Tell us about you.
I started writing when I was 5, and
discovered the power and enjoyment of telling a story. I loved it (and still do!) when people are
absorbed in the story and want to know what's going to happen next. I wrote my first play when I was 10, and my
first novel when I was 15. However,
there have been extended periods of my life when I didn't write at all. I was active in my teens, then stopped
writing until I was in my early 30's.
Then stopped again for 6 years while I edited audio books. Then I began once more and haven't stopped
since. I wrote plays for 7 years, and
switched to writing novels about 5 years ago.
Tell us about your book.
"The Promised Land" tells the story of a
12-year-old white girl who moves with her mother to a small town on the Gulf
coast of Florida in 1966. She
experiences culture shock, as she has come from a white suburb in
Connecticut. There is a lot of racial
tension in this town, which is exacerbated when she befriends a biracial boy,
and when that boy's black father attempts to open a clothing store in the white
section of town. The girl's mother's new
boyfriend happens to be an attorney, and also the leader of the local Ku Klux
Klan chapter. So you know there's going
to be trouble. And there is.
What inspired you to write this particular story?
When I was 12, in 1966, my parents split up and I moved
with my mother from a Connecticut suburb to a small podunk town in
Florida. I befriended a mulatto boy, and
had some very rough times with bullying and the school system, as well as with
drugs and alcohol. I was only in this
town for a year, but it made a lasting impression on me. So "The Promised Land" is a kind of
fictional memoir. Some of it is fact,
and some of it is fiction.
What can readers expect when they open your book? Give us
something that isn_t on the book blurb.
This book is basically a love story between two
adolescents: one a 12-year-old white girl, and the other a 12-year-old boy of
mixed race. Their relationship
perseveres against what appears to be insurmountable odds. But there are other
issues that come up, too, like the inadequacies of the public school system in
Florida in 1966, and alcoholism, child abuse, and abuse of prescription pills.
They didn't have rehab centers back in Florida in those days; at least, not as
we know them today. Back then,
everything was very hush-hush, and swept under the carpet. This girl starts out very weak and
submissive, but gradually her strength grows until she is able to take control
of her own life.
Who is your greatest inspiration?
Back when I was first starting to write, it was my
mother. She gave me my first typewriter
when I was 10, and taught me to always respect creativity. I had a couple of teachers when I was in
college who encouraged me to write; one of them happened to be James Lee
Burke. Now I am inspired by my partner
and by my dog, believe it or not! I am
also inspired by life itself. There are
so many stories one discovers, simply by living life.
What are you reading right now? : I'm taking a short class
in 19th century Russian Literature, so I'm reading "Notes from the
Underground." I've also read
stories by Pushkin and Gogol. I love it
all!
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as a
writer?
Seeing my plays produced.
Seeing my name in print along with the ending I wrote to a short story
in Jack and Jill Magazine when I was 8.
Directing my first play (which I also wrote) when I was 10, and having
all the fifth grades in the school come see it.
Seeing my first published novel on a rack in Borders. Holding a copy of "The Promised
Land" in my hands for the first time.
Have you experienced any setbacks for your writing along
the way? If so, will you share with us.
When my agent died back in the '90's, I was
devastated. He had just told me my then
new novel was the best thing I'd done, and was confident he could sell it. Then I became an editor for audio books for 6
years, and wrote nothing. But as soon as
that job ended, I proceeded to write plays, and did so for 7 years.
Tell us 5 random things about you the person, not the
author
1. : I love horses and horseback riding.
2. : I have a service dog.
3. : Chess fascinates me.
4. : I'm addicted to the WWE.
5. : I go to the opera at least once a year.
Where to connect
Twitter : @valeriestocking
Facebook : Valerie Stocking
Website : http://www.valeriestocking.com
Blog : http://www.valeriestocking.com/blog/
Goodreads : Valerie Stocking
Where to buy
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