Episode 69: Leslie Hooton, author of The Secret of Rainy Days and Before Anyone Else
Leslie Hooton, author of The Secret of Rainy Days talks about how friendships save our lives, and how she writes and edits all of her books using dictation.
She shares her inspiration for her latest novel, how it feels to be nominated for a Zibby award, and has 3 great pieces of writing advice.
Books & Podcasts Mentioned:
The Secret of Rainy Days and Before Anyone Else by Leslie Hooton
Zibby Owens - Mom’s Don’t Have Time To Read Books Podcast and The Zibby Awards
Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr (releases March 2022)
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
Connect with the author:
Transcript:
Lainey 0:00
Hi, this is Lainey Cameron and I am here with Leslie Hooton. We're going to be talking about The Seret of Rainy Days, which is her second novel, just released. And I think Leslie, I have to say, congratulations, because I heard that you were nominated for your first novel for a Zibby award
Leslie 0:17
Yes, Before Anyone Else was nominated for a Zibby. And I'm very, very thrilled. And I have my fingers crossed. So I'm very excited. I haven't been nominated for any awards like you. But it's very thrilling to be nominated.
Lainey 0:39
And validating, right? Like, We work so hard on these books. And it's just nice validation, because it's so much work to get going on the next one. It's easy to kind of sit back and go. I did one but it's hard to keep churning these out.
Leslie 0:52
Yes, yes. And it's just so amazing. And you know, because you're kind of onto your second and then this kind of little happy thing comes up and you're you're it's just a wonderful thing. And I just admire Zibby and have appreciated what she's been able to do during the pandemic and how supportive she is of women and authors and that kind of thing, because I just am writing and that's my happy place Lainey and so all this other stuff is a little more scary to me.
Lainey 1:31
So, I'll just clarify for the audience, in case they're not familiar. What we're talking about is Zibby Owens, and I'll put the link to her podcast, which is phenomenal. Moms Don't Have Time to Read in the notes, if people want to check that out. It's a really great podcast. So let's get on to talking about your book, Leslie. So first off, where are you joining me from today?
Unknown Speaker 1:50
I am joining you from Charlotte, North Carolina. And it's a full day
Lainey 1:58
That is kind of related to the fact that you write Southern fiction, right? I've seen a lot of comments that people love the southern voice in your books.
Leslie 2:06
Right. And the second book, especially. It's a little bit autobiographical, and it's a little more personal than BAE. So I'm very excited about it. It takes place in a small southern town, which is a Erob Alabama, and that's bore spelled backwards. And I grew up in a small Alabama town. So writing what I know.
Lainey 2:39
So tell us for those who haven't seen, it just came out tell us a little bit more about the book.
Leslie 2:44
It is my little tagline Lainey is it's about friendship, funeral casseroles, and lucky guys. And it's about these three childhood friends bit, Avery, and when and when she does anything at everything, her whole entire life. And that is sort of the protagonist in the book. And she just really hopes she doesn't have to choose between the two friends because they're vastly different. And she made a real alias from the knower that she moves down south. And she makes a break on the saddest day of her life. And they become like, Where's her friend? Because that was the way it always was. And Avery is her friend of the heart and so she just understands her better.
Lainey 3:44
So, let's take a quick peek at one review or blurb here from Lisa Barr has been author of The Unbreakable, fabulous author. I love the way she describes your book she says heartbreaking and heartwarming. The Secret of Rainy Days examines the intricacies of small town living and it's a coming of age tale chock full of southern charm, love tragedy and unbreakable family ties. And she talks about how your witty characters and intimate friends intricate friendships and those who choose who's those who we choose and those who choose us. It's not a lovely lovely blurb.
