Don’t look at that title and think it’s a diss, if you’ve read Eleanor’s book, The Weird Sisters then you know it’s a huge compliment. Eleanor’s book has done extremely well, and the reviews for the book have been phenomenal. The Miami Herald called it, “Delightful . . . That’s Brown’s gift: She draws you in and makes you believe her weird sisters aren’t so weird after all.”

If you haven’t read The Weird Sisters then you can pick up a copy when it comes out in paperback on February 7th. And if you can’t wait until then…well hardback books look great on nightstands! The Weird Sisters follows the tale of three sisters, who have returned home to the small college town where they grew up – partly because their mother is ill, but mostly because their lives are falling apart and they don’t know where to go next. Rose, a staid mathematics professor, has the chance to break away from her quiet life and join her devoted fiancé in England, if she could only summon up the courage to do more than she’s thought she could. Bean left home as soon as she could, running to the glamour of New York City, only to come back ashamed of the person she has become. And Cordy, who has been wandering the country for years, has been brought back to earth with a resounding thud, realizing it’s finally time for her to grow up. The sisters never thought they would find the answers to their problems in each other, but over the course of one long summer, they find that everything they’ve been running from – each other, their histories, and their small hometown – might offer more than they ever expected.

You’ve had an amazing year! Your debut novel, The Weird Sisters has gotten wonderful praise and great reviews. Has it helped build your confidence as a writer, or did you decide before the novel came out to not pay much attention to the reviews, good or bad?

I have been very lucky – I didn’t expect the book to be embraced by so many people and it’s been a delight! But confidence is internal, so I can’t say that its success has affected me one way or the other. I am proud of what I’ve done, but I also beat myself up for my mistakes, just like anyone else. The very early reviews (from trade publications like Library Journal and Publishers Weekly) were helpful in that they gave me an idea of how the book would be received in general. Beyond that, however, I learned pretty quickly not to read reviews – professional or reader. It’s a dangerous thing to have other people’s opinions in your head when you’re trying to write. In On Writing, Stephen King talks about writing with the door closed (just you) and the door open (other people’s opinions). I think writers should be selective about whom they open that door for.

You wrote your novel in first-person plural, which is a tricky thing to do! How did you do it in such a way that a way that it wasn’t disruptive to the reader?

The voice came naturally when I started to tell this story, and there were only a few sections I struggled over with that voice. But, like any story, I devised rules: two sisters had to be in a room in order to use ‘we’ for action, and so on. Making it a smooth read was more important to me than adhering slavishly to the first-person plural narrator when it didn’t feel right.

I know you had to research extensively on Shakespeare and his work for the novel. Do you love research? Or do you find it a necessary evil?

Research is tremendous fun! I love the way researching details can lead me down all kinds of unexpected paths: in the past week I’ve read about carnival sideshows and the invention of sippy cups. True story. The best part for me is that if some piece of information doesn’t make it into one project, it might come in handy in another. There’s a bunch of great material on dude ranches that I cut from The Weird Sisters – I’d love to see that appear somewhere else someday!

What’s your writing style? Do you outline extensively? Where and when do you like to write?

Yikes. I wish. However, I’m a youngest child, so planning anything is not my strong suit. I write down ideas as they come to me so I can jump into those scenes when I’m ready, and at a certain point in the project I can start to plan out a few scenes or chapters ahead, but for the most part, I write in whatever order the ideas come to me and worry about cleaning it up later. I like to write at home – I’m not good with distractions, so I hole myself up in my office and turn on some instrumental music. Lyrics make me want to sing along! As for when, right now I’m writing in the morning because that’s worked out for my schedule. I think trying to come up with an ideal situation can be an excuse not to write, so I have always just tried to plan writing time into my schedule whenever it works.

Because of how well The Weird Sisters has been received do you feel pressure as you work on your second novel?

Definitely. It’s like being asked to capture lightning in a bottle…twice!

You’re on Twitter, Facebook, and have a blog. How do you juggle all three? Which do you like the most?

I like Twitter because there’s such a large community of book people there – authors, editors, bloggers, readers. But on Facebook, people have chosen to “like” my page, which means there’s an incredibly supportive group of people there. I try to stop in every day, but they feel like fun places to go, not duties. I’m not a natural blogger – I’m too long-winded! I used to put a lot of pressure on myself to blog, but now I just update it when I’ve got news or something to say, rather than trying to force myself to write. I’d rather use my creative mojo for my book.

How important do you think social media is for an author’s career?

It depends on what your goals are. I think if you want some degree of commercial success, it never hurts to have lots of folks in your corner, and social media is a great way to meet them. But if you watch what authors who are successful in social media to, it’s not publicizing their book. It’s interacting with people as a person. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that (and it’s fine if you don’t!), social media is not the place for you. It’s ended up that I don’t log in to Facebook or Twitter to promote my book – I go to hang out with people I enjoy, and if they end up checking out my book because of it, I’m thrilled.

Did you hire an outside publicist? How much of the marketing did you tackle on your own?

I did not hire an outside publicist; I was lucky to have a great team at Penguin going to bat for me. But I did do as much as I could outside of their efforts – participating in social media, joining a group blog, doing guest posts on others’ blogs, and doing some in-person events when I could. My goal was that if the book failed, I wanted to feel like I had done everything I personally could have to make it a success. Ultimately, this is my career and my life, so why would I not invest in it?

Now let’s get to the hair! In your author photo, it’s a lovely shoulder-length style with lighter blond highlights throughout. Is this your go-to style?

