Prospects of a Woman: A Novel by Wendy Vooranger
1- How do you suppose someone might have spent October 31, 1850 in California?
All Hallows Eve did not have any significance to the Californios nor the indigenous Indians of California. The American immigrants in California were no doubt digging for gold until dark, then going to sleep early.
2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?
Protect your brain. Now more than ever we need to filter what goes into our brain and our hearts. Needless doom scrolling through sensational news headlines and inflammatory social media posts drain our emotional and intellectual energy.
3- Bananagrams - what is this and why do you enjoy it on a Friday night?
4- What is the best piece of writing advice you've received?
I never forget: “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass,” by Anton Chekhov.
5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with some gold?
6- Do you think women have more/ better rights in America and California in 2020 or in 1850, and in what ways?
Although women in 1850 California had more rights than women in any other state in America (owing property, signing contracts, divorcing, and keeping custody of their children), they could not vote until 1911. Today, California women still have more rights than women in any other state in America, many enshrined in the California Constitution (such as equal pay, reproductive health, and medical privacy).
7- What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?
Cold Mountain slayed me.
8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?
@foldedpagesdistillery is super sexy. Then there’s @hotdudesreading . Um, yes please.
9- What most motivates you to read a new book?
Tell me I’m going to learn something about a time, a place, a people, a social dynamic, and I’ll open the book.
10- It's our tenth anniversary! How far has your writing come in the past ten years and where do you see your writing career ten years from now?
Happy anniversary! Ten years ago I was writing about technology trends in the Silicon Valley. Ten years from now I hope to have completed 2 more novels featuring interesting women and rich plots set in early California.
11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!
Author name: Kristin Hannah @belovung_birds
Title: The Great Alone: A Novel
Love because: It shows the indomitable spirit of women in the West.
12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?
A stirring ache in women for power, happiness, and love.
13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?
A deep understanding that women are strong and resilient, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
14- What is the best writing tool, program, or reference book you've ever bought?
Tool: Scrivener. Program: Lit Camp Writer’s Workshop. Reference: On Writing by Stephen King
15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks
Prospects of a Woman features women and men in early California not often included in historical novels about the West based on real people who inspired me with their strength and courage. Prospects of a Woman includes such diverse characters as Californios, a black woman, a gay woman, a Spanish woman, and a gay man.
16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?
Jane Ciabattri’s Lit Hub Q & A with writers reviewing books is a must for in-depth insights on literature. Also, Tracy at the Compulsive Readers Blog. I love her historical fiction reviews and her section Behind the Bloggers.
17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?
It was a no brainer for me. Going with a small press (She Writes Press) offered me more transparency during the publishing process, more attention from the publisher, and a greater percentage of sales.
18- Which author, past or present, do you feel most resembles your work?
Perhaps I have similar writing sensibilities in creating strong female characters as Diana Gabaldon (The Outlander), with a bit of the lyrical writing tone of Willa Cather (My Ántonia) sprinkled in my language.
19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?
What do you look for when choosing a historical novel to read?
20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?
Blurb—A gripping and illuminating window into life in the Old West, Prospects of a Woman is the story of one woman’s passionate quest to carve out a place for herself in the liberal and bewildering society that emerged during the California gold rush frenzy.
Elisabeth Parker comes to California from Massachusetts in 1849 with her new husband, Nate, to reunite with her father, who’s struck gold on the American River. But she soon realizes her husband is not the man she thought―and neither is her father, who abandons them shortly after they arrive. As Nate struggles with his sexuality, Elisabeth is forced to confront her preconceived notions of family, love, and opportunity. She finds comfort in corresponding with her childhood friend back home, writer Louisa May Alcott, and spending time in the company of a mysterious Californio. Armed with Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Self-Reliance, she sets out to determine her role in building the West, even as she comes to terms with the sacrifices she must make to achieve independence and happiness.
Bio—
Facebook: wendyvoorsanger
Instagram: authorwendyvoorsanger
Prospects of a Woman: A Novel by Wendy Vooranger
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