Welcome
to Up Around the Corner, Theresa. Could you tell us a little about
yourself and what inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing, focusing on poetry as a
kid. I took some writing classes in college, but those were mostly geared
toward my profession – nursing. A few years back, I wrote a couple of the
chapters for this first book but never had time to fully develop the novel,
coming back to it once I retired. I love connecting with people through the
written word, allowing peoples to envision the story using their own
imaginations.
Please share with
us, one book that you recently read that you think readers of this blog might
enjoy.
I
recently read “The Glass Castle,” a memoir by Jeannette Walls. I picked it up
based on the recommendation of a friend who knew about my own book. It’s a book
that’s hard to enjoy, exactly,
because of the very, very difficult (almost impossibly difficult!) life that
young Jeannette and her siblings had to endure. However, the writing is
beautiful, and I think Jeannette tries to help the reader understand that no
matter how hard her life was, her life turned out to be exactly what it was supposed to be. I recommend it without
reservation, but it may not be for the tender-hearted because of what the
children are subjected to.
Tell us a little
about your book, An Extraordinary Year.
Though
it is a book largely about kids, it
is not really for kids. I would say An Extraordinary Year is a light-hearted
book for “kids of a certain age,” and Baby Boomers will get all the references.
It’s a highly-fictionalized memory of my own life and my brothers’ lives in
1963.
John
Reed is a ten-year-old who lives in a small northwest Ohio town with his
mother, father, and younger brother. John begins 1963 with a revelation that the
year will be quite extraordinary, and indeed, each new month brings significant
events that John must cope with, learn from, and assimilate into his
understanding of life. John learns that
not everything that happens in life is good, but that life unfolds as it will.
Through
various trials and tribulations of others he cares about, John learns the
importance of human dignity, human connection, and respect, not just for
people, but also for the natural world. The story is told plainly from his
ten-year-old perspective. John’s year, from beginning to end, is full of
important events and small moments that deepen his love of his family, as well
as his town and its inhabitants. For John, the miraculous and the mundane have
equal impact on his experience of 1963.
If you could share
lunch with any two authors, who would you choose, where would you dine, and
what would you hope to discuss?
You
didn’t specify dead or alive, so first, I’d invite Ray Bradbury. My favorite
book in the world is Dandelion Wine,
and anyone who knows me is aware that An
Extraordinary Year is a bit of an homage to Bradbury’s beautiful book. My
writing style is completely different from Bradbury’s, but I like to think he
would understand his influence on my own story telling. I’d love to ask him
about how he develops the lovely, lyrical descriptions he writes in Dandelion Wine.
I
think the second author I would invite to lunch might be John Irving. I’m a
long-time fan and have read almost every one of his works. He tells stories
within stories, a skill that is amazing to me. He understands the human
condition and sees irony and humor in all the goofy things we human beings get
ourselves cooked into. I don’t know that I’d have any particular questions for
Irving, but I sure think he’d be a fun guy to share a meal with.
I’d
probably ask both of these great writers to join me at Mancy’s, a family-owned
steakhouse that is renowned throughout the Toledo area.
Do you have any
other books in process right now?
Yes.
I just finished a second book called Ragged
Road. It is the story of a wealthy, dysfunctional family in North Carolina
in 1968, and what happens when their teenage daughter becomes pregnant by a
middle-class teenage boy. Prior to the 1970s, young women and young men had
fewer options than they do now. Family secrets lead to tragedy in this tale.
It’s a far cry from An Extraordinary Year
- there’s nothing light-hearted about this one. I’m also starting to
develop the ideas I have for three additional books. I have a lot of work ahead
of me, but when it’s fun, it’s not really work, I guess.
What events might
you have coming up?
One
small book signing at a local hospital happens on April 26…I’ll be in the Gift
Shop at St. Luke’s Hospital in Maumee, Ohio from 11:30 – 1:30 signing copies of
An Extraordinary Year.
I’m
happy to share that I’ll be participating in Independent Bookstore Day on April
29 from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. This is taking place at Gathering VolumesBookstore, which is located at 196 East South Boundary in Perrysburg, Ohio. The
owner of Gathering Volumes, Denise Phillips, is dedicated to bringing out the
best local talent – and not just authors! It’s very exciting to be involved
with people who are supportive of local writers, musicians, dancers and
artists. I have now met many other local authors because of this event, a real
serendipity for me. We’re all very different from each other, but we all share
the same passion for writing.
Finally,
on July 20, 2017, I’ll be appearing with other local authors at the
Findlay-Hancock County Library located at 206 Broadway in Findlay, Ohio. We’ll
be at the library from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. I must admit, this is particularly
exciting to me because this is my home turf – the area where An Extraordinary Year was lived out. I’m
hoping to see lots of old friends that night.
As we’re closing
in on the end of the interview, Theresa, is there anything else you’d like to
add or share?
Only
that I appreciate the opportunity to tell your readers a bit about myself and
what I’m doing because they are the very people who help keep local talent
alive through their interest and support.
Where Theresa’s
Book can be Obtained:
Where you can find
out more about Theresa and her Writing:
On
Twitter - @TLKonwinski
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