Lisa Kleypas' Rainshadow Road comes out in February, and her publisher has offered 10 finished copies to give away. Whoo! And not only do we have books to give away, but Lisa Kleypas was kind enough to answer several inane questions from me via email. Hooray – bonus interview!
Rainshadow Road has magical realism while Friday Harbor did not. Why add it to this novel? Did you plan to go this way all along with the series?
Well, when I first visited Friday Harbor with Greg and the kids a couple of years ago, I really felt a sense of “otherness” or magic in the air. It's a misty Brigadoon-type place–but you're probably too young for that reference, unless you're a show tune queen like me. San Juan Island is unique place–a mixture of steep hills and bluffs, forests, rolling farmland, sandy beaches, and all of it is protected by the Olympic mountain rainshadow. And I'd read and loved so much magic realism in the past, including “Like Water For Chocolate” by Laura Esquivel, and “Garden Spells” by Sarah Addison Allen, that I really saw this as the chance to try something fresh in my career.
The one glitch was that “Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor” was conceived as a Christmas novella, to sort of gently introduce a few of the characters, and it didn't seem right to launch into magic realism with that shorter format. So I tried to leave possibilities open with that story, and figuratively blow some kisses in the direction of magic, and then I really went for it with Rainshadow Road.
How many times have you been to Friday Harbor at this point – or is that where you live now?
I think I've been about four times so far, and I would love to have a place there! It would be incredible to slow down and relax, and live on island time. But Greg and I still have school-age kids, and they want to stay where we are, and we all have too many friends and interests to even think about moving. And also . . . at this point in my life I'm not very good at relaxing.
How many books do you envision setting in Friday Harbor?
What I've got on the schedule right now is Dream Lake (about the bitter and hard-living Alex Nolan, being haunted by the ghost of a WWII fighter pilot who wants to be reunited with the woman he once loves) . . . and Crystal Cove (about Justine Hoffman, a free-spirited young woman who casts a spell to fight a dangerous attraction to the mysterious Jason Black). Beyond that, I'm not sure yet–I've been getting a lot of nudges from readers who might like to read a book featuring Joe Travis from my Texas trilogy.
Your character, Lucy, has a number of challenging and almost unavoidable relationships with people. Which do you think was hardest for her – or for you?
I think the most difficult relationship for Lucy to deal with–and for me to ponder and write about–was the dysfunctional family system she grew up with. Because Lucy loves her parents and her spoiled younger sister, but the family structure is hurtful to her. Together the three of them damage her self-esteem, and they collectively parentify her by loading a lot of responsibility and expectation on her. And that brought me to question of how Lucy might be able to change the dynamic and let her family know that the hurtful patterns have to change. What I've experienced in my own life is the discovery that the people who truly love you will listen and try to respect your needs, and they will make an effort to change. Whereas others will basically say, “I love you but this relationship has to be done my way, period.”
What's one thing you are really excited to share with readers in this book? Is there a scene or a character, or something you're just so very proud of, that you can't wait to share?
I had SO much fun developing the character of Sam Nolan! Although my husband Greg has been the inspiration for many of my heroes, I think Sam is the most like him. Sam is cute, sexy, and all-out geeky, and I sprinkled geekitude in every scene he's in, including describing his nerdy tee shirts, his love of space and science, and his computer skills. For example, when he and Lucy want to watch a movie, and she points out that it will take too long to download it, and Sam replies smugly, “I've got a download accelerator that maximizes data delivery by initiating several simultaneous connections from multiple servers. Five minutes, tops.” So he's a different type of hero for me, and I really loved that.
And, while I'm asking, which is your favorite scene?
By far, the scene I enjoyed writing the most was the one with Sam and Lucy in the shower. I won't spoil anything by revealing exactly what happened to Lucy, but after a major turn of events, Sam has to help Lucy shower. And since this is still at an early point in their relationship, he's trying desperately not to become aroused. So he's nervous and breathing heavily, and he can't help flirting with her in spite of himself. From that point on, I really had a handle on their relationship, the way they constantly try to set up barriers but still just can't resist each other. I think there's a metaphor somewhere in the book where he describes their relationship as a binary star, which is a pair of circling stars caught forever in each other's orbit.
I really loved Sam, I confess. I think nerd geek heroes are finally getting the audience they deserve. And I think Sam's t-shirts are going to be a reader favorite – where did you find the inspiration? Do you have a favorite?