It is! I have been super-blonde and redheaded, but this is where I keep returning. But I had a hairdresser that day, so in real life, my hair never looks as good as it does in that picture! I moved to Denver (very dry) from Florida (very humid) a little over a year ago, and I still have no idea how to deal with my hair in this climate. It’s naturally very wavy with random ringlets underneath, and I tend to get triangle-head, so most of the time it’s up in a ponytail/bun. However, all this may change, because on the urging of my friend and fellow author, curly girl Sarah Ockler, I have an appointment for a Deva cut next week. I figure I might as well try something that embraces the curl instead of trying to work around it. Wish me luck!

Now the question that you’ve had much time to think about—which celebrity would you switch hair with? Why?

I will admit to having the Rachel in the 90s, so I should probably say Jennifer Aniston, but honestly, Julianna Margulies. I have always wanted beautiful curls like that, which led to lots of ill-advised perms in the 80s.

Tell us your biggest hair disaster.

Though I am probably one of the perkiest people you will meet, I spent a lot of high school trying to be deep and angsty, and at one point I dyed my hair blue-black. Not only did I neglect to dye my very blonde eyebrows to match, I am very fair, with very pink skin. It looked ridiculous. My sister and I tried to wash it out, but it didn’t work, so after a few months, when my roots began to grow back in, I spent $200 of babysitting savings to have it stripped and re-dyed to match my natural color. However, the most important lesson I learned from that experience is that hair is forgiving. Whatever you do to it, it’ll grow back!

I want to give a big cyber-hug to Eleanor Brown for stopping by Curl Up and Write! To learn more about Eleanor, check out her website, follow her on Twitter or like her on Facebook. If you haven’t already read her bestselling novel The Weird Sisters, make sure you catch it in paperback on February 7th. Can’t wait ‘til February? Then pick up a hardcover today!

ZZ Packer was quoted as saying, “A fierce, beautiful novel . . . a heroine for the ages . . . Luckett is a writer to watch and admire." And I couldn’t agree more.

You mention on your blog that you love Paris. What else inspired you to set your novel Passing Love there?

PASSING LOVE explores what it means to live an ordinary life. I wanted the novel to take place in a city internationally recognized as extraordinary and exotic. In PASSING LOVE two women, Nicole and RubyMae, believe that Paris, the city and the experience, will change their lives. Speaking from their viewpoint, I can’t see how this novel could have taken place anywhere else. Paris is a city of possibilities. It can be anonymous and intimate, daunting, and welcoming at the same time. Ruby’s story takes place after the end of World War II, but even before that war, France was known as a place where African Americans experienced racial freedom. Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, musician Jim Europe and others went to Paris between the two World Wars to experience the liberty Paris offered. The rumors of that freedom were exciting to RubyMae, especially coming from the Deep South. In the present, Paris offered Nicole a different freedom—a change from the ordinary. So, combined with my own love of Paris and my characters’ dreams, Paris was the perfect setting.

You love to travel! How has seeing different places made you a better writer?

It wasn’t until I visited Santa Fe years ago and saw the natural rust of its mountainous landscapes and the multitude of colors in the sunset that I understood how the Southwest inspired artists and decorators. That’s my roundabout way of saying that traveling inspires and stimulates creativity. Learning about other cultures, religions, and approaches to life, seeing other parts of our country, and the world, expands the mind and gives a writer options for metaphors, comparisons, and descriptions. Taking the time to learn about other cultures, provides writers insight into different ways of thinking. For me, traveling expands my writing beyond my everyday experiences and opens my mind to the differences and the sameness between people. I feel enriched when I explore a new city. The new experiences add to my body of knowledge and my bag of tricks that I draw on for my stories and characters.

You’ve always loved to write, but put it off to work in corporate America. How hard was it for you to find the courage to write again?

Courage is exactly what it took for me to start writing again. Not the courage to break away from corporate America, but to explore my passion and to eventually share my work. As a teenager, I was chief babysitter and storyteller for my younger cousins. I kept them entertained with my stories—complete with sound effects. I never lost my love of story. I simple buried it beneath a lot of other things.

After triple-daring myself around 1999, I took a writing class and released the stories that had been simmering inside of me for so long. I took a few classes at a local university. Sharing my work with fellow writers was difficult and, to some extent, impersonal. The feedback made me feel vulnerable and, to say the least, inept. It was easier to take the critiques personally than to look at how they might help improve my work. It wasn’t until I started attending the VONA writing workshops that I really blossomed as a writer. The entire atmosphere of VONA was nurturing and supportive. It was there that I learned to let go of my fear and just write.

You were active in Voices of Our Nation (VONA) workshops and have worked with many noted authors. How valuable are writing workshops and critique partners to an author?

VONA helped me gain confidence about my writing. The workshop leaders were helpful and generous. I’ve found writing workshops to be invaluable. That’s where I learned craft.

I believe writers must be careful about sharing work. Not because someone might steal an idea, but because when we share our work, we let someone else’s voice into our heads and sometimes our stories. We’re very vulnerable. If you’re not a writer, think of it as a meal you’ve slaved over, and when you ask your guests how they enjoyed it, each tells you, not that it was great, but rather how you could have made it better. You’d be crushed. Right? Each word, sentence, paragraph, comma and period comes out of a writer’s imagination. So, we have to consider who is critiquing our work and their intentions. Some writers/critique partners, feel the need to show off what they believe is their knowledge of craft and often those comments are not helpful or worse yet, they hurt. If any writer finds herself in that situation, s/he should run, very fast, out of that room and that workshop.

I believe in feedback/critiques by writing partners. Don’t settle. Take your time and test the waters before committing to a writing partner or a writing group. It takes a while to find fellow writers who understand what you’re trying to accomplish, value your efforts and are supportive of your work and your talent (and vice versa). I have a handful of writers I trust with reading my work. Trust and our relationships have developed over time. If you’ve find the right writer(s) and reader(s), feedback can be invaluable. For me, another set of eyes helps to take a step back from my work and consider what’s missing and how to make my work better. Good comments make me realize what is and isn’t working for my story.

