Friday, April 4, 2014

Author Interview with Marsha Hayles

The DMS was lucky enough to interview Marsha Hayles. Lizzy reviewed her book Breathing Room, and we are excited to learn more about this story. So, without further ado... take it away, Marsha!

What inspired you to write Breathing Room?

I graduated from college eager to begin my career as a teacher but failed to pass a pre-employment physical exam because of a worrisome spot on my chest x-ray. The county health department insisted that if I wanted to teach, I had to take a year’s worth of a very powerful anti-tuberculosis medicine. So I did, although I was never sick nor ever had active tuberculosis.

Years later when I read The Plague and I by Betty McDonald, author of the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books I’d loved as a child, I found out that she had been a patient at a TB sanatorium before modern drugs were available and strict bed rest was the only form of treatment. I had to think that would have been my fate had I lived forty years earlier. So began my interest in writing Breathing Room.

How long did it take you to write Breathing Room?

Though I had published many picture books, I had never written a historical novel before. This was a new challenge for me and took me years to finish. To begin, I immersed myself in the research, visiting Saranac Lake, NY (where the sanatorium movement in the United States began), the Mayo Clinic in my hometown of Rochester, Minnesota, and the National Library of Medicine in Washington, DC. I found the subject so fascinating that I found it hard to put aside the research to write the story. Once I did, I wrote countless versions and later many revisions with my editor’s additional insight.

Saranac Lake, NY
What are some of your favorite books from childhood? Were there any specific authors who inspired you? 

I was a big fan of Betty McDonald’s books, but Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird changed everything for me. I loved the powerful story and its many rich characters, but the book also marked the first time I understood how a title could be used metaphorically. To Kill a Mockingbird helped me mature as both a reader and a person. Plus I have a personal connection to the book. My father grew up in South Alabama and has family that lived in Monroeville where the story is set. I visited the town when I was young and later received an autographed copy of the book, truly something I will always treasure.

Where did you come up with the characters: Evvy and Nurse Gunderson?

Evvy has some of my mother’s qualities, especially in her relationship with her brother and even, in some small ways, with her parents. But Evvy really came to life for me when she had to face Nurse Marshall and Dena, then develop friendships with the other girls, and finally learn to stand on her own.
As for Nurse Gunderson, she cares about the girls as people, not just patients. When I needed to imagine her, I thought of my best friend who shares Nurse Gunderson’s remarkable goodness and warm spirit, someone who can bring light and humor to even the darkest situations.

If you could befriend a character from any of your books, who would you befriend? Why?

I am fond of all the girls in Breathing Room and could be friends with any of them. But maybe because I didn’t like Dena at first but eventually grew to admire her very much, I might choose to befriend her.

Where do you like to write? Do you listen to music while you are writing?

I started writing Breathing Room on a desk that once belonged to my father but finished it on a desk of my mother’s. Neither of my parents lived to read the book, but I would like to think they were both helping me each step of the way.

I love music, but I do not listen to it while I’m actually writing.

But a curious thing did happen as I was working on Breathing Room. I fell in love with a song performed by the interesting duo of Elvis Costello and Annie Sofie von Otter (an opera singer) and bought their cd, For the Stars. To my surprise, it includes a song about tuberculosis! The final lines of “Just a Curio” (click to listen to an excerpt- words and music by Elvis Costello) read as follows:



Throw the window wide and open, keep this mark from me, Just the letter “T” and its most dread companion “B.”How in heaven? Hadn’t it been conquered long ago? How did it come back again? It’s just a curio.




I felt like this song was a sign of sorts for me to keep working on my story. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

I would probably choose to live near a lake with rolling farmland nearby—which pretty much describes either Southern Minnesota where I grew up or Upstate New York where I live now. 

The pictures at the start of each chapter were so fascinating. What was your research process like for Breathing Room? Where did you get the pictures?

As I did research on the book, I accumulated all sorts of materials and photographs about tuberculosis. But getting the rights to use the images, plus paying for them—those were my responsibilities, not the publisher’s—proved a serious challenge and took a year’s worth of work for me to accomplish.
I was fortunate to get many of the photographs from the Lung Association of Saskatchewan, including my favorite—the one of the girls resting in bed (part of The Author’s Note). The Library of Congress also had a series of amazing photographs taken at the Triboro Hospital for Tuberculosis in Jamaica, New York, which I used both in the book and for reference. Finally, the American Lung Association (once called the National Tuberculosis Association) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) both created a series of public safety posters warning of the dangers of the disease. I used three of those posters and think the first that opens the book is a particularly haunting image.


I also took many of the photographs myself and created the Loon Lake brochure, newspaper and menu, along with all the medical forms and records included in the book. Members of my family signed the documents in the roles of the doctors and nurses. Then April Ward, the book designer at Henry Holt, pulled everything together and created the book’s beautiful cover which still takes my breath away.

Are you currently working on a book? If so, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Yes, I am working on another historical novel, also with a medical theme, though set during the American Civil War. My main character arrives at Antietam the day after the bloodiest battle in our history to help tend the sick and injured. 



Read the reviews! 

