Interviews | Debra R. Borys

I think all authors put a piece of themselves into their characters. But when Painted Black’s main character Jo Sullivan did an interview recently at Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews, there are a number of things she said like the quote below that make me realize how true that is.

Click here to read the whole interview, an excerpt from the novel, and a chance to WIN a FREE copy of Painted Black. Two winners will be chosen May 4.

Tell us how you became a journalist and what you like about your job with Winds of Change?

Wow, was I surprised by how the change of jobs has changed me. It started as just another step in my career, you know? In addition to covering the cop beat and other stories assigned to me, they wanted me to continue a column they had called Street Stories. The purpose of the column was to make street people visible as human beings, instead of the scourge of society like so many people think. Each story focuses on one individual person, and I found that by writing them, I started focusing on the individual person. They weren’t just stories anymore; they were the vet who got brain damaged by an IED, or the teenager who got kicked out because the family couldn’t afford to feed her anymore.

via Laurie’s Non-paranormal Thoughts and Reviews: Painted Black by Deb Borys: Character Interview & Excerpt.

I am always grateful when given an opportunity to publicize my novel Painted Black, especially when it includes a chance to talk about the issue of homelessness which is so integral to the book. But Quinn Barrett at WiseBearBooks made this interview especially gratifying by saying some very complimentary things about my writing and the book. Listen to the whole interview to hear more, but here are a few quotes from Quinn:

“I was impressed by the quality of the storytelling and found myself immersed immediately.”

“Fiction can be a great vehicle for exposing the darker side of the human experience in ways that are both important and meaningful and I think that Painted Black fits into that category.”