In Zoey’s Head
By Sandy Ward Bell
Eleven year-old Zoey is curled into a chair that she refers to as her escape pod, which then catapults her into the middle of road and a near encounter with disaster. From there her story races to Zoey as a successful radio program manager, telling her life history to her new, but comatose, boyfriend. The reminiscence is touching: a 13-year-old’s first kiss, a picnic date at an abandoned drive-in theater, yellow boxer shorts with smiley faces. Ms. Ward Bell’s use of this dialogue with a man in a coma is a clever way to gradually intertwine Zoey’s youth with her current life.
Told in the first person by Zoey, we really are able to get into her head, and it is a fascinating place. She filters her life through the lens of music, movies, and television. The narrative is snappy, descriptive and revealing. Unique characters drift in and out of Zoey’s busy life as she reflects on the sudden changes, her new boyfriend, his injuries, the mystery of a loving uncle and the actions of God.
God’s role in this novel is in the background, thought of and spoken about, but He is not a player. Zoey wrestles with the impact of answered prayers and an underlying fear of the consequences.
Like a sugar-coated pill used to get the medicine down, Ms. Ward Bell writes in a style that is light, fluffy, and funny, but delivers a serious message. Ultimately, In Zoey’s Head is a novel about secrets, misunderstandings, communication, family and love.
There is some great bonus material at back of the book where you will find a Book Club/Reading Group Discussion Guide, and an Index of every movie, musical and television reference in the novel.
Interview with Sandy Ward Bell, Author,
In Zoey’s Head
MJT: Sandy, in your novel Zoey is a radio program director. Sounds like something you may have done in your past. Tell us about your background. Where do you come from, where have you been and what have you done?
SWB: I grew up in Victor, south of Rochester, NY. When I was in ninth grade, listening to ToTo’s “Hold the Line” I decided then and there I was going to be a radio announcer. I picked SUNY Geneseo for my college education because they had two radio stations and I could start playing with the control board in my freshman year. During my senior year, I was the first female general manager of WGSU, a two thousand watt station. With the help of all my internships and part-time work, I became a full-time DJ the day I received my B.A. diploma. When I rolled into Augusta, GA as the love songs host on Sunny 105, my dream was fulfilled. Then . . . got married, birthed my daughter, family moved to Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Nashville. Another version – went from DJ to mother to writer.
MJT: I really like your book cover. You credit yourself for the cover design and the sketches that open each of the chapters. Where did this art talent come from and do you take your art seriously?
SWB: Thank you. I love art in all its forms. My passion for the art of storytelling is obviously on the top of the list. I dabble with drawing and painting as a hobby. Like my stories, my cover was visually in my brain and I had to find a way of getting it on the page.
MJT: Your novel is riddled with music, movie, and television show references. It’s clear your main character compares her life experiences with song lyrics, movie themes, or fictional characters and situations. How did you manage to come up with all those reference points?
SWB: Zoey, my protagonist, has a few of my own personal characteristics, including the gift or sickness of songs and such popping in the head. As I was writing a scene, that movie or song or TV show appeared in my brain so of course I used it for Zoey. Then I would look up the dates to make sure they existed in Zoey’s time period. If they didn’t fit, it was interesting how another one would stop by for a visit.
MJT: I don’t consider this a religious novel but there is a lot of prayer going on. What was the message about God that you wanted to portray?
SWB: Everyone has a different relationship with God, it is constantly changing, and there is nothing wrong with that. I was hoping Zoey’s spiritual journey would comfort those readers who are on the same path. The debate between religion and science has always fascinated me so I had to add that theme to my story.
MJT: What is your next novel about?
SWB: Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers so I am creating a modern version of Mansfield Park. I’m having fun giving her characters extreme backstories. I also have several short stories in the polishing stages and I hope to have them published soon.
MJT: Where do we go for more information about you and your work?
SWB: You can visit my website: www.sandywardbell.com. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. In Zoey’s Head is available at Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle.
MJT: Spoiler Alert! If you’ve not read In Zoey’s Head you might not want to read this final question.
I read some of the reader reviews on Amazon and GoodReads and a couple of them expressed the same thing I was thinking. What’s going to happen to Tony & Zoey? Will they ever get together in another novel?
SWB: At this time, I do not plan to write a sequel. I believe it is up to the reader to decide their fate. That is what makes fiction so fun!
