I'm spotlighting children's author Nancy Oswald today. Nancy's new book, Hard Face Moon, has just been released by Filter Press. She and her husband live on a ranch in Colorado.
Welcome, Nancy. How long have you been writing? What made you start?
I've been writing for more than twenty years interspersed with raising a family, helping on the family ranch, and teaching full time.
When did you sell your first book?
1985.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
Well, I've done a little of everything. I usually have a vision about where I want to end, but many of the plot details are often missing. For my two most recent historical novels, I used a time line because I wanted to track where the characters were according to the dates of the actual historical events. These time lines were double layered with notes of the fictional progress above the actual historical dates. I also have created notebooks with relevant information that I can refer back to as I write. An example of this is a notebook with sign language for a mute character. I only used a fraction of the material I'd printed, but it was a security to have it by my elbow, so when I was stuck I could easily reference it.
As time passes, I am getting more organized, at least as far as keeping track of research information. I have done more than my fair share "flying by the seat of my pants" and having to backtrack to find information. Organization, however, is not my forte. For fiction, I'm not the kind of person that can sit down ahead of time and think the whole thing through. It just doesn't work for me.
How do you choose your characters' names?
Some of them just come to me and I'm settled on them and like them. Others take hard work. I've used character-naming books, created lists of possibilities and selected from them. I've also used other writings or historical resources. Recently I was reading a book about the history of schools in Fremont County and one of the pages had a student roster from the late 1800's. The roster was a goldmine of names like Lester and Florence and Fay and Edna. These are the real thing and far better than anything you could find in a naming book.
What a great find! What is your daily schedule like?
Schedule? During the school year, I teach four days a week which every teacher knows also means bringing home work on the weekend, not to mention classes, conferences and other obligations. During the school year, I try to sit down one or two days over the weekend with one goal in mind: "Put words down and move forward." Sometimes this is a paragraph, sometimes two or three pages. I am, however, committed to writing Morning Pages ala Julia Cameron. This is three pages every morning of whatever is on your mind, and while it doesn't really help get books written, it keeps the pencil moving.
How do you handle life interruptions?
All my writing with the exception of my 1985 book, which was written before I was a full time mom, have been amidst interruptions. As my husband would probably testify to, I'm pretty good at tuning things out, and since interruptions are the standard and not the exception, I guess I handle them like you would falling off a horse. Just climb back on and get going again.
Do you write with music playing? If so, is the music likely to be songs with lyrics or only instrumentals?
I'm pretty much a quiet writer partly because we have always lived in rural areas where quiet is the norm. Often after a busy week at school, I consider quiet a luxury, but this is not always the case. Lately, I have written to music and found that I enjoy it, so mostly I prefer quiet, but I do both. Lyrics are OK as long as they are not loud and distracting. If something has lyrics, I usually tune them out.
What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
Oh horrors. Food and snacks are my worst distraction! I've been known to prowl the house looking for chocolate, especially if I'm having a hard time focusing. This is NOT a good thing. Normally I sit down with a cup of hot green tea. It may not keep the words flowing, but it keeps the calories at bay. If someone comes up with a great lo-cal food that really does keep the words flowing, let me know.
What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I'm like Snoopy when he says, "It's exciting when you know you've written something good." When I've been able to put words down in such a way that I know I've communicated the exact emotion or the exact essence of something, I feel great. This usually comes after a certain amount of struggle, like tossing and turning in bed until you get your pillow fluffed just right, then ahhhhh, the right word or phrase manifests itself on the page and there is a great deal of satisfaction that comes along with it.
Believe it or not my least favorite thing about writing is sitting. This is worse during the first draft because I am doing a lot of muddling. My husband bought me an hour glass after I read this tip on a writer's list serve, so when I'm really having trouble getting going, I plunk myself down and turn the hour glass over admonishing myself not to move until the sand has run through it. Usually this is enough for me to get going, which sometimes is the hardest thing. Just start!
Tell us about your new book, Hard Face Moon.
Hard Face Moon is historical fiction based on the Sand Creek Massacre which occurred Nov. 29 of 1864 in eastern Colorado along the banks of Sandy Creek. In the early dawn, Colonel Chivington and his Third Colorado Calvary Volunteers attacked a sleeping Cheyenne Village whose peaceful chief, Black Kettle, believed they were safe and under military protection. Mostly women, children, and old folks were killed, and the survivors escaped by walking to the safety of a Dog Soldier camp on a moonless night, in winter conditions with little clothing, and only the freezing temperatures to staunch the flow of blood.
