Episode 34: Rebecca Hodge

Rebecca Hodge, whose debut novel, WILDLAND took the market by storm last year.

Key Topics: Slowing time to create a page turner, her writing advice, changes during revisions, favorite novels from North Carolina authors.

Interview Notes:

We talk about the first “spark” on inspiration and what changed in revisions – a whole narrating point of view character changed, and 50% of the book was rewritten. We also chat about how she as a writer on slowing down time – to keep the reader on the edge of their seat.

Her writing advice is to make sure you are enjoying the journey, given how much is out of your control.

Rebecca shares a little about her newest project – a new book coming in September this year called OVER THE FALLS, a fun book that is a mixture of women’s fiction and crime fiction. The story of a woman searching for the sister she hates, set in Memphis, Tennessee and the mountains of Colorado.

Reading wise, Rebecca recommends two books from North Carolina authors (where Rebecca resides), THE MOONSHINER’S DAUGHER by Donna Everhart – takes place in Western North Carolina in the 1960s – a coming of age story where Donna does a fantastic job of putting detail and empathy into her writing.

Rebecca’s 2nd book recommendation is BIG LIES IN A SMALL TOWN by Diane Chamberlain; a dual timeline story with a white woman in 1930s who heads to a town tasked with painting a mural – and in the contemporary timeline a young black woman who is renovating this mural- Rebecca describes as a true page turner.