Thank you! What's not to love about a geek? As one of Lucy's friends says in the book, they're great in bed because they fantasize a lot and love to play with gadgets. As for the tees, I was inspired by both my husband and son, who both love nerdy shirts. My favorite was the Shrödinger's cat shirt, not because it was funny so much as it forced me to try to understand the classic thought experiment using a hypothetical cat in a box. (The best explanation I found, incidentally, was this one . . . and among the scientists who describe the experiment, there is a very attractive young dark-haired geek with a Scottish accent who has a nice monologue at 3:44!) I finally sort of got it, although I discovered that I don't have the right kind of brain for quantum physics. Which was not a big shock, by the way.
One thing that struck me: Sam and Lucy meet at the worst possible moment for her, literally right after she's been dumped. And there are a lot of things lining up against them. Did you think one obstacle was the most difficult for them to overcome?
I thought that although they were both struggling with trust issues, for Lucy it was more a problem of trusting other people whereas for Sam it was a problem of trusting himself. Because many children of alcoholics, as Sam is, grow up with this feeling that the seeds of destruction are sown at the beginning of every relationship. And if you believe that, then the more you love someone, the worse it's going to hurt when they inevitably abandon you or let you down. So I felt that Sam's issue was the most challenging obstacle–and I loved it that magic eventually reflected the realization that his heart was pulling him toward.
That's the neat part of magic realism–the magic doesn't necessarily solve the problem, it's just part of the world the same way sunlight or flowers are. In that sense, ordinary things like babies and rainbows and love itself are just as magical as transforming glass. And that's very easy for a romance writer to believe!
If there's a reader of yours who loves your historicals, for example, why would they also like this book? Which of your strengths do you think most shines in this book?
I think no matter what genre or setting a romance features, as long as it has a strong relationship and emotional appeal (and of course some spicy love scenes!) it will work for most romance readers. But here's something interesting that happened as I was writing Rainshadow Road: As I was going through my usual process, which is to start each day by rewriting what I did the previous day, and then periodically revising the entire manuscript, I found myself adding more lyrical and elaborate phrasing because it seemed to suit the story more. Usually in my contemporary writing, I try to keep the prose really simple and stripped-down, but for some reason the magical elements worked better with “prettier” prose. (Wow, look at how alliterative that sentence was, and I wasn't even trying!*g*) So that more lyrical style is usually what I do with historical romances, and I think it lends the book some of that “fairy-tale” feeling of a historical.
About strengths . . . I think the best thing I do is to be passionate about every book I write . . . if a writer doesn't feel that way, it shows. There are always going to be flaws, or scenes I would still like to revise . . . but I spend a lot of time pondering whether to use one word or another, or trying to think of how to make a particular scene better. Undoubtedly this makes me sound weird, but I really love playing with words!
Want to read Rainshadow Road? I have ten to give away. Woo hoo!
Standard disclaimers apply: I'm not being compensated for this giveaway. Your mileage may vary. Void where prohibited. Must be over 18 and driving a golf cart to win. Open to international entries. Close cover before striking.
Just leave a comment with your favorite t-shirt slogan or saying, or your favorite goofy piece of apparel, and you're entered to win. Comments close in 48 hours.
My 2 favorite are: “I read the Constitution for the articles” and a space t-shirt that says “Here’s looking at Euclid”
Currently, my favourite is a silhouette of a stag saying “Fenton, I think someone is calling you.”
My most favorite t-shirt. Very morbid humor.
Black Death: European Tour(with rat drawing)
On the back it lists the dates and locations of outbreaks during the middle ages.
My brother and I seem to trade bizarre t-shirts as gifts – he’s a computer guy and spent a lot of time indoors during his teenage years, so I once got him a t-shirt that said “Keep out of direct sunlight.” My favorite from him is a black tank top with a cute ghost holding a plate of cookies and the phrase “Come to the dark side. We have cookies.” Also, it’s printed in glow-in-the-dark paint – what’s not to love!
When I was in high school I got this pretty awesome Star Wars with Han and Liea about to kiss on it. I loved it. I still have it too. 🙂
From Nintendo to Atari to “Physics Cheat Sheets” my husband seems to have an endless supply of geeked out t-shirts. A current favorite that my daughter picked for him: “Come to the Dark Side…We Have Cookies”
PS – I want Tam’s Shakespeare shirt!
Lisa Kleypas is #1 on my pre-order list. So excited for this book!
