Interview With Author - Philana Marie Boles
Name: Philana Marie Boles
Website: www.pmarie.com
Questions:
Q: Where are you originally from?
A: I was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, better known as “The Glass City” of the Midwest. Famous Toledoans from my hometown include Jamie Farr from M*A*S*H, Grammy Award Winning Songstress
Anita Baker, Actress Katie Holmes from Dawson’s Creek, NBA Basketball player Jimmy Jackson, and Sony Recording Artist “Lyfe” Jennings.
Q: Can you tell us your latest book news?
A: My sophomore novel, In the Paint, was recently released by HarperCollins and my third, for middle-grade young readers, will be released in the fall.
Q: How old were you when you first started writing?
A: I wrote my first poem in the 1st grade and my teacher, Mrs. Browning, let me read it to the class.
I started my first novel in the second grade, however.
Q: When did you first realize you had the potential to be a writer?
A: When, as a child, my friends and I used to make our Barbies act out really well planned scripts. I still remember the plot where there was a big welcome-to-the-neighborhood pool party for the Heart Family and Ken saved Skipper from drowning.
Q: What was your inspiration to write your first novel?
A: The character of Shawni Baldwin. She was a sketch from college, where I studied Creative
Writing. While living in NYC I needed a really great character for a writing project with another writer. That project never developed any further, but Shawni Baldwin was born and being that I’m definitely a
character driven author I surrendered to telling her story.
Q: Is there anyone or anything that inspired you to write?
A: My parents. I used to imagine great things and they encouraged me to not only imagine,
but also to believe. And also my high school English Lit teacher, Mrs. Rode. I told her one day that I wanted to write a novel someday and she replied, very matter-of-factly, “Who is anyone to tell you that you can’t?”
Q: How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?
A: It takes a lot of nerve, courage, and faith, to aspire to write professionally, but I grew up in an environment where dreams were encouraged and support was always present. My parents are my everything. I think, even if not a parent, every writer had someone to encourage them along the way. Words have a way of branding your spirit.
Q: Do you have a specific writing style?
A: No. It depends on the character. In my debut novel, Blame It on Eve, Shawni Baldwin was a very spoiled supermodel. The prose, therefore, needed to reflect her sassiness. However, Danni Blair, the protagonist for In the Paint, is an artist, so the language is more introspective and fluid. I’ll have a different approach to everything I write because I’m character driven and my characters will all be different.
Q: What genre are you most comfortable writing?
A: Women’s mainstream. Also, I can’t express to you how rewarding and FUN it is to write my children’s
material. Something as simple as a first kiss provided such a warm and lovely writing experience and I plan to write much more for the kids.
Q: How do you come up with the title(s) for your book(s)?
A: Blame It on Eve and my children’s novel were inspired from within, definitely divine. In the Paint, however, was not my original title. My editor renamed that one.
Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
A: That you can’t expect to love or be loved if you don’t have peace within yourself.
Q: How much of the novel is realistic?
A: All of it. It’s not my story, but every woman’s.
Q: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
A: It would totally take the fun and the magic away from the writing experience for me if I simply transposed real life events into fiction. I can say that sometimes plots are inspired by things that have happened to me or others, but never emulated. The joy of writing, for me personally, is creating.
Q: What books have most influenced your life?
A: The Bible. Also, anything by Judy Blume or Ellen Conford in my youth. And White Oleander by Janet
Fitch as an adult. I believe Janet Fitch to be our most gifted living writer.
Q: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
A: Hands down, without question, Janet Fitch.
Q: What are you reading now?
A: Fear of Flying by Erica Jong, such a classic.
Q: What new author has grasped your interest?
A: Gaby Triana, who writes children’s books is a lot of fun. In the adult world I think Erica Kennedy’s writing is great.
Q: Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?
A: Keep reading! Live in the moment. Enjoy your lives. And just be good to yourselves! Love you much! ~Philana