Author Interview and Review of Finding Eliza

Review

5 Stars – You need to read this!

Finding Eliza is a rare treat and a breath of fresh air. It grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let go, as I spent a few late nights reading past my bed time. Stephanie Pitcher Fishman has a delightful writing style draws the reader right in. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from her!

In the beginning, we meet Lizzie who is dealing with the anniversary of her parents’ death. Her grandma Tru lovingly pushes her to join a genealogy meeting. What could go wrong?

Lizzie ends up discovering a secret family diary about the life of her aunt Eliza, who Lizzie was named after, but never even knew existed. She delves in and learns why Eliza’s life has been kept a secret all of this time. As she goes through the diary, she learns not only history lessons, but also how to let go of the “demons” holding onto her.

Finding Eliza deals with some tough but real issues, and I found it to be eye opening about the time of history that we find ourselves in while reading the diary along with Lizzie. I can’t recommend it enough. You’ll laugh and you’ll cry along with Lizzie.

Interview

What’s your story? How did you get into writing?
I was brainwashed by my parents to love literature at a young age. We created stories together and used every opportunity to create characters. They took me to bookstores as often as they took me to playgrounds. I loved it. I’ve created stories all of my life, whether in school or with the kids in bed at night. I started writing nonfiction as a freelance writer several years ago, but my dream was always to write fiction. I was getting closer to hitting the big 4-0 so I decided that my book would be a milestone birthday present to myself. The more fun I had the more I researched. Thanks to a group of writing friends and mentors (Go Otters!) I decided that I could be an indie author. The book became a shift in career as much as a personal goal from that point on.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?
Surround yourself with people you trust, writers you admire, and friends who will remind you to keep going on the days where you just want to sit in the dark eating frosting from a can. You’ll need to trust people when they tell you that your work is brilliant (or that it stinks!) You’ll need to surround yourself with people who inspire you, and then pay it forward to others. Just like with other goals, find your “why” and never let go.

What are you working on now?
I just released Finding Eliza, a story that is part historical fiction and part contemporary fiction. I’m currently plotting out a second book in what I’m now calling my Lizzie series as well as a new series based around a character named Jerrica Teal and the adventures she has thanks to her “dead” husband. I joke that I don’t handle one genre well. I mix and mingle, so The Many Adventures of Jerrica Teal will be part thriller, part cozy mystery, and part humor.

What has been the most challenging part of publishing or marketing your book?
There is always something that you don’t know! I’m learning that it’s ok. I’m treating every day as an experiment. Some things will work while others will get chucked into the bin. Getting over the idea that I had to be prepared and know everything was a hurdle that I had to jump before I could really move forward. We will never know everything we need to, and that’s okay. It’s part of the adventure.

What has been your favorite part?
I love hearing from readers! So many times they will give me ideas or ask me questions that lead me to new story ideas. It’s fun to have conversations with people about the characters. These are pieces of my heart, so I love to show them off and talk about them.

Who are your favorite authors?
Among my favorite contemporary authors are J.F. Penn, Andrea Johnson Beck, Susan Meissner, and Dean Koontz. I love the non-horror of Stephen King. He gets in my head too easily, so I have to be choosy with what I read. I love classics like GK Chesterton and Charlotte Bronte. Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier is and will always be my favorite book. I fell in love with it at 13 years old, and I’ve never lost that love no matter how many times I read it.

What gave you the idea for your current work?
As a professional genealogist, I chase dead people. A combination of lives that I researched led me to looking at the history of lynching in the south. Earlier in the year I had struggled with learning about a slave holder in my own family tree. I had a difficult time coming to terms with the reality that my family was connected to something so painful. What happens when you find a secret that goes against everything that society tells you? How do you process it? I started asking questions, and before I knew it the story was born.

If you could be any character in the book, which one would you be?
Blue. Definitely. She’s feisty and fun. She has an attitude about her that is so loveable even though she says what no one wants to hear. I hope that I’m that kind of old lady as I age. I have the most fun coming up with her dialog!

What other books have you written and/or are working on for the future?
In the past, I’ve written mostly nonfiction, specifically research guides for family historians and genealogists. As part of the Legacy QuickGuides series I’ve written ebook guides on state-focused research (Ohio, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida), record sets (Census Records), and religions (Quakers and Plain Religions.) Finding Eliza is my first work of fiction that I’ve published. I really want to write a ghost story based on some local spooky tales that we have. I may reserve that for a Wattpad series this fall.

What’s your favorite quote?
My favorite quote on writing is by Louis L’Amour. “If you’re going to be a writer, the first essential is just to write. Do not wait for an idea. Start writing something and the ideas will come. You have to turn the faucet on before the water starts to flow.” So many of us think that we can’t write until we have the story perfect. This reminds me that the story won’t become perfect until we write it.

My favorite quote overall is a Russian proverb. “You live as long as you are remembered.” It gives me peace that we can keep our loved ones close and the lost alive simply by telling their stories.

What’s your favorite supernatural creature?
Do I have to pick just one? I love books and shows/movies that dive into multiple realms. I loved the combination of ghosts, vampires, and werewolves in Being Human. Variety keeps me from being bored!

Connect with Stephanie

Website: www.stephaniefishman.com
Twitter: @stephpfishman
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/StephaniePitcherFishman
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SPFforReaders/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/StephPFishman
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/stephpfishman
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/stephaniepitcherfishman
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/stephpfishman