Interview with Author Sarah Junkin

Today, I'm very excited to host an interview with Sarah Junkin. I've known Sarah for several years now, not only as a journalist, but as a good friend. Recently I had the pleasure of reading her latest novel, Stuffed, and posted a brief review on this blog. (Click here to bring up the review.) Well the novel has recently been released with great success. It's unique because of its extraordinary use of humour threaded through serious social issues that concern all of us in one way or another. It's one book I highly recommend and is definitely a favourite on my book shelf.



Welcome to my blog Sarah. I'm very happy to have you drop by for a visit. I very much enjoyed reading your book with its fascinating characters, odd and unusual circumstances and happenings, and powerful social dilemmas. I loved, loved, loved your book. So I’m so glad to have this opportunity to chat with you. Can you share with my readers the essence of the story you’ve penned?
Thank you, Mirella!

Stuffed is a story about a woman named Hadley who feels so desperately alone that she joins Alcoholics Anonymous in her search for friendship. She’s never been much of a drinker, but in her quest for some sort of connection, finds much more than she’s bargained for through new friendships with offbeat and damaged characters. Hadley’s husband, Bud, is emotionally abusive, and after years of marriage to him, Hadley’s self-esteem is almost non-existent. Bud is known to be Canada’s second-best taxidermist, an accomplished artist whose medium happens to be restoring dead animals. Initially, strange things just seem to happen to Hadley that are beyond her control, but through the story, taxidermy becomes a metaphor for the restoration of Hadley’s dignity from the inside out.

You’ve chosen a very interesting title. What inspired the title? What inspired the book?

Stuffed is a nod to the fact that most people believe taxidermists stuff dead animals. Though that’s not actually the case – most are preserved by the creation of a hollow fibreglass frame – it’s a common misconcention. In my research for the book I met with some very accomplished taxidermists and learned that it is in fact a highly skilled art form, although I’m sure you’ll agree it seems a fairly odd way to make a living!


I wanted to write about how emotional abuse, because its damaging effects occur on the inside and are therefore almost invisible, is nontheless just as devastating for the victim as physical abuse is. Taxidermy is all about restoring damaged – well, dead, actually – creatures by exposing and then re-building their damaged cores. I’ve always enjoyed exploring serious themes through the lens of humour, and I was confident I could create humourous scenes if I populated Hadley’s world with taxidermists and their work.

What makes this book special to you?

Well, I absolutely loved every minute of writing this book! Even now when I pick it up, it makes me laugh and it makes me cry. To be honest I am very proud to have created Stuffed.

What makes this a book that people MUST read and WHY?

Though Stuffed is a comedy in many ways, it’s also deals with some pretty weighty issues such as spousal abuse, alcoholism, and how people cope with physical disabilities. I’ve been told that there are scenes in Stuffed that some find uncomfortable or disturbing to read, in part because they may find themselves wanting to laugh out loud and they don’t know if it’s okay to find humour in certain situations. I hope my readers will simply enjoy the chaos of Hadley’s strange life and perhaps find the inspiration to laugh at some of the pain in their own lives.

What sparks your creativity? Any tips to help others spark their own creativity?

Through my work as a journalist, I’ve come to realize that our entire world is simply a collection of millions of stories, and there are endless absurdities and zaniness in our day-to-day lives if we look closely enough and pay attention to what’s going on around us. The key is recognising that fact. Once you get into the habit of it, and connect with each life event as a part of a fascinating story, the writing part becomes easy.

What has been the biggest stumbling block in your writing? Can you share some tips to help others get past similar problems?

As a professional reporter I’ve learned to be pretty disciplined when it comes to my writing. Not every day will be brilliant, just like in any other job, but I try to write a minimum amount every day. By doing that I increase my chances of having days that are dazzlingly good.

Tell me about the most unusual things you have done to promote your book?

Well, it is early days in promoting Stuffed, but I wouldn’t rule out anything. It seems like there must be lots of opportunities to exploit the theme of taxidermy…does anyone have any ideas?

I have created a very unique book trailer video, which can be found on my website at http://www.sarahjunkin.ca/or on YouTube (search for Stuffed by Sarah Junkin). So many book trailer videos seem to look like PowerPoint presentations with text descriptions of what the book is about. But my trailer video aims to capture the emotion and energy of Stuffed without actually telling the story. It is set to a driving rock anthem by a young artist from Ontario named Alissa Oh, and I will be blogging about how I created the video, how I found Alissa’s music, and why I think her song fits so well with the themes of Stuffed. I invite feedback from anyone who watches the video, and encourage everyone to share it with their friends!



I will be hosting a private, by-invitation book launch party in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada on October 3 and on October 8, Bentleys Books and Java Jamboree will be jointly hosting a public book signing event at Java Jamboree.

I have a fan page on FaceBook called Stuffed by Sarah Junkin and I invite everyone to become a fan. For FaceBook users, that will be the best way to find out about upcoming promotional events.

CochraneConnects, a magazine I write for, is giving away a copy of Stuffed as a prize to the winner of a contest launched in the last edition of the magazine.

My next focus will be to expand beyond Cochrane and I’m looking for media attention, especially reviews, in Calgary and beyond. I hope to build a local buzz about the book and then gradually expand to get some national attention. Media people, if you are reading this, please visit my website and contact me!

Each author is different in the way they create a work of fiction. Please describe for us how you plan or plot a story.

For my first draft of a work of fiction, I plan very little apart from a very general plot outline that will usually change multiple times. I don’t know when I begin what my ending will be. I find it’s more fun that way.

It is very true, though, that the craft of writing occurs in the discipline of re-writing. Because my conception of the characters and events in Stuffed changed as the story evolved, it ended up as a very different story from the one I first imagined. This required a lot of hard work after the first draft was complete to ensure that the story flowed and that early scenes fit with later scenes and provided the necessary foreshadowing and background to future events.

Authors are very unique in the way they write, the tools they use, when they write, etc. Please describe a typical writing day for you? How do you organize your day?

When I’m on a roll, I’m extremely focussed and for long periods of time barely move away from my computer screen. If I’m in the middle of an important scene I may forget to eat or shower, and during those times friends know to stay away, and my kids become pretty self-sufficient. Those are my favourite days. On other days I may be researching with taxidermists or AA members, but those days are fun too because the work of a writer can be pretty lonely at times.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m currently working on a novel about a young woman who through a series of odd events finds herself living in a nudist resort. I enjoy dropping my characters into places they don’t necessarily belong and then sitting back to see what happens. I’m curious about the fact that every single one of us owns a naked body and they’re all pretty similar, yet most of us are quite reluctant for anyone else to see our own specific model. That seems like an interesting contradiction to me.

Can you tell us where to find more information about you and your books and how readers can reach you?

Stuffed will be in Cochrane bookstores Sept. 30 and available from most on-line booksellers around that time too. But it’s also available immediately on my website: http://www.sarahjunkin.ca/or from the publisher at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/.

What would you like our readers to know about you and your writing?

I’d like readers to know that writing Stuffed was the most fun I’ve ever had in my life. And I’d like to think that they’ll find some of that joy and laughter between the pages of their own copy of my book.