Joanne DeMaio, Author of Blue Jeans and Coffee Bean, Answers the Voices Question

Yesterday I posted my thoughts about the wonderful book, Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans by Joanne DeMaio. You can read my thoughts here. I also read and reviewed Joanne's first book when it came out, Whole Latte Life. Those thoughts are here. I have to tell you that after reading these two books, Joanne has become one of my 'must-read' authors. I love her stories!

Today, she is here answering the 'voices' question I like to pose to authors. Let's see what she has to say.

I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me.

When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention; others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?

My stories are usually sparked by a question—a what if. An acquaintance tells me she's planning a weekend birthday getaway with her best friend, and I think … what if one of those friends took the getaway literally, and walked clean out of her life? That’s how I began my first novel Whole Latte Life. Or what if a place is so special, we are called back to it, and cannot escape it, no matter the impact on our lives? This is the dilemma in my new book Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans, in which a cherished New England beach casts a spell stronger than the pull of the tides for a group of reunited beach friends.  

So no, I don’t hear voices that start my story. Rather than begin a story idea with a character, I draw upon real life. I’m intrigued with issues and questions that everyday, relatable people face—friends and sisters and mothers and daughters. Their fears and hopes and what-ifs inspire my stories, and my readers and I can then live them out on the page. 

~Joanne

About the author

Joanne DeMaio is the award-winning author of BLUE JEANS AND COFFEE BEANS and the bestselling novel WHOLE LATTE LIFE, which won First Place in the 2012 Discovery Awards and was named a Kirkus Reviews Critics' Pick. It has also been featured in USA Today, The Huffington Post, Unabashedly Bookish: Barnes & Noble's blog and other outlets. BLUE JEANS AND COFFEE BEANS is her second novel. Both books explore the intricate relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends. In addition, her music essays have appeared in literary journals, celebrating her passion for song. Joanne lives with her family in Connecticut, where the coffee and stories are always brewing, and is currently at work on her next book.

She enjoys hearing from readers at Facebook.com/JoanneDeMaioAuthor

Connect with Joanne

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase the book on Amazon

And how can you not just LOVE both of these covers? 

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