Hi Diane, welcome to Blue Archipelago Reviews! Let’s kick off with a question about your new book. If you had to describe The Midwife’s Confession to a complete stranger what would you tell them?

I would tell them it’s a puzzle for the reader to figure out along with the characters. It asks the question, “How well do we really know the people we love?” Ultimately, it’s a story about friendship and forgiveness.

So how did the idea for the novel come about?

I dreamed about a woman who called together several of her friends to tell them she knew a secret that would devastate a mutual friends. She wanted help figuring out if she should tell this friend what she knew. I woke up knowing I wanted to write about that dilemma, and the story grew from there.

Wow, I love that the novel stemmed from a dream! Did the story turn out how you had first imagined or did the characters take journeys you hadn’t foreseen?

My characters always take me places I never expected to go! Noelle, the midwife, grew into a larger-than-life character who had as much influence over me as she had over her friends in the book. Even though I’d carefully outlined the story before I started writing it, Noelle did several things I never anticipated, and each thing she did impacted everyone else in the book.

I really liked Noelle as a character, there is a great depth to her. Who do you think is the most interesting character and what is it about them that intrigues you?

Noelle, of course. She’s so complex. On the surface, she is a stereotypical “crunchy-granola” sort of midwife, but as her past is revealed through her chapters, the reader discovers that she’s far deeper than she appears. Noelle does things that are extremely unsympathetic, and yet readers have told me they find themselves caring about her and being touched by the heart-wrenching decisions she makes. That was what I hoped for as I wrote about her.

I can relate to that, she had to make some tough decisions and that made her very endearing. I’m interested to know what book are you reading at the moment?

To be honest, I’m reading one of my own books, Kiss River, because it’s going to be reissued in the fall and I need to see if there are any changes I want to make to it (none so far). It’s the second book in the Keeper of the Light trilogy. Keeper of the Light was just reissued and I’m thrilled to have these books available once again.

One of my readers Betty left a message to say she re-reads the Keeper of the Light trilogy each year, I haven’t read those yet but they’re now on my Wishlist! Do you have a favourite place to write Diane?

I have two favorite places. One is Starbucks, which I refer to as the Opium Den because I’m so addicted to working there. I have “my own” leather chair in a corner and everyone knows it’s mine! Even though I can’t tolerate noise around me when I’m writing at home, I’m able to write for hours in a noisy Starbucks.

My next favorite place is in my beach condo on Topsail Island, North Carolina. I love sitting on the sofa with the ocean spread out in front of me, watching the dolphins romp in the water. It’s so peaceful–the opposite of Starbucks.

Your beach house sounds idyllic especially with those dolphins. Can you tell us what you are working on next?

I just completed the rough draft of The Good Father, which is scheduled to be published in June of 2012. It’s with my editor now and I’m waiting for her feedback. Her input is always invaluable and I can’t wait to hear her thoughts on this story of three desperate people and the little girl who saves them.

That sounds intriguing, hopefully your editor will have positive feedback for you. Finally Diane, is there anything else you would like to share about you, your novel, or your work in general?

I’ve been so lucky to have two careers that I love, first as a hospital social worker and psychotherapist and second as a writer. Both careers have allowed me to touch people in positive ways and that’s such a rewarding feeling. I’m particularly excited about the response to The Midwife’s Confession, because it seems to be a book that reaches people on so many different levels, both emotional and intellectual. I look forward to talking about Midwife with book clubs, and there’s a sign-up form on my website if a club would like me to call in. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

That’s brilliant – thanks Diane it was so lovely to chat to you today.

Thanks for reading An author interview with Diane Chamberlain, a post published on Blue Archipelago Reviews. Why not visit us and leave a comment :)

What’s in a Name?

The Shining, Jaws, The Hunt for Red October, The Silence of the Lambs.

Great titles all.

So what was wrong with mine? Shortly after signing my first book contract, word from my publisher was that most people in the office didn’t like the title of the manuscript: Alice Wynter. I’d named my book after my main character.

