>>>
>>> AND
>>> AND NOW HERE'S YOUR HOST, DEBORAH DUNCAN.
DEBORAH DUNCAN.
>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. AND WELCOME TO GREAT DAY
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON.
HOUSTON. WE ARE STARTING THE SHOW WITH A
GOOD BOOK.
GOOD BOOK. IT CAN OPEN MINDS AND FEED OUR
SOULS.
SOULS.
SOULS. OUR FIRST GUEST LOVED TO WRITE.
HER UNCLE OWNED A BOOK GALLERY.
HER LATEST BOOK IS THINGS YOU
SAVE IN A FIRE.
GOOD MORNING, KATHERINE.
WELCOME BACK TO GREAT DAY.
>> THANK YOU.
>>
>> ALL
>> ALL RIGHT. BEFORE THE BOOK, I WANT TO BACK
IT WAY UP.
SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU WERE THE
TYPE OF KID WITH A GREAT
IMAGINATION.
IMAGINATION. IF WE WENT BACK TO YOUR THIRD
GRADE, WOULD YOUR CLASSMATES SAY
THIS FIGURES?
THIS FIGURES? >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THEY WOULD GET THAT.
MY ENGLISH TEACHER TOLD ME IF
YOU USE A WORD MORE THAN THREE
TIMES IN CONVERSATION, IT
BELONGS TO YOU.
.
.
. >>
. >> OH.
>> OH.
>> OH. >>
>> OH. >> I GOT REALLY EXCITED.
>> WHAT WAS THE WORD?
>> ANY WORD.
ANY WORD.
ANY WORD.
ANY WORD. IF YOU LEARNED A NEW WORD AND
USED IT THREE TIMES, IT WAS
YOURS FOREVER.
YOURS FOREVER. I GOT INTO THIS IDEA OF
COLLECTING WORDS.
COLLECTING WORDS. IT WAS REALLY KIND OF A START OF
THINGS.
THINGS.
THINGS. >> AND IT WAS IN YOUR DNA
ALREADY.
ALREADY.
ALREADY. YOU'RE A FIFTH GENERATION
TEXASEN AND GREW UP AROUND THE
BOOKSTORE.
BOOKSTORE. >> WE'RE BOOK PEOPLE FOR SURE.
MY DAD WAS A JOURNALIST FOR A
NEWSPAPER.
NEWSPAPER. >> YOU HAD NO CHOICE.
>> ANY PARENTS GAVE ME A
TYPEWRITER WHEN I WAS LITTLE.
IT WAS PERFECT.
>> THAT'S AWESOME.
I GOT A MICROSCOPE.
I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GO
MEDICAL SCHOOL.
MEDICAL SCHOOL. WHEN YOU WANT TO BE A WRITER AND
IT'S A PART OF YOU AND SOMETHING
YOU ENJOY, IT'S SOMETIMES JUST A
HOBBY.
HOBBY.
HOBBY. DID YOU SEE IT AS A CAREER
ALWAYS?
ALWAYS?
ALWAYS? >> WELL, I REALLY GOT STARTED
WRITING WHEN I WAS JOURNALLING.
I WAS LITTLE AND LIKE SIXTH
GRADE AND MISERABLE, AWKWARD
MIDDLE SCHOOLER, MY WAY OF
RESCUE WAS TO KEEP A DIARY AND
WRITE THE STORY OF MY LIFE.
>> THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID FOR
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. WRITING IS THERAPEUTIC.
ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT. YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER.
YOU KNEW THAT.
THE DURAN FAN FICTION STORY.
OKAY, YOU HAVE AN IMAGINATION.
WHAT WAS THAT?
>> MY MOM AND MY SISTERS WERE
LIKE, YOU HAVE TO STOP TALKING
ABOUT THEM.
ABOUT THEM. I CAN'T.
I CAN'T.
I CAN'T. IT'S MY ORIGIN STORY.
I WAS IN 6th GRADE AND MISERABLE
AND MY BEST FRIENDS AND I HAD AN
IDEA TO WRITE NOVELS ABOUT DURAN
DURAN AND CAST OURSELVES IN THE
NOVELS.
NOVELS.
NOVELS. THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
IN MINE, ALL FIVE MEMBERS FELL
IN LOVE WITH ME.
AND THEN I HAD TO DECIDE, YOU
KNOW, WHICH ONE TO MARRY.
>> HERE'S THE IMPORTANT THING
ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU COMMITTED IT TO PAPER AND
CREATED SOMETHING.