When and where do you write? Do you outline extensively or are you a pantser?

Most of the time I write at home. For a little over a year, I leased an office while I finished the final draft of SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER. That worked well because I felt compelled to “go to work.” But, I also had to deal with a man in the next office who talked so loud, that I knew more than I wanted to about his personal business. I let my office go shortly after I began PASSING LOVE, and I’m back to writing at home again. Occasionally, I meet a friend and we write “together” for a couple of hours. That works best when I’m unfocused or unclear about where my story is going—being away from home eliminates distractions (what needs answering, washing, watering, cleaning, or eating).

With both PASSING LOVE and SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER, I knew where I wanted the main characters to go and how I wanted each woman to approach her journey. For both of my novels, my first step was to write a paragraph or two about the story. Then, I wrote characters biographies. I like to have an idea of who they are and what they want. More often than not, I know where they’ll end up, but I also like to be surprised. Typically, I don’t know the middle of my story. Once I’m done with a first draft, I write an outline to understand better the mechanics of the story and what scenes/chapters I need to move forward. An outline was really important for PASSING LOVE since there are two stories that eventually converge. I didn’t want one story to reveal what was going on in the other since there are a few secrets I wanted each character to hold on to.

So, I guess you could say I’m a semi-pantser. I outline after the first draft and keep changing it as I go along.

Let’s talk social media. Do you like Twitter and Facebook? Do you think they are imperative to an author’s career?

I’m always at a loss for what to say on Twitter and Facebook. So I stick to neutral territory. I post my blogs and I try to share articles, books, analyses, or other interesting information. It often seems that people watch posts like hawks circling newly found prey. After I post, I might not return for hours and, consequently, sometimes hundreds of updates and messages have passed me by. I find it hard to keep up.

Author Carleen Brice (Orange Mint and Honey) offered a great suggestion: engage in conversations with individual people on Twitter or Facebook instead of trying to respond to the world. When I reduced my interactions to simple one-on-one communications, social networking felt better.

My editor and publicist both stress the importance of social media. Many writers argue that social media is another way to get one’s name in the public’s eye. If readers don’t know who we are, then they’re reluctant to consider buying our books. Most people don’t enjoy posts that constantly hawk books. I recently blocked a Twitter follower, because she tweeted at least 30 times an hour and her Tweets were nothing more than sales pitches. For me, social networking is another way for readers to connect with me as a person, and maybe get a little insight into a few of my likes and dislikes.

When promoting your first novel, Searching for Tina Turner, did you hire an outside publicist? What marketing techniques did you feel really helped get your book in the hands of readers?

Hachette has an in-house publicist who did a great job of exposing SEARCHING FOR TINA TURNER. Because of her efforts, the novel was chosen as an Essence Magazine Book selection (January 2010). I hired two outside publicists: one was nearly a complete disaster; the other secured interviews on local TV shows. I had several parties across the country to promote the book. The parties gave the novel exposure, but I learned that I needed to think on a larger scale.

I’ve learned a few lessons about working with a publicist. Here’s the biggest one: expect and demand people live up to their commitments. Get everything in writing. Don’t pay for everything up front. Fire whomever, if they’re not meeting your expectations.

I hired a different publicist for PASSING LOVE with whom I’m very pleased. Rather than conduct a massive campaign, I chose a focused program that included a couple of giveaway contests and exposure to nationwide book clubs. Book clubs are the best marketing asset that any a writer can have! PASSING LOVE will be a featured selection for Black Expressions Book Club and a book pick in Good Housekeeping (February). Those two selections will, hopefully, provide nationwide exposure for the novel.

Now let’s get to the hair! When I met you last year your hair was beautifully styled! Do you style it yourself or do you leave it to the professionals?

My mother was a beautician. I have a great picture of her from the 40s pressing a customer’s hair. My sister and I never had to worry about our hair because our mother kept our hair looking great. I don’t think I went to a salon until I was in my twenties! My mother taught us to do our own hair, but I do so love to have someone else take care of it. I’ve been going to the same stylist for years. There’s nothing better than a good shampoo and scalp massage. About six years ago, I let my relaxer grow out. Now I wear my hair straight (that’s the way it was when we met) or in an Afro (the style in my publicity photos). I love the versatility, and the reactions to the two styles are quite interesting. But, let me tell you, both styles require a lot of maintenance and conditioning and I love my stylist for taking such good care of my hair. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to a relaxer, but I plan to color my hair forever. I love my highlights and I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of them.

What celebrity would you switch hair with?

I’m happy with my hair, but if you twisted my arm I’d say . . . Vanessa Williams for color, Halle Berry for her short cut . . . oh, and Oprah for volume and because she has someone to do her hair every day!

Name your biggest hair disaster. (Bad color, horrible haircut, etc.)

After my mother stopped working as a beautician, she went to work for the government, She didn’t keep up with industry changes, but she could press hair like nobody else. Mine always looked great. When perms/relaxers came out, my mother was eager to give them a try. That was around the time that asymmetrical haircuts were all the rage and I decided to change my hairstyle from pageboy to pixie. Eager to save a few bucks, I made an appointment for a hair cut and my mother agreed to “give me a perm.”

