A scarlet-red 1923 roadster, a symbol of the Roaring ‘20s, is the centerpiece of A Matter of Happiness by Tori Whitaker, the featured Georgia Writers Museum’s Meet the Author presenter for December.
Before becoming a renowned historical fiction writer, Whitaker spent much of her life in the middle of the auto industry and has gone over 125 miles per hour as a passenger on a racetrack.
GWM recently spent a few minutes interviewing Whitaker about her experience as a best-selling author of historical novels.
GWM: What about the historical genre appeals the most to you?
Whitaker: I know I fell in love with history at age five. My grandparents had taken me to a museum in Detroit where we saw cars from the 1920s. By fifth grade, when my dad asked where we should go on vacation, I didn’t say Disney. I said Jamestown, Virginia, a place I’d learned about in school.
Given how long I’ve been drawn to times past, it feels natural that I’d gravitate to historical fiction.
GWM: What do you like most about being a published, award-winning author?
Whitaker: A book in my hands that bears my name is proof I overcame adversity. It means I accomplished a personal goal – no matter that it took me 20 years – though I admit rejection is gut-wrenching, I never gave up.
GWM: Can you describe your writing process?
Whitaker: I always write in my home office with a regular computer and huge screen, not my laptop. I might listen to music to set the writing mood, but I don’t have it on while working.
I am definitely an outliner. Following months of research, I plan the full story from beginning to end – but of course, many things will change as I go. For my dual timeline books, I tend to draft a few chapters in the historical period, then a handful in the modern setting, and then weave them together before moving on.
Now that I’m retired from the corporate rat race, I devote six to 10 hours a day, five to seven days a week, to “book stuff.” This includes research, study, planning, writing, editing, and promotion.
GWM: What has surprised you most about your experiences as an author?
Whitaker: In the beginning, I had no idea how welcoming and helpful the community of book lovers is since so much of the writing life is done in solitude. But I’ve made dear friends, from fellow writers to readers, even through social mediahttp://georgiawritersmuseum.org. We share each other’s news online, attend book tour events, co-present conference panels, and bond at writers’ retreats.
Tori Whitaker will present A Matter of Happiness at Georgia Writers Museum on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $40 and include a unique, gourmet meal fashioned around the theme of Whitaker’s new book. Feel free to attend in a Roaring ‘20s costume, too.
Visit GWM at georgiawritersmuseum.org to register.