By Nathasha Brooks-Harris
An old adage says that if you want something done right and well, give it to a busy person. That certainly holds true with Evelyn Palfrey. This classy woman who has it all together does so many things and does them all well. She’s an attorney, a mother, an avid traveler and motorhomer and a multi-published author.
Palfrey has written four novels to date: THREE PERFECT MEN, Moon Child Books, 1996; THE PRICE OF PASSION, Pocket Books, October 2000; DANGEROUS DILEMMAS, Pocket Books, June 2001 and her latest tome, EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE; Scribner Books, August 2002. She has garnered quite a positive reputation and carved a niche for herself in the publishing industry as the author who writes romantic suspense for the marvelously mature.
Her books have caught the attention of readers and publishing industry brass, earning Palfrey awards and kudos for her work. Specifically, THE PRICE OF PASSION and DANGEROUS DILEMMAS were on the Blackboard bestseller list in Essence Magazine, the BookSense ’76 and were Black Expressions selections. In addition, THE PRICE OF PASSION was given a Romantic Times award for Best Multicultural Novel of 2000.
A native Texan, Palfrey is active in civic and social activities and is a member of an array of writing organizations. Upon meeting her, the first thing that usually strikes those in her presence is her sense of self-assuredness, elegance and style. She’s a warm and giving person and very much a lady. Recently, Romance In Color sat down with this talented scribe and had a chat with her about writing, publishing, the law and more. She very graciously took time out of her busy schedule to talk with us about some things near and dear to her. We invite you to kick back and check out the interesting things she shared.
ROMANCE IN COLOR: Tell RIC about your latest novel, EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE. Where did the idea for it come from and what was your writing process?
EVELYN PALFREY: EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE is the story of Bobbie Strickland, an elementary school principal, who is raising her granddaughter. She is a never-married woman who raised her children alone. Her daughter became a teen-age mother and abandoned the child to her. Now, nearly ten years later, the daughter shows up to claim the child.
I read an article in the local paper about a 38-year-old woman whose daughter left two babies with her and she raised them to adulthood. I was struck by how young she was. (She wasn't really--19+19=38.) Then I began to notice all of the women around me who were raising grandchildren.
RIC: What does the title mean?
PALFREY: My hero is a retired military officer and a woodworker. He is accustomed to living with a high degree of order and precision in his life. He lives by the motto, 'a place for everything, and everything in its place.'
On the contrary, Bobbie's life is unsettled and chaotic. She's involved in a lawsuit over an incident at her school, she is suing her daughter for custody, and the elderly neighbor that she takes care of has been badly beaten in a home intrusion. Even though she's longed for years for a man like Ray, there's just no place in her life right now.
RIC: How did you decide to write romances centered around middle-aged couples?
PALFREY: I love happy endings and I've always been a romance reader. One day, I realized that I had lost interest in reading romances and I puzzled over that. Then, I realized that the heroines and heroes were the age of my children, and their issues and conflicts weren't holding my interest. But I still had a need for romance in my life--and I missed reading. I was 45 at the time and had long been a writer of non-fiction. So I sat down and wrote a little story--just to entertain myself. That little story turned into a book called THREE PERFECT MEN. I still write just to entertain myself--and I'm gratified that other people find my stories entertaining, too.
RIC: What kinds of issues. conflicts, problems and dilemmas do you find that you write about that are indigenous to characters of this age group?
PALFREY: Some of the issues I write about are particularly pertinent to the middle passage of life: menopause, boomerang kids, raising grandchildren, etc. Others affect a broader age range--spousal betrayal, domestic violence and loneliness.
RIC: What has been the reader response to your writing about this population?
PALFREY: Judging from the letters and e-mails I receive, the response is very positive. Many of them start with, 'I'm so glad to read about a woman like me.' Now I've only received about a thousand responses, but I've sold a lot more books than that. There may be thousands of readers sitting there thinking, ‘This woman must be crazy.’ =:) I am always pleasantly surprised to hear from young women that they enjoyed the books. They usually say that my heroine reminded them of their mother.
