Be transported by a good book
This magazine, both here online and in its print version, focuses on places to go and things to do, and we feel that curling up with a good book satisfies both those requirements. Just think of the places you can go as you venture forth into the pages of a good book.
We are especially blessed in the Berkshires with a large community of very good writers. The five we present here represent different genres: a romance novel, a compilation of poems, children’s book, short stories from a mature writer, and a YA (Young Adult) novel. We hope you will discover enticing literary adventures among them.
We asked each author (actually, one is an illustrator) to answer six questions that, together, would give you a sense of what they do and why, and some behind-the-scenes secrets of their creative process. And if you find these interesting, please check out an earlier installment of this “Berkshire Reads” feature with six more writers.
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Willing: A Contemporary Romance
Leslie Noyes
Blender Publisher, 477 pp. | $14.95
First, let us introduce you to Leslie Noyes, a true right- and left-brain talent who lives at the north end of the Berkshires in Bennington, Vt. Not only is she a successful graphic designer (and the creative director of both The Berkshire Edge and this magazine), but she can write, too. Willing is her first novel.
Briefly, tell us what this book is about and what compelled you to write it.
I wanted to read stories that explore how motivations and passions shift as we age, and about the challenges of a career in the arts. Popular fiction for and about women who are over forty is an underserved market. As we age we are tempered by life, which makes us more complicated than ingenues, the usual protagonists of women’s fiction and romance. Entertaining novels about “older” heroines who aren’t mired in tragedy of some form, and have happy endings, are hard to find. So I wrote the novel I wanted to read.
The protagonist of Willing lives in a small college town like Williamstown or Bennington. Although Liz Silver is a wedding photographer, she has given up on love for herself. As the novel opens, Liz’s creative fire is burning out and she can’t figure out why. With her daughter in college, she tries to distract herself with short-term affairs. The men she sleeps with have enough “fatal flaws” not to tempt Liz into love. But her problem remains. Given an opportunity to leave frosty New England for a winter in the South, Liz heads for Coastal Georgia with her standard poodle, hoping a change of scenery will help to rekindle her spark. The marshy landscape is a subject of photographic interest, but her landlord Kit Couper is just as interesting. Soon, the mystery of her creative slump and her issues with love intersect, forcing Liz to decide whether risking her heart is the only way to reclaim her joyful creative life—and maybe love, too.
What did you have to do to get the book published and marketed?
It took me two years to write a query letter I liked. Writing one is harder than writing a novel! A couple of agents asked to see the manuscript but passed on it. I’d sent out only a dozen or so queries, making that an encouraging response. But I’d written a hybrid novel, and traditional publishing is rather rigid about stories fitting into conventional genres. Willing has a literary voice. Its theme is transformation, which would slot neatly into women’s fiction, except that the catalysts for Liz’s life-changing lessons are those men she takes to bed, pushing the story toward romance—if romance allowed more than one intimate partner per novel. I consider Willing to be a sexy story for thinking women—but that isn’t a genre.
Self-publishing appealed to me because I want to work on my next novel, not on querying, which is amazingly time consuming.
I did hire a P.R. firm specializing in fiction to help me get the word out about Willing. They’ve been a great help.
Tell us the most unusual place you’ve sat down to write.
I tend to write at a desk or sitting on the couch with my laptop. The couches and desks have been all over the place: Brooklyn, Vermont, Cape Cod, Coastal Georgia, and hotel rooms in between. I once did some writing sitting in the car on a Philadelphia street while I waited for my daughter to return from a meeting—that’s as unusual as my writing venues get.
Did anything about writing this book surprise you?
The entire process surprised me. First, I learned I’m not a fast writer. I write in quick bursts, but I will not be turning out a novel every six months because I’m a revisions maniac. The second surprise was that I have no idea what is in my head until I type it out. Sometimes I worry that I’ve already said every interesting thing I can offer. While not true, it is a nagging worry.
What’s your next project?
The next novel is about Arielle, Liz’s best friend. I like inverting tropes, and in Willing it’s the one about an older woman sleeping with a man half her age causing trouble. In Willing, nothing terrible comes of that tryst. For Arielle, the inverted trope is women who love too much. Youthful trauma made Arielle insular and distrustful of men. But when she falls and breaks a wrist, she is rescued by Jamie, who is great at rescuing others but not so great at rescuing himself. These two eventual lovers challenge each other to overcome pasts shaped by abuse. It won’t be clear sailing.
Do you have a guilty reading pleasure?
I’m a graphic designer and design is about solving visual puzzles, so I love other types of brain teasers like mystery novels. But my guilty pleasure is historical romance. Romance is the Cinderella of fiction, looked down upon by its lofty literary siblings. I do tend to be picky about quality. There are only a few romance authors I enjoy. One favorite is Loretta Chase. For me, she is the modern-day inheritor of Jane Austen’s mantle, although what Chase does that Jane couldn’t is include bedroom scenes in her stories. I will be doing some posts about well-written romance, both historical and contemporary, as well as about great genre hybrids. Anyone who is interested may follow me at LeslieNoyesAuthor on Instagram or Facebook, or learn more about me and Willing at LeslieNoyesAuthor.com.