The story itself is told through the viewpoint of a 13-year-old mute Cheyenne boy, Hides Inside, who desires to prove himself as a warrior. The plot focuses on the rivalry between Hides Inside and Two Crows, another young Cheyenne, and his friends. The conflict is resolved during and after the massacre when the value of cultural unity and "family" outweighs the individual differences of these two boys.
What is your next project?
Whew. After that one, I want to lighten up. I've started a book set in Cripple Creek, Colorado, which has a lovable donkey named Maude as one of the main characters.
What is your advice for other writers?
Aristotle said, "What we learn, we learn by doing." Writers write. Keep at it one word at a time and don't let yourself get discouraged by life's interruptions.
What other work of yours has been published?
The Insect Zoo and the Wildcat Hero reprinted as Bees, Bugs, and Baseball Bats, Scholastic Canada, 1985 and 1990. (Now out of print)
Nothing Here But Stones, Henry Holt and Company, 2004 (Willa Award Winner in 2005)
Thank you for the Interview, Nancy.
Thanks so much for allowing me to share my thoughts with you. Good luck with all of your writing pursuits.
Hard Face Moon can be found for purchase at the following websites, or by contacting Nancy at nancy_os@wildblue.net:
Target.com, Amazon.com, Amazon Canada, and at Filter Press.
From her home in the forest, writer Marsha Ward offers up an eclectic collage of musings on life, insights into the writing process, sample scenes and snippets from her work, book spotlights, and author interviews. Now including "The Characters in Marsha's Head."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
"The Intolerance of Tolerance"
My nephew sent me an interesting essay yesterday. It was written by Christian writer and advocate Gregory Koukl, and first appeared at Townhall.com on Thursday, December 14, 2006. I'm including it in its entirety, and have added a video below the essay that reinforces his explanation of true and classic tolerance. The video is of young people who support California's Proposition 8.
There's one word that can stop you in your tracks. That word is "intolerant."
This idea is very popular with post-modernists, that breed of radical skeptics whose ideas command unwarranted respect in the university today. Their rallying cry, "There is no truth," is often followed by an appeal for tolerance.
The tolerant person allegedly occupies neutral ground, a place of complete impartiality where each person is permitted to decide for himself. No judgments allowed. No "forcing" personal views. That all views are equally valid is one of the most entrenched assumptions of a society committed to relativism. And it's a myth.
For all their confident bluster, the relativists' appeal actually asserts two truths, one rational and one moral. The first is the rational "truth" that there is no truth, a clear conflict. The second is the moral truth that one ought to tolerate other's viewpoints. Their stand, contradictory on at least two counts, serves as a warning that the modern notion of tolerance is seriously misguided.
The Tolerance Trick
As it turns out, by the modern definition of tolerance no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It's what my friend Francis Beckwith calls the "passive-aggressive tolerance trick." Returning to the classic understanding of tolerance is the only way to restore any useful meaning to the word. Let me give you a real life example.
Earlier this year I spoke to a class of seniors at a Christian high school in Des Moines, Iowa. I wanted to alert them to this "tolerance trick," but I also wanted to learn how much they had already been taken in by it. I began by writing two sentences on the board. The first expressed the current understanding of tolerance:
"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."
All heads nodded in agreement. Nothing controversial here. Then I wrote the second sentence:
"Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting Him."
Immediately hands flew up. "You can't say that," a coed challenged, clearly annoyed. "That's disrespectful. How would you like it if someone said you were wrong?"
"In fact, that happens to me all the time," I pointed out, "including right now with you. But why should it bother me that someone thinks I'm wrong?"
"It's intolerant," she said, noting that the second statement violated the first statement. What she didn't see was that the first statement also violated itself.
I pointed to the first statement and asked, "Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?" They all agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the "intolerant" one—and asked the same question: "Is this a view?" They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them. They'd been taken in by the tolerance trick.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than the Jews have is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than the Christians do. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because "tolerance" turns out to be gibberish.
Escaping the Trap
"Would you like to know how to get out of this dilemma?" I asked. They nodded. "You must reject this modern distortion of tolerance and return to the classic view." Then I wrote these two principles on the board:
Be egalitarian regarding persons.
Be elitist regarding ideas.
"Egalitarian" was a new word for them. Think "equal," I said. Treat others as having equal standing in value or worth. They knew what an elitist was, though, someone who thought he was better than others. "Right," I said. "When you are elitist regarding ideas, you are acknowledging that some ideas are better than others. And they are. We don't treat all ideas as if they have the same merit, lest we run into contradiction. Some ideas are good, some are bad. Some are true, some are false. Some are brilliant, others are just plain foolish."