Before you start listing all the reasons that they were right, let me tell you why I liked that name so much. First, being a lifelong Stephen King fan, I’d always liked the idea of naming a book after a character. He’d done it a few times: Christine, Delores Claiborne, Rose Madder, and, of course, Carrie. Second, in my novel, Alice Wynter holds the key to the entire book. Finding out what happened to her unravels the whole mystery. So, I figured that her name as a title made sense. Finally, I personally like books with character names as titles. It’s just a thing I have. In book stores, I’m immediately drawn to these books and usually buy them.

[pullquote]Here’s something I learned early on: titles really matter.[/pullquote]Here’s something I learned early on: titles really matter. In my research, I found that some people won’t even read a book if they don’t like the title. And it makes sense. The title is in some way the first exposure to the contents of the book. The first hook. If a potential reader doesn’t like that, all bets are off. No one’s going to buy a book named Slow Going or One Big Slog.

So, after my publisher said they didn’t like the title, I set out to find another title. I went to Amazon and searched all the mystery/thriller titles I could find that related to winter, ice, and snow to come up with ideas. I made long lists. In the end, I had at least a hundred potential titles. Some of the contenders were: Winter Kill, All the Secret Things, The Second Secret, Winter Valley, and Blood Lake. Not bad, right? But none of them grabbed us.

Book titles are not subject to copyright, thankfully. Otherwise, every new book would have to have a unique title, and that would be a mess. The thing is, suppose a top-shelf author like Joe Finder or Michael Palmer comes out with a book with the same title as a debut. Then, every time someone searched, they find a billion links, and the debut would be 1,000 search pages in. Not a good thing. A few times in this process, we thought we had a good title, only to find that someone had used it recently or a similarly named book by a bigger author was coming out a few months earlier.

Late in the process, I came up with Dead of Wynter. I’ll be honest. It wasn’t my favorite. I was a little wary of the play on words, but I asked around and plenty of people liked it for that reason. It ain’t perfect. “Dead of Winter” is a cliche, and that’s always a problem, because you can bet that someone has used it before you. And plenty of people had. But, we figured that the play on words would set it apart, and I was happy because I’d managed to retain 50% of my original title.

Dead of Wynter as a title is dramatic and a little creepy. In the end, I decided I liked it.

Who knew that choosing a title for your novel could be almost as time consuming as writing the novel itself! I have to agree with Spencer though, the old saying says “never judge a book by its cover”, but if the cover and the title don’t grab my attention then that book stays firmly on the shelf.

Thanks for reading Guest Post with Spencer Seidel – Author of Dead of Wynter, a post published on Blue Archipelago Reviews. Why not visit us and leave a comment :)

The interview will be held in Los Angeles as part of the Los Angeles Times Book Festival. But you don’t need to worry about travelling as you’ll be able to watch the interview live right here.

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith will be putting the questions to Sister Souljah as she talks about her new novel: Midnight and the Meaning of Love.

If you have a question of your own that you would like to be asked then check out Atria’s Facebook page at facebook.com/atriabooks, selected questions will be answered during the live event on Saturday. You can also ask questions via Twitter by using the hashtags #sistersouljah and #atrialive.

Watch the interview with Sister Souljah live right here on Saturday at 7.50PM EST

About Midnight and the Meaning of Love

Powerful and sensual, Midnight is an intelligent, fierce fighter and Ninjutsu-trained ninja warrior. He attracts attention wherever he goes but remains unmoved by it and focuses on protecting his mother and sister and regaining his family’s fortunes.

When Midnight, a devout Muslim, takes sixteen-year-old Akemi from Japan as his wife, they look forward to building a life together, but their tumultuous teenage marriage is interrupted when Akemi is kidnapped and taken back to Japan by her own father, even though the marriage was consummated and well underway.

Midnight must travel across three countries and numerous cultures in his attempt to defeat his opponent. Along this magnificent journey he meets people who change him forever, even as he changes them.

He encounters temptations he never would have imagined and takes risks that many a lesser man would say no to, all for the women he loves and is sworn to protect.

