Free Legal Clinic: Wills, Estates & Probate
Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 p.m.
John's Island Regional Library
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Free Legal Clinic: Wills, Estates & Probate
Bring your questions concerning wills, estates & probate to the free legal clinic at our library on Thursday, September 24 at 6:00 p.m. Local attorney, Charles S. Goldberg, Esq., will provide a 30-45 minute lecture on wills, estates and probate issues followed by an open question and answer session. For more information, call the SC Bar Pro Bono Program, 1-800-395-3425, ext. 158, or log on to www.scbar.org/clinics.
October Computer Classes
Want to learn a new computer skill or brush up on your current skills? Come to the library for free computer classes! Classes are designed for adults and young adults. For more information please call 559-1945 and ask for the Reference Department. Class space is available for 8 participants per session and registration is required.
Word Basics
Monday, October 5 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration starts 9/21
Introduction to the basic tools of Microsoft Word. Learn how to enter and format text, change margins and line spacing, and copy and paste text. Saving and printing tips will also be discussed. Prerequisite: Some experience using a mouse will be helpful.
Computer Basics
Tuesday, October 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon
Registration starts 9/22
This class provides a basic introduction to the personal computer and its parts. Learn how to use the mouse and navigate the computer screen. There is time for hands-on practice. No computer experience is necessary.
Word: Beyond the Basics
Monday, October 12 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration starts 9/28
In this follow-up to Word Basics learn how to set tabs, create columns, paste text from the Internet, insert page numbers, add ClipArt and photographs, and format text as you design a simple newsletter. Prerequisite: Word Basics or some experience with MS Word will be helpful.
Keyboard Basics
Tuesday, October 13 from 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon
Registration starts 9/29
Basic orientation to using the computer keyboard. Learn to be a more efficient keyboarder. General instruction and hands-on practice. No computer experience is necessary.
Excel Basics
Monday, October 19 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration starts 10/5
An introduction to spreadsheets using Microsoft Excel. This session provides a basic overview and common uses for spreadsheets. Learn basic Excel functions and build a simple budget spreadsheet. Prerequisite: Word Basics or some experience using MS Word will be helpful.
Files and Folders: File Organization and Management
Tuesday, October 20 from 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon
Registration starts 10/6
Learn how to organize your computer files more effectively. Basic concepts include: creating a file or document, creating folders, naming folders and saving document in a folder and deleting files. Prerequisite: Computer Basics will be helpful.
Access Basics
Monday, October 26 from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Registration starts 10/12
An introduction to databases using Microsoft Access. A database is a collection of information related to a particular topic. This workshop introduces the basic MS Access Tools and Wizards used to build a simple database. Prerequisite: Word Basics and/or Excel Basics class (or familiarity with those programs) is strongly urged. Please note earlier start and the longer class time.
Internet Basics
Tuesday, October 27 from 10:00 a.m. – 12 Noon
Registration starts 10/13
An introduction to the Internet, focusing on the World Wide Web, using Internet Explorer. Provides an overview of how the Internet is structured and introduces searching on the World Wide Web. Prerequisite: Some experience using a mouse will be helpful.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Jennifer Vido Interviews Author Cathy Marie Buchanan
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Photo by Nigel Dickson
Jen’s Jewels
September 15, 2009
Cathy Marie Buchanan
If you’ve never taken the family on a trip to Niagara Falls, you’re really missing out. The sights and sounds of the roaring water majestically flowing over the falls are like none other. Not to mention, crossing over the Canadian Border is an adventure all in itself. We tend to forget about this natural wonder which lies well within our reach.
This month’s Jen’s Jewels Cathy Marie Buchanan takes us back to 1915 in her beautifully written debut novel THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL. With the Niagara Falls as her backdrop, she creates the perfect love story filled with tragedy, redemption, and pure delight.
As part of this interview, Hyperion Books has generously donated five copies for you, my lucky readers, to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question after the interview. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your reading adventure.
Jen: As a Canadian, your life experiences attribute greatly to the unique voice in your writing. So that my readers may have a better understanding of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background prior to becoming a novelist.
Cathy: I spent my teenage years disgracing myself in English, often getting upwards of 20 percent deducted for spelling mistakes on high school English exams. When it came time to head off to university, I picked my courses using the criteria that I wouldn’t have to write−that is spell−a single thing. I ended up at University of Western Ontario and graduated with a BSC in biochemistry and then an MBA. I spent the bulk of my non-writing work life at IBM at first in finance and then in sales, selling to the banks. By then spell-check had been invented, and I started noticing that I could write pretty well. On a whim, really, I took a night school creative writing course at Ryerson University, and I was hooked.
Jen: Describe for us the defining moment when you finally decided to take a leap of faith and follow your dream of becoming a writer.
