The Interview - Lynne Podrat

Describe the [book/series] in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.

By turns funny and heartbreaking, Listen to Me is a story about being brave, finding your voice, and becoming not who you thought you were, but who you were meant to be.

As an author, what critique has been the most challenging for you to receive? On the other hand, what compliment has been the most rewarding?

The critique of Listen To Me that meant the most to me spoke of my brother as a special person whom they were sorry they had never met. They were inspired to become more active in supporting those with special needs instead of being uncomfortable.

The most challenging critique was of My sister Wants an Elephant. The critique claimed it was written by a white-privileged woman because it mentions my size compared to a Siberian tiger and our involvement with the Philadelphia Zoo as members.

Did you have any say in the cover design?

I had total say in the cover as it is a self-published book. The flowers were chosen for his funeral as per my brother's decision. the photo is of us.

Do you have any movie or tv adaptations in the works?

My dream is to have the memoir adapted for TV

Did you always want to be an author? If not, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I hadn’t gone looking to write a book. And although I love to write, especially poetry, and editorial responses of educational articles, writing can be arduous and was never cathartic for me. I would rather take pictures. My dream was to be a veterinarian, to heal, support positive training, and be the voice for those who spoke a different language. God had that same plan, albeit a very different path.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people in your real life? If so, can you tell us more about that process and how it influenced your writing?

Listen To Me is a memoir so all characters are real. My sister Wants an Elephant is based on my children