INTERVIEW: Bestselling Author and Journalist: Anna David

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing her views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Ms. Anna David. She is a TV personality, author and was a fulltime freelancer at People,. She had a contract with US Weekly Magazine and ,wrote a love and relationship column for Razor. Her first novel, Party Girl, was released May, 2007. Her second novel Bought is now available in bookstores and on line.

E.I. Your book, Bought explores the sexy, dysfunctional world of Hollywood's "kept women” and the tremendous pressures put on a hungry-for-promotion journalist. What drew you to explore these topics and was there something special that first sparked the storyline for the novel?

A.D. Years ago, I wrote an article on high-class prostitution in Hollywood for Details. I had anticipated interviewing people over a few weeks and gathering some anecdotes, but I ended up spending about six months obsessively infiltrating that universe, getting to know the girls as well as the detectives, FBI informants and other denizens of the underworld. I was always disappointed that the article ended up being this 2000-word story that essentially just relayed how rich men got their rocks off and didn’t get into the dynamics behind any of it. Sometime after finishing the Details story, I was reading an article about a beautiful, well-educated, seemingly cultivated girl who brazenly admitted that she took money from men in exchange for sexual favors. I was amazed that someone like that could do and say those things without seeming to have an ounce of shame about it and honestly, I admired it. I walk around feeling shame about all kinds of things I shouldn’t so for someone to own behavior that most of the world was going to judge just seemed so ballsy. I’m also slightly obsessed with the different versions of ourselves that we present to the world so I wanted to examine how someone like that – someone who, on the surface, had everything going for her and appeared confident – might be lying to herself and how her well-honed armor might crack.

E.I. Jessica Davis is a professional escort who gets paid in clothes, jewelry, and rent payments. What research did you do in preparation for writing about Jessica – did you know of anyone who are professional escorts to help you with your research for your book?

A.D. I got to know the women I interviewed for the Details story reasonably well but I mostly based Jessica on what I imagined the girl I read the article would be like as well as some of the women I’d run across in L.A. who seemed to accept the fact that they needed men to be their meal tickets. When I was promoting the book, I got to know a number of the women who were on a website that hooked aspiring gold diggers up with their “sugar daddies” – as well as Brooke Taylor, who works at the Cattle Ranch in Nevada (and is on the reality show Cathouse) and was amazed by how much they were like the women I’d invented.

E.I. What part of working on a book is most enjoyable to you? And how difficult was it to muster up the courage to write Bought?

A.D. The most enjoyable part, for me, is when the rewrites are complete and I’m printing up the entire book to go through it with my red pen. I have all kinds of tricks for getting myself to read something I’ve already read hundreds of times and still have a fresh reaction to it because books become like that small hole next to your coat hook in your entryway; in other words, you can cease to see the flaws because you’re simply so accustomed to them. So it’s almost like an acting exercise for me: I pretend I’m someone specific – a certain friend, my agent, my mom, whoever – and I read the book as if I’m that person, making every effort I possibly can to embody them so I can see the book the way they would. And I didn’t think that writing Bought took much courage. Party Girl required far more because I was really putting myself out there as an incredibly flawed and screwed up person.

E.I. The first time you saw your book in a bookstore, what did you think?

A.D. The first time I saw Party Girl in a bookstore, I hugged the saleswoman. It was at a reading for an anthology I had an essay in and Party Girl wasn’t due out for another month. But somehow this store had gotten my publisher to release copies early for this anthology reading so I was completely taken by surprise. I think I started screaming and demanding that the she tell me how she’d gotten this miracle to occur. I remember her smiling but looking at me like I was half insane. For years, I looked for Party Girl and Bought in every bookstore I went to but at a certain point I stopped. But I do get a bit of a serotonin rush when I see Laura Davis’ and Robertson Davies’ names because those always seemed to be the ones that came after mine on the shelf.