Cathy: With my husband, Larry, and me both from families of seven, the original plan was to have a brood of five. By the time we got around to talking about a fourth child, I’d kept up the regime of demanding full time work by day and a bit of crammed in writing in the evenings for four years. And I was still astonished on a daily basis by the wildness, loudness, and messiness of the three boys we already had. That conversation went something like this:
Me: “I’ll go insane.”
Larry: “Quit your job. Slow down. Write.”
Me: “Really.”
Larry: “Yes.”
I quit my job, and I’ve have been writing five days a week when my boys are at school ever since.
Jen: In your debut novel entitled THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL, you chose to base your fictional story on a true historical event. How did you arrive at the premise?
Cathy: When I set out to write my first novel, setting is where I started. Not character. Not plot. I do think starting with setting was the result of me being born and bred in Niagara Falls with its staggering beauty and storied past. To begin, I turned to books surveying Niagara’s history. What I was seeking, as I read, was the time period and narrative that best showcased Niagara’s wondrous and quirky history. The story of William “Red” Hill, Niagara’s most famous riverman, came up time and again. I’d grown up seeing the rusted-out hull of the old barge that’s still lodged in the rapids a short ways back from the falls and knew he rescued the men marooned there in 1918. I’d been told stories about the ice bridge tragedy that took place in the winter of 1912 when people were crossing the river and the ice suddenly gave away, and I knew Red Hill saved a teenage boy that day. As I read, those bits of lore ignited, and I became more and more certain my main male character would be loosely based on Red Hill. He lived at a time when massive amounts of water were first being diverted away from Niagara Falls to fuel the powerhouses generating hydroelectricity on the river. I could see the potential for conflict between a riverman, deeply reverent of the river, and the power companies harnessing the river’s power.
Jen: In terms of historical information, approximately how much research was needed in order to create an accurate backdrop for your novel? And, what was the most fascinating tidbit you learned along the way?
Cathy: Before I put pen to paper, I spent four months researching The Day the Falls Stood Still, a wonderful experience for me, and then throughout the writing and the rewriting, I was continually turning back to the history books. I was fascinated, daily, but doubly so by the story of Charles Stephens, who went over the falls in a barrel with an anvil as ballast in 1920. To minimize the thrashing he would surely take inside the barrel, he tied his feet to the anvil and strapped his arms to the sides of the barrel. After his disastrous plunge, only his severed arm was recovered, tattooed with the words “Forget me not, Annie.” I couldn’t resist including this bit of lore in The Day the Falls Stood Still.
Jen: I was truly fascinated by the original photos used throughout the novel. Why did you choose to incorporate them into the book? And, which one is your favorite and why?
Cathy: While I was researching, I kept coming across extraordinary pictures. I sent a handful to my agent, thinking she would get a kick out of them. When she sent the manuscript out, looking for a publisher, she had the foresight to include the pictures. It was a great pleasure for me to learn that the publishers, who bought the manuscript, wanted to include the pictures in the book.
Jen: The main character in the novel is Bess Heath, a student at the Loretto Academy for girls. What can you tell us about this school? Is it still in existence today?
Cathy: Archbishop John Lynch deeded the Loretto Sisters six acres of land overlooking Niagara Falls for a new convent and school. As a boy, he had seen a picture of the falls and thought it would make an idyllic place to adore the Creator of heaven and earth. His notion of the mist rising above the plunge pool shepherding prayers along resulted in the traditional perpetual adoration. Always, a sister or one of the girls was in the academy chapel, folded hands tucked beneath her chin, offering up a continual stream of prayer. The north wing was built in 1870, with additions made in 1890, 1925, and 1926. In 1938, a fire destroyed the cupola and fourth floor. The academy flourished for over a century with students coming from all over the world. In 1969 the boarding school closed but the day school continued, becoming a coed school in 1975 and most recently, a retreat centre for youths and adults. In 2006 it was sold to a Niagara hotelier. In 2009, the Niagara Falls City Council voted in favour of an amendment to the city’s official plan, a first step in permitting the construction of three high-rises flanking the academy.
Jen: Let’s talk about Bess. From the get-go, the reader quickly learns that she is a strong young woman overshadowed by her beautiful, older sister Isabel. How does their relationship affect Bess’s view of her own self-esteem?
Cathy: At one point in the story, we hear from Bess, who has just watched Isabel brazenly flirt with a boy.
“I envy Isabel. I envy her nerve, her get-up-and-go, her readiness to shape her world.
I only watch for Tom. For over a week. From the veranda, from the yard, from the window of the sewing room.”
Bess longs to be more like Isabel and is critical of her own lack of pluck. Later in the story, Bess’s best friend tells her she is getting more and more like Isabel and it’s true. Bess does develop a resolve in keeping with Isabel’s.
