Great news for North of the Tension Line fans; we spoke with author J.F. Riordan to discuss her latest installment in the North of the Tension Line Series, A Small Earnest Question. Join us as we go behind the book with Riordan to learn more about Washington Island, its iconic cast of characters, and her future plans for the series.
BB: A Small Earnest Question is Book Four in your North of the Tension Line Series. What do you enjoy most about diving back into the vivid world of Washington Island when you start a new novel?
JFR: I really miss the characters when I’m not writing about them. I look forward to checking in and seeing what they’re up to. A friend recently commented to me how funny it is that I refer to them as if they were real people, but to me, they are real. They have their own worlds, and their own lives. Even when I’m not thinking about them, they are busily spinning their stories, and I have to catch up when I start to write again.
BB: When you began writing North of the Tension Line years ago, did you imagine it would result in a 4+ book series? What about the process of writing a series, if anything, surprised you?
JFR: I always envisioned this as a series. As I wrote the first book, I was setting the background for an on-going story. What I didn’t expect was how different the process for each book would be. My approach to building the story-lines has varied each time, and to my surprise, this last book was the most difficult, in part because I wasn’t sure how it would end. At one point I realized that I was actually writing two books, and it took quite a while for me to sort it all out. It wasn’t until the last week or two of writing that I saw which of the two endings I needed to use.
BB: In A Small Earnest Question, as well as in previous books in the series, goats play a big role in everyday life on Washington Island. What inspired the inclusion of these eccentric characters?
JFR: The goat came about because I wanted Roger’s housewarming gift to be as eccentric as he is. I asked myself: What kind of thing would Roger bring to a party? And the rest just kind of evolved from there.
BB: Many have said that the book’s setting–a small island in Door County, Wisconsin–becomes a character in its own right. From your perspective, why do readers from all around the world connect with life on Washington Island?
JFR: The setting is local, but there is a universality about life in small towns; I’ve had readers from all over the world tell me that the Island is just like the village or town they came from. Human nature doesn’t change much, and when you’re living in a place where everyone knows you, you are very conscious of what you say and do. I think the accountability that comes from being known is an essential part of good behavior. It’s in an anonymous setting that we tend to see the worst of human beings.
Still, the gossip and backstabbing of small-town life isn’t much fun. I learned about that from backstage at the opera house. Ironically, I left opera, in part, because I thought I could escape all that, but I’ve finally figured out that these are the fundamentals of human interaction. And that’s why the books resonate, I think.
BB: What is one question you would like to be asked about the book, and what is your answer?
JFR: People often ask me what Elisabeth sees in Roger. My response is usually that we all know a couple whose relationship is unfathomable to outside observers. How often have you had the conversation: “What does she see in him?” And I like that sort of reality in my books. If you pay attention, though, Roger is actually a very kind person, he just doesn’t know how to express it. He watches everyone around him very carefully, and tries to pick up cues from his watching, and he can be quite insightful. And eventually he comes around to the right conclusion, however awkwardly. There’s a reason Rocco and Roger love each other. Rocco, too, is in a world he doesn’t fully understand, and he, too, expresses his love by watching. There’s a definite parallel between the two characters, and they express their love for Elisabeth in the same way.
BB: Can you give us a hint as to what might be next for Fiona Campbell and the rest of the beloved Washington Island residents?
JFR: There’s going to be more of Ben. We’re going to see him grow up. That’s all I can say for the moment because that’s all I know.
A Small Earnest Question hits bookstore shelves on August 3rd. Pre-order your copy now from Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, or Bookshop.org.