E.I. With four books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

A.D. With Party Girl, I was really just teaching myself how to write a first person, present-tense book with one main character. Bought was far more challenging, not only because I was writing about a world I didn’t have any personal experience in but also because the protagonist, Emma, really isn’t the main character. Most people tell me they come away from the book far more intrigued by Jessica, despite the fact that she had fewer redeeming qualities, and that was always my intention. My third book is an anthology: I wrote only one essay in it and then assigned and edited the other 17 pieces. While I’d edited before (I’m a massive self-editor and pride myself on the fact that neither Party Girl or Bought received line edits; I’ve also been an editor at magazines), I’d never been responsible for articles by writers of this caliber. For me to have to go back to writers who are far more successful than I am and ask them to make changes wasn’t easy but the hardest part of that book was dealing with the writers who’d promised they’d contribute and completely flaked out! I’m about a third of the way through writing my fourth book and it’s absolutely the most enjoyable of them all because it’s something of a memoir. No disguising experiences I had, no developing characters and no inventing scenarios for them – just straight up storytelling from my own life.

Photo of Anna David by Eric Fischer

To learn more about Anna David please visit her website at http://www.annadavid.com/

To purchase her books please visit http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=anna+david

INTERVIEW: Author Andrew Grant & the David Travellyan Novels

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing his views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with ANDREW GRANT. He was born in Birmingham, England. He’s debut thriller novel EVEN, is now available in every bookstores and on line. His style is sure to send adrenaline surging through to every hair on your body.

E.I. Would you share some early insight into who you were as a teenager? What were you like? Please tell us more about Andrew Grant -- the man behind the author.

A.G: When I was a teenager? That was a depressingly long time ago...

The thing I remember most from those years is a tangible feeling of my horizons expanding. My parents were very ‘hands-off,’ so I had plenty of freedom to discover music, literature, art, and so on for myself. I also enjoyed a lot of outdoor activities - caving, canoeing, camping etc - which I’ve not had time to pursue recently.

E.I. Do you enjoy writing? What is it about this art form that enchants you the most? Why have you chosen to write in the genre in which you write?

A.G. Sometimes writing is the most enjoyable occupation in the world; sometimes the most frustrating. I have never experienced any other kind of work with such a contrast, both in terms of the extremes of joy and despair, and the speed that one can change into the other. I choose to write crime fiction because that’s the genre I like best. If you enjoy reading, writing is the ultimate indulgence - you get to decide who the heroes and villains are, where the action takes place, what kinds of crime are involved...

E.I. Could you describe your path that leads you to publication--any stumble along the way? Is there anything about you that you would do differently, knowing what you do now?

A.G. My first love was actually theatre, rather than writing novels. When I left university I set up a small independent theatre company with five of my friends, and we were completely immersed in writing and producing original shows for the best part of two years. We had an incredibly enjoyable time - performing locally, touring the UK, and appearing at the Edinburgh Festival - but eventually our funds failed to match our enthusiasm and I was forced to find a ‘real’ job. This was supposed to be a temporary stop-gap while I repaired the hole in my bank balance, but in the end it ate up fifteen years of my life. During this time my focus gradually drifted from drama to fiction - and ultimately crime fiction - so that when I was finally able to escape the corporate world, it was clear to me what I wanted to do.

E.I. Was there a central theme that you wanted readers to grasp?

A.G. I’m not sure about themes, specifically, but my overall aim to make my books as enjoyable as possible by including everything I like about thrillers, and leaving out everything I don’t like.

E.I. Are there any suspense thriller books rocked your world while growing up? And why?

A.G. My favourite thriller when I was growing up was ICE STATION ZEBRA by Alistair MacLean. I loved the pace, the suspense, and the way the narrator repeatedly misled the other characters - not to mention the reader - as he tenaciously unravelled the complexities of the plot.

E.I. How do you imagine audience as you are writing? Do you try to do character development, chapter outlines, various novel-related brainstorming? Do you have sheets of newsprint covered in a story boards all over your walls?

