Interview Jeanne Howard

by

Kay Layton Sisk

First off, Kay, thank you for your insightful questions. It is a pleasure to talk about my writing experiences, particularly those involved in the evolution of Seasons Of Forgetting and its sequel, Jared's Promise, due out from Wings in September. I hope you, Wings readers and our fellow authors will be able to read the book and love it as much as I loved writing (and living) it.

1) I've been to your website so I know Seasons Of Forgetting is your first book for Wings, but certainly not your first publishing experience. How do you feel your newspaper work influenced your foray into novel-length fiction?

In the 21 years I published my newspapers, I wrote an opinion essay every week so I always had an opportunity to put my thoughts into words. However, I really never imagined I’d be able to write a full-length novel, though for years readers urged me to do so and the seeds of the story lurked in my mind.

2) How long did it take you to write Seasons Of Forgetting?

It took three months to write the book and then another three to edit, rework and polish the mechanics.

3) The sequel, Jared’s Promise, was it easier to write or harder? What kind of loyalty did you feel to your original characters?

Jared’s Promise was easier to write. It took only six weeks from start to finish and very little editing. Readers of Seasons Of Forgetting wanted to know what happened to Joanna and Jared, so I took their story to the next level, even though this one is totally fiction. I love the people in both stories, particularly Jared’s grandson, around whom the novel revolves.

4) Couldn't help but figure out that you're a cat person. (So am I). Explain "for my cats, one of whom has been with me, in one form or another, for over thirty years" from your website.

On the website, you will find a short story, “A Hand Across Time.” It reveals the circumstances under which my little cat, Mitzi, came into my life and brought with her the spirit of my kindred-soul friend Marie who died in 1993.

5) How do you think Seasons Of Forgetting would have been different had you been raised in a different part of the States?

The story would never have been told because it would never have been lived. Seasons Of Forgetting is a fictionalized account of an important period in my own life. Had I lived elsewhere, it is highly unlikely the people and places would have been part of my story. I believe we are supposed to be where we are at any given time, so I was meant to reside where I did when the story’s circumstances unfolded.

6) Growing up, were you encouraged to express yourself through writing? Through music or painting?

I was an only child, very insecure and withdrawn. Reading was my escape into worlds I wanted to inhabit. My nose was always stuck in a book except when I was practicing the piano or taking voice lessons, both of which I did for nearly 15 years. Nowadays, I still read almost all genres and enjoy all classifications of music except rap and hip-hop (guess it’s a generational thing!). My mother was the artist and I got none of those genes. Dad was a gifted writer as are all of my half-siblings.

7) What do you have on your mental drawing board?

In 2001, I found a dear friend I’d thought dead for 40 years. After a brief but happy reunion in his state far from mine and some e-mail correspondence, he disappeared again. A few weeks ago, I learned he and his wife had died in an auto accident. There is definitely a story there, one I believe he’d want me to write. As soon as my Muse comes back from vacation and we get reacquainted, I hope to tell my readers about Joe.

8. Do you feel your newspaper experience helps you in the promotion of your work?

Only through the connections I made during those 21 years, the reporters I will tap for interviews and feature stories. I also have a wide pool of readers out there who are anxious to read whatever I write. Of more help is the job I currently hold, Director of Public Information in a nearby school district. Every day, I face the challenge of writing material that encourages people to learn about our schools. While it’s not as creative as writing a novel, there is certainly the necessity of being able to write a good press release or newsletter and make people want to read what I write. Those skills will help more in the promotion of my books than newspaper ownership.

9. How do you classify Seasons Of Forgetting--women's fiction or romance?

Seasons of Forgetting is not a formula romance. It is contemporary women’s fiction. The few male readers who previewed the book, told from the POV of the heroine, agreed it was geared toward women.