Interview with Elle Newmark, author of "The Book of Unholy Mischief"

About the Author:

Elle Newmark is an award winning writer whose books are inspired by her travels. She prowled the back streets of Venice to cook up The Book of Unholy Mischief and explored India by car and elephant to conjure The Devil´s Wind. She calls California home.

For more information on Elle or her work visit http://www.ellenewmark.com

About the Book:

It is 1498, the dawn of the Renaissance and Venice teems with rumors of an ancient book that hold the secrets of unimaginable power. Rich and poor alike speculate abouthe the long buried secred tht might be scrawled in its pages and where the book might be hidden in the labyrinthine city. While those who seek the book will stop at nothing to get it, those who know will die to protect it.

As a storm of intrigue percolates in Her Most Serene Republic, Luciano, a penniless orphan, is plucked off the street by the doge's chef and taken in as the chef's apprentice. In the palace kitchen Luciano is initiated into the chef's rich and mysterious world where recipes are more than they seem.

It is not long before Luciano is caught up in the madness. Torn between loyalty to his street friends and his passion for Francesca, a convent girl, Lucianco's worthiness is tested. Armed with a precicious mind and insatiable curiosity, Luciano embarks on a perilous journey to uncover the truth. What he discovers will swing opent he shutters of his mind, inflalme his deepest esires, and leaven an indelible mark on his soul.

I was lucky enough to get Elle to agree to an interview with me. Here's what she had to say:

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Chicago, moved to Denver in 1979, then to Germany in 1985 and to California in 1992. Still in CA but getting restless. I have my eye on Switzerland.

When and why did you begin writing?

Well, I began writing little stories and plays in high school but never considered doing anything with them. The notion of being a professional writer seemed unattainable, a pipe dream. In college all desire to write was consumed by term papers, and then I got sidetracked by marriage and babies for about 15 years. I re-discovered my love of writing when my children were in high school and started writing short fiction when I lived in Germany. Something about living in a foreign country kicked my creativity into high gear. After I moved to California I read The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and decided to tackle a novel. I wrote that novel and although it was roundly rejected and still remains unpublished, I was hooked on the process. The second novel I wrote was The Book of Unholy Mischief.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After I completed my first novel. I held that manuscript in my hands, awed at the weight of it. I couldn't quite believe I'd actually managed to string together 350 pages worth of sentences, but I did feel like a writer.

What inspired you to write your first book?

I fell in love with the classic Watership Down at the same time that I was fascinated by primitive cultures in the Amazon rainforest. I'd been reading that rubber tappers, loggers and farmers were devastating rain forests and displacing indigenous people. I got the idea of a fictional tribe who had to run for survival much the way the rabbits had to run from their home in Watership Down. It's a pretty good adventure story and I still hope to see it published.

Do you have a specific writing style?

I'm sure I do but I'm probably not the best person to describe it. I write the only way I know how, which is to create a rich sense of place and have interesting characters do interesting things. How well I succeed is for others to say.

How did you come up with the title?

Actually, the original title was Bones of The Dead, taken from a line in the book that says, "Civilization is built on the bones of the dead." My agent felt the title needed to be changed for a number of reasons, and in one 30 second phone call she suggested The Book of Unholy Mischief, which is the title of the first chapter. I said OK and that was that. I learned the meaning of a New York minute. I really like the title of the German edition: The Pomegranate Thief.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

A major theme in the book is Humanism. Whatever anyone might believe about the meaning or purpose of life, we must all concede that, for the time being, we are all stuck on this planet together and that carries with it some obvious responsibilities. If we could agree to try and leave things a little better than we found them, I think this world could be a much better place.

How much of the book is realistic?

Well, obviously Venice is real and not much changed in 500 years, and some of the characters are true historical figures, but the story is pure fiction. For example, Rodrigo Borgia really was the pope in 1498, he really was a rich Spaniard and not a very nice guy, but the scenes in which we see him talking and laughing and eating are all imagined.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

My father is an Italian chef and he was a chef's apprentice in Italy at the age of 13; naturally drew on many of his stories and experiences in creating the chef and his apprentice, Luciano. Also, the fictional chef's attitude toward food as an art form is taken from observing my dad. He's 91 now and still cooking. Nothing he enjoys more than a good meal.

What books have most influenced your life most?

There are really too many to choose from, but I will say that John Steinbeck was the first one to make me wonder how words on paper could manipulate my mind and heart so thoroughly. Reading Steinbeck made me want to learn how to do that, and I'm still learning.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Again, too many to mention. There are hundreds of fine writers with different strengths and I have benefited from all of them. Stienbeck breaks my heart, Updike pulls me into fully imagined worlds, Tolstoy makes me ponder life, Ishaguro makes me wonder at his gift for subtlety, Geraldine Brooks is a master storyteller, and Gregory McGuire is devilishly clever. There are many many more and being able to admire them all makes me realize there is a place in literature for all voices, even mine.

What book are you reading now?

Just finishing The Book Thief and loving it. The idea of Death as the narrator is original and beautifully done. Wish I'd thought of it.

Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Lots, but the one that comes instantly to mind is Chris Cleeve. His novel Little Bee is utterly devastating.

What are your current projects?

I just delivered my new novel and will spend the summer working on revisions with my editor. It tells parallel love stories, 100 years apart, against a backdrop of parallel wars. It is set in India, and I spent March in northern India researching it.

Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Other writers. Unlike some other professions, writers support each other with incredible generosity. I rely heavily on the willingness of other writers to read my work and get back to me with comments and criticisms. In addition, they are always there to offer moral support in the volatile and unpredictable business of publishing. Other writers are invaluable to me.

Do you see writing as a career?

Absolutely! I've worked as a popcorn girl in a theater, behind a counter in a dept store, at a cash register in a supermarket, as an illustrator, and as an advertising copywriter, but I've never worked harder than as a novelist. Writing is hard work, long hours, utterly consuming and the most satisfying thing I've ever done.

What do you think makes a good story?

A good story should have a beginning, a middle, an end, and a point.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

No one can write a novel without delving into one's own soul and examining one's beliefs. With every book, I learn a little more about who I am and who I want to become.

Visit me at www.ellenewmark.com