, and that led to the idea of a ring of dognappers. Also, I wanted to have a ghostly element in Winter’s Tale. The haunted Victorian house in the book was inspired by a scene on an old Christmas card.

2) Did you find Winter’s Tale a difficult book to write?

Once I had the beginning, Winter’s Tale was relatively easy to write. However, I revised it several times before submitting it for publication.

3) Did you use any of your own life experiences in Winter’s Tale?

I always use my own memories, interests, and experiences in my books, and Winter’s Tale is no exception. Foxglove Corners is an actual town in Michigan named Metamora. My own collie served as the model for Halley in the series. This is humorous--sort of. After I wrote the scene in which Jennet Greenway and her friend Leonora are stranded in a snowstorm, the same thing happened to me. It was more fun writing about it than living it.

4) Do you write any other genres?

I also write novels of romantic suspense and Gothics. Gothic novels are my all-time favorites.

5) What is your favorite scene from Winter’s Tale?

If I have to choose one, it would be Jennet’s confrontation with the villain. Jennet was trapped and, for a while, I didn’t see how she could defeat the villain. Then I thought of a novel way for her to do it.

6) Who are some of your favorite authors?

There are so many of them. A few of my favorites are Ray Bradbury, Charlotte Bronte, Victoria Holt, Velda Johnston, Connie Willis, Joanna Challis, and the poet Stephen Vincent Benet.

7) How much research was necessary in order to write Winter’s Tale?

Not much. I had to add to my knowledge of pet theft and research labs. I did this on the Internet.

8) Do you outline stories in detail before you write them?

I always start with a detailed chapter outline and a long synopsis of fifty or sixty pages. However, I always stray from the outline. After a certain point, it’s only there for security. Sometimes, I’ll stop writing and rework portions of the outline if I feel it’s necessary.

9) How long have you been writing?

This question has two answers. I began writing full time in 1997, but I wrote stories from the time I learned how to write. Among my earlier efforts were a science-fiction book written when I was fifteen and stories about dogs.

10) Which of the characters in Winter’s Tale is your favorite?

I tried to choose one but find it’s impossible. Jennet and Deputy Sheriff Crane Ferguson are obvious favorites, since I’ve written several books about them. However, I’m fond of all the characters I assembled for Winter’s Tale, including my canine characters and even the scary villain I created.

11) What is next for Dorothy Bodoin?

I have two more books in the Foxglove Corners series coming in 2005. They are A Shortcut through the Shadows (March), for which Chrissie Poe designed a gorgeous cover, and Cry for the Fox (July). Also, in 2005, my novel of romantic suspense, A Shadow on the Snow, will be released by Hilliard and Harris. My work in progress is the sixth Foxglove Corners book, tentatively titled The Snow Dogs.