Guest and Giveaway: Renee Swindle on Shake Down the Stars

By Julie

I was first charmed by Renee Swindle's smile in a photo with Jacqueline Luckett, a wonderful writer I interviewed for What Women Write last year. Renee is part of Jackie's critique group, The Finish Party. Recently, her name came up again in a conversation with author Amy Sue Nathan, another author I interviewed for What Women Write. Are you starting to see some interesting connections here? Amy told me she'd read an advance reader's edition of Shake Down the Stars and loved it. I made a mental note of the book, not even remembering the connection to Jackie Luckett. 

Well, about two weeks ago, the night before Renee's book release, I got an email from her out of the blue saying she'd enjoyed Calling Me Home and wondered if she could interview me for her website. That was an easy answer! It seemed written in the stars ... appropriate, don't you think? I was so happy to be reminded about her book again, I downloaded it immediately. And Amy was right. This delightfully poignant and funny story sucked me right in. I loved it!

I asked Renee if we could do something fun--post interviews with each other on the same day. And I knew right away I'd enjoy doing what I did with Amy and Sere Prince Halverson before that. I made a list of things and themes that stood out for me when I read Shake Down the Stars and asked Renee to riff on them. I hope you'll enjoy her thoughts. I did!

But first, about Shake Down the Stars 

Piper Nelson is stuck. She can’t quite stay away from the husband she divorced. She isn’t always attentive to the high school students she teaches. And even she admits that she’s been drinking too much and seeking out unsuitable men. Piper’s mother, married to a celebrity evangelist, and her sister, immersed in plans to wed a professional football player and star in a reality TV show, are both too self-absorbed to sympathize with Piper’s angst. They tell her to get a grip. But how can Piper ever really recover from the blow she suffered five years ago, when a car accident took the life of her young daughter?

When Piper’s ex-husband announces his new girlfriend is pregnant, Piper is forced to take stock. Realizing that it’s time for a change is one step, but actually making it happen is quite another. And despite what she thinks, Piper can’t do it alone. Lucky for her, a couple of crazy, funny new friends are ready to step in when she needs them most…and show her how to live and laugh again.

And now, Renee, take us into your world and the world of Shake Down the Stars!

credit: airefresco's flickr photostream

Outsider

I love that you picked up on outsider as a theme!  I felt like an outsider growing up and tended to hang out with other outsiders in school and college. I’m also an only child, and it wasn’t until I grew older and started hearing more stories about sibling rivalry that I learned siblings could feel distant from each other or sometimes not get along at all well into adulthood. It seems silly now—of course you can feel like an outsider in your own family! But for the longest time, I assumed families with more than one kid were like the Brady Bunch.  At any rate, Piper, the narrator of my novel, is a classic family outsider.  Her mom and sister get along fabulously but she can’t seem to relate to either of them.  

credit: Will Montague's flickr photostream

Sisters

I never grew up wishing I had a sister or brother, so I’m not sure what happened once I started writing novels, but it’s like I’m suddenly obsessed with family dynamics, especially between siblings. Piper and her half-sister Margot couldn’t be more different. I was interested in the idea that everyone in the novel would gravitate toward Margot because of her beauty, and basically treat Piper as though she were lesser than. What's it like to pick up on subtle cues that people treat you differently from your sister? What happens if you have no one to tell you you’re just as special? These questions play a big part in Piper’s journey.  

Night Sky
I absolutely love staring up at the night sky. I don’t own a telescope (yet!), but I’ve always been curious about astronomy, and I thought it would be interesting to turn Piper into an amateur astronomer. Piper’s knowledge about the stars gave me the excuse to buy books on astronomy and study some of the basics. While I’m not nearly as knowledgeable as most, I do share the feeling of amazement when I stare up at the sky or when I see images of space that the Hubble sends back. It’s mindboggling that we’re on this teeny tiny planet, floating in a huge galaxy that’s part of this astoundingly vast universe. Whoa. 
 

The Andromeda Galaxy (M31), not ours, but you can see it from here!
I'm an astronomy fan, too, and loved all of the references in Renee's book.
credit: Adam Evan's flickr photostream

credit: Cletus Awreetus' flickr photostream

Motherhood
Piper’s mother didn’t have many scenes in the initial draft of Shake Down The Stars.  Over time, though, her mother became more and more integral to the story. Once I began working on Piper’s sobriety, for instance, I knew her drinking was about the longing she had for her mother’s love as much as the loss she experienced.  Piper’s mother can be selfish and wasn’t very attentive when Piper was growing up. Piper watches her sister Margot replicate this same relationship with her twin daughters.  It’s hard for Piper to see the pattern continue with her nieces, but unless we have some kind of ah-ha moment, I think we often repeat the patterns we know.  Piper does hope to break the cycle at least.

credit: Mike Shaffner's flickr photostream

Grief

The theme of grief runs throughout the novel.  We all do grieve at a certain point in life, or will, and we all do it in our own particular way. Piper lost her child five years before the start of the novel, but survives her loss with the help of several friends who truly become like family.  When I started the book, I had no idea how she’d become happy again--or if she’d become happy again--but the more I wrote, the more I fell in love with certain characters and how they helped each other.  I think it’s like this in life, too.  Life can be tough and difficult, but it’s also filled with joy and laughter.  As a writer, I’ve also learned I do funny well, so I made sure to offer zany, fun characters and funny situations.  My goal was to write a moving story that wasn’t a downer. I also wanted to surprise the reader (and myself) and keep the story at a nice, brisk pace.  Hopefully I succeeded.

credit: michaeljzealot's flickr photostream

Addiction

It’s true: Piper tries to overcome her loss in all the wrong ways!  What’s funny is that I didn’t realize she was an alcoholic until an early reader pointed it out.  She said rather gently, I think you should have Piper go to AA.  I reacted like an alcoholic might and tried to defend Piper: She’s not an alcoholic! What are you talking about?  But when I thought about it, it hit me that Piper did drink a lot.  And this meant making sure she owned up to her drinking and writing a draft where she grapples with her drinking. I’m actually happy I was able to explore the issue of addiction.  I haven’t read about it much in women’s fiction and thought her drinking added an important layer to her journey. 
 

credit: DeGust's flickr photostream

Solitude
A thoughtful reader (ahem—Julie Kibler!) pointed out that the novel begins and ends with Piper standing by herself. I never realized this! D’uh! Big D’uh! But this theme helps me share what I’d always hoped to do with Shake Down The Stars. I started the novel with a question: How will Piper ever find happiness? That was the through-line that kept me going. And while she’s alone at the beginning and at the end, there’s a huge difference between being alone and lonely and being able to stand on your own in contented solitude.


About Renee Swindle 

Renee Swindle is the author of Shake Down The Stars (NAL/Penguin), available now.

Her first novel, Please Please Please, was published by the Dial Press/Dell. Please Please Please was also published in Germany as Mehr Mehr Mehr and published in Japan. Please Please Please was an Essence Magazine bestseller.

Renee Swindle earned her BA from UC Irvine and MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University. She lives in Oakland, California with her two dogs and three cats–meow!

Comment on the post to be entered in a chance to win a copy of Shake Down the Stars. Winner will be chosen at random and notified on or about Wednesday, September 4! Domestic U.S. addresses only, please!

UPDATE 9/5/13: The winner of the giveaway for a copy of Renee's book is Michelle James! Michelle, we'll get in touch with you! Thanks to everyone who commented!

Then follow this link to read Renee's interview with Julie and win a copy of Calling Me Home!