Postcard For Reader

Interview: Julie Berry

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Julie Berry! Her most recent novel, Secondhand Charm came out two days ago. If you have a few dollars in your pocket, go buy it! I absolutely ADORED it.

What is it about, you ask?

Evie Pomeroy dreams of being a physician, like her parents had been. A royal scholarship gives her her chance, and she sets out to the university accompanied by the boy next door. But bandits, shipwreck, a mysterious creature, and even the tug of friendship may tear from her what matters most.

Doesn't that sound awesome? Just click read more to check out the interview - it was a lot of fun!

N: Welcome to WORD, Julie! Your debut novel, The Amaranth Enchantment, was published last year. What did you feel the first time you held a final copy in your hands?
J: I remember anticipating that that moment would be this huge thrill, this consummation of all my hopes. I probably jinxed myself. The truth is, I’d seen the cover in an email attachment, and then in a printout. I’d seen the page layouts in the final proofs. So when I finally held the book for the first time, it was an anticlimax. For that moment. The real kick came when I signed a bunch of books at my first event and realized real people were excited to read my book. In much the same way, I expected to gaze on my firstborn child and feel a rush of maternal bliss. I didn’t. In fairness, he’d given me a real bad day, and then I was supposed to feel mushy for him? Within 24 hours, we were thick as thieves.

N: Was your writing technique for Secondhand Charm and different than the one you used for The Amaranth Enchantment?
J: Not really. In one sense it was, since I wrote almost all of Amaranth as an MFA student at Vermont College of the Fine Arts. So I wrote it in chunks and emailed it to my professors, who provided insightful critique which helped me revise. With Secondhand Charm I was on my own. But my processes of writing and revising were fairly similar. I did do a bit more plot planning this time around.

Do you have a favorite scene in Secondhand Charm? If so, what?
J: I love a lot of the scenes, for very different reasons. It would be hard to name them without releasing spoilers. I can confess to one scene that popped into my head when I read your question. I’ll call this scene “Evie teaches a swimming lesson.” This reveals how shallow my character actually is. When you’ve read the book, you’ll know what I mean.

N: Where is your favorite place to write?
J: Elsewhere! I get so much more done when I leave home to write. Such opportunities are rare but super-productive. I spent big chunks of time at two friends’ homes while writing Secondhand Charm. Not only were my children nowhere in sight, but my friends would bring me lunches and little treats. I was tempted to move in for good.

N: You grew up on a farm. Do you have a favorite farm animal? (I, for one, absolutely adore goats.)
J: I got a big kick out of our chickens. They’re such funny birds, quizzical and terrified of everything. So pretty, too. They’re so commonplace, people don’t realize what lovely breeds and beautiful birds there are. We had names for our chickens. I loved it when we had baby chicks peeping around the yard.

Our turkeys brought us no end of hilarity. They were like gigantic chickens with all the sunny disposition of un-neutered tomcats. Our turkey ate dogfood and barked like a dog. No lie.

N: If you could have any magical power, what would it be?
J: This is bad. It shows a lack of faith, or lack of trust. Also perhaps a lack of willingness to accept what I can’t control, and to relinquish what I must. But if I could have a magical power, I would choose the power to always protect my children from illness and danger. Elastigirl in “The Incredibles” is a searing icon of what I wish I could be. Her speed, her quick thinking, and her ability to stretch herself to envelop her children in safety fill me with longing. I wish I could be that kind of mother.

N: QUICK. You're being attacked by a zombie. What weapon do you use and why?
J: Egg-beater. Zombies are mushy, aren’t they?

N: Can you pick one quote from Secondhand Charm to convince those who weren't convinced by my review to buy it?
J: Oh, forgive me. I just can’t. I’m terrible at this. When God handed out excerpting skills, I was still having thirds at the potluck supper. I’ll defer to your review. “What she said, people. Listen to Nicole!”

Thanks for stopping by, Julie! You can buy Secondhand Charm in bookstores now, or order it online. Do it! I loved it.