CREATED SOMETHING. >> IT DID.
IT WAS TERRIBLE.
BUT I CREATED IT.
>> THAT'S NOT THE NEW YORK TIMES
BEST SELLER.
BEST SELLER. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. >>
>> NO. >> AND I AM ASKED THESE
QUESTIONS OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WHAT DO I DO, I WANT TO GET
PUBLISHED.
PUBLISHED. DO THE DOING PART AND THINK
ABOUT THE PUB LIRING LATER.
>> THE JOY IS IN THE DOING.
THE JOY IS IN THE WRITING AND
THE CREATING STORIES AND HANGING
OUT WITH THE IMAGINARY PEOPLE.
THAT'S THE FUN PART.
THE PUBLISHING PART IS A
DIFFERENT THING.
DIFFERENT THING. >> YOU DEALT WITH REJECTION?
>> A LOT OF REJECTION.
I'M A PROFESSIONAL.
I'M AWESOME AT REJECTION.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. I
YEAH. I PUBLISHED MY FIRST BOOK IN
2007.
2007.
2007. I
2007. I WAS LIKE, OH, GREAT.
I'M DONE.
I'M DONE.
I'M DONE. I'M PUBLISHED.
I'M PUBLISHED. AND IT WAS ACTUALLY 12 YEARS
BETWEEN PUBLISHING THAT BOOK AND
HITTING THE BEST SELLER LIST.
THAT ONLY HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
>> AND YOU HAVE SIX OTHER BOOKS.
HOW TO WALK AWAY, THE BRIGHT
SIDE OF DISASTER.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOUR
SISTER CHALLENGED YOU ON.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. THAT'S RIGHT.
THAT'S RIGHT. SHE DARED ME.
THAT WAS MY FIRST BOOK.
SHE DARED ME TO WRITE A NOVEL.
>> AFTER YOU HAD YOUR DAUGHTER?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> I KNOW ABOUT YOU.
I READ.
I READ.
I READ. YOU STOPPED WRITING FOR A WHILE.
MOTHERHOOD IS OVERWHELMING.
YOU PUT A TWIST TO MOTHERHOOD IN
THE BOOK.
THE BOOK.
THE BOOK. >> I WAS TRYING TO WRITE ABOUT
IT IN AN AUTHENTIC WAY.
IN MY MIND, WHEN I HAD A BABY, I
THOUGHT MY MOM WAS GOING TO
RAISE THE BABY SOMEHOW.
SHE WAS THE MOM, RIGHT?
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING.
AND MY CHILDHOOD, I
REMEMBERED IT IDEALICLY AND WE
WERE IN CUTE LITTLE DRESSES AND
CLEAN.
CLEAN.
>>
>> YEAH,
>> YEAH, YEAH. >> IT WAS VERY SO FIST KATED.
BUT MY KIDS CAME ALONG AND IT
WAS MY JOB TO FIGURE IT OUT.
IT WAS OVERWHELMING AND FUN.
AND OF COURSE, TOTALLY SWOONING.
>> AND THINGS YOU SAVE IN A
FIRE.
FIRE.
FIRE. YOUR HUSBAND IS A VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTER.
FIREFIGHTER. HOW DID THE TITLE COME ABOUT?
>> MY LAST BOOK LAST YEAR WAS
ABOUT A WOMAN WHO IS IN A PLANE
CRASH ON THE DAY SHE GETS
ENGAGED.
ENGAGED.
ENGAGED. WHICH SOUND SOUNDS DEPRESSING.
BUT IT'S FUNNY.
AND THERE IS A FIREFIGHTER WHO
PULLS THE MAIN CHARACTER OUT OF
THE PLANE CRASH.
YOU KNOW, AFTER THE CRASH, OUT
OF THE WRECKAGE.
AND SHE THINKS T IT'S A GUY.
HE TAKES OFF THE MASK AND IT'S
AI LADY.
AI LADY.
AI LADY. AND SHE'S SUPER SURPRISED.
IT'S A TINY THROW AWAY MOMENT IN
THE STORY.
THE STORY. LIKE A LITTLE SHOUTOUT TO WOMEN
DOING INTERESTING THINGS IN LIFE
THAT WE DON'T EXPECT WOMEN TO
DO.
DO.
DO. AND
DO. AND THEN WHEN THAT BOOK WAS
TURNED IN THE AND FINISHED, MY
EDITOR SAID, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT
THE LADY FIREFIGHTER.
AND MY FIRST REACTION TO
THAT WAS, OH, NO.
NO, NO.
