Reviewer & Author Interviewer, Norm Goldman. Norm is the Publisher & Editor of Bookpleasures.com.
He has been reviewing books for the past twenty years after retiring from the legal profession.
To read more about Norm Follow Here
Author: Rangeley Wallace
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 0-312-13571-8
Bookpleasures.com is once again delighted to have as our guest Rangeley Wallace author of Things Are Going To Slide and No Defense.
Good day Rangeley and thanks once again for participating in our interview
Rangeley: Thank you for having me, Norm.
Norm:
How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
Rangeley:
My upbringing has colored my writing in a number of ways. First, all my books have taken place in Alabama, where I grew up. Though I haven't lived there in decades, I have an intense connection with Alabama and the South. The experiences of my childhood have impacted me in a fundamentally different way than those experiences that have occurred during my adult years, when I’ve been super busy, both working and raising children. Second, growing up in Alabama during the Civil Rights era had an enormous impact on me. No Defense addresses the issue of unsolved civil rights murders in the South, a lingering reminder of the cruelty and ignorance of racists and the bravery and perseverance of those who fought for civil rights.
Norm:
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Rangeley:
Where to start….the most challenging thing for me is figuring out what story my characters want to tell. I come up first with the main characters, and then I spend some time with them, wondering what they want and what will happen to them. Usually, I take the wrong track first, then have to throw out a number of pages to get back to the real story.
Norm:
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? As a follow up, what served as the primary inspiration for No Defense?
Rangeley:
I find my ideas everywhere: my past, my present, the news, my legal work, my family and friends. My primary inspiration for No Defense was LuAnn herself, the main character, who I imagined before I figured out her story. At the same time I was reading about the trials of several individuals charged with murders during the Civil Rights era.
Norm
Did you know the end of No Defense at the beginning?
Rangeley:
I had no clue.
Norm:
How did you go about creating the character of LuAnn Hagerdon Garrett in No Defense?
Rangeley:
LuAnn came to me when I was sitting at home one day. I could see a young woman driving up to an old style restaurant. An Elvis song played on her radio. I knew she was conflicted, but I had to figure out what it was all about. Turned out she had personal and ideological conflicts that propelled the story forward.
Norm:
What has been the best part about being published?
Talking to folks like you and my readers, finding out that I can entertain people and that I have achieved the goal I set when I first met the characters in my imagination.
Norm:
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
Rangeley:
Readers have been very vocal about my most recent book, Things Are Going to Slide. I get e-mails, tweets, FB comments and reviews on line; most have been very kind. No Defense was first published before the current social media explosion. I hope to hear more from readers upon its re-release.
Norm:
Has a review or profile ever changed your perspective on your work?
Rangeley: That’s a great question. Right now I am deciding what book to write next, and a number of readers have asked for a sequel to Things Are Going to Slide. Thus, I am considering doing just that.
Norm:
Do you feel that writers, regardless of genre owe something to readers, if not, why not, if so, why and what would that be?
Rangeley:
I don’t think so because writing is such a personal journey. However, I think most, if not all, writers hope to please readers and to have an audience for their work.
Norm:
Where can our readers find out more about you and your books? As a follow up, what is next for Rangeley Wallace?
Rangeley:
My WEB PAGE has more information about me and my books as well as social media. As far as what is next, I am considering whether to pick up a book I started a few years back or try to write a sequel to Things Are Going to Slide.
Norm:
As this interview draws to a close what one question would you have liked me to ask you? Please share your answer.
Rangeley: As usual, your interview has covered every possible angle.
Norm:
Thanks once again and good luck with all of your future endeavors
Rangeley:
Thank you, Norm. I appreciate your taking the time to talk to me today.
Follow Here To Read Norm's Review of No Defense
Follow Here To Purchase No Defense: A Novel
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