April 8, 2015

Interviews around the Globe with Melanie Denman

Today we have a new Author. Melanie Denman is an author that is working though a book Tour that I have now been a tour host for. Let welcome this new author to Interviews around the Globe.

I would love if you all took a look at our author Bio.. We have some good questions and answer for her to answer. Please also I had the opportunity to read her latest book called "Visiting the Sins". I have a review on it here at NRC and I also got a giveaway as for all of you as well. Visiting the Sins Review & Giveaway, Here is the author bio for before we enter the interview. We welcome Melanie to our community. #Interviews, #Interviewsaroundtheglobe, #NRC, #Giveaways, #southernfiction #womensfiction #bookreview, @iReadBookTours, +Laura Fabiani iRead Book Tours+Laura Fabian




Melanie Denman is a native of Nacogdoches, Texas and a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University. An eighth-generation Texan, and a former banker and cattle rancher, she currently lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she is working on a second novel.

Connect with Melanie: Website ~ Facebook











Describe your *Latest/Recent* book in 20 Words or Less?

Visiting the Sins is a Texas tale of mothers and daughters whose conflicting ambitions tear their family apart.

Where or how did you come up with the idea for your story (in this book)?

My real life grandmother was the inspiration for “Pokey,” the pistol-packing matriarch. She landed herself in quite a few scandalous escapades over the years, and never repented of any of it. The plot was built around her adventures.

How important are names to you in your book(s)? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning? Do you have any name choosing resources you that you?

The names of my characters are hugely important, much like the names of my own children. The names need to fit the time and place, but more importantly, they reflect the hopes, dreams, values, and culture of the parents who would have chosen the name. I give a lot of thought to whether they would have chosen to name the child for a relative, or someone from the Old Testament, or even for a virtue they hoped the child would have. I don’t use name books, but I do sometimes note names from an obituary, or from my own family tree.

Which of your characters (in this book) is your favorite and Why?

Each of my characters is special to me, but I guess my favorite would have to be Pokey, the matriarch. She just refuses to quit, refuses to feel sorry for herself, and refuses to apologize for being who she is. I can’t help rooting for her.

Was there a certain scene *in this book* that was harder for you to write than others?

The scene where the drunk dad kicks the family dog into the air made me sick.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

There are so many juicy parts for women in this story that I wouldn’t know where to begin casting, except for one: I would love to see Sissy Spacek play Pokey.

What was your favorite part to write and why? (Alternate Q: What is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?)
I have loved just about every part of it except for revising from the editor’s marks. That was tedious work.

Just as your books inspire authors, what authors have inspired you to write? (Alternate Q: If you didn't like writing books, what would you do for a living?, What writing advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

I’m inspired all over again every time I read a good book, but one author that I go back to again and again for inspiration is William Faulkner. His writing is so evocative, so unpretentious. And he was not afraid to experiment with structure or point of view.

The best advice I have is to get objective feedback on your writing, either through a critique group or in a class environment. It will make you a better writer and help you get accustomed to criticism.

Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad?

I do read them, but I don’t usually respond to them since I think they are intended mainly for other readers. Negative reviews are just part of the deal. I appreciate anyone who reads my book and I also appreciate a thoughtful discussion of the literary merits of any intriguing book, whether it’s mine or someone else’s.

What are you working on now? What is your next project?

I’m in the process of adapting Visiting the Sins into a screenplay, and also working on a new novel, a Texas-based tale about the relationship between people and their land. All the main characters in Visiting the Sins were women, so I am really enjoying seeing some strong male characters come to life.

Bonus Question: Characters often find themselves in situations they aren’t sure they can get themselves out of. When was the last time you found yourself in a situation that was hard to get out of and what did you do?

I wish I could come up with something where I acted heroically, but my most recent predicament was when I was walking my dog one morning and a yellowjacket dive-bombed me. He stung me on the head, proceeded to get himself tangled up in my hair, and just kept on stinging me over and over. I ran into the house screaming hysterically for help. My husband calmly extracted the yellowjacket and gave him the death penalty. My poor dog did not know what caused my fit and now he is nervous to go walking with me.

Thank you for stopping by Melanie Denman. I happy for you have stop by Nighttime Reading Center. Your book was enjoyable to read.




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