Yesterday I reviewed Slate by Brian Rowe. Today I have Brian here for an author interview. Please join me in welcoming him.
Bookworm: Welcome to my blog Brian, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule for this interview. Please tell us a bit about yourself.
Brian Rowe: Thanks for having me! A little bit about myself… I grew up in Northern California and moved to Reno when I was twelve. I attended Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles for college, and after that I spent two years working in feature film casting. I've been writing fiction ever since I was in the third grade. I'm also a big movie buff, too, and really love anything to do with the arts.
Bookworm: What inspired you to write Slate? Is Vivien's character inspired by anyone you know?
Brian Rowe: Slate was inspired by the aforementioned two years I spent working in feature film casting. It's a fascinating profession, and I'd be surprised to know if there's ever been a work of fiction based around the world of movie casting. They say to write what you know, and after spending two years in the profession, I had enough ideas for three books about casting. The main storyline of Slate just came naturally to me, and I knew if I was going to write a book set in the world of casting, this was the story I wanted to tell. Vivien Slate is inspired by, not based upon, the woman I worked with in casting. She was a true force of nature—intelligent, passionate, and yes, sometime volatile. She also had a big, big heart. I really wanted to capture her spirit in the main character of Vivien, and also try to paint new colors in the character that were mostly figments of my imagination.
Bookworm: If Slate were to be made into a film which Hollywood actor would you cast as Vivien Slate?
Brian Rowe: Nobody's asked me this before, but trust me, I've thought long and hard about it. I basically have two answers, one, who I'd most love to play the role, and, two, who I think would be best in the role. I've had a love affair with Sandra Bullock for nearly twenty years, and it's no coincidence that Vivien is a complex character, in her mid 40's, with long black hair. Sandra's never played a role like this before, and it would be a dream come true for that to happen. But when I think in terms of pure acting excellence, and particularly of a middle-aged actress who would be more willing to drop her clothes for that pivotal sex scene, Julianne Moore would be my ideal Vivien. Choices for other characters would be Joseph Gordon Levitt for Brandon, Sigourney Weaver for Lila, and Zac Efron for Nathan. I think Slate would work best in a half-hour format on Showtime, like Nurse Jackie, Weeds, and the United States of Tara. So if you know anybody in Hollywood, tell them I'm interested in bringing this story to television! Haha!
Bookworm: What was the hardest thing about writing Slate? There's a few funny scenes within the story, particularly with Vivien. Where did you get the ideas for those predicaments?
Brian Rowe: The hardest thing about writing Slate, particularly in that first draft, was to try to keep the main through line with Vivien's story going and not get lost in all the characters. There's at least eight major characters in this book and it was sometimes tricky to navigate everyone throughout the narrative. But, you know, that's what revisions are for. I revised Slate probably ten to fifteen times over the course of a year and got it to a point where I felt ready to unleash it on the world. As for where I got the ideas for the funny predicaments Vivien finds herself in, most of them are just figments of my imagination. I would try to put myself in Vivien's shoes in certain scenes and try to think about what she'd do. The infamous kitchen island scene was something that I wasn't originally planning to write, but when I got to that chapter, it just felt like a natural progression for the character.
Bookworm: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Brian Rowe: If there was something specific I wanted to say to the readers of Slate, it would be to go into this book with an open mind. A couple of readers so far have been disappointed with the direction this book goes in during the last fifty pages. This is definitely not a light-hearted chick lit novel with a typical happy ending. While there are chick lit elements throughout the story, this is definitely a story that heads into some dark territory. Be prepared for tragedy. I'm warning you!
Bookworm: Who are your favorite authors and what is it that really strikes you about their work? What is your favorite genre?
Brian Rowe: It's funny… My favorite author has always been Stephen King, and my first love has always been horror, but I didn't write horror until my third novel Townhouse (which I'm revising at the moment). The idea for Slate just lent itself more toward a women's fiction novel, and my second novel Happy Birthday to Me is a YA story. But I think you can see my horror tendencies in everything I write… You can certainly see some Stephen King inspiration in Chapters 41 and 42 of Slate, for sure. But let me explain that I hate horror that's just blood and guts for the sake of shock value. What really strikes me about Stephen King's work is how in the midst of all the scares he develops characters you truly care about. If you can get the reader to like your characters, the reader will be more surprised and emotionally involved when later in the book something terrible happens to some or all of the core characters.
Bookworm: How do you like to relax when you aren't writing your books? Any hobbies?
Brian Rowe: When I'm not writing, I'm usually reading books or watching films. Every day of my life is filled with stories, whether I'm writing them, reading them, or watching them, haha! A great way I love to relax is to exercise, and I love hiking and biking. Usually when I'm up in the Reno mountains on a gorgeous hike or bike ride, I find tons of great ideas hitting me front, back, and sideways. Getting outside and clearing my head is a great way to get ideas for more stories. And trust me, I have many, many more stories to tell!
Bookworm: Last but not least, if you were stranded on a deserted island, and were allowed to bring 3 items with you, what would they be?
Brian Rowe: Oh boy, let's see. I would bring a box of my favorite books, which would include Robert McCammon's Boy's Life, Stephen King's The Shining, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, and Scott Smith's A Simple Plan. I would bring a box of organic crunchy peanut butter, the food I eat lately more than anything else—it's got lots of protein, and only a small amount fills me up for hours on end! And I would bring a universal cell phone, so I could make some calls to get me off the island!! :)
Thank you for the interview, and I hope your readers will take a chance on my debut novel Slate!
-Brian Rowe
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Thanks again Brian! I enjoyed reading your interview questions. Slate was a fun read, and I did like Vivien's character. I think Sandra Bullock would play her perfectly.
Stephen King is one of my all time favorite authors as well.
Best of luck with your work.
Readers, you can stop by Brian's site here. Check out his blog and find out more about his work.