The first principle, what might be called "civility," is at the heart of the classical view of tolerance. It can be loosely equated with the word "respect." Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.
We respect those who hold different beliefs than our own by treating them courteously and allowing their views a place in the public discourse. We may strongly disagree with their ideas and vigorously contend against them in the public square, but we still show respect for the persons in spite of our differences.
Classic tolerance requires that every person be treated courteously with the freedom to express his ideas without fear of reprisal no matter what the view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth.
These two categories are frequently conflated in the muddled thinking created by the myth of tolerance. The view that one person's ideas are no better or truer than another's is simply absurd and contradictory. To argue that some views are false, immoral, or just plain silly does not violate any meaningful definition or standard of tolerance.
Note that respect is accorded to the person, here. Whether his behavior should be tolerated is an entirely different issue. Our laws demonstrate that a man may believe what he likes—and he usually has the liberty to express those beliefs—but he may not behave as he likes. Some behavior is a threat to the common good. Rather than being tolerated (allowed), it is restricted by law. Historically, our culture has emphasized tolerance (respect) of all persons, but never tolerance of all behavior. In Lincoln's words: There is no right to do wrong.
Topsy-Turvy
The modern definition of tolerance turns the classical formula for tolerance on its head:
Be egalitarian regarding ideas.
Be elitist regarding persons.
If you reject another's ideas, you're automatically accused of disrespecting the person (as the coed did with me). On this new view of tolerance no idea or behavior can be opposed—even if done graciously—without inviting the charge of incivility.
To say I'm intolerant of the person because I disagree with his ideas is confused. Ironically, it results in elitism regarding persons. If I think my ideas are better than another's, I can be ill-treated as a person, publicly marginalized and verbally abused as bigoted, disrespectful, ignorant, indecent and—can you believe it—intolerant. Sometimes I can even be sued, punished by law, or forced to attend re-education programs.
Tolerance has thus gone topsy-turvy: Tolerate most beliefs, but don't tolerate (show respect for) those who take exception with those beliefs. Contrary opinions are labeled as "imposing your view on others" and quickly silenced.
This is nonsense and should be abandoned. The myth of tolerance forces everyone into an inevitable "Catch-22," because each person in any debate has a point of view he thinks is correct.
Catch-22
Classical tolerance involves three elements: (1) permitting or allowing (2) a conduct or point of view one disagrees with (3) while respecting the person in the process.
Notice that we can't truly tolerate someone unless we disagree with him. This is critical. We don't "tolerate" people who share our views. They're on our side. There's nothing to put up with. Tolerance is reserved for those we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat decently and with respect.
This essential element of classical tolerance—disagreement (elitism regarding ideas)—has been completely lost in the modern distortion of the concept. Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you're called intolerant no matter how you treat him.
This presents a curious problem. One must first think another is wrong in order to exercise true tolerance, yet saying so brings the accusation of intolerance. It's a "Catch-22." According to this approach, true tolerance becomes impossible.
Intellectual Cowardice
Most of what passes for tolerance today is nothing more than intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word "intolerant" are unwilling to be challenged by other views or grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It's easier to hurl an insult—"you intolerant bigot"—than to confront an idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, "tolerance" has become intolerance.
Whenever you're charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition. When tolerance means neutrality, that all views are equally valid and true, then no one is ever tolerant because no one is ever neutral about his own views. Point out the contradiction built into the new definition. Point out that this kind tolerance is a myth.
Gregory Koukl is founder and president of Stand to Reason, an organization devoted to a thoughtful and engaging defense of classical Christianity in the public square. He is also a radio talk show host and author of Relativism—Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air.
Thank you for voting to preserve families, now and in the future.
The Intolerance of Tolerance
Probably no concept has more currency in our politically-correct culture than the notion of tolerance. Unfortunately, one of America's noblest virtues has been so distorted it's become a vice.
There's one word that can stop you in your tracks. That word is "intolerant."
This idea is very popular with post-modernists, that breed of radical skeptics whose ideas command unwarranted respect in the university today. Their rallying cry, "There is no truth," is often followed by an appeal for tolerance.
The tolerant person allegedly occupies neutral ground, a place of complete impartiality where each person is permitted to decide for himself. No judgments allowed. No "forcing" personal views. That all views are equally valid is one of the most entrenched assumptions of a society committed to relativism. And it's a myth.
