Wally

New York Times best-selling author Wally Lamb was such a joy to meet. Here is a small portion of that interview:

I understand you have a new book coming out. Can you tell me about it?  I’m working with a new compnay called Metabook for this one. They will produce my new story, I’ll Take You There, as an electronic book with audio, video, and some cool other features. Readers who are familiar with my Christmas novella, Wishin’ and Hopin’, will recognize many of the charactres but whereas that was a comic story, this one takes a more serious turn. No release date yet, but sometime in 2016.

Have you published anything besides books – articles, short stories, poetry, etc?  Yes, all of the above. My first book wasn’t fiction; it was a poetry text for high school students called Always Begin Where You Are. I’ve also edited two anthologies of autobiographical essays by my students at York Prison, Couldn’t Keep It To Myself (2003) and I’ll Fly Away (2007.) 

What have you done for promotion, marketing?  That’s usually handled by the marketing and publicity people at the publishing house, but when I have a new book that’s come out, I do extensive touring, press, interviews, etc. Again, that’s all set up by the publisher.

Where do you live and work - and do these places make an appearance in your writing?  Rural Northeastern Connecticut is our home base, but my wife and I also have a small apartment in New York City. Two of our sons live in New Orleans. All three of these places have been put to use as settings in my work. Several of my novels are set in a fictional town called Three Rivers, which is based loosely on my hometown, which was Norwich, Conneecticut. 

What are your thoughts on blogging, and other forms of social media?  I don’t blog (no time) but I have two Facebook pages, one personal and also a “fan” page. I also have a website (wallylamb.net) and a Twitter account.