In sisterhood, the Real Pink Collar Workers experience love, romance, sexual harassment, alcoholism, and control while working together in a “man’s world”; one that will send these ladies down a rabbit hole of espionage, intrigue and the attempted murder of two fellow workers.
Are you ready to enter a world of murder, espionage and intrigue? Of course, you are! And here to help us jump into the murky waters of ‘Real Pink Collar Workers’, I’ve been joined by author Lady Jane Davis. Jane, I love the idea of exploring the real pink collar workers. Where did your interest in these women originally start?
My mother worked at the Boeing Airplane Company during World War II, and then so did my father after the war ended. They discussed all sorts of stories, gossip, and complaints at the dinner table and with like-employed neighbors and friends.
When I began working there 25 years later, I saw all this happening around me. I thought, “Hm-m, wouldn’t this make an interesting book?”
Indeed, it has! Once you had the factory life covered, did you find yourself slipping into other experiences from your life into the book?
Oh, yeah! I’ve had a life-long battle with bipolar disorder and manic depression. Before I could get things under medical control, I self-medicated with alcohol and prescription drugs and then became addicted to them. I tried to stress the warning signals and dangers of alcohol in the book. I also sighted the problems of a premature pregnancy that brought about the physical abuse by a young husband. Another problem I ran into on the job was the sexual harassment that is in the story.
Each of those challenges is complex enough that you could have created a book centring each one, where instead pulled all of them together into a single book. How did you create your rich cast to characters who could band together tackle these events in a single book?
I had to changes name and appearances of all the people I had in mind as my characters. As I wrote they sort of developed into people of their own with individual characteristics and personalities. I avoided any claims of name or identity theft by I using my own nicknames, former, future or hopeful names, except for two persons who are family and that was with their permission.
Did you feel energised or exhausted by this process of character development, and writing in general?
Both. I get so enthusiastic about what I writing that I time gets by me so rapidly. I look at the clock and it’s going on 3:00 AM and then I kick myself because I can’t get an early start in the mornings. I’m pretty much a computer dummy and a top graduate of the Hemmingway class of hunt ‘n peck, 101. That’s why I hate marketing and promoting that exhausts me too much.
I hope that you graduate to hunt ‘n peck 202 soon! Marketing and promoting can be a tough slog, what did you learn about it when getting this book to market?
MARKETING! All I want to do is write, but no-o-o. I have to become an author, editor, salesperson, promoter, publisher, banker, and candlestick maker.
As you’re not a natural marketer, have any of your thoughts about how to market yourself turned towards creating your own author brand?
I don’t think of myself or my name as a brand. I feel that my private life is just that–private. What I want people to know about myself is what I write in my books, perhaps as another character. My strategy is to write books that people will love to read and then tell others about it.
That’s a great strategy! Do you feel that your voice has kept improving as you’ve kept working on this strategy?
For sure. Each time I re-read what I wrote, I can see where it can be improved and each time I write I can see that my writing has improved. It’s like any other craft, you need to practice until you get it perfected, and then practice some more.
Practice, practice, practice! Now that you’ve got some serious practice under your belt, I’d love to find out what you think about as you write. What’s usually on your mind as you write?
I have been through many and varied epic journeys in my lifetime that I want to share these experiences with others so that they may learn from or avoid them. If I can help one other person through a dilemma in their life then it was worth the trouble or pain that I went through to give them that help. At times the only hope I had left was in the words of 1st Corinthians 10:13, and God was true to His word, He showed me a way out of my dark hour. Whether it was a broken leg or a suicidal depression, He saw me through. The next time it would happen–and it did–I thought, “Well, I got through it last time, I’ll get through this too.” And I did, and so can you. The other thing I need to share is humor. It gives me great joy to make someone laugh, or even just smile. I feel that, like writing, my sense of humor is a God-given gift and I love to use it to cheer others–the world has too much anger and bitterness, we need to laugh at something.
Was sharing the great joy of making someone laugh what you really wanted to share with readers in ‘Real Pink Collar Workers’, or did you find there was something else that was more important to emphasise, and if so what can you tell us about it?
That women have equal right to work the same jobs as men do when they are qualified to do so; i.ie: not having to lift heavy weight, etc. And they should get the same wages as men do.
Women are not sex symbols or objects and should not be treated as such, they need to be respected as fellow workers.
This story took place during the early 1980’s and many things have changed in the workplace since then…or have they really? From what I understand, women are still fighting for that total equality, and will until men can let go of their superiority complex.
Total equality is still a way off, which means there are still many books to be written on the subject. I won’t ask you if we’ll see this topic again in your next book, as we don’t want to give too much away, but what can readers expect from you next?
The sequel, “The Barroom Evangelist”; which will be followed by, “The Road to Recovery” and then “The Pink Berets”. Each other those are over half-way done and in stacks of notes. I’m paving the way with this book (hopefully).
Another project I need to finish before I bite the dust is, “The Farm on East Hill”, which is my memoirs about growing up on a rural farm during the late 1940’s to mid 50’s. It’s a little bit like an ‘updated’ version of, “The Little House on the Prairie”, sort’a.
Gosh, with so many writing projects on the go, you’ll be busy for quite a while! Why do you keep writing?
Well, I’m glad you asked. I write because I am compelled to and that I love to. I write because this is a God-given gift and that I have a prolific imagination with which to write. It seems that I can turn song lyrics into a story. Overheard conversation can become another chapter in my book. I have a memory of ten elephants in that I can recall conversations and some happenings from when I was in diapers. I write in order to share my experiences with others in hopes to help them in their own. I write to enlighten someone’s life or daily routine or to lift someone’s spirits with humor and bring them a bit of joy and laughter. There has been so much emotional, physical and mental pain in my life, and I’m positive that I’m not alone in having known this, that I want to cheer the others– even just a bit– so that their minds can be taken away from that pain, if only briefly.
I agree with you, we need a little more cheer in the world. And let’s see if we can get a little more cheer happening by indulging in a few quick first questions to round out the interview. Let’s start with if money doesn’t grow on trees then why do banks have branches?
I took a job as a baker because I need the dough.
Oh, that’s bad! Can we get any punnier? Let’s give it a go, can you cry underwater?
I’d drown if I did that.
So no crying then, how about vacuuming instead. If space is a vacuum, who changes the bags?
Is it impolite for a deaf person to talk with his hands full?
I guess it depends on what he is saying. Why is a square meal served on round plates?
Does an oxymoron have anything to do with stupid cattle? And I have more of these!
Me too! What happens if Batman gets bitten by a vampire?
Vampires and zombies don’t, never have or ever will exist. So Batman is safe.
I’m sure Batman is never really safe, surely he’s at risk from being caught up in his suit! Okay, if you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature what new animal would you create?
What? And defy God’s law of nature? Bite your tongue!
I’ll do that straight after I ask you the last question for today, what’s your favourite line from ‘Real Pink Collar Workers’ that will get those readers enticed?
“Love is never having to say you’re pregnant.”
Oh, a nice little taste of intrigue there! Jane, thanks so much for sharing a little taste of ‘Real Pink Collar Workers’ with us today, and I hope to hear more about the sequel soon!
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Excited to read the book we discussed today? Find it here on Amazon: ‘Real Pink Collar Workers ( ASIN: B07CQVBDDP )‘.
Want to find out more about Lady Jane Davis? Connect here!