The Color of Light (79 page)

And lastly, to my sweet Jon, the first face I see in the morning and the last face I see at night; my ray of light, my compass rose, my morning star. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.

Q&A With Author Helen Maryles Shankman

“B
arbecues are a leap of faith.”

This is what I told my sister, many years ago, as I held a match under the little pile of coal in my Weber Smokey Joe kettle grill, located on the crummy, tar-covered rooftop of my crummy building, thirteen flights above downtown Manhattan. Eying the anemic wisp of smoke dribbling from the briquettes, she seemed unconvinced. Despite all evidence to the contrary, I insisted it would be burning brightly by the time we returned with the food. We left the grill and went to wait for the elevator.

By the time we climbed back up to the roof, the little pile of coals was glowing red and coated with ash. As the sun slipped down over the city, we tore into our steaks, Fourth of July fireworks bursting overhead, lighting up the skyline.

Writing is a leap of faith. Let’s face it; without readers, an author is just a lone crazy person, making up stuff inside her head and writing it down, sometimes on paper, sometimes on index cards, sometimes on the envelope the electric bill came in, or the backs of PTA flyers. Buying a book by a no-name first-time author is a leap of faith, too. I extend my deepest thanks to every one of you for taking the leap with me.

Q.
But wait! You can’t just leave me like this! What happens to Rafe and Tessa? Is that all there is?

A.
Oh, no. I just told you, Rafe is taking Tessa to Eastern Europe, to show her where her family lived and perished. And after that, well, it’s back to New York City! Don’t forget, Tessa’s a starving artist. She needs a job. And a place to paint. And a new roommate. (Rafe wants her to move in with him, but she won’t do it. She’s too proud.) Meanwhile, back at the American Academy of Art, there’s a whole new lineup of students and board members...And you can bet Anastasia is up to something...hey, what ever happened to David, anyway?

Q.
I want to live in your book! Can I tell you how much I loved it?

A.
Are you kidding? Yes, please! I want to know every last thing that moved you, made you think, made you laugh, made you cry! The best way to do this is with reviews. I’ll be trolling the internet, reading every last one I find. If you loved Rafe and Tessa, and you want other readers to love them too, write a review! Two places where reviews really matter are in Amazon and Goodreads, but anywhere is good. That way, readers can keep on finding the book. This is the single nicest thing you can do for me or any author.

Q.
This sure was a long book.

A.
That wasn’t really a question, but that’s okay. Some of my favorite novels are long reads. The Historian is actually fifty thousand words longer, American Gods just a few thousand words shorter. Rafe has seen a good many things, some of them remarkable, some of them terrible, and they just kept spilling out of him. (We’re saving some for the next book.)

Q.
Is it true that you painted a portrait of Hillary Clinton that is hanging in the White House?

A.
Well, it’s mostly true. Shortly after I graduated the New York Academy of Art, Second Genesis, an innovative drug rehabilitation program in the Washington, D.C. area, commissioned me to paint a portrait of Hillary Clinton. It was presented to the First Lady as a gift for her support. I don’t know if it’s actually hanging anywhere. I’m pretty sure it’s decorating the eaves of the White House attic.

Q.
How will I know when you’ve written something new? I want to stay connected!

A.
Wow! Who’s feeding you these great questions? Here are some ways you can keep up with what I’m doing.

You can follow me on Twitter: @hmshankman

You can friend me at Goodreads: www.goodreads.com

Check out my Pinterest boards: www.pinterest.com/hmshankman

You can visit my blog: helenmarylesshankman.com

And I love getting emails! Write to me at [email protected].