An Interview with Author, Alexandra Everist

An Interview with Author, Alexandra Everist

ajbarnett’s Content

Next

Previous

ajbarnett’s Content

Writing Tips

I was lucky enough to contact Alexandra and though her schedule is busy arranging the launch of her new book, I managed to persuade her to answer a few questions. She has agreed to share this moment with you.

Alexandra, tell me, how long have you been a writer?

I began writing when I was 10. We had emigrated to the United States and I assuaged my loneliness my creating a fictionalized world in my mind and writing it down.

And is this your first book?

This is my first published work. I spent six years researching and writing "No Place to Call Home", (my first manuscript) the story of my father's imprisonment in the Soviet gulags and his eventual war experiences. The title reflects how each prison he was in and each place he went was "no place to call home." And at the end of the war, Poland was given away and he again had "no place to call home."

So tell me, did you dive straight into a full-length book or did you publish other articles/stories first?

I had poetry published in anthologies after college, but I had never attempted to get anything else published until recently.

Were you like me, a closet writer. Did anyone know you were writing, or has it taken your friends/family by surprise?

My first book was about my father so the family all knew I was writing. My son, Trevor, was killed when he was 19 and I often have dreams where he will offer suggestions on my life. During one of these dreams he warned me I was not listening to my father. My father had told me the stories of the war all my life, but I never really listened. Once I stopped long enough to hear what he was saying, I realized it was a story that needed to be told. Prior to writing "No Place to Call Home", I was always too busy with work (I was a Vice President in HR) to ever complete anything I had written.

This particular story, what prompted you to write it, and does it convey any 'messages' to the reader? I mean, some stories have a hidden depth to them, if yours has, what is it?

"A Katrina Moment" is a story of overcoming prejudice. When people unite against an all-encompassing adversity, the differences between them dissolve. New Orleans has a unique culture defined by its diversity so it was the perfect backdrop for the story.

And is the story aimed mainly at men or women, what genre would you classify it in?

I would tend to think it is more of a woman's story, whereas "No Place to Call Home" was more of a man's story. So far most of the readers have been female, so I may be wrong.

What about research, was there much involved, did you have to study anything before you completed the story?

I spent a great deal of time in New Orleans talking to people who had remained. Since everyone had a slightly different perspective and memory of time sequence, I had to blend many of these stories into one.

Who is your publisher, and where will your book be available?

PublishAmerica.

Have you any other books in the pipeline, can we expect more in the near future?

I am still determined to get "No Place to Call Home" published. My father is in his eighties and I want him to be able to see it in print. I also have another one I am working on regarding ethics in corporate America.

And finally, Alexandra, if you had one piece of advice to give aspiring authors, what would it be? Would you like to offer any tips?

Always keep a pen and something to write on nearby. You never know when you might need it. Pay attention to the world around you. Listen to everyone, even if you are bored. There are messages in everything that happens around you and in everything that is being said.

Thank you, Alexandra Everist, it's always interesting to hear another author's viewpoint and take a peek into their lives. I hope we can have another chat in the near future.

For more information on Alexandra and her book , visit her web

------------------------------------------------------------------------