Authors Interviewing Characters: Jody Paschal

GROOMED

Set during the early days of the global pandemic and at the height of the #MeToo movement, GROOMED follows Myles “Mylo” Gunn, a middle-aged man on the cusp of his 50th birthday. With little more than an endless news cycle of global horror and his thoughts to mark the passing days, Mylo finds himself confronted with trauma of his past after watching a news exposé about an older politician grooming and later marrying a teenager.

The exposé is uncomfortably familiar as Mylo realizes that he, too, was a victim of grooming, lured into a marriage by an older woman. This revelation sets Mylo down a path of self discovery that is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. As his deep dive into the past guides him towards an unexpected future, Mylo unearths the trauma he’s kept buried for decades, finally confronting the damage his predatory wife left in her wake.

Part coming-of-age story, part biting social commentary filled with uncomfortable truths, GROOMED gives voice to the young boys and adolescents whose stories go unheard, holding to account the predators that target them and a society that fails to protect them.

The following is an interview with the Author and Petra.

Author: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Petra. I promise not to take too much time away from your office cleaning.

Petra: It’s my pleasure. Mr. Mylo tell me you’re a writer and want to talk to me. You make me sound respectable, no?  I’m beautiful, but my English is not so good-looking. 

Author: I promise to do my best, Petra. So, you’re originally from Honduras. Tell me, do you feel seen working here in the U.S.?

Petra: Oye mira, I see everything in the office. Mr. Mylo and Chris only know I speak English. Everyone else, they don’t know. They write “basura” and say “gracias” when I clean sometimes. But I see. I understand. Everyone has a good side and a backslide, no? That’s what I need to see. Mr. Mylo’s very nice. What you call a big heart person. Very estricto, but he want good for everyone. Mr. Mylo tell me to take English classes because he sees Petra. Mr. Mylo no want me good, but excelente. God show me who see me. So I talk to Mr. Mylo like my familia because God let him see me.

Author: What did you do for a living before you moved to the U.S.?

Petra: I was a nurse in Honduras. But that is not what I want to do. I wanted first to fix cars with my older brother. Growing up, I wanted to do everything Javi did. I was Tom like a boy. But mi madre said I had to be a nurse. She said it was like being a mechanic for people. So, I become a nurse. Being a nurse was like a telenovela. Always drama everywhere. But cars don’t talk. Now, I help my husband fix cars. He owns an auto shop, and I work there when I’m not cleaning here.

Author: How did you meet your husband?

Petra: I met Emilio in Honduras. He’s the only boyfriend I ever had. He was good friends with my older brother, Javi. I hang out with Javi and Emilio, fixing cars and arguing about fútbol. Javi’s other friends treat me like little girl not good enough to know about cars. But Emilio help teach me and call the other guys bucket heads. God let Emilio see me, so I marry him and move to America. We have two boys who give me gray hairs and eyes like potatoes. My sons complain always about my cooking. I like to make, how you call, delicacy from back home. But my boys are American and don’t know about the good food. I try to get them talking one mile in my food, then my husband brings home pizza. 

Author: I understand you recently became an American citizen. Congratulations! What else would you like to accomplish now that you’re an American?

Petra: Thank you. You show me how to make apple pie now that I’m a citizen, no? So what I want to do now… I love pretty words. They make you breastless and grab for the air. The pretty words make the eyes better, you know. People see you when you use nice words. That’s why I learn to use the nice words in English. I want my English to help the people see beautiful, spicy, and smart. See the smile in hearts. When I pass all my ESL tests, maybe I become a writer like you. Make people see the world better instead of going to eye doctor. I want to make my words medicine.

Author: That’s a beautiful goal. I think you’d make a fantastic writer. Well, Petra, our time is up. Thank you for talking with me. You’re delightful.

Petra: Thank you for listening to me. I hope I don’t talk too much. I bother Mr. Mylo when I sing too much at work. I don’t want to talk like I sing. Mr. Mylo tell me I sing in cursive with broken fingers. I tell Mr. Mylo to get Band-Aids for his ears because, in my country, the angels beg to hear my voice. He tells me to stop listening to hell’s angels and get back to work. I don’t want my words to break your fingers, so I get back to work. You make me sound respectable, yes?

Author: You won’t need my help for that, Petra. You’re one of the most respectable women I’ve interviewed. It’s been an honor.

BUY GROOMED HERE

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JODY PASCHAL  is a first-time novelist addicted to storytelling and sarcasm. With a soft spot for underdogs, existentialism, and making people feel seen, Jody penned her debut novel, Groomed—a dark comedy, coming of age story that exposes the messiness of trauma, self-discovery and the resilience it takes to reclaim one’s sense of self. When she’s not reconciling being raised in the middle of nowhere by a family of airhorns, you’ll find Jody consulting, creating to-do lists, and finding humor in life’s clutter.

Connect with Jody Paschal on Instagram @jody_paschal_author.

Category: On Writing