Enter the book giveaway to win a signed copy of this book! Fill out the Rafflecopter form below. :)

Giveaway ends Sunday, April 20th 
Open to US and International 




Enter the Book Giveaway: 
1) Follow Fairday's Blog with GFC or Bloglovin
2) Leave us a comment: 
What is something you can think of that helps you get through hard times?
3) Fill out the Rafflecopter form below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

40 comments:

  1. Marsha Hayles , what can you say? such a brave lady, what a great post. she certainly climbed the mountain. Talent always seems to find a way.
    Thanks DMS. Agman

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agman- Thanks for your wonderful comment. :) So glad you enjoyed the post! ~L

      Delete
  2. My goodness, the things that inspire people to write. How something wonderful can come out of something not so good.

    The things that get me through? I could say my husband, books and chocolate but even more than that is the belief that no matter how bad things might be they could be worse.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tracy- I enjoyed learning about what inspired Marsha too. I think you have some fantastic things to help get you through. :)
      ~L

      Delete
  3. This sounds like a terrific book. I'll be looking for it. Thanks for the interview.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rosi- It is an excellent book! I am glad you enjoyed the interview. :) ~L

      Delete
  4. You are definitely a person who puts those lemons to good use. Congratulations on your book and your continued health.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lee- Marsha does put those lemons to good use. :) ~L

      Delete
  5. I read a book on TB last year and it was fascinating and scary. It is nice to see someone tackle this topic for younger readers. I am glad it was just a scare for her and not truly TB.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heidi- I am glad it was just a scare for her, too. Breathing Room was a great read and really helped me to understand how scary TB is. Thanks for visiting. :) ~L

      Delete
  6. OH what an interesting start! I love learning about the hows and whys of particular books and what sparked them off. Thanks ladies!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Herding Cats and Burning Soup- I love to find out where authors get their ideas for books too! :) ~L

      Delete
  7. Most interesting was reading about the author's research process and how she came out with ideas for the characters.
    Thanks for the interview!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jay- I liked reading about Marsha's research process too. :) ~L

      Delete
  8. This sounds like a really interesting topic to write about! That's kind of crazy about not being able to work for a year, too! Great interview :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meradeth- This was such a great read and I was amazed to learn about the story behind the story. :) ~L

      Delete
  9. What a unique story, both the book and your own, Marsha. I loved that the story was born on both your parents' desks.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leslie- I know this book would be a hit with your 5th grade students. :) ~L

      Delete
  10. Wow! What an interesting way to come up with the idea for a book! Congrats, Marsha! Thanks for the interview. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cherie- So glad you enjoyed the interview! :) ~L

      Delete
  11. I love how Marsha's background brought her to the theme of the book, and I really love the old picture of patients. I recently researched a TB hospital in Kentucky called Waverly Hills Sanatorium (for my A-Z blog-hop). Thousands died there between 1910-1960. It left an impression on me. Wishing Marsha much success!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lexa- I look forward to checking out your Waverly Hills post- because I am sure you found some interesting information. The pictures that go with each chapter really added to the story. :) ~L

      Delete
  12. This is highly interesting. I don't know much about TB and sanatoriums.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Medeia- Definitely an interesting book! :) ~L

      Delete
  13. Very interesting! She did so much research and the books sounds very good. My husband's grandpa died of TB in the 30s and I had an aunt who had TB. They used to have to take x-rays all the time, I guess to make sure they didn't have it, I have papers that my dad kept where Mom and one of my sisters had they x-rays. I'm so glad it is something that is under control now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Janet- Wow! I am sure it was scary for your aunt, your husband's grandfather and your other relatives who had to deal with TB and TB scares. Definitely good that we have gotten TB under control! :) ~L

      Delete
  14. Fascinating. I love how wrapped up in the research process Marsha became, and rounding up all those images... Wow. Thanks for the incredible insight as to the process!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crystal- Marsha did a ton of research and I loved learning about her process. :) Thanks for visiting! ~L

      Delete
  15. I love how the universe sends us help when we need it. :) Wonderful interview.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Loved the interview, thanks for sharing! Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wow, historical novels take so much research but the book sounds good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Donna- HF books are a lot of work, but so worth it in the end! :) ~L

      Delete
  18. Sounds like Marsha went into very deep research for this story, and what a nice surprise to find a song that's associated with the subject matter of TB. Breathing Room's cover is certainly gorgeous! As for your question, my answer is: good writing (from novels or films). They always seem to help me through my gloomy times.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Claudine- I think novels and films help me through my gloomy times, too. Music is another big help! I agree with you that the cover is beautiful. :) ~L

      Delete
  19. I love historical novels. I definitely need to add this to my list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sherri- I love HF too! You will really enjoy this book. :) ~L

      Delete
  20. It's great to meet Marsha and learn more about her. Her book sounds like an interesting read. Thanks so much for the interview! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Karen- Glad to introduce you to Marsha! Breathing Room is a wonderful HF that will bring this time period to life for MG readers. :) ~L

      Delete

Thank you for stopping by and commenting. We love to hear your thoughts! We had to turn on comment moderation due to a high volume of spam. Fairday's Blog is no longer accepting awards. We appreciate all the nominations that we have received and are honored to have been mentioned! Happy Reading!

Twitter Bird Gadget Twitter Bird Gadget