Wednesday, May 5, 2010

THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY: AUTHOR INTERVIEW AND BONUS GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE LITTLE GIANT
OF ABERDEEN COUNTY

BY TIFFANY BAKER

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

Having interviewed Tiffany Baker when this book first came out, I am thrilled to have been able to interview her once again for the release of the paperback edition of THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY. Here is what Tiffany was kind enough to share with me.

1. Thank you for once again agreeing to answer a few questions that my readers and I would like to know about you, Tiffany. First, is there something personal you'd like to share, or a place we can find some basic information on you and your work?

My website is www.tiffanybaker.com. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband and three children.

2. Where did you get the inspiration or idea for this book?

I started with the characters and the town of Aberdeen, which is fictional. I knew I wanted to write a book about an outcast woman in this small town, but the first draft of the novel wasn’t told from Truly’s point of view. It wasn’t until I got her voice in my head and heard how BIG it was that I decided to make Truly large as well, and things took off from there. Truly’s a great character because while she sees everything that’s going on in the town, no one sees her back.


3.
How did the title of your book come about?

The title comes from a scene in the novel where the snooty schoolteacher looks down her nose at Truly on her first day of school and says, “Why, you’re a little giant!” It’s typical of how people in the town see Truly, which is to say they don’t see her inner personality, only her outer differences. I think most women have experienced this disconnect when it comes to our inner selves and our bodies. Our culture seems so crazy to me when it comes to standards of beauty for women. We’re encouraged to try to shove ourselves in boxes and erase the individual and unique parts of ourselves to fit marketing values, and I think it’s making a lot of women really unhappy. In the book, Truly has a beautiful sister, but she turns out not to be such a sympathetic character. I had a lot of fun exploring how outer looks ultimately define a person’s inner core.

4. Do you see yourself in your characters? Which characters are easiest or more difficult to write?

What’s that people say about dreaming—you are all the things you dream? Characters in a book are like that. There’s a little of me in all of them, but they’re not exact portraits of me, or anyone I know. I always have fun with the snarky, mean characters because through them I get to do things on the page I’d never get to do in real life. And other characters, like Marcus, take more time to develop. They get stronger the more drafts that I write. Sometimes, as in the case of Truly, a character will just take over the entire book!

5. What books would you say have made the biggest impression on you, especially starting out? What are you currently reading?

I read Jane Eyre when I was nine, and it’s still one of my favorite books, and my favorite contemporary author is John Irving. I love the whole arc of his stories, all the quirks and obsessions he has (I mean, really, what’s UP with all those bears), and his blend of wry wit and melancholy. In terms of what I’m reading now, well, I just finished an advanced review copy of Kathleen Kent’s new novel, The Wolves of Andover. It’s a prequel to The Heretic’s Daughter, and it rocks.

6. Can you give us a hint about the new book you have coming out next...even just about when it might be out?

It’s a novel about three women on a salt farm in Cape Cod, who all have a history with the same man. Again, there is a pair of sisters, but this time, there’s a pregnant teenaged mistress thrown into the mix. When the three women end up together on the salt farm, fighting the man they have in common, all hell breaks loose. I’m not sure yet of the release date, but check my website for updates!

7. Do you prefer writing fiction or do you think you might write a non-fiction book sometime?

For now, I love writing fiction. My daily life isn’t actually all that exciting. I have three kids. I have a messy house. We have taco night and go to soccer games. It’s great, but not groundbreaking, and that’s a blessing.

8. Some might say you were lucky to get THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY published since it was your first book. How much “luck” was involved compared to what you had to really do to sell your book to a publisher? How did that come about?

Oh, trust me, I feel very, very lucky. I have an agent I really trust and who’s always really honest. I have an editor who’s also completely honest and great at what she does, and both of them were willing to take a risk with my book. At the same time, however, I got rejected. I think I wrote five major drafts of Little Giant, and I’m writing about that many for my second book. Take whatever work you think you need to do to get a novel published, and then double it. I’ve had to be willing to push myself beyond what I thought I could do, take setbacks, and keep going when people told me no. But I still think it’s all a privilege. Thank you to everyone who’s read and loved Little Giant!


Thanks to Tiffany Baker for being so generous with her time to share the answers to my questions. For the giveaway of THE LITTLE GIANT OF ABERDEEN COUNTY, here are some bonus entry questions. If you missed the original post for the book and want to reread it and enter using those comments, please do. You can go HERE to start or review. These comments from today's interview will just give you more BONUS entries and chances of winning.
**********************************
THANKS TO JESSICA AND THE GOOD FOLKS
AT NEWMAN COMMUNICATIONS, I HAVE
ONE COPY OF THIS FABULOUS BOOK
TO GIVE AWAY TO A LUCKY WINNER!


