One Bad Apple: Author Interview!

Howdy, friends and neighbors!

I’m here today with my good pal Rachel Kovaciny, talking about her newest book, One Bad Apple!

One Bad Apple is the third installment in Rachel’s Once Upon a Western series of Western-inspired fairy tale retellings.  You can find it on Goodreads here, and on Amazon here.

First, a little synopsis for y’all:

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs… reimagined.

When a wagon train of Black pioneers rescues the seven orphaned Dalton cousins from the side of the trail, it seems like an answer to their prayers. As they roll west toward Kansas, fourteen-year-old Levi Dalton is dazzled by the beautiful Mrs. Mallone. She’s a healer, and her knowledge of medicines and herbs inspires Levi to want to become a doctor. Maybe then he can stop people from dying of fevers and illnesses like his folks did.

But Mrs. Mallone’s stepdaughter, Hopeful, warns Levi not to become too attached to the healer. Levi dismisses her warnings and his own misgivings until the day he sees something dreadful.

Levi knows he needs to tell someone what he’s seen before it’s too late. But will anyone believe the story of a fourteen-year-old orphan? Will anyone stand up to evil, no matter how beautifully it’s packaged?

Now for my questions, and Rachel’s answers!  Let the fun commence!

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Q.  All your fairy tale retellings take place in the Old West. What made you set your Snow White story during the Exoduster migration?

A.  I knew I wanted to write about a wagon train at some point because they give you such a good opportunity to bring together a big cast of people, many of whom were strangers before they started west together.  But it was a book I got for my kids that introduced me to the Exodusters.  I had gotten Black Women of the Old West by William Loren Katz from the library for my son about four years ago to serve as part of his history curriculum.  Of course, I read it myself too, and when I learned about the Exodusters, a switch clicked in my brain, and I thought, “What if I did a wagon train story about Black pioneers, and some of them are Snow White and her stepmother?”

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Q.  Which character was the most fun to write? Why?

A.  I can’t tell you that.  There’s a character from a previous book who shows up halfway through this one, and I don’t want to spoil the surprise, though I’m sure it’ll be common knowledge soon enough.  But I absolutely loved writing them.

But besides that person, I loved writing Hopeful Mallone, my Snow White character, because she supplied ready dialogue and was always very easy to work with.  She’s sweet and kind, but also strong and sarcastic, and I love every minute she’s on the page.

Q.  Which character proved the most difficult? Why?

A.  My villainess, the wicked stepmother.  I don’t like villains, I don’t like having to get into their headspace and figure out what they want, and I hold them at arm’s length as much as possible.  I had to get to know her pretty well for this, and ugh, I don’t like her at all.  I had to keep making her nastier and meaner and more villainous because I just don’t naturally write villainous villains!

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Q.  What would you say is the biggest “twist,” or difference, in your Snow White story, compared to the original?

A.  You mean aside from the fact that I have orphans instead of dwarves?  Lol.  I’d say the fact that the stepmother isn’t envious of her stepdaughter’s beauty.  Everyone acknowledges her as the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen, so her motives for what she does don’t stem from vanity.

Q.  As a white author, what’s something new or surprising you learned about Black history while researching this book?

A.  I learned about this cool town called Nicodemus, Kansas, that was settled and populated entirely by Black pioneers.  It flourished for years, and is still the site for things like community dances.  You can tour some of the historic buildings there, too.

Nicodemus, Kansas.

Q.  On your blogs, you talk a lot about how movies influence your storytelling. What are some movies that influenced One Bad Apple? 

A.  The only movie I’ve been able to get my hands on that truly showcases Black pioneers in a wagon train is Buck and the Preacher (1972). Directed by and starring Sidney Poitier, it definitely impacted my writing. In fact, I dedicated One Bad Apple to Poitier because I find him so inspiring.  (That film isn’t entirely family friendly, so I recommend it with the caveat that parents will want to watch it first before showing it to children.)

Silverado (1985) is another inspiration for this, particularly because of how well it addresses the fact that Black cowboys weren’t always treated fairly, and that some white cowboys were not okay with that.

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The ‘90s TV shows Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1993-98) and The Magnificent Seven (1998-2000) both influenced my writing as well because they both had regular Black characters who played an integral part in the stories and were important and valued for their abilities and who they were as people, not just there to be the “token” minority character.

Q.  Are there any special songs or pieces of music which inspired you?  

A.  I sought out books of traditional Negro spirituals and songs while writing this, especially because Hopeful loves to sing.  The song “Jehovah, Hallelujah!” is one I already knew and loved, so it was fun to find a way to incorporate it.  I also learned that the last stanza for “Amazing Grace” (the one that begins with, “When we’ve been there ten thousand years”) was not written by John Newton, but was added by enslaved Blacks on southern plantations!

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Thanks for all these great questions, Katie!  I loved answering them.  I hope that one of these days, I’ll be interviewing YOU about your latest book!

*blushes*  You’re too kind, Rachel!  I hope so, too … and I’m very, very excited to see One Bad Apple out in the world! ❤

This post has been one stop on the One Bad Apple book-release tour, which I highly recommend y’all check out!  Especially since it includes AN AWESOME GIVEAWAY, AHEM.

Prizes!!!

Don’t forget–One Bad Apple is available on Amazon now!