Joanne Kukanza Easley: On Writing
My third novel, I’ll Be Seeing You, was recently released on my imprint, Red Boots Press. I had been published with a small press for my first two award-winning novels, Sweet Jane and Just One Look. While I am grateful for my start in the world of books, I felt it was time to put into practice what I’d learned over the past three years.
There are many options for self-publishing, from services that do it all to complete do-it-yourself. I chose the latter. True self-publishing requires time, dedication and the willingness to learn the process. It’s not for everyone. One of my concerns was formatting. There are excellent tools for this; I use Atticus because I work in Word. My talented cover designer, Erin Cronin Pearson, has brought my characters to life. She created a distinctive look for my covers, and this helped me in creating a brand: fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women.
My novels are set in the past, in the era before cell phones when instant communication didn’t exist, and people still wrote letters. While I rely on computer and cell phone technology, I still yearn for those long-ago days. I write about those times in the hope they are not forgotten.
Although my characters eventually triumph over tough circumstances, I put them through the wringer. That perseverance resonates with many readers—and not just women. Men have also enjoyed my novels. One of my favorite reviews on Amazon reads: Trust me, people. You don’t have to be of the feminine persuasion to love this story. Coming from one who’s dealt with family damaged by addiction, I can tell you this woman knows whereof she writes– and she writes it well. Give it a try. It’ll reach out and touch you. And as a bonus, the author has great taste in music. I can already hear the award-winning soundtrack if some adventurous producer is up to the challenge.
Alcoholism, suicide, death, infidelity, and miscarriage are some of the difficult themes I cover.
My latest novel, I’ll Be Seeing You, tells the story of Lauren Eaton, Sweet Jane’s AA sponsor, always secretive about her past and who promised to tell Jane her story one day. I loved the character of Lauren and thought long and hard on her story.
Sweet Jane and Just One Look will be re-released with Red Boots Press in late September
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A retired registered nurse with experience in both the cold, clinical operating room and the emotionally fraught world of psychiatric hospitals, Joanne lives on a small ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where she writes fiction about complicated, twentieth-century women. Her multi-award-winning debut, Sweet Jane, was named the adult fiction winner at the Texas Author Project and shortlisted for the Sarton Award and Eric Hoffer Award, among others. Just One Look, Joanne’s second novel, was a May 2022 Pulpwood Queen Book Club Pick. I’ll Be Seeing You, her third novel, features characters from Sweet Jane. Her prize-winning short stories and poetry have appeared in several anthologies.
You can follow Joanne here:
Joanne Kukanza Easley Books – BookBub
https://www.facebook.com/J.Easleywrites/
https://www.instagram.com/joanneeasleywriter/
https://joanneeasleyauthor.com/
Amazon.com: Joanne Kukanza Easley: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle
I’LL BE SEEING YOU
I’ll Be Seeing You-the new release from Joanne Kukanza Easley, the multi-award-winning author of Sweet Jane and Just One Look
A saga spanning five decades, I’ll Be Seeing You, explores one woman’s life, with and without alcohol to numb the pain.
Young Lauren knows she doesn’t want to be a ranch wife in Palo Pinto County, Texas. After she’s discovered by a modeling scout at the 1940 Fort Worth Stock Show Parade, she moves to Manhattan to begin her glamourous career. A setback ends her dream, and she drifts into alcohol dependence and promiscuity. By twenty-four, she’s been widowed and divorced, and has developed a pattern of fleeing her problems with geographical cures. Lauren’s last escape lands her in Austin, where, after ten chaotic years, she achieves lasting sobriety and starts a successful business, but happiness eludes her.
Fast forward to 1985. With a history of burning bridges and never looking back, Lauren is stunned when Brett, her third husband, resurfaces, wanting to reconcile after thirty-three years. The losses and regrets of the past engulf her, and she seeks the counsel of Jane, a long-time friend from AA. In the end, the choice is Lauren’s. What will she decide?
Advance Praise:
Joanne Kukanza Easley created a strong character in Lauren who had to learn her self-worth the hard way. I’ll Be Seeing You is a well-written, worthwhile read and would make a great Hallmark movie. Reviewed by Trudi LoPreto for Readers’ Favorite.
BUY HERE
Category: Contemporary Women Writers, On Writing
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