Author Interview ~ Annette Mackey

Annette Mackey is an independent author based out of the Midwest. Her debut novel, Class Collision chronicles the life of two complete opposites during the Great Depression. David was born of privilege, but lost it all when he was kidnapped and left for dead. Linda is stubborn and beautiful, and has no idea David is wealthier than anyone she's ever met. The coming-of-age tale resonates with more genres than one, and Annette is already hard at work on the sequel in this new FALL FROM GRACE series, Phoenix Rising. 

1. Your book is set during the Great Depression. What made you choose that particular time period?

The premise for “Class Collision” relies upon financial change, so setting the story during the Great Depression worked nicely. At the beginning of the book, David is spoiled rotten, oozing with perfection, and a complete snob. He’s the epitome of everything fabulous and it makes most people hate him. In writing this book, I wanted to get people thinking. Society focuses so much on physical and monetary superiority, but deep down inside, most people don’t really believe that’s what matters most. David represents all of this, and it’s not until he faces challenges that he realizes the value in other people. That’s when he becomes a truly loveable character.

2. Who is your favorite character in the book, and why?

There’s no surprise here. David is my favorite character. I love creating flawed, complex, and unpredictable individuals. However, a surprise to readers might be that I love Elizabeth’s character. Originally, “Class Collision: Fall From Grace” was written with 150,000 words, which I stripped down to 116,000 for publication. In the original version, I was able to spend more time on all the characters, especially Elizabeth. I was disappointed that I couldn’t keep all of that information when I went to press. If I had, the book would have cost $25. Obviously, that wasn’t realistic, so – drat – a lot of details had to go. Since there was some confusion between my publisher, and me, I didn’t realize the book was over priced until after the final edit. Meaning, that I was cutting after the editing process was over, hence the occasional typo.

3. What inspires you to sit down and write a story?

I write constantly, whether it’s brainstorming or at my computer. I can’t seem to stop, though I’ve never considered publication until recently. My family has been bugging me for years to publish my stories, but it wasn’t until after my daughter’s high school AP English class read “Class Collision,” that I decided to move forward with it. The student’s response was overwhelming. I was deeply touched. Sometimes when I get discouraged, I try to remember what readers have said, and it helps me to keep going. But, I’ll never stop writing, even if it’s just for myself. I love it.

4. You have the choice to be ridiculously wealthy and miserable, or penniless and happy...which do you choose, and why?

I would definitely choose happiness. That’s basically what “Class Collision” is about; going from miserable to happy without a cent to your name. In the book, Linda becomes David’s whole heart and soul. Without her, life would be meaningless. And yet, he would never have given her a second thought had he not lost his family and home. They are from completely different worlds. After fighting his feelings for a year, his love for Linda becomes so consuming that he is willing to do practically anything. And that’s exactly what it comes down to.

5. Describe Class Collision in 6 words or less, please!

“What’s the value of a person?” Not that I have the answer. I’m just posing the question.

6. You can only write in one genre for the rest of your life. What would it be, and why?

Love stories! Life revolves around love, and so do my books. Everything I write has a love story in it. To me, that’s the very best part!

7. Is there anything else you would like to share with your readers and fans?

The sequel, “Class Collision: Phoenix Rising,” is in the editing phase right now, and, yes, I’ve double-checked the word count. I’m hoping to make it available by spring 2011. Since World War II follows the Great Depression, you can expect David’s life to get even messier. On a side note, my small group of test readers has unanimously agreed that “Phoenix Rising” is even better than “Fall From Grace.” That made me pretty happy since I’m really proud of “Fall From Grace.” Needless to say, the conclusion is pretty intense. All lingering questions are answered when David’s past meets up with his present in a colossal boom. Poor Linda is caught in the middle and David has to finally verbalize what he’s known all along.

Annette, thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions! To those who would like to read my review of Class Collision, click here. If you would like to be included in the US tour of Class Collision, please leave me your email in your comment, and I will contact you with details!