To be fair, I should mention that my love of hair color goes way back. In my twenties, I was a do-it-yourself queen of Lady Clairol—the permanent, peroxide kind because I didn’t have any chemicals in my hair. The Friday night before I went to the salon, my mother sat me in a kitchen chair, opened a box of “permanent” (that’s what we called in back in the day) and began. I don’t know how the box was labeled, but at the time we were all under the impression that a stronger formula equaled straighter hair. Oops. I had to trust my mother. Right? Especially, because she was a beautician. Right? Even though she once cut my bangs so short that they stuck out from my forehead like a bushel of straw. Right?

The stove’s timer ticked away the minutes, while my mother slathered the stinky, white cream on my hair. Tick, tick, tick the timer went on and on. When it finally rang, we rushed to the sink and she rinsed the goop out of my hair. Down the drain went the relaxer. Down the drain went the shampoo. Down the drain went half the length of my hair. I groped at the blonde peroxided strands floating in the shallow basin. I know I yelled. I probably swore. My hair was a ragged half the shoulder length it was when we began.

To my mother’s credit, she didn’t panic. She towel dried my hair and cleaned up the mess. The only thing that saved me, the only thing that kept me from freaking out was my two o’clock appointment the following afternoon. Needless to say, I went to that appointment wearing a hat. And my mother, who years later seems to be proficient in applying relaxers? I love her, but she hasn’t touched a hair on my head since.

I want to give a big cyber hug to Jacqueline for stopping by! Pre-order Passing Love today, or run to your local bookstore on January 25th and pick up a copy for yourself. Want to learn more about Jacqueline? Visit her website, read her blog, or follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Can’t wait until February 25th? Watch the trailer below to get a sneak peek of everything Passing Love has to offer.

When I read Amy Hatvany’s novel, Best Kept Secret, the characters resonated with me in such a way that I thought about them for days. Emily Giffin said it, "Grabs you from page one and doesn’t let you go,” and she’s spot on in her review. So I was thrilled that she made time to stop by the blog and doubly thrilled  about her new novel, Outside the Lines, which will be released February 2012. It follows the tale of Eden, and when she was ten years old she found her father, David, bleeding on the bathroom floor. The suicide attempt led to her parents’ divorce, and David all but vanished from Eden’s life.

I loved your novel Best Kept Secret! I normally read books just for pure entertainment, but your book left me thinking about how we treat mothers today and how harsh we judge ourselves and other women. Was that your intention?

Thank you so much! And yes, absolutely, that was my intent. Society holds women to such impossible standards, and then, when we can’t reach them, we are abhorrently hard on ourselves. I also think when we judge other women – or other people in general – it creates distance and disconnection. I wanted to write a story exploring that dynamic, and how one woman falls victim to an unhealthy coping mechanism during a particularly difficult time in her life. The book deals specifically with alcoholism, but really, there are so many other ways women try to cope, and for fear of facing the judgment of others, keep it hidden. I say let’s talk about the issues behind why we reach for certain behaviors to drown our pain out.

I struggle with flashbacks, and description when writing, yet you do it flawlessly. What do you struggle with when writing?

Oh, wow. Thank you. I struggle with flashbacks, too! Attempting to make it appear seamless is an effort that takes multiple revisions. I also struggle with structure, balancing plot with internal character development. I’m more fascinated with what goes on inside the characters that what goes on around them, and I have to remind myself time and again that readers need both in order to stay engaged with the story.

Do you believe in having a critique group or partner? If so, how has it changed your writing?

I’m really not much of a group joiner, though I do have a couple of literary friends whom I bounce ideas off of and who read my WIP when I need feedback (or reassurance that it’s any good to begin with!) I think learning to take constructive criticism is fundamentally important as a writer, and having just a few people you can really trust with the soul you’ve poured onto the page, knowing their only intent is to help you make your work better, is priceless.

You took time off after writing your second book. Were you afraid to venture back into the ever-changing publishing world again?

Terrified, is more like it! When I began writing BEST KEPT SECRET, I felt shaky and unsure. I told myself I wasn’t writing to get it published, I was writing because I felt strongly about the story. It was a long process, but I am very happy with how it turned out and truly thrilled to have found a new home with Atria Books. They are phenomenal.

You write a lot about families, in fact your new book is about a woman searching for her father. How much research was involved—any trips to homeless shelters?

I actually have a good friend who heads up a program that works with many people in the homeless population, and I was honored to begin helping with a weekly meal. (I became the “Brownie Lady” for the mocha fudge treats I’d bring them!) I learned so much from these people; how there are many ways to live a life, and countless reasons why we end up on the paths we do. Much of my experience there is reflected in OUTSIDE THE LINES.

You’re on Twitter and Facebook, how important would you say social networking is to a writer’s career?

In today’s market, I would say it’s vital. I would amend that, though, by adding that any networking has to be smart, personal, and not constantly trying to sell another copy of your book. There are better practices out there, but I think the most important one is to be yourself.

What’s your writing process like? Do you set a word count goal to hit each day? Are you an outliner or a pantser?

It varies by the book. Sometimes I can get a general idea and just start writing. Others, I need to have a more formalized structure in place. But overall, I’d say I’m more a pantser than an outliner. I like my characters to surprise me.

Now let’s talk hair! Do you style your hair yourself, or do you visit a salon regularly? What’s your go-to hairstyle?

I finally have found a wonderful stylist who was trained in Ouidad, which is a specific process to cut curly hair. The best part about the cut is that you can go longer in between visits, so I only hit the salon 4 or 5 times a year. My go-to hairstyle is definitely casual, curly messy. Just-got-out-of-bed-hair, my husband calls it, which he loves, so bonus for me not having to work too hard on it every day. I’m really not high maintenance, so once it’s dry, I’m pretty much good to go after about five minutes of fussing with it.

Which celebrity would you swap hair with?

Oh, boy. That’s a big question! I love Beyoncé’s hair, when it’s all wild and enormous on the stage. (I’ve got lots of curl, but it’s fine and volume-challenged.)

