New York Times Bestselling Author Lesley Kagen
Lesley Kagen is a multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of nine previous novels, the latest of which is Every Now and Then. She has worked as an actress, voice-over-talent, sought-after speaker, child advocate, student storyteller, and writing instructor. The mother of two and grandmother of two, Kagen lives in a hundred and fifty year old farmhouse in a small town in Wisconsin.
What has it been like for you to write between the genres of mystery/crime/, with a coming-of-age flair, for the women’s fiction audience?
I think all stories are coming-of-age mysteries to varying degrees. And any novel in which the protagonist is a female and tends to be more character-driven, versus plot-driven, is considered “women’s fiction.” I just try to tell a good, satisfying story and leave it up to others to decide where in the bookstore it should be shelved.
How did you get your start writing books?
As a kid, I wrote poems and short stories, and once a script for 77 Sunset Strip, a popular television show at the time. In high school and college, I wrote funny skits and essays. I moved on to writing features and radio and TV commercials—thousands of them. Irate letters have always been a personal favorite, too. I didn’t decided to write my first novel until I was fifty-six years old and I’m not even sure I decided that. I just woke up one morning, went down to my computer, and started telling the tale about a ten-year-old girl growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Milwaukee during the 1950s and ended up with my first novel Whistling in the Dark.
“…I’m nosy and have a deep appreciation for all aspects of the human psyche.”
In understanding the human condition through characters, do you feel as though your background in acting helped in this process?
Not really. I’ve primarily done voice-overs and commercials. Don’t have to delve real deep to stand in front of a camera and say, “Mmmm…chocolate” or “I’ve cleaned with this abrasive cleanser for years!” I think I have a good feel for characters because I’m an introvert who’s curious about people. Mostly, why they do what they do and what they’re hiding and I ask lots of questions. In other words, I’m nosy and have a deep appreciation for all aspects of the human psyche.
What has it been like to see publishing go through so many transitions in recent years?
It’s been kind of disheartening, actually. I was talking to my first sales rep not long ago and we commiserated over “the good old days.” Publishing was so much more fun back then. Some of my fondest memories are of meeting readers on the road and book tours are almost a thing of the past, except for mega-selling authors. Also, good writing used to seem more important. And publishers were more willing to give unproven writers a change. These days someone could write the most wonderful book and unless they have a master’s degree in literature, or a “platform,” or their previous sales were through the roof they have very little chance of getting traditionally published.
“…I grieve for the stories that we’ll never read because a [publishing] house deemed them ‘too voice-driven’ or ‘too outside-of-the-box’ or ‘too whatever.’”
A lot depends on what kind of novel you write. Thrillers are popular now. Same goes for novels set during World War II. I suspect that in the coming year we’ll see lots of books about pandemics. But the same thing happens in television. Is CSI a big hit? Well, then, let’s do the same show and set it in a different city. Chicago Fire smashing it? Make way for Chicago PD and Chicago Med. Believe me, I get it. Same as TV, publishing is a business that needs to turn a profit and the easiest way to do that is to sell proven winners. But I grieve for the stories that we’ll never read because a [publishing] house deemed them “too voice-driven” or “too outside-of-the-box” or “too whatever.”
Lesley Kagen’s Every Now and Then (Alcove)
What was it like working with Nicole Robson from our Digital Media, Marketing & Publishing team on the marketing/promo of your recent book Every Now and Then?
I’m not easily impressed, but Nicole knocked my socks off. She’s knowledgeable about so many aspects of publishing and marketing. She came up with a lot of creative ideas to promote Every Now and Then that I would never have thought of. On top of that, she’s kind, patient, and all kinds of other wonderful.
What do you feel the novel-form affords writers, over other writing mediums?
Writing a novel allows me to dig deeper into characters and motivations. I’m a big fan of back story and inner thought, and because the arc in a novel is longer it lets me develop those layers and still keep the plot moving along at a nice clip.
How did if feel when you first because a New York Times bestselling author, as well as an award-winning author? How did you manage to keep your feet on the ground?
I’ve been in the entertainment business for my entire adult life, so after I completed my debut novel, Whistling in the Dark, I was aware that I’d need representation. What I didn’t know was how excruciatingly difficult it would be. Whistling was turned down for representation by over a hundred and fifty literary agents until it landed in the hands of a wonderful man who sold to an imprint of Penguin.
Honestly, I was so thrilled to finally achieve that milestone that I didn’t give too much thought to how the book would sell until I started getting calls from my editor that always started with, “You’re not going to believe this, but…” The book got some buzz and then it began to climb the charts, but it was independent bookstores that carried Whistling in the Dark all the way to the New York Times list. The awards I’ve received over the years have been a lovely and validating pat on the back, too. And a day doesn’t go by that I don’t thank my lucky stars for all the support I’ve received over the years from booksellers, librarians, and readers.
“One day I think everything is going to Hell in a hand basket, but then I’ll pick up a beautifully written novel and I’m filled with enthusiasm.”
Where do you see the future of writing, literature, and publishing going?
Hard to know. One day I think everything is going to Hell in a hand basket, but then I’ll pick up a beautifully written novel and I’m filled with enthusiasm.
What are you thinking of writing next?
I’ve just finished a novel for middle grade readers who are ready to handle more complicated stories but are not yet ready to jump into the YA world. It’s called Saving the Delaney Sisters (It’s Gonna Take a Miracle). I love so much about it; the narrator, the setting, the time period. But most of all, I’m crazy about the feisty protagonist who refuses to throw in the towel no matter how high the odds are stacked against her.
Do you have any advice you could share for hopeful writers eager to become published authors?
No matter what anyone tells you, believe in yourself and your story, and never, ever give up.
Can you finish this sentence? I love reading, because it…
Entertains, educates, and inspires me.