For all their confident bluster, the relativists' appeal actually asserts two truths, one rational and one moral. The first is the rational "truth" that there is no truth, a clear conflict. The second is the moral truth that one ought to tolerate other's viewpoints. Their stand, contradictory on at least two counts, serves as a warning that the modern notion of tolerance is seriously misguided.
The Tolerance Trick
As it turns out, by the modern definition of tolerance no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It's what my friend Francis Beckwith calls the "passive-aggressive tolerance trick." Returning to the classic understanding of tolerance is the only way to restore any useful meaning to the word. Let me give you a real life example.
Earlier this year I spoke to a class of seniors at a Christian high school in Des Moines, Iowa. I wanted to alert them to this "tolerance trick," but I also wanted to learn how much they had already been taken in by it. I began by writing two sentences on the board. The first expressed the current understanding of tolerance:
"All views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another."
All heads nodded in agreement. Nothing controversial here. Then I wrote the second sentence:
"Jesus is the Messiah and Judaism is wrong for rejecting Him."
Immediately hands flew up. "You can't say that," a coed challenged, clearly annoyed. "That's disrespectful. How would you like it if someone said you were wrong?"
"In fact, that happens to me all the time," I pointed out, "including right now with you. But why should it bother me that someone thinks I'm wrong?"
"It's intolerant," she said, noting that the second statement violated the first statement. What she didn't see was that the first statement also violated itself.
I pointed to the first statement and asked, "Is this a view, the idea that all views have equal merit and none should be considered better than another?" They all agreed.
Then I pointed to the second statement—the "intolerant" one—and asked the same question: "Is this a view?" They studied the sentence for a moment. Slowly my point began to dawn on them. They'd been taken in by the tolerance trick.
If all views have equal merit, then the view that Christians have a better view on Jesus than the Jews have is just as true as the idea that Jews have a better view on Jesus than the Christians do. But this is hopelessly contradictory. If the first statement is what tolerance amounts to, then no one can be tolerant because "tolerance" turns out to be gibberish.
Escaping the Trap
"Would you like to know how to get out of this dilemma?" I asked. They nodded. "You must reject this modern distortion of tolerance and return to the classic view." Then I wrote these two principles on the board:
Be egalitarian regarding persons.
Be elitist regarding ideas.
"Egalitarian" was a new word for them. Think "equal," I said. Treat others as having equal standing in value or worth. They knew what an elitist was, though, someone who thought he was better than others. "Right," I said. "When you are elitist regarding ideas, you are acknowledging that some ideas are better than others. And they are. We don't treat all ideas as if they have the same merit, lest we run into contradiction. Some ideas are good, some are bad. Some are true, some are false. Some are brilliant, others are just plain foolish."
The first principle, what might be called "civility," is at the heart of the classical view of tolerance. It can be loosely equated with the word "respect." Tolerance applies to how we treat people we disagree with, not how we treat ideas we think false.
We respect those who hold different beliefs than our own by treating them courteously and allowing their views a place in the public discourse. We may strongly disagree with their ideas and vigorously contend against them in the public square, but we still show respect for the persons in spite of our differences.
Classic tolerance requires that every person be treated courteously with the freedom to express his ideas without fear of reprisal no matter what the view, not that all views have equal worth, merit, or truth.
These two categories are frequently conflated in the muddled thinking created by the myth of tolerance. The view that one person's ideas are no better or truer than another's is simply absurd and contradictory. To argue that some views are false, immoral, or just plain silly does not violate any meaningful definition or standard of tolerance.
Note that respect is accorded to the person, here. Whether his behavior should be tolerated is an entirely different issue. Our laws demonstrate that a man may believe what he likes—and he usually has the liberty to express those beliefs—but he may not behave as he likes. Some behavior is a threat to the common good. Rather than being tolerated (allowed), it is restricted by law. Historically, our culture has emphasized tolerance (respect) of all persons, but never tolerance of all behavior. In Lincoln's words: There is no right to do wrong.
Topsy-Turvy
The modern definition of tolerance turns the classical formula for tolerance on its head:
Be egalitarian regarding ideas.
Be elitist regarding persons.
If you reject another's ideas, you're automatically accused of disrespecting the person (as the coed did with me). On this new view of tolerance no idea or behavior can be opposed—even if done graciously—without inviting the charge of incivility.
To say I'm intolerant of the person because I disagree with his ideas is confused. Ironically, it results in elitism regarding persons. If I think my ideas are better than another's, I can be ill-treated as a person, publicly marginalized and verbally abused as bigoted, disrespectful, ignorant, indecent and—can you believe it—intolerant. Sometimes I can even be sued, punished by law, or forced to attend re-education programs.