And Jennifer Aniston’s hair always looks flawless, though blond and straight is NOT a good look for me. Trust me. I tried it.

Tell us your worst hair experience!

Ahem. See above mention of the blond and straight disaster. It was right after my divorce, and I was desperate for some kind of change. With my pale complexion and light green eyes, it looked abysmal. I’ve learned to embrace my dark, crazy tresses, even when that means I throw them into a ponytail and call it good.

I want to give a big cyber-hug to Amy Hatvany for stopping by the blog! If you haven’t already, please pre-order Outside the Lines, and make sure to follow Amy on Twitter and friend her on Facebook. And check out her website, Amy may be stopping by a city near you!

The wonderful Kelly O’Connor McNees is here to discuss her new book, The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott, which is now out in paperback. If you love Little Women then you’ll love this book. In her debut novel, Kelly deftly mixes fact and fiction as she imagines a summer lost to history, carefully purged from Louisa’s letters and journals, a summer that would change the course of Louisa’s writing career—and inspire the story of love and heartbreak between Jo and Teddy “Laurie” Laurence, Jo’s devoted neighbor and kindred spirit.

In the summer of 1855, Walt Whitman’s controversial Leaves of Grass has just been released, and the notion of making a living as a writer is still a far-off dream for Louisa. She is twenty-two years old, vivacious, and bursting with a desire to be free of her family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves the most—write. The Alcott family, destitute, as usual, moves to a generous uncle’s empty house in Walpole, New Hampshire, for the summer. Here, a striking but pensive Louisa meets the fictional Joseph Singer. Louisa is initially unimpressed by Joseph’s charms. But just as Louisa begins to open her heart, she learns that Joseph may not be free to give his away. Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect. The Washington Post calls The Lost Summer “…the kind of romantic tale to which Alcott herself was partial, one in which love is important but not a solution to life’s difficulties. Devotees of Little Women will flock to this story with pleasure.”

Find out what inspired Kelly to write her book and find out her worst hair experience!

Louisa May Alcott is a literary icon. What made you want to delve into her life?

I’ve always loved Little Women but never knew that much about its author until, by chance, I picked up a biography of her at the library. I was fascinated to learn how much bigger her life was than just that one famous novel. She was a nurse during the Civil War; she wrote many, many stories and novels that were quite different from Little Women. I just felt there was a lot of unexplored territory there.

Is there anything that you learned about her life that surprised you?

She didn’t want to write Little Women. Her father was the one who suggested that she write about her own childhood. She was shocked by how the book was received—it became a huge bestseller right out of the gate. Louisa had thought her own life was very boring.

This novel seemed to call for a lot of research due to the historical details. How long did you research for this novel? How many drafts did you go through with The Lost Summer?

I did a lot of reading on Louisa’s life, as well as the lives of her family members and their famous Concord neighbors like Emerson and Thoreau. I read about Whitman and the circumstances surrounding the publication of Leaves of Grass. I read about New England in 1855. And I had the joy of rereading most of Louisa’s work. Some of this reading I did before I began work on the novel, but a lot of it was concurrent. So it’s hard to say how long it all took and how many drafts I wrote. It was a recursive process. But I would say at least three drafts, over about a year and a half.

Did you outline extensively or are you a pantser?

I outlined on revision. Now I understand the power of the outline, and I think I learned that from writing this novel. I can see the virtues of pantsing—pantsing certainly opens the door to wonderfully unexpected things coming into the book. But it also opens the door to a whole bunch of superfluous stuff that can bog the book down. In a way, because I was writing about a real person in a fixed moment in time, I had an outline from the beginning. I knew where she was in July and I knew where she was in November. The months in between was where I placed the fiction.

Were you surprised how well The Lost Summer was received by the public?

I’m not sure if it was well received or not. I can say that I have heard from many individual readers who have enjoyed it and that makes me very happy. That’s all you can do, really.

What marketing techniques did you find worked for you? Did you hire an outside publicist or did you stay with your in-house publicist? How much would you say you had to tackle on your own?

I’ve done it all and there’s really no way to say what has worked and what hasn’t. Building interest in a book is a slow process, but the economics of the publishing business requires instant success. It can be very frustrating. But the joy is connecting with other book lovers.

Let’s talk social media. Do you like using Twitter and Facebook? How much of an impact has it had on your readership?

I like Twitter. A lot of readers and writers and book bloggers and publishing people are on Twitter, and they are having a pretty interesting conversation, most of the time. I like the community of Twitter. Facebook is also good for this, but it’s a little noisier (cats in Halloween costumes, vacation pictures, all those weird games). I think Twitter has probably been more useful in getting the word out about the novel.

You have a blog also. Do you think it’s something you’ll continue as your career grows?

I have shifted the focus of my blog to feature other writers because I got really tired of just posting about myself. There’s only so much I can say about my novel. So if I can keep featuring other writers and books I love, I would like to keep blogging.

What is the one piece of writing advice that you think will sustain you through the years?

Butt in chair.

Now let’s get to the hair! In your author photo, you wear a short banged bob. Is that your go-to look? Any thoughts of growing it longer?

I love this question! I hate my hair. I have always hated it. It is extremely fine and straight (it won’t even hold a bobby pin!). I am a thirty-one year old woman with baby hair. Right now it is a little longer than it was in that picture, but basically, that is the only cut I ever have. The bangs are there to hide my giant forehead. And the mark of Voldemort.

How do you maintain your hair? Do you go to the salon regularly?

For some reason, the hair in the back grows much more quickly than the hair on the sides. So I start with a bob and in two months I have a MacGyver. I get it cut about every two months. I am very lazy about blow-drying and all that.

