Contemporary Romance
Date Published: April 30, 2024
Narrator: Siofra Brogan
Run Time: 8 hours and 45 minutes
Tildy Sullivan is the middle child in an elite yet fading Manhattan family.
Her quiet practicality hides her deep, profound longing for childhood
summers in western Ireland. She also carries a secret regret. After her
mother’s death, she’s persuaded to abandon Ireland and the love
of the local boy, Aiden.
When Tildy volunteers for a lucid dreaming experiment, it gives her all she
wants – a life lived for her family during the day and a secret,
perfect Ireland of her own at night. Will she face reality, or succumb to
the ease of her dreams?
THE STATES is a modern reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, a
story of love, obligation, and second chances.
INTERVIEW
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Finding the time! I have young children who have busy schedules. I generally try to think through the entire book before I set aside time to write it all down. I can’t write a book at a playground or a music lesson, for example, but I can think through a story.
What are your most played songs?
Right now, I’m listening to a lot of breakup songs in preparation for the next book. There are certain songs, like If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow or Hurt by NIN or Fast Car by Tracey Chapman, that I listened to a lot during my breakups. I’m adding in songs that have more energy and are more recent, like The Feminine Urge by The Last Dinner Party, to get a bit of that anger. When I’m not writing, I like to listen to everything from Massive Attack to Nina Simone.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
My husband always reads my books first. He’s an artist but in a different field, so he delivers his criticism that is honest and direct. It can be a bit rough sometimes! To balance him out, I have my sister read my book next. She’s my hype man. I have writer friends who I send books off to, but only when the material is further along.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading a few different books right now. For fun, I’m reading Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I’m also reading A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks by David Gibbins as research for my next book, and then Stories are Weapons by Annalee Newitz for a future project. I’m also participating in a book club. Right now we are reading War of the Worlds by HG Wells.
How did you start your writing career?
I only started writing professionally about 9 years ago, but I’ve been writing for fun as long as I can remember. I knew I loved writing, but I did not dream of becoming a writer. I grew up in financially difficult circumstances, so my primary concern was to earn enough money to pull myself out of homelessness. I didn’t achieve the kind of financial stability necessary to pursue this career until about a decade ago. I’m still surprised I’ve written four books, to be honest.
Tell us about your next release.
The States is a speculative reimagining of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, a story of love, obligation, and second chances. It is set in the Galway Gaeltacht and Manhattan, two places I know well – I am from New York City, and my parents’ families are both from Connemara, an Irish-speaking portion of Ireland.
Here’s the full summary: Tildy Sullivan is the middle child in an elite yet fading American family. Her quiet practicality hides her deep, profound longing for childhood summers in western Ireland. She also carries a secret regret. After her mother’s death 8 years ago, she was persuaded by her family to abandon Ireland and the love of a local boy. Now she believes happiness is lost to her.
When Tildy volunteers for a lucid dreaming experiment, it gives her all she wants – a life lived for her family during the day and a secret, perfect Ireland of her own at night. As she lives her nights in one place, and her days in another, she must decide - will she face reality, or succumb to the ease of her dreams?
About the Author
NORAH WOODSEY is the author of The States, The Control Problem, Lifeless,
and the novella When the Wave Collapses. After short careers in finance and
tech, she has dedicated herself to creating fiction. Her subjects of intense
interest but not quite expertise include history, physics, genetics,
sociology and gender studies. The product of four generations of
Brooklynites,"she now lives in California with her husband, children
and their dog Saoirse.
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