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Anjali Banerjee | Where my ideas really come from…
January 30, 2011
People often ask writers, “Where do you get your ideas?” Neil Gaiman said, “I
make them up… Out of my head.” Robertson Davies said, “I don’t get them; they
get me.” Some authors say something visual - a news clip on TV or a magazine
article—might spark an idea. Some say their ideas come from other people, other
industries, the act of writing, or God. Confession: my ideas come from nowhere. Yup, they just appear. Out of nowhere.
Well, okay. Maybe the idea rises from some misty spot in my subconscious
mind—the unknown world where anything is possible, where I’m still a child
bursting with wonder and a sense of possibility, asking “What if…?” or “I just
want to see if there's another world over that hill…” When I was a child growing up in Canada, we often visited a family friend, an
eye surgeon who lived in a palatial mansion full of spiral staircases and hidden
rooms. I loved getting lost in that old house—I often expected to tumble through
a door into Narnia. But I didn’t need to explore a mansion to find magic. The forest trail right
behind our house led me to a giant, spongy moss garden surrounded by a canopy of
silver birches. I pictured fairies flitting through the branches, goblins hiding
behind tree trunks. As an adult, I still imagine things that, well, may or may not be real. I’ve
never lost the feeling that another world might be just around the corner. The
enchantment is a glow in my soul. So I’ve added – perhaps subconsciously—touches
of magic realism to nearly all my novels. In IMAGINARY MEN, a young
matchmaker sees sparkling threads connecting lovers to each other. In INVISIBLE LIVES, a sari
shop owner has an uncanny ability to choose exactly the right sari for her
customers. And in my new release, HAUNTING JASMINE, a young
divorcee, Jasmine Mistry, has an unusual ability to see the spirits of dead
authors when she returns home to a Pacific Northwest island to run her aunt’s
beloved bookstore while her aunt is away in India. The bookstore is, you guessed
it, in a Victorian mansion with a twisty staircase, hidden rooms, and
temperamental ghosts. They lead Jasmine to fall in love with an enigmatic young
stranger who blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. I loved sprinkling touches of Jane Austen, Edgar Allan Poe, Beatrix Potter and
other spirits into the mix of romance and a woman’s journey to reinvent herself. If you were to ask me where the idea came from, I might say... from my childhood
love of reading, my respect and love for booksellers, my love for ghost stories,
love stories, and haunted mansions. But that wouldn’t be the real answer. You
would have to ask my inner child, the one still bursting with wonder, but she’s
busy exploring a haunted house with spiral staircases, looking for doors into
other worlds. Second best option, visit my
website, to learn more about my novels. You can watch the book trailer for
HAUNTING JASMINE here. I
included a photograph of the haunted Walker-Ames house in Port Gamble, WA, on
which Auntie’s Bookstore in the novel was based.
You can read the
first chapter of HAUNTING
JASMINE here Praise for HAUNTING
JASMINE from Publishers Weekly: “Banerjee’s opulent prose is as colorful as Auntie’s cherished keepsakes, and
gently ironic supernatural elements—such as Jane Austen’s ghost telling Jasmine
“We love, we lose, but we can love again”—add dimension to a romance that spins
refreshingly into a quirky, surprising denouement.” Anjali Banerjee Contest: Post a comment on this blog, and I’ll enter you to win a signed copy of
HAUNTING JASMINE.
Comments
53 comments posted.
Re: Anjali Banerjee | Where my ideas really come from…
My ideas escape from my soul when they are ready to be shared. At that point they take on a life of their own and I have to be careful not to rein them in and just go where they take me.
(Penny Percenti 12:13pm January 30, 2011)
I really enjoyed this post. I am convinced I will love the
book! I have added it to my "to read" list!
(Marilu Turillo 2:40am January 30, 2011)
I wish I owned that bookstore - but I'll settle for buying the book - for now.
(Sharon Mitchell 2:53am January 30, 2011)
Your books sound fascinating and captivating. Thank you for revealing your inspirations.
(Joanne Reynolds 6:49am January 30, 2011)
Your blog is most interesting!
