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Author Kaye Gibbons has always been candid about her life.
She's had no qualms telling people that the lead character in her book, "Ellen Foster" -- a girl with an alcoholic father and a mom who commits suicide -- is basely largely on her childhood.
But not everyone knows about other part of Gibbons' life: mother of three, card player and ... eBay addict?
It's true, she admits. The lure of eBay probably delayed the writing of her new book, "The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster," by about a month, she said.
"You know, one hour on eBay turns into four," Gibbons, 45, said. "My kids say when they get an iPod in a cereal box as a gift, they know mom got it on eBay."
It's not the kind of thing fans would expect from Gibbons, who is all business when she tackles serious things like abuse and foster care in her books.
But the combination of Gibbons' soft, slow drawl -- she's from North Carolina -- gripping wit and resounding timing on the punchline makes it easy to see her indulging in a little fun now and then.
And she deserves it. It's been almost 20 years since her first book, "Ellen Foster," was greeted with critical praise throughout the world. She's churned out several novels since -- each one met with accolades, acclaim and bestseller status -- making fans of book critics and readers alike.
In the late 1990s, Gibbons' "Ellen Foster" and "A Virtuous Woman" were named as Oprah's Book Club selections, catapulting her notoriety out of the critical acclaim ring and into the mainstream.
But it's taken her almost two decades to revisit her favorite character, Ellen Foster. The follow-up story about a girl who copes with a shattered childhood using horror, humor and intelligence is a sequel to Foster's -- and Gibbons' -- life.
Why did she wait so long to write the sequel?
"This sounds asinine, but it never occurred to me to do it," Gibbons said. "It never came to me as an option. When I started getting mail asking about what happens next, I started thinking about it. And I realized I missed (Ellen's) voice. I don't think I've been quite as happy as a writer as when I'm writing from her point of view."
And so "The Life All Around Me" was born, and the story continues Ellen Foster's quest to find her place in the world after securing a permanent home.
Gibbons said she now has plans to write several more books about Foster, but added that as she becomes an adult, fans shouldn't expect that those books also will be based on Gibbons' life.
"As I get older, it gets more embarrassing, and then there's the issue of the '70s that I don't remember very well," Gibbons said. "I think it will be more and more removed from my autobiography. And I would like for her to correct the mistakes I've made."
Reach Kimberly S. Wetzel at kwetzel@cctimes.com or at 510-748-1682.
IF YOU GO WHAT: An afternoon tea with Kaye Gibbons, author of Oprah's Book Club selections "Ellen Foster" and "A Virtuous Woman." Gibbons will discuss her new book, "The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster," the sequel to "Ellen Foster." WHERE: A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Ave. in Montclair Village WHEN: 1 p.m. Sunday DETAILS: Call A Great Good Place for Books at 510-339-8210
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