1) Can you give us a brief overview of The Girl, the Gold Tooth, and Everything?
You bet! Mina Clark feels out of place and somewhat
frustrated in her upscale community, but there’s more going on than typical
suburban angst. Mina’s struggling with a terrible case of amnesia sparked by an
event most everyone believes is best she forget. Plagued by confusion, Mina
does not quite have her feet on the ground, and gets steamrolled by life--mountains
of debt, nasty creditors, her daughter in the throes of the “terrible threes,”
her busy-body homeowner’s association, the “judgey” other mothers in her
development and the pre-school. On top of that, her husband travels for work
constantly and she’s worried he’s having an affair. Then a trip to an unusual
dental practice leaves her (unwittingly) with a gold dental crown and
everything changes. She makes an empowering new friend and starts taking back
the reins in her life. She also re-connects with a significant figure from her
past, and things start to look up as her memories slowly begin to return.
Except she’s also kind of crazy so everything may not be as it seems...
2) What's your favorite quality about your
heroine?
Hard to say without giving things away about the story
as my favorite quality in her doesn’t surface right away. So I’ll just say
between you and me that my favorite quality of Mina’s is that she is blond! ;-)
3) What made you want to write The Girl, the Gold Tooth, and Everything?
I like to write
books about objects that become catalysts for change in people’s lives. In Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, a woman feeling
down on herself and down on life decides she’s worth the purchase of a
fabulous--and fabulously expensive--pair of shoes, and her whole life turns
around. She makes the decision to feel good about herself, and good things
follow. The Girl, the Gold Tooth, and
Everything first sparked in my head when I, too, (unwittingly) was
implanted with a gold dental crown. I didn’t want it, I insisted it be removed,
but the fit is so exact, it’s never coming out (it isn’t even cemented in).
Anyway, I thought what if a woman being steamrolled by life got a sassy new
attitude and empowered outlook on life after getting a gold crown implanted.
That could make for fun story! The rest of the crazy mess pretty much just
spilled out of that.
4) How long did it take you to write The Girl, the Gold Tooth, and Everything?
What is your writing process like?
From inception to
publication, I’m going to say about a year. My writing process is nothing like
it was when I was younger. It used to be that in order to write anything, I
needed absolute quiet. A full bottle of wine and a pack of smokes. The right
music playing at just the right volume. If everything wasn’t “just so,” no
words could come out of me. Once I had kids, I kind of had to “relax” my
standards. I gave up smoking a long time ago, and while I still love my wine, I
don’t ever drink and write. The most significant change to my routine, however,
is the “absolute quiet” part of it. You can find me scribbling away in a
notebook while waiting for the school bus, tapping on my keyboard while making
dinner...generally writing for me now is all about sitting in the middle of a
typhoon with a laptop, umbrella optional. Interestingly enough, I never
finished writing anything within my old parameters, but since the “crazy” came
into my life, I’ve published two novels, completed drafts for two others, and
written three screenplays, all while juggling a pretty insane load of freelance
work. I guess I’m one of those people that craves crazy, which is probably why
I like Mina so much!
5) If Hollywood comes calling and asks you
to sign over the movie rights for The
Girl, the Gold Tooth, and Everything, who would you like to see play Mina
on the big screen?
Christina Applegate
is my top choice for sure. I didn’t write Mina with Christina in mind, but I
just saw her the other night on Up All Night and I was floored. It was like
somewhere in my mind, she was always lurking. Now is it because her character
had amnesia on Samantha Who? Who
knows. All I know is that when I see her, I’m like yep. That’s Mina.
6) What are you working on now?
Marketing! Also
finishing some other books. Oh, and looking for a new job, if anyone knows
anyone who could use a snappy copywriter, or a seasoned book editor. (Call me.
Maybe?)
7) How do you think of titles?
I actually can’t
write a book properly unless I know what it’s called because I can’t connect to
what I’m trying to accomplish in a story without a title, but I can’t say I
ever “think” of my titles. It’s more that they reveal themselves to me. Rita
Hayworth’s Shoes came from a pair of shoes I fell in love with in an Ann Taylor
store. They were called “Hayworth” and they were not in my budget, but they
were so lovely I couldn’t resist! The
Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything is kind of an unintentional homage to
an early ‘80s movie I loved growing up called The Girl, the Gold Watch & Everything. It starred Pam Dawber and
Robert Hayes and was about a guy who gained possession of a watch that could
stop time. It has nothing to do with my book, but I love the musicality of that
title, like Douglas Adams’ Life, the
Universe & Everything, and I felt the elements of my story just fit so
nicely into the framework.
