Dancing in the White Room, by Ute Carbone

by Angela Smith | Mar 4, 2014 | Guests

Today I’m featuring Ute Carbone and her newest book, Dancing in the White Room!

Here’s more about the author and her story:

Dancing in the white room is slang for skiing or boarding in deep powder snow. The dancer is PD Bell, one of the best extreme skiers on the planet. Mallory Prescott, the woman who lives with him and loves him, is used to Bell’s exploits. A patrol woman at Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, New York, Mallory is no stranger to risk. But this time Bell is taking on the West Rib of Denali, highest and most dangerous mountain in North America. It’s a descent that has never been done, though it’s been tried. Five years ago, Bell had tried it. The attempt nearly killed him. Five years ago, he promised Mallory he wouldn’t try it again.
Over the six weeks in which he’s gone, Mallory begins to question her relationship with Bell. Does he really love her? Is he in it for the duration? What has loving him cost her? Mallory’s life choices are thrown into stark relief when her daughter Emily takes a terrible fall. Together with her life-long friend Creech Creches, she must work her way through a maze of uncharted territory at a hospital miles from home.
Dancing in the White Room is the story of the love we keep, the price we pay for that love, and the forgiveness it takes to hold on to what is precious.

Ute Carbon Biograhy:
Ute (who pronounces her name Oooh-tah) Carbone is an award winning author of women’s fiction, comedy, and romance. She and her husband live in New Hampshire, where she spends her days walking, eating chocolate and dreaming up stories.

Books and Stories by Ute Carbone:
Blueberry Truth
The P-Town Queen
Afterglow
Searching for Superman
Sweet Lenora
The Lilac Hour
To The Wind
Dancing in the White Room

For more about Ute and her books, Please Visit:
Web page: http://www.utecarbone.com/
Blog: http://ute-carbone.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ute-Carbone/234417796596443
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wildwords2
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5114798.Ute_Carbone
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ute-Carbone/e/B005G7U8RM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Love Stories (available daily via Paper Li): http://paper.li/Wildwords2/1355247882?utm_source=subscription&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=paper_sub#

What were you like at school?
I was kind of shy, and a little geeky.

Were you good at English?
Yup. I’ve always loved to read and English was one of my favorite classes.

What are your ambitions for your writing career?
Hmm, to keep writing. And to write the kind of books my readers will fall in love with.

Which writers inspire you?
It’s a very long list! I love to read and will read just about anything, including junk mail. There are so many great writers out there. If I had to pick, I’d say Willa Cather had a huge influence when I was younger. I also love Anita Shreve and Anne Tyler and Alice Hoffman. That’s just skimming the surface, though.

So, what have you written?
Quite a bit. To date, I have five novels out in the world—
Blueberry Truth, my debut novel, is upmarket or ‘book club’ fiction as is my brand new release, Dancing in the White Room.
I also have three romantic comedies out. The P-Town Queen is the most ‘decorated’ of my books (maybe because of the queen in the title?). It was selected as Champagne Books novel of the year last year, got a five star rating from InDtale and was nominated for a RONE award. It’s followed by two more—Afterglow and Searching for Superman, the latter of which got five stars from reader’s favorite. Another comedy, Confessions of the Sausage Queen, comes out in July.
I have an ongoing historical novella series, called Anton and Lenora. The first two novellas, Sweet Lenora and To the Wind, are currently available. Part three, All Things Returned, comes out in April. I’m currently working on part four.
And then there are some short stories—The Lilac Hour is a trilogy of linked short stories, currently available. Shroedinger’s Cake is part of the Wedding Anthology of stories about (you guessed it) weddings and Life at Full Speed is part of another anthology collection called Shared Whispers.
I also have lots of poems out in the world from my early days as a poet. Some of these are in anthologies—Poems from the Cranberry Room and Poet’s Unbound.

