Author Interview: Cristine Kole MacLean!

This week, as promised, I have an exclusive interview with Cristine Kole MacLean. Author of book How It's Done, she was so nice as to answer a few questions for me, about her book and her writing! Enjoy!

Question #1

In your book How It's Done religion plays a big role in Grace's life. How important is religion to you?
I was raised in the church and still attend regularly but I think more about spirituality and my relationship to God and to others than I do about religion, per se. Grace’s family was concerned about God’s law and the rules; my focus is on what kind of relationships God wants us to have with each other.

Question #2

How did you come up with the plot for How It's Done? Do your stories develop as they go or do you already have an outline for what you want to write?

Both. I always have a general idea of the story arc and often I write a short synopsis, as much for myself as for my editor. But the story also evolves and morphs as I gain a better understanding of the characters and I try to stay open to that. It’s like having a destination and a map but also knowing there’s more than one way to get to the destination, and sometimes the less direct way is more interesting.

Question #3

What are some of your musical influences?

Classical, especially the Goldberg Variations (Bach), Bob Seeger’s old stuff, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, and recently Coldplay. But when I write, I listen to classical.

Question # 4
Where is your favorite place to write? Do you have a special time of day that helps you be more creative and think freely?
My friend’s horse farm, although I’ve only written there a few times. She has a room that overlooks the pastures and the horses. My best time of day to write is in the morning. Unfortunately, that’s my best time of day to do *anything*, so there’s lots of competition for that block of time. By about 2:00, I’m brain-dead and useless for anything but physical labor.



Question #5
What are some books that you would recommend to some of the readers?
The Liars Club, a memoir by Mary Karr; Olive Kitteredge by Elizabeth Strout; and Power of the Dog, by Thomas Savage. These books (all are adult) are all very different from How It’s Done and from each other, but each book has stayed with me. And given all the books I read, that’s saying something!



Question #6
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
The best advice comes from Janet Burrows who wrote a textbook on writing. She said that students always ask “am I good enough to be published?” when the real question they should ask and answer is “how will I work writing into my everyday life?” If you make time to write regularly and stick with it, then chances are you will eventually get good enough to be published because you will be practicing your craft.



Question #7
Can you tell the readers something about you that not to many people know?
I know how to milk a cow!

How It's Done

How It's Done

by Christine Kole MacLean

Rating: Great

Difficulty: Normal

Pages: 324

Synopsis

Brought up in a strict fundamentalist home, eighteen-year-old Grace feels trapped in a "suburban Alcatraz" by her overbearing father and her timid mother. An affair with a college professor--a man of the world who's more likely to quote Shelley than scripture--seems like a great escape. But freedom brings with it unanticipated complications and Grace discovers that being involved with an older man is not all chardonnay and poetry . . .
Told from Grace's perspective, How It's Done is an unflinching story of love and freedom and the price you pay for both.

Review

Now How It's done is basically a book about how it NOT done- how you shouldn't go about life, relationships, friendships, family and religion. Grace was brought up in an higly religous and strict household, run by her father and timid and submissive mother. It doesn't take long before she starts to rebel by going out with a much older, much more sophisticated college professor named Michael. It's all fun and games at first until her father finds out about the seriously forbidden relationship and demands her not to see her anymore. Just 18 Grace is forced to make a decision about her life- either conform to her fathers strict and dull ways or lead a life of a grown up with her new grown up boyfriend. Michael asks her to marry him and when she says yes she also gives up the most important thing in her life- her virginity and strangely her independence. It weird how she does become dependent on Michael even though she's trying to break free from her dad. She depend on his love, sex, approval and assurance to get her through their engagement until, after a series of events makes her realize that not only does she not want his approval but she doesn't want to be a grown up just yet either. Michael is such a slimy character, even though he's mostly amazing to Grace during th whole book- you just know he's not right for her. It made me so frustrated reading this because i wanted to hit Grace with a rock on her head and say "Wake up from this impossible dream!" I mean yes we are capable of finding love and yes we have to grow up someday but really, how much are we willing to give up for that? This is an excellent book but some might be apprehensive at first because of how much religion i in it. Im not saying there is a ton but you have to be comfortable with where you stand about God to understand what all the fuss is about. I really enjoyed reading this and hopefully you will to!