RIC: What has been the other side-the dark side-of writing about this population?
PALFREY: I haven't found a dark side. My heroines wrestle with issues that are daunting, but they always triumph. All of my books end with a big smile.
RIC: Do you think you'll write a book featuring younger characters at some point or stick to the older characters? Why or why not?
PALFREY: Who knows what the future will hold? I enjoy writing about people in my age group. So it's likely that my characters will get older rather than younger as I age. I already have the outline of a story of a sexy septuagenarian--but I'll hold it until I get there in twenty years.
RIC: How do you develop such rich, well-crafted, three-dimensional characters?
PALFREY: I consider that a real compliment! But I can't take any credit. I don't develop them. They just are. When I start a book, I meet my heroine. Over the course of the story, we get to know each other better and by the end, we are really good friends. They tell me things they wouldn't tell anybody else. They are just as real to me as my flesh-and-blood friends, and even after the book ends, they continue to be my friends.
As an attorney, I have been trained to observe and to listen. I'm sure that plays some part in my being able to describe my friends and their emotional upheavals for the reader.
RIC: What has been the high point of your writing career thus far?
PALFREY: There have been too many to count. I suppose in terms of public accolades, it was when two of my books made the Blackboard Bestseller list. Or maybe when Romantic Times named THE PRICE OF PASSION the Best Multicultural Book of 2000. Or maybe when the local Barnes & Nobles stores named me Author of the Month this month. For me, the true high points have been when I've received a letter or e-mail from a reader who says that my book touched them in a personal way, and then they tell me their story.
RIC: What has been the lowest point of your writing career thus far?
PALFREY: There has only been one. I am active with the local writers organization, which holds classes on various aspects of the craft and the business of writing. There was a request to the published members to anonymously submit three pages of their work for use in a class. I sent three pages of my book that was at the printer.
At the time, I was enrolled in a class on self-editing that was taught by a writer friend for whom I have tremendous respect and who makes a good living as an editor. The next time I walked into class, there were my pages on the wall brightly lit by the overhead projector--and swimming in red ink. (I had no idea she was the one who requested the pages, and she had no idea they were mine) The instructor spent an hour gleefully explaining all of the numerous red marks and how this writing was so perfectly illustrative of rules that had been broken. By the time she got to page three, the only thing that kept me from fleeing the room in a hail of sobs was that everyone would then know it was my work. I vowed to never write again; and for two weeks, I didn't go near my computer.
But, like the phoenix, I rise. I spent some time digesting what she had said. I learned a lot. I sent some of her revisions (not all) to the printer. Luckily, timing was on my side and I was able to get them in the book. About a year later, over lunch, I told my friend about the incident. She was mortified and to this day, apologizes every time I see her and doesn't accept my assurances that it was a learning experience for me.
On the upside, not one reader has mentioned the parts that I refused to change.
RIC: If you had known then what you know now, what would you have done differently?
PALFREY: This has been such a wonderful journey; there isn't one thing I would have done differently.
RIC: Tell RIC about your day job and what kinds of emerging trends you've seen in the courtroom?
PALFREY: I am an attorney. I work in the criminal justice system. What I see in the courtroom reflects the larger society. Lack of home training is evident. Folk come to court dressed any kind of way--and I mean Daisy Dukes shorts and halters on women, and men showing their drawers. And don't leave out fuzzy house shoes. They don't have a clue that how they're dressed sends a different message than I'm sure they intend.
The most dismaying thing is a sense of pervasive hopelessness. Many young men, and especially ours, behave as though 'going down' is a badge of honor, a rite of passage. The media images they are constantly fed--and eagerly embrace--reinforce the notion that they have only two life options--fabulous wealth (with no evidence of labor) or prison.
RIC: What has been the most bizarre or wild case you've ever encountered?
