Exclusive Interview with Alice Archer--THE INFINITE ONION
Praise for The Infinite Onion:
I loved this book! – Christa Désir, Award-Winning Author
There are writers whose prose is so vivid and so emotionally resonant, that you might briefly forget you’re reading a work of fiction, and while Alice Archer has already proven that her hand is as elegant as it is masterful, her newest novel continues to show real insight into the human soul. – Natasha is a Book Junkie
The Infinite Onion was a powerful and relevant story which touched our hearts immensely.
– Totally Booked Blog
I loved this book! This is a brilliant story. So fulfilling. I laughed and cried. I kept sneaking away to read another chapter. I loved the atmosphere and artistry of the characters and the setting. This is exactly the sort of romance novel I look for. The Infinite Onion is the real deal–deep and deeply satisfying. -Kelly Jensen, Award-Winning Author
Thank you to Romance Junkies for hosting me here. My latest novel THE INFINITE ONION is out now! This is a contemporary gay romance about a cranky man-child and the snooty artist recluse who tries to rehabilitate him, with some troublesome results. I’m so happy to be sitting with the Romance Junkies team to chat a bit about THE INFINITE ONION, me, and my writing process!
Describe yourself, your favorite character and your book, each in 5 words or less.
AA: Ooh, a word challenge. Fun. <Rubs hands and waggles eyebrows.>
Me: A flashlight with lighthouse aspirations.
The character Kai, in THE INFINITE ONION: The catalyst and the reward.
My book, THE INFINITE ONION: Ties of secrets and lies.
Your story is set on Vashon Island, Washington. Why did you choose that as the setting for this book?
AA: An island setting enforces certain characteristics I find fun to play with as an author. Island roads don’t lead to an endless succession of towns and more opportunities for anonymity. Community is strictly confined on an island, which heightens awareness of multiple roles. The bank teller is also a member of your drumming group. The guy who manages the cafe was married to your roommate. Also, extra effort is required to get onto or off of an island—a wait for the ferry or access to a private boat. The many unique qualities of islands spark my imagination. In the 1990s I spent eight years on Vashon Island and loved it so much, right up until I felt like I was under a microscope. (Friend: “Hey, I drove by you walking down Cemetery Road the other day, but you didn’t wave. What was going on?” Me: “I was thinking.”) I moved away to reacquaint myself with the joys of anonymity—only to later live on another small island, Gabriola Island in British Columbia, for a couple of years. I set The Infinite Onion on Vashon to challenge my main characters, and because I wanted to spend a summer in my imagination immersed in the island’s lush natural beauty.
What do you read in your free time?
AA: My first thought is that it’s all free time these days, which makes me sound retired, or uppity, but I’m only finally where I want to be, doing writing and research and lots of reading. I read fiction, mostly m/m genre, jonesing for the stories that make me forget I’m reading. I also read to laugh or to learn (or both, like with Baratunde Thurston’s How to Be Black). Bad Cat by Jim Edgar makes me laugh to the point of drooling. Revisiting Sven Nordqvist’s brilliant Findus and Pettson children’s books, which I discovered while living in Germany, is guaranteed to relax me. And I read stacks of books in the how-to and self-help genres, to keep me on my toes, most recently Wired for Story by Lisa Cron, The INFJ Revolution by Lauren Sapala, White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, and How to Read Nature by Tristan Gooley. Dear friends, one and all.
What does success mean to you? What is the definition of success?
AA: This is something I mull over a lot. There’s a trap door in there somewhere, I feel sure, because success exists on a spectrum with failure at the other end. When I create, I go through a process of experimentation and discovery. I’d prefer not to call the error results of the trial and error process “mistakes” or “failures.” Failure is only another step toward success. I like failing. It’s educational. This has brought me to my current definition (it’s a work in progress) of success: persistence toward a dream. An experimental failure becomes a success if I use it to learn and keep going. I try again. The trap door opens beneath my feet and I fall into blue sky.
The truth is harder to hide when someone sharp starts poking around.
Grant Eastbrook hit the ground crawling after his wife kicked him out. Six months later, in Seattle without a job or a place to live, he escapes to the woods of nearby Vashon Island to consider his options. When he’s found sleeping outdoors by a cheerful man who seems bent on irritating him to death, Grant’s plans to resuscitate his life take a peculiar turn.
Oliver Rossi knows how to keep his fears at bay. He’s had years of practice. As a local eccentric and artist, he works from his funky home in the deep woods, where he thinks he has everything he needs. Then he rescues an angry man from a rainy ditch and discovers a present worth fighting the past for.
Amid the buzz of high summer, unwelcome attraction blooms on a playing field of barbs, defenses, and secrets.
Order now: alicearcher.com/book/the-infinite-onion
Alice has questions. Lots of questions. Scheming to put fictional characters through the muck so they can get to a better place helps her heal and find answers. She shares her stories with the hope that others might find some healing too. For decades, Alice has messed about with words professionally, as an editor and writing coach. She also travels a bunch. Her home base is Eugene, Oregon.
Connect with Alice:
- Website: www.alicearcher.com
- Newsletter sign-up: www.subscribepage.com/executivedecision
- Facebook: facebook.com/byalicearcher
- Twitter: twitter.com/byalicearcher
- Instagram: instagram.com/byalicearcher
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Giveaway: Join us to celebrate the release of THE INFINITE ONION by Alice Archer with this special giveaway. 3 prizes: 1 e-copy of critically acclaimed EVERYDAY HISTORY; 1 e-copy of THE INFINITE ONION; 1 grand prize of a paperback copy of THE INFINITE ONION.
Must be 18 to enter and win. Physical prizes mailed only with the USA; international winners will receive e-copy.