Jen: On her way home from school, Bess meets Tom Cole, a simple river man as well as her future love interest. Despite being from different social classes, Bess senses a strong, physical connection with this young man. In what way is Bess’s choice to openly defy her parents by pursuing a relationship with him a cry for independence? In what way is she is striking back at her sister as well?
Cathy: Until the summer of 1915, Bess had lived a sheltered life, mostly between the walls of a prestigious convent school. That summer, her world turned on its ear, she grows up more quickly than she would like. I see the independence that gave her the courage to defy her parents as being born of necessity rather than rebellion. In a way that she had never before experienced, she was suddenly making all sorts of decisions for herself. Was she striking back at her sister? I don’t think so. By the time Bess turns to Tom, she has seen her sister’s good match fail and knew all too well the wreck her life had become. I do think those experiences would have added to the courage that choosing Tom demanded of Bess.
Jen: In order to make ends meet, Bess’s mother becomes a seamstress and shortly after, so does Bess. How does their sewing business become a source of comfort for these two women in times of trouble?
Cathy: On the surface, the sewing business allows Bess and her mother to make money and keep their families afloat, which would surely be comforting. I think the sewing would have brought them serenity in their newly out-of-kilter world on another level, too. Contributing to the putting right of a situation, even in some small way, can brings us a measure of comfort, particularly in situations we have little power over. I think it’s partly why we recycle and bring meals to friends who are suffering.
Jen: One could say that the river (or falls) is truly the main character in this book. Tom Cole has lived his life as one with nature. In what ways does the water’s ebb and flow accurately portray the misfortunes in his life as well as the tranquility in his relationship with Bess?
Cathy: The river is turbulent and unpredictable, and I suppose the same could be said of the misfortunes in Tom’s life. At one point in the book, he describes the river as “something that would cause a man walking by to stop, and maybe fill with wonder for a bit and be lifted up from the drudgery of his day.” The river and his reverence for it are the constants in his life. The ease and comfort he experiences on the river does mirror his relationship with Bess.
Jen: Politics play a huge role in the future of the falls as Tom and Bess quickly come to learn. How does Bess’s decision not to tell Tom her involvement in the process test the strength of their marriage? At what point does she realize that her husband’s happiness is worth more than his monetary gains?
Cathy: Tom could have interpreted Bess going behind his back as a betrayal, but, because of the trust in the marriage, he is able to accept her actions as a heartfelt effort to put his life back in order. A few days before Bess goes public with the information about the havoc the power companies are wreaking on the river, Bess’s best friend confirms that the power company had been concerned with Tom keeping his mouth shut about their negligence in the scow becoming marooned. Bess chides herself for not piecing together the facts about the severity of Isabel’s situation and intervening. She draws a parallel between her culpability in that situation and the one at hand, and resolves to take action.
Jen: There is so much we can’t talk about without giving the plot away, but I do have to briefly touch upon the ending. It’s not what I expected. (Bravo!) Was the ending firmly planted in your mind from the novel’s conception or did it slowly evolve along the way?
Cathy: The ending evolved as I wrote. Initially I thought the story would more closely parallel that of Red Hill and his family. In additional being a hero, Red Hill was a daredevil, a trait handed down to his sons. He shot the Whirlpool Rapids in a barrel as did two of his sons, Red Junior and Major. Both attempted “the big drop” as well. Major’s trip was cut short when his barrel was tossed ashore in the rapids above the falls. Red Junior was not so lucky. In 1951 he plunged to his death in a barrel constructed of inflated rubber tubes, canvas and fish nets. Corky, another of the Hill brothers, died in an accident while working in a hydro-electric diversion tunnel. Once I made the decision not to incorporate the daredevil side of Red Hill into Tom Cole, the story I was telling changed dramatically.
Jen: Let’s switch gears and talk about your promotional plans. Do you have a website? E-mail notification of upcoming appearances? Will a reading group guide be available for book clubs? Will you be participating in author phone chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?
Cathy: My website is http://cathymariebuchanan.com. It’s a robust website with lots of features that will give readers insight into The Day the Falls Stood Still. For instance there is an interactive map with landmarks from the book that users can click on to read a relevant excerpt or history or see historical pictures. Upcoming events are listed through fall 2009. As for a reading group guide, a Q&A with me appears and a list of discussion questions. I am also offering author phone chats for book clubs and can be contacted on Facebook and twitter http://twitter.com/CathyMBuchanan.
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next novel? If so, what can you tell us about it?
Cathy: I am working on another historical fiction novel. This time it is set in and around the Paris Opera in 1880.
Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. Your debut novel is like a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a good old-fashioned love story, but also it takes the reader back in time to an era filled with hope and love. I wish you only the best!
Cathy: My pleasure, Jen. And thank you to all Jen’s Jewels readers for their interest.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Cathy. Please stop by your local library branch or favorite book store and pick up a copy today! Better yet, how would you like to win one? Just be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com and you‘ll win! Good luck!
