Interview with Jessica Lawson + Giveaway of Waiting for Augusta

Everyone, I am so excited today to again welcome the wonderful Jessica Lawson (yes, she's been here before, and her interview was SO much fun)! Her newest book, Waiting for Augusta, released this spring, and I thought it was so spectacular I asked her if she could share a little more about it here. She agreed and she offered to giveaway a signed copy of Waiting for Augusta to one commenter! (I'll choose one of you randomly next Monday--just make sure I have your email address if it's not on your profile.)

FH: Hi, Jess, and welcome back! :) I know you’re busy with life and a big move, so thanks for
making time to chat about your newest book-- which, by the way, I totally enjoyed. For the sorry souls (actually, they’re lucky souls because they have so much to look forward to!) who haven’t
read it yet, could you describe Waiting for Augusta in a few-ish words?

JL: Sure! A Runaway Boy + Cremation Urn + Mysterious Girl travel 400 miles in 1972 Alabama/Georgia to fulfill a father’s final wishes to have his ashes scattered on the 18th hole at Augusta National Golf Club’s course. They battle protective chickens, leap on/off trains, sneak around peach orchards, “borrow” trucks, brainstorm plans… and attempt to break into the most Famous. Golf tournament. In the world.
Themes include parent-child relationships, second chances at connection, breaking down racial barriers, and finding the courage and confidence to follow your heart.

FH: I was incredibly impressed by the vividness of your secondary characters in Augusta. I wanted Noni to be my best friend! As a writer, I kept wondering how you created so much depth and interest without letting Noni take over your whole story. Tips?

JL: Thank you so much for the kind words! For me, it’s all about tapping into your inner Ben Putter. By that, I mean listening to those magical inner voices that often come to writers while contemplating a story~ 

You really need to know where your secondary characters are coming from and what their deep desires are. Otherwise, they can come across as props instead of people.

Noni is sassy and bossy and opinionated, but those are external things~ to get to the heart of her, I personally needed to know why she acts the way she does. Ideally, secondary characters should have fully fleshed-out external and internal arcs just like your protagonists, even if those arcs aren’t explored nearly as much in the text.
For extra tips on manuscript depth, you can take a look at this post I did over at Project Middle Grade Mayhem.

FH: This is a question I always have to ask writers of historical fiction: what’s your favorite bit of research that you didn’t manage to fit into the story?

JL: Fun question! The singer/entertainer James Brown grew up in Augusta, Georgia and returned periodically, and initially I thought it would be fun to somehow bring him into the manuscript, but it didn’t work out.
Is it okay if, also, I highlight a piece of research that did make it in? This video clip of a desegregation protest really made an impact on me, and I realized that it needed to be part of Benjamin Putter’s journey. Historically, it took place in March of 1972, just a few weeks before Ben walked into Augusta with Noni. It meant so much to me that I fictionalized the event in the book and mentioned it in my Acknowledgments (if the video won’t load for you, there’s a description of it as well).

FH: I’m really bad at small talk, so forgive me for asking a really big question-- it’s something I think about a lot! How has being a writer and living a creative life influenced you as a person and a mother?

JL: You know what? I actually think that it’s the opposite for me~ being a mother is what has really come to influence and define me as a person and a writer. It’s what allowed me to have the time to start writing in the first place, and it continues to allow me to embrace a love of childhood that I’ve always been nostalgic for.

 The biggest gift to my writing and creative life is my children.

And I suppose it’s reciprocal, because having a career that focuses on those precious years of childhood has also made me more aware of the amazing hearts and minds my own kids have, and it allows me to explore physical and emotional challenges that may be ahead for them.

We got to meet Jess a couple years ago when her first book sent her on tour to the Mark Twain Museum. (Sorry for the photo quality! But your can see we were having fun. :)

FH: Okay, your turn: what didn’t I ask you that you’d like to share? :)

JL: My next book, tentatively titled UNDER THE BOTTLE BRIDGE, will be out next Fall. It’s an autumn story set in a modern artisan village that has a heavy focus on traditional arts.
The main character, Minna, comes from a long line of woodworkers. It’s full of covered bridges, looming deadlines, mysterious bottle messages, and family legacies!

FH: That sounds so neat! (Did you know my husband is a professional violin maker? This sounds right up my alley. :) Thank you so much for the interview, Jess, and for being a great writer friend!

Make sure to leave a comment for Jessica to be entered to win a signed copy of Waiting for Augusta! (If you don't know what to write, I kinda want to know how everyone would answer my second to last question...)