Unknown Speaker 4:20
I think Lisa could go into the business of writing blurbs. She is so gracious and so generous. And she's got a new one coming out called woman on fire. So I'll give a little shout out to her new when that comes out I think in March of 2022. So yes, I love it. And Lisa is not from the south. And so it was it was gratifying for someone who is not from the south to get it and to understand it and to love it and embrace it like that. So she has said many times How much she loved it. And I mean, like, as I was saying about Adrian, when one being the friend by default, and one being the friend we chose, I mean, she sort of got that in her blurb about you have these two friends and one is sort of, you know, you just sort of grew up with them. And then the other one kind of comes in and, and gets a seat at the table. So anyways,
Lainey 5:27
So I'd love to hear about your inspiration, you said, in part, it's based on the idea of a small town like the one you grew up in, but like, Where did the idea come from? I love hearing the genesis of ideas for new books.
Leslie 5:39
Well, I wanted to write a book about friendship, and I wanted to write a book about friendship, that was not always easy. And because, you know, all these books are out there, and they're, you know, BFFs, and this and that, and they finish each other's sentences. And you have bet and win. And I love the the, the striking difference in their names. The the first line that came to me lady was, her name was win. And she did at everything her whole, in the book is got her whole damn life. And I thought, well, that's a perfect description of whan, because we don't even need to know what we're looks like, because I think we all have wins in our lives. And so I think, and then there's little bit who is sort of that, that's sort of not the most winning of little nicknames. And so and it's to me that the minute you have, so, you know, you sort of have the contrast, even in their names. And, and then a, Rick comes along and sort of throws in the mix. And then you have bitch grandmother, who is Biggie, and she is, and she's got a great big pragmatic, and a big fat and a big house and everything is big in her life. And I want to kind of explore a relationship between a grandmother and a granddaughter. They were always at war, but at war, maybe, but they always loved each other.
Lainey 7:24
So why why friendships like this is an interesting topic. It's one I chose to write about, too. So what drew you to writing about this idea of this friendship between these women?
Leslie 7:33
Seriously, Lainey, my best best friend arrived on my doorstep, almost with a ribbon around her. I mean, I just knew it the first day of college, and I knew that she was my best friend and she looked nothing like me. She grew up in a big city, she looked like a Barbie dolls. She was she had blonde, I can't wait for her to say this. She had blond hair, blue eyes, he had this sort of outfit that that I reward. And so I wanted to kind of the feeling of that friendship, I wanted to imbibe in with Avery so I really wanted to write about friendships and how friendships, save our lives. And, and I am a walking talking testament to that fact. And I love my friends I love I have in the book, I say something about friendship, you know, friends are like to get the solar system and the galaxy, you know, one may occupy a different ring of the solar system. But you should never kick out a friend of the galaxy, unless they do something incredibly bad against you. But so I have kept my friends always, and they move along the solar system. But this brand has always stayed very tight. And like she knew I was doing this today. So she texted me a little, you know, good luck. And I'm so I feel like she saved my life and, and many, many ways because I've had issues with, you know, my physical issues and all those sorts of things. So it's been great to have that sort of friendship and I wanted to I just wanted to explore it and i and i found I'm like what would my life be without that.
Lainey 9:44
That's a great starting inspiration right to take any element of our life and ask yourself like, what if that wasn't there? How different would my life be? I'm really interested in your writing process and your editing process. This is your second book, The first one's up for an award. Like what does that look like? How do you approach this to these wonderful friends read your work or do they not read your work?
Unknown Speaker 10:04
I have, one of my other friends that has some Avery, that's some of her characteristics have found their way onto Avery. She is my first reader. And I think it's kind of interesting. Because I am one person, I can't type so I have dictated every one of my books. So, um, it's kind of an odd thing to be a writer and not to type but i have I've got a dragon nuance dictation, which is on the fritz right now- I was on with my computer guy before we called. So I was like, oh, if I can't get late, this is gonna be crazy. But anyway, um, so I dictate. So I'm in the editing process for my next book. So I'm editing but haven't done any editing today because of the dragon.
Lainey 11:00
So how do you, I'm fascinated because there are so many people that being able to dictate opens this to so many more writers, right? Like not everybody is going to be able to sit down at a computer screen and type and all kinds of different reasons for that. So how do you edit when you write originally using dictation? Do you dictate edit as well? Or how does that work?
