Guest – Kathryn Magendie

(Help us welcome Kathryn Magendie, who “was born a West-by-god Virginia Hillbilly (and proud of it), moved here, there, and yonder," before landing in "Western North Carolina, where she spins tales, drinks Deep Creek Blend coffee, an occasional vodka tonic with lime, and contemplates the glow of Old Moon.” Seriously, that’s her public bio. )

Dear Cheesecake:

Didn’t I tell you not to come round here no more? Didn’t I tell you I couldn’t resist your charms? And do you listen? No. You flaunt yourself in front of me—all luscious and tasty, decadent and . . . and . . . You Yankee You! Why would this West Virginia born Hillbilly fall for a rascal from New York? Smooth . . . oh you are smoooooth.

Yes, yes, I know; I’ve called upon your charms in the darkest hours of my sad and lonely *heavy sigh* writing life. You were there while I wrote Tender Graces; you were there when I released that baby to the world—I thought I could just walk aw ay, but there you were again those long lonely minutes and hours and days and weeks and months while I wrote Secret Graces. My friend, you were, through those two books and beyond. Not asking anything of me but for the enjoyment of you. My muse, you were. My sweet writing muse.

When Secret Graces flew out of my hands and out to ever ever land, there came the fateful day I stretched my bones, sighed with a job done, and changed out of my writing pants, those loose and dreamy pants that have no defined waist. But wait. What is this?, I screamed. Unnggghhh. Unggghh. Why is not my zipper zippering? My button buttoning? You . . . you . . . you betrayer of waistlines! I thought I could consume you without consequence! Through two books you were my best buddy, and this is what becomes of that great friendship? Oh heaviest of sighs!

You won. Is that what you want to hear? With your silky voice calling. With your soft yet firm outer crust molded against the springform pan. The cream cheese! The vanilla! The touch of lemon zest! The thousands of tiny granules of sugar! The eggs—both golden yolk and slippery whites. And, you devil you; you even added a thin fine layer of sweetened sour cream on top, and then . . . oh then . . . you scamp; you held atop fresh plump strawberries oozing sweet red love.

And I, unsuspecting, tappity tapping away upon the computer. Creating my fiction worlds where my characters can eat whatever they want and run around gleefully, yippee yi yo kai yayyy . . .and all the while my own butt is slammed against a chair, spreading ever onward! Because of you, Cheesecake.

Time after time—Tender Graces draft, Tender Graces rewrites, Tender Graces Galley, Tender Graces released, lather rinse, repeat with Secret Graces—I dipped my knife in hot water, and then sliced into you. You offered no resistance. One side, then another side, then I lifted a piece of you onto my plate. Then, with my fork, I cupped you onto the tines. And the first perfect bite as the creaminess spread across my tongue.

And now, now I cannot sit at my computer to craft the next book without the Pavlov’s Dog’s response to you, Cheesecake. Again and again and again—you and me Cheesecake, you and me.

I go mad with you, Cheesecake. Yet, you rogue, you tempter, you sweet sweet sprite. You wild wonderful Muse, you. Please say you will not call to me each time my butt slams against the chair and my fingers poise on the keys and the refrigerator hummmmms . . .

Please say you will quieten the siren call of your sweet succulent love.

As ever, you know I am yours and you are mine. Damn you.

Yours,

Kathryn Magendie
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Debra here… Kat’s too polite to ask, but I’m not. What food trips you up? Haunts your mind and says, “Oooh baby, come to Mama!”

GUEST - New author - Kathryn Magendie

Debra here…Please help me welcome one of Bell Bridge Books’ newest Southern authors. I got my partner-in-crime, Deborah Smith to ask Kathryn Magendie some questions about her brand new book (see below) and how she feels about writing. While Kathryn had been published in print and online magazines as well as wearing the hat of co-editor of The Rose and Thorn Literary Ezine, TENDER GRACES is her first published novel.

(By the way, TENDER GRACES is a beautiful and unflinching look at how we find our way home. Gorgeous writing.)

How much of you is in your protagonists Virginia Kate? Or Virginia Kate in you?

I wish I were more like Virginia Kate. She has a quiet studied way about her. She isn’t as chaotic and jittery as I am; even when she thinks she’s being jittery she really isn’t when compared to me. Besides, she has really great hair and I have this blob of brown stuff sitting on my pea-head. Tender Graces is fiction, but anytime you write a family saga, how can you not have events or thoughts or feelings or shadows of your own life, even if they sneak in there subconsciously (as some things did!)? But, Virginia Kate is so much her own person—I wish I knew her in real life. I’d like her. And I would hope she’d like me.

When your reader turns the last page of Tender Graces, what do you want them to take away from the experience?

I first want them to sit back and go, “Ahhh….” and feel a moment of completion and peace. I want them to feel Virginia Kate’s releasing. Then, I want them to feel regret that the story is over and that they must put down the book. I want regret to gnaw at them so much, they’ll pick up the book and read it again, and then email me and ask, “When are you going to finish the second book? Hurry up!” Yes, all that would be nice.

How important is the writing life to your sense of well-being?

When I do not write, I become anxious and a bit depressed. The body never lies. The body knows what I need, and it knows I need to write. When I do not work, when I try to flit around and do other things, my body lets me know in no uncertain terms that I best get back to it or I’ll continue to feel “off” and uncomfortable. I am extremely lucky I live in a quiet cove at Killian Knob in Maggie Valley, smack in the Smoky Mountains, that allows me the serenity to do what I love most. This is my dream life.

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

No, I don’t think so. Well, my mom says I talked about it when I was young and that my teachers thought my creative writing and reading skills were above the average student. I won a first place award in junior high school for a short story, and in high school my creative writing teachers encouraged me to do what I suppose I did well in—creative writing. But, I don’t have a moment in my memory when I knew this was what I’d do and how it would be My Life, my wonderful life. It was always about The Book. Books and libraries were my sanctuary, my love, my joy. I can’t imagine a world without libraries and books. I shudder to think of it; don’t you?

What are you working on now?

I’m working on the second book in the Virginia Kate Sagas. Virginia Kate is a woman around my age, and in Tender Graces she looks back at her life from about six years old to about sixteen. In the second book, she is looking at her life from college age to probably in her thirties—we’ll see where that goes. I also have another novel set here in the Western North Carolina Mountains….that one will wait for its right time, because for now, Virginia Kate has the loudest voice in my head.

If you write, what do you want the reader to feel when they close the book you’re working on right now? Readers let us know which books broke your heart because the pages ran out and the book was over!