What is the name of the lead character in THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL?
In October, I will be bringing to you my interview with Julie Buxbaum, the author of the sensational story AFTER YOU. You won’t want to miss it.
Until next time…Jen
Jen's Bio:When a twist of fate landed Jennifer Vido at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot, she knew that her career as a French teacher would never be the same. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America and reviews books for the major publishing houses, such as Random House, Penguin, and Harper Collins. Currently, she is a columnist and reviewer for www.freshfiction.com, where her popular monthly column, Jen's Jewels, also appears. As a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic and Land Exercise Programs, she is an advocate for those like herself who suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause of disability. In addition, she serves as Vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Harford County Public Library where she resides with her husband and two sons. She may be reached at jensjewel s@gmail.com and JenniferVido.com.
September 15, 2009
Cathy Marie Buchanan
If you’ve never taken the family on a trip to Niagara Falls, you’re really missing out. The sights and sounds of the roaring water majestically flowing over the falls are like none other. Not to mention, crossing over the Canadian Border is an adventure all in itself. We tend to forget about this natural wonder which lies well within our reach.
This month’s Jen’s Jewels Cathy Marie Buchanan takes us back to 1915 in her beautifully written debut novel THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL. With the Niagara Falls as her backdrop, she creates the perfect love story filled with tragedy, redemption, and pure delight.
As part of this interview, Hyperion Books has generously donated five copies for you, my lucky readers, to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question after the interview. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your reading adventure.
Jen: As a Canadian, your life experiences attribute greatly to the unique voice in your writing. So that my readers may have a better understanding of the woman behind the words, please share with us your educational and professional background prior to becoming a novelist.
Cathy: I spent my teenage years disgracing myself in English, often getting upwards of 20 percent deducted for spelling mistakes on high school English exams. When it came time to head off to university, I picked my courses using the criteria that I wouldn’t have to write−that is spell−a single thing. I ended up at University of Western Ontario and graduated with a BSC in biochemistry and then an MBA. I spent the bulk of my non-writing work life at IBM at first in finance and then in sales, selling to the banks. By then spell-check had been invented, and I started noticing that I could write pretty well. On a whim, really, I took a night school creative writing course at Ryerson University, and I was hooked.
Jen: Describe for us the defining moment when you finally decided to take a leap of faith and follow your dream of becoming a writer.
Cathy: With my husband, Larry, and me both from families of seven, the original plan was to have a brood of five. By the time we got around to talking about a fourth child, I’d kept up the regime of demanding full time work by day and a bit of crammed in writing in the evenings for four years. And I was still astonished on a daily basis by the wildness, loudness, and messiness of the three boys we already had. That conversation went something like this:
Me: “I’ll go insane.”
Larry: “Quit your job. Slow down. Write.”
Me: “Really.”
Larry: “Yes.”
I quit my job, and I’ve have been writing five days a week when my boys are at school ever since.
Jen: In your debut novel entitled THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL, you chose to base your fictional story on a true historical event. How did you arrive at the premise?
Cathy: When I set out to write my first novel, setting is where I started. Not character. Not plot. I do think starting with setting was the result of me being born and bred in Niagara Falls with its staggering beauty and storied past. To begin, I turned to books surveying Niagara’s history. What I was seeking, as I read, was the time period and narrative that best showcased Niagara’s wondrous and quirky history. The story of William “Red” Hill, Niagara’s most famous riverman, came up time and again. I’d grown up seeing the rusted-out hull of the old barge that’s still lodged in the rapids a short ways back from the falls and knew he rescued the men marooned there in 1918. I’d been told stories about the ice bridge tragedy that took place in the winter of 1912 when people were crossing the river and the ice suddenly gave away, and I knew Red Hill saved a teenage boy that day. As I read, those bits of lore ignited, and I became more and more certain my main male character would be loosely based on Red Hill. He lived at a time when massive amounts of water were first being diverted away from Niagara Falls to fuel the powerhouses generating hydroelectricity on the river. I could see the potential for conflict between a riverman, deeply reverent of the river, and the power companies harnessing the river’s power.
Jen: In terms of historical information, approximately how much research was needed in order to create an accurate backdrop for your novel? And, what was the most fascinating tidbit you learned along the way?
Cathy: Before I put pen to paper, I spent four months researching The Day the Falls Stood Still, a wonderful experience for me, and then throughout the writing and the rewriting, I was continually turning back to the history books. I was fascinated, daily, but doubly so by the story of Charles Stephens, who went over the falls in a barrel with an anvil as ballast in 1920. To minimize the thrashing he would surely take inside the barrel, he tied his feet to the anvil and strapped his arms to the sides of the barrel. After his disastrous plunge, only his severed arm was recovered, tattooed with the words “Forget me not, Annie.” I couldn’t resist including this bit of lore in The Day the Falls Stood Still.
