Coffee & Convo welcomes Lisette Brodey author of the Young Adult book Squalor, New Mexico.
Lisette, tell us a little bit about your book, Squalor, New Mexico.
My odd-titled book takes place in East Coast suburbia in the ‘70s. Darla McKendrick recounts her life from the age of nine through sixteen. It is at the age of nine that she first hears her mother and her aunt Didi talking about their younger sister, her aunt Rebecca, a woman who she never even knew had existed.
When Darla asks about what she has just heard, she is offered nothing but half-truths, distortions, and evasions. As Darla grows into her teen years, her life is oddly yet profoundly affected by this woman she has never known.
Rebecca seems only to exist in the dark corners of conversations. No one ever wants to discuss her with Darla, but the adults in the family spend a great deal of time talking about Rebecca when they think Darla is out of earshot.
Squalor, New Mexico is a coming-of-age story shrouded in family mystery. As the plot takes twists and turns, secrets are revealed not only to Darla, but to the “secret keepers” as well. Darla learns that families are only as strong as the truths they hold and as weak as the secrets they keep.
What do you think readers will enjoy most about Squalor, New Mexico?
First and foremost, Squalor, New Mexico is the story of a family that has become fractured by past events and present-day supposition. Readers of all ages have told me that they relate to the parent-child conflicts, the dissolution of relationships, the story of Darla’s coming of age, and the discovery of layers upon layers of secrets.
Where can we find Squalor, New Mexico?
Amazon.com (PB and Kindle): http://amzn.to/feZ51V
B&N Nook Edition: http://bit.ly/fOxYpE
Smashwords ebook edition: http://bit.ly/faBEzo
Tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia. After high school, I moved to New York City where I attended Pace University and studied drama. After ten years in New York, several of them working in the radio industry, I moved to Los Angeles, where I held various positions at Paramount Studios in Hollywood and CBS Studio Center in Studio City. I returned to Philadelphia, where I worked as a freelance writer, specializing in PR and the entertainment industry. Happily, I am now back in the Los Angeles area.
Why did you decide to become an Indie author?
In 2007, after several years of getting “this close,” I was really tired of the grueling, time-consuming, and extraordinarily slow process of looking for an agent. When a feasible way to publish independently presented itself, I grabbed it.
Is this your debut novel? If not, what are some of your other books
and where can we find them?
and where can we find them?
Yes and no. Okay, let me explain. Squalor, New Mexico is my debut novel, writing wise. It was my first-written novel, but not the one I first published. Although this book is technically classified as being for young adults, I am not a young adult author. Therefore, I decided that my debut as an author should be with my second-written book, Crooked Moon, in the general fiction genre.
Crooked Moon is the story of two childhood friends, Frankie and Callie, who reunite after twenty-three years amid pain and tragedy. As the women struggle to renew their friendship, each ends up with a life-altering secret about the other, and the burning question of what to do with it.
Readers can find Crooked Moon here:
Amazon (PB & Kindle): http://amzn.to/eYdnUP
B&N Nook Edition: http://bit.ly/exuQms
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/hn2xCJ
Any future writing plans you wish to share with us?
I am now in the editing stage of my third novel, Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! that I plan to publish in fall 2011. However, my character, Molly, refused to wait that long for people to get to know her, so she set up her own blog. Every Monday, she speaks out about whatever is on her mind: men, life, cats, calories, friend and foe, and on and on. On Wednesday, April 6, Molly began interviewing different creative people in her new feature, “One-on-One with Molly.”
As for the future beyond the publication of Molly, I do have notes for a fourth novel, something very different from what I have previously written, and am eager to get started.
I would love to interact with readers on my Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor and I tweet as @lisettebrodey. I also have a profile on Goodreads.com.
That Molly Hacker sounds like such an interesting gal. Let her know we'll be delighted to have her over for a Coffee & Convo interview when Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! debuts.
Thank you so much for being here Lisette.
Lili, thank you for the opportunity to chat with you today. It’s been a pleasure.
Thank you so much for supporting SAND!
Thank you so much for supporting SAND!
