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Q: When was LILIES AND CLOVER published?
A: February, 1998
Q: How would you classify this novel?
A: I would consider it LDS Young Adult fiction, but I’ve heard from grown women who have enjoyed the book very much.
Q: The topic of premarital sex is quite a trigger in this novel. What made you want to write about that subject?
A: My work isn’t necessarily subject driven. It’s character driven. In other words, I took a young woman who was deeply hurt over her boyfriend’s decision to break up with her. I wanted to show her healing process. That was my character. Then I had to create the reason behind that break up and the aftermath of the break up. I chose the issue of premarital sex because it grew directly out of Jimmy Lee (our main female character), and Mitch (her boyfriend). These two people would eventually come to this conflict. I also believe that the issue of premarital sex is a hot button in today’s society. Our kids are constantly confronted with inappropriate sexual messages. I wanted to help them navigate through some of those messages, but I also wanted to show the very real pain that can sometimes come from doing the right thing. Jimmy Lee honestly loves Mitch, and his departure is a hurtful thing. I think if we can show our kids that they can make it through the hurt, then they’ll have more faith in the process of healing.
Q: What role does the gospel play in this novel?
A: Oh, that’s a good question. One thing that developed nicely as I wrote the book was that as Jimmy Lee slowly begins to let go of Mitch, there’s room and energy in her life for other things, including new friendships and the gospel. I think it becomes obvious in the novel that if Jimmy Lee and Mitch would’ve stayed together she never would’ve met her new best friend, Kody. And that meeting ends up being important to both of them. I also wanted to show how isolating pair dating really is. Jimmy Lee had spent all of her free time with Mitch, which didn’t leave a lot of room to cultivate new friendships and nourish old ones. So when the break up happens, Jimmy Lee is at a disadvantage. In some ways she has to start all over within the confines of her social circle. I wanted to show that process.
Q: Were there any other themes in this book that were important to you?
A: Yes. This is not a romance novel. Jimmy Lee learns to stand on her own, and that was important to me. I didn’t want her to fall out of Mitch’s arms and into the arms of some other boy. I wanted her to learn to lean on the gospel instead. I wanted to show that when one door closes, another opens, even if we have to fiddle with the locks sometimes
Q: Is there a sequel to LILIES AND CLOVER?
A: No. I don’t see that happening.
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