Valerie Joan Connors is one of those writers who doesn’t like the traditional mantra of “write what you know.” Instead, she says she’d rather write what she wants to know. For this interview, the Atlanta writer discussed her new book, “Shadow of a Smile,” and why she wrote it.
“I think a story is much more interesting if it has an underlying theme that resonates with people,” said Connors. “In Shadow of a Smile, I address the idea that life choices aren’t always black or white, right or wrong. It’s the grey area in between that I’ve focused on. The story also addresses the impact of decisions made by the heart rather than the mind, and their consequences, which can be far reaching.”
Connors finds that for her, the inspiration for a story can come from an experience she’s had or someone she’s known. She said, “Other times, inspiration is found in a sight, a sound, or even a smell. My first book, “Give Me Liberty,” was based on experiences my mom had as a single mother in the early 1950s. And my second book, “In Her Keeping,” was inspired by a visit my husband and I made to a tiger sanctuary, and the little tiger cub that stole my heart.”
“Shadow of a Smile” is the first book Connors says she’s written “more deliberately.” It was not inspired by a life-changing event or a memory, but asking the traditional question writers often ask themselves. What if? Connors said, “I asked, what if everything you thought was true about where you came from and who your parents are, turned out to be false? And I wondered how that might change you.”
A sense of place is also important to Connors, who said that she wanted to include places she’d lived. Those places include the Midwest, where she was born, as well as Oregon, California, and Washington. She said, “I crossed the country by car a number of times, and started thinking about how much fun it would have been to drive across Route 66 back when it was still fully intact.
“So with the seed of an idea swimming around in my head, I realized that Route 66 begins and ends in two of my favorite places, Chicago, and L.A., and I loved the contrast between the harsh Midwestern winters and the continuous summer in southern California. I also learned that many of the sections of Historic Route 66 don’t exist anymore, and that gave me the idea to have two characters crossing that same part of the country, thirty years apart.”
Connors said she hasn’t been a writer all of her life and didn’t discover her passion for the art until later in life. She said, “I really do believe that, in the words of C.S. Lewis, ‘You’re never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.’ My dream is to be able to write full time, and my goal is to publish a book every year for the rest of my life. I hope to make my readers laugh, cry, and think about the stories long after turning the last page.”
Among her memories from her days in San Diego in the late 1980s are the sunsets. She said, “I still have vivid memories of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. Those visuals were in my head throughout the writing process.” Another of her memories from those days is the traffic. “The first time I found myself in eight lanes of bumper-to-bumper LA traffic in my little Rx7, I was pretty sure I wouldn’t make it. But, it was good practice, and prepared me for driving in Atlanta.”
By day, Connors is the CFO of an architecture, engineering, and interior design firm. She wrote “Shadow of a Smile” during her vacation time and described her approach. “I’d spend a week’s worth of twelve-hour days doing nothing but sitting at my computer writing.” In between those marathon writing sessions, she thought about the book so when she was able to find more time to write, she could get her ideas down quickly.
Connors also said, “I care about the underdog, and have a serious dislike for bullies. Things rarely go well for them in my books. Mostly, I’d like my readers to know that I put my heart and soul into my writing, as well as a good bit of my own personal truth. I’m really happy when I’m writing, and I hope that it shows in the work.”
More information
Learn more about Valerie Joan Connor on her website at valeriejoanconnors.com.