Jen: I was truly fascinated by the original photos used throughout the novel. Why did you choose to incorporate them into the book? And, which one is your favorite and why?
Cathy: While I was researching, I kept coming across extraordinary pictures. I sent a handful to my agent, thinking she would get a kick out of them. When she sent the manuscript out, looking for a publisher, she had the foresight to include the pictures. It was a great pleasure for me to learn that the publishers, who bought the manuscript, wanted to include the pictures in the book.
Jen: The main character in the novel is Bess Heath, a student at the Loretto Academy for girls. What can you tell us about this school? Is it still in existence today?
Cathy: Archbishop John Lynch deeded the Loretto Sisters six acres of land overlooking Niagara Falls for a new convent and school. As a boy, he had seen a picture of the falls and thought it would make an idyllic place to adore the Creator of heaven and earth. His notion of the mist rising above the plunge pool shepherding prayers along resulted in the traditional perpetual adoration. Always, a sister or one of the girls was in the academy chapel, folded hands tucked beneath her chin, offering up a continual stream of prayer. The north wing was built in 1870, with additions made in 1890, 1925, and 1926. In 1938, a fire destroyed the cupola and fourth floor. The academy flourished for over a century with students coming from all over the world. In 1969 the boarding school closed but the day school continued, becoming a coed school in 1975 and most recently, a retreat centre for youths and adults. In 2006 it was sold to a Niagara hotelier. In 2009, the Niagara Falls City Council voted in favour of an amendment to the city’s official plan, a first step in permitting the construction of three high-rises flanking the academy.
Jen: Let’s talk about Bess. From the get-go, the reader quickly learns that she is a strong young woman overshadowed by her beautiful, older sister Isabel. How does their relationship affect Bess’s view of her own self-esteem?
Cathy: At one point in the story, we hear from Bess, who has just watched Isabel brazenly flirt with a boy.
“I envy Isabel. I envy her nerve, her get-up-and-go, her readiness to shape her world.
I only watch for Tom. For over a week. From the veranda, from the yard, from the window of the sewing room.”
Bess longs to be more like Isabel and is critical of her own lack of pluck. Later in the story, Bess’s best friend tells her she is getting more and more like Isabel and it’s true. Bess does develop a resolve in keeping with Isabel’s.
Jen: On her way home from school, Bess meets Tom Cole, a simple river man as well as her future love interest. Despite being from different social classes, Bess senses a strong, physical connection with this young man. In what way is Bess’s choice to openly defy her parents by pursuing a relationship with him a cry for independence? In what way is she is striking back at her sister as well?
Cathy: Until the summer of 1915, Bess had lived a sheltered life, mostly between the walls of a prestigious convent school. That summer, her world turned on its ear, she grows up more quickly than she would like. I see the independence that gave her the courage to defy her parents as being born of necessity rather than rebellion. In a way that she had never before experienced, she was suddenly making all sorts of decisions for herself. Was she striking back at her sister? I don’t think so. By the time Bess turns to Tom, she has seen her sister’s good match fail and knew all too well the wreck her life had become. I do think those experiences would have added to the courage that choosing Tom demanded of Bess.
Jen: In order to make ends meet, Bess’s mother becomes a seamstress and shortly after, so does Bess. How does their sewing business become a source of comfort for these two women in times of trouble?
Cathy: On the surface, the sewing business allows Bess and her mother to make money and keep their families afloat, which would surely be comforting. I think the sewing would have brought them serenity in their newly out-of-kilter world on another level, too. Contributing to the putting right of a situation, even in some small way, can brings us a measure of comfort, particularly in situations we have little power over. I think it’s partly why we recycle and bring meals to friends who are suffering.
Jen: One could say that the river (or falls) is truly the main character in this book. Tom Cole has lived his life as one with nature. In what ways does the water’s ebb and flow accurately portray the misfortunes in his life as well as the tranquility in his relationship with Bess?
Cathy: The river is turbulent and unpredictable, and I suppose the same could be said of the misfortunes in Tom’s life. At one point in the book, he describes the river as “something that would cause a man walking by to stop, and maybe fill with wonder for a bit and be lifted up from the drudgery of his day.” The river and his reverence for it are the constants in his life. The ease and comfort he experiences on the river does mirror his relationship with Bess.
Jen: Politics play a huge role in the future of the falls as Tom and Bess quickly come to learn. How does Bess’s decision not to tell Tom her involvement in the process test the strength of their marriage? At what point does she realize that her husband’s happiness is worth more than his monetary gains?
Cathy: Tom could have interpreted Bess going behind his back as a betrayal, but, because of the trust in the marriage, he is able to accept her actions as a heartfelt effort to put his life back in order. A few days before Bess goes public with the information about the havoc the power companies are wreaking on the river, Bess’s best friend confirms that the power company had been concerned with Tom keeping his mouth shut about their negligence in the scow becoming marooned. Bess chides herself for not piecing together the facts about the severity of Isabel’s situation and intervening. She draws a parallel between her culpability in that situation and the one at hand, and resolves to take action.