Blessings,
Marjorie
(Marjorie Carmony 7:11am January 30, 2011)
Great blog. Wishing I had a big mysterious house to explore in my childhood. But I always entered whatever world the book I was reading had, so it was fun.
(Pam Howell 7:15am January 30, 2011)
I can't wait to read this book!
(Mary Smith 7:16am January 30, 2011)
I love it! What an unusual premise for a book - nice twist on
the seeing dead people premise. This is on my list to read
now!
(Margay Roberge 9:31am January 30, 2011)
Wow! All of your books sound so interesting!
(Renee Pajda 9:36am January 30, 2011)
I've never failed to love a tale in which a bookstore serves as main setting.
(Nan Zahar 9:37am January 30, 2011)
Your books sound fascinating. I would have loved to have a house like
that to explore. And I love bookstores/libraries and books about them. I'm
off to visit your site.
(Mona Garg 10:14am January 30, 2011)
The idea of having the setting for the book in a bookstore is so appealing. I love bookstores - they are one of my favorite places to go. It would be so exciting to go to a haunted one. Your book sounds great! Can't wait to read it.
(Kathleen Bianchi 10:32am January 30, 2011)
I've read Imaginary Men and Invisible Lives and loved reading both! I now can't wait to read Haunting Jasmine- looks like a very interesting read- set in a bookstore- what could be better?! Thank you!
(Chrissey Dormer 10:43am January 30, 2011)
I love those haunted stories especially if involves bookstores which are one of my fave places.
(Clicia Tremblay 11:11am January 30, 2011)
Off to your website now to read more!! Looks really interesting. Thanks for an insightful blog post.
Valerie
in germany
(Valerie Bongards 11:15am January 30, 2011)
Very interesting premise. Would love to read it.
(Maria Antunes 12:08pm January 30, 2011)
This is a book I definitely want to read! Thanks for sharing this post!
(Colleen Conklin 12:17pm January 30, 2011)
well what i can say Canada castle are haunted and they are great we went to some when i was kid me i love to talk to the ghost and friend ask me can you spot the ghost he has on site the one in England they were eating dinner and then seen a little girl playing with a ball so they are great and would love to read it and blog on it
(Desiree Reilly 12:27pm January 30, 2011)
Haunted places can always be such fun settings for a romantic novel--I think I will enjoy your book.
(Sue Farrell 12:35pm January 30, 2011)
Anjali's novels always top my reading list. Let the magic take you away, too.
(Janine Donoho 12:49pm January 30, 2011)
I don't know how you managed to slip through my fingers, but it looks like I have some reading to catch up on!! I am totally drawn into your description of the book, and can't wait to get my hands on it!! The other books sound fascinating as well, and I'll be waiting with baited breath for your future books to come out as well. Never lose that inner child. She'll serve you well not only in writing, but in other areas of your life.
(Peggy Roberson 1:05pm January 30, 2011)
This story sounds fascinating, one I am going to enjoy reading.
(Anna Speed 1:22pm January 30, 2011)
your books helped me keep my sainity while my son was in iraq. I could sit down with one and read for a few hours and block everything out. THANKS you rock!!
(Melisa Clark 1:28pm January 30, 2011)
I enjoyed reading your post, it's a great reminder to be open to every day wonder. Your book sounds wonderful, I'm putting it on my to be read list.
(Yuka Liew 1:46pm January 30, 2011)
Sounds quite interesting..I'll definately have to check it out.
(Christine Stack 1:50pm January 30, 2011)
Your new book sounds intriguing. I get interesting ideas from my dreams.
(Maria Munoz 1:54pm January 30, 2011)
How fortunate for us readers that you've turned that wonderful sense of imagination into a gift that is shared through your books. Thank you!
(Linda Leonard 1:56pm January 30, 2011)
Sounds like a good Sunday afternoon read.
(Diane Chenier 2:37pm January 30, 2011)
Excellent! This novel sounds so good. OK am I a winner? lolol
(Joanne Bozik 3:20pm January 30, 2011)
The best ideas can come from nowhere. It's what you do with them once they appear that counts. Well done!!
