You never know what we'll churn up in cleaning a stall
Nita didn’t tell him much about her family. She knew he’d like her younger sister.
Have you ever been thrown into a social situation you knew little about – but that changed your life? The kind where the door just opened for you?
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In my novel What’s Left, Cassia’s extended family revolves around a big Victorian house, one that’s undergone extensive restoration.
Do you ever dream of living in a big old house? What most attracts you?
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The hippie movement brought tensions to the family before Cassia’s future father showed up on the scene. He had no idea he never would have been welcomed by everyone even a year or two earlier, much less encouraged to stay.
Have you ever been welcomed in a situation where timing was everything?
In my novel What’s Left, they aren’t a typical Greek-American family. Not exactly. But they’re not like Cassia’s classmates’ homes, either.
How would you say yours differs from a “normal” family?
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After playing a central role in two previous novels, Nita returns in What’s Left, where she develops a special bond with her niece, once Cassia reaches adolescence.
When you were younger, was there an adult you admired who never looked down to you because you were “just a kid”?
Cassia, the voice of my novel What’s Left, is more formally named Acacia. I think it fits her to a T.
Are there any combinations of first name and diminutive or nickname in your circles you especially like?
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In my novel What’s Left, Cassia’s family turns an old church into a hot music center. It seemed like a natural extension from their restaurant.
Where do you go to hear live music?
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In my novel What’s Left, Cassia’s father is from Davenport, Iowa. Maybe via Tibet, in a way. And later, Cassia makes her own move.
What’s your biggest relocation been from your own hometown?
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The skills Aristotle gains in the shipyard in the old country allow him to navigate through a lifetime in my novel What’s Left.
What did your grandfathers do for a living?
Gypsies inspire more than the hippie spirit as my novel What’s Left unfolds. In fact, boho, from bohemian, derives as a synonym for the Romani, or Roma, people. And, yes, they’ve been populous in Greece.
Have you ever by fascinated by Gypsies? What’s most intrigued you?
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Jnana's Red Barn 