MysteryPeople Q&A with Sophie Littlefield

Post by Scott M., MysteryPeople Crime Fiction Coordinator

Last week, we had the extreme pleasure of hosting a fabulous evening with mystery authors Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell. If you weren’t there, you missed an awfully good time – live music by BookPeople’s own Chris Hoyt, a lively conversation led by yours truly, and lots of in-depth crime fiction talk before, during and after the event (get mystery fans together and just try to shut us up.)

Sophie was kind enough to answer some questions for those of you who missed out on the evening.

But first, a little about Sophie: the books from Sophie Littlefield’s Stella Hardesty series have been some of our most popular in MysteryPeople this year. For those not familiar with Stella, she’s a middle-aged Missouri woman who kills her abusive husband and then goes into business of helping other women get back at their abusive men. The first book, A Bad Day For Sorry, received over a hundred rejection letters before it was picked up by Minotaur and has now earned several awards and a large group of fans that continue to grow.  The latest book in the series, A Bad Day for Scandal, was just released. We currenly have signed copies of all of Sophie’s books in stock.

I’ve known Sophie for almost two years, since my old boss at The Mystery Bookstore in L. A. told me I had to meet her at Bouchercon. She is one of the warmest, sweetest people you’d ever want to meet. In this interview she tells it like it is, just like her heroine, and, also like her heroine Stella, Sophie will put you in your place if necessary.

Q: Let’s make things clear. Even though you write about a woman who helps others get back at abusive men, you’re not a man-hating female author, right?

A: Hmmm, well, the way I see it, there’s a huuuuuuuuge gulf between abusers and most of the male population. Actually there’s a significant gulf between assholes and the rest of the male population, and I try to ignore – and subtly undermine – the former and spend lots of time with the latter. Like Stella, I adore men – I’m just kind of picky about which ones. Besides, have you met any man-hating female authors? If so, you’re running with a different crowd than I am.

Q: You’ve already built a fan base with this series. Is their a common denominator of what they like about Stella?

A: I wasn’t sure what to expect, and to my surprise Stella has found fans in a variety of demographic corners. She’s big with people’s moms – young women are constantly telling me their moms love the books, despite and in some cases because of the salty language. But she also has fans among younger readers, male and female alike. In fact, about a third of my reader mail is from men, something that surprises me. Also, I thought Stella’s liberal-ish views were kind of obvious, but she has admirers from the conservative reaches. As far as what people like – I think everyone likes to see a hero emerge from circumstances that are both relatable and oppressive. All of us are familiar with the daily grind of life; far too many people know what it’s like to be marginalized and even abused.

Q: What new territory do you take her into with Bad Day For Scandal?

A: In this book Stella has to confront some unexpected news about people she loves. That was fun for me – I enjoy making my characters examine their own close-held beliefs and attitudes and change in the process. Also, I had a great time with a raunchy subplot.

Q:  The boss at my old bookstore recommended your books to me and I loved your writing. Both of us are pretty much the epitome of the male, hard-boiled crime reader. What do you think guys who never read the series, dismissing it as “for women only,” might be surprised to discover they’re missing?

A: I think that any man who dismisses a series as “for women only” has a lot of surprises in store for him if he ever wakes up. The backbone of crime fiction is braced by stunning female writers. Such a reader would be missing out on so much! In my case, I think he might be surprised that a woman’s capacity for rage and vengeance is at least as vast as a man’s; that nurturing can and does co-exist with fearlessness; that a strong woman does not need to dominate but can cooperate, and that taking no shit from men does not make a woman unfeminine.

Q:  As someone from rural Missouri, I thought you captured the life and people with entertaining accuracy. It seems like there has been greater interest recently in hard boiled and noir with a country setting. What can be done out there you can’t do in the city?

A:  Well first off, a great and solemn bow to Woodrell – we could not ask for a greater leader in this trend. As I ponder your question, I think it’s not so much a country/city thing but a matter of capturing the texture, voice, and law of a place. In a sense, all writing is regional; great swaths of our literature inhabit some spaces so we come to think of them as the norm (say, small American towns with craft cozies, or Dublin noir) but I think you could write a compelling story anywhere if you know the place intimately. In the case of rural Missouri or the rural Midwest in general, there are many aspects that lend themselves to fiction, especially dark or crime fiction: the proliferation of drugs and organized crime into areas that were relatively free of it until recently; a more individual-rights view of guns, violence, and lawlessness; and a big one for me – though of course this is Woodrell’s territory and I barely touch on it – individual/clan relationship to land.

Q: What do you want people to get out of the series?

A: I think that of anything I’ve ever written or ever will write, I hope that readers have a little fun with this series. But more importantly, I hope that mature women will remember there’s some badass in each one of us, and the rest of the world will realize that middle-aged women are often wise, powerful and zestful.

Q:  You’re touring with Juliet Blackwell, author of the Witchcraft series. What should folks know about her?

A:  Oh, my. Well, I think anyone who spends five minutes with Juliet will know more than I can possibly say in words. Suffice it to say that I count myself very lucky indeed to be her friend – she is positive, smart, funny, and strong. We laugh together so much when we’re on the road, but we get our work done too. Whining’s not allowed, truth is faced when necessary, brainstorming happens in the unlikeliest settings, and we count our blessings each day to be able to live our dreams. Folks might be surprised that the person behind the popular witchcraft and other paranormal series has such a varied and checkered past: she has advanced degrees in anthropology and social work, has worked as an artist and muralist, traveled the world and lives in a haunted house.

Q: It took some time for you to get published. Now in less than three years of Bad Day For Sorry being out, you’re juggling the Stella books, a young adult series, and a horror trilogy. Has the large supply of work been a shock?

A:  Not really. We – my agent Barbara Poelle and I – pursued this schedule very deliberately and with determination. At each step we evaluated the commitments we had made and asked ourselves if I could continue to produce stories we could both be proud of, and the day that the answer is “no,” we will change course. I LOVE writing in a variety of genres and I truly believe that it keeps my writing fresh. I cannot imagine going from one story to another in the same vein without a break to go in a different direction. I work best under pressure, and I think there is a certain type of story that evolves best when the author is up against a deadline. Also, to bring this discussion full circle, there is a certain type of flat-out energy that comes with middle age. I am really enjoying pushing myself hard and seeing exactly what I can accomplish. I am old enough not to give a shit what my detractors say, to take obstacles personally and roll over them with glee. I am so blessed to have this job and I intend to wring out all the joy and energy I can from it until I am dead.