Where can we buy or see them?
My website has a page for each book which includes buy links–http://www.utecarbone.com/-books-and-stories.html

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Dancing in the White Room has characters that are near and dear to my heart. I grew up around skiing in the Adirondacks and the book is set in Lake Placid and the characters are all professional skiers. Mallory, my main character, is a strong woman, very competent, the kind of heroine I love to write about. Bell, her boyfriend, is an extreme skier and he’s gone for most of the book. It was a challenge to write a love story with one of the characters not in the picture. Then there’s Creech, a ski coach who is Mallory’s best friend and also her ex. I have a kernel of a book, an idea, that features Creech as the romantic lead, because I kinda fell for him while writing him.

What genre are your books?
That’s a tough one to answer, though I guess they all broadly fall into the category of women’s fiction. More specifically, some are romantic comedies, some are upmarket fiction and some are historical. There’s romance in most of them, though it isn’t always front and center. They are, though, all about love in one way or another.

What draws you to this genre?
I love stories that are about relationships and all of my stories reflect this, whether it’s the relationship of a mother to her child, a romantic relationship, or friendship, these things interest me and they are at the center of what I write.

Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from your most recent book?
That’s really a tough question. I can picture Bell and Mallory, but not the actors to portray them. Bell is tall, lanky blue eyed and with blond hair long and tangly enough to pull back. Mallory is athletic and compact, with smooth dark hair that she wears long also. Creech has a boy-next-door kind of quality, dimpled smile, short dark hair, eyes the color of evergreens. Maybe you could help me out with casting…

How much research do you do?
Quite a bit, actually. With White Room, I knew some things about skiing. I grew up with a small ski area in my backyard. (or just about). And, in my college days, I worked on ski patrol—so I knew a bit about that. But I had to look into extreme skiing and racing, which are a whole world unto themselves.

When did you decide to become a writer?
I’m a late bloomer. I began writing when my kids were small. It was something I’d always wanted to try.

Why do you write?
That’s a million dollar question.  On good days, I’ll answer because I love everything about it, the way words flow together, the characters that come to life, the painting of scenes and on and on. On bad days I wonder why I don’t just open a bagel shop because it seems like that, or just about anything else, would be easier.

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?
I started with poetry. I joined a poetry group and, much to my surprise, they like my stuff. From there, I got involved in a creative writing workshop. I started out wanting to become a better poet and discovered I loved writing prose, go figure. I began writing short fiction pieces, the pieces got longer until one day I had to admit I was writing, gulp, a novel. I finished one and wrote another and then another. To date, I’ve written nine books, with more in the works. There are just too many stories for me to get to, so I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.

Do you write full-time or part-time?
At the moment, I’m writing full time—or working at writing full time at any rate.

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?
Not as structured as I’d like it to be. I struggle to find balance. Ideally, I spend an hour each day working on new stuff, but it doesn’t always pan out that way.

Do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
Every day if I can manage it.

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
About an hour. I’m not super fast, so that gives me a thousand words, give or take. But some of the words aren’t great,so I end up deleting and re-writing them.

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand?
I write my first drafts long hand. They are terrible and messy. Then I re-work them onto the computer. It’s a back and forth kind of process.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I’m a better writer today than I used to be, technically speaking. Which, I think, allows me to do things I wouldn’t have attempted in the past.

What is the hardest thing about writing?
Sitting down and doing it. 

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
White Room’s emotional tenor was tough. I’m kind of a method writer– I like to imagine myself in the character’s shoes and get right inside their heads. My main character, Mallory, is, for parts of the book, in some pretty uncomfortable places emotionally speaking and it wasn’t always fun to take myself to those places so I could get the feeling right. But, spoiler alert, she does get her happy ending, so all’s well that ends well.

What is the easiest thing about writing?
Having written. Actually, if I can get myself into ‘the zone’ and the center of my story, it gets to be kind of fun. Like skiing fast, LOL.

Do you ever get writer’s Block?
I have had it from time to time, yes.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
Often, the best cure is hair of the dog. I just write anyway and tell myself that I have a trash can and a delete button. Sometimes, I challenge myself to write crap, which takes off the pressure of trying to be perfect. Sometimes I’ll start my writing with a list of ten reasons why I shouldn’t write. And then I’d write anyway to defy myself.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I used to be a confirmed print book reader. I liked trade paperbacks, because I could stick them in my purse and take them with me. Then I got a Kindle Fire and I love it. I read almost everything in e-book these days.

