I'm pleased to welcome Michelle Rene to Cozy Up With Kathy today. Among other genres, Michelle writes historical fiction. Her latest release looks at the later years of the legendary Calamity Jane as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Today is actually the release day of HOUR GLASS.
Kathy: HOUR GLASS features the legendary Calamity Jane. How did you choose to write about her?
MR: I've always been a fan of the rough and tumble stories about Calamity Jane. To mess with her was "to court calamity." I am a huge fan of the show, Deadwood, and I basically watched it waiting for her to show up on the screen. I wanted to know more about her, so I wrote the book I wanted to read. The difficult parts were finding real facts about the woman. Everything was oral history for the most part, and a lot of it Jane embellished in her story telling. My goal was present a new and more complete Jane to my readers. Not the Jane from the show, Deadwood. Not the Doris Day Jane. My version of her.
Kathy: Had you always been interested in the Wild West?
MR: Definitely. I grew up in the south, and the wild west is deep in our culture. There's a story telling skill that seems to be ingrained in the south. We sit around an listen to each other tell stories. My grandfather would tell us about his father who was a roughneck. He knew an older Irishman who had recently been released from prison for shooting a pimp that followed the railroad workers around and stole their money. Was said to have shot so straight, the diamond tie pin the pimp wore went directly in his heart. Who knows if that is true, but the southern cadence of these stories stick with you. Westerns are the best art form I've seen that capture it.
Kathy: Today Hour would be considered to be on the autism spectrum. Do you think autism was prevalent in the 1800s? Why do you choose to give this aspect to her?
MR: People often think that autism is a new thing. It isn't. Our understanding and labeling of it is recent. It is believed the first use of the word autism was in 1908 when describing schizophrenic patients who were really withdrawn. In the 1940's, Leo Kanner began using the term when describing children who were highly intelligent by desired being alone. Over time, our knowledge has grown. Before medical understanding, people autism or schizophrenia or bi polar disorder were just considered crazy and often thrown away by society, and thus, were never recognized. The decision to make Hour autistic was threefold. One, I believe we need more representation of ASD people in literature and placing them in an era people don't expect is important. Two, I wanted to show what a family would have had to do to protect someone like that in the wild west. Three, my own son was in the process of being diagnosed with ASD when I wrote this book. Hour Glass was my way to not only paint a picture of a beautiful, autistic child, but show a loving family that gathered around her to give her a good life.
Kathy: What first drew you to historical fiction?
MR: I adore history. Always have. I drive my family crazy taking them to museums. My first historical fiction novel was about Vincent Van Gogh, and I was gonner after that.
Kathy: Do you write in any other genres?
MR: Yes! I write science fiction as well. I also contribute to Funny Times Magazine with my west Texas essays.
Kathy: Tell us about your books.
MR: My historical novel, I Once Knew Vincent, is my multi-award winner about Vincent Van Gogh. My novella, Vacuum, is a sci-fi adventure with a blind assassin. My novelette, Danielle's Inferno, is a parody of Dante's Divine Comedy and was also adapted into a video game by One More Story Games. Right after the release of Hour Glass, my experimental novella, Tattoo, will release as well. It's a strange, sci-fi/fantasy story told backwards that's getting a lot of critic attention.
Kathy: Do you have a favorite character? If so, who and why?
MR: That has to be Jane or Pudding (from Danielle's Inferno). I love writing dialogue for both of them.
Kathy: What made you decide to publish your work?
MR: It's never been an option for me not to. I adore writing, and I believed with an unwavering tenacity that my words should be in print.
Kathy: If you could have a dinner party and invite 4 authors, living or dead, in any genre, who would you invite?
MR: Oh wow. Cool question. I'd say Edgar Allen Poe, Mark Twain, Mary Shelly and Lewis Carroll.
Kathy: What are you currently reading?
MR: I'm currently reading this amazing fantasy novel by Jesikah Sundin. Legacy - the first in her biodome chronicles.
Kathy: Will you share any of your hobbies or interests with us?
MR: Sure! I chase my son around mostly, but when I'm not doing that, I'm usually painting or sculpting. My education is in art. I like to go to museums, walk through nature, go to renaissance fairs, go to wine/craft beer tastings, and watch Stranger Things on a loop. I also occasionally participate in zombie discussion panels and charity anthologies. Look for Lone Star Zombie-Con (anthology of horror and hope) coming out in March. All proceeds go to charities helping Hurricane Harvey relief.
Kathy: Name 4 items you always have in your fridge or pantry.
MR: Almond Milk, goat cheese, tortillas, and Nutella. The makings of a very confused meal!
Kathy: Do you have plans for future books either in your current series or a new series?
MR: I have plans for a new book but it won't be part of a series. I recently finished a historical novel about Maud Wagner, the first female tattooist in America. The next book I'm going to work on will be based on a true story of a art psychologist friend of mine who went to African to help abused girls heal through art.
Kathy: What's your favorite thing about being an author?
MR: I love seeing my words touch people. When someone comes up to me and tells me how much they loved my book, that's just the best. My husband says I feed on the tears of my readers because I make them cry so much, but that's only half true. Hahaha.
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Review
HOUR GLASS by Michelle Rene
It's 1876 and Jimmy Glass has a lot on his young shoulders. With his father's illness getting worse, Jimmy has no choice but to leave their claim and bring his father to town to get medical help. Once in Deadwood Jimmy and his little sister are taken in by a local madame while their father is brought to the quarantined smallpox tents to be cared for by none other than Calamity Jane. As their father struggles to survive, Jimmy and Hour make their own lives, creating a new family with the women and men of Madame Dora DuFran's brothel.
A legend comes to life in the latest novel by Michelle Rene. We get to see Calamity Jane through the eyes of a young boy. This is not, however, Jane in her heyday. But rather a Jane who is on the downside of an incredible life after being dealt a devastating blow. This is the real Jane, a determined woman who has lived hard, and will do her best to help her friends, while trying to mute her own pain. HOUR GLASS is also the story of a young boy and his sister, struggling to make a life for themselves in the chaos of the lawless West.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The period detail and historical accuracy made me feel a part of the time. The book is not a sugar coated look at a hero, but a gritty acknowledgement of the hard life these people lived. It's dark and dirty, but also full of love and fun! I love the little known facts thrown in (why brothels are also known as cat houses, for example) and once Hour was given her special present I had to laugh every time people swore. And people swore...a lot!
HOUR GLASS provides a captivating look at a uniquely American hero while showing that love, determination, and family, whether related by blood or not, makes all the difference in a harsh world.
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Michelle Rene is graciously giving a copy of HOUR GLASS to a Cozy Up With Kathy reader. She’ll give one personalized paperback to the winner if the winner is in
the US. An e-book gifted from amazon if they are from outside the US. To be eligible simply leave a comment on this blog post no later that 11:59 pm EST Friday, February 23, 2018. Be sure to leave an e-mail address so that I can contact you if your comment is chosen.
