Why did you feel you had to tell this
story?
My
inspiration for writing Just Another Sunday came from two sources—one was
external and one was an internal need for answers. The external source was
someone from my past (a main character in the book) who found me on
Classmates.com and told me jaw dropping, revealing information about our last
encounter many years ago, which is detailed in Chapter 33. It blew me away to hear it some 34 years later.
I needed to analyze it. I needed to revisit my past and how it came to be where
I have been and how I got to be where I am now. I needed to come to terms with
important, emotional, pivotal events that shaped my life’s path. The theme of
story is ultimately about Fate.
Every move, every situation, every decision made, large or
small, good or bad, impacts our lives in some way, shape or form, altering the
paths we take; taking into consideration our inherent personality
traits/tendencies, place in time and circumstance. And ultimately, we
face the never-ending questions of whether our destiny in Life is decided by
our own free will choices - or by the guiding hand of God Almighty -
or is it simply predetermined by Fate. P.S. Although this book is based on real
life, it was necessary to call this story a novel, not a memoir, since there
are many fictional elements to it.
How did you choose the genre you write
in?
Just
Another Sunday was based on 5 years of my life as an teenager and young adult, so
it would have to be placed in the genres of Coming Of Age, Family Drama and
Women’s Fiction. The setting is in the
late 60s and early 70s, but I would not consider this work Historical Fiction.
What advice would you give to aspiring
writers on the writing and publishing process?
I am too
much of a novice to give advice, but I do know this: Your book’s cover should
be tremendously appealing to the eye. The cover to Just Another Sunday
perfectly reflects the book’s content. I
couldn’t be happier with my choice. I recommend
that your book’s title be more than carefully considered. I, personally, do not like excessively long
titles for fiction. I find them distracting. The face of the publishing world is changing.
Authors no longer need endure bloody knuckles from knocking on the doors of
literary agents to get their voices heard. I self-published Just Another
Sunday, and did it “my way”.
How does your family and friends feel
about the book?
My family
and friends love this book, of course. ☺ I have
been told that Just Another Sunday is very nostalgic and catapults readers to
another time and place—to decades that baby boomers recall with fond memories.
My friends say I captured the teenage vernacular of that time period and the
book caused them to linger in their own pasts for many days after the last page
was turned. Someone said to me that this
book is my legacy. I am not sure that’s
true, but I do believe my father is smiling.
My extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., recognizes it as an
important piece; a tribute to my parents.
What was the hardest part about writing
your book?
The
hardest part was writing Chapter 19. When
you read it, you will understand why. It
was very emotional for me to re-visit that day (November 22, 1970) and there
were many months that my manuscript sat dormant in my laptop. I could not bear to work on it.
What was the hardest thing to cut from
your manuscript?
I cut one
chapter. It was a no-brainer to do so. However, I also considered cutting
Chapter 18, but left it as is. I am glad I did. Some may consider it
unnecessary, boring and too long. I
disagree. This chapter was derived,
almost verbatim, from family reel to reel tapes recorded on November 21, 1970. I wrote the content of these conversations as
a tribute to my father and felt it was essential to the themes of my story.
**********
SYNOPSIS:
"Just Another Sunday" Is Anything But OrdinarySet against the backdrop of the turbulent late 1960s and early 1970s, Just Another Sunday is inspired by actual events and follows Lia Benedict, a teenager growing up in the suburbs of New Jersey. In the spring of 1968, Lia is 15 years old when her Italian-American family decides to leave Brooklyn for their dream home in the suburbs. But Lia is reluctant to pull up roots and go anywhere, especially to some godforsaken Jersey town. "I would rather thrive in the grime of New York than be plucked from my roots and transplanted in Nowheresland, just to wither away and die. I swear this is the kiss of death." Her father, Frank Benedict, has worked hard to afford his own home for his wife, Marie, and five children after years of renting in Brooklyn. With the recent marriage of their eldest daughter, and visions of grandchildren in their future, new life in suburbia couldn't be more promising. But their dream home quickly becomes a living nightmare, and the family's move will prove to be the last they will ever make as an intact family of seven. Just Another Sunday is a compelling five-year snapshot of one woman's life, taking us through teenage angst and rites of passage, new love and broken hearts, friendships and betrayal, triumph and tragedy, and one family's struggle to cope with the inconceivable. You will search your soul and ponder Life's most provocative questions as you experience the unforgettable conclusion to Just Another Sunday.
**********
Elizabeth Good is a dental office manager for a prominent Monmouth County, New Jersey dentist. She hails from Brooklyn, New York, and currently resides in Toms River, New Jersey, with her husband and 13-year-old shih tzu, Saverio. She has one son, three stepchildren, and three grandsons. Just Another Sunday is Elizabeth's first novel.
FOR MORE INFO
Website: http://lizbeth729.wix.com/elizabethgood
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