Interviews

Rowena Leong Singer Rowena Leong Singer was the Grand Prize Winner of the Literary category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, All Manner of Beasts. I consider myself a pretty well-versed WWII history buff---my grandfather was a bomber pilot who only survived through the bravery of French Resistance workers---so the period has a special place in my family's heart. But to be completely honest, when I first came across All Manner of Beasts, I realized that there was a huge gap in my knowledge with regards to Japan's occupation of Manila (where the novel is set). And I would imagine that I'm not alone in that. That in mind, besides just being an incredibly well-written piece of fiction, Beasts will undoubtedly be a vital educational tool for every single person who reads it. So, first and foremost: thank you for writing this. You're doing the world an incredible…

Shannon Hembree Shannon Hembree was the Grand Prize Winner of the Young Adult category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, The Only Thing We Have to Fear. The YA psychological thriller genre is one that, admittedly, is a bit oversaturated at the moment. I’ve read a lot of them at this point, so I definitely know what to expect…which is why I was overjoyed when I came across your piece, The Only Thing We Have to Fear. You truly achieved something remarkable with this---you managed to provide a fresh plot twist on a teen kidnapping saga, while still remaining true to the beloved tonal tropes of that subgenre. Furthermore, your writing is gripping, highly entertaining, and compulsively readable. Can you talk a little bit about the genesis of the premise for The Only Thing We Have to Fear? Were these aforementioned marketplace trends on your mind when you were…

Victoria Morsell Victoria Morsell was the Grand Prize Winner of the Mystery/Thriller category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, Awful Necessary Things. I'm an absolute sucker for bleak, slow-burn thrillers set amidst a highly dysfunctional family dynamic. So, it shouldn't come as a shock that I fell absolutely head over heels for Awful Necessary Things---which, by the way, is full-stop one of the best titles for a novel, ever. Can you talk a little bit about where the inspiration for the narrative came from? What made you want to explore the machinations of familial discord through such a particular genre lens? Wow, thank you! What an amazing compliment. And I’m so happy you like my title. I’ve always been fascinated by family dynamics and especially difficult relationships that are bound together by a fierce sense of loyalty. There is a push and pull that is really…

Penny Berman Penny Berman was the Grand Prize Winner of the Middle Grade category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, The Odiferous Destiny of Alexander Sparks. In my opinion, probably the most important trait for a brand-new author/novel to possess is an undeniably compelling voice---ESPECIALLY if you're writing for younger audiences. Other things, like structure, can be taught/fixed. But a commanding voice? You either have it or you don't. And by goodness gracious, do you have it, Penny. A thousand fold. And in your debut novel, no less! How did you go about developing the one-of-a-kind voice that is shot through the entirety of The Odiferous Destiny of Alexander Sparks? Specifically, what were some of your character points-of-inspiration for Alexander? Thank you for those kind words! Alexander’s voice was inspired by my father who’d managed to survive The Great Depression, WWII, and having two teenagers in the…

Claire Creely Claire Creely was the Grand Prize Winner of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, They Called Her Wild. They Called Her Wild is one of the most creative pieces I've had the pleasure of reading in a long while---an incredibly ambitious, emotionally complex, and contemporary feminist retelling of the Selkie myth. Despite my Irish & Scottish heritage, I'm ashamed to admit that I had...absolutely no idea what a Selkie was. What inspired you to take on reinventing this piece of mythology, and what do you hope that readers will ultimately take away from it? Thank you! Same---I didn’t know about Selkies until I was researching Irish folklore for my Master’s thesis in 2015. I spent a lot of time digging through old books in the college library searching for folktales. I found a few I loved; the Selkie myth was not one…

Melissa Duge Spiers Melissa Duge Spiers was the Grand Prize Winner of the Nonfiction category in the 2021 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her memoir, The Glory Whole. After an introduction from Pipeline, Melissa signed with Dani Segelbaum of the Carol Mann Agency. With The Glory Whole, you managed quite the feat—the piece masterfully weaves a poignant coming-of-age story amidst a horrifying exposé of the Seventh-Day Adventist church, which you grew up in. Most memoirists wouldn’t dare attempt to do both simultaneously, let alone execute as well as you did. The Glory Whole is unsettling, hilarious, and touching all at once. In case you didn’t realize—I’m a huge fan. I’m curious, given the extremely personal nature of the writing, how difficult was the revision process? How were you able to effectively “detach” emotionally and look at the piece through an objective (as much as possible, anyway) editing lens? Oh my goodness, thank you! I don't know how…

Jocelyn Rish Jocelyn Rish was the Grand Prize Winner of the YA category in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, The Drama Queen Who Cried Wolf.  Something that stuck out to us immediately upon reading The Drama Queen Who Cried Wolf was its unmistakable voice. It’s funny, charming, and never once outstays its welcome, while also not forgetting to keep the story moving forward—a must in a murder mystery. A comparison that instantly came to mind was Veronica Mars. How did you find balancing such voice-driven prose in a typically “plot-driven” genre like murder-mystery, and when were you confident that you had nailed it? Ha – are writers ever confident they’ve nailed something? But your description of the voice is definitely a boost in that confidence, since being compared to Veronica Mars is awesome! I’ve been working on Drama Queen on and off since I wrote the…

Vimi Bajaj Vimi Bajaj was the Grand Prize Winner of the Literary category in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, Vermilion.  Set against the backdrop of modern India, Vermilion is a sweeping piece of literary fiction that dissects archaic social inequities and violence against women. It’s truly breathtaking work—your prose is absolutely gorgeous, and the subject matter is incredibly timely and relevant to today’s society. Especially in the post #MeToo era, how important was it to you for Vermilion to shed light on these topics—especially through the lens of a culture where they are so often ignored? Thank you so much for your encouraging words about my work! As far back as I can remember, I have been fired up by both the obvious and more subtle ways that inequalities between the sexes are endured, promoted and strengthened in India and among the diaspora. From commonplace 'eve…

Ari Halevy Ari Halevy was the Grand Prize Winner of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy category in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with his novel, Heretical.  Sanctum, the dystopian, caste system-divided setting of Heretical, is incredibly complex and immersive. On the surface, it seems like it could run the risk of being too difficult to digest. Yet, at no point did we feel like the mythology outweighed the narrative itself---an incredible, not-often achieved feat in the high fantasy genre, and a testament to your skill as a writer. It’s doubly remarkable when you take into account that this is your first novel. What made you want to tackle such an intricate subject in your first attempt at being an author? In many ways, the story I wanted to tell required me to leave my comfort zone. I’ve always been an avid reader of fantasy books, but the sheer scope they entail felt…

Laura Picklesimer Laura Picklesimer was the Grand Prize Winner of the Mystery/Thriller category in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished season with her novel, Kill for Love.  Kill for Love is a phenomenally executed high-wire act with regards to tone and voice. As a blend of pulpy, Tarantino-esque violence and biting, darkly-comedic social satire, it’s one of those pieces that feels like it could just fall apart at the seams at any moment. But you thread that needle with such precision. What were your biggest inspirational touchstones when creating Kill for Love, and how do you think you avoided the pitfalls most writers encounter when trying to craft such a tricky-to-achieve tone? Kill for Love began as a brief exercise in a writing workshop. We were asked to try on a particular voice from a well-known book. I chose Patrick Bateman in American Psycho, but I thought it would be fun…