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Driving through Paintings
Leslie Klein
Shanti Arts, 82 pp. | $12.95
We have a second Leslie—Leslie Klein—who is also an artist as well as a writer. A well-known sculptor who is founder and director of Clay Form Studios in West Stockbridge, Mass., this multi-talented Leslie offers Driving Through Paintings.
Briefly, tell us what this book is about and what compelled you to write it.
Driving Through Paintings is a compilation of poems that I have written over the years that I wanted to share.
It is part memoir—“Within these pages/the pulse of my life resides;” part ode to the natural world—“I believe in magic/I see it everywhere;” and part road trip through life experiences and landscapes that have inspired me—“Driving Through Paintings/of ribbon roads/and jasper fields.”
What did you have to do to get the book published and marketed?
I had read an article about Shanti Arts Press in a writing newsletter. As an artist, I thought their books were physically beautiful. I also resonated with the titles they were publishing. So, I submitted my manuscript, and was thrilled to have this book accepted. Working with the publisher was a lovely, creative collaboration.
Of course, the timing has been a challenge with COVID occurring just before the book was released. No in-person readings, book signings, etc. Yet, it is on the shelves at The Bookloft in Great Barrington, and Charles H. Baldwin & Sons, in West Stockbridge. It can be ordered from any of our local independent bookstores, as well as, online.
Tell us the most unusual place you’ve sat down to write.
I’ve written inside a tent, seated on a huge boulder, and quite often, in our van, where I keep a journal for those moments (as a passenger) when I am so inspired by the landscape, the experience of the day, or a memory that comes to mind, that I have to write.
Generally, I write at home, sitting on my couch or porch, with legal pad and pen in hand. This is when the bones of a poem are constructed. Later, I will sit at the computer to type, refine, and save.
Did anything about writing this book surprise you?
I would have to say that the realization of just how many poems I have written, touching on all aspects of life, was a surprise. I also didn’t expect to feel such depth of emotion from my words.
What’s your next project?
I do have another book of poetry I am working on. I also have two children/young adult books written, that have been on the back burner. I hope to put some energy into completing and submitting. A book on libraries is another on my wish list!
Do you have a guilty reading pleasure?
When I go to the hair salon, I like to read their magazines.
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We Love Fishing!
Ariel Bernstein, Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal
Simon & Schuster, 48 pp. | $17.99
We have included in our list Marc Rosenthal, based in Great Barrington, who is not an author but rather a New York Times best-selling illustrator of children’s books. Marc’s work gives us a chance to look at storytelling from the visual perspective. His latest book is We Love Fishing!, written by Ariel Bernstein. Perfect for the 4 to 8 year olds in your life, this book has been praised every bit as much for its illustrations as for its story.
Briefly, tell us what this book is about and what compelled you to write it.
This is a picture book for ages 4-8. It is about four animal friends: Bear, Otter, Porcupine and Squirrel. They all love fishing except squirrel, who is grumpy. Hijinks ensue. I decided to illustrate it because the story was so much fun.
What did you have to do to get the book published and marketed?
The publisher, Simon & Schuster came to me with the manuscript.
Tell us the most unusual place you’ve sat down to write.
I don’t know if it is unusual, but when I worked with my wife we would go to the local coffee bar (The books we worked on were: I Must Have Bobo, I’ll Save You Bobo, and Bobo the Sailor.
Did anything about writing this book surprise you?
It was challenging to have to illustrate a book that was almost entirely dialogue. I didn’t want it to look like a comic book.
What’s your next project?
There are several book ideas I am working on. Also, I am always open magazine illustrations.
Do you have a guilty reading pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is Science Fiction.
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Carrying a Torch and other Tales of Lust, Love, and Loss
Christopher Lukas
Texas A&M, University Press, 160 pp. | $18
Christopher “Kit” Lukas is not technically a Berkshirite, but he spent formative years here (he sang in the chorus at Tanglewood and studied conducting under Bernstein and Hugo Rose) and visits often enough to feel it’s like a second home. Kit started writing fiction in his 60s when, after a career as a television writer-director, he realized he would not be able to hold up a heavy video camera forever.
Now at the age of 86, he offers a collection of 25 short stories in Carrying A Torch. He has arranged his stories in three sections “Lust and Love,” “Love and Loss,” and “At Close of Day.” Although the stories are not linked by character or by action, the sections suggest a progression of human experience. We lust for what we wish to have, and, in the process discover love. And, having found love, we find also loss. The separation from love, both tragic and heroic, prepares us for our own “close of day.”
Briefly, tell us what this book is about and what compelled you to write it.
When I realized that I would not be able to hold up a heavy video camera for my whole life—I must have been 60 at that point—and pursue moving objects and people (as a writer-director for public and commercial tv), I thought, “Hey, my wife published three novels and a best-selling book about social work. I can do that.” I had already written and had published five non-fiction books, one of which has been in print for 30 years (SILENT GRIEF: Living in the Wake of Suicide) but I wanted to try fiction. Three novels later: not a scintilla of interest from publishers. Fifty short stories later: only a few bites from journals and magazines. Okay, I said, let’s put together 25 stories and make a BOOK!
