Friday, April 1, 2011

Fridays off the Wall with Vanessa Barger

Today, I'm hosting fellow Astraea author, Vanessa Barger. Her most recent book is called Into the Ether


As a Touch-Know, Genevieve has never been required to steal more than a few paltry coins. But when a powerful stranger requires their help, her family of street-wise thieves sends her to get the most important thing they've ever decided to liberate. It was supposed to be a simple overnight job. Instead, Genevieve is required to appear attached to her mark, the curator of the British Museum. For Genevieve it becomes more than an act, and her problems are far more significant than the possibility of her lies being discovered.

When her family betrays her, she must make an important choice – turn to the man who has destroyed everything she holds dear, or strike out on her own.



Joselyn: Sounds fascinating.  I love anything related to museums. Who would you cast as the main characters in a movie of Into the Ether?

Vanessa: Oooo. I love these questions. Terry would be Alex Pettyfer, Gennie would be Lily Collins.

Joselyn:   What is the most unexpected thing that has happened in one of your books?  As in you didn’t expect it to happen until you wrote it?

Vanessa: Well, there are two. One is in Into the Ether. There’s a death in the book of a character I liked very much, and I hadn’t really planned it. It just sort of presented itself, and there was no way I could see that I didn’t become necessary because of other things I’d done.

In one I just recently finished, I knew from the beginning how I wanted the ending to go (This is very unusual for me. Usually I only have a vague idea of what will happen at the end). Then I wrote it and my characters took it in a whole different direction. Like I sat back after finished one chapter and did a “What the heck?” And it became necessary for my heroine to do something really unusual. I wouldn’t call it bad, but it made the ending much darker than I originally intended. But I like it.

Joselyn:   What one thing would make your writing space perfect?

Vanessa: A maid. Lol. My writing space is organized chaos (my roommate says its just plan chaos…) But in reality, I want a big desk. One with lots of space, because I have tons of knick nacks. A wood turned writing set Dad made me for my Masters graduation, Pain and Panic (appropriate, right?) beanies, William Shakespeare action figure (can you tell my friends are supporting my hobby?) those kinds of things. So I need lots of space to actually work, and even more to fill with crap.  Lol. I also need to get the rest of the room organized. Bad.

Joselyn:  I love the William Shakespeare action figure.  How cool. What author would you be delighted to be compared to (in a positive way, of course)? Is this your favorite author?

Vanessa: Anyone who’s recognizable? Lol. Besides hemingway. The Old Man and The Sea will always be a book about going fishing. (Sorry Hemingway fans). But in reality, Bill Bryson or Katie MacAlister. I love those two!

Joselyn: I have similar memories of Hemingway and The Old Man and The Sea.  We watched the movie in class and one kid repeated the line "My hand! My hand!" for several months afterward. When the power goes out, what do you do? (Cell phone service is out too.)

Vanessa: Cell phone service being out isn’t that unusual for me. Did I mention I live in the middle of nowhere?  Power is a little different. If its daylight, I read or write long hand. Play board games. Clean. Well, maybe the last one is only during times of extreme boredom. If its night, we light candles, still play games, and maybe cheat and pull out laptops until the battery dies. Generally, I don’t sleep , because when the power goes out at my house, there’s usually a huge storm and I’m worried that we’ll get flooded in or something.

You can find Into the Ether and Vanessa's other books at: 



If you would like to learn more about Vanessa, you can contact her at:

twitter: grumbles13




6 comments:

  1. Thanks for interviewing me! it was a blast!

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  2. Great interview ladies! Ohh, Shakespeare action figure? Sweet (LOL). Okay, yeah, I'm kind of a dork...

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  3. Nice interview, ladies. I know what you mean by organized chaos. It perfectly describes my work space.

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  4. Great interview!

    Don;t you just love when you're writing then sudenly BAM, it changes course. LOL

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  5. I totally want the Shakespeare action figure. I have a librarian that shushes, but a Shakespeare one would be cool.

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