Interview with Pauline Gruber

Tell us about your publishing journey…

While this is the second novel I’ve written, it is the first one I’ve published. I self-published. I was drawn to indie publishing because I wanted to retain creative control, have the ability to write in various genres and have full transparency on the publishing side. Quality is very important, too, so I did have my novel professionally edited. The indie process was difficult. It’s one thing to write a book and then to work with an editor to make it as perfect as possible, but then there’s the publishing side. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of working with an amazing digital artist and layout/font artist (two separate people) for the cover, then I worked with a formatter for the paperback version of the book and all the e-book versions. It’s an incredible learning process. Difficult is an understatement, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

What do you love about being an author?

I’ve had a love of writing since I was young. In seventh grade I entered a writing contest and wrote a story about three competitive cat siblings. I won an award for it. My seventh grade English teacher encouraged me to continue, claiming I showed promise. I dabbled with stories through the years, but didn’t pursue it seriously until four years ago.

If you could have dinner with any literary character, who would it be and what would you eat?

You just tackled two of my favorite things, dining with interesting people and food. My apologies, but it’s impossible to limit this to one character.

-Louis Point du Lac from Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice. My love of vampires began with this one book. If you haven’t read it, you should. What would I eat? Provided we’re in New Orleans, I would eat vegetarian red beans and rice.

-Sabine from The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett. This is one of my all-time favorite books (and authors). Not only is Sabine original and interesting, but as you learn about her recently deceased husband Parsifal (yes, another great name), a magician, you learn how this unique man rose above a heartbreaking adolescence to become successful personally and professionally. What would I eat? Either Indian food or sushi.

-Michael Brock from The Street Lawyer by John Grisham. I don’t read much Grisham, but this book struck a chord in me. Don’t we all think about what it would be like to turn out backs on our lives and instead live altruistically? I think about it a lot.

What would I eat? I would make sandwiches and we would eat in a park. I would bring extra bread to feed the birds.

-Carlisle Cullen from Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. We already know Bella’s story and much of Edwards. Carlisle is old…really old. I imagine he’s got the most interesting life. Carlisle and Esme have an amazing, state-of-the-art kitchen so Carlisle and I would cook a meal together and he would talk while I devoured whatever amazing dish we made. (Esme is really nice, so I’d like her to be there, too.)

-Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I want to hear about the games—and Peeta’s journey—in his own words.

What would we eat? I would make a pot of vegan roasted corn soup and have Peeta bring a loaf of homemade, crusty bread.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who would you cast as the leads?

I have no idea who would play Lucy, Marcus or Dylan. However, I can tell you this: Robin Wright would be perfect as Donna Walker, Lucy’s mother; Frances McDormand should play Lucy’s grandmother, Vera; and Adrian Brody (with some make-up to age him) would make an AWESOME Jude. I’m wracking my brain trying to figure out who would play Persephone and Henry, but I’m coming up blank. If you have any ideas, let me know.

Vampires – do you prefer them as sexy leads or blood hungry monsters?

I prefer to see them as sexy leads, definitely! Alternatively, I like them as remorseful, wallowing types, like Louis in Interview With A Vampire.

If you had a time machine, which era would you go back to and why?

Ooooh – great question! The 1920’s definitely. I recently watched Midnight in Paris. How great would it be to meet Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein and Pablo Picasso. Some of our greatest influences came from the 1920’s.

What life advice do you wish you’d been given sooner?

Not to take life so seriously all the time. Also, to appreciate the important people in my life. We tend to take them for granted, but then we’re filled with a world of regret when they’re gone.

If you were a supernatural creature, what would you be and why?

Two years ago I would’ve said vampire. Hands down. Now, I’ll go with witch. They can do so many different things while blending well within society. Plus they’re not struck with the constant urge to kill people.

Where do you write best?

I have an office and I wrote there for a while. Now I work at my dining room table, where I have room to spread out my notes and all of my beverages. When I travel for writing conferences, I love the peace and quiet of my hotel room and I get a lot of writing done.

What was the last book you read, and what were your thoughts on it?

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman. The book packs a wallop. The lead character starts and ends the story as a middle-aged man, but a bulk of the story takes place when he’s a boy in Sussex, England. There are witches and evil things and grown-ups who disappoint. [SPOILER ALERT] The witches help save the boy from the evil beings, but it’s rough for a while. Gaiman has a gift with making a story seem simple when it’s not. He also knows how to keep a reader on the edge of their seat. This book is extra special to me because it’s autographed by the author. I had the incredible pleasure of attending the Ann Arbor, Michigan stop of his final book signing tour.

If you didn’t write in your genre, which other would you prefer and why?

As an indie author, I’m not limited to writing in one genre for young adults. After The Girl and The Raven series (paranormal romance), I have a science fiction duology planned, then a contemporary YA stand-alone. If I didn’t write fiction for young adults, I would write paranormal romance for adults. I love vampires. Witches, gargoyles and demons, too.

Where can fans find you online?

The best place to find me is on my website: www.paulinegruber.com From there, they can access all of my social media sites.