The Goodbyes
Helen Gillespie
GENRE: Family Drama/Women's Fiction
Blurb:
Struggling with becoming an adult in a small mid-western town, Dianne must confront family secrets, deception, and discovery during her last year of college. As she cares for her ailing mother, her world begins to unravel and she is challenged to navigate through lies, friendships, love...and murder.
Meeting the wrong person makes it possible for her to recognize the right ones and to find the strength she needs to survive. Realizing that she is responsible for her own destiny, she learns that to say hello to a new life, she must first say goodbye.
Excerpt:
Although hesitant, Dianne prepared for her date with more apprehension than she had earlier when she prepared for her first day in the classroom. Weirdly, she hoped she would be stood up.
“Sorry I’m late. The ladies at work needed me to stop by and help them,” Michael told Dianne when she answered the door.
“Hi, Michael. Please, come in. Do people ever call you Mike?”
“Naw, ever since the second grade there was this other Michael, and everyone called him Mike and me Michael. It kinda stuck.”
“Makes sense. I’m almost about ready. I’m going to finish putting these towels away, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Your momma okay?”
“Yes, she’s in the room sleeping. Thank you for asking.”
Dianne was surprised to hear Michael ask about her mother and not instantly jump into something about himself.
“See, I’m not as bad as you thought this morning.” Michael stared at Dianne as though he expected appreciation for his politeness.
“I hope not,” Dianne said, smiling while placing the last of the towels in a nearby closet.
“Dianne, you leaving?”
“Yes, Mom. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“No, I was getting up and heard Michael come in. Ken should be over in about an hour, and he’s bringing me something to eat.”
Dianne disappeared briefly from Michael’s sight into her mother’s room to kiss her goodbye.
“You going to be okay, Mom?”
“Yeah, my boyfriend’s coming over and bringing dessert,” Katrina said, smiling and forcing her eyes open.
Interview with Helen Gillespie
What is your favorite part of the book?
I have two very poignant parts of the book that drew a tremendous amount of emotion from within myself. Each time I edited or read over these parts I needed tissues. Sorry, I cannot say in more detail because it would give away too much of the storyline.
I can say that the most enjoyable part to write about was the way JR helped Dianne get out of a commitment that could have cost her a lot of money. To me, it was a perfect picture of down-home country justice born of sincere anger.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
Rather than push a lesson or moral, I desired to tell a story of a young lady who experienced a difficult journey into adulthood. She persevered with the help of a friend who was also trying to navigate into adulthood. Both women grew into young adults with the help of guidance from parents and friends.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They all came from my imagination. Yet, throughout my life, I’ve known people with the same traits as the characters in the book. As an example, I once knew a young man who was fully capable of toting a lawn mower over to a young lady’s home in the dead of winter, just to meet her while not noticing that it would not be an impressive thing to do.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
Mitzi, a server at Benny’s. She was a so-over-the-top caricature of a basic country waitress. As I wrote her part, I channeled “Flo” from Mel’s diner, a television show from the 1970s-80s. Mitzi will reappear in the novel’s sequel along with other familiar characters.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
Of course, Michael. Add used car salesman, Scott Hickman and Jill Miller from the animal park. These three have a desire to satisfy their needs without consideration for decency.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
Dianne would say, “Helen, you were me once. You only thought you had it all together. Good job faking it all these years.”
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
The Goodbyes is only the beginning. I’m writing a sequel that will offer more exploration of individuals’ fortitude, kindness and criminal flaws. Dianne will continue to be the main character with Mel alongside for a while, at least. Characters from Marshfield will reappear with more depth than they originally presented.
Author Bio and Links
Throughout grammar school and college, Helen Gillespie loved developing story sketches or full stories but kept them hidden within herself. That creative spark proved valuable in unexpected places, first on assignment as a musician in the US Army, and after leaving the Army, when she earned a degree in elementary education. After reentering the Army in 1981, she put pen to paper, or rather, “fingers to an Olivetti.” She officially learned the art of journalism to serve the Army, but it quickly became a personal passion. Interviewing fellow soldiers, exploring their jobs and personalities, and publishing useful information for the military community formed the basis of her skill and enjoyment. Those years of thought, training, education, and experience laid the foundation for crafting her first novel, The Goodbyes.
Connect with Helen Gillespie
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Giveaway:
8 comments:
Thank you for including my breakout novel in your line-up.
Sounds like a great read.
cool
Thank you. It's great to read comments from folks who may be interested in reading my book. WARNING: Keep the box of tissues handy.
Thank you. Speaking of cool, I think it's a great beach read.
Sounds like a interesting book.
The book sounds like an interesting read. I love the cover.
Sorry I posted as Anonymous before. I'm just learning how the blogs work. I'm glad folks are interested in the story. @ Pippirose I love the cover too! The first time I saw it I thought, "OMG! It looks like me!" OK...a little more than a few years ago. :-)
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