A.G. I picture my hero, David Trevellyan, sitting in a bar with a group of friends, telling them a story about things that have happened to him. I use the first person, because I want the audience to see the events of the novel through his eyes and understand the decisions he makes. I develop his character as far as I can to make his reactions and responses seem credible, but I tend to stay away from outlining in too great detail as I don’t believe I could do it without taking some of the immediacy away from the narrative.

E.I. Let’s shift gears here for a second... let’s talk about David Trevellyan the protagonist in your novel EVEN . How much of him planned out in your head? How do you know where you will go next with her character?

A.G. I have a very clear sense of who David is inside my head - what motivates him, what’s important to him etc - and I try to illustrate as many sides of him as possible through the situations I place him in.

E.I. What was your biggest challenge and obstacle while writing and creating David Trevellyan? Did you work them out in advance, or did they evolve as you wrote the story? Are any of the characters in the story actually based on real people in your life?

A.G. Because I write in the first person, the biggest challenge is showing David through the eyes of other characters. Especially when you want to portray him in a positive light, but without him sounding boastful. This sort of problem generally crops up at regular intervals throughout each book, but fortunately ways around it - such as introducing parts of David’s service record in EVEN - usually present themselves as I go along.

E.I. It seems that your books been attracting more readers and publicity. When are we going to see them on the screen? And if you were allowed total control of the Hollywood version of EVEN who would be in it? And in your opinion who do you think should direct?

A.G. I’m delighted that EVEN has attracted a great deal of interest from Hollywood, and I’m hoping to have some more concrete news about this in the very near future...

E.I. What is a typical work day schedule when you are in full writing mode? Would you tell us a little about your process for editing, revising, and novel development? How long did it take you to write EVEN including the time it took to research it?

A.G. I find there’s a limit to the amount of time I can work and remain productive, so the ideal for me would be to write for two hours in the morning, two hours after lunch, and another two hours later in the afternoon. As my deadline approaches, however, I usually find myself stretching these periods out a little. And as I travel a lot these days, I often find myself making use of the time I spend on planes, where there are no phones or internet connections to distract me.

The basic ideas for EVEN were taking shape in my head for a couple of years before I quit my job, but once I was ‘free’ it took me almost exactly eight months to write the book.

E.I. As a first time suspense thriller writer, do you feel more pressure, feel insecurities fade away or are you able to separate all that from your own creative process?

A.G. Quitting my job to become a writer was a daunting prospect, but I just kept telling myself there are two kinds of things you can regret in life - the things you do, and the things you don’t. And I didn’t want to get to end of my days and regret not having at least tried to do the thing that most excited me.

E.I. What's up next? Is there another book in the works? What can you share with your fans?

A.G. My second book is due for release next summer. Obliged to leave New York City in the aftermath of his previous mission, David Trevellyan is summoned to the British Consulate in Chicago. To the same office where just a week before his new handler was attacked and shot by a Royal Navy Intelligence operative gone bad. Assigned the job of finding the rogue agent and putting an end to his treacherous scheme, Trevellyan soon finds that once again, his only hopes of saving countless innocent lives lie not within the system, but in his instinctive belief – you’re obliged to do what’s right, whatever the personal cost may be.

E.I. Mr. Grant, thank you for contributing to my blog. It has been a pleasure for me to get to know you, and your work a little better. I'm really glad that I had the honor to get your interview. I wish you all the best in the literary world. Would you like to end your interview with a writing tip or advice for young aspiring writers?

A.G. The pleasure was all mine. Thank you for including me in your blog. And my only advice for aspiring writers is - ignore all advice. Just sit down, write the book, and start querying agents.

To learn more about Andrew Grant, please visit his website: http://www.andrewgrantbooks.com/

Photo of Mr. Andrew Grant By Carrie Schechter

INTERVIEW: Updates on Bestselling Author Tish Cohen

Welcome to “Up Close and Personal.” For every interview I will be introducing a literary personality discussing her views and insights, as well as upcoming literary events around the world.

