Family Secrets: Interview w/novelist Mary DeMuth {{{GIVEAWAY}}}

Today we get to hang out with one of my favorite fiction authors, Mary DeMuth. Her newest book, Daisy Chain, is the story of secrets in a picture-perfect town. In the summer of 1977 a girl named Daisy goes missing. Jed, her friend, follows a trail of clues and stumbles into more than he's prepared to handle. Love fiction? Join Suzie, CML, and Mary DeMuth.

Suzie Eller: What prompted you to write Daisy Chain?

Mary DeMuth: I had a friend who had a difficult story. He grew up in a Christian home. His father was in leadership in the Christian community. From the outside, all looked perfect. But behind closed doors, life was very, very hard. I wanted to expose that kind of abuse. That’s why the idea of family secrets plays heavily into all three books.

SE: You’re not from the South. What about small southern towns that appeals to you? What type of research did you do to get the setting and feel just right?

MD: There is something haunting and lilting about the South. I love the idea of oppressive heat pushing down on characters, making them sweat under the sun. And I love to make the setting an actual character in the book. In terms of research, I spent two years in East Texas as a transplant from Seattle, where someone asked me if my ham and bean soup was possum stew! Because I was an outsider, I had a unique view of the community. Because I didn’t grow up there, I had fresh eyes. This helped me tremendously as I researched the setting of all my novels.

SE:One of the major themes of Daisy Chain is hiding versus authenticity. Jed's father is a preacher, but lives a very different life at home than in public. Why is authenticity important to you? Why should people value authenticity?

MD: There’s something inside me that cannot bear hypocrisy. That’s not to say I never act hypocritically. We all do. But what’s worse is when someone constantly presents herself as an upstanding person when she’s the opposite behind closed doors. We should all value authenticity because that is the one trait that fosters true relationship. When accompanied by a humble attitude, authenticity has the power to transform relationships, small towns, cities, nations and the world.

SE: What role does guilt play in your character’s lives?

MD: A huge role. Maybe because I’m plagued with what a friend dubbed as a hyperactive conscience. (I think all mothers have a dose of this.) I constantly battle feeling unworthy or incapable. Part of the reason I wrote the book Ordinary Mom, Extraordinary God was to help moms understand that all moms struggle with not feeling like they’re enough. I also enjoy exposing false guilt in my characters so the reader will want to holler at them: “Hey, let go of that guilt! It’s not your fault!” And in doing that, perhaps folks will learn to take life less seriously, with a lighthearted heart. Guilt steals that kind of winsome joy.

SE: Why do you use quirky characters as purveyors of redemption in Daisy Chain? Muriel is a bald cancer survivor, but she saves Jed from drowning. Is there significance in that scene?

MD: I’ve found that often the most redemptive people in my life aren’t ones who I’d normally pin down as redemptive. I love to surprise readers with people. I love to create characters that on the surface don’t look redeeming, but once we’ve dug deeper, we find a lightness and depth we didn’t see at first sight.

SE: Why did you choose to tackle issues of race and religion in Daisy Chain?

MD: It’s Mr. Ainadi’s fault. He made me read To Kill a Mockingbird while I battled strep throat in the 9th grade. The rest of the class saw the movie. Having grown up in a relatively non-prejudiced environment in the Northwest, I was shocked (still am!) that white folks would unfairly treat others based on the color of their skin. I’ve been dumbfounded ever since, so this idea of race usually shows up in my books. I’m thankful things are much, much different now, though I have seen instances of prejudice now and again.

SE:The book has been compared to To Kill a Mockingbird. How has that book shaped the way you write today?

MD: Yes, obviously. I guess I’m still searching for my Atticus. He shows up in Muriel and Hixon in Daisy Chain, but so far there’s seldom been one person embodying him. I read the fascinating book Mockingbird by Charles J. Shields. What fascinated me was that Harper Lee had a lot of help writing that book—some friends gave her money to live on while she wrote it. When she handed it in, it was merely a scattering of stories with no overarching storyline. She worked many months revising that book back and forth with editors. My guess is that her writing that book, coupled with the perfect storm of money and help and her sheer talent, created the masterpiece. Which is why, when the perfect storm didn’t happen again, she couldn’t write another book.

SE: Can you show us a glimpse of your typical day as mom, writer, speaker, blogger?

MD: I wake up, read my Bible, help the kids get ready for school, take a run with my dog, then start writing about 8:00 AM. I write all day until the kids start trickling in from school at 3:00. Sometimes I have to work through to dinner. During my workday, I write proposals and books, mentor writers, manage The Writers View (an online writing community), write articles, maintain three blogs and two websites, and do a ton of marketing and PR. Every night, our family eats dinner around our table—all five of us. I love to cook, so this is part therapy, part conviction. We share our stories. Tonight we played two truths and a lie about our days. We have a lot of fun together, and I’ve bred in my kids a natural homing beacon—they’ll always want to come home for dinner! (By the way, if you click on the Free Stuff on www.marydemuth.com, you can download many of my recipes for free!)

SE: How can readers find out more about Daisy Chain and you?

MD: Go to http://www.marydemuth.com. If you’re interested in writing, visit http://www.thewritingspa.com. I’m on Facebook and twitter (@mdemuth).

SE: Leave a comment. One lucky commentor will receive an autographed copy of Mary DeMuth's fascinating novel, Daisy Chain.