--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES, PLEASE
--INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
--ALL ENTRIES/COMMENTS MUST BE
SEPARATE IN ORDER TO COUNT
AS MORE THAN ONE ENTRY



HOW TO ENTER
FOR BONUS ENTRIES

+1 BONUS ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU READ IN THE INTERVIEW ABOVE THAT WAS INTERESTING AND/OR MAKES YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK

+1 MORE BONUS ENTRY: COMMENT HERE BY LISTING A QUESTION YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED TIFFANY BAKER IF YOU WERE INTERVIEWING HER.

+1 MORE BONUS ENTRY: COMMENT ON ANY WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. TELL WHAT WAY AND ENTER EACH ONE SEPARATELY FOR MORE BONUS ENTRIES IF YOU FOLLOW IN MORE THAN ONE WAY.

+1 MORE BONUS ENTRY: SHARE ON FACEBOOK, OR TWEET ON TWITTER, ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK FOR ME TO FOLLOW. IF YOU DO BOTH, COMMENT SEPARATELY FOR THE BONUS ENTRIES. YOU MAY DO THIS AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE BUT MUST LEAVE A COMMENT HERE EACH TIME YOU DO SO WE CAN KEEP TRACK.


GIVEAWAY ENDS
6 PM, EST,
MAY 13!

48 comments:

Jo-Jo said...

I am impressed that she read Jane Eyre when she was 9!
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

Jo-Jo said...

I also follow through google.
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

Jo-Jo said...

I always like to ask authors what they are reading now.
joannelong74 AT gmail DOT com

traveler said...

I would like to ask this author how she decided upon this career and whaat research she does for her novels. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

traveler said...

The author's next book sounds fascinating and her writing fiction is wonderful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Margie said...

It is interesting that the first draft of this book was written from a different point of view.
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Margie said...

Blog follower via GFC
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Margie said...

email subscriber
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Margie said...

Facebook fan
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Margie said...

I'd ask the author....
does she ever put people she knows in her novels...under disguise of course!
mtakala1 AT yahoo DOT com

Colleen Turner said...

What a great interview! I love that Truly wasn't initially the heroine of the book, but that her voice was so powerful the author had to make it so!
Thanks,
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I might have asked the author what she would be doing now professionally if she wasn't a writer. I always like to see what sorts of answers they give.
candc320@gmail.com

Colleen Turner said...

I am a Facebook fan!
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Colleen Turner said...

I am a GFC follower.
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Colleen Turner said...

I am an email subscriber.
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Pam said...

I follow you through my google reader

melacan at hotmail dot com

Pam said...

I love that she enjoys writing the snarky characters because she can make them do things she would never ever do or say - I need to start writing!

melacan at hotmail dot com

Pam said...

I might have asked her more about her life as a wife and mother. She doesn't seem to think it's interesting but I'm sure she has some great quotes or interesting stories to share about her kids - most moms do :)

melacan at hotmail dot com

Reading said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I can't believe she read Jayne Eyre at nine! I don't think I would have been interested in that at nine.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

I follow on GFC

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Reading said...

I would love to ask at what age did she start writing? Sounds like she was a very smart child.

lizzi0915 at aol dot com

Elise said...

GFC Follower.
caliblue7@gmail.com

SueFitz said...

follow via twitter

suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

SueFitz said...

follow via email

suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

SueFitz said...

I found it interesting how she relates to her characters

suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

SueFitz said...

follw via google

suefitz(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

Something that suprised me in the interview was what she was reading at age 9. You couldn't get me to read a thing when I was that age. Impressive!

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I'd ask her How long did it take for you to get published. Were you trying for a long time or did it happen right away?

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I subscribe by email

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I'm a GFC follower.
Christine H
chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

I'ma fan on facebook
Christine Hundelt H

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Unknown said...

I follow through Network blogs

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Tweet: http://twitter.com/Romantic73/status/13479627238

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

Facebook post:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100000641625482&v=wall&story_fbid=119388808089930

chirth7@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I love dogs, I think I'll love this book. Please enter me

grandmalarkin@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

I'm a GFC follower
Oma

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Anonymous said...

Thanks for the giveaway. please enter me.

shundelt@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

The book sound very interesting and I would like to read it. I have never read Jane Eyre but saw the movie. I will have to put Jane Eyre on my list of books to read. Please enter me in contest.
Tore923@aol.com

Pamela Keener said...

I am an e-mail subscriber.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I am a FB fan of Bookin w/Bingo
Love & Hugs,
Pam
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Pamela Keener said...

I follow Bookin w/Bingo via GFC.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
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CherylS22 said...

I think it's interesting that she was able to get through "Jane Eyre" at the age of 9! That was a high school read for me.

Thanks ~ megalon22 at yahoo dot com

CherylS22 said...

I'd ask what type of writing environment Ms. Baker likes (morning vs. evening, quiet vs. background noise, etc)
megalon22 at yahoo dot com

CherylS22 said...

RSS feed subscriber
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FB fan
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CherylS22 said...

I am glad I became a BOOKIN' WITH BINGO II FB fan
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CherylS22 said...

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