Tolerance has thus gone topsy-turvy: Tolerate most beliefs, but don't tolerate (show respect for) those who take exception with those beliefs. Contrary opinions are labeled as "imposing your view on others" and quickly silenced.
This is nonsense and should be abandoned. The myth of tolerance forces everyone into an inevitable "Catch-22," because each person in any debate has a point of view he thinks is correct.
Catch-22
Classical tolerance involves three elements: (1) permitting or allowing (2) a conduct or point of view one disagrees with (3) while respecting the person in the process.
Notice that we can't truly tolerate someone unless we disagree with him. This is critical. We don't "tolerate" people who share our views. They're on our side. There's nothing to put up with. Tolerance is reserved for those we think are wrong, yet we still choose to treat decently and with respect.
This essential element of classical tolerance—disagreement (elitism regarding ideas)—has been completely lost in the modern distortion of the concept. Nowadays if you think someone is wrong, you're called intolerant no matter how you treat him.
This presents a curious problem. One must first think another is wrong in order to exercise true tolerance, yet saying so brings the accusation of intolerance. It's a "Catch-22." According to this approach, true tolerance becomes impossible.
Intellectual Cowardice
Most of what passes for tolerance today is nothing more than intellectual cowardice, a fear of intelligent engagement. Those who brandish the word "intolerant" are unwilling to be challenged by other views or grapple with contrary opinions, or even to consider them. It's easier to hurl an insult—"you intolerant bigot"—than to confront an idea and either refute it or be changed by it. In the modern era, "tolerance" has become intolerance.
Whenever you're charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition. When tolerance means neutrality, that all views are equally valid and true, then no one is ever tolerant because no one is ever neutral about his own views. Point out the contradiction built into the new definition. Point out that this kind tolerance is a myth.
Gregory Koukl is founder and president of Stand to Reason, an organization devoted to a thoughtful and engaging defense of classical Christianity in the public square. He is also a radio talk show host and author of Relativism—Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air.
Thank you for voting to preserve families, now and in the future.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Yes for Marriage
I am unabashedly in favor of marriage being defined thusly in Arizona:
"Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state."
That is simple and clear in twenty words. In the upcoming election, Arizonans are voting on whether or not to add these words to the Arizona Constitution via Proposition 102.
"But," you ask, "why do we need Prop 102? Isn't marriage already secure in Arizona law?"
No. In May, California judges redefined marriage in that state. The Arizona Constitution is the highest law in our state, so amending the Constitution is the only way to prevent judges or politicians from tampering with the definition of marriage here. In addition to being merely statutory, the current law is also more limited that Prop 102 because it does not define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
"Who's supporting Prop 102?"
Support for Prop 102 reaches across all cultural, religious, and political lines. Arizonans are united in support of defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
"I've heard Prop 102 is about more than marriage. Is that true?"
No. This amendment does one thing and one thing alone: simply secures marriage for our children and grandchildren. Everyone has a right to live how they choose, but no one has a right to redefine marriage for all of society.
I am supporting and voting for Proposition 102. If you are registered to vote in Arizona, I urge you to do likewise. Vote "Yes" on Prop 102!
"Only a union of one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state."
That is simple and clear in twenty words. In the upcoming election, Arizonans are voting on whether or not to add these words to the Arizona Constitution via Proposition 102.
"But," you ask, "why do we need Prop 102? Isn't marriage already secure in Arizona law?"
No. In May, California judges redefined marriage in that state. The Arizona Constitution is the highest law in our state, so amending the Constitution is the only way to prevent judges or politicians from tampering with the definition of marriage here. In addition to being merely statutory, the current law is also more limited that Prop 102 because it does not define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
"Who's supporting Prop 102?"
Support for Prop 102 reaches across all cultural, religious, and political lines. Arizonans are united in support of defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
"I've heard Prop 102 is about more than marriage. Is that true?"
No. This amendment does one thing and one thing alone: simply secures marriage for our children and grandchildren. Everyone has a right to live how they choose, but no one has a right to redefine marriage for all of society.
I am supporting and voting for Proposition 102. If you are registered to vote in Arizona, I urge you to do likewise. Vote "Yes" on Prop 102!
Friday, October 17, 2008
To All Persons of Faith in our Nation . . .
