So sorry this is late--my computer wasn't cooperating when I tried to post this earlier. Be sure to enter the giveaway before it ends tonight.
Q: WHERE DID
THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS STORY COME FROM?
My
real life experience. As my mother lay in her hospital bed in an end-of-life
morphine coma, a physician walked in the door, holding a clipboard. In a loud
voice, he asked, “I need to ask you a few questions about your mother’s wishes,
when it comes to life support.” She was merely feet away. I grabbed his arm,
and whispered, “Can we do this out in the hallway.” He stared back and sniffed,
“She can’t hear us.” I pushed him out of the door anyway.
In
short, the kernel of the idea stems back to her death in 1990, when she died
from complications after suffering from 4th stage multiple myeloma for seven
months and egregious ravages to her physical body thanks to western medicine. I
was dogged by the question, when she was in and out of consciousness: Where is
her spirit?
The
can of worms was opened, and the story was in the making. Over the next two
decades, I allowed the story to unfold organically. It wasn’t until March of
2007, that I actually attended a writer’s retreat in a remote area of
Washington State to formally start tying the novel together, allowing the
characters to tell me who they were and from then on, writing daily to allow
the plot to unfold. I finished the first draft on November 7, 2007 at 3:33 a.m.
Q: WITH A PLOT
WHICH REQUIRES SO MUCH MEDICAL AND RELIGIOUS SPECIFICITY, HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT
RESEARCHING FOR THIS NOVEL?
Much
of the story had to be vetted for authenticity. I handpicked experts with whom
I consulted about the development of the plot. A trauma physician,
neurosurgeon, head of palliative care at a Catholic hospital, an organ donor
representative, and ICU nurse helped bring me up to speed on the culture and
issues surrounding the medical portions of the book. None of them had ever had
a case similar to Jude’s so they were forced to go into that unchartered
territory of having a pregnant patient in a vegetative state. It made for
lively discussions.
A
family court judge, a lawyer, as well as a detective of police vetted the legal
aspects of Bluff, especially addressing the issues of guardianship and
paternity in such a unique case. I spoke extensively with rape counselors and
psychologists about the validity of the effects of rape on the victim, as well
as the motives and mindset of a rapist. That was crucial in lending validity.
Finally,
I interviewed a bioethicist and Catholic priest about the Church’s fine-line
position on life after death and the continuance of life support. All in all,
these experts, along with my own research, made the novel much more credible.
Q: WERE THE
CHARACTERS BASED ON REAL PEOPLE? WHO DID YOU PERSONALLY ENJOY THE MOST?
To
an extent, all characters we novelists conjure up are based on real people, or
at the very least, aspects of certain people. That said, I knew Jude, first. In
a way, I have always known Jude. Her morbid nature and morose look on life was
part of my own nature many years ago. Much of her inner dialogue is real for
me, and her relationship with her mother, an alcoholic, was drawn from my own
experiences, of course in an exaggerated form.
Mary
Shannon was modeled, in part, after my mother’s primary care nurse on the
oncology floor. She was a brusque, almost cold woman, with a level of
proficiency that kept my mother comfortable throughout her stays, so much so,
that my mother preferred to be in her ward because she felt safe. Safer than at
home, quite frankly. I drew upon that and wanted to build a back story for the
character that would make her likeable.
Paul
started off as a configuration of several men, but when it came to writing the
rape scene and explaining his motivations, I admit, it was the hardest portion
for me. I wanted to make it believable, but harbored a growing hatred for this
character. I had to really focus in order to write that scene.
Frances
is actually my mother’s legal name, and in many ways, she exemplifies how my
mother viewed herself, but in reality, she was more like Gay, an alcoholic
prone to unreasonable outbursts but in essence a sensitive, loving soul who was
tormented by her past. Unlike Gay, however, she was a nurturing, devoted mother
who defined herself by her children.
As
far as my personal preference, I honestly don’t have a favorite because they
all represent some aspect of me, the good, the bad and the ugly.
Q: DID YOUR
RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING AFFECT THIS BOOK?
Absolutely.
I was raised Roman Catholic, capital R, capital C, which is perhaps why both
Frances and Jude are Catholic because they represent my own internal struggle
with the faith. Frances is devout and Jude is fallen. The setting at the
Catholic hospital was pivotal to the plot development and obviously, to the
ending. While I no longer practice the faith, I am extremely driven by the
exploration and understanding of spiritual, and even religious, issues. Because
of that, I truly wanted to explore the idea of having my protagonist be in an
altered state throughout the entire novel. Through this, she analyzes and makes
peace with her life, the horrible and the selfish, and basically has her own
cleansing before she dies. In a sense, the metaphor of death and rebirth is a
main theme of this book—a theme crucial to Catholicism by the resurrection of
Christ.
