Glendy Vanderah

I had the pleasure of interviewing Glendy Vanderah as one of my favorite new authors. Her debut novel “Where the Forest Meets the Stars” was published in March of 2019 and has since then become a favorite of many. Blending the rural countryside of my home state of Illinois and a flare for what originally feels like a fantasy, she captures the innocence of youth that shines a light on a troubled world. The following is my interview with Glendy.

I really loved your debut novel, “Where the Forest Meets the Stars” I’m originally from Central Illinois, so I was thrilled to connect quickly to the setting of this book.  Why did you pick Illinois and what inspired the theme of the story?

Thank you, Kay! I grew up in Illinois and many of my biggest adult life events happened there. Since I moved to Florida, I miss my former state, and that’s part of the reason I set the story there. I’d always wanted to write a book set at a house I rented in southern Illinois when I was a biologist. The isolated situation at the end of a road, the creek and woods, even the old graveyard are all true to that actual location. I wanted that setting to give the story a fairytale feel. The main story idea came to me after I saw director Guillermo del Toro’s film Pan’s Labyrinth. I felt affinity with the idea of a child using fantasy to escape the violence and evils of war. As a child growing up in an unstable home, I used the nature of my wild-grown backyard to escape the traumatic events that were happening in my family—it was almost like a fantasy world for me. That’s why writing Ursa came naturally to me.

What is your writing schedule like? Are you a plotter or pantser?

I don’t have a precise or strict writing schedule—maybe because I started writing when I was a busy mom and had to grab time whenever I could. I often think I should be more disciplined with my writing schedule now that the kids are grown! When I’m writing a new book or editing one that’s been accepted for publication, I usually stay at my desk for eight hours or more. I have to remind myself to get up and exercise. Going out into nature is my favorite way of clearing my mind when I get bogged down in my writing or editing.

I do not write from a detailed outline. After I let characters, plot, and themes percolate in my mind for a few days or even weeks, I type out story notes. Especially important are the character descriptions: age, physical characteristics, backstory, motivations. I also write out  research notes on topics that will be in the book. By the time I begin writing, I know my first scene and the general plot. As I write, I let the characters steer the finer points of the story as they evolve. Sometimes I’m stunned by the things they do when they interact with each other! It’s really quite magical.

How long did you query your book before you landed your agent, Carly Watters with PS Literary?  Did you need to make multiple revisions?

I think I queried ‘Where the Forest Meets the Stars’ for about three months. I sent my first test query letter to just a few agents. I didn’t get requests, so I tweaked it and sent it to more agents. When I started getting requests for the full and partial manuscript, I knew the letter was good and I could send it to more agents. As more requests for the manuscript filtered in, I had to be patient. Most agents are backlogged on manuscripts. Carly initially asked for the partial, then asked for the full manuscript. After I signed with her, she helped me cut unnecessary backstory related to Gabe. I’d gone a little overboard on that! Once the book sold to Lake Union, my editors requested more changes: I deleted scenes that slowed down the story, fixed a poorly written love scene, and made Jo more likeable. Initially I’d written her to be more impatient with the little girl who showed up at her front door. Editing with professionals has been a great learning experience for me.

Your novel is a Wall Street Journal, Amazon Charts, and Washington Post Bestseller?  How does that feel?  And when you finished the book and wrote “The End”, did you know at that moment that this was special?

No, at that moment I wouldn’t have dreamed this book would be as popular as it is. I’d been through a few unsuccessful book queries and I was afraid to get my hopes up. My alpha reader, my husband, really liked the book, but he always says that! When a professional beta reader praised the book and recommended I try to get it published, I was encouraged. I didn’t realize the book was connecting well with readers until I started getting requests for the manuscript from agents. As for how I felt when the book made charts and received hundreds, then thousands, of positive reviews: it’s been one of the biggest and best surprises of my life!

I am so looking forward to your new novel, “The Light Through the Leaves”.  When does it come out?  And can you give us a quick synopsis of the story?

You won’t have to wait long! The Light Through the Leaves comes out on April 1, 2021.

As the story opens, Ellis Abbey is facing a crisis that distracts her from putting her infant daughter into the car. The child is stolen before she returns. The story explores how that moment affects many lives in the future; also how past events, going back in time for generations in multiple families, led up to Ellis making that terrible mistake. Themes in the story include healing through nature, mother-daughter connection, the importance of found family and friendships, and how the lessons we teach our children reverberate into the future.