What is one of your worst hair experiences? (Bad color, horrible haircut, etc…) Share!

Oh, man. I have plenty. As a kid I really wanted curly hair, so I begged and begged for a home perm. Finally, my mom gave in. It smelled so bad I had to go out in the backyard and sit on the tire swing while it processed. I looked like a poodle for the first couple days, and then the curl fell out because my hair just will not hold a curl, even with help of every caustic chemical in the laboratory.

Then there was the time I tried to do my own highlights. You know that kit that comes from the drugstore with the little paintbrush? I left the bleach on too long in one spot on the top of my head and it turned my hair gray. I was that girl who called the 800 number on the box, crying. It cost a fortune at the salon to get it fixed!

Make sure you guys go buy The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott! Can’t get enough of Kelly? Learn more about her on her website, check out her blog and follow her on Twitter!

I want to give a big cyber hug to Tayari Jones for stopping by the blog today to discuss her new novel, Silver Sparrow. Silver Sparrow is set in a middle-class neighborhood in Atlanta in the 1980s. The novel revolves around James Witherspoon’s families– the public one and the secret one. When the daughters from each family meet and form a friendship, only one of them knows they are sisters. It is a relationship destined to explode when secrets are revealed and illusions shattered. As Jones explores the backstories of her rich and flawed characters, she also reveals the joy, and the destruction, they brought to each other’s lives. At the heart of it all are the two girls whose lives are at stake, and like the best writers, Jones portrays the fragility of her characters with raw authenticity as they seek love, demand attention, and try to imagine themselves as women.

What motivated you to write Silver Sparrow?
I was out with some friends and someone started talking about a scene at a funeral—two wives showed up with two daughters. Like everyone, I have heard of such stories, but this one just sort of clicked in my head. In all my work, I write about sisters and this is because I have two sisters that didn’t grow up with me and I have always felt lonely because of this. I grew up in a house with two brothers and I longed for that female bond, but my sisters lived far away, with their mothers. So when the story about the bigamist collided with my own lifelong interest in sisters—particularly “half” sisters—BOOM. This story happened.

You have an MFA and teach at Rutgers-Newark University. How important is it for a young writer to get their MFA? Would you encourage all writers to do so?
The MFA or not to MFA issue is tricky. I have benefitted tremendously from mine. I learned vital skills that helped me write my first novel, LEAVING ATLANTA as my thesis, and the MFA is what makes me qualified for my teaching position. At the same time, I don’t think that the MFA is the only way to become a writer. There are many routes. But I will say this—when you go for an MFA, make sure you are ready to be serious about writing. It’s not a way to try it out. You should be 100% committed and be prepared to dedicate two or three years to nothing but your craft.

You mentioned on your blog that you don’t like to outline extensively when writing. Why?
I like to write the story to see what’s going to happen. Outlining would destroy the wonder for me.

How many drafts did you write with Silver Sparrow? At one point in the revision process do you let someone else read and critique your work?
Truthfully, I can’t say how many drafts. I know I had five titles and each represented a different direction for the manuscript. I worked on this book five years—writing and rewriting. But when I say it like that, it sounds like it was miserable, but I loved working on this book. I am happiest when I am working on something. I bring my outside readers in when I have done all I can. I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, so I make sure I have exhausted my capabilities before I ask my friends to help. And then I try and make it as convenient as possible for them. I also try and make sure I send the book to the right friend at the right time. Sometimes I need a cheerleader. Sometimes I need a taskmaster.

Let’s talk social media. How important is Twitter and Facebook to a writer? Do you think it’s necessary for a writer’s career to do both?
I love social media. I am on Twitter all the time because I love being on Twitter. My long-time publicist made me dismantle TweetDeck so I could finish SILVER SPARROW. This is a true story! I think the key to using social media is to be your real self. Everyone is not prepared to be herself in public. I can understand that. There are people who think social media is just a way to sell your book, but nobody wants to be pitched to all the time. People log onto Twitter and Facebook to really connect. I don’t think all writers need to use social media. Some writers do and it can be very helpful in raising your profile, but the best thing that a writer can do is write a good strong book. There are many different routes. Everyone has to do what’s best for her.

You’ve kept a blog for several years. How do you keep it fresh? Have you ever considered giving it up?
Just like with social media, I just enjoy keeping a blog. I love to write and blogging is a kind of writing. Also, my blog has a mission—to let other writers know about opportunities in writing. Too much of publishing is only for those in-the-know. There are lots of good writers who just don’t have the background or education to make the most of opportunities. That’s why I started my blog.

You’re going to be quite busy in the next months promoting Silver Sparrow. What are you looking forward to the most? What are you dreading most?
The Silver Sparrow tour has almost forty stops! (Click here to see if she’s stopping in your city!) I am really excited about meeting so many readers because I have the best readers in the world. SIVLER SPARROW is getting a lot of press so I anticipate meeting new readers as well. But the best part is hearing readers tell their own stories. Each one of my books has connected with readers who have their own version of this story. Already I am getting emails from women who say “I am a Silver Sparrow”, meaning that their fathers had other families and they lived in the shadows. I love the idea that coming together as readers can help erase some of that shame. What I am dreading is the logistics of travel. Airport drama! Airport food! Living for eight weeks with just a carry on bag. My favorite designer, Cozbi (www.cozbi.com) is making me a few dresses which she swears will improve my life. We’ll see.

What is one piece of writing advice that’s sustained you through the years?
My mentor would say, “Do whatever you have to do to survive the draft.” And by that he meant, just keep going. And just write til the end. All you are shooting for is to get to the end of this particular draft.

