Today's Chat with Sarah features June Gillam author of House of Eire and House of Hoops among others.
To view the House of Eire official review, click here.
To view House of Eire on Amazon, click here.
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1. In our last interview, you mentioned that you love when readers tell you about their experiences in reading your books. Can you tell us about one such reader you've heard from?
Many readers tell me how much they feel they are “in” the scene in my books. For example, one wrote in response to House of Cuts, the first book in the Hillary Broome series: “The backstory of big-box stores' effect on small town family businesses and lives was well done and lent credence to the main story of Families left in turmoil. Highly recommended. If you allowed 6 stars, I would give it.” Another example is about the experience a big rig truck driver had when listening to the audiobook of House of Cuts while driving at night: he had to turn it off as it was too scary! Many have noted the relationship of the madman butcher villain to his mother brings to their mind the movie Psycho.
2. House of Eire and House of Hoops, in fact the whole series, revolve around Hillary Broome. How much are you like her or how much is she like you?
Well, Hillary is the fictional way I would likely encounter normal humans who’ve become mad enough to kill over certain problems that surround us in our culture. I have sympathy for them, though they are not dealing with the issues in a productive way. So, in House of Cuts, the little guy’s meat market shop is run out of business by the new superstore, driving him berserk. Hillary witnesses his butchery and so becomes involved in stopping him. In House of Dads, Hillary’s cousin Violet has become the female CEO of the family business, but Violet’s own mother is still stuck in the patriarchal values that want only men to run things. Violet moves into plotting matricide, and Hillary has to stop her. In House of Eire, an Irish real estate agent gets entangled with a devious Trump-like American developer and pushes Hillary to confront him and stop his murderous scheme.
3. House of Hoops is your newest story. When does it come out and what's it about?
Hoops is set in Sacramento’s new downtown development area, led by the Golden 1 Center basketball arena, next door to its oldest neighborhood. Hillary is promoting the opening of a nearby new community center and battling the growing threat of violence from a man leading a movement to stop the ghettoization of his beloved city.
4. Are these books completely interconnected or can a reader start anywhere in the series?
I write them so they can be read out of order; although, reading in order offers the overall story arc of Hillary resisting looking for the mother who abandoned her when Hillary was just ten years old.
5. It seems like the book has some very relevant themes and possibly even includes recent events. Why is it important to you to make this so true to life?
Well, the first book in the series was sparked by my own husband, Jerry Gillam, dean of the California capital press corps, being forced to take a golden handshake by the LA Times. That sort of killed his spirit in a way because he thought he WAS his job. I wondered what would happen if a butcher who thought he was his job was forced out of business. What if it drove him over the top, ubergeschnapt as the Germans put it. What if he wanted revenge against the stuperstore? What if he wanted to show off his knife skills by leaving grisly displays in the store to drive away customers. So the “what ifs” around the social issues is what leads my imagination to the stories.
6. Is there another author that you would say you're similar to?
I would say a bit like Jodi Picault in her focus on social issues, and also Thomas Harris in my willingness to have the villains be on the creepy side as they get moving in their murderous madness.
7. As an author, do you have any advice for other aspiring authors? Have you gotten any good advice from another author?
Join a writer's group, get as much feedback as you can on your writing, develop a thick skin—realize that all comments even the negative ones can be gifts for you to realize how readers are taking in your work. With that knowledge, then you can change the work—or not.
8. What motivates you?
I don’t really know. Poetry was the first kind of writing to arise inside me, then stories. I’ve read and studied writing and learning and change for so long—I’m addicted to it all with great thankfulness for this way to express so much about this gift of life.
9. After House of Hoops, are you taking a break to do any promoting or are you immediately jumping into the next book?
Yes, I am involved in promoting all the time but don’t likely give it as much time as I should. The writing calls, always. I’m writing a memoir now, working title: Another White Woman Wakes Up. It’s based on my relationship with my black brother-in-law. It’s very edgy, and I am surrounding myself with people who are supportive on this issue of racism from the perspective of whiteness.