(Mary Preston 4:15pm January 30, 2011)
Thank you for all the wonderful comments. Wow! I agree that it's what you *do* with ideas that matters. I'll check in again later!
(Anjali Banerjee 4:25pm January 30, 2011)
Love great old houses. My grandmother's house had a tiny office underneath the front staircase where she wrote mail and grocery lists, a library off the dining room, and a warren of rooms on 3 floors and a basement. Fun to explore.
(Shirley Nienkark 4:44pm January 30, 2011)
I so love the idea of getting advice from the dead authors. I love the way a small idea you get from somewhere can be added to and it becomes an entire book.
(Paula Strickland 4:57pm January 30, 2011)
Please enter me in your Contest to Win Haunting Jasmine. Sounds like a great prize. Thanks, Cecilia
(Cecilia Dunbar Hernandez 5:56pm January 30, 2011)
Can't wait to read your book. Thanks for giving me a chance to win it.
(Linda Hall 6:36pm January 30, 2011)
Would love to read your book. Thanks for the contest, which means I could possibly win a copy!
dancealert at aol dot com
(Brenda Rupp 6:46pm January 30, 2011)
This sounds like a great book, and to have it happen in a book store makes it even better. Can't wait to read this.
(Diane Castiglione 7:01pm January 30, 2011)
Every time I read a report like yours, I can only shake my head. Except for when I was about 17, I've never had a story come visit me, or experienced anything like any other writer has. I guess somebody's got to read the books, right? And I can certainly do that.
(Sigrun Schulz 7:37pm January 30, 2011)
Thanks for the taste of the book.. Sounds great..hope to win.
(Danielle Pontow 7:51pm January 30, 2011)
That book sounds great!
Thanks for the giveaway!
(Joanne Schultz 8:18pm January 30, 2011)
I love the idea of having a woman reinvent themselves. The idea made me look back over my past 63 years I realize in all our lives we reinvent ourselves many times going from being a toddler to a teen to a student to a mother to a teacher to a leader to a member of society.
Our lives and our values touch so many lives that we sometimes never realize until years later when we receive that phone call about conversation we never thought about that had a profound influence on someones life. It's at times like that that we can reflect on all the different roles we have had in our lifetime.
(Jeanne Miro 8:26pm January 30, 2011)
I've read some haunted stories books and always enjoy them; so I'm sure yours would be a good read also!
(Diane Sadler 8:34pm January 30, 2011)
I love to read your books
(Kirk Lund 8:35pm January 30, 2011)
Love all those ghostly encounter shows and love the same in books. Looking forward to reading your books. Thanks for the contest.
(Teresa Ward 9:00pm January 30, 2011)
Thanks for all the great feedback. I agree that we continue to reinvent ourselves at different stages in our lives... which gives me an idea for another book...
(Anjali Banerjee 9:03pm January 30, 2011)
I have a habit of imaging different outcomes for my life, maybe I should try writing them down. Sounds like the type of book my wife would love. It would be great to surprise her with it on Valentines Day.
(Willard Wheeler 10:33pm January 30, 2011)
Your books sound very imaginative and fun to read.
(Ginger Hinson 10:33pm January 30, 2011)
Would love to read a copy of this.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(DOT)com
(Renee Grandinetti 11:17pm January 30, 2011)
You are a very talented writer! God has given you the ability to touch those who read your novels, thank you for sharing yourself with the rest of us!
(Ronald Riedel 11:41pm January 30, 2011)
Whenever I'm in an older home, I think of the characters that have walked through before and made changes or as some people call it mistakes. If walls could talk, I bet they've overheard plenty of things somebody doesn't want repeated in mixed company.
(Alyson Widen 5:39pm January 31, 2011)
Awesome interview!
(Lisa Richards 9:25pm January 31, 2011)
I am always amazed at the imagination some people are so lucky to have.
[email protected]
(Debbie Penny 8:45am February 2, 2011)
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(Dorothy Sammons 4:46pm October 20, 2016)
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