About Atria Literary Salon Series

This is the fourth installment of the Atria Literary Salon Series. The previous three celebrated authors were Lauren Weisberger, Nicolle Wallace and Jodi Picoult. Returning to the grand old tradition of places like the Algonquin Hotel where people would gather for stimulating conversation, Judith Curr, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Atria Books, launched the Literary Salon Series to bring together authors, editors and media for an evening of stimulating conversation and literary style.

Thanks for reading Don't miss the livestream interview with Sister Souljah, a post published on Blue Archipelago Reviews. Why not visit us and leave a comment :)

Sing you Home is Picoult’s 17th novel and to celebrate the launch Jodi is taking part in an exclusive live web chat on March 7 at 7PM EST, and I am excited to announce that you will be able to join in that live web chat right here at Blue Archipelago Reviews!

The interview, moderated by book reviewer Bethanne Patrick is part of the Atria Literary Salon Series.

How to Get an Autographed Copy of Sing You Home

You can click here to order your autographed copy of Sing You Home before, during and after this web event.  A portion of proceeds from each sale will be donated to Jodi’s charity of choice, The Trevor Project, the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.  The book also includes a compact disc of original songs created for the novel and sung by Ellen Wilber, who will also be performing on the webcast.

You can watch the livestream event right here on this page. Please tweet any questions you may have for Jodi using the hashtag  #singyouhome, or by posting questions to Atria’s Facebook page.  Select questions will be answered live by Jodi Picoult during the event.

About Atria Salon Series

This is the third installment of the Atria Literary Salon Series. The previous two celebrated authors Lauren Weisberger and Nicolle Wallace. Returning to the grand old tradition of places like the Algonquin Hotel where people would gather for stimulating conversation, Judith Curr, Executive Vice President and Publisher of Atria Books, launched the Literary Salon Series to bring together authors, editors and media for an evening of stimulating conversation and literary style.

Join in the Exclusive Live Web Chat Here March 7 at 7PM EST

Click here to take part in the Webchat - and if you’re early then you can watch some great interviews with Jodi.

Thanks for reading Jodi Picoult Talks about New Novel Sing You Home Live March 7, 2011, a post published on Blue Archipelago Reviews. Why not visit us and leave a comment :)

MY – Petals from the Sky is the story of a young Chinese woman who had planned to escape her dysfunctional, ne’er-do-well family by becoming a Buddhist nun – only to realize she had run away from her own heart.

Meng Ning, the protagonist’s life, is partly based on my own. In my youth, I was befriended by the most powerful nun in Hong Kong and groomed to be her successor because of my background — I hold a PhD in Chinese music from the Sorbonne and am trained in the exotic Chinese arts of music, poetry, painting and calligraphy.

I wanted to tell the story of a woman caught between her youthful Buddhist philosophy of overcoming desire, only to awaken to the power of her own desire. Having known many Buddhist nuns, I also wanted to tell the stories of different women who became nuns for very different reasons, not only religious calling, but also poverty, being abandoned by a lover, or as a path to political influence. Nuns live many different kinds of lives; not all spend their time in solitary meditation on remote mountains. Some are even billionaire fund-raisers running multinational organizations and hobnobbing with high society and heads of state — such as the abbess portrayed in my novel. I know about the lives of Buddhist nuns from the inside.

CS – So parts of the book are almost more memoir than novel; I assume that meant that little research was required to build the story?

MY – To write my first novel Peach Blossom Pavilion, story of the last Chinese geisha, I spent several months in China, reading in obscure sources about these fascinating, elegant, yet tragic women. Many left behind essays, poems or paintings – the only ways they could express their true feelings.

The source for my new novel Petals from the Sky is completely different — it was inspired by my own life – my childhood in an eccentric family, my youth with nuns, my education in France, my unexpected meeting at a Buddhist event with the man who would become my husband. Of course there are parts of the novel that I made up.

CS - In your opinion Mingmei, what are some of the most important themes in Petals from the Sky?

MY – Besides telling a poignant, compelling love story, I also wanted to show that love, passion and desire can flourish with the Buddhist ideals of wisdom and compassion. For these are necessary if love is to conquer all. Love must include compassion, but also needs wisdom, without which so many situations can turn into disasters.