Jen: There is so much we can’t talk about without giving the plot away, but I do have to briefly touch upon the ending. It’s not what I expected. (Bravo!) Was the ending firmly planted in your mind from the novel’s conception or did it slowly evolve along the way?
Cathy: The ending evolved as I wrote. Initially I thought the story would more closely parallel that of Red Hill and his family. In additional being a hero, Red Hill was a daredevil, a trait handed down to his sons. He shot the Whirlpool Rapids in a barrel as did two of his sons, Red Junior and Major. Both attempted “the big drop” as well. Major’s trip was cut short when his barrel was tossed ashore in the rapids above the falls. Red Junior was not so lucky. In 1951 he plunged to his death in a barrel constructed of inflated rubber tubes, canvas and fish nets. Corky, another of the Hill brothers, died in an accident while working in a hydro-electric diversion tunnel. Once I made the decision not to incorporate the daredevil side of Red Hill into Tom Cole, the story I was telling changed dramatically.
Jen: Let’s switch gears and talk about your promotional plans. Do you have a website? E-mail notification of upcoming appearances? Will a reading group guide be available for book clubs? Will you be participating in author phone chats? And if so, how would my readers go about scheduling one?
Cathy: My website is http://cathymariebuchanan.com. It’s a robust website with lots of features that will give readers insight into The Day the Falls Stood Still. For instance there is an interactive map with landmarks from the book that users can click on to read a relevant excerpt or history or see historical pictures. Upcoming events are listed through fall 2009. As for a reading group guide, a Q&A with me appears and a list of discussion questions. I am also offering author phone chats for book clubs and can be contacted on Facebook and twitter http://twitter.com/CathyMBuchanan.
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next novel? If so, what can you tell us about it?
Cathy: I am working on another historical fiction novel. This time it is set in and around the Paris Opera in 1880.
Jen: Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with my readers. Your debut novel is like a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a good old-fashioned love story, but also it takes the reader back in time to an era filled with hope and love. I wish you only the best!
Cathy: My pleasure, Jen. And thank you to all Jen’s Jewels readers for their interest.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Cathy. Please stop by your local library branch or favorite book store and pick up a copy today! Better yet, how would you like to win one? Just be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com and you‘ll win! Good luck!
What is the name of the lead character in THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL?
In October, I will be bringing to you my interview with Julie Buxbaum, the author of the sensational story AFTER YOU. You won’t want to miss it.
Until next time…Jen
Jen's Bio:When a twist of fate landed Jennifer Vido at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot, she knew that her career as a French teacher would never be the same. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America and reviews books for the major publishing houses, such as Random House, Penguin, and Harper Collins. Currently, she is a columnist and reviewer for www.freshfiction.com, where her popular monthly column, Jen's Jewels, also appears. As a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic and Land Exercise Programs, she is an advocate for those like herself who suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause of disability. In addition, she serves as Vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Harford County Public Library where she resides with her husband and two sons. She may be reached at jensjewel s@gmail.com and JenniferVido.com.
Friday, September 11, 2009
West Ashley Branch Closed September 14-20 for Repairs
Charleston County Public Library's West Ashley Branch in South Windermere will be closed next week so the branch's heating and air conditioning system can be replaced. The branch will be closed Monday, September 14 and reopen at 10 a.m. Monday, September 21. To help accommodate patrons, an additional book drop will be added in front of the library and late fees for overdue items at this branch will be waived for the days closed. Patrons receiving notification of an item on hold during this time will have until September 26 for pick up. We apologize for any inconvenience and welcome West Ashley residents to visit our branch or other nearby branches of the Charleston County Public Library system:
St. Andrews Regional, 1735 North Woodmere, Charleston 843-766-2546
James Island Branch, 1248 Camp Road, James Island 843-795-6679
Main Library, 68 Calhoun Street, Charleston 843-805-6930
For questions or more information, call 843-805-6930.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month!
Don't have a Charleston County Public Library card? Lost your library card? Now is the time to join the two-thirds of Americans who already have library cards. With your CCPL library card, you'll have access to more that just books...DVDs, audiobooks, electronic databases, and more! Click here to learn all about CCPL's Library Card Sign-Up Month!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
We're Unplugged!
The John's Island Regional Library is the latest branch in the Charleston County Public Library system to add free wireless access for our patrons! Other CCPL branches with free wireless access include the Main Library, St. Andrews Regional Library, Mt. Pleasant Regional Library, Otranto Road Regional Library, and Dorchester Road Regional Library. For the phone number, address, and hours of operation of any of our branches, please click here.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Jennifer Vido Interviews Author Kaylie Jones
Photo by Scott Christian Anderson
Jen’s Jewels
September 1, 2009
Kaylie Jones
Alcoholism is a disease that affects people from all walks of life. It’s hard not to turn on the television these days without hearing about some celebrity on his or her way to rehab. Even the radio plays its fair share of songs lamenting the hardship of this addictive drug.