Human life, marriage, and the family are under attack as never before. I implore you: watch this video and vote responsibly. Work to convince your friends and family members to do likewise.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Author Interview: Audrey Keen-Hansen
My Interview today is with Audrey Keen-Hansen, whose memoir of her years as a rancher's wife in Colorado in the 1970s is entitled Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight. Audrey is a former broadcaster, news writer, and college professor. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Speech Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and taught at Western Illinois University and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She currently lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Welcome, Audrey. Have you always wanted to write? Do you consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve been a writer of one kind or another all my life—beginning when I was editor of my high school newspaper, then associate editor of the University of Wisconsin humor magazine, then an advertising copywriter, then an editorial writer for newspaper and TV. I also wrote a film script for Schlitz Brewing Company (when the company was a high-flyer). If you consider it “writing,” I also authored a number of successful grants for organizations in which I was employed. In retirement, I did feature stories for an Albuquerque seniors’ newspaper and helped edit a quarterly publication of writing by seniors.
What led you to write your memoir?
When I was in the midst of my career in my early 20’s, I married a TV director and we worked together on several projects. We also had a little boy, who was 8-months-old when his father died. I was a working single mom until my son was 13. I so much wanted a father for him. Then I met a Coloradan who had lost his wife and who had two children, ages 6 and 8. They needed a mother. We decided to put the families together, but I had to move to Colorado from Wisconsin to do that. My husband was a professor at Adams State College in Alamosa and also owned a small ranch. As it turned out, he taught and I “ranched.” Since I had never lived outside of the city and knew nothing about ranching, this experience was a real test and challenge. I began writing down our adventures, my mistakes, and the experiences of living in a small Western town. This eventually evolved into my book, Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight.
How long did it take you to write it?
I began writing anecdotes about my life on the ranch about 15 years ago. I mainly just wanted to use these to remember my experiences. About three years ago, I decided I had so many that I could organize them into a book.
What kind of writing schedule did you have?
Since I was unsure of my goal, I really had no schedule.
Do you write other things? Do you have fiction projects inside you?
In the last few years, I’ve turned to fiction, mostly short stories. At one time, I harbored a dream of doing a book, which would have been historical fiction. My son lived in Seattle for some time and I traveled rather extensively in British Columbia. The setting of the story would have been on Vancouver Island. Actually, I did start writing and had the story pretty well outlined. Then I realized I needed more information on Canada’s military organization and its defense department. The research was formidable. I gave up. However, the opening chapter, I discovered, could stand alone. I made it into a long, short story. This eventually won an award in a Canadian short story contest.
Otherwise, I write mostly short stories now. I love it. But, of course, there’s no real market for these. I guess it’s mostly personal amusement. I belong to a writing group and share my works with them.
How do you handle life interruptions when writing?
Since I have no deadlines, and live alone, I choose time whenever the muse strikes.
Is there something you always dreamed of writing, but haven’t yet?
Actually, I did put together a Roadside Guide to the San Luis Valley, a guidebook I worked on and researched for 10 years, but I never found a publisher. I couldn’t self-publish because I needed maps drawn. I eventually ran out a copy for myself, complete with pictures, and I contently look at it from time to time. For me, it’s a real “self-published” work.
What one thing do you like most about the writing process? Least?
I enjoy the process of creating, the “make-believe,” the opportunity to dream up circumstances and dilemmas then resolve them. The “least” would have to be the detail and necessity of contacting publishers and the marketing .
Tell us about your book, Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight.
This is my personal story (memoir, really) of five years on a small Colorado ranch—an experience so foreign from my former life, yet so rich with adventure. I came from a midwestern city to the rural San Luis Valley and learned not only how to ranch, but also how to cook for a husband with Oklahoma tastes, how to be both a mother and a step-mother, and—perhaps, most challenging of all—how to cope with snakes and other such creatures. My husband also was a biologist who took the family all over the Valley and into the mountains—to seek out something “biological” and to teach us all about the wonders of nature. We had some harrowing experiences along the way. Because everything was so new to me, I describe in much detail activities and sights common to Westerners, so I think the reader—no matter where he/she lives—can experience living in the West along with me.
Editor/author Ken Holm said: “The book conveys a great sense of place as you describe your comic adventures on the ranch, your forays into the mountains, or your trips to the livestock auction. I got to know the family members very well.”
What is your advice to other writers?
Read a lot. It helps hone the craft. I read one or two books a week, always have. Your favorites probably are the good writers. Pick up on how they do it.
What is your other published work?
Over many years, my writing, mostly journalistic, has appeared in numerous newspapers and other publications. One prize-winning short story, “The Incident at Raven House,” is in Tall Tales and Short Stories, Vol. III, Tall Tales Press, Calgary, AB.
Audrey, thank you for the interview.
