1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE LOST MELODY
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant enters an asylum looking for a patient they claim is not there—and finds unexpected music in a hopeless place. The origins of music therapy combined with Victorian asylums and mental health.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I had a dream once that I woke in a strange stone house of sorts, with no memory of how I’d gotten there, or why they wouldn’t let me leave. The heroine’s journey is not quite the same, but that dream spurred me into researching asylums in Victorian England!
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely! We’d play piano duets and talk music!
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Musical, compassionate, determined
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
Even trapped in awful circumstances, freedom does exist. There’s only so much about a person you can actually lock up.
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit more than I write, I think. Every few pages, I go back over what I’ve already written—sometimes the entire draft. This often helps me get un-stuck when I feel blocked, but more than that, it provides a very smooth narrative and an organically flowing plot.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Chocolate-covered almonds
9--Describe your writing space/office!
I curl up in the rocking chair where I rocked all my babies, right in the middle of the family room. I look out the big windows at whatever season is happening outside and usually have a cat on my lap.
10--Who is an author you admire?
Roseanna White. She combines great research with incredible writing and storylines. I appreciate how authentic and realistic her characters are, and I enjoy every one of her books. She’s a fabulous storyteller.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
The book of Isaiah in the Bible, for sure. Everything Roald Dahl wrote stretched my imagination, too.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I had newly signed on with my agent, and I honestly expected to have a longer wait for a yes. I got a call when I was with my kids in a bookstore, of all places, that one of the publishers we’d submitted to planned to make an offer. I couldn’t believe it was real! My husband took us all out for dinner to celebrate. Then my agent called again and said two other houses were interested. Another trip out for dinner! When the first contract came in, my agent also told me another publisher wanted to make an offer and two more were strongly considering it. Again, my wonderful husband took us all out for dinner. Then when two more contracts came, we did dinner each of those times, too. When I officially signed my contract with Revell, we only went out for dessert. Ha! All the excitement tapped out our restaurant budget!
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love a great story, in any genre. Just a really, really great story. Something surprising, touching, and riveting.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty gets me thinking. I’ve watched While you were sleeping so many times, though, so it’s a toss-up.
15--What is your favorite season?
All of them! Honestly, I get excited about each one.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I indulge in a sweet treat—usually with friends.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I’ve really enjoyed Around the World in Eighty Days
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Dessert!
19--What do you do when you have free time?
I’m such a kid around my children, honestly. We have so much fun playing together, and I’m fully theirs when I’m not writing. We get muddy and climb trees and play made-up games a lot. I also love playing the piano, laughing with my husband, and following rabbit trails online about abandoned castles and interesting mysteries.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
I have more historical fiction set in the Victorian/Edwardian era coming soon!
When concert pianist Vivienne Mourdant's father dies, he leaves to her the care of an adult ward she knew nothing about. The woman is supposedly a patient at Hurstwell Asylum. The woman's portrait is shockingly familiar to Vivienne, so when the asylum claims she was never a patient there, Vivienne is compelled to discover what happened to the figure she remembers from childhood dreams.
The longer she lingers in the deep shadows and forgotten towers at Hurstwell, the fuzzier the line between sanity and madness becomes. She hears music no one else does, receives strange missives with rose petals between the pages, and untangles far more than is safe for her to know. But can she uncover the truth about the mysterious woman she seeks? And is there anyone at Hurstwell she can trust with her suspicions?
Fan-favorite Joanna Davidson Politano casts a delightful spell with this lyrical look into the nature of women's independence and artistic expression during the Victorian era--and now.
Suspense Historical [Revell, On Sale: October 4, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800736910 / ]
Joanna Davidson Politano freelances for a small nonfiction publisher but spends much of her time spinning tales that capture the colorful, exquisite details in ordinary lives. Her manuscript for Lady Jayne Disappears was a finalist for several contests, including the 2016 Genesis Award from ACFW, and won the OCW Cascade Award and the Maggie Award for Excellence. She is always on the hunt for random acts of kindness, people willing to share their deepest secrets with a stranger, and hidden stashes of sweets. She lives with her husband and their two babies in a house in the woods near Lake Michigan and shares stories that move her at www.jdpstories.com.
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