Leslie 11:21
Yes, a friend said Leslie, you need to be at your door. Well, she just got a truckload of index cards and wrote like chapter one and sort of the first thing that's in the things that happened in the chapter. That is what I do, and but I put it on a legal paper that way that allows me to if I need to move round a scene for tone or, you know, or you know, suspense purposes, I can do that. So, I don't know, I will say this, I don't do cutting, cutting and pasting. I have to have somebody to do that for me. But I have I use these funny fun little words like toto and Bambi and Thumper, you know, words that I can get to into the document. So
Lainey 12:12
You mean like as a as a search so that you can go back to a certain place?
Leslie 12:16
You know? So my editor will get the book back in and, and he'll say, do you need Thumper? And I'm like, No, Thumper can go away.
Lainey 12:27
That's adorable. Did that Okay, I have to ask in your first book, did any accidental bambis or thumpers make it into the final copy?
Leslie 12:35
No, that the and you may not you can speak to this too, from Turner publishing, published, has published my books and their small press, but they have done phenomenal work for me. I mean, they've given me these gorgeous, I think my covers
Lainey 12:55
I love your covers, they're so colorful, they're beautiful,
Leslie 12:59
And Turner we just, we do spend a lot of time in the editing process. So we try to catch the thumpers.
Lainey 13:09
And that's adorable. But let me let me ask you two other questions before we wrap up. The first is writing advice. Like this is your second book, you're in the running for an award with the first I love that you're reading through talking, right? I think that is fabulous. And many people wish they could do that. And I think you're going to be an inspiration like that. But like what advice do you give to other people who may be where you were before? before the first one was published?
Leslie 13:35
I have three pieces of advice lany which the first one I've already touched on big curious, like, I was curious as to what my life would be without this best friend. So the first one is be curious. The second one is they astonished because God like canal is written a. He's a poet, Irish poet, written a poem called astonishment. And I think we need to go through the world in astonishment because we then we recognize things. And the third piece of advice is to get a chair and began and that's that is is that is unsexy and as unvarnished as you can get. But unfortunately, that's the best piece of advice is just to begin.
Lainey 14:25
And don't get back out of the chair because of Facebook or tik tok, or whatever else is pulling you back, no other laundry, whatever is pulling you back out of that chair. It's way too easy. I'm discovering that as I'm working in my second one. So those are some phenomenal pieces of advice. And so before we wrap up here, I have one last question for you. Have you read anything good recently, and then you could recommend?
Leslie 14:46
Yes, and I have two books, and they're all different ends of the spectrum, but both equally good for different reasons. I read Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. It's about this of Shakespeare and his wife, Hamlet and how he dies during the blue, the play in London, and the book, her writing is phenomenal. Now the other spectrum I have, I am almost finished with The Gunkle by Steven Rowley, and he is a hoot. It's about this gay uncle - guncle . And he is in charge of his two- his nephew and his niece. And it is the dialogue is sparkling and sharp and waiting. And it just has just enough snark, so you don't it's not sacrificed. So the writing on it, I think is good, too. So they're very different books. I just want a well written book or a book that's going to entertain me and take me to a place that I have not been, I don't get to travel like you because of my body. And so books enable me to do that. I read all the time.
Lainey 16:06
Before we wrap up, is there anything I haven't asked you that you wanted to be sure to talk about today?
Leslie 16:11
I love to connect. So if anybody is new for me are follows me and reads the book and says, Well, I had this question or this, this. This particular passage struck me or, you know, I would love to hear from people, ah, people say I'm pretty accessible. And I am because I'm at my house all the time. And I'm just writing and reading. But that is sort of the thing that I love. And I'm about to go on this huge book tour with this book. So if you're in one of the cities, come and see me I would love to see you and talk about friendship and the nuances of friendship. And I hope people will read it and see it's not just a straight line, these. These friendships are very nuanced.
Lainey 17:08
Thank you for joining me today. Leslie. This has been really fun. And I encourage everybody to check out the book which just released
Leslie 17:16
Thank you Lainey I've had a good time.