The stories are diverse, but they all have one thing in common: whether they’re downbeat or hopeful, full of lust or love, generous or selfish, the characters in these stories are all born from my life and my personality. This may not be obvious to those who don’t know me, but the writers’ group which I helped form ten years ago (with Joan Konner, dean of the Columbia University School of Journalism) has helped me steer clear of parallels that are too obvious, and search for greater meaning in my work. It has been a fascinating journey.
What did you have to do to get the book published and marketed?
I did the only thing one can do: sent the manuscripts to university publishers and to potential agents. Then, out of the blue came an offer to publish from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I was pleased by the discussion I had with the editor-publisher, and here we are. It’s April 3rd as I write, and CARRYING A TORCH was published on April 1st of this year. Marketing is another matter, and I will have to learn—at 86 years of age—how to do that! Maybe the 800 email addresses I have from telling people about my TV shows will help.
Tell us the most unusual place you’ve sat down to write.
I have always written at the computer. My brilliant wife told me to let my fingers and my unconscious do the work, and to be consistent.
Did anything about writing this book surprise you?
As I worked, I tried to get deeper into my own psyche. In my novels I had a plot, but not much psychology. I found I could go deeper in these very personal short stories. What puzzles me is that despite the fact that—from the 5th grade on—I played the flute, guitar, and piano; that I sang in the chorus at Tanglewood (and studied conducting under Bernstein and Hugh Ross) there is scarcely a hint of music in these stories! Perhaps I wanted to keep that to myself!
What’s your next project?
One or two of the stories in this book are experimental in style and nature. I’m now working on a series of stories that are all out of the box. Time is out of joint; people are out of joint; The world is wild and unpredictable.
Do you have a guilty reading pleasure?
Old books that I read as a student 70 years ago; they now have a different ring to them. The Times’ crossword puzzles every day; you have to read them to work them.
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Hardly Easy
Kimberley Jochl
Wilfred Lee Books, 216 pp. | $15.99
Another author on a fascinating journey is Kimberley Jochl, a Berkshire County native (Lee, Mass.) who grew up in the 1970s and 80s racing down the ski slopes of Otis Ridge, Bousquet, Butternut and Jiminy Peak. Then, she and her twin sister spent nearly a decade (1980s and 90s) competing on the United States Alpine Ski team. Somewhere in this period, she also became an aviatrix and turned her love of flying into two non-fiction narratives called The Aviatrix: Fly Like a Girl and Fly Baby: The Story of an American Girl.
Now this Berkshire-born and –bred adventurer has written an equally adventurous Young Adult novel, Hardly Easy, about a young girl who aspires to fly on and off carriers.
Briefly, tell us what this book is about and what compelled you to write it.
I am an aviator and when The Appalachian Aviatrixes, the local chapter of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, to which I belong, hosted a Girl Scouts Fun Patch Day, I realized there are not many YA books written about aviation from the point of view of a young adult.
Hardly Easy is my effort to fill that gap. In the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Charlotte Henson fell in love with flying on her twelfth birthday, when her uncle took her and her twin sister Anastasia up in his single-engine biplane. Now that she’s sixteen, Charlotte is old enough to take flying lessons, even though her father forbids it. Behind his back, she conspires with Anastasia and recruits her mother to aid in her efforts to earn a pilot’s license.
She enrolls in her high school’s aviation class and gets a job at the local municipal airport, where she charms the staff with her work ethic and positive spunk. There she befriends McQueen, a hot-looking pilot and aviation mechanic who is also a star athlete at Charlotte’s school.
Flight training is exhilarating but intense, challenging Charlotte’s steely determination and making her doubt she has what it takes to become a Navy pilot. When Charlotte takes her friends flying and calamity occurs, she must use all she has learned to save their lives and prove to everyone, even herself, that her dream to fly is worth fighting for.
Hardly Easy is a story about inspiring and empowering teenagers to follow their dreams, especially when stepping outside their comfort zone might feel like stepping off a cliff.
What did you have to do to get the book published and marketed?
To get published, endlessly with high hopes and unwavering passion, I submitted queries to agents. With no luck, I turned to Ingram Spark and self-published. Throughout my writing career (since 2013) I have been gathering press, media, aviation, academic, and any other appropriate group contacts to build a press release/eblast database. I continue to promote the book via press releases and eblasts. Reader endorsements and reviews are a key component to garnering attention for Hardly Easy. I maintain a website and solicit media outlets to help promote the book. I also reach out to schools’ STEM and creative writing class teachers and give away books to encourage readership and awareness.
Tell us the most unusual place you’ve sat down to write.
In an airplane.
Did anything about writing this book surprise you?
The way the story flowed and the cohesiveness of the characters.
What’s your next project?
My next project is a sequel to Hardly Easy.
Do you have a guilty reading pleasure?
I enjoy reading children’s books that are mischievous and contain humor, like The Library Lion.
