The Bestellers' Sandbox: Terri Giuliano Long and Ann Pearlman

I’m delighted to be appearing on the Novel Publicity blog today as part of the ‘Bestsellers’ Sandbox’ event with Ann Pearlman! Here’s just a snippet of our interview – I hope you’ll stop by and read the rest!

 

Pavarti: First of all, welcome! It’s so exciting to have both of you here on the Novel Publicity Blog talking about your event ‘Bestsellers’ Sandbox!’

Ann: It’s exciting for me to be here, too. I love the name you devised.

Terri: I’m excited to be here too. It’s an honor to be in the company of such a talented author!

Pavarti: To start, could each of you tell us a little bit about the books you’re featuring today and how it was published?

AnnA Gift for My Sister  is my second novel, and follows two characters who appeared in The Christmas Cookie Club. Tara and Sky are half sisters, both fatherless, who deal with eccentric luck, fear of family curses, and the choices of very different life styles: Tara is an unconventional, live for the now rap artist, Sky is an attorney who plans everything. Each has a child. A tragedy occurs for Sky as Tara, her boyfriend and their rap crew embark on a cross country tour. I loved writing this book. I don’t have a sister and, since I wrote the novel in both of their voices, was able to experience two vicariously.

A Gift for My Sister was published by Emily Bestler Imprint, Atria Books, Simon and Schuster. It is the second of a two book deal.

Pavarti: Ann, will there be any more books in the Christmas Cookie Club world?

There may be. I fell in love with my own characters, and each of the twelve women have a fascinating story. I may work on some prequels. I’m fascinated with Los Angeles in 1969: . Vera (from Christmas Cookie Club) was a stripper at that time. What do you think? The wilds of L.A. with a young Vera in 1969?

Pavarti: I love it! Can I have an advance copy?? How about you Terri, what can you tell us about In Leah’s Wake?

Terri: The cover copy was just rewritten by a gentleman who’s been writing copy for Random House for 25 years. It does a wonderful job, I think, of describing the book:

At the heart of the seemingly perfect Tyler family stands sixteen-year-old Leah. Her proud parents are happily married, successful professionals. Her adoring younger sister is wise and responsible beyond her years. And Leah herself is a talented athlete with a bright collegiate future. But living out her father’s lost dreams, and living up to her sister’s worshipful expectations, is no easy task for a teenager. And when temptation enters her life in the form of drugs, desire, and a dangerously exciting boy, Leah’s world turns on a dime from idyllic to chaotic to nearly tragic.

As Leah’s conflicted emotions take their toll on those she loves-turning them against each other and pushing them to destructive extremes-In Leah’s Wake powerfully explores one of fiction’s most enduring themes: the struggle of teenagers coming of age, and coming to terms with the overwhelming feelings that rule them and the demanding world that challenges them. Terri Giuliano Long’s skillfully styled and insightfully informed debut novel captures the intensely personal tragedies, victories, and revelations each new generation faces during those tumultuous transitional years.

In Leah’s Wake began as my master’s thesis. My agent at the time sent it to two dozen houses; it received a lot of positive response, but no takers; eventually, I sold it to a small publisher. At the last minute, the publisher ran into problems and the book was never published. Two years ago, after several years treading water, I finally made strides with a new novel and decided to publish ILW myself, hoping that if I could sell 5,000 copies I might attract a traditional publisher for my next project. Self-publishing is the best thing I’ve ever done for myself. I’ve never looked back.

Read the full interview