Faith Paulus

 

Faith Paulus is the founder of her own Interior Design Company: Interiors By Faith: www.interiorsbyfaith.com She resides in the county of San Diego, California with her husband Bo, where they both share a passion for home renovations near the beach. As her business logo: “Finding the Soul of Your Home,” suggests, Faith has been instrumental in developing beautiful environments as personal sanctuaries for her clientele. Her hope is that in this manner her clients might find a clearer communication with God, as well as the basis for a more interactive family structure – as one small step in the healing of our world.

Upon inheriting her grandmother’s memoirs ten years after her death, Faith began to knit the two writings together to complete this work; Popcorn Poppin’ on the Apricot Tree is her first novel.

Visit Faith online at http://www.popcornpoppinontheapricottree.com

"Within the candor and innocence of a child's mind emerges an extraordinary true story—Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree. It's 1965, and Annie Peters is just eight-years-old when her mother is committed full-time to a mental health institution. Uprooted by their mother's illness, Annie and her siblings find themselves torn between a Catholic-run orphanage and the final remnants of their shattered home. But nothing could have prepared the nuns of St. Vincent's Home for five vivacious Peters children, whose adolescence comes to mirror a much larger upheaval between the evolving Catholic institutions of the sixties and a burgeoning American pop culture.

'I enjoyed this memoir very much! Faith Paulus has a great sense of humor—and a great eye—I thank you so much for sharing this fascinating story with me.' Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind "

PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Faith Paulus: I grew up in a small Midwestern town known as Lansing, Michigan.  In the sixties era of which I was a child, Lansing's two main industries consisted of Michigan State University, a Big 10 agricultural college, and the Oldsmobile automobile manufacturing plant – resulting in an interesting demographic collision of Blue Blood and Blue Collar families.  As my mother--a college professor--eventually gave it to the debilitating mental illness of Schizophrenia, my earliest influences became my four siblings, the close knit relationship I held with my father, a humble German man with large aspirations for his children - and my grandmother - who prided herself on being a member of the French Royal family.  Determined to find the answers to my confusing yet loving environment, I developed a passion for reading books and escaping through the world of fairy tales and fantasy. 

 

PageOneLit.com:Why do you write?

Faith Paulus:  I write because after 25 years of succumbing to the corporate world, and its constricting value system, I can speak from the heart with a pure truth that knows no boundaries or limitations. 

 

PageOneLit.com: Your new book "Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree" is a true story -- Discuss writing this memoir and how you were so successful balancing the story of adolescence upheaval with a witty/humourous/comical perspective?

Faith Paulus:  As this unique Coming of Age story suggests, my mother along with quite a few of her Catholic peers, were undergoing pharmaceutical experimentation, at the exact same time that the Catholic movement and our Social structure was being radically shaken alongside the pop culture movement of America.  As a child with a photographic memory, I was the introspective one who was busy taking notes while both my domestic world and our world at large were undergoing drastic change. Although every young American has to experience these uncomfortable passages that mark our adolescence, my siblings and I were quick to see the humor in our unusual adolescent journey. 


 

PageOneLit.com: Explain your title  "Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree" as it relates to your story.

Faith Paulus: The Title, Popcorn Poppin on the Apricot Tree depicts the challenge of uncovering the Truth and Illusions of the information that was being handed down to us by government, the Catholic Church, and authority figures, during these turbulent times.  It also might represent the slipping away of my own mother’s reality as she surrendered to her weakening mental illness.

 

PageOneLit.com:  In "Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree" the children's father remained a strong and nurturing figure in their young lives - Please explain.

Faith Paulus: In an time when it was rare for our fathers to be given full custody rights of their children, my father fought the system and showed a tenacity and resourcefulness, along with a childlike enthusiasm for being a parent-- that could be considered a role model for today’s young males who do not always understand the significance of paternal responsibility. The positive repercussions of a healthy father and daughter relationship--even if a daughter has just a few cherished years--can greatly contribute to both a strong self esteem and wise choices, as she matures. 

 

PageOneLit.com: How important was nostalgia/pop culture and the era for "Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree" ?

Faith Paulus: We, the children of the sixties, were the younger siblings of the more celebrated teenagers of the times, and were often overlooked as our parents were caught up with the various social issues that were pervading our society.  The powerful music, and films, along with our close friendships, became the bond and as well as the anecdote to our struggles for self development - within a fuzzy image of mentors. 

 

PageOneLit.com: A portion of the proceeds from sales will go to help www.Worldvision.org - Explain.

Faith Paulus: As a child, I fantasized about finding a child from Africa on my doorstep.  I would give her a bath, some pretty new clothes and feed her anytime she was hungry.  Through the extremely worthwhile foundation of World Vision, I can contribute both awareness as well as a portion of the proceeds from my book.  A small step, yet one that can help my childhood fantasy come full circle, with not just one - but many children of this poverty stricken country.  As children we are often given early visions of how our distinct gifts might assist in contributing to the world on a global level, and then within the structure of society reform, we can just as quickly bury those desires in our hearts.  It is only when we choose to uncover the memory of our childhood aspirations, that these dormant talents can finally come alive - and our personal missions are given the green light.  This has been my current experience since without much effort; I seem to be attracting a landslide of attention for my writings.  


 

PageOneLit.com: What did you learn from writing "Popcorn Poppin' on the Apricot Tree" ?

 Faith Paulus: Because this novel was 4 and half years in the making, I have recognized that my literary adventure was truly in the journey - not in the destination.  If I attempted to see the end result at the beginning of this writing venture, I would have been too discouraged to enjoy the passion of sitting down on a rainy day and revel in the moment with my characters.  Kind of like flying to Australia in third class, and realizing 35 or so hours later, that you may not have undertaken the grueling trip if you really knew what you would be in for. 

 

 
PageOneLit.com:  What's next? 

Faith Paulus: HAVING FUN!!!!!

The Screenplay of Popcorn Poppin’ on the Apricot Tree is now half complete, and will be presented to the San Diego Film Festival in September of 2007.   We are also working on a soundtrack that offers a significant peek of selected sixties tunes, which happen to  be very compatible with both the material and the rhythm of the story.  

The Audio Book is set for Release by July of this year, and I am busy with various Barnes and Noble and other bookstore signings.  I have also been asked to be a Guest Speaker at various women’s groups and book clubs here in San Diego County. 



PageOneLit.com: What book are you now reading?

Faith Paulus: I am currently reading The Girls, by Lori Lansens, a compelling novel that is actually written as a memoir of a conjoined Twin.  Her writing is skillful, funny, and believable.

 

PageOneLit.com:  Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Faith Paulus: As an Interior Designer, I love to invest and restore historical homes near the beach here in San Diego county.  My husband Bo is a General Contractor and together we weave his practicality and artistry with my creative and intuitive spirit.  Our most recent renovation is a 1928 historical Spanish house here in San Diego and is known as Casa by the Sea.  We offer this home as a private vacation rental, or sometimes as a small wedding venue.  I also have another vacation property called Seaview Villa, which is closer to the beach, but my aspirations are to salvage and restore more of this dying breed of craftsmen homes for the sake of preservation. 

We love to travel and often discovering interesting out-of-the-way antique stores to contribute to these projects.  We have 7 acres of land in Costa Rica and someday we hope to retire there for half the year.  Creating and enjoying the serenity of a beautiful environment helps to enhance my writing, and I also like to know I can contribute to a weary vacation traveler who can benefit from a pleasing and tranquil setting.  Both properties have journals to encourage guests to apply their own writings skills; since I think everyone should experiment with the pleasures of this healing art; especially while on a restorative and enlightening San Diego vacation.