Book Covers:Will Lavender & Obedience-Part 2

Yesterday, I posted the first part of my Q&A with first-time author Will Lavender. Lavender's Obedience is a fast-paced labyrinth of a book. Reality is the key and is often questioned. One thing that is not questioned is that the book is a major success and one of my favorites.
I wondered if Lavender considered other endings for Obedience?
Yes. Obedience was going to be a straightforward thriller, where the events occurred, just as the mysterious professor claims they did. However, as I got into the novel and began how trippy and borderline surreal it was, I knew I had to fit the ending on accordingly. It has been a bit controversial; some people hate it, others love it. What I really wanted to do was write an ending that would be memorable. I love the mystery/thriller genre, but I am not fond of a lot of endings. Even my favorite novels have endings that just sort of happen: "The killer was this guy...no it was this guy! The end." I wanted to go all out and try to tie everything together in a way that would make the reader feel something--even if it was fury. I think I did that. At least I hope I did.
Finally, I had to ask for a hint about Dominance, Lavender's second and forthcoming novel. Dominance is the story of an unusual literature course and the search for a reclusive novelist. While watching one of my favorite television shows--Forensic Files--one night, I began to think about the set-up of my next novel. I thought about a college course taught by a convicted murderer. The murder would have to be brilliant, and of course the class would have to be taught via satellite. I wondered what this murderer would do if given the chance to teach the class, what lengths would he go to to talk about himself and his crimes. Of course, the class is not what it seems, nor is the brilliant professor...and the students themselves find that they are not really taking a literature class at all but are attempting to solves a decades-old murder by decoding clues their professor gives them.
I really appreciate Will Lavender taking time to answer my questions. I encourage everyone to check out Lavender's site and definitely read Obedience!

Book Covers:Will Lavender & Obedience-Part 1

I always bring a book anytime I travel by air. Last week, when I went to Philadelphia, I brought along Obedience, a thriller by first-time author Will Lavender. I did not finish it on the trip there and I seriously could not wait to resume the book on my return flight. It was that good.

I enjoyed Obedience so much that I contacted Lavender to inquire about appearing here for a short Q&A. Lavender quickly and graciously agreed to my request.
I started by asking Lavender how it felt to see Obedience in a bookstore.
I have to admit that I wasn't blown away. It was a little surreal, but because we had been working on the book for so long and because I'd seen so many copies of it--physically and on the Web--it was like "oh, there it is in the store." Of course you dream of that, seeing your book on the shelves with all of those writers you look up to, but when the moment comes, it's just next in a line of "This is actually happening to me"-type moments. Also, there's the fact that I have always wanted to be a writer. I'm not the kind of writer that began in another field and then moved back to literature; I have wanted to write books since I could read. It is one thing I believe I am truly good at, telling stories, and I think I knew that at some point those stories would be in a book. Seeing it there on the shelves was a culmination of a lot of things--hard work, good luck, patience--but I was not stunned that it happened.
Next, I asked Lavender about book signings and autographs.
I have done quite a few book signings. The only autographs I have signed were between the covers of the book. I do not see a situation where I would be "famous" in any practical sense of the word. Stephen King is maybe the only author I would personally recognize and I read a lot--so you are talking about a niche when you get into books and the people who write them. In my tiny Kentucky hometown I am recognized as "the guy that wrote the book," and that's interesting. But fame is something the author rarely achieves, and it's something I certainly don't want. I felt enough pressure to get my second book finished, and I am a just-starting-out author. If I were suddenly famous and recognizable and signing autographs, the pressure would be enormous and I really don't think I could write well. There are authors who thrive in the spotlight--Jay McInerney and Bret Easton Ellis immediately come to mind--but you have to be a rare sort of person to want that kind of lifestyle if you're in the business of publishing.
I asked Lavender if he had messages in his writing.
Not really, but messages are like any other symbolism--they end up in the text regardless. Stephen King says that theme is better left for English 101 and I agree. What I am trying to do basically is entertain a person for a few hours. But when you write something, you are invariably sharing part of your subconscious mind. Because of that, you are bound to put things in the writing that are coded and sifted through your own experience. One of the messages that reviewers have pointed out regarding Obedience is that it brings up the question of reality itself. An interviewer once asked me if the novel was about weapons of mass destruction (WMDs were in the news not long after the manuscript was purchased). Of course, all I wanted was to write something that people enjoyed, but I do not deny that there are meaningful sections of the text that connect wit the things going on in the world.

Stay tuned for the second part of this Q&A with Will Lavender, author of Obedience. In the next part, I ask about Obedience itself (may contain some spoilers) and Dominance, Lavender's upcoming second novel.

Author Will Lavender (photo courtesy of Will Lavender)