Meeting The Author...

..at my house...

I must admit there was quite a bit of fretting over the details...it had been SO long since I hosted anything at all, that I was worried about every little thing...I shouldn't have been, as it was only our monthly book club meeting but this time, we had invited the author of the book! And it involved lunch. And that made a difference! There was a lot to think about and after two years of no social interaction at all, my hosting skills were quite rusty...and that worried me, but it all worked out and a good time was had by all...

And that was due to Heather, the author. She was wonderful. She was relaxed and very much at ease. She chatted all through lunch and then once we started in to the discussion and she had a hint of the kind of things we wanted to know, she just took over and spoke about how she got started writing, how her first novel got published, how she writes, and why she writes, where her characters come from and to where they lead her in the writing process ...and she insists they lead her, and determine the plot, not the other way around! 

I was surprised at how much personal information she shared with us, but that is what made the day for me. It gave me the answers to so many of my questions - the ones that all started with "why" ... If I were to re-read that novel now, I would see in it the connections to her life experiences..the good, the bad, and even the life-shattering... and I would understand the decisions she made in telling that story the way she did. 

The book is Cracked Pots  by Heather Tucker. It is the sequel to The Clay Girl  but can also stand alone. To quote the back cover promo - "It is the redemptive story of of a girl broken by cruelty and truth, revealing that destiny is shaped in clay not stone. It is a celebration of rising after the blows, gathering the fragments and piecing together a remarkable life through creativity and kindness"

It is a hard read at times, but in the end, a book about resilience and hope. 

And, oh yes..a seahorse is involved....