Thanks!
Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight is available at Trafford.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, and from Audrey at a discounted price: $9.95 + $1.85 shipping
Welcome, Audrey. Have you always wanted to write? Do you consider yourself a writer?
I think I’ve been a writer of one kind or another all my life—beginning when I was editor of my high school newspaper, then associate editor of the University of Wisconsin humor magazine, then an advertising copywriter, then an editorial writer for newspaper and TV. I also wrote a film script for Schlitz Brewing Company (when the company was a high-flyer). If you consider it “writing,” I also authored a number of successful grants for organizations in which I was employed. In retirement, I did feature stories for an Albuquerque seniors’ newspaper and helped edit a quarterly publication of writing by seniors.
What led you to write your memoir?
When I was in the midst of my career in my early 20’s, I married a TV director and we worked together on several projects. We also had a little boy, who was 8-months-old when his father died. I was a working single mom until my son was 13. I so much wanted a father for him. Then I met a Coloradan who had lost his wife and who had two children, ages 6 and 8. They needed a mother. We decided to put the families together, but I had to move to Colorado from Wisconsin to do that. My husband was a professor at Adams State College in Alamosa and also owned a small ranch. As it turned out, he taught and I “ranched.” Since I had never lived outside of the city and knew nothing about ranching, this experience was a real test and challenge. I began writing down our adventures, my mistakes, and the experiences of living in a small Western town. This eventually evolved into my book, Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight.
How long did it take you to write it?
I began writing anecdotes about my life on the ranch about 15 years ago. I mainly just wanted to use these to remember my experiences. About three years ago, I decided I had so many that I could organize them into a book.
What kind of writing schedule did you have?
Since I was unsure of my goal, I really had no schedule.
Do you write other things? Do you have fiction projects inside you?
In the last few years, I’ve turned to fiction, mostly short stories. At one time, I harbored a dream of doing a book, which would have been historical fiction. My son lived in Seattle for some time and I traveled rather extensively in British Columbia. The setting of the story would have been on Vancouver Island. Actually, I did start writing and had the story pretty well outlined. Then I realized I needed more information on Canada’s military organization and its defense department. The research was formidable. I gave up. However, the opening chapter, I discovered, could stand alone. I made it into a long, short story. This eventually won an award in a Canadian short story contest.
Otherwise, I write mostly short stories now. I love it. But, of course, there’s no real market for these. I guess it’s mostly personal amusement. I belong to a writing group and share my works with them.
How do you handle life interruptions when writing?
Since I have no deadlines, and live alone, I choose time whenever the muse strikes.
Is there something you always dreamed of writing, but haven’t yet?
Actually, I did put together a Roadside Guide to the San Luis Valley, a guidebook I worked on and researched for 10 years, but I never found a publisher. I couldn’t self-publish because I needed maps drawn. I eventually ran out a copy for myself, complete with pictures, and I contently look at it from time to time. For me, it’s a real “self-published” work.
What one thing do you like most about the writing process? Least?
I enjoy the process of creating, the “make-believe,” the opportunity to dream up circumstances and dilemmas then resolve them. The “least” would have to be the detail and necessity of contacting publishers and the marketing .
Tell us about your book, Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight.
This is my personal story (memoir, really) of five years on a small Colorado ranch—an experience so foreign from my former life, yet so rich with adventure. I came from a midwestern city to the rural San Luis Valley and learned not only how to ranch, but also how to cook for a husband with Oklahoma tastes, how to be both a mother and a step-mother, and—perhaps, most challenging of all—how to cope with snakes and other such creatures. My husband also was a biologist who took the family all over the Valley and into the mountains—to seek out something “biological” and to teach us all about the wonders of nature. We had some harrowing experiences along the way. Because everything was so new to me, I describe in much detail activities and sights common to Westerners, so I think the reader—no matter where he/she lives—can experience living in the West along with me.
Editor/author Ken Holm said: “The book conveys a great sense of place as you describe your comic adventures on the ranch, your forays into the mountains, or your trips to the livestock auction. I got to know the family members very well.”
What is your advice to other writers?
Read a lot. It helps hone the craft. I read one or two books a week, always have. Your favorites probably are the good writers. Pick up on how they do it.
What is your other published work?
Over many years, my writing, mostly journalistic, has appeared in numerous newspapers and other publications. One prize-winning short story, “The Incident at Raven House,” is in Tall Tales and Short Stories, Vol. III, Tall Tales Press, Calgary, AB.
Audrey, thank you for the interview.
Thanks!