Q: THE ISSUE OF
LESBIANISM COMES UP IN THE BOOK, SINCE JUDE IS A CLOSETED GAY WOMAN. DID YOU
INTEND FOR THIS BOOK TO BE PART OF THE GLBT GENRE?
No,
that’s not its intent because Jude isn’t a whole or fully developed depiction
of a gay character. Her sexual preference was only revealed to me as I further
developed the plot. She was not intended to be gay, just misunderstood. It was
while I was fleshing out the details of her hidden pregnancy, that Jude spoke
to me and basically said, “You know, I’m gay.” Which cracked me up because she
was so good at hiding it, even me, the person who invented her didn’t know. I
don’t want to say her sexual orientation was a footnote to her character—it
wasn’t. But she viewed it as she did all the other factors that shaped her.
(For example, being a fatherless child, the daughter of an alcoholic, and
someone suffering from clinical depression.) Her sexual orientation was yet
another thing to alienate rather than engender herself to society. For this
very reason, I don’t view this novel as being classified in any genre that is
topic specific, such as GLBT. No more so than being a book for adult children
of alcoholics, manic-depressives, fatherless children, Catholics, coma
patients, rapists or those who cheat on their spouses.
Q: THE SCENES
TOWARD THE END OF THE BOOK ARE JARRING, TO SAY THE LEAST. WHY DID YOU FEEL IT
NECESSARY TO CONCLUDE THE BOOK IN SUCH AN INTENSE AND EMOTIONAL WAY?
The
ending is crucial, even cruel, but constructed with purposeful intent. I wanted
it to be jarring. The ending, and I define that as the last third of the second
part, ushers in justice. There had to be consequences for actions, and this is
how it all plays out. Those who have been hiding damaging secrets must
revealed. I knew all along, well before I worked out all the plot details, that
this would be how the novel ended. In my mind, there was no other resolution.
The only two who aren’t forced to face their punishment are Frances and Paul.
But as Jude alludes, Bluff might not be the end of their stories.
Q: THERE ARE
MANY LIFE LESSONS AND HEAVY THEMES IN BLUFF, WHAT IS YOUR HOPE FOR YOUR READERS
WHEN THEY PUT IT DOWN?
My
burning desire is for them to reexamine their own beliefs about death and life.
As an inescapable truth facing us all, death is an uncomfortable topic. If you
have watched the most important people in your life die like I have, it seems
we are gypping ourselves by not discussing it. End of life issues and whether
or not the soul exists, are just the tip of the iceberg in this book. The much
larger discussion is about life. Judgment and petty differences only prevent us
from honoring each other and respecting choices. How we live our lives
individually and collectively is a daily decision. And lying on our deathbeds
may not be the best place to evaluate that.
About the
Author
Lenore Skomal is the author of the
recently released novel Bluff. As an author, Lenore wants you to eat her books.
She wants you to chew them in your teeth, savor them on your tongue, breathe
them in, and feel her words in your skin. Her passionate desire is to touch
your heart, inspire you, and luxuriate in the world of the written word. Winner
of multiple awards for blogging, literature, biography and humor, Lenore
Skomal’s catalogue spans many genres. With 30 years of writing experience, over
17 books published and a daily blog, the consistent themes in her work are the
big issues the human experience and adding depth and voice to the intricacies
involved in living a multi-dimensional existence. www.LenoreSkomal.com
Synopsis:
To the
medical world, I was a host body, surviving only to bring a new life into the
world. And while I wanted to die more than anything in the world, I never
wanted this. No, I never wanted to cease to exist. This was the worst death of
all.
Jude Black lives in that
in-between, twilight place teetering on death but clinging to life in order to
bring her baby into this world. Only she knows the circumstances surrounding
her mysterious fall off the bluff that landed her in the hospital being kept
alive by medical intervention. Only she knows who the father of her baby is. In
this poignantly crafted literary novel, the mystery unfolds and the suspense
builds as the consequences of Jude’s decisions threaten to reveal everyone's
deceptions, even her own. Bluff offers a sensitive look at essential questions
such as the value of human life, the consciousness of those in a coma and the
morality of terminating life support. At the core is the story of a tragically
misunderstood woman who finds peace, acceptance, understanding and even love on
her deathbed.
Purchase Links:
Kindle
Edition: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095YE65M/
Paperback
Edition: http://www.amazon.com/Bluff-Lenore-Skomal/dp/147819247X
Thanks, Ruth, for posting this Q&A. I reread it and reminded me of the many reasons why I wrote this book. I appreciate your venue and allowing me the space to share. Blessings back on you. Lenore Skomal
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