The Pink House by Trish MacEnulty

11/7/2020

Debut author, Trish MacEnulty, introduces us to her first book, “The Pink House”:
Jen Johanssen is a former porn actor trying to fit into the world of academia. Her sister, Lolly Johanssen, is a cancer survivor. Nicole Parks is in prison for loving the wrong guy. And Sonya Yakowski, also in prison, is a member of a family of traveling criminals, desperately missing her young son. The lives of these four women converge in a Florida prison, where Jen and Lolly have joined forces to put on a grant-funded drama production. Despite their remarkably divergent histories, these women come together in unexpected ways, each beginning to confront and forgive her own past.

This is a wonderful example of women’s literature that anyone will likely derive pleasure from the reading. I really enjoyed the story. The women from such varied backgrounds came across so real. Using the vehicle of a memoir, their different stories converge in a Florida women’s prison.
The author does a great job of showing each of the women as a unique individual with their own ambitions and desires. She makes effective use of accents and idioms to differentiate the characters from each other.
Much of the book is set in the prison and those descriptions are vivid without being overdone. The dialogue and action all drive the story forward at a comfortable pace.
The ending was unexpectedly beautiful, I loved it.
I award 4.9 stars to “The Pink House”.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Pink-House-Trish-MacEnulty
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-pink-house
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/the-pink-house-trish-macenulty

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/pmacenulty
https://www.trishmacenulty.com
https://www.facebook.com/pat.macenulty

women’s literature, women’s fiction, prison, parole, death, cancer

Copyright © 2020 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

32 Comments

Trish MacEnulty link

11/8/2020 08:34:59 am

Thanks, Mark

Mark

11/8/2020 09:04:55 am

You are very welcome, Trish. I enjoyed your book a lot.
Thanks for joining me in this conversation. We will talk about your writing and publishing journey.
First question.
Please, tell us more about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

11/8/2020 10:44:57 am

Hmm. Well, I just got married (not my first rodeo) to a wonderful guy. I have two dogs and a cat. I'm the mom of an amazing young woman who is in law school and who works for an organization whose purpose is to help formerly incarcerated folks stay out of prison. The apple is growing a whole 'nother tree! This actually isn't my first book. I've had five other books published under the name "Pat MacEnulty." A lot of my early work was autobiographical, but these days I'm writing historical fiction. The first few books were healing. But the new direction is more fun.

11/8/2020 11:54:27 am

Congratulations on getting married. Staying married is a fair amount of work with ideal circumstances, but it is definitely worth it.
A lawyer in the family. That is very nice.
I can imagine that those early books were instrumental in some of your healing. Historical fiction is my third favorite genre, right behind science fiction and fantasy, one and two respectively.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
If you are, how long have you been a full-time writer, and how much time did it take you to make the transition from part time?

11/8/2020 04:19:44 pm

I consider myself a full time writer because I try to write every day. But if you're asking where my financial support comes from, that is from teaching. I am currently a college professor; however, I am close to retirement when I will have even more time to write.

11/8/2020 05:12:02 pm

That is a great discipline, writing daily, you are well prepared for retirement now, in that respect.
Three or four years before my impending retirement, I decided that I wanted to do proofreading on a more serious level. I started preparing for that day, I wanted my business to be going full steam ahead when I put my tools away.
I amped up my business, sought new clients and expanded over the several years before retirement. I was doing very little else besides working, proofreading and promoting books. I wound up retiring a little bit earlier than originally planned, but it worked out fine. My business was going along at a good pace by that time.
New questions.
Are you in the writing business for love of writing or for money?
Does your work, or past work if you are retired, have any influence on your writing?

11/8/2020 05:22:42 pm

Good idea to have those plans in place. Glad it worked out so well for you.
I cannot imagine a life without writing. I would write even if I never got a dime for it. However, for much of my life it was also how I supported myself. I wrote freelance articles, sold essays and short stories, whatever I could sell. But when I landed a solid teaching job to pay the bills then I could write without having to worry about making money. And that's been more freeing. I do hope that my historical fiction makes money at some point, but in the meantime I'm enjoying getting to write what I want to write.

11/8/2020 06:06:52 pm

That is wonderful! Writing freelance and keeping a roof over your head. Not every freelance writer can say that. You must have been quite accomplished.
I can imagine how good you feel being able to write what you want instead of what someone else wants.
New questions.
Do you teach writing in college or something else entirely different?
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

11/9/2020 02:36:03 pm

I should probably make clear that I struggled to earn a living with the freelance writing and I usually taught a couple of classes as an adjunct professor to help make ends meet. Also I was married and so we were a two income household. Nevertheless freelance writing was great training and taught me great discipline.
I am currently a professor of English. I teach creative writing, composition and film classes.
I was inspired to write The Pink House by a good friend who actually helped me with the workshops I gave in a women's prison back in the late 90s. This friend died of breast cancer, as one of the characters in the book does. As for genre, I wasn't really thinking about it at the time. I just wanted to tell a story. Now I definitely think about genre, especially as I delve in the world of historical fiction. This is definitely a genre that has called out to me. I love stories that are based in reality and that teach me something about another time and place.