NO, NO.
NO, NO. >> THAT WAS A NUGGET.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. IT WAS MEANT TO BE A FUN, THROW
AWAY THING.
AWAY THING. AND MY HUSBAND IS A VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTER AND HAS BEEN FOR
YEARS.
YEARS.
YEARS. WHEN I MET HIM HE WAS A
PARAMEDIC FOR HARRIS COUNTY.
I KNEW TOO MUCH.
I KNOW HOW HOT AND FILTHY AND
EXHAUSTING AND --.
>> ONE OF THE LINES IS NEVER
MARRY A FIREFIGHTER, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
SO I DIDN'T WANT TO WRITE
ABOUT THAT.
ABOUT THAT. I COULDN'T IMAGINE WANTING TO DO
THE JOB.
THE JOB.
THE JOB. IT'S HOT.
IT'S HOT.
IT'S HOT. I DON'T WANT TO PUT ON 75 POUNDS
WORTH OF GEAR.
>> I'VE DONE THAT.
AND I CAN'T BE AWE FIREFIGHTER.
>> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. NEITHER CAN I.
NEITHER CAN I.
BUT I WAS STRUGGLING WITH IT.
BECAUSE I WANTED TO RESPECT
MY BRILLIANT EDITOR'S OPINION
AND I WAS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO
WRITE THE STORY.
AND I WAS CHATTING ABOUT IT WITH
MY HUSBAND.
MY HUSBAND. HE SAID WHAT IF SHE JUST LOVES
THAT SHE'S GOOD AT IT.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW? AND THAT I COULD RELATE TO.
THE MINUTE HE SAID THAT, IT
SWITCHED EVERYTHING FOR ME.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOVE
WHAT YOU DO AND TRY HARD AND NOT
GIVE UP AND GET EJECTED AND
HUMILIATED AND TRY TO MAKE IT
WORK AND FACE THE POSSIBILITY
THE WORLD MIGHT NOT LET YOU DO
THE THING YOU WANT TO DO.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE
TO GET FROM IT?
.
.
. >>
. >> IT'S
. >> IT'S A STORY ABOUT
FORGIVENESS AND IT'S A STORY
ABOUT HEALING.
ABOUT HEALING. AND IT'S A STORY ABOUT
BEING TOUGH, BUT ALSO LETTING
YOURSELF BE TENDER.
I HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL COME
AWAY DELIGHTED.
AWAY DELIGHTED. I HOPE THAT THEY'LL FEEL REALLY
SATISFIED AND HAVE HAD MANY GOOD
LAUGHS.
LAUGHS.
LAUGHS. I
LAUGHS. I HOPE THEY TURN AROUND AND LOOK
AT THEIR LIVES WITH SLIGHTLY
DIFFERENT EYES.
DIFFERENT EYES. >> THAT IS HOW YOU WRITE.
IN A WAY THAT'S EASY FOR THE
READER TO GO ON THE JURY IN THE
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU.
WITH YOU. AND THERE'S A FILM IN PLAY FOR
YOUR FOUGHT BOOK, THE LOST
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND.
HUSBAND. .
.
. >>
. >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. LAST YEAR, I GOT A CALL THAT
THIS MOVIE COMPANY WANTED TO BUY
THE RIGHTS.
THE RIGHTS. IT'S CALLED SIX FOOT PICTURES.
THE DIRECTOR IS A HOUSTON WOMAN
NAMED VICKIE WHITE.
THEY FILMED IT LAST FALL IN
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN.
AUSTIN. AND THEY CAST LESLIE BIBB AND
JOSH DUMAL TO BE THE STARREDST.
>> I'M WATCHING.
>> AND I WAS AN EXTRA.
>> THAT'S COOL.
AND WHAT'S COOL ABOUT YOUR
BOOKS, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT
THIS, I LOVE A GOOD BOOK COVER.
LIKE A GOOD WINE LABEL.
IF IT LOOKS SOPHISTICATED.
YOU HAVE GREAT, JOYFUL, HAPPY
BOOK COVERS.
BOOK COVERS. THEY LOOK LIKE YOU TO ME.
>> THANK YOU.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU FOR MUCH FOR
COMING BACK.
COMING BACK. >> SO GOOD TO BE HERE.
AND WHEN YOU GET FAMOUS, DON'T
ACT LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW US.
SHE'LL BE SIGNING COPIES OF THE
BOOK TONIGHT AT 6:30 AND
TOMORROW AT 7:00 P.M.
IT'S
IT'S
IT'S AVAILABLE IN