The Enlightenment Show with Lo Patrick

                          

      Welcome to The Enlightenment Show, Lo! I’m so excited to have you joining us to talk about your upcoming book, The Floating Girls.
                             

 

·       Can you give the readers a brief synopsis about The Floating Girls?

Twelve-year-old Kay Whitaker lives in the proverbial last-house-on-the-block in Godforsaken Bledsoe, Georgia—a town barely staying afloat on Georgia’s sodden marshland. Kay is a real spitfire who wanders off behind her home one afternoon only to discover a boy and a house she never knew were there. She’s infatuated with the boy—Andy Webber, and against her parents’ wishes, instigates a friendship with him and his quiet father. In doing so, Kay unwittingly unearths a long-buried mystery and triggers another tragedy—when her sister Sarah-Anne suddenly disappears. Kay’s wayward family’s dark past is exposed, changing Kay and her brothers’ lives forever. 

·       You have created such a vivid and immersive setting. Where did you draw from to bring us into this town in Georgia?

Contrary to common opinion, Georgia is a coastal state. Having grown up in Atlanta, I spent my childhood landlocked, but that is not so for all of my home state. Georgia has a small but diverse coastline that includes all manner of ecosystems. When one is near Georgia’s coast, there are miles and miles of desolate roads with very little development. Small houses sit back from the street under live oak canopies draped in Spanish moss. It is impossible to remain unmoved by the sight.  While this is often the stuff of postcards and tourist brochures, it is also normal, everyday life for a lot of people in the small near-coastal towns in Georgia. While development and progress engulf much of the state, some areas will always be left behind. I have seen dozens of these towns, stretches of land, and small pockets of civilization that look and feel much as they likely did fifty years ago. I found I was creating Kay, her family, her angst, her dismay, and determination every time we were on one of these byways.

·       Your main character, Kay, has a strong voice and personality but is also ignored in many regards. In what ways were you like her at age twelve? What are some major differences?

    Thankfully, my childhood was absolutely nothing like Kay’s. My parents were engaged, responsible, and devoted. I was also probably not very much like Kay at twelve. I might have fancied myself a real firecracker, and although I likely was one behind closed doors, I was much more of a pleaser,  goody-two-shoes type at that age. I didn’t have to contend with what Kay does, though, and in that might lie the biggest difference between us-- circumstance. Kay is a product of her home life. I do, however, have two brothers, and I am sure my experience trying to find my spot between them heavily peppered the writing in The Floating Girls. In that way, I completely relate to Kay!

·       What sparked your curiosity to begin writing The Floating Girls?

      

 I tend to write from the seat of my pants, so I just began one day and enjoyed Kay’s voice so much, I kept on with her story. The plot of  The Floating Girls changed several times but the central elements and characters remained the same throughout the editing process. Kay more or less told me the story. I just had to slow down and listen to her.

·       I loved the concept from a kid’s perspective of meeting someone new and being curious to having your parents say to stay far away. Has there ever been something that you’ve been curious about, and someone told you to stay away? What was it? Did you listen, or did you investigate?

      Of course! And as a parent, I now understand that the second you tell a child that something is off limits, that something or someone becomes exponentially more interesting! What also propelled Kay was her loneliness. She was not allowed friends, playmates, or any sort of social life at all other than passing the time with her brothers. I think the idea that she could so easily reach a peer from her house on Hack Road made her all the more enthusiastically pursue the friendship in spite of her parents’ protestations.

·       What was something that surprised you about yourself as you wrote The Floating Girls?

      I was surprised I could become Kay so easily every time I sat down to write. As I said, we have very little in common, but I had her so deeply in my psyche during the writing process that I could literally hear her, and think like her while working. I was also much more excited about the editing process with this book than I have been with past projects. I am normally a reluctant editor, thinking I am making things worse and not better, but with this manuscript, I found growth in the narrative each time I sat down to edit on my own, or with my agent or editor. It was enormously beneficial and has made me a better writer.

               

                            INNER CHILD SEGMENT

·       What things did you imagine and dream about when you were twelve?

 

The Olympics! I was a gymnast and cared for little else in the world. It is strange now to imagine all that I put into something I would leave—and rather resentfully only a couple of years later, but at that time, I had designs on gymnastics stardom. We trained six days a week. It was grueling. I do wonder why I was so committed!
 

·       When you go to a gas station, what is your treat or drink of choice? Why?

Spicy nuts—always. Wasabi almonds, chili roasted pistachios, the list goes on. The gas station always has the best selection of these, and I have tried them all! I also love chocolate milk from the gas station. Nestle Quick reminds me of my childhood.
 

·       What’s the oddest food combo that you’ve liked and tried, or just tried?

I can eat coleslaw on anything. It is almost like a condiment to me. I thought I was alone in this, but in Sweden, pizza comes with a side of coleslaw—in an oil-based dressing, infinitely inferior to the southern mayonnaise-laden style in my humble opinion—but I felt completely justified the first time I ate pizza in Sweden—with a side of slaw.
 

·       What advice can you share with our readers about living a joyful life?

     The older I get, the less self-conscious I am, which has caused a serious  uptick in happiness. I dance in the grocery store, laugh out loud during  movies, and can—most importantly—laugh at myself a lot more easily than I used to. So—my advice, you are probably pretty hilarious…give yourself a chance to make yourself smile!

 

·       Where can the readers connect with you? Where can they find your book?

     The book is pretty much everywhere. I have been given some awesome  opportunities by smaller, local bookstores in the Atlanta area, so in return I hope readers will support their local stores as well, wherever they might be.

                     www.lopatrickbooks.com

Congratulations on the release of The Floating Girls!! It’s been an absolute pleasure getting to know you.