8) Tell us about your cover art design. How
did you come up with the concept or did you leave that to your publisher's art
department?
I am absolutely
blessed to have a close friend who is a phenomenal designer. She also did Rita Hayworth’s Shoes. The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything
is such a complicated story, with a mouthful of a title, no one had any idea
what the cover should look like. The publisher was also really worried about
the title and how it would show on the cover. So I gave Trish my vision!
She graciously
considered it without laughing, and gently fought me every step of the way to
get to the cover we have now. She’s brilliant and highly recommended. And on
Facebook! Go on over and “like” her here: Tricia McGoey
9) Your first novel, Rita Hayworth's Shoes, was originally self-published, then it was
picked up and re-released by Diversion Books. Can you tell us more about your
journey with this book and do you have any advice for indie authors who'd like
to hook up with a publisher?
As Dory says in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming!” It
really isn’t easy--the past two to three years especially, with agents and
publishers not taking chances on new novelists. The real eye-opener for me is
that I have been in the business for almost twenty years and there was still so
much “swimming upstream” for me! The old rules no longer apply. So definitely try
and build a following for yourself and your work, but also keep track of what
publishers are putting out there--and not just the big houses. There are many
exciting start-ups cropping up who understand the new landscape of book
publishing in some ways better than the big guys, like my publisher, Diversion
Books. Do your homework and only approach publishers whose lists reflect what
you have to offer! And if you have your heart set on a big publisher, go get
yourself an agent because you won’t get in any other way.
10) The fiction market is so competitive
now. How did you find an audience for your work? What do you think are the most
effective ways an author can promote herself?
Finding a market is
tough but an important thing to remember is “Strength in numbers.” My advice is
to get involved with other authors who do similar work and do a bunch of
blogging, blog hops, interviews. Follow on Twitter and get followed. Retweet!
Just REACH OUT! My other advice would be to try and promote in non-book areas. How
can you cross promote your book? For example, when I first published Rita Hayworth’s Shoes, I approached shoe
websites to offer some giveaways. And in June, for Book Expo, a friend of mine
made 200 “red shoe” cookies for me, with tags that featured the book jacket and
contact and ordering information, which I handed out to people on lines. See cookie picture here. It doesn’t always work, but thinking outside the box can get you noticed.
11) What are your thoughts on love scenes in
books? Do you prefer to read/write sweet/romantic encounters between your hero
and heroine or spicy ones?
Well I think this
really depends on my mood!
12) Who are the authors who inspire you?
I love New York
Times bestselling authors because they are wealthy! Just kidding! (Sort of.) I
mean, I am inspired by J.K. Rowling, but more important to me is that an author
delivers without selling out. When an author is true to her or his story, and
doesn’t just write for the sake of “pandering to the masses,” even if their
work never tops the bestseller lists, that’s the kind of author who inspires
me. Mary Doria Russell flips genres with every book. I totally dig that! And
getting back to Rowling, she could have done a spin-off Harry Potter series, but she had another story in her that had
nothing to do with wizards and such, and she went ahead and told it. To me,
that’s inspiring.
13) What genres do you like to read? Do
you stick to one or are you eclectic in your reading tastes?
I’m pretty
eclectic. While I don’t read a lot of westerns or sci-fi or war stories (or
anything in those genres, if we’re being honest), I like to laugh and cry in
equal measure. I really do need to make more time for reading though. Between
writing fiction and trying to make a living (for me not one in the same yet)
and raising small children, there isn’t a lot of brainspace left at the end of
the day for reading. (Though your In Need of Therapy is high on the list of
must reads right now.) <Thank you, Francine!>
14) What was the last book you read that
really WOWed you?
Mary Doria
Russell’s Dreamers Of The Day really
charmed and overwhelmed me, in a good way. I read it over the course of a few
days and loved every minute.
15) If you could be plopped down in the
middle of any book, which one would it be?
Would I have to
stay there? Could I magically escape before things took a bad turn? Because I’m
pretty sure Alice In Wonderland is the book I’d most want to visit but I’ve had
to deal with way too many evil “Queens of Hearts” in my life to stick around
and endure that game of croquet and the panic of possibly losing my head!
