Reading With Robin Presents: NY Times Bestselling author Sarah McCoy and The Mapmaker’s Children!
Saturday, May 02, 2015
There is no bigger day for an author than the day their beloved novel hits the shelves and is available for one and all to read. For NY Times Bestselling author, Sarah McCoy, that day is Tuesday, May 5th. McCoy selected Providence, Rhode Island with its legendary readers and literary supporters to share in the release of The Mapmaker’s Children, her third novel. I have had the pleasure of hosting Sarah both in Providence a couple of years ago (The Baker’s Daughter) and in New York last summer when Grand Central: Original Stories of Postwar Love and Reunion was released, which includes her novella, The Branch of Hazel.
It wasn’t a simple task to find just the right location in which to host Ms. McCoy and The Mapmaker’s Children, but I was up for it. After a few false starts I was directed to Brown University’s Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice. With the subject matter in this novel I knew that this would be perfect venue and I was thrilled that my inquiry met with favorable results. From Professor Anthony Bogues, Director of The Center for the Study of Slavery & Justice: “We live in tumultuous times in America where the legacies of racial slavery haunt us. To recall the history and memory of the underground railway and of the abolitionists is to foreground a history we all need to remember. It is that memory which may be one key for the necessary conversations we all need to have about race in America .The novel, The Mapmaker's Children helps us to set up that necessary conversation.”
I have had the pleasure of several radio interviews with Sarah and wanted to ask her a few questions that didn’t make it on-air:
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRobin- What are you looking forward to about your upcoming RI visit?
Sarah- So many things! I fell in love with Rhode Island when I visited for the Evening With Authors event in October 2013. The readers felt like family I never knew I had. So wooed by them, I’m returning to launch my next novel. Rhode Island will officially be The Mapmaker’s Children’s birth state, and I can’t imagine looking forward to anything more!
Robin- How do you choose which cities you’ll visit?
Sarah- By invitation, mostly. Bookstores, book bloggers, and/or reader hosts invite me and I say, yes. That’s pretty much how it goes. I’m a ‘yes-let’s-make-this-happen’ woman. I try to never turn down an opportunity to meet new readers. Of course, living out in El Paso, Texas, away from my family in Virginia, I always make a stop in the DC Metro area to see them and to have a respite from hotel living. There is nothing like being home with family—even if you’re technically working every day.
Robin- The research for The Mapmaker’s Children must have been overwhelming. Do you have anything ‘leftover’ that you didn’t get to use?
Sarah- Holy leftovers! Enough to feed an army. The original manuscript for The Mapmaker’s Children was over 800 pages. To cut it down to the 311-page package you find on shelves, I had to slaughter whole chapters, half the book, basically. Massive amounts of research! While fascinating to me as a history nerd, my editor wisely argued that it was probably best for readers to go Google ‘further information’ for themselves instead of giving them a course in Harpers Ferry Civil War history. I am eternally thankful to her for that counsel, even if I sobbed my way through six months of chopping and rewriting.
Robin- Any desire to write a Young Adult novel?
Sarah- Not at the present time, but I never put boundaries on where the story Muse may lead. I see amazing writer friends’ work like Meg Wolitzer’s Belzhar and Alice Hoffman’s Nightbird, and I’m inspired. Maybe one day.
Robin- Rhode Island is rich with Underground Railroad history -what a treat that you are here to kick-off the tour. Will you have any ‘extra’ time for exploring while you are here?
Sarah- Oh, how I wish! We have so many marvelous release events scheduled for readers that I’ll barely have a time to comb my hair and change my clothes. But that may just mean I shall have to return… for book exploration research, of course. Meantime, I’m so looking forward to meeting all of the Providence residents and students at the launch party at Brown University on May 5th.
Robin- You met with a lot of book clubs before The Mapmaker’s Children even hit the shelves. Please share a few things you heard from your readers that either surprised and or delighted you.
Sarah- I absolutely loved being in touch with book clubs that read early copies of The Mapmaker’s Children. It was pure joy and so encouraging. I must thank them each and all for being my ‘sample population,’ for falling in love with the characters and championing this story before it was even on the shelf! The responses all delighted me.
Regarding responses that surprised me: I think we all had a good chuckle over our discussion of John Brown’s obvious affinity for procreation. The man had twenty children from two wives. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to the conversations (some with wine involved) surrounding that fact. What happens in book club stays in book club. Ahem.
Robin- Have you ever run into someone at one of your events who you hadn’t seen in a long time and who expected you to recognize them?
Sarah- Yes! Oh, an awful story. I was at the Virginia Festival of the Book giving a presentation on The Baker’s Daughter. I was asked how I got my start in writing novels. I answered that after graduating with my undergrad degree in Journalism and Public Relations, I went to work as the PR representative for a chemical company in Richmond, Virginia, writing press releases and spinning chemical news into happy bunny fodder. (Note: I have no filter when it comes to chatting with readers. What you see and hear is pure Sarah—I don’t know how to be anything more polished I guess!) So I told the VFOB crowd that I was in hell at the chemical company. To quote myself, I believe I said, “It was soul-sucking work.” Suddenly, a man lifted his hand and said, “Do you remember me? I was your senior coworker before I retired the year you came.”
Oh. My. Word. I turned ten shades of beet red. My husband documented it in photos. We all had a great big laugh! Luckily, my old coworker was one of the kindest gentlemen I worked with during that “soul-sucking” time before I went to graduate school for my MFA in creative writing. I was reminded then that it’s a small-small world… after all.
Robin- What are you reading now and hope to read soon?
Sarah- During my book tour travels, I hope to finish Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life in anticipation of her sequel A God In Ruins, which shares a birthday with The Mapmaker’s Children, May 5th. I hope to delve into that when I return home at the end of my month on book tour.
There are several opportunities to meet Sarah and hear all about The Mapmaker’s Children and as you just read just about anything else you’d like to know. Here are three events that are happening May 5th and 6th with links to sign up in advance. If you have any questions about any of the events please email me.
May 5th 5:30-6:30pm Pre-Event with Sarah McCoy at Kabob and Curry 261 Thayer Street Providence, RI.
May 5th Sarah McCoy and Robin Kall in conversation at Brown University’s Carmichael Auditorium 85 Waterman Street Providence, RI .This is FREE but please reserve your ticket.
May 6th Authors Sarah McCoy &Jenna Blum (Those Who Save Us) will be at Domaine Designs from Noon-1:30pm for Spring Bling! This is a FREE event and 10% of sales will benefit the NICU at Women&Infants’. Please reserve your ticket here.
In addition, if you are unable to join us and would like to purchase a personalized copy of The Mapmaker’s Children please email me and I will send you the details. Autographed books make the best gifts and I’ll make sure yours will reach you in time for Mother’s Day!
ROBIN KALL is Rhode Island’s own book maven. From author interviews to events with best-selling authors, Robin shares her love of books wherever and whenever possible. You can connect with Robin on Facebook and follow her on Twitter, or on her website which is updated constantly with all new author interviews and bookish information. Reading With Robin is on AM790 Fridays from 4-5pm and on I Heart Radio (search AM790 WPRV)
Coming up this Friday, May 8th Robin’s guests will be: Charles Dubow author of Girl In The Moonlight and Rebecca Schinsky of Book Riot.
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