Emily Bleeker
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker
Author of When We Chased The Light
Christie’s auction house, Beverly Hills. The effects of Hollywood icon Vivian Snow are up for bid. In the collection is a set of hand-drawn postcards spanning six decades. The sender is Antonio Trombello, a soldier, POW, priest, and Vivian’s confidant. Each postcard sheds new light on a deeply private woman the public only thinks it knows.
It’s World War II. Vivian is a USO showgirl traveling the world when her husband goes AWOL, disappears, and is presumed dead. Facing increasing suspicion, she leans on her dear friend Father Trombello for support. He’s her confessor, her savior, the elusive love of her life, and when it comes to her husband’s death, the keeper of Vivian’s secrets.
As Vivian rises from canteen dream girl to starlet to bona fide legend, she navigates the highs and lows of Hollywood, new romances, and tumultuous family relationships―all in the shadow of her past and the guilt, unmet longing, and buried
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker
Author I draw inspiration from:
I was writing in secret for a long time before I started to believe I could even attempt to be published. I shared my first attempts at writing with my now ex and he closed the computer after reading for a moment and said, "Ugh, you describe things too much. I can't even get through a page." I thought for sure I must be the worst writer ever.
A few weeks later, I was reading a new YA dystopian series by Lauren Oliver and was completely enthralled by how beautiful and detailed her prose was. I took out a highlighter and a pen and I started paying attention to how she wrote and it made me feel like I wasn't as much of a failure as I did a few weeks earlier. I'll always be grateful to her and her writing for that (and for the fabulous stories she tells).
(HBL Note: This book was also included in a list of Books That Are Like Hunger Games)
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I mostly listen to audiobooks! I love to listen to them when I'm on a run or walk. It's so peaceful!!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Anne from the Anne of Green Gables series L. M. Montgomery. I think we'd be kindred spirits and would find plenty to talk about while we waited to be rescued and if it took too long I think she'd be up for climbing up the elevator shaft together.
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
It's hard to find one specific moment when I KNEW I wanted to be an author. My journey was more of a tip-toeing into authorhood. I wrote for fun for most of my life, but after I survived a health crisis where I wasn't sure I would live past 30, I knew I wanted to write one book just to have written it. It took me three years to write it and another year before I signed with an agent and really understood that I could POSSIBLY be an author one day.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I collect antique hardcover books, which you'll find tucked into all kinds of nooks and crannies in my house. I love the way they feel in my hands, the dusty smell of their pages and the idea that so many other people have read the words inside.
For me, paperback books are for reading and rereading. I like reading my favorite books over and over until the pages become tattered. I see paperback books as interactive, so I don't feel bad highlighting favorite passages or making notes in the margins. Whenever I lend a book to a friend, it comes with a warning about ignoring my illegible scribbles, sloppy underlining and fluorescent highlights.
Ebooks are handy and an easy way to read when I can't access any other options but I have to admit--it's my least favorite way to read right now. I went through a HUGE ebook phase when my kids were younger, and it was hard to get to the library. At that time, I'd read at least one or two ebooks a week!
I consume most of my stories via audiobooks nowadays. I listen anytime I have a chore or activity that isn't particularly stimulating. I was such a bookworm when I was a kid that I tried to take books with me everywhere, damaging more than a few library books along the way. How overjoyed twelve-year-old me would be at my ability to immerse myself in these bookish worlds whenever I want to!
The last book I read:
I'm always reading two books--one fiction and one non-fiction.
My most recent fiction read was THE KENNEDY GIRL by Julia Bryan Thomas set 1960s Paris where fashion and modeling collides with Cold War intregue. I happened to be reading it as the Paris Olympics were taking place and it helped me feel like I was there!
My non-fiction read is THE FEMININE MYSTIQUE by Betty Friedan. I'm writing about the late 1960's currently and one of the characters is a feminist and so I wanted to delve into what the feminist literature and views were at the the time. It's a bit like stepping in a time machine and I've found it interesting to note how much has changed and how much has not changed in the past sixty years.
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer all the way. I think in my earliest drafts of my first novel, I wrote a few chapters on paper, but other than that--the computer makes the most sense for me. It is portable, and I LOVE the Dropbox option that keeps my documents safe from deletion. That being said, I often use pen and paper to map out timelines and work on plots. For some reason, it's easier to conceptualize the flow of things when I am writing them out.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I've always felt a kinship towards Elizabeth Bennet from Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. She's bright, loving towards her sisters, opinionated and super funny. I'm not sure she'd like me very much though cause I'm not totally sold on her choice of husband. I've always believed Darcy would turn cold and distant after the glow of courtship wore off leaving her in the same lonely position as so many women of that era. But then again--perhaps female friendship was more important during that time than love and a girls trip to Bath sounds pretty rockin'.
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
If I could choose any career to step into other than writing, it would be working with families affected by domestic abuse. I've always dreamed of opening my own non-profit, helping individuals, specifically from religious backgrounds, find resources and allies when faced with the difficult decisions that come into play in such systems.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I love the clothing of the 40's. Women's clothing became more functional but still very fashionable.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Italy! Though I've been once before it was many many years ago so I'd love to go again and become reaquainted with the country. My past two books have ties to the country, and my husband is 100% Sicilian, so I'd love to go and learn more about his family history.
My signature drink:
For health reasons, I had to give up my favorite and most signature drink-- Diet Coke. But now I've found a lovely replacement-- Bubly Coconut Pineapple.
Favorite artist:
Simon and Garfunkel have long been one of my favorites. My parents had their records, and I listened to them when I was a child. I was named after "For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her," and I walked to the aisle to "Bridge Over Troubled Water." I'm drawn to their poetic lyrics and stunning harmonies and listen to them quite often while I write.
Number one on my bucket list:
I wrote my first novel about Fiji and French Polynesia though I've never visited there. I'd love to go and experience everything I imagined (other than the plane crash, sharks and the deserted island).
Find more from the author:
About Emily Bleeker:
Author Interview - Emily Bleeker
Emily Bleeker is a Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author of eight novels. Combined, her books have reached over two million readers and counting. When she’s not writing, talking about writing, reading or mom-ing, Emily performs on the house team of a local improv group in suburban Chicago where she lives with her husband, kids and kitten muse, Hazel.
