Discuss the premise of Rosabelle, believe:

It is at it simplest a love story, albeit a magical one, but it is more a tale of hope, of desire, of a longing for a more romantic and mystical existence. As the character Eric Pilot mentions in the story, when it comes to romance, there are no shy winks or tips of hats anymore. We live in a world where love is like fast food, gobble it down quickly without thought or feeling. I would like to see a return to courting, but even more so, I would like people to read my novel and long for a great love story of their own. There’s nothing shameful or childish about love, and it has a very spiritual and mystical quality that makes life worth living. People so often call relationships "work" and that is a shame. I don’t "work" at my relationship with my mother, or my sister, or my friends. I just love them and express it. Romantic love should be the same, although romance should radiate a special type of magic as well. I hope my book expresses that. I want to bring a mystical and magical quality back to love.

The basic plot is about a man who believes he is the reincarnation of Harry Houdini. He meets a girl who may be the reincarnation of Harry’s wife Bess, but convincing her of this is not so easy.

 

How did you come up with the idea for this story:

I originally visualized two characters in my head meeting at this train station. They seemed very different, one dark, the other cheery, but inside it was the opposite. I like to play with opposites, and I like the idea that what we project to the world is not always the truth. I wanted to get to know these two people and see how they would interact with one another. The idea was to take two people who don’t appear to belong together and show how they complemented one another.

 

Tell us about the character Dawn Corner:

Dawn is truly dead inside. She is the orange leaf, just about to fade away. She grew up in a very cold environment, never experiencing any warmth or love. Yet, she longs for it, of course. She has a small ember within her that can still be ignited, but she’s so afraid, so doubtful, that it takes a very magical man like Eric Pilot to light it and warm her.

 

Tell us about the character Eric Pilot:

Eric is fire and love and magic. While he experienced a great deal of death in his life, Eric grew up in front of a warm fireplace. His optimism cannot be shaken. He is the all-consuming, raging fire that cannot be extinguished. The word "doubt" is foreign to him.

 

How are you most like the characters in the story:

I am both. We all are. The characters represent the battle we all have, the battle of logical versus fantastical, physical versus spiritual. In each of us, there is the hope that magical things are real, but another part of us screams that it is impossible.

 

Are the characters based on anyone:

No. Other than my own feelings. I am a lot like Dawn in this fragile, logical type of way, but I would say that my feelings about mystical things, spiritual things, is much closer to Eric. The look of Eric is based on two men – I won’t say their names – but one is a friend who actually calls himself a "cliche" because he does his writing sitting outside cafes. I always thought that was a cute self-description and used that in the book. Dawn’s look was based on this very old-fashioned feel, a little mixture of the 1920s and 1950s. She needed to look out of place in the modern world, because again, it goes with the opposite’s theme. She looks old-fashioned but is grounded in the present, the real world.  However, the story of Houdini and Bess and Rosabelle is based on their real story. There are several references and anecdotes that relate to Houdini’s real life.

 

Did you base any of the story on real life:

The main premise, no. It would be nice to find a man like Eric Pilot! Occasionally, of course, I will add little bits from my real life into the story. There are inside jokes, tributes to friends, and moments in my own life that I add to all my stories.

 

Why the metaphor of magic and Houdini:

Magic is a perfect metaphor for love. Love is magical. At least it feels so. This is a tale about what appears to be a miracle. Life and death are illusions. Also, I’ve always loved the story of Houdini and Bess. My feelings, without giving away the book, are similar to Eric’s. There’s a great love story here and a very sad one. But, also I used Houdini in the book, because he was such a great showman that people believed he was really magical, that he was not human. I wanted Eric to represent that same quality with romance and love. I also think magicians are charming.

 

How have the magicians responded to your book:

Very positively. They are a great group of people. I love magicians. I’ve dealt with a lot of Hollywood types and have become quite jaded, but I don’t find that with magicians, maybe because they have no misconceptions about illusions. They know it’s all flash, smoke, and mirrors. They are fooling you with your permission. I think they’re great, and I’m so flattered if they enjoy my book. My novel is very much a tribute to their craft.

 

Talk about some of the other symbols used in the book:

My sister, who is the novelist XT, likes to joke that I am a wiz at horticulture metaphors. I suppose I am, because I’ve used them in all three novels. Nature can represent so much. In this book, I used the change of seasons, leaves changing color, to represent the cycle of life and death. Of course, the metaphor of fire is also used to show passion. Then there is the thunderstorms to represent the sadness and the raging in Dawn. Day and night, light and dark, all the opposites are the main themes in the story, along with the concept of magic.

 

How is this book different from your other two:

I think they are all similar in that they deal with opposites that complement one another. I like that balance in stories. Where one is weak, the other is strong. And, of course, the horticulture metaphors that I am obsessed with apparently!

 

All your books are set in the South:

I’m a Southern girl at heart. It’s where I grew up and what I know. I say "y’all," drink sweet tea, and enjoy the peaceful countryside. I love eating watermelon barefoot at a picnic table on the Fourth of July. Southerners just have that certain charm.

 

Who are your writing influences and how have they affected your work:

Tennesse Williams without a doubt. His style is lyrical and very internal. He deals with emotions and was so brilliant at tapping into the human psyche. I think he understood women a great deal too. His writing was both dreamy and symbolic. I love that style. Then, of course, there is also his lovely way with verse. It kills me, it really does! I also enjoy the work of Richad Bach a great deal. I don’t think he gets the respect he deserves. He’s a wonderful storyteller; he can tell a great yarn, which lacks in a lot of novelists today. Richard can take a heavy philosophical idea and make it easy to understand, while being entertaining, as well. I love Richard. He’s one of my great heroes. His books changed my life.

 

There is another tribute in the book to a hero of yours:

"Michael Jackson is the last of the great entertainers." I wrote that line before he died; it turned about to be prophetic. He was indeed the last of the great showmen. That breed has died out. Michael and Houdini were very much alike in that way. They were the magical men of the 20^th century.

 

You’ve said that music influences your writing a great deal:

I love the sounds of words, they pop like music. There is a rhythm there. When I write, there is always some soundtrack running in the back of my head. For From a Vine it was Motown, Sam Cooke, Jackie Wilson, all the 1960s soul. For this one, Rosabelle, it’s Van Morrison and 1920s jazz. If you want to hear the definitive songs for Rosabelle, I would suggest Van’s Brand New Day and Crazy Love. The Song Is Ended by Louis Armstrong and the Mills Brothers and Passion Flower by Johnny Hodges (both are referenced in the novel).

 

The book talks about a lot about "signs" guiding us in our everyday life, most specifically our love life. Do you believe this:

I think we all have little coincidences, moments of synchronicity, that mean something, but it’s relative to the person involved.

 

Do you believe in soulmates: