Q&A with Sandra Freels

 

 

Sandra Freels is the author of the new novel Anneke Jans in the New World. She was the longtime head of the Russian program at Portland State University, and she lives in Portland, Oregon. 

 

Q: You write that your character Anneke was based on a historical figure--how did you learn about her and at what point did you decide to write this novel?

 

A: I came upon Anneke through genealogy; I believe she is my 11G grandmother. Her name at one time was fairly well known—until recently there was even an "Anneke Jans" restaurant in Kittery, Maine—not because of anything she did in her lifetime but because of litigation surrounding her estate and a subsequent scam aimed at her descendants.

 

There are numerous biographical sketches of her online, some of them authoritative and some quite fanciful, but none of them gave me a sense of Anneke as a living woman with joys and sorrows and 10 children to feed. I kept thinking about what her life must have been like until it became so real to me that I needed to write it down.

 

Q: What did you see as the right blend of fiction and history as you wrote the book?

 

A: Anneke Jans is a work of imagination. I have tried to be faithful to historical events and to the basic facts of Anneke's life, but everything else—personalities, relationships, motivations, reactions—is invented.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: The biggest surprise is that detailed records of the council sessions of New Amsterdam still exist and are available online in English translation. Reading those records is like eavesdropping on people who lived 400 years ago.

 

I was also surprised to learn that the population of New Netherland was so diverse. People of many different nations came together there and created a vibrant society unlike anything the world had ever seen before.

 

I started by sifting through online records for references to Anneke, her family, and her friends, and then I read every book on New Netherland I could get my hands on. I pored over art books and even cookbooks, hoping to get a sense of what life was like in a 17th-century Dutch village.

 

I'm bound to have made mistakes, but I hope I have told Anneke's story as it really might have happened.

 

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

 

A: Above all, I hope that readers perceive Anneke as a real person and that they identify with her as she makes her way through an unknown world. I hope they come to love her as much as I do.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm working on a stand-alone sequel to Anneke Jans, a fictional biography of Anneke's daughter Sara Roelofs, which I hope in time will become the middle volume of a New Netherland trilogy.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Readers can contact me at www.sandrafreels.com. I'm always happy to meet with book clubs, both in person and virtually, and have posted discussion questions there that they might enjoy using.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Dale V. Atkins

 

 

 

Dale V. Atkins is the author of the new children's picture book The Turquoise Butterfly. Her other books include The Kindness Advantage. She is a psychologist and educator, and she lives in Connecticut. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Turquoise Butterfly, and how did you create your character Victoria?

 

A: I was inspired by my late mother, Sylvia Atkins--a caring and devoted mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who created deep, loving bonds with each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She also cherished friendships across generations enriching the lives of those around her just as they enriched hers. 

 

Since I became a grandmother 21 years ago, I discovered countless ways to connect with each of my six grandchildren by tuning into their personalities, interests, and the "season of life" they were navigating. 

 

A couple of them were a bit anxious about participating in activities. Whenever any of my grandchildren hesitated to try something new, I felt called to understand their worries and to help them through gently, in ways that honored who they were rather than what I might have expected.

 

Victoria is a composite of a few children, one of whom is my granddaughter. One of my granddaughters used to feel distressed when separated from her parents. Over time, however, she and I created a tradition of carving out one special week each year for our own adventure. We would climb into the car and set off on the road—but only after planning every detail together. And we would frequently be in touch with her parents.

 

Like Victoria, she liked to know what to expect; without a clear plan, she would get "butterflies in her tummy."  So, we would sit side by side, choosing hotels, looking at restaurants, and deciding which parks we would explore. Knowing the plan helped her feel grounded and far less anxious, and it became a comforting ritual that connected us more deeply. 

 

Over time the precision of our planning began to loosen, and we found ourselves able to include a bit more spontaneity in our adventures. As she grew more comfortable, our itineraries made space for surprises—a new trail to wander, an unexpected ice cream stop, a detour to explore something intriguing along the way.

 

This gentle shift not only broadened our experiences but also gave her a growing sense of confidence and adaptability and freedom, allowing her to trust herself and the world a little more with each passing year.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Victoria and her grandmother? 

 

A: Their relationship is loving, close, and deeply respectful. Even though Grandma Sylvia is naturally adventurous and eager to take risks, she gently encourages Victoria to move at her own pace in her own time. She opens the door to the wider world without pushing it open too quickly.

 

And when plans change or fears arise, Grandma Sylvia meets Victoria's worries with compassion and empathy, guiding her through challenging moments despite her granddaughter’s hesitation or fear.