What book/s are you reading at present?
I just finished What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarity, which was wonderful and fun. Currently, I’m reading Michael Chabon’s The Yiddish Policeman’s Union. I have a bad case of metaphor envy, Chabon uses them so well. My favorite read so far this year was “Tell the Wolves I’m Home” which made me cry. A lot.

Tell us about the cover/s and how it/they came about.
The covers are designed by the houses. I have some input as to what I think might work on the cover. I love the cover for White Room—it has nice clean lines and a lot of energy. I just received a cover for All Things Returned, romantic and very pretty, I’m not quite ready to share but I’m in love with this one, too. My favorite is probably the cover of Blueberry Truth. I wasn’t sure what I wanted and suggested something like a swing set, because the book is about adopting a child. The cover has a little girl doing a cartwheel. It’s exactly right and perfect for the book.

How do you market your books?
Not well enough, LOL. Seriously, I’m on social media, I blog and do guest blogs like this one. I usually do a blog tour when a new release comes out. And I try and get reviews wherever I can and network with other writers.

Why did you choose this route?
The small houses give me the best of both worlds. They’re small enough so I’m not swallowed up and forgotten—I know authors who’ve had that experience with big houses. And they give me editing and cover art and so on, so I don’t have to go it all alone the way self-pubbed authors do.

Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
Not really. It’s a changing market, so I think we’re all trying to figure it out.

What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?
Quite a bit. I do try to set an hour or more aside for actual writing—no disruptions, no e-mail, no social media. After that, I spend another three or four hours working on promo and edits.

What do you do to get book reviews?
I usually ask for them. There are a few people I’ve established relationships with. I’m always on the lookout for new book bloggers. I also list my books on Good Reads.

What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
I’ve had both. I’ve actually had both for the same book. I try not to let it turn me around. Reviews are someone’s opinion and not everyone is going to love your story. That said, a great review always does make me feel great. And a bad review can make for a bad day.

Any amusing story about marketing books that happened to you?
I found one of my books listed on a site that was advertised as a clearing house for refrigerators. I’m still scratching my head.

What do you think of “trailers” for books?
They are one more tool in the box. I like them, though I think they’re only good in conjunction with other marketing.

Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book/s?
(* please provide a link to trailer if you have one)
I have trailers for all my books. If you’re interested, you can find them on you-tube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfjFxYyboGoxKL3JWG3Q0TA?feature=watch
Note-some of the stuff here isn’t mine. I love the ski videos. 

How do you relax?
I like to read. I also love to hike and ski and just walk around in the woods. I love plays and movies, too.

What is your favourite book and why?
I don’t know that I have a favorite. If you press me, I’ll probably have to say To Kill a Mockingbird.

What is your favourite quote?
“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”
― Alice Walker, The Color Purple

What is your favourite film and why?
So many come to mind. I loved “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.” And “Dr. Zhivago”

Where can you see yourself in 5 years time?
I’ll still be sitting here, writing up stories. I’ve got lots to tell.

What is your favourite movie and why?
Recently? I loved August Osage County. I had seen the play earlier and the movie was even better.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be yourself and don’t worry so much about what others think.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?
Albert Einstein. Maybe he could explain relativity to me.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?
I don’t know I’d have want to have written someone else’s book, though I do admire some writers and wish I could do what they do or did. Willa Cather is a great example. Her descriptions are so real. I want to do that. And Michael Chabon writes perfect metaphors. I want to do that, too.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Read a lot. And then sit down and write a lot. Don’t think about writing and read about writing and talk about writing. Just write. Don’t expect to be great at first. Like everything worthwhile, good writing takes practice.

Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Shoot, if I knew that I’d be worth millions, LOL. Seriously, I think we’ll see more e-books, though I don’t think print will go away anytime soon.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?
My Books–
Blueberry Truth
The P-Town Queen
Afterglow
Searching for Superman
Sweet Lenora
The Lilac Hour
To The Wind
Dancing in the White Room

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.