Interview With Author Yvonne deSousa
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up an avid reader on Cape Cod, MA. I thought maybe I would become a writer but I quickly realized I didn’t possess imagination enough to create stories people would want to read. I worked various jobs and then when I was 40, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. A slightly inappropriate request from a relative found me laughing immediately after my diagnosis. Surprisingly, the laughing helped me cope and life with MS gave me a lot of weird things to laugh at. Suddenly, I had material to write about and began to take writing funny seriously with a blog and a book. Since then, my writing has appeared in two editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul, all three editions of the Something on Our Minds Anthology series, local publications and my two books.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book, Shelter of the Monument: A Provincetown Love Story, is a coming-of-age memoir about my quirky hometown, first love, addiction, loss and finding one’s inner voice. It is not humor based like my MS writing which is odd, I know. But it does include some very funny moments. It was inspired by a relationship that brought both highs and lows, joy and pain, but that I will treasure forever. I think I always wanted to write this story but it took my writing group and a submission for another project to coax it out of me. Once I committed to writing it, the story and the words just flowed until I felt I had done it justice.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Yes! If I am struggling with something I am working on, I review it before I shower. It seems I do my best writing in the shower. It started when I was trying to come up with an idea for a pageant for my Sunday school class. I took this problem into the shower with me and while I was in there, I wrote a whole children’s Christmas play. I got out of the shower, grabbed a robe and still dripping, typed the play. It didn’t work for my church school but it has worked for others and been performed around the world and was even translated into Spanish!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
As a young reader I was addicted to Judy Blume and Lois Duncan. I still remember their books. Being the granddaughter of fishermen, I was struck with Sebatian Junger’s The Perfect Storm. I think that was the book that made me appreciate nonfiction which is what I write now.
What are you working on now?
I have some stories of growing up and the local history of my hometown I would like to write. I also started a fiction book based in Provincetown as well, though I must say, fiction intimidates me. I can barely keep up with what I’m doing never mind what my imaginary characters are doing! So we’ll see how that turns out. The MS humor blog continues as well.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m a little old school here but Facebook has worked well for both of my books. With my MS book, I already belonged to many MS FB groups and would share it there. Like the old shampoo commercial, they told two friends, and then they told two friends, and then so on and so on…. With my latest, many Provincetown folks were FB friends already and there are so many FB groups dedicated to the lower part of the Cape that the connections and feedback have been phenominal on the site. I get annoyed with FB sometimes but it has worked great for me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Yes. I like to share this two part piece of advice that I learned from my writing experience. 1st Listen to what everyone tells you. 2nd Don’t listen to what everyone tells you. By this I mean as authors, we have to be open to the feedback of others. If several of your early readers are commenting on the same thing, they are on to something and you have to take a good, hard look at what you are being told about your work. However, it is YOUR work and you have to be true to yourself. So listen, evaluate, maybe rework, but ultimately know that you have to feel comfortable with the final result.
This has come up a lot for me and I did listen and evaluate. Usually, the comments I got were spot on and I am so grateful for them. But that doesn’t mean I/you need to include or delete something if it just doesn’t feel right for you. Be open and not stubborn, but then also be true to yourself.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Laughter is the best medicine. This has worked wonders for me and I believe it can work wonders for all of us. Turns out, giggles really are good for you as they release endorphins that can beat up on the cortisol in your body, which is very bad for you. So science has proven there was something to the old wives tale after all.
What are you reading now?
My go to casual reading is the suspense genre. I love it! I am currently reading a soon to be released suspense book by a new author being published by Black Rose Writing, my own publisher. And I am also reading All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. Both are really good!
What’s next for you as a writer?
I have no idea. But I am looking forward to finding out.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
So I have to take the Bible. It is a source of strength and inspiration and you can never stop growing with it. But for entertainment I would take Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy-a nice, long suspense book to occupy my casual time. And for the last two books I would have to pick something funny- maybe by a humorist like Dave Barry or Erma Bombeck. Nora Ephron maybe…
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