Therese Fowler has believed in the magic of a good story since she learned to read at the age of four. At age thirty, as a newly single parent, she put herself into college, earning a degree in sociology before deciding to scratch her longtime fiction-writing itch. That led to an MFA in creative writing, and the composition of stories that explore the nature of our families, our culture, our mistakes, and our desires. Four years have passed since I wrote what would become my first published novel, Souvenir. My aim with that book was to take Toni Morrison’s advice and “write to fill a space on the shelf that is presently empty.”
I’d just earned an MFA in creative writing, and had been writing long enough by then to understand that my particular identity on the page was something like Dickens’ with a dash or two (or three) of Jane Austen for good measure—but contemporary, relevant to our times rather than theirs.
That being the case, I aimed to fill a space on the shelf somewhere in the middle of an imaginary triangulation of Jodi Picoult, Anna Quindlen, and Nicholas Sparks. In doing so, I hoped I could be true to myself while offering readers something they weren’t getting elsewhere.
As a reader, I seem to gravitate toward books that offer that blend of familiar and fresh. Strong stories, written well, with unique perspectives. It was a real pleasure to read several like this over the past year. Here are a few that stood out for me:
A brilliant debut novel with a meta-fiction angle and a nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Fantastic, engaging story about the Nigerian refugee experience in Britain, but not a bit didactic.
Clever, odd, entertaining—and an NBCC award winner too.
About the bizarre world of domestic adoption—it’s also a debut, which I had the pleasure of endorsing.
Engrossing tale of Frank Lloyd Wright’s married lover and their scandalous early 1900s affair.
A bizarre memoir; hard to believe Walls came out of her childhood not only intact but successful.
As 2011 approaches, I’m looking forward to discovering new standout books—and to the release of my third novel, Exposure, on May 3rd. As with Dickens and Austen (and many other authors), I mine my personal experiences for story inspiration. Never more so, however, than with this novel, which arises from a situation my son and our family endured in 2009. Exposure’s themes are universal (it’s a love story and social commentary and family drama) but its premise is very current: sexting, and teens.
I doubt that Toni Morrison has ever heard of me. Even so, as I ring in 2011, I’ll be celebrating her advice not only for the way it has shaped my career as a novelist, but also for the other books she will have inspired—which I hope it will be my pleasure to read.
Coming out in May, 2011:
Amelia Wilkes’ strict father does not allow her to date, but that doesn’t stop the talented, winsome high school senior from carrying on a secret romance with her classmate, Anthony Winter. Desperately in love, the two envision a life together and plan to tell Amelia’s parents when she turns eighteen and is legally an adult. Anthony’s mother, Kim Winter, who teaches at their school, knows—and keeps—their secret. But the couple’s passion is exposed sooner than planned: Amelia’s father, Harlan, is shocked and infuriated to find naked pictures of Anthony on his daughter’s computer. Just hours later, Anthony is arrested.
Despite Amelia’s frantic protests, Harlan uses his wealth and influence with local law enforcement and the media to label Anthony a deviant who preyed on his innocent daughter. Spearheaded by a zealous prosecutor anxious to turn the case into a public crusade against “sexting,” the investigation soon takes an even more disturbing and destructive turn.
As events spiral wildly out of control and the scandalous story makes national news, Amelia and Anthony risk everything in a bold and dangerous plan to clear their names and end the madness once and for all.
A captivating page-turner, Therese Fowler’s Exposure is also a deftly crafted, provocative, and timely novel that serves as a haunting allegory of the consequences of love in the modern age.
Check out Therese's other novels:
Meg Powell and Carson McKay were raised side by side on their families’ farms, bonded by a love that only deepened as they grew. Everyone in their small rural community in northern Florida thought that Meg and Carson would always be together. But at twenty-one, Meg was presented with a marriage proposal she could not refuse, forever changing the course of her life.
Seventeen years later, Meg’s marriage has become routine, and she spends her time juggling the demands of her medical practice, the needs of her widowed father, and the whims of her rebellious teenage daughter, Savannah, who is confronting her burgeoning sexuality in a dangerous manner and pushing her mother away just when she needs her most. Then, after a long absence, Carson returns home to prepare for his wedding to a younger woman. As Carson struggles to determine where his heart and future lie, Meg makes a shocking discovery that will upset the balance of everyone around her.
Celebrity talk show host Blue Reynolds is the queen of daytime television—she is smart, funny, and as down-to-earth as her adoring fans. In the eyes of the world, she has it all. But no one knows about the secret she has harbored for the last twenty years—a secret that could destroy her image, her reputation, and her career. Twenty years ago, she gave birth to a son and put him up for adoption through illegal channels. And every day since, she’s been filled with regret. Now Blue has hired a private investigator to find her son, knowing full well the consequences.
A week in Key West to do her show on location brings Blue a much-needed change of pace—and an unexpected reunion with an old flame, Mitch Forrester. Helping him launch a television series may help her recapture the kind of genuine romance and affection long missing from her life. But it also means having to deal with Mitch’s disapproving son, Julian, who is only nine years younger than Blue. Emotionally battered from his years as a war photographer in the world’s most dangerous hotspots, Julian struggles to get close to his father while making his disdain for Blue crystal clear—which makes his desire for her all the more shocking.
1 comment:
What a great post!
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