Straight Chatting from the Library: Charlotte Whitney

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READ THE INTERVIEW

What first book made an indelible impression on you?

Like many girls of my generation I absolutely loved Little Women and it has stayed with me for all of my adult life. It was the first book that I cried over—when Beth dies of scarlet fever. It is also was a book with strong female characters. I identified with Jo, an ambitious young woman and writer. I never quite understood, however, why the author felt compelled to have Jo marry the German boarder and have children. I never expected it. If I were to rewrite the book, in 2022 I might write the ending a bit differently.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

With my characters I start out deciding which ones have a large arc and which ones are basically flat. With Polly Forrest, hers is a large arc and while writing the book I was worried that she changed too much over the course of about nine months. Was this realistic? So far, no one has challenged that assumption. This was, of course, the Great Depression, and people had to change their course, alter their behavior, and reinvent themselves, way before “reinvention” was a concept. The plot works the same way. I start with a basic inciting incident and as I write I continue on, adding new wrinkles, going back and setting the stage for each one, and then revising, revising, revising.

Describe your writing space.

The most noticeable area of my office is the area above my desk where I have four gorgeous bunny rabbit dolls, made by Native American artist, Sally Thielen, from Michigan. The bunny rabbits have raku heads and they are dressed in native garb, one in white fur, another in buckskin, another with a papoose on her back and the fourth is raspberry lady who has been out gathering berries in her wicker basket. They are so beautifully crafted and I love having them prominently positioned in my office. I might say they are my muses, but I’m not sure I actually get inspiration from them. It’s more that I love to take a short break and admire them. Another conspicuous piece of art in my office is a Hopi katsina collection above my bookcase. I live in Arizona and cherish the Hopi tradition. What I have is a collection of four clowns sitting on branches, swinging and eating watermelon. They are dressed in black and white stripes, much like jailbirds depicted in very old movies. I love the whimsical nature of the katsinas. They always seem to generate a smile.

But where do you actually do your writing?

Oh, this is so boring. I actually sit at a desk and write on my computer with my chocolate Labrador retriever lying at my feet. Does this sound idyllic? Well, actually it is. I enjoying writing and frequently take a quick break to grab a hot coffee from the kitchen or an ice tea, if the weather’s warm, and in Arizona we have lots of warm weather.

READ THE BLURB

Rural Michigan, 1934.

During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.

READ AN EXCERPT

Sarah Wolcott Johnson
Thursday, May 24, 1934

I couldn’t hold back. “Polly, you’re such a liar. You kept making excuses for all your bruises and now you’re still hiding stuff from us. Sam’s letter. And now the coffee. When will it all end? All these lies. All this deception.”

Contrary to what Wes said, I was not going to apologize for anything. She was the one who needed to make amends.

Polly stiffened, put the coffee cup on the table, and stood rigid, arms crossed. I looked out the kitchen window and could see Sailor Dog in the yard a few feet away, probably drawn close by our voices.

Polly wrinkled up her nose. “Well, sometimes deception is the best course of action. Fewer people get hurt.” She was making no sense.

“I think not,” I responded. “Deception only builds and builds until you have such a mess you can’t get out of it. Oh, what a tangled web we weave.”

“That’s enough, Sarah,” Wes said to me. He was speaking as if I were a misbehaving child, which perturbed me even more.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. Raised on a farm in southern Michigan, she often She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.

Author’s website: https://www.charlottewhitney.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Whitney/e/B001KCTFWQ
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CWhitneyAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-whitney-8235463a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWhitneyAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlottewhitney65/

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Polly-Forrest-Mystery/dp/B09SNSGWJ3/

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