Anne Mendel-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome author Anne Mendel.

TRC: Hi Anne and welcome to The Reading Café. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Anne: I wrote an end-of-the-world book because I am an optimist. I believe my fears are based on what I don’t know. So, the more I know about disasters and survival and the better prepared I am, the less fearful I become. I’m a community organizer and my main character is one too, although she’s much stronger than I am. The book is more do as I say, not as I do, because in a terrible disaster I would probably end up on Darwin’s short list to extinction.

I have two sons, who have made it very clear they do not want to be in my books in any way, shape or form, so, Etiquette for an Apocalypse ended up with three generations of women living in the same house. It left a lot of room for conflict, intrigue and humor. My husband is neither a doctor nor Haitian, but we do live in Northwest Portland and the book is set in our neighborhood.

TRC: What was the catalyst that first sparked your interest in a career in writing?

Anne: Writing is just what I do. Can’t help it. But writing this book did have a specific moment when a light blub came on.

A few years ago I saw a movie about what happened in Cuba in 1990 when the Soviet Union collapsed and they lost all of their fuel overnight. The Long Emergency was about the things in Cuba that got better after the collapse. People lost 30 pounds, diabetes II disappeared and community flourished.

I thought it would be great to write a book that explained how, in hard times, some things can get better; BUT, it will be a lot easier if you start preparing now!

TRC: What have been some of the writing challenges you have faced?

Anne: Writing brings out all of my basic insecurities. I worry…. about everything. Am I good enough? Will people like me? Can I stick it out when the going gets tough? I worry I’ll be an utter failure. And, if I am successful, I worry I’ll never be that good again. I worry about big things like world peace and small things like what I’ll wear to a book signing. WORRY is my biggest life challenge and it seeps into everything…. will the answer to this question be good enough?!

TRC:  The answer is perfect!!

TRC: What challenges did you face on the road to publication?

Anne: It took years of writing research, persistence and many, many, many rejections just to get started on Etiquette for an Apocalypse. I’m not good with rejection. I think resilience is the most important personality trait to get us through rejection and hard times so I would say courting resilience helped me through the mess up and rejection. Publishing has been harder than writing the book. When I first found the book would be published I thought that was the perfect ending. I didn’t get that it’s a lot like giving birth to a baby and thinking that the hard part was over, and it was just beginning.

TRC: ETIQUETTE FOR AN APOCALYPE is your recent release. Would you please tell us something about the premise? CLICK HERE for our review

Anne: The simple premise of Etiquette for an Apocalypse is that an apocalypse leads to finding the limits of one’s human potential (if they survive, of course). My hope is that this book will inspire people to create and develop resilience, community and basic skills. 

TRC: The condo tenants are quite an eclectic mixture of characters and personalities.  What were some of your influences behind the personalities? Are any of the characterizations based on people in your own life?

Anne: Well, yes and no. There are bits and pieces of dozen of people I know in each character; for example, my protagonist’s mother. She is my mother’s obsession with weight, my best friend’s ability to strategize and she is also one of my neighbors, who trains show dogs. It’s a jigsaw puzzle of personality traits.

TRC: Do you have plans to write a series of novels featuring the Cohen’s and their condo friends?

Anne: Yes. I’m writing a sequel with most of the same characters. It’s about a rebellion. That’s about all I can say because I never know how a book is going to turn out till it’s finished.

TRC: How much research was involved in the writing of Etiquette for an Apocalypse?

Anne: I spent about a year taking classes and reading books about emergency preparedness. I now write a blog, “survival guide” which you can find on annemendel.com. I’m not an expert but I have collected a bunch of information.

TRC: Is there a message in your novel that you would like the reader to think about?

Anne: Yes! Take chocolate chip cookies to your neighbors TODAY. They are the one’s who will be pulling you out of the sinkhole. I have a weekly blog that give suggestions for one thing to do each week to better prepare. Anne Mendel’s website

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other authors, or between family and friends. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Anne: I have the best writing group imaginable. The-Last-Writers-Group critiqued every word I wrote, sometimes two or three times. Marc Acitio, a well-known writer himself, is my coach, tutor and teacher. This book would not exist without these people.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Anne: I am spending most of my time and energy on promoting Etiquette for an Apocalypse. For years I fantasized about becoming published one day. I never imagined the efforts it would take to market my book.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Anne: Yes. Whether it’s a natural disaster such as a tornado or a financial disaster like Wall Street greed, the better prepared an individual is, both with skills and tools, the less fearful they will have to be. I know I’ve mentioned this earlier, but being prepared is so vital to one’s survival. You can check out my suggestions for building resilience on my blog at  Anne Mendel.com or follow me on Facebook.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: This is a much harder question than the ones you’ve already asked. Just one? Bar-b-qued ANYTHING.

Favorite Dessert: Chocolate Bread Pudding

Favorite TV Show: Arrested Development

Favorite Movie: Galaxy Quest

Last Movie you Saw: The Avengers

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark (No contest)

TRC: Thank you Anne for taking the time to answer our questions. We are looking forward to your next installment.   It is always a pleasure to meet the author behind the books we read and review.