Fave nerdy t-shirt: Have you tried turning it off and on again? (Reference to IT Crowd, a British tv show about 2 nerds and their manager who work in the basement of a large company as the IT support team.)
I loved a shirt that said “I don’t know much about football, but I know a tight end when I see one!’
I don’t have a t-shirt with a favorite saying but my favorite coffee cup says:
“I don’t suffer from insanity… I enjoy every minute of it!”
It seems I’m not the only one, but “Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal” is my favorite geeky t-shirt (right now). And of course, I also love love love Lisa Kleypas… I’m sooo in!
Our SWE section made shirts with the definite integral 2x dx from 10 to 13 on the front and the top 5 reasons to date an engineer on the back.
“Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket”
I read Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor as one of my Christmas week books this past year. I’d love to read more in the series.
I don’t have many T-shirts w/ sayings, but I did just happen to buy several of the LOLcats shirts for Halloween. Since I’m a lifelong zombie fan (much to the incredulity and dismay of my family), I’ve been enjoying my “must haz brains” shirt.
Despite the lack of good T-shirts, ALL of my clothes are goofy.
Bring on the nerds!
Favorite t-shirt slogan: “Save our Earth. It’s the only planet with chocolate.”
Can’t wait to read Lisa’s newest. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m a geek married to another geek (yes, my 10th grade research paper was on the history of Dr. Who – this was in was 1986). My geek husband, a philosopher, who owns many, many, many geeky tee-shirts was dissatisfied with children’s tee shirt options when our daughter was born. So he made a ton of iron-on transfer onesies for her. My favorites included the Dr. Who ABC cards (D is for Dalek and C is for Cybermen) and Charles Darwin has a Posse. She’s 6 now and just came in and told me about 10 facts about Neptune that I didn’t know. I have high hopes for her future tee shirt collection.
My favorite T-shirt has a picture of a dragon with pieces of broken armor and weapons sticking out of his mouth on it, and under this picture the words say, “Sometimes the dragon wins.”
Can hardly wait for this one!
My favorite t-shirt saying?
“Roses are Red,
Violets are Blue,
I’m schizophrenic
and so am I”.
From a favorite show, “Suit up!”
My favorite quirky piece of clothing is my new apple green knee-length crinoline because it is TWIRLY!!! and I am 12.
I love Lisa’s contemporaries and would like to read this book. And bring on Joe Travis!
Save Second Base! (I love it – funny and promoting a cause 🙂 )
Hope I win!
I don’t have a favorite t-shirt.. I do like the Kliban t-shirt with the cat playing a guitar singing, ” I love to eat them mousies, mousies what I love to eat! bite they little heads off, nibble on they tiny feet.”
My favorite T-shirt does not have a saying…but it has a little angel on the shoulder and a little devil on the back. Reminds me of a saying I head in uni…“Good girls go to heaven; bad girls go everywhere.”
My brother randomly sent me a t-shirt with the really old school green monitor graphics from Oregon Trail and the words “You have died of dysentery.” I love it.
My favorite goofy piece of apparel is a giant (past my knees) green/brown plaid poncho with grey fringe. I wore it to school in HS occasionally in the late ‘90s, well before the fashion poncho fad. My friends called it “the blanket” and would ask to borrow it for study hall naps; my sister called me a fashion disaster. I still have it and it brings back great memories—plus, it is super comfy!
I love hot geeky guys! Can’t wait for her book!
I have a lot of favorite slogans….
my serious one was the one our soccer team wore in high school which to this day i take to heart “Pain is temporary Pride is forever”
My favorite funny t-shirt slogan is the one with Michael Scott (the office) on it and it says
“That’s what she said” lol
Can’t wait for this book. Still holding out for Joe Travis to show up with a story. My favorite t-shirt is one my kids got me. It says “If God only gives us what we can handle he must think I’m a real Bad Ass” It cracks me up still.
I saw this on a t-shirt once, and I wish I had asked the guy where he bought it. It said, “What happens after you buy a Monet? You’re Baroque.”
Love
“I once had a dessert called Death by Chocolate, but it only made me stronger.”
My fav saying, which I even heard once in a movie: ” Shut the front door!”
I love, Love, LOVE Lisa Kleypas and anything/everything she writes!
