| | |  Entertainment | Books | November 2008 
Author Interview: Jenny McGill, author of DRAMA & DIPLOMACY: IN SULTRY PUERTO VALLARTA
 Dorothy Thompson - American Chronicle
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| | Jenny McGill | | |
Jenny McGill grew up in the Deep South in Mississippi. After schooling she moved to Dallas where she met her husband, Howard. Their love of Mexico brought them to an early semi-retirement in 1973 in Puerto Vallarta.
Jenny and Howard, moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1973. She was appointed consular agent by the U.S. State Department in 1982 and spent fourteen years in that position.
Upon retirement, the McGills sought out the tranquility of the western Sierra Madres in the small village of Talpa de Allende, Jalisco. There she devotes her time to writing, promoting local artists and gardening. She says, "My love of robin-egg blue skies, breath taking sunsets that only God could paint, and music, which falls softly on my ear, is reason enough to be in Mexico."
You can visit her website at www.mjmcgill.com.
Thank you for this interview, Jenny. Can you tell us briefly what your latest book; Drama & Diplomacy: In Sultry Puerto Vallarta is all about?
It is an anecdotal account of Puerto Vallarta´s early growing years after John Huston´s filming of Night of the Iguana in 1964. My husband and I moved to Puerto Vallarta in 1973 and the book recounts my personal involvement for twenty-five years. Fourteen of those years were working as a consular agent for the U. S. Government.
The consular work covers what the Department of State referred to as the 4 Ds: Detentions, Disappearances, Destitutes and Deaths. I´ve tried to show my readers how some of their tax dollars are spent in a not-too-distant neighbor country. In dealing with grim tragedies, I´ve kept the book in an easy-to- read light. I´ve been told that it is even an educational book.
Can you tell us what (or who) the inspiration behind writing your book was?
I think I can give credit to my friends who encouraged me to tell the stories. Allen Drury, Pulitzer Prize winner for his book, Advise and Consent, was a frequent visitor to Puerto Vallarta and he always encouraged me to keep records so that I could write a book some day. I used to tell all of them that if I ever wrote a book, nobody would believe it because it would sound like science fiction. In fact, the book is a true story. All my characters have valid dates and places of birth, but some of the names have been changed.
Is this your first published book and if so, can you tell us your experiences in finding a publisher for it?
Yes, this is my first book and I self-published. I didn´t go through the rejection trauma of many authors. Even though I speak Spanish, my nightmare was dealing with printers and government offices in a foreign country, but I had some training for that as a consular agent.
Can you tell us how long it took you to write your book?
It took me almost six months to the day for the writing and editing. I didn´t write every day, but I had no researching to do either. It was all in my files and memory, but it was an emotional trip for me also, so I needed a break from time to time.
Do you have any words of inspiration from other writers who would like to be wearing your shoes?
I think there is a story in all of us that can be shared with the world. If you have a dream about writing a book, go ahead; make your dream come true!
What´s next for you?
I´m in the final first draft stage of another manuscript with the working title of The Woman in the Trunk. It is a historical novel set in the Sierra Madre Mountains in the 1860s. We now live in a small mountain village in Jalisco, Mexico that was once a thriving mining town. My new book is based on fact.
Thank you for this interview, Jenny. Can you tell us how we can find out more about you and your new book?
I have a website that probably needs 'watering like all new plants do'. Check me out on www.MJMcGill.com. I also write a monthly column for www.mexconnect.com, which is Mexico´s biggest English e-zine.
Drama & Diplomacy, in its second revised edition is also available on www.amazon.com.
Thanks, American Chronicle. I´ve enjoyed this interview and invite you to sunny Mexico. You know where you can find me.
Dorothy Thompson is CEO/Founder of Pump Up Your Book Promotion, a full service public relations firm specializing in online book tours. She is also the author of A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK and 101 INTERNET RADIO SHOWS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS. You can visit her website at www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com. |
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