Heather Wardell Interview and Review of Everybody’s Got A Story

I’m so excited to be participating in the Blog Tour for Heather Wardell’s Everybody’s Got A Story. I’m a fan of Heather’s books and have the opportunity to review her books Blank Slate Kate and A Life That Fits previously on the blog. But this time, instead of just reviewing Everybody’s Got A Story for you, I also had the opportunity to interview Heather. So keep reading after the review to get to know more about this author.

From the book summary:

Both personally and professionally, Alexa knows all too well the power of words. Two years after her boyfriend Christophe’s vicious attack, she’s still trying to see herself as more than simply ‘his victim’, still trying to figure out her own story.

After his trial, she moves from New York City to Toronto in an attempt to start over, but his words cling to her and even in a new country she can’t see how to move into relationships with the new people in her life while hiding the secret of Christophe’s worst offense.

She can’t hide that secret from her coworker Jake, though, because the news buff has recognized her from the coverage of the assault and trial and knows every word she can’t bring herself to say about her ordeal.

With Jake’s help, can Alexa reclaim her story and her life?

Fans of Blank Slate Kate will remember Jake. I always get a kick when authors, without writing a series, are able to integrate characters from other novels into new stories. It was a treat to see Jake again.

Everybody’s Got A Story deals with some heavy subject matter, and although a victim, Alexa’s strength and determination come through. Her hesitancy to trust others is understandable, and comes across as authentic. Wardell spares us the most sordid of details of Christophe’s attack on Alexa, but I think that keeps the story from moving into the range of melodramatic. The same things I’ve liked in other of Wardell’s stories- smart, strong heroines taking control of their own life- are present in Alexa and make for a highly entertaining read. Without spoiling it, I was really glad that Alexa had someone’s number from the get go in the story. Only one part of the book didn’t ring quite true for me- the suddenness of a particular action- but it’s not altogether unrealistic and doesn’t take away from the story. Sorry for the vagueness there but I’m avoiding spoilers.

Fans of Heather’s and fans of smart chick lit will not be disappointed in Everybody’s Got A Story!

My Interview With Heather Wardell:

TBF:Heather, one thing I’ve liked about all of your books that I’ve read is how you have your heroines face a challenge and really find themselves as a part of the story- and sometimes not in the way we expect. Is there a particular incident that inspires you for this characterization, or is it just a trait you admire in people?

HW: I think it’s a trait I admire. We have a bit of a culture at the moment that encourages people to complain but not do anything to help themselves, and I want my heroines to work at fixing their problems and learn about themselves at the same time. I get lots of email from people who’ve been inspired to help themselves by reading my novels, and I cherish every one!

TBF: You’re an incredibly prolific author. Do most of your plot ideas come to you fully formed, or do you tend to get a bit of an idea and see where it takes you?

HW: I don’t think I’ve ever had a full-on plot land in my lap (but I’m more than willing to experience that!). I tend to have a spark of something hit me and then it takes off. For example, my “Blank Slate Kate” started with a line in my file of random inspirations (which I collect whenever something interests me) that read, “When I woke up, I couldn’t remember his name.” When I read that one, I thought, “What if she can’t remember her own name either?” and the whole book grew from that.

TBF: Of all your characters, who do you most wish existed in real life?

HW: Mary from “Stir Until Thoroughly Confused”, because she’s an amazing chef and I’d like to eat her food!

TBF: Do you get inside your characters’ heads when you write? Or maybe better put, do they get inside your head? How do you say goodbye to a character once you’ve told their story?

HW: They definitely get inside my head. When I’m in the early planning stages of a book I know it’s working when I start hearing my main character talking and have whole scenes running in my head like they’re movies. If that doesn’t happen, I know I haven’t hit on what I really want to write yet.

As for saying goodbye, I do my best to always leave them in a good place, and I think that makes it easier. In some ways, though, I think they’re all still in my head. It’s getting crowded in there. 🙂

TBF: Is there a book that you like to read and re-read and re-read?

HW: Anything by Marian Keyes. I just pick ’em up off the shelf, flip to a random page, and know exactly where I am and what’s happening. It’s comforting.

TBF: What are you working on now?

HW: I am just finishing the second draft of a book that’s a sequel to my “All At Sea”, in which a woman has a baby on her own after failing at a major life goal then meets the man of her dreams.

Once that’s done, I’ll be getting back to the first draft of another sequel, this one for “Seven Exes Are Eight Too Many”, which features a woman who will get everything she’s ever wanted out of life if she can somehow find the white man named Will Smith she met on an airplane.

And at the same time I’m working on releasing my last book of 2013, which will be out in early December and is about a woman who wins fifty million dollars in a lottery and finds out exactly who her true friends are.

Busy, but fun!

TBF: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. I really appreciate it!

HW: Thank you for having me here, Ashley! I hope you and your readers have enjoyed my answers to your questions, and if anyone hasn’t yet picked up my free-to-download “Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo” they can grab themselves a copy at http://www.heatherwardell.com/.

Author Bio:

Growing up, I was an avid (rabid?) reader. I am a natural speed reader, regularly clocked at about 1200 wpm (I read Harry Potter 5 in just under three hours), and always have several books on the go, nearly all in e-book form on my Kindle.

I have always made up stories in my head, but never considered becoming a writer. Instead, I intended to be a high school music teacher. I was sidetracked by my enjoyment of my psychology courses in university, and ended up with a psychology degree with a concentration in computer science.

This took me to a major Canadian bank as a software developer. I stayed there for just over four years, and then went back to school to become an elementary school teacher. After four years teaching elementary school computer science, I took up the National Novel Writing Month challenge and attempted to write a novel in a month.

I succeeded, and the first draft of “Life, Love, and a Polar Bear Tattoo” was the result. I realized I love writing. I left teaching, and I haven’t looked back since!

In my non-writing time, I read, run, swim, crochet, take care of my 55 gallon aquarium and my cat Trinity, and play drums and clarinet. Generally not all at once.

Connect with Heather!

http://www.facebook.com/heather.wardell.author

http://www.twitter.com/heatherwardell

http://www.heatherwardell.com/

Buy the Book!

§ Amazon.com (Kindle)

§ Apple’s iBookstore

§ Barnes and Noble (for their nook reader)

§ Google Play

§ Kobo (ePub format)

§ Smashwords.com (variety of formats)

§ Sony (for their ebook readers)