16) If you could invite any five people
(living or dead) over for a dinner party, who would they be and why?
Oooo, I like this
game! Voltaire because Candide is my
favorite book. Dorothy Parker because no one quips better. Woody Allen because
despite his questionable personal choices, Midnight
in Paris, The Purple Rose of Cairo,
and Annie Hall are all on my list of
top-ten favorite films. Steve from Blues
Clues because I’ve always had a weird fixation on that guy (don’t ask). And
Barack Obama, just because.
Fast and Flirty
Favorite scent? I’ve been partial to Burberry Brit for a
while. Wait--you meant from a bottle, right?
Favorite color? Fuchsia,
obnoxious but true.
Favorite food? Sushi
(well, truthfully fried chicken, but I try to ignore that)
Favorite word? My
real favorite word starts with an F and ends with a K and it isn’t frock. I
know it’s naughty, but it’s such a powerful, versatile word. So maybe we’ll
just say “luscious.”
Favorite article of clothing? My
husband just got me a baseball cap that reads “Got Wine” in the “Got Milk” font
on the front. Yep. That’s at the top of the list right now.
Dream vacation spot? The Caribbean for sure. St. Anywhere.
Favorite time period in history?
Never thought about it but as I’m kind of a party girl at heart, let’s
go with the 1920s!
Favorite girl's night out drink?
Vodka martini, extra dry, extra olives.
Favorite date night activity? TALKING
to my husband! I know, seems crazy, but our lives are nuts and we barely get
any time to just sit and talk like adult human beings!
Favorite song? I’m
partial to show tunes so I don’t think I could answer this question without
humiliating myself.
Celebrity hottie on your laminated list?
Hmmm... John Cusack... Jon Hamm... No! Jon Stewart, for sure!
Novel hero crush? I
know this is awful to admit, but I’ve never gotten over Rhett Butler from Gone With The Wind. I just can’t seem to
shake him and I read that book about twenty-five years ago! <You'll have to fight me for Rhett, Francine! I fell in love with him when I was just 11 years old and remain a diehard fan to this day!>
Thanks, Tracie, for
having me on Books By Banister! Here’s how to find me out in the world:
About Francine's
books:
THE GIRL, THE GOLD TOOTH & EVERYTHING
A fast-paced, richly
layered, and darkly humorous satire filled with quirky characters and
unforgettable moments of humanity!
Mina Clark is losing her mind-or maybe it's already
gone. She isn't quite sure. Feeling displaced in her over-priced
McMansion-dotted suburban world, she is grappling not only with deep debt, a
mostly absent husband, and her playground-terrorizer 3-year-old Emma, but also
with a significant amnesia she can't shake-a "temporary" condition
now going on several years, brought on by a traumatic event she cannot
remember, and which everyone around her feels is best forgotten.
When a trip to the dentist leaves Mina with a new gold
crown, her whole life changes. Slowly her memory and her mojo return. But when
everything begins to crash down around her, she's not sure if what's happening
is real, of if she's just now fully losing her mind... especially when she
realizes the only person she can trust is the one she fears the most. What's it
all going to cost her in the end?
Buy The Girl, the Gold Tooth & Everything: Amazon
RITA HAYWORTH’S SHOES
Amy Miller gets dumped on her wedding day and everyone
knows it's for the best her relationship with David had eaten away at her for
years. Except for Amy... When her best friend, Jane Austen-Rabinowitz, and
Jane's sagacious six-year-old daughter, Zoe, convince Amy to treat herself to
an extravagantly priced, super-cute pair of shoes, which purportedly once
belonged to a siren of the silver screen, she balks at first, but their allure
soon wears her down.
Once they are hers, her life turns around. She gets
refocused on her career and meets a true kindred spirit, the also-jilted
English professor, Decklin Thomas. She's not attracted to Deck at first. But
when circumstances lead to them spending more time together, they bond, and Amy
starts to believe she may have found her soul mate. But when Deck's former wife
goes missing, again, the perfect romance may not be what it seems... Sparkly
and witty as a 1940s screwball comedy, and filled with quirky characters and
lots of delightful surprises, Rita Hayworth's Shoes is a story of bouncing
back, a heartwarming and potentially heartbreaking romance, and even a mystery
rolled into one fun, hilarious page-turner.