This month’s Jen’s Jewels knows firsthand how destructive alcohol can be. Kaylie Jones is no stranger to the publishing business having lived a life surrounded by many literary giants including her own father, James Jones. In her latest release, LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME, she beautifully puts into words her own family’s struggle with alcohol and shares the hard life lessons she’s learned along the way.
Jen’s Jewels
September 1, 2009
Kaylie Jones
Alcoholism is a disease that affects people from all walks of life. It’s hard not to turn on the television these days without hearing about some celebrity on his or her way to rehab. Even the radio plays its fair share of songs lamenting the hardship of this addictive drug.
This month’s Jen’s Jewels knows firsthand how destructive alcohol can be. Kaylie Jones is no stranger to the publishing business having lived a life surrounded by many literary giants including her own father, James Jones. In her latest release, LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME, she beautifully puts into words her own family’s struggle with alcohol and shares the hard life lessons she’s learned along the way.
As part of this interview, William Morrow has generously donated five copies for you, my lucky readers, to win. So, don’t forget to look for the trivia question at the end. And as always, thanks for making Jen’s Jewels a part of your reading adventure.
Jen: As the daughter of the award-winning novelist James Jones, you lived a privileged life surrounded by numerous literary giants such as Truman Capote and Irwin Shaw. In your latest release, LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME, you take on your biggest challenge to date…your relationship with your mother, in an unforgettable memoir filled with brutal honesty and raw emotion. First, let’s talk about your childhood. As an American living in Paris, what aspects of the French culture most positively affected your family life?
Kaylie: I loved being bilingual. I loved French culture and manners. I felt very much at home in France and still do. The one aspect of French life that I didn’t love was school! I didn’t do well with the kind of authoritative nastiness the teachers dished out on small children.
Jen: At the beginning of the book, you address the adoption of your brother Jamie in great detail. Looking back, what impact did it have on your relationship with your mother? Throughout your childhood, did you embrace his presence or were there feelings of resentment?
Kaylie: Jamie and I argued a lot as kids. My mother always took his side. But I understand why she did. She felt he was much more vulnerable than I. There wasn’t much of my mother to share in the first place, and now there were two of us. Yes, we fought a lot. But we grew up, and now we don’t fight at all.
Jen: And, what is your relationship like today?
Kaylie: Jamie is one of the best people I know. I trust him completely and believe he will always have my back, as I’ll have his. He is intelligent, sensitive, loyal, and decent. All the things I love in human beings.
Jen: Your exposure to alcohol at a young age led to your own struggles with alcoholism later in life. As a child, how did you feel about your parents’ drinking? Was it acceptable behavior in your eyes?
Kaylie: To me, their drinking seemed perfectly normal. I thought everyone in the world drank that way, and that it was part of life. “I’m so hung over” was a sentence that I thought everyone said, and that it was very amusing.
Jen: How did the loss of your father when you were sixteen years old change your relationship with your mother?
Kaylie: My father’s death certainly didn’t help my relationship with my mother. She completely collapsed. If she was unavailable before, now she was completely shut down. It took her years to pull herself out of that depression, and I don’t believe she ever fully recovered. My relationship with my brother, however, improved a great deal. We began to talk. We began to rely on each other for advice and help. He was a pillar against which I leaned and still lean.
Jen: On his deathbed, your father asked you, not Jamie, to promise to stop your mother from drinking. Why do you think he chose to rest the burden upon your shoulders and not his?
Kaylie: Our father put a different burden on Jamie. He told Jamie, “Take care of the house. If you take care of the house, everything else will be all right.” That 16 year old boy broke his back trying to keep the house together. He thought it was his mission in life. Letting go of his responsibility toward the house was the hardest thing he probably ever had to do.
Jen: Soon after his demise, your mother’s reckless behavior quickly encroached upon your world as she drew you into her life of drunkenness. For many years, it was the norm for you. At what point did you realize that your life was spinning out of control?
Kaylie: When I was diagnosed as having an ulcer at the age of 28. That was the beginning of the end for me. But it took me another three years and a disastrous marriage to realize I was an alcoholic and that I was in serious trouble.
Jen: Facing sobriety took a toll on many of your relationships including the one with your mother. Throughout your memoir, you address your feelings of guilt of not being able to help her battle her own demons. How have you turned this experience into a positive learning tool for your daughter, Eyrna?