11/9/2020 03:41:31 pm

Thanks for the clarification. You were a struggling freelance author like nearly every other contract writer. There is a lot of pressure in that part of the business, you are only as good as your last published piece. With so much competition for not only space on the page, but for the readers' attention. Among other things, I would think that writing succinctly is a key lesson to learn.
Congratulations on attaining your professorship. I learned how hard that can be from reading your book.
I love historical fiction, it reminds me of science fiction except it is in the past or present.
It is really nice for you that you have a clear picture of a particular genre to write in.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.
This next question seems obvious, except that I sometimes miss something the author intended. What do the elements on the cover represent?

Trish link

11/9/2020 04:42:47 pm

The publisher, Apprentice House of Loyola, chose the cover and did all the design work. They did offer me a choice and that is the one I went with because I think it reflected the story the best. Anyone seeing this cover could guess that it was about incarcerated women.

11/9/2020 05:19:05 pm

Apprentice House is an interesting outfit. It exists first for students to enable them to get experience in the publishing industry. It also exists to promote authors of many different kinds.
I was a trades apprentice twice, first in sheet metal work and then as an HVAC technician. I gained journeyman status in both trades. I enjoyed the commercial side of the business a great deal.
I do like the cover. It works well, there is little for the prospective reader to wonder about.
New questions.
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

11/10/2020 09:23:42 am

Titles are almost always hard. The first title I had for this book didn't give readers any inkling what was inside. But when this title came to me -- because the prison where I had given arts workshops was painted pink -- it was so obvious. Character names, on the other hand, seem to come easily. They just pop up and I don't often change them.

11/10/2020 09:46:19 am

Some authors have a lot of trouble picking a title. Some authors use the title as an opportunity to bring their fans into the process. They have a contest to pick a title from a choice of two to four possibilities. Some hold the contest on one social media platform or another. Wherever the author has the largest number of fans. Others use their email list that fans have signed up on to receive newsletters through the website.
You are very fortunate with character names. Some authors really struggle with names. There are many websites that have lists of popular names. Some have the most popular names for each decade or year going back a century or more, That could be useful for the writer of historical fiction.
New questions.
Your book is available as an e-book and a paperback. Are you planning any other formats?
What are the Amazon categories you chose for your book?

11/10/2020 01:32:04 pm

I would love to do all my books as audio books. I hope that will happen someday. I didn't choose the Amazon categories. The publisher did that, I think.

11/10/2020 02:30:55 pm

I have links to many good blogs about audio books, even how to do your own. Hit the search box at the bottom of the page and search audio or Joanna Penn, she has written a lot of blogs about audio books.
Audio books have been exploding around the world. There are a lot of countries that use English as the official language of commerce and government. English is also taught in many other countries as a second language. There are many millions of people who access the internet only through a smart phone, an audio book is the ideal form to consume a book for all of these people. Many of them want to improve their mastery of English also.
There are other formats you can license or publish yourself. Large print, graphic novels are growing in popularity also. Plays, screenplays for all sizes of screens. With the increasing number of streaming services, production companies are looking for good properties to license and use for streaming. There is also merchandising. If you want to learn more about those kinds of opportunities search "Business musing", you will find some of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blogs and others. Some great stuff.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

11/10/2020 03:16:48 pm

Great info about audio books. Thanks! Right now I'm so deep in the well of my historical novel that I don't take advantage of as many opportunities as I should.
Yes, I have entered contests and have won several awards over the years. In graduate school, I won two fellowships for my writing. Then I won a Florida Artist's Grant from the Arts Council as well as a grant from the Charlotte Arts Council when I moved to NC. In recent years I've placed as a finalist in several screenwriting competitions (speaking of screenplays!) including Austin, Page, Cinequest and others. And I've won the Florida Screenwriting Competition and the Stage 32 competition. I think contests are a great way to get some validation for your writing.

11/10/2020 05:36:16 pm

This might not be the right moment to pursue audio books or other formats. That decision is above my pay grade.
Congratulations on winning all those awards! That is a wonderful boost and terrific validation.
Pick writing contests carefully, there are scammers out there seeking every means possible to separate a writer from as much money as possible. Those are the nice ones. The truly evil ones also try to steal your intellectual property rights.
Anne R. Allen has one of my favorite blogs, at the end of each issue she lists contests that are safe and worthy to enter. SFWA hosts a blog called Writer Beware, Victoria and others highlight sham contests and scammy publishers. I have links to several examples of both blogs on my Highly Regarded Blogs page.
New questions.
Every genre's fans have expectations about what they are going to want to read. Fans of cozy mysteries have a set of expectations that can differ greatly from the expectations of fans of hard-boiled murder mysteries.
What expectations do fans of the historical fiction genre have in mind, when you think of historical fiction?
I noticed that you didn’t put your book in Kindle Unlimited. Why is that?