Today’s interview is with Tish Cohen, she is the best-selling author of Inside Out Girl and Town House, as well Little Black Lies for teens and the Zoe Lama series. Her adult novel ‘Town House’ was a 2008 finalist for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. Her novel ‘Town House’ was sold to FOX movie producers before it was picked up by HarperPerennial.

E.I. Tell us about your latest book for teens “Little Black Lies”? What drew you to attract the teen readers? What sort of feedback do you get from readers that have contacted you about “Little Black Lies”?

T.C. I was drawn to write a teen novel after writing Inside Out Girl, which features three protagonists, one of whom is a fourteen-year old girl named Janie. I adored writing in Janie’s angsty, lovesick, insecure, fragile voice, and chose to write an entire book from a teen voice. I think the teen years are years we really remember as adults. That coming-of-age time is so fraught with memories good and bad, it is a great place to draw from when writing a story.

Readers seem to relate well to Sara Black from Little Black Lies because she is such an underdog. She’s the new girl at a school for genius kids, her mother has left the family and her obsessive-compulsive father—the school janitor) is inadvertently destroying any chance she has for a social life at school because his condition is growing worse. She’s in a sort of desperate situation.

E.I. What challenge or obstacle did you encounter in creating the character Sarah Black while writing and creating her in your novel?

T.C. It was challenging to show her as a loving daughter, in spite of the things she does to save her social skin. But the truth is, high school is so filled with angst and pressure, and many kids (like my own!) are terrified to even have their parents walk into the school, that a friendless girl like Sara—so desperate to fit in even in a small way—could easily make some bad choices in the interest of social survival.

E.I. Your novels are known for unusual and lovable characters. Do you always know a story's ending when you begin writing?

T.C. Thank you. Character is Number One for me. In terms of knowing the ending, definitely not. I didn’t know how Little Black Lies would end until I wrote the end. It was important to me that the readers’ emotions would be settled, but that Sara not have things in her life be magically resolved. Some things she’s just forced to accept.

E.I. Do you find that the real story magic comes in the editing? Does the story continue to evolve for you even beyond the first draft? Do you have any particular approach to editing your work?

T.C. I felt that for Inside Out Girl, the final scene on the riverbank where you see this broken family facing their next phase, both happy and terribly sad, was the magic of the book. That was one ending I had imagined right from the start. But in answer to your question, the story evolves with every draft, even to the point of adding or removing characters. For me, the story is ripe for change until I sign off on the final proof pages.

E.I. This may be a ridiculous question but do you ever get writer’s block? How do you overcome it?

T.C. I don’t believe in writer’s block, actually. I do believe in writer’s lack of focus and it definitely happens to me. And as much as I love writing, it still terrifies me and I still look for excuses to do anything other than write. But usually once I fall in love with the characters on the page and grow to care about their lives, the need to peruse the Internet or straighten my writing room dissipates.

E.I. When did you get the first inkling that your books might become wildly popular? Can you describe your feelings upon realizing this?

T.C. Well, when I heard the film rights for Town House had sold, I was gobsmacked. Filled with anxiety as well. What would it mean? Would my life change? As happy as I was, I found it terrifying. It’s taken a couple of years to get over that fear of success—the tortoise pace of Hollywood helped with that!—but I can honestly say I’m in a place now where I welcome it.

E.I. With four books under your belt, how have you evolved as a writer?

T.C. I think the books I’ve read in these years have helped me evolve as a writer as much as the books I’ve written. Nothing is more inspiring to me than coming upon a turn of phrase that makes me stop and read it over and over again. I think I strive harder now to create stories, scenes, sentences, that stir the reader in that very way. I don’t know if I’ll ever achieve it but I try.

E.I. What can fans look forward from you in the coming months? Can you give us a hint as to what it's about?

T.C. My next novel for adults will be released June 8, 2010. The Truth About Delilah Blue is about a twenty-year old nude model who discovers a terrible secret about her adored father, a secret she may never forgive.

To learn more about Tish Cohen, please visit her website: http://www.tishcohen.com/

To purchase her books please visit http:www.amazon.com