Indie Author Interview: H.R. Bellicosa (1 of 4 Authors)

Share

There are a lot of gatekeepers in the publishing world. It’s very difficult to land an agent, and then once you do, it’s even more difficult to find an editor at a publishing house who will acquire your book. I think the creative process is much more rewarding and less stressful than the publishing part. ​― H. R. Bellicosa

Q&A with H.R. Bellicosa — Author of The Punishings

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? What inspired that choice?
I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. As a young child, I would fill endless blank notebooks with stories and “novels” I would write. I entered every poetry contest I could find-you know the ones... you receive a letter that you “won” a spot in their 9,000-page anthology and you could purchase a copy. I was lucky that my parents always bought the book and never let on that it wasn’t exactly as it seemed to a naïve and hopeful child.

What is your favorite childhood book? What’s a book that helped shape you as a writer? 
There are so many. As a young child, I absolutely loved Fourteen Bears in Summer and Winter by Evelyn Scott. I found the Amelia Bedelia series endlessly entertaining. I consumed all the Sweet Valley High and Nancy Drew books. Mary Higgins Clark was a favorite as I got older. 
​
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
I would tell myself that there is a LOT of rejection with this line of work, but it isn’t something to take personally. In fact, each rejection helps shape your work going forward—very often there are nuggets of advice and tips that you use in your writing as you strive to improve it before sending it out again.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
​Euphoria, by Lily King. It’s a fascinating, highly intelligent book. ​

The truth you find will always be replaced by someone else’s.
― Lily King, Euphoria

---

---

Imagine a world where saving women’s lives puts your own life in jeopardy. Jane Dupre lives in the Southerly State, an area governed by oppressive rule since the separation of the former United States of America. At the beginning of the twenty-second century, it is a place filled with staunch nationalism and fervent religion, where the rights of the Unborn are protected above all else. Jane works in an overcrowded, underfunded orphanage, but she also covertly assists women with unwanted pregnancies in her secluded home on the Louisiana bayou. These women have no safe, legal options and many would harm themselves in desperation without Jane’s intervention.
​
When Jane’s two very different worlds collide, she finds herself faced with an incendiary decision. As the consequences of her actions spiral out of control, Jane realizes she may have put herself in more peril than those she is trying to save.

---

Click the image to read my full review of The Punishings.

---

'Do you understand me? You did nothing wrong, and God would never punish you.'
'Yeah, well, he didn't protect me, either,' she says, and for that, I do not have an answer.
― The Punishings, by H.R. Bellicosa

Page 165 - Chapter 30

 What originally sparked the idea for The Punishings?
America’s turn to the Conservative right, an increase in religious fervor, and a disdain for intellectualism sparked this idea. I could hear the whisperings about the right to abortion being threatened. When Mike Pence appeared at a right to life march, I could see which direction we
were headed, and I knew that women’s rights and even lives were in danger.

The book feels almost prophetic, considering current events. Did you ever imagine that The
Punishings would be so relevant when you began writing?
I, unfortunately, had a feeling that it would become more relevant as time went on, but I desperately hoped that it would not.

What do you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope this does two things for readers. I hope they see that abortion is nuanced and not at all black and white. There are so many reasons why women need access to this form of healthcare. And I hope that they can see what direction this country is going in, and what will
happen if we keep on this path.

Who is your favorite character and why?
I love Jane...I identify with her so much. She shares my anger at Draconian laws and the maltreatment of women. She’s also a mother (though not by blood) and I loved writing about her relationship with the child she considers her own. I despise Preacher Pote, but I did enjoy writing about him... It was a challenge for me to shape him. He’s the embodiment of that which I do not understand or agree with, and yet I tried to understand his point of view and his humanity.

Are you considering writing a sequel?
I’m actually interested in writing a prequel first... telling Ophelia’s story and how she watched her country splinter, getting stuck in the part she did not identify with. I would love to delve into how she trained herself to help women in need. And then yes, I’d love to write a sequel-following Jane’s new life. A trilogy that might just have to be called The Trinity.

What’s something that no one knows about your book? 
The book was passed over by editors at major publishing houses for being “too visceral.” One editor said she was uncomfortable in that world because it felt too realistic, and she hoped it was something that never came to pass. Sadly, a year later, it did.

​How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?
I have three manuscripts, all finished, that need editorial work. I hope to have one published in around a year.

What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?
I love research. The internet is invaluable (though you have to check the sources thoroughly.) For The Punishings, I also read a lot of books about fascism, religious zealotry, and idolatry. I researched religious aspects and Biblical quotes. I also did a lot of research on the history of abortion and about native plants in Louisiana.

What’s in your writing space? 
I love my office. I have filled it with plants so it’s green and lush even in the middle of winter. I have a bookcase filled with travel books. I have a desk but prefer to write in a chair in the corner. Next to that is a small table with my favorite item: an antique Underwood typewriter that I find to be very romantic and inspiring.

​H. R. Bellicosa is a writer, avid traveler and most importantly, a proud mom. She lives with her husband, son, a sweet dog, and a cantankerous cat, all of whom make her laugh every day.

Click here to purchase The Punishings,
​by H.R. Bellicosa.
​
​www.thepunishings.com
Instagram: h.r.bellicosa

Stay tuned for 3 more author interviews this month!