Author Alicia M. Long drops by to discuss her debut novel Capitol Hell which she co-wrote with her best friend, Jayne J. Jones. She talks about fashion, what it was like to write a book with her best friend, her favorite characters to write, and what was one of her best memories from working for Senator Norm Coleman.
TeamNerd Reviews: As two strong, intelligent,
and honest women, Allison and Janet make the adventure of working in politics
quite humorous. How did the friendship you share with Jayne inspire how you
approached writing both Allison and Janet? What traits from yourselves did you
implement into them? What traits do they possess that you aspire to grow into?
Alicia M. Long: I think Jayne and I were both pretty naïve
when we first arrived on the Hill. We
became a little more politically savvy during our time there, and I think you
can see that happening to Allison and Janet as the book progresses as
well. I think other similar traits
include our passions for public service.
Jayne and I have always felt a calling to public service, and I think
you can see that in Allison and Janet as well.
We all also all love to laugh! J
TeamNerd Reviews: One of the first things
a reader will notice and discover about Allison is her wardrobe. Are either you
or Jayne fashion obsessed ladies? Is there a certain type of style that you
prefer over another?
Alicia M. Long: I think we both love fashion, although our
sense of style is very different. One
thing we do have in common is that we both love finding a good deal! I love shopping at places like Marshalls, Nordstrom
Rack, Saks Off-Fifth, Ann Taylor Loft, and Macys. As a young professional woman, you can always
find work appropriate attire that is easily transitional to something that is
appropriate for a happy hour or a night on the town. I am a huge fan of Calvin Klein. You can pair one of his dresses with some
funky jewelry, big high heels, and a blazer, and you are all set!
TeamNerd Reviews: There is a long list of
characters that appear throughout Capitol
Hell. There are some sassy women and some easy on the eyes men to enjoy.
Outside of Allison and Janet, which female character was your favorite to write
and why? Which was your favorite male character to write and why?
Alicia M. Long: The Senator’s Wife Karma! We both had a blast writing her character
because she is so over the top. She is
self-absorbed, vapid, and incredibly vain.
We loved asking ourselves, what should Karma do next?!? The possibilities with her were endless.
As for men, my
favorite character to write was Blair.
Like Karma, he is definitely an antagonist in the book. He stalls Allison’s and Janet’s efforts at
every turn, and in short, he is a real pain-in-the-ass. That being said, his character was tons of
fun to write. I mean who wouldn’t like
writing about a spoiled rich kid who has no sense of reality?
TeamNerd Reviews: There is this absolutely
hilarious scene where Karma, the wife of Senator McDermott, gets her hand stuck
up a condom machine. Is that story inspired by a true story, even loosely? If
not, how did you come up with it?
Alicia M. Long: We like to say that a good girl never kisses and
tells! ;) Like the other stories in the
book, the reader will just have to read it to try and see if they can figure
out what stories are true and which ones are based in reality!
TeamNerd Reviews: What was one of the
best memories you have from working for former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman?
What would you say was the hardest aspect about working for a senator?
Alicia M. Long: I would say my favorite aspect was working
with constituents and feeling like you could make a difference in their lives. It was amazing to be able to help the
hardworking folks of Minnesota and I wouldn’t trade my experience on the Hill
for anything. The hardest aspect was the
long hours and the fact that the job seemed never-ending. I remember working nights, weekends, and at
times it seemed my blackberry never stopped buzzing! It was hard to have proper work/life balance.
TeamNerd Reviews: Where Allison focuses
more on her career, Janet focuses on her crush (and obsession) with Senator
Jenkins. Will there ever be any romantic interludes for Allison? Will they
perhaps at one point include the gorgeous Cam?
Alicia M. Long:
Funny you should ask! We actually just
started writing book 2! I would like to
see Allison get a little more action, but life on the campaign trail is
hard. We will all just have to wait and
see!
TeamNerd Reviews: How did you and Jayne
approach writing a book together? Did you guys build a certain routine with
each other?
Alicia M. Long: We get this question a lot, and I think we
were both surprised how well we worked together. I actually wrote Chapter 1, sent it to Jayne,
she added her take to Chapter 1 and then wrote Chapter 2. She sent it back to me and I did the same thing. We actually wrote the entire book that
way—piggy backing off of one another.
The other funny thing was that we never talked to each other about where
the book was going. So it was literally
a surprise to get the next chapter, because we had no idea what the characters
would be up to!
TeamNerd Reviews: What did writing a book
teach you about yourself and about your friendship?
Alicia M. Long: Great question! The first thing it taught me about myself was
that I could write a book!! Who knew!?!
As for our friendship, I am not sure that I really learned anything
about that. Jayne and I have been
friends for over 10 years. We like to
say we are more like sisters, because we are in constant communication, and I
think there is very little, if anything, that we don’t know about each
other. I will say this though; I think
she is probably the only person in this world that I could collaborate with
like this to write a book.
TeamNerd Reviews: Have you and Jayne
started working on the sequel yet? Have you gals planned how many books there
will be featuring Allison and the crazy crew from Capitol Hell? What are some juicy tidbits about the sequel you’re
willing to let readers in on?
Alicia M. Long: We have!!
We are super excited to see where life on the campaign trail takes
Allison and Janet, and I think we will all have fun reading about the
misadventures they get into as they try to make it to the White House!
TeamNerd Reviews: To take a cue from
Allison and Capitol Hell which often
mentions food, drinks, and ice cream as way to survive working on the Hill . .
.
Alicia M. Long:
Favorite
Flavored Ice Cream: Ben and Jerry’s
“Americone Dream” of course! It’s
Stephen Colbert Approved!! J
Favorite Drink: Depends on the time of day. I will say this though; nothing beats a margarita
on a beautiful day after a long day at the office! Happy Hour here we come!!
Favorite Snack: Ooo that’s tough. I don’t know if I have a favorite snack, but
I can say that I LOVE chocolate!
About the Author: Alicia Long is originally from Hartford, South Dakota, a small town just outside of Sioux Falls. In 2003, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Upon graduation, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work on Capitol Hill. While working on Capitol Hill, she served for United States Senators Norm Coleman (MN), John Thune (SD) and George Allen (VA). She also served in various capacities, including scheduler, legislative correspondent, legislative aide, intern coordinator and caseworker. While working on the Hill, she became proficient at mastering the metro system, crashing the nearest receptions, and acting as a tour guide for friends and family.
Where to Find the Author
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