What’s your take on the African-American section in book stores? Do you think it should be done away with? Or do you feel it helps African-American authors stand out?
I think I am the only black writer that doesn’t stay up all night worrying about this! For one thing, most book stores do not even have an African American section. If they do, I don’t really mind being shelved there, but I would like to be shelved in both the African American section and the “literature” section. But one thing that we really should talk about is that the stores that have an African-American section, at least stock titles by black authors. I mean they have to keep the section full. There are many stored that hardly have any black titles at all. THAT’S what we need to be talking about. Getting our books in the stores.

Now let’s talk hair! You’ve been natural for years. Have you ever been relaxed? If so, what made you decide to transition?
Yes! I have been natural pretty much all my adult life. My mother has worn a TWA all my life, so making the decision to go natural was, well, natural! I used to perm my hair in my teen years, because I wanted to fit in and wearing natural hair wasn’t really in style. Also, there were no models on how to be an adult with natural hair. All the styles were more appropriate for little girls. For years I wore a little fade because I didn’t know how else to style it.

What’s your take on the natural vs. relaxed debate? Do you see being natural as a trend or lifestyle?
I love my natural hair. I love everyone’s natural hair. But I don’t feel the need to preach to anyone about how they handle their tresses. Everyone has to do what works for them. But, it hurts my heart when some young lady compliments me and says that I am lucky that I can wear a natural and “pull it off.” She said it as though it’s some magical feat to be able to wear the hair you were born with. We can all pull it off.
One thing I see with the natural hair trend is a real preference for curly hair. So many of the blogs are about transforming your kinks into curls. That feels retro to me, a return to that good and bad hair drama. I sometimes twist to bring out a curl pattern, but I often rock the afro puff. It’s beautiful, regardless!

Do you go to the salon regularly? Or do you maintain it yourself?
I mostly do it myself, but I do go to a salon for trims and sometimes as a treat to myself. I am a bad natural hair model. I don’t get all into products and treatments. I recently put Jergens’ lotion in my hair because I was in a hurry. I do like Jane Carter’s products. When I have it, I use it. When I don’t, I don’t.

And lastly, have you ever worn a weave? Did you love it or hate it?
I have never worn a weave, but right now I have kinky twists with extensions to make my life easier for my book tour. I have to admit that it is really convenient. They are not really long, just to my chin, but it’s a different look. I know this is the right style for my lifestyle, but I am looking forward to having my natural hair back!

I want to give a BIG THANKS to Tayari for taking the time out of her schedule to stop by the blog. Guys make sure to pre-order your copy of Silver Sparrow, or be the first in line at your bookstore on May 24th to grab your copy! Can’t wait until then? Then click here for an excerpt. Can’t get enough of Tayari? Follow her on Twitter, friend her on Facebook, and check out her blog where she dishes about the writing life and more.

Substitute Me has received great reviews, Heidi Durrow, author of The Girl Who Fell from the Sky calls it a “…warm and engaging novel about the struggles of juggling marriage, motherhood & a meaningful career focuses on a story we’re each living, but also exposes the secrets we won’t tell. An enjoyable read.”

You’ve written two other books, Hair Story and Kinky Gazpacho, both non-fiction. How did it feel to write a novel?

I’ve always wanted to write fiction, but didn’t dare. Writing journalism for ten years however, was really good practice for telling stories. And after writing my memoir, Kinky Gazpacho, I felt ready to tackle fiction.

What moved you to write Substitute Me?

The idea actually started when I first had to find childcare for my first born. I was so overwhelmed by the process of hiring a nanny, it seemed so hard and foreign to me. I just wanted my mother to quit her job and come live with me to take care of my son. In the end, I quit my job! But the awkwardness of the process never left me and I kept playing with that idea until it turned into Substitute Me. That’s what I really wanted—a substitute me!

You’ve gotten so much support from several of your fellow authors, mostly women. How does it feel to be a female writer today?

I don’t think of myself as a female writer. I just think of myself as a writer. Maybe an American writer because that’s what I like to write about—American culture. That being said, I’m thrilled that there are so many—online especially—networking and support communities of female writers. I even started my own women’s writers group in my neighborhood in Philly. The support I get from all my girlfriend networks is invaluable.

You write characters that affect women of all races. Do you feel pigeon-holed at times in the African-American section of the bookstore?

Oh, don’t get me started on that one! This is the biggest thorn in my side. And what makes it extremely frustrating is that so many people don’t want to admit that it’s really a problem. But this is my third book and I’ve been extremely lucky that my books have found audiences across color lines, despite the lack of support from a still segregated industry. And, I get lots and lots of love from women of color who consistently support my work. I love them all for that.

It’s getting harder and harder for African-American authors to stay positive in the publishing industry. How do you stay positive amid the negativity?

It’s easy for me to stay positive because I’m doing what I love. I love writing. This has always been my dream. Not many people can say that they are living their dream and I can. I didn’t set out to write books to make a lot of money or even to get famous. I wanted to write books so I could tell people all of the amazing stories I have in my head. Stories that I hope will inspire people to reexamine their own lives in some way. Maybe even reconsider the way they see things. Or maybe just be nicer to somebody than they were before.

Lori, you love to travel! How does your love of travel influence your writing?

Well, I love to place my characters in different places so I have an excuse to travel there!

What is your writing process like? Are you an outliner or a seat-of-your-pantser?

I’m a little bit of both. I totally believe in outlining and always teach my students to outline their stories. I say writing without an outline is like driving to Florida without a map. You’ll get there eventually but it will take you a really long time. But even with my outline there’s still room for my characters to tell me what’s going to happen next.

Now let’s get to the good stuff—the hair! You’re a big advocate of natural hair. What do you like most about being natural?

