Today we have a special opportunity to visit with a new author. Ka Hancock debuted Dancing on Broken Glass in March 2012. The book is published by Simon & Schuster and is a definite hit. I was privileged to interview Ka for this post and I’m excited to share that with you today. I came across this book and author when my book club chose to read it for our May meeting. Lucky me!
About the Book
An unvarnished portrait of a marriage that is both ordinary and extraordinary, Dancing on Broken Glass takes readers on an unforgettable journey of the heart.
Lucy Houston and Mickey Chandler probably shouldn’t have fallen in love, let alone gotten married. They’re both plagued with faulty genes—he has bipolar disorder; she, a ravaging family history of breast cancer. But when their paths cross on the night of Lucy’s twenty-first birthday, sparks fly, and there’s no denying their chemistry.
Cautious every step of the way, they are determined to make their relationship work—and they put their commitment in writing. Mickey will take his medication. Lucy won’t blame him for what is beyond his control. He promises honesty. She promises patience. Like any marriage, there are good days and bad days—and some very bad days. In dealing with their unique challenges, they make the heartbreaking decision not to have children. But when Lucy shows up for a routine physical just shy of their eleventh anniversary, she gets an impossible surprise that changes everything. Everything. Suddenly, all their rules are thrown out the window, and the two of them must redefine what love really is.
An Interview with Ka Hancock
First of all, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with us. I have a few questions to help my readers get to know you a little better.
Why don’t you begin by telling us a little about yourself?
I’m happy and healthy…knock on wood. I’ve been married to my high school sweetie for 38 years. I have four great kids who married four great kids and are now multiplying like crazy; we’re now swimming in little people. I’m a psychiatric nurse and I still work because I love it…. And it pays our health insurance—gotta be practical.
When did you decide you wanted to become an author?
I don’t remember ever really deciding. I have just always loved to write. I was nine when I wrote that my mean teacher was found dead in his icky house and this explained why he didn’t show up for school. That absolute power—to write someone dead—overwhelmed me a little and I brought him back to life. But I’ve been hooked on writing ever since. Like everything else in life, I had to learn to be a writer—these were not natural bones for me, I wanted it, so I spent years learning about the craft. And I had to learn it when I wasn’t busy doing something else. Like getting a couple of nursing degrees and raising a few kids. But in living a busy life, I learned that for the writer in me, nothing was ever wasted.
Tell us a bit about Dancing on Broken Glass, and what inspired you to write such a story.
This story actually came as a thought — maybe a gift — in the middle of the night. What I gleaned in the wee hours were two sisters, cancer, a baby, and a little community. That’s all I had but it was enough. Mickey came later as a man worthy of my heroin. And he came to me as a man afflicted with bipolar disorder. I don’t outline—so his story wasn’t clear at first—but I knew him because I knew his illness and I knew the challenge this diagnosis can be on a relationship. I wanted to create a story that felt real to me.
What will the reader learn after reading your book?
I think what I really wanted to convey in this book is that there is worthiness and capability in everyone, despite a diagnosis of mental illness. Mickey doesn’t feel worthy of Lucy’s love or acceptance and nearly opts for a life without her, which would have been tragic. She came to understand his limitations, but also admired his commitment to treatment—that was key for her. Life is hard. A diagnosis of BPD makes it harder, so it requires harder work. That’s just a fact. In this work of fiction, Lucy knew that beneath all Mickey’s pathology there was a very good man, a man worthy of her love, a man strong enough and resourceful enough to take care of their daughter.
Agatha Christie got her best ideas while eating green apples in the bathtub. Steven Spielberg says he gets his best ideas while driving on the highway. When do you get your best ideas and why do you think this is?
Most of my ideas have come to me in the form of a “what if” question. What if the old couple talking seriously in the corner booth at McDonalds were plotting to kidnap their grandson? What if a drunk teenager got on the wrong bus and was never seen again? What if you found a hundred dollar bill in your mailbox with a note that said—forget what you saw? Paying attention to the nuggets of life going on around me, and then applying the what if has yielded the best ideas.
How do you divide your time between taking care of a home and family, and writing?
I set high goals every day. I meet them about half the time. I have four married kids and ten little people and they all live within about 20 minutes of me. Something is always happening: a soccer game, a sudden need for stitches, a last minute babysitter cancelation, a school program, a flat tire, croup. Croup’s been big this season. And of course, births, deaths and other various and sundry crises. I try to meet my goals but I’m pretty realistic. Sometimes the only chance I get to write is late at night.