Fave (kinda) nerdy t-shirt is: “Don’t worry, I don’t have low self-esteem. It’s a mistake. I have low esteem for everyone
else.” – Daria Morgendorffer (from the MTV show “Daria”)
Favorite t-shirt saying… I’ve never *seen* it – but I read it in Heaven, Texas by SEP. Where the hairdresser has a t-shirt with the words “God I wish these were brains” across the front. I’ve always wanted one. Well, I’ve always wanted someone with fantastic boobs to wear them. (Don’t know if mine qualify.) But.. yeah. Best tshirt *ever*.
I bought my son a t-shirt that says Talk Nerdy To Me. I couldn’t resist. His fiance thought it was hilarious
Hooray for the geeky hero! We need more of those. My favorite slogan “Better living through chemistry”.
Runner shirt…“I’m a drinker with a running problem”.
Squeeing and jonesing for Lisa’s next book (always!)
I’ve collected some favorite sayings for T-shirts or desktop screen scrolling. I’ll have to go back and read all of the comments to add to this list:
1. My Reality Check Just Bounced
2. And Your Crybaby, Whiny Opinion Would Be…?
3. My Soul’s Had Enough Chicken Soup…Now It Wants CHOCOLATE!!
4. I’m Like Fine Wine: Aged, Sophisticated and Full-Bodied
5. Well, This Day Was A Total Waste Of Make-up
6. My Shopping Theory Is Simple: See It, Want It, BUY It
7. There’s A Fine Line Between Hobby And Obsession…
8. I Don’t Suffer From Insanity…I Enjoy Every Minute Of It
9. Will Work For Shoes
10. I Didn’t Say It Was Your Fault…I Said I Was Going To Blame You!!
11. This Is NOT The Life I Ordered!!
12. Everyone Is Entitled To Be Stupid Sometimes But YOU Are Abusing The Privilege
13. Don’t Annoy The Crazy Person
14. It’s Five-O’Clock Somewhere!!
15. Your I.Q. Test Came Back Negative
16. I’m On BEACH Time
17. When I Snap, You’ll Be The First To Go
18. I’m Going Nucking Futs!
19. I Used To Have A Handle On My Life, But It Broke
20. If I Gave A Sh*t, You’d Be The First One I’d Give It To
21. Don’t Blame Me, I’m Having A Blonde Moment
22. Warning…I Have an Attitude and I Know How to Use It
23. One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila…FLOOR
24. I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day, and tomorrow doesn’t look good either!
25. Gene Pool Full – Get Out!
26. WARNING…All Stressed Out and No One To Choke
27. Veni, Vedi, Visa: I came. I Saw. I Did a Little Shopping
28. If At First You Don’t Succeed, Don’t Go Skydiving
29. It’s Hard To Be A Diamond In A Rhinestone World
30. You Can’t Fix Stupid
31. I have PMS and a 38 – Any Questions?
32. 1. Chocolate Slut
33. Merde ~ shit always sounds better in French
34. Smile it confuses people
35. It just doesn’t pay to chew through the leather straps
36. I’m out of estrogen and have a handgun … do you REALLY want to piss me off right now?
37. N.A.M.P. – Not a Morning Person
38. I’ll be nicer – if you’ll be smarter.
39. I have one nerve left and you’re on it!
40. WARNING: This woman can go from Zero to Full bi*ch in 1.2 seconds.
41. You say I’m a bi*ch like it’s a bad thing.
42. Come closer, so I can slap you.
43. As a matter of fact, it is all about me.
44. I’m not stubborn, I’m just always right.
45. I’m in the Witness Protection Program ~ you don’t know me.
46. Can’t sing, can’t dance, too fat to fly.
My favorite t-shirt is this old and ratty Hello Kitty one I have had for years – it’s pink and cheesy and I love it.
My students love my “Come to the dark side – we have cookies” shirt, which makes sense hen you realize that they are middle schoolers who are primarily driven by food and hormones.
My personal favourite is one I found for my niece this Christmas, with a picture of Gerald Butler from 300 on the front. It reads “Spartans! Tonight we dine in Hell” and on the back…. “Does anyone have any food allergies?”.
Considering the rabid and varied natures of ALL four of my niece’s eating habits…a good fit.
Looking forward to the read regardless!
Hand over the yarn and nobody gets hurt (I wore that one for years).
When I visited England (I’m Australian) I found a t-shirt I loved in a shop in Covent Garden. It was black, had a picture of an elf/gnome type creature, and the words ‘If this t-shirt is black, I’m thinking of elves’. It was twenty pounds, so I dithered and left, and when I went back a month later, the line had been discontinued. *sigh*
I read ‘Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour’ a few days ago, so awesome timing!