Kaylie: I never hid from Eyrna that I was an alcoholic who no longer drank. She has known that since she was able to talk and understand. I never hid it and I never acted as if it were a bad thing, or a secret. This enabled her to have no feelings of guilt or shame associated with the word “alcoholic.” I am probably more proud of this than any other single element of her upbringing.
Jen: I have to admit, I was so happy for you when I read about your marriage to Kevin. You portray him as being your Rock of Gibraltar which you so needed in your life at the time. Describe for us his relationship with your mother. In what ways, if at all, was he able to bridge the gap for you two?
Kaylie: My mother was so angry at Kevin that she actually said, in front of Eyrna when she was around five years old, “If he were my husband, I’d kill him.” Eyrna repeated this to me, worried that her grandmother was actually going to try to kill her father. My mother had no understanding at all of the effect her words might have on a child. The reason my mother did not like Kevin was that he stood up to her. Never once did he let her get away with pushing him around, or me, or Eyrna.
Jen: Let’s talk a minute about Mr. Bill, your Taekwondo instructor as well as mentor. He, too, played a key role in your battle to take control of your life. What was the greatest lesson he taught you? In the book, you mention his illness. Is he still alive?
Kaylie: Mr. Bill is very ill and is not able to do much. I go visit him and call him as often as possible. He is one of the strongest men I’ve ever known. He is so brave in the face of this devastating cancer. What he taught me is that you show up, no matter what. He taught me self-discipline, but also to stop thinking so much, and judging myself so harshly. He always said, “You can’t fight angry. You have to fight calm and clear-headed.”
Jen: Of course, we can’t talk about the ending of the book without giving too much away; however, how did the volatility of your relationship with your mother open your eyes to the fragility of human life?
Kaylie: I think rather the contrary. Our relationship taught me about the strength of human life, and what humans are capable of, both in the good sense and in the bad. When I wanted to shrink into bed and never come out again, I got dressed and took my daughter to school. I made dinner. I went to tae kwon do. I learned that one goes on, no matter what.
Jen: Which character traits did you inherit from each of your parents of which you are most proud?
Kaylie: They were both very stubborn. They were both more angry than afraid. I think these traits have helped me to survive and be single-minded in my pursuits.
Jen: Upon completion of this memoir, what valuable life lessons did you take away from the whole experience of putting your life into words?
Kaylie: I really felt, after this whole experience with my mother, that nothing much worse in terms of humiliation and horror could happen to me. So I decided that I would not feel ashamed or guilty ever again, for things that “happen” to me, or, things that I might have done in the past that I used to feel ashamed about.
Jen: Finally, let’s talk about the title, LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME. Please explain to us its significance.
Kaylie: I was raised with the belief that my mother was the most honest person in the world. I was told this repeatedly by both my parents. It’s a simple mathematical proof: if my mother was the most honest person in the world, and she believed she was not an alcoholic, then the problem must have been within me. My mother never told lies; therefore, she never told me lies. These are the lies she never told me. When I discovered that we were all alcoholics, the entire foundation upon which we stood was shattered.
Jen: Are you currently at work on your next project? And if so, what can you tell us about it?
Kaylie: I am thinking about, and taking notes for, two projects, one a novel with an unreliable first person narrator who lies to the reader all the time; the other is a memoir about my teaching experience, and how that shaped my life. I wasn’t able to put much of that in this book. It is a completely different, yet just as important subject for me.
Jen: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and chat with my readers. Your life story is a true testament to the strong woman you have become. I so appreciate you sharing it with my readers.
Kaylie: Thank you for your thoughtful and heartfelt questions.
I hope you have enjoyed my interview with Kaylie. If you would like to learn more about LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME, please click on this link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCZ7lx9W-LI
Okay, it’s time for the trivia contest! Be one of the first five readers to e-mail me at jensjewels@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following trivia question and you’ll win your very own copy of LIES MY MOTHER NEVER TOLD ME.
What is the name of Kaylie’s Taekwondo instructor?
Later this month, I will be bringing to you my interview with Cathy Marie Buchanan, author of the phenomenal love story THE DAY THE FALLS STOOD STILL. You won’t want to miss it!
Until next time…Jen
Jen's Bio:When a twist of fate landed Jennifer Vido at the "Reading with Ripa" roundtable discussion with Kelly Ripa and Meg Cabot, she knew that her career as a French teacher would never be the same. A graduate of Vanderbilt University, Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America and reviews books for the major publishing houses, such as Random House, Penguin, and Harper Collins. Currently, she is a columnist and reviewer for www.freshfiction.com, where her popular monthly column, Jen's Jewels, also appears. As a national trainer for The Arthritis Foundation's Aquatic and Land Exercise Programs, she is an advocate for those like herself who suffer from arthritis, the nation's #1 cause of disability. In addition, she serves as Vice-chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Harford County Public Library where she resides with her husband and two sons. She may be reached at jensjewel s@gmail.com and JenniferVido.com.
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