Leslie Hooton will be Georgia Writers Museum’s “Meet the Author” presenter at noon on Tuesday, May 2 (doors open at 11:30 a.m.).
Hooton will be presenting and discussing her newest book, After Everyone Else, and signing copies afterward.
The event also will include a brunch featuring the sidecar, Hooton’s main character’s favorite drink.
GWM: Your first book and its sequel, After Everyone Else, relate to love and betrayal.
What about that type of human conflict appeals to you?
Hooton: I think love, betrayal, and even grief, when mixed create conflict and tension. I think without tension woven through a story, you would not really have a book or reason to keep turning the page. So, unfortunately, we must put roadblocks up for our characters so people will keep reading.
GWM: You were trained as an attorney. Does that background help with your story-writing?
Hooton: Yes, I was trained as an attorney. You must get to the point and flesh out the issues quickly in essays on exams. I think that helped prepare me to do that same thing in writing my novels.
GWM: Reading your article in Newsweek, you had a unique and difficult childhood. Did that challenging history directly impact your life as an author?
Hooton: Thank you for bringing up the Newsweek article. I truly believe that everyone’s childhood influences their life. Mine was unique and difficult. I think sitting on the sidelines in a wheelchair, spending time in hospitals, and recovering, gave me the chance to observe others. I didn’t know that it was going into a giant file folder in my brain to use when I got older, but I would observe behavior: who is nice, who is mean, who had a crush on whom, and who wore the cutest shoes? I always pay attention to shoes, because obviously, my limitations have thwarted my shoe selection.
GWM: What can you tell us about your writing process?
Hooton: I sometimes say I have written three books without typing a single word!
That’s because I dictate. That was my doctor’s call. I invested in what is known as Nuance Dragon dictation (software). I have written all my books using dictation.
GWM: Can you give us a sneak preview of your next book?
Hooton: My new work in progress is entitled Seasons Such as These. It is about the seasons of life, the seasons of the land, and the seasons of love. It takes place in my little town of Erob (from The Secret of Rainy Days) and Atlanta in the ‘70s and the early ‘80s. So, if any of you lived in Atlanta in the early ‘80s, some of the places you will likely know.
Tickets are $45 each ($40 each for two or more) or reserve a table for six for $200 (saving $40). Visit Georgia Writers Museum (109 S. Jefferson Ave., Eatonton) online at georgiawritersmuseum.org or call 706-991-5119 for reservations and to preorder a copy of Hooton’s book.