Joanna Davidson Politano Interview

Today, I am so very pleased to welcome author Joanna Davidson Politano to Interviews & Reviews. 
Joanna freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. She is going to talk to us today about her debut novel, Lady Jayne Disappears. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.

Joanna, welcome to Interviews & Reviews!

What inspired you to write this book?

My inspiration came from my childhood. I was a quiet girl who dealt with my enemies by writing them into novels and thoroughly punishing their poor characters. I thought that would make a wonderful book heroine.

For our readers, this is what Lady Jayne Disappears is all about.

When Aurelie Harcourt's father dies in debtor's prison, he leaves her just two things: his wealthy family, whom she has never met, and his famous pen name, Nathaniel Droll. Her new family greets her with apathy and even resentment. Only the quiet houseguest, Silas Rotherham, welcomes her company.

When Aurelie decides to complete her father's unfinished serial novel, 

writing the family into the story as unflattering characters, she must keep her identity as Nathaniel Droll hidden while searching for the truth about her mother's disappearance--and perhaps even her father's death.

This is your debut novel. Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Ok well, I’ll let you in on my secret. I did a practice book. I gave in to every nuance and line I wanted to write, breaking every rule because—well no one would read it anyway, right? Yeah, that book made me an author.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone do that before. What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I jumped off a forty-foot cliff once. I was scared of heights, but I wanted to have something like this to write about when I did author interviews or needed to prove I wasn’t just a quiet girl. Of course, what made it extra special was that my fear of hitting the rocks made me angle out as hard as I could… resulting in the most painful belly flop of all time.

I'm going to assume you hit water. When is your next book due out and can you tell us about it?

My next book, due out in the summer of 2018, is another Victorian English novel with threads of mystery. It’s set in a vineyard and has elements of my own love story that nearly didn’t happen.

And I guess we are going to have to read the book to find out what happened! Thank you so much for sharing, Joanna. I look forward to your next book.