An Alternative Author Interview:

TCL’s Countdown Questions.

This week I’m featuring author
Jane Healey.

When I first heard of Jane Healey’s novel “The Beantown Girls” I must admit I was skeptical. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked the cover (something about the red glasses on one of the women bothered me). But we all know, you shouldn’t judge a book by that (although we all do it), and all the reviews I read were so glowing, that I finally bought myself a copy and read it. Well, I fell in love with those three girls, and now I guess I’ll have to go back and read her debut novel. Yes, Jane has a new fan, and that’s why I asked her to answer my questions, and here they are…

• If you could visit five (5) places you’ve never been, where would you go and why?

Croatia – b/c it looks like a beautiful country to explore.

Azores, Portugal – b/c that is where my Nana was from and I have heard wonderful things about the islands.

Finland – b/c that is where my other grandmother was from.

Singapore – b/c my husband has been and he loved it – and I also b/c I loved the book Crazy, Rich Asians.

Tel Aviv, Israel – my friend is a flight attendant and is always posting pictures from Tel Aviv and it looks like a beautiful and fascinating city.

• Name four (4) foods or dishes that you enjoy so much that they’ve practically become part of your personality.

Hmmm… I love French cheese with a really good French baguette – I love all cheese honestly, but especially really good French cheese.

My own homemade basil pesto with local tomatoes and fresh mozzarella (yes, cheese again ;)).

My husband’s fried chicken and French fries – he makes the best fried chicken in the world in my opinion.

Italian wedding soup (Barefoot Contessa’s recipe) – my daughters love this soup so I make it all winter.

 

• There is the past, the present, and the future – if you could choose, which of these three (3) would you prefer to live in, and why?

Honestly the present – I think though some of the news of the world today is dark, it’s still a fascinating and wonderful time to be alive in many ways.

• Best and worst – you choose which – name two (2) of either your best moments of your life, worst moments of your life, or one of each.

Two best moments – the days my daughters were born!

• Name one (1) book you’ve read in the past year (or so) that you wish you had written, and why.

It’s actually the one I’m reading now – The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. It’s just this wonderful, sprawling, epic dystopian tale that is so beautifully written and well structured.

Thanks Jane! (Yes, lots of people like Tel Aviv, but if you ever come to Israel, you must come visit me in Jerusalem!)

According to Jane Healey’s website, “I’m a Boston-based writer, and over the years I’ve done all kinds of writing, from magazine articles to tech company white papers to marketing copy for non-profits.

“Years ago, I wrote an article about the Saturday Evening Girls Club and their pottery for Boston Home magazine. I thought it was such an interesting story in Boston’s history, and I was surprised when I discovered that no one had ever written a novel about these women and their club. I had always wanted to write fiction, so I decided that I should be the one to write about ‘the Girls’.

“Like many novels, the road to publication for The Saturday Evening Girls Club was filled with starts, stops and a bit of serendipity. After putting it on a virtual bookshelf for a couple of years, I took it out, read it with a very clear eye, and realized I still believed in the story. I decided to try to find a publishing home for it one last time. It was published by Lake Union Publishing in April 2017 and I am grateful every day that I finally get to share this story with the world.

“I live outside of Boston with my two precocious tween/teen daughters, two idiotic cats and one amazing husband. I like reading, running, cooking, going to the beach and drinking lots of coffee.”