Interview with Joyce DeBacco, Author of Rubies and Other Gems '" the Novel

JD: I became a writer because I wanted to get some sleep at night. Other people read at bedtime, but I made up stories in my head when I went to bed. Too many times I couldn't fall asleep until I came to The End. I thought if I put those stories to paper I might get more sleep. Boy, was I wrong.

LL: Please tell us about your books. What genre(s) do you write in?

JD: I write women's fiction because that's the genre I prefer to read. My books mirror many families today as they try to balance life, love, and family responsibilities. While there's always chaos of some sort in every family, there's also love at its core. I try to explore that in my books. Serendipity House, put out through a small publisher, recently received 5 stars from reviewer Red Adept for plot, characters, and writing; Rubies and Other Gems - the Novel, was self-published; Where Dreams Are Born came out in late January through another small publisher. You can read the first two chapters of all my books on my website joycedebacco.com.

LL: In your book Rubies and Other Gems - the Novel, your heroine seeks escape from her dissatisfying life in her dreams, and then realizes that they are more than just dreams, she actually gets transported to a different time. How did you come up with the time-travel aspect?

JD: The time-travel aspect was the premise for the short story I'd previously written. In it, the main character just has an interesting day in the past and comes back to the present with a new perspective on her problems. The novel explores the family dynamics that cause her to yearn for a simpler existence and the dilemma she faces doing that.

LL: What problems is Lily dealing with in her "contemporary life"?

JD: She has teenagers. Need I say more? Her daughter drops out of college, moves in with a new boyfriend, and abuses drugs and alcohol; her son just got his license and wants to get his own wheels; and her husband caters to their children, leaving her in the role of unreasonable harpy.

LL: Without giving away too much, what kind of a life does she find in the past?

JD: She finds Daniel, an attractive and kind blacksmith who lost his wife in childbirth. She realizes that she, too, could've died giving birth had she not had the benefit of modern surgical techniques. Daniel also reassures her that she's still desirable despite her husband's seeming lack of interest.

LL: Are there any similarities between Lily and you?

JD: I can relate to her frustrations because I've raised children through those terrible teen years, and I'm happy they're over. I also have a husband who'd rather work with his hands than at a computer; he's also a bit indulgent with his children. Other than that, I can't say I've ever felt unloved or unappreciated like Lily does.

LL: How long did it take you to complete the novel?

JD: Because I wrote the short story a few years ago, I already had the foundation laid. Once I decided to expand it into a novel, it took about a year to add the building blocks and finishing touches.

LL: What was your road to publication like?

JD: Long! I started writing about 20 years ago. Of course, I made all the mistakes every new writer does: head-hopping, telling instead of showing, using passive voice instead of active. After much writing and re-writing, I found an agent who submitted my work to a few publishers, then just gave up on it. Years later, my second agent, though enthusiastic about my work, left agenting because of health problems. By that time there were more small, indie publishers in the business. I sent Serendipity House to an e-publisher and was accepted. I chose to self-publish Rubies and Other Gems - the Novel because it's shorter and less complex. I switched to a different small publisher for Where Dreams are Born because they offer my book in both print and digital.

LL: Are these two other books romances as well?

JD: Because romance is a recognized genre and love story isn't, yes, they're romances. I much prefer to call them women's fiction with a strong emphasis on love.

LL: Being both published and self-published, what insight can you share? What are advantages and disadvantages of either road?

JD: Going through a publisher means freeing yourself of the hassles of creating cover art, editing, and uploading in various formats to multiple book outlets. That's a big advantage when you're not computer literate. The disadvantages are that it necessitates a slightly higher book price that you have to share with the publisher. Doing it all yourself means you can charge a lower price and keep more of the proceeds. The disadvantage is that you won't have the legitimacy of a publisher behind you, which inhibits purchases by those still equating self-publishing with vanity publishing.

LL: Are your books available on Amazon? Where else can readers find them?

JD: All are available on Amazon. Since some are available in one bookstore and not another, I've placed links to each bookstore on my website, joycedebacco.com.

LL: Thank you for this interview!

JD: Thank you, Laura, for the opportunity.