Thank you for coming to chat with us today. Why do you think Vera Jane chose you to represent her? Why, I am the most interesting character, what with my secrets and all. Secrets that you will discover between the lines and among the pages of that tell all book of hers. I guess I shouldn’t say pages now a days. You people don’t read books anymore, you read electronic gadgets. I can’t imagine. Personally, I couldn’t ever take any pleasure in that. But then again, I am a product of my time. You might not be aware of it but I came into my prime before the world went so absolutely neurotic and self absorbed. Now, I don’t hold it against you, so don’t go judging me for my outdated opinions.
Tell us a little about yourself? Well, I live in Georgia with my husband and two children. Ryan, my husband, is a doctor. He’s handsome as can be. I keep myself busy with my ladies club. We read books and talk about all sorts of interesting things. I haven’t been happy there lately though. One of the women invited in this real little snot from Atlanta. I don’t like her. She wears Capri pants and boy’s undershirts. She reads books that are rife with four letter words that would make you blush. Heavens, she’s a mess.
What is your birth date? Why, if I told you that you’d think you were interviewing a corpse. I’d be old in your time.
Where do you live? What is it about that area that drew you? Honey, I was born and raised in Darien, Georgia. Nothing drew me, though I do like it. I just never spread my wings, until the end of the book, that is.
What’s your favorite music? I like country, especially anything by Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee and Furlin Husky. I think the Crickets are good too. Ryan likes Frank Sinatra and my daughter, Lily, likes Elvis Presley. My son, though, he’s a good kid, he likes Fats Domino and Little Richard.
Will we be seeing more of you or are you stepping out of the lime light? I may not know the total story of what’s going on in that damn book but I never step out of the limelight. You know something? I don’t want to know Ryan’s dirty little secrets and I’m sure he doesn’t want to know mine.
What do you do to relax? I take photographs down by the river where the trees are like poetry in the mist, reaching their long limbs down toward the earth. Photography is the language of silence. My soul is there. If you want to know who I really am you need to look at my photographs.
Tell us about Heather, what drew you to her? Why, I just knew you’d bring that up. It shames me to think of it but she was different than the rest of us. She was very smart, college smart, and she made the heat come out on the back of my neck. Things weren’t supposed to be that way but I couldn’t control myself, she made me so damn weak in the knees.
What’s your biggest turn on? Why, I’d have to say Heather Downs.
What your favorite ice cream flavor, chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry? Oh, my God, I love ice cream, all flavors but especially cherry vanilla. I have icecreaminitis. The only cure for it is ice cream, every day, at least once but maybe twice.
Do you believe in ghosts? I sure do. You take enough photographs you see them everywhere.
Why should the readers be interested in your story? Because it’s about a sexually dysfunctional woman, a cheating son of a bitch husband, a totally fucked up relationship about two people that never should have known the other one existed. There is a murder in it, of course. It’s all around shameful. What’s not to love?
Vera Jane’s first published novel, Dancing Backward in Paradise, was the recipient of the Indie Excellence Award for notable new fiction and the Eric Hoffer Award for publishing excellence, both in 2007. Dancing Backward in Paradise was republished by Musa in 2012. Ms. Cook, being somewhat torn between fantasy and reality on a daily basis is comfortable writing in the paranormal, speculative, southern and women’s fiction genres. Her first paranormal/fantasy novel, Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem, was published with Musa on December 23, 2011.
The Story of Sassy Sweetwater was Vera Jane’s second southern fiction novel is a finalist in the ForeWord book of the Year Awards for 2012 and received a five star ForeWord Clarion review last year. Lies a RiverDeep (women’s fiction) was also published in 2012. Where the Wildflowers Grow is the author’s third southern fiction novel. The author lives in New York City.