11/11/2020 08:50:26 am

Good morning, Mark.

There are varieties of historical fiction but in all of them you expect to find accurate historical references. Even in those that involve fantasy, I think readers expect to feel that they are being taken to another time period. Research is so important to create that sense of authenticity. In some ways The Pink House is "historic fiction" because an important event in the novel is the 2000 election. That isn't far enough back to qualify as historic but there is a sense of being in a particular (and important) political moment.
Most historic novels I read also have an element of romance but it is not the main element. The main element is the historic event(s) that occur in the novel, which is why WW2 are so popular.

11/11/2020 09:48:36 am

That sounds like what I have heard from other authors who write historical fiction. The research is very important and getting the facts right is paramount above all other considerations.
I didn't think of this book as historical fiction, but you are quite correct. The settings of this book are fixed at the post-election controversies of that presidential election.
New questions.
Have you ever gone through the query process, seeking an agent or submitting directly to publishers or did you go straight to indie publishing or self-publishing, and why?
Was it difficult to choose between self-publishing and independent publishing?

11/11/2020 11:18:21 am

I am currently going through the query process for my historical fiction book. It's both a frustrating and rewarding experience. I've gotten some fabulous feedback from top agents that have made the book much better. I've also gotten no response at all from a few agents, which seems a bit unprofessional to me but maybe they're just overwhelmed. The key is to keep trying.
For my six published books, I went to straight to the publisher. These were all great publishers and well respected in the industry. Working with them was wonderful. And then I self-published a couple of books that I mainly just use for workshops and teaching. I've never promoted them. Promotion has never been my strong suit, but I keep learning.

11/11/2020 12:41:10 pm

You are very fortunate, many authors never get any feedback. I am sure that their workload has something to do with the lack of response. Lots of authors send out queries by the dozens, some one or two at a time, others ten or more at one time. Many of those authors use https://querytracker.net/ to help them stay organized. Others use a spreadsheet of their own creation.
Indie publishing and self-publishing, you have wide experience.
While it has never been easy for an unknown author to connect with a traditional publisher, it is more difficult now than before. This is mainly a result of Amazon tipping the proverbial apple cart over, and then smashing it to bits. The traditional publishing industry has been in a serious contraction for years now. There are only five, big traditional publishers left. Consolidation has occurred at all levels.
Writing the first draft of a book is a solitary venture. After that the circle needs to be expanded slowly, with alpha readers, beta readers, a critique group or partner, editor, proofreader, cover maker, formatter and maybe others. Not many authors can wear all those hats effectively. After publication there is a need for reviewers, promoters, aggregators to go wide and other formats such as audio book narrators. In the end, it takes a large family to publish and promote a good book.
New questions.
Do you think independent publishers can produce a book as good as mainstream publishers?
What are the three most important considerations for an independent author to be certain of when signing a contract with a publisher?

11/11/2020 01:03:31 pm

Three of my publishers were university presses, which I think is a somewhat different classification? Profile Books, which published my first four books, is an independent publisher in Britain. (The Pink House is actually a reprint of an older book they published.)
I was just so happy to have respected publishers want my books that I didn't quibble much. The one thing I did retain were my film and TV rights. So I hate to admit I don't have much advice except to make sure you like and trust your editors, which I did. I will also say I think some of the independent presses can produce a beautiful book. And sometimes they can give an author more attention, which is an added bonus.

11/11/2020 01:27:41 pm

There will always be a few traditional publishers, including universities. With shrinking profit margins, many of the traditional publishers are struggling to stay afloat. They have cut back in many ways, advances have shrunk a great deal or even disappeared, and they are taking far fewer chances on unknown authors also.
Most authors don't question the publisher about the contract they sign. In an honest contract, the intellectual property rights should revert back to the author if the book isn't selling or the publisher pulls it off the market. Some publishers require the author to request the copyright reversion.
Sometimes an agent can help an author navigate these treacherous waters, but there is no substitute for a lawyer who is knowledgeable about these kinds of contracts and intellectual property rights.
Most authors find that they still have lots of IP rights, here is a copy-and-paste link to a great article about a well-known, traditionally-published author that went independent and did very well: https://kriswrites.com/2020/07/22/business-musings-the-kickstarted-game-changer-part-two/
The blogger is another of my favorites and I appreciate how well she shares her business acumen. I think more and more indie authors are going to be using this model in the future.
New questions.
You mentioned that you self-published a couple of workbooks. How was the experience publishing those books with Amazon, or did you publish them elsewhere?
Do you have any plans to do more self-publishing? If so, would you start your own imprint? Here is a good article about that idea: https://www.janefriedman.com/why-self-publishing-authors-should-consider-establishing-their-own-imprint

11/12/2020 08:52:47 am

I used Create Space and distributed the books through Amazon. The experience was fine but I wouldn't do it again unless I had another product for workshops. I once thought about having my own imprint, but realized I prefer creating to managing. There are so many great imprints already out there. I think self-publishing is a great option if you have a platform for your product or if you're really good at promotion.