PALFREY: The goat man case was definitely the most bizarre. He was a gentleman from another country charged with Cruelty to Animals. He was standing at a busy intersection selling goats. A lady stopped her pick-up truck (yes, ladies drive them here in Texas) at the light. They had a communication in different languages that led him to believe she wanted to buy the goats, so he began loading them onto the back of her truck. She gets on her cell phone and summons the police.
They said the goats were nearly dead from mistreatment and heat and they had to throw water on them to revive them. The gentleman said the goats were doing fine until they threw cold water on them in the extreme heat--which sent them into seizures. Only in Texas =:)
RIC: How has being a lawyer impacted your writing?
PALFREY: I practiced family law for a number of years and now work in criminal law. All of my books have had a legal issue to work through.
RIC: Has it helped or hindered it? Why?
PALFREY: What writers do in our day jobs brings a certain richness to our writing. People ask me why I always write about lawyers and cops. Well, that's who I'm around all day. I hear their joys and sorrows, their laments and successes. How could I write in authentic voice about dentists?
RIC: How do you balance having a demanding day job , a family, a civic life and a social life with your writing?
PALFREY: I always do the next thing that has to be done at the time. I never look at the big picture. If I did, I'd probably have a seizure.
RIC: What things have you see in the romance writing or publishing industries that you'd like to change? Why?
PALFREY: The industry practice of accepting the return of books to the publisher for full credit is the most wasteful and stupid business practice I can imagine. It causes publishers to print more books than they can possibly sell, thus wasting a lot of natural resources. It causes stores to order a volume of books that they can't realistically sell. And the consumer, the book buyer, ends up paying for all that waste.
RIC: Using your "legal hat," what advice would you give authors in terms of the business aspect of publishing?
PALFREY: Treat your business like a business. Obtain professional services--legal, accounting, etc--up front. It is easier and less expensive to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble.
RIC: What is the next level of your publishing career?
PALFREY: I'm having so much fun in this one that I haven't thought about the next one.
RIC: Who are your favorite authors and what are you currently reading?
PALFREY: Although I love romances, I read all over the map. I have too many favorite authors to name. The most compelling book I've ever read is Kindred by Octavia Butler.
I'm currently reading LION'S BLOOD by Stephen Barnes, WHEN TWILIGHT COMES by Gwynne Forster, I KNOW WHO HOLDS TOMORROW by Francis Ray, and a manuscript by an aspiring writer--and listening to an audiotape on my commute to work called PRODIGAL SUMMER by Barbara Kinsolver.
RIC: Where do you see the future of the ethnic/multi-cultural romance genre headed?
PALFREY: These are exciting times for readers. There are stories for every taste. I am enheartened to see so many young writers telling our stories. I'm glad they have the opportunity. They are truly 'growing the market.' Many of us have been readers since forever, but many of us are new to reading for pleasure.
It seems that the industry is moving to 'urban fiction' as a designation for 'ethnic/multi-cultural (I never understood that one)/Black/African-American fiction'.
Many of the experienced romance writers are moving to mainstream or women's fiction. That's good for them, and leaves opportunities for younger writers.
As readers have become more sophisticated, the writers have had to produce more sophisticated stories.
RIC: What are you currently working on? Would you give RIC a sneak peek?
PALFREY: I am revising THREE PERFECT MEN for re-publication. I have just finished my chapter in a serial novel called NAKED CAME THE YARDBIRD.
RIC: Your last word-this is the place to say anything you want and to add anything that wasn't asked.
PALFREY: You have tremendous talent as an interviewer and have asked more than I would have thought of.
I
would like to say a word of thanks to the readers who faithfully support me and other writers, and
those who take the time to send a comment about our books. You can never know how encouraging and how appreciated that is.
ROMANCE IN COLOR would like to thank Palfrey for the time she took to give our readers a glimpse into her world. Check out
her website and learn more about this dynamic author at her website. Just click onto http://www.evelynpalfrey.com. On a final note, as an author who is also a
romance reader and reviewer, I am sure that she would appreciate anyone who reads any of her books to post a review on Amazon. Doing so helps keep the
buzz going!