 

Grandma Sylvia becomes a role model for problem-solving; a steady presence who knows when to distract, when to comfort, and when simply to stand beside Victoria as a safe harbor in the storms of the anxiety. 

 

With patience and tenderness, she teaches Victoria ways to calm herself, to face difficulties with increasing confidence, and to view her feelings as part of the journey toward resilience.

 

They are each their authentic selves who, at different times, need encouragement and support from the other. Together, they are each reliable, vulnerable, and strong in different ways. They both understand the quiet importance of truly "being there" for oneself and for another, as life's unexpected moments unfold.

 

Q: What do you think Amelina Jones’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Amelina Jones's vibrant, soulful illustrations invite the reader into the world of Grandma Sylvia and her granddaughter, Victoria. Her art brings their relationship to life, capturing the tenderness, trust, and joy they share. 

 

Through luminous color, expressive body language and facial expressions, thoughtful clothing details, and the comforting, sometimes unexpected presence of nature, we feel the depth of their emotional connection.

 

The natural world around them seems to burst with life and energy—flowers in bloom, trees stretching toward the sky, butterflies in motion—all reflecting the beauty and vitality of their bond. 

 

The artwork wraps the reader in warmth, helping us experience the love, courage, and growth that define their journey together.

 

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

 

A: At its heart, this story invites readers to witness the beautiful unique bond between a bold grandmother and her granddaughter who often feels anxious as they spend one meaningful week together each year.

 

Through their shared adventures, both planned and spontaneous, they learn from each other, and discover courage, patience, and the quiet strength that love makes possible.

 

The butterfly symbolizes the transformation that occurs within each of the characters and their relationship as well as their forever eternal connection.

 

I hope readers come away with a deeper appreciation for the enduring nature of love, the gentle signs that keep us connected even across time, and the lifelong lessons that pass between generations.

 

This book celebrates the tender, transformative bond between a grandparent and a grandchild – a bond that shapes us, steadies us, and stays with us always.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am finishing another children’s book, Dear Deer. It is a love letter to nature and forest animals, capturing the curiosity and excitement of two children as they explore, discover, and learn about the wonders of the wild.

 

As the children embark on their adventure, they come across a baby deer in distress, prompting them to find a way to help without causing any harm. Through their efforts, the children learn valuable lessons about compassion, patience, empathy, tuning into their senses, and the delicate balance of nature. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: My deep belief is that there is great power in intergenerational connection that can help us develop and grow in ways we did not know possible.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Amy Meyerson

 

 

Amy Meyerson is the author of the new novel The Water Lies. Her other books include The Bookshop of Yesterdays. She teaches at the University of Southern California. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Water Lies, and how did you create your characters Tessa and Barb?

 

A: When I get pregnant with my first child, I became more aware of the ways motherhood was displayed in the books that I read. In recent years, there have been a lot of novels about the challenges of motherhood. Specifically, I've read wonderful books about reluctant motherhood, troubled children, and postpartum.

 

While all of these are important stories to tell, I found that my experiences of motherhood weren't represented in these stories. I wanted to capture the daily challenges of motherhood, how hard it can be even when you want to be a parent.

 

Specifically, I was thinking a lot about the daily anxieties of early motherhood and the emotional journey of watching your child grow more and more independent of you. So, I knew thematically what I was interested in before a story came to me.

 

Then, when my son was starting to speak, I was really struck by how he acquired language and the gap between what he wanted to say to me and what he could. For him, it was frustrating, but I began to imagine a scenario where the inability of a young child to communicate wasn't just a struggle but was terrifying. From there, The Water Lies was born.

 

Since I wanted to write a book about early motherhood, Tessa's character came to me first. I put a lot of my experiences as a pregnant woman into her. She embodies that combination of the way the world treats you and the way, accurate or not, you assume you're being treated.

 

As I started to write Tessa's character, I realized that the novel was too narrow when told only from her perspective. As I was thinking how to expand the book, I was struck by a conversation I had with my mother-in-law about how she feels undervalued in society.

 

I began to realize that many of the ways I felt I was treated as a pregnant woman paralleled nicely with how older women in our society are treated. From there, Barb was born. 

 

Q: The novel is set along the Venice Canals in Los Angeles--why did you choose that setting, and how important is setting to you in your writing?

 

A: I've always written places I know well. I think it's difficult to write setting if you aren't familiar with the world your characters are embodying.

 

To me, setting is relative to the story you're trying to tell. In some of my novels, it was very important. In others, less so. In this, it was essential. I knew that I wanted the novel to take place along a body of water because it centers on a drowning.

