Q&A with Phyllis Gobbell

 

 

 

Phyllis Gobbell is the author of the new novel Prodigal. Her other novels include Notorious in Nashville. She taught at Nashville State Community College, and she lives in Nashville.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Prodigal, and how did you create your cast of characters?

 

A: I began thinking about Prodigal after I read William Kent Krueger’s Ordinary Grace and heard him speak at a conference. He was widely known for his mysteries, but he said he was compelled to write another kind of book.

 

His setting was a small town in the Midwest, and I grew up in a small town in the South, but his story resonated with me. His characters were so much like people in the town I knew so well. The story had sufficient suspense but deeper ideas to ponder.

 

So, inspired by Ordinary Grace, I departed from my mysteries to write Prodigal.

 

The father and brother in my book are reminiscent of the Biblical story of the prodigal son. The other characters just seemed logical, the family and supporting cast that are part of a small-town experience.

 

Q: The author M. M. Buckner said of the book, “Secrets, lies, and surprise revelations abound when a long-lost son returns to his small southern hometown.” What do you think of that description, and what do you see as the role of secrets in this novel?

 

A: It’s an accurate description. Connor Burdette, who comes back to his hometown and family after 10 years, is not prepared for the truths he discovers as long-buried secrets are uncovered. More than once he thinks he should just catch the bus out of there.

 

In a way, secrets revealed to him and to readers provide the framework of the plot.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I knew where the novel was going, but I didn’t know exactly how to get there.

 

One of the most significant changes I made was point of view. My first draft was written from the POV of Ivy, Connor’s sister. It was not until I rewrote with multiple viewpoints that the novel began to accomplish what I wanted. Each viewpoint character has certain information that others do not have.

 

It was very satisfying to write in that way, so that readers are putting it all together for themselves as they engage with each character.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?

 

A: As with all of my books, mysteries included, I hope readers don’t want to put it down, that they’re eager to know what happens next, and that when they close the book, they will think their experience has been worthwhile.

 

With Prodigal, especially, I hope readers will keep thinking about it. Connor has to come to terms with something heavy, the cost of forgiveness. I don’t hammer readers over the head with theme, but I hope the underlying wisdom of the book comes through.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have finished The Princess of Almost Alabama. It’s women’s fiction/literary and, even more than I did in Prodigal, I draw from my own experiences growing up in a small Southern town. It’s set in the years 1956-1978 and is told by a reminiscent narrator.

 

I suppose the book I’m writing is always the one we like best, but this one seems to have put in story what I’ve always wanted to say. I am hoping for an agent who will see promise in it!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love engaging with my readers, at book clubs (in person and Zoom), at conferences, and on social media.

 

My website is www.phyllisgobbell.com, and the first item you see is an opportunity to sign up for my mailing list, to receive information about events and special offers. I won’t fill up your inbox. I usually send an email once or twice a month.

 

The next thing you’ll see on my website is a book trailer for Prodigal. I hope the short video will make readers want to read it!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Phyllis Gobbell.