I’m actually not an ‘advocate’ of natural hair. I’m an advocate of black women choosing to wear their hair any way they want to because they ‘want to’, and not because they believe their natural hair is ugly or inferior.

Well said! What advice would you give other women considering going natural?

Be prepared for that learning curve of how to maintain natural hair. It can be a little bit more time consuming but the styling options are endless and amazing.

Guys, Substitute Me is in stores now so run to your nearest bookstore or order your copy today! If you would like to learn more about Lori, visit her website, follow on Twitter @LoriTharps or check out her blog, My American Meltingpot. She loves to hear from her readers!

Playing the Hand You’re Dealt is your third book. How does it feel to have three books out now?

First, I’d like to say thanks so much for this opportunity to chat with you here on Curl Up and Write! It feels amazing to publish my third book! It’s a blessing to be able to publish a book at all, especially in this challenging and ever-changing literary market. I’m very thankful.

Do you feel it’s important to have a book out every year to keep your readers interested?

Yes, I think it’s important to have a book out every year if you can. It was nearly 18 months in between release of my first book and my second one, and readers were anxiously awaiting it! There are so many books being published each year, and so many options for readers. Nowadays the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” applies. However, I do believe that if you build a strong fan base and produce well-written stories, readers will support you and wait for your next release.

What’s your writing process like? Are you an outliner or a pantser?

I don’t outline my stories. I come up with an idea for a storyline and then I sit back and think about the story and the characters I want to create. I develop a biography for each of my characters so that I know them inside and out, and then I start writing. I like to see what happens to these interesting people I’ve dreamed up. I let the characters drive the story, and they always take me on interesting places I wouldn’t have normally gone.

What writing advice would you have given to yourself ten years ago?

Don’t give up! When I used to experience writer’s block I’d put down my pen (computers weren’t in common use like they are now!) and pick up a book. If I had to do it all over again, I’d keep my pen in my hand while continuing to read and develop a story! In order to finish a book and get it published a writer must push through even in the face of the most challenging of times.

With the rise of e-books, what’s your take on the publishing industry now?

I think it is a wonderful time in publishing because technology is allowing readers to have instant access to the books they love. There is much dispute about hard copy books versus the electronic version. There will always be readers who love flipping through the pages of a good book. But, as we look just a few years ahead, how readers purchase books and read books will change. Brick and mortar stores see the trend, and that’s why Barnes and Noble and Borders have digital devices now.

You do a lot of marketing for your books. What have you found works and what doesn’t?

That’s a great question! Marketing is very tricky. What might work for one author might not work for the next. You have to know your audience and know your brand. I’ve found that word of mouth works great for me. I work to build that word of mouth buzz by showing up on websites (literary, media, and special interests), blogs, and other highly viewed online venues where I know my reader base visits. I also do a lot of marketing to book clubs. I attend book club conferences and festivals aimed at them. Book clubs are so special; they are the lifeline of an author’s career! I think every author’s marketing plan should include book clubs.

Do you like social media, (i.e. Twitter, Facebook)? Which have you found works best for you and your lifestyle?

Yes, I think social media is fantastic! But, you have to know how to manage it properly. You can be stuck on your computer all day if you don’t get a handle on it. Facebook is a wonderful way to connect with readers. I share things about myself, (not just my books), because readers like to get to know the author as a person, not just a writer of books. I’m on Twitter, but I don’t use it as much. However, I plan to change that soon, as I’ve just bought a book on how to build your brand using Twitter.

Now to the hair! What do you like about having your hair short?

Yes girl!! No conversation would be complete without discussing the hair! I had long hair, (like most women in my family) until my senior year in high school. I have thick, coarse hair, and it was so heavy on my head. One day I decided that I would cut it all off. I’ve had short hair ever since! I love my hairstyle because I don’t like fussing with a lot of hair. I just go to bed, wake up the next morning and comb it out. It’s so thick, I don’t have to wrap it at night. I sleep on a satin pillowcase and that does the trick.

Any tips for maintenance?

I’m not a hair expert, but here’s what works for me. I wash my hair every 3-4 days. I condition well, and do a deep conditioner once a month. I keep my ends trimmed, and I go to my barber in between salon visits for touch-ups. Oh, and I love Mizani’s Rose H20. It restores moisture.

Have you ever worn a weave? What did you like/dislike about the experience?

No, I’ve never worn a weave. But I do think it’s great that weaves give women so many options. I plan to go natural one day. I’m not sure when, but I’ll eventually do it!

Thanks Trice for stopping by! If you guys want to learn more about Trice and her books, visit her website, follow her on Twitter @tricehickman and friend her on Facebook!

Shon is an author advocate and does so much to help women writers promote their books. To read the interview, click here.

We’ve had the pleasure of having a dog join our family for about six months now. She was a gift for my daughter, but I have to say that I really feel that she is my dog. (But I share! Really I do!) She is a Malti Poo, a breed my husband and I chose because of their loving nature with children, and no shed factor. She really is quite a beauty. Here she is running around on our vacation:

She really is a frisky, happy dog. Now I must say this, she is giving us the blues when it comes to training her. How long does it take to train a dog anyway? How can a dog pee on a training pad one minute, and the next pee right in front of you? We have been more consistent lately—we don’t let those sweet puppy dog eyes fool us—and now we are seeing progress. Pets really enrich your life—as long as you don’t mind cleaning up after them—and now she’s a part of the family.

Now before you guys comment on the picture in the middle—yes, I am one of those people that kiss their dogs. Not totally on the mouth, but on the face. My husband hates this, and constantly tells me about the transmission of germs, blah, blah, blah… But how can you resist that cute face? Tell me how?