Do you plan your writing sessions in advance?
I don’t really plan but I pick up where I left off last. If I’m in the middle of a chapter I read it through and build the momentum again, then I dive in. If I’m starting something new I start with what the character is doing at the moment and pretty soon a scene crystalizes.
Do you have any unusual writing quirks?
Well….I have to have a pile of wintergreen lifesavers and a diet Pepsi within reach—those are mandatory. And I have to be warm enough. And the house has to be quiet.
Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?
Probably. But I think in my case, writer’s block is just an excuse to go shopping. I’ve never sat down at the computer and not been able to write… something.
What is(are) your favorite book/author(s)? Why?
Some of my all-time faves are: Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen, These is My Words by Nancy E Turner, How to Be Lost by Amanda Eyre Ward, Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. I love almost everything by Philippa Gregory. I love these and many others because they transport me. For me the difference between a good and a great book is how deeply I’m absorbed into the world the author has created.
What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?
Most recently my publicist with Simon & Schuster gave me some advice that has saved my sanity. DOBG was published March 13 and it quickly garnered some very lovely praise. I love generous reviews! My publicist advised me to spend five minutes—and five minutes only—on any review then get on with my life. She is very wise.
Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?
Absolutely! Visit me at www.kahancock.com and join me on Facebook — Ka Hancock/Dancing on Broken Glass, and Twitter.
Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?
Currently, I’m working on a story about 16-year-old January Duzinski who believes her parents were killed in a tragic accident the night she was born. But her mother survived, albeit with a traumatic brain injury. January has always known this woman as her mentally retarded aunt. What ensues is January’s journey into the life of her remarkable mother. The backdrop is a mortuary called The Duzy House of Mourning (my working title) where January is being raised by her grandparents. Thanks for asking!
As an author, what is your greatest reward?
I think the greatest reward has been the heartfelt notes I have received about DOBG. I’m always surprised and humbled by the different ways this story has affected people. And I so appreciate their willingness to share their thoughts with me.
Thank you so much for reading Dancing on Broken Glass for your book club! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
My Review of Dancing on Broken Glass
Obviously by now, you know that I enjoyed the book. I was excited when I found out that Ka Hancock lives in my city AND was signed with a national publisher. That seems to be harder and harder to do these days. So, I congratulate her on that success!
My neighborhood book club chose this book for our fist meeting in a while. It was recommended and well received. The book was a great choice for a group because of the timely topics provided by the story for discussion. I will return to those in a moment because I want to give you my impressions first.
I was extremely touched by this book. It is a raw look at life with the many health issues that are faced in today’s world. This was no fantasy or horror story, but rather a “what if” life lesson. So many of us today are faced with family histories of health issues that deeply impact us today as well as the generations to come. Cancer is a big one. How does someone weigh the dangers against the joys of life? No matter how prepared we are for something, we really don’t know how strong we can be until we face the challenge head-on.
This is what I felt from this story. There was love, commitment, fear, challenges, health struggles, pain, loss and so much more. I loved that Lucy took the time to get to know the illness her sweetheart faced. Her determination to love the man and see past the pathology of his condition was a great lesson for me. So many of us deal with depression, mental illness or even children with mental and physical handicaps. It’s wonderful to read a story that shows that there is so much more to a person than the medical label.
I laughed as I read this story, but mostly I cried…buckets…because it moved me so much. This is a new favorite and I’ve already recommended the book to family as a must read. The story is so well written and the characters took on their own lives. I feel like I should be able to hop on a plane and go visit with my new-found friends.
Now back to the book club. The topics were very timely because Lucy and Mickey planned to never have children. They felt like they needed to sacrifice their own desire for a family because of the burden they would inflict on their children. This is a touchy subject, especially in a Christian setting. But it was wonderful to see how everything changed with the pregnancy. In our own group, we have a mother and daughter who have had this same kind of challenging decision and we all agreed that the choice is very much an individual situation that should be approached through faith and prayer. It really shed light on the challenges some couples face when starting a family. It isn’t just the number of children or the timing of their births, but the physical challenges the infants may face. This wasn’t something I worried about in my day.
Cancer, mental illness, physical deformities and limitations, adoption, living childless. These are all part of the fears faced by couples. Dancing on Broken Glass is the best title and description for the challenges faced in the story – and in life.
If you belong to a book club, I highly recommend this story for your group. If you don’t belong to one, that’s okay. I still recommend reading this book. There is something we can all learn and then better understand someone else’s challenges through reading this book.