11/12/2020 09:40:39 am

You probably know that Createspace is gone. Amazon folded it into the Kindle publishing program.
Most authors build their platform after they publish their first book and it doesn't go anywhere, figuratively speaking. They had dreams that royalties would pour in as their book rocketed to the top of the bestseller list. With a million new books published each year it is very difficult for a new author to get anyone to notice their book. The reality of the situation is brutal like a bucket of ice-water dumped on their head.
Because writing the first draft of a book is such a solitary venture, most authors are not inclined towards promoting their book. It takes away from writing the next book and they are very uncomfortable with pushing their book (as they think of it in their own mind).
New questions.
What is your publisher doing, if anything, to market your book?
Is using Twitter and other social media part of your marketing strategy?

11/12/2020 02:45:30 pm

This book actually came out a few years ago so they're not currently marketing it, which is why I thought it might be nice to give it a refresh now. So it is my pinned tweet. I always use Facebook to promote my books but when the next one comes out, I'll definitely be spending time on Twitter promoting it.

11/12/2020 03:51:37 pm

Marketing is not a one and done deal. It is something that needs constant attention. There are so many ways to market a book also, even if the author is working full time.
There is the local author angle that can be pursued in bits and pieces. In many towns of almost any size there is a local newspaper that is always looking for new material with a neighborhood angle. Some towns have a radio and/or TV station, or a cable access channel, many are eager to help a local figure. If there are places that tourists frequent, an author may be able to sell a few copies at a discount to the establishment or get a few books placed on consignment. Being prepared with a countertop, cardboard, book holder would help in these matters. It would be smart to have a picture of the book with re-ordering info attached on the holder.
So many blogs have been written exploring many different facets of marketing books. I recommend that authors devote an hour or two, once every week or two for marketing and promoting. It would be easy to lose a great deal of writing time to these activities. It's not a sprint, it is an ultra-marathon.
New questions.
Did you use ads on Amazon or other platforms such as Facebook or Bookbub?
Do you subscribe to any author newsletters? There are so many ways to put out a newsletter.

11/13/2020 12:38:40 pm

I have placed ads on Facebook in the past. They're pretty cost effective. I don't subscribe to too many authors' newsletters because reading them takes away from my own writing time, but I do read George Saunders newsletter. He's such an amazing writer. I had planned to take a workshop with him and Mary Karr in Greece this past summer but that didn't work out for obvious reasons. Anyway, you can discover opportunities through authors' newletters if you pay attention. I'm sure I'll have another chance to take a workshop with him.

11/13/2020 01:14:23 pm

I am glad to hear the Facebook ads have been profitable for you. Some authors have had a different experience.
Authors are repeatedly urged to build a website, collect emails for a newsletter and sell their books on their website. Sales platforms can change or even go away. Having a website provides at least one platform under the author's control. Getting people to sign up for a newsletter gives the author an opportunity to build a fan base and that leads to increased sales. You can sell not only books, you can also sell other merchandise tied to your books or personal interests. Licensed merchandise can take many forms, coffee mugs and book marks are mundane and they are popular. Alternate covers and character art can help bind fans to your brand.
You can do these things without a website and newsletter, but you have less control over the long term. These are part of a long term strategy.
Last questions.
Do you have a newsletter you send out to fans? Why or why not?
What kind of marketing are you planning on doing for your historical fantasy book?

11/14/2020 11:47:26 am

I don't currently have a newsletter but that is something I am thinking about for the future -- not only to promote my work but the work of other historical fiction writers as well. And I will definitely be working with a publicist before and after the publication, but I'll also be tailoring some of my essays to historical fiction fans. Thanks for the great questions!

11/14/2020 12:07:04 pm

A newsletter and website will enhance your career as an author for many years. The more you invest in time, energy and money, the greater the rewards in the future.
You are very welcome. It has been a pleasure to chat with you. You have many demands on your time in this season of your life. So, we will close the interview for now. Perhaps we can pick it up in the future with your next book. I do enjoy historical fiction a lot.
Thank you for sharing your time with us. Keep writing and stay safe and sane.

The Pink House by Trish MacEnulty

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