 

I explored a lot of options--Echo Lake in Echo Park, LA, the fountain in Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia--before settling on the canals. The other locales didn’t seem specific enough for Tessa, the mother of the boy who recognized the drowned woman, to think the death had something to do with her son. It needed to be literally outside their doorstep.

 

I also knew that I wanted the location to feel unique and cinematic. Once I thought of the canals, there was no turning back. While there have been a few movies featuring the canals, I couldn’t find any novels set there. That told me I’d landed on a pretty special setting.

 

Often, with writing, you make a choice intuitively and then later realize why it’s essential to the story. The setting of the canals organically gave the novel a voyeuristic quality that works really well with the paranoia of the plot.

 

Q: In the book’s acknowledgments, you write, “Every novel requires a leap of faith, but this one’s felt especially big. I was entering a new genre where I'd only ever been a reader.” What was it like to write this novel, and was your writing process different this time?

 

A: With every novel, I like to set up new challenges for myself. With this it was to see if I could write a thriller.

 

During the height of the pandemic, I started listening to a lot of thrillers and I was really impressed with the structure of so many of them. This gave me an inkling that I wanted to see if I could plot one too.

 

I think the biggest difference here was that plotting. I studied a lot of books I admired, breaking down how the story unfolded. And I learned a lot about leading the reader--and myself--astray in order to surprise.

 

Q: What do you think the novel says about motherhood?

 

A: Much of this book is about motherhood. The beginning and end. The anxieties. The instincts. It's also about pregnancy and the desire to be a mother. I don't want to give anything away, but my hope was that mothers with a range of experiences would feel seen in this book.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm working on a new novel that's slated to come out next year. It's another thriller, this time about a school camping trip set on Santa Cruz, one of the Channel Islands off the coast of Ventura, California, and the most remote park in the National Parks system.

 

As you can imagine in a thriller set on an island, things start to go wrong. It's about the parents rather than the children, how they can't leave their secrets behind on the mainland.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: If you read the novel and enjoy, please reach out! I love hearing from readers.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Amy Meyerson. 

Q&A with Katie Bernet

 

Photo by Mae Haines

 

 

Katie Bernet is the author of the new young adult novel Beth Is Dead. It's an updated take on Louisa May Alcott's classic novel Little Women. Bernet lives in Dallas.

 

Q: What inspired you to write this updated YA murder mystery version of Little Women?

 

A: I’ve always been fascinated by Beth March’s literary death. As the oldest of three sisters, I’m a huge fan of Little Women, but Beth’s passing crushed me, and I never understood how she, herself, could accept it so peacefully.

 

I thought it would be interesting to transform her death into a murder that happens in chapter one, because it would give her sisters time to rage, grieve, and search for meaning. And since Beth’s perspective is included in flashback, she has a chance to find meaning as well. 

 

Q: What did you see as the right balance between Louisa May Alcott’s original March sisters and your own takes on the characters?

 

A: I wanted the heart and soul of each character to remain the same, but I had so much fun imagining who they would be in a modern setting.

 

I’m particularly interested in the way readers, including myself, have stereotyped the characters over time. Meg is romantic, Jo is ambitious, Amy is a brat, and Beth is, um…dead. I wanted to round them out again, to remind people that they’re multifaceted in the original work. 

 

Q: Why do you think Little Women still has such a hold on readers, more than 150 years after its publication?

 

A: I may be a little biased, but I think the story stays in our hearts, because it offers a window into sisterhood—a bond unlike any other. While reading Little Women, you live with the March family. For a time, you have sisters. And if you ask me, there’s nothing better. 

 

Q: Do you have a favorite March sister?

 

A: Before writing Beth Is Dead, I would have chosen Jo without thinking twice. She’s a writer, I share her temper, and I’ve always been inspired by her ambition.

 

But now—I choose Beth. She’s a homebody, she’s thoughtful, and even when she’s facing her own untimely, unfair death, she remains kind. I can’t imagine anything braver. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on turning another literary classic into a YA mystery/thriller. I’m going to leave people guessing, but here’s a hint—I almost share a last name with the original author.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I can’t wait for readers to get their hands on this book, partly because it’s just so gorgeous. My publisher, Sarah Barley Books (Simon & Schuster), did such an incredible job with the cover, the interior, and every little detail. It’s the kind of book I’d buy for the beauty alone, and I’m so grateful for that.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Jan. 5

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Jan. 5, 1902: Stella Gibbons born.