Eva Batonne's Page

INTERVIEW OF EVA BATONNE, AUTHOR OF RESURRECTION DIVA, FOR AUTHOR ALLEY

JAMIESON: Thanks very much, Eva Batonne, for dropping by Author Alley! Eva Batonne, sounds sort of French. Is that right?

BATONNE: Right. My family on both sides has French influence. My grandmother’s name was Cheveux-Batonne, which means horsewhip. People in Missouri called her Mrs. Shovelbottom, so I decided to cut it a bit.

JAMIESON: Good idea. How about we start with how you came to writing. Did you always want to be a writer?

BATONNE: Yes, my mother was a journalist and a reporter for St. Louisan Magazine, St. Louis Post Dispatch and The Globe. She is also an award-winning poet and novelist. Not to mention one scary short-story horror writer. I don’t think I could have avoided becoming a writer even if I had wanted to.

JAMIESON: When did you realize that you wanted to write for a living? What were you writing at the time?

BATONNE: I was doing research for a small production company in Santa Monica, California - had this incredible office with a window overlooking the ocean and I thought “God, what did I do right in order to land here?” We had gotten this production contract that was going to save the company from going under. We were so excited but it was a lot of work: eighty public-service announcements on American History, facts that nobody had ever heard about. These older, experienced guys who were writing the scripts from my research but they kept reinterpreting and misrepresenting the facts. Since the subject was little-known American history, largely about unrecognized women and minority contributions, I felt it my obligation to correct the problem. My superiors finally got fed up and said, “You write it then!” Which I promptly did to my great glee. I went on to write a great many things but I have to say that first gig was just the most fun.

JAMIESON: Now, I'm dying to know about your new book! What's it called?

BATONNE: RESURRECTION DIVA

JAMIESON: What is it about? I know we can read the summary on the back of the book or online; but I always love to hear about the book from the author themselves.

BATONNE: It’s about this beautiful redhead who is frighteningly intelligent and vicious who decides she wants to be a record label singing, movie-starring babe. It’s about ambition but it’s also about love, and human decency and/or the lack of it. It’s funny because some of my friends tell me that I am the quintessential resurrection diva because I just won’t disappear, I keep rearing my beaten head in spite of the crowd screaming, “Die! Die!” I’m like one of those witches that the Inquisition keeps trying to drown. I sink, which declares my innocence but I don’t die. I just pop up somewhere else.

JAMIESON: What inspired you to write it? Even though it's a novel, is there a lot of fact woven into it? Most authors who write fiction tend to put a lot of themselves into their work.

BATONNE: Now, that truly is a probing question. Okay, since you asked, I’m going to tell you the truth. I was just coming off an Independent movie deal that had crashed and burned in my home town, St. Louis, Missouri. Quite the demoralizing experience. Tom Sizemore was the lead. He is still one of my favourite actors. My husband and I had written this great script that everyone was excited about and we were on location with the director, production artist, etc., but our executive producers hadn’t finished up the last detail of the contract, which was to pay a small percentage to hold Tom Sizemore to our film dates. Val Kilmer or somebody asked Tom to participate in extra rehearsals on that movie, The Red Planet, during our very tight film schedule and we were screwed. I was drowning my sorrows in blueberry Patron marguerites when I thought, “Hey, maybe I should just write a novel and forget about Hollywood for two seconds.” But, of course, the novel is all about Hollywood. So there you have it.

JAMIESON: Where can readers find you on the net? Do you have a web site or a blog?

BATONNE: www.resurrectiondiva.com

JAMIESON: It’s been such a pleasure having you stop by Author Alley! Thanks so much for visiting!

BATONNE: It was too short, Jamieson. I could’ve spent more time with you.

Eva Batonne

Biography

Eva Batonne is the author of the Joan Lambert series, the first book is titled Resurrection Diva.

Eva came of age on the historical showboat, THE RIVER QUEEN. Her father docked the big boat in St. Louis, Missouri and transformed it into a renowned restaurant and night club. Her mother, a journalist for St. Louisan Magazine, influenced Eva’s development as a researcher and writer from a young age. Eva grew up in an environment rich with the dramas of socialites, politicians, artists and musicians.

Eva began writing professionally as the researcher for a small production company in Santa Monica, California. The position evolved into writer/producer on the project, The Shaping of America, a series of historical spots on American history. A forerunner to the popular Ken Burns style of dramatic portrayals of historical figures and events, The Shaping of America featured narrators, Sally Kellerman, Robert Guillaume, and Dennis Weaver and was voted Favorite Series among the troops overseas. Eva recently directed the film, THE ARROW, an experimental short that explores new forms of storytelling and features the artwork of the award-winning artist, E.W. Lane.

Eva has an extensive interview and journalistic background and has worked for Brentwood News and Venice Art Magazine interviewing and reviewing the work of personalities as illustrious as the beloved Dizzy Gillespie and the well-respected Chris Connelly, editor of Premiere Magazine.
Mixo-matic, Eva's first short story, won Best Fiction award in DIRECTION magazine and is featured in the anthology TECHNO-NOIR, now available at amazon.com.

When working on her novels, Eva does first-hand research. She has had the privilege of working closely with some of the top detectives in Los Angeles and feels a real connection to their efforts. She has toured the Coroner’s office and visited many of the actual locations featured in her books. Eva has guest lectured and taught writing to both children and adults, has been known to design and participate in mystery conventions and she donates her time and energies to different charities.