Petals from the Sky is also about the mysterious, yet inevitable, working of karmic connections. At thirteen, the protagonist Meng Ning fell into a well but instead of being severely injured was enlightened to the strong presence of Guan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion. This experience led her to befriend nuns from a prominent temple. Seventeen years later, when she was about to be ordained as a nun, a fire broke out in her temple retreat and fate again took her onto a different path: falling in love with a man.

CS – Who is your favorite character in the book?

MY – The protagonist Meng Ning, since I put so much of myself in her, for better or worse. Also her feisty, illogical, opinionated, yet endearing mother who, though giving her daughter endless headaches, loved her unconditionally. And of course the mysterious scarred nun and Michael, who’d do anything for Meng Ning. What women wouldn’t want a man like that?

CS – So true, Michael would make a great catch for anyone! So Meng Ning has a lot of you in her character – how did you further develop her?

MY – While much is based on my own life, and the lives of others I have known, Meng Ning began as an innocent thirteen year old whose fall into a well enlightened her to the mysterious, yet comforting, world of Buddhist Goddess. Ten years later, we find her studying art history in Paris and planning to return to Hong Kong to one day rejoin her nun mentor in the most prominent nunnery in Hong Kong. Her life was completely and perfectly mapped out – or so she thought. Until a fire broke out in a retreat she attended and a young, handsome American doctor rescued her.

This unexpected, drastic encounter completely derailed her plan. She was thrust onto a sensuous, even dangerous, path she had never imagined she would tread.

CS – I personally thought the book was beautifully written, with a story unlike anything I’ve ever read before. Describe some of the reactions that you’ve encountered about Petals from the Sky from other people? What was the most surprising?

MY – The character of Meng Ning’s mother seems to win the affection of most readers. She is difficult, nagging but, ultimately loving. And she has her own secret to reveal but you have to read the novel to find out what it is.

Some are surprised I would write with such knowledge about the lives of prostitutes in Peach Blossom Pavilion but then write a novel about Buddhist nuns. Yet I have been fascinated by the very different courses women’s lives can take. With both prostitutes and nuns, though in quite different ways, sexuality complicates their lives immensely.

CS – I can see why people appreciate Meng Ning’s mother – I thought she was a great character and her own secret added an extra layer to the novel that was intriguing to read. Have there been any misconceptions about the book that you’d like to clear up?

MY – One reader said Michael is too needy as a character. But men are needy, just as women are.

CS – Are you working on anything else at the moment?

MY – Yes, I am now finishing my third novel Song of the Silk Road, a love story between a woman of twenty-nine and a younger man of twenty-one on the famously dangerous Silk Road. An adventurer, the young woman attracts danger as much as she does men — like bees to honey.

I am also writing and illustrating another children’s book for Tuttle to follow my Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories.

CS – I’m so glad to hear that there is a third novel in the works; I’ll look out for that one as soon as I’ve read Peach Blossom Pavilion! Is there anything else you’d like to add?

MY – Only that I hope everyone enjoys Petals from the Sky! For more information on my books and art, please visit www.mingmeiyip.com

CS – Thank you so much for taking the time out to answer some questions about Petals from the Sky Mingmei, I’m sure my readers will enjoy the book as much as I did.

Giveaway Alert!

Mingmei has kindly offered to send a copy of this wonderful book to one of my lucky readers. There are a number of ways that you can enter the giveaway; Petals from the Sky has just been released and I want to help Mingmei spread the word about this great book as far and wide as possible – so I need your help.

To have your name entered into the giveaway simply Tweet about this giveaway to your friends, or post it on your Facebook wall, and then come back here and leave a comment to let me know which one you did.

The closing date for entries is 11.59 GMT on Saturday April 3, 2010 and I’ll announce the lucky winner as part of the Sunday Salon on April 4.

This post was brought to you today as part of the Sunday Salon. Sign up yourself or just visit other book loving bloggers at http://dhamel.typepad.com/sundaysalon/

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• Petals From The Sky by Mingmei Yip (bluearchipelagoreviews.com)

Thanks for reading Mingmei Yip Talks About Petals from the Sky, a post published on Blue Archipelago Reviews. Why not visit us and leave a comment :)