Coyotes Always Howl at Midnight is available at Trafford.com, Amazon.com, Target.com, and from Audrey at a discounted price: $9.95 + $1.85 shipping
505-291-1669
or send order and payment to:
Audrey Hansen
9904 Menaul Blvd., N.E. #G4
Albuquerque, NM 87112
9904 Menaul Blvd., N.E. #G4
Albuquerque, NM 87112
Friday, October 10, 2008
Author Interview: Donna Hatch
My Author Interview today is with debut Regency Romance novelist Donna Hatch. Donna is a busy wife and mother of six who lives in Arizona. The Stranger She Married comes out today from The Wild Rose Press. It is available in several ebook formats, including Kindle, and will appear in trade paperback next April.
My least favorite part is getting criticism, followed closely by editing.
Tell us about your novel, The Stranger She Married.
It is Book One of the "Rogue Hearts" series.
When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin.
Welcome, Donna! How long have you been writing? What made you start?
I have been writing since the second grade. I started with short stories about camping, or spending the night with a friend. Later, I moved on to mysteries and spin-offs from favorite TV shows or books. I wrote my first full-length romance novel when I was 15. And no, it will never see the light of day! Nor will the other four I wrote since then. I also wrote articles and short stories for a high school independent newspaper.
When did you sell your first book?
My first book comes out today, October 10th. I sold it a little over a year ago.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
I'm a combination writer. Before I ever write the story, I have the characters fairly well fleshed out, and I have a vague idea of where I'm going with the plot, and often a few key scenes. Much of the rest of it comes as I write. Sometimes, I visualize a scene first, almost like watching a movie, and then create plot and characters based off of that.
How do you choose your characters' names?
I sometimes have a name from the beginning, but often I'll hear one that resonates. If nothing else, I cruise baby name sites and look for names that seem to fit both the character and setting. I have a couple of favorite names in mind that are just waiting for stories to match them.
What is your daily schedule like?
I get up at 6:30 and get my children off to school, and then I run errands or do housework or pay bills or whatever. (Housework has become a fairly low priority) Then I spend three or four hours writing or editing before I go to work every afternoon in an office. Evenings are spent doing the wife and mommy thing; dinner, homework, etc. After the children are in bed, I do research, read my emails, do critiques for my critique partners. Sometimes I manage to read something for pleasure. Rare. I try to practice the harp for about half an hour to an hour, and then I go to bed usually around 10:30 or 11:00.
How do you handle life interruptions?
I have six children; my life is all about interruptions! Sometimes I handle the interruptions with grace, and sometimes I get snippy. The interruption that bugs me the most is the phone, and usually when I'm writing I let the voice mail pick it up; otherwise it often turns into a long conversation that eats up my writing time.
Do you write with music playing? If so, is the music likely to be songs with lyrics or only instrumentals?
I sometimes write with music, but I don't need it for the creative process. I prefer instrumental rather than music with lyrics. I like harp and piano music best, or classical.
What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
I don't typically eat when I write. I usually immerse myself in writing so much that I forget to eat until I'm starving.
Oh, me too! What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love writing the story for the first time, so the rough draft is by far my favorite. I also really like brainstorming the plot and the characters before I begin, too. Meeting with my critique partner every week and hammering out problems or tossing around ideas is also really fun and productive.
I have been writing since the second grade. I started with short stories about camping, or spending the night with a friend. Later, I moved on to mysteries and spin-offs from favorite TV shows or books. I wrote my first full-length romance novel when I was 15. And no, it will never see the light of day! Nor will the other four I wrote since then. I also wrote articles and short stories for a high school independent newspaper.
When did you sell your first book?
My first book comes out today, October 10th. I sold it a little over a year ago.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
I'm a combination writer. Before I ever write the story, I have the characters fairly well fleshed out, and I have a vague idea of where I'm going with the plot, and often a few key scenes. Much of the rest of it comes as I write. Sometimes, I visualize a scene first, almost like watching a movie, and then create plot and characters based off of that.
How do you choose your characters' names?
I sometimes have a name from the beginning, but often I'll hear one that resonates. If nothing else, I cruise baby name sites and look for names that seem to fit both the character and setting. I have a couple of favorite names in mind that are just waiting for stories to match them.
What is your daily schedule like?
I get up at 6:30 and get my children off to school, and then I run errands or do housework or pay bills or whatever. (Housework has become a fairly low priority) Then I spend three or four hours writing or editing before I go to work every afternoon in an office. Evenings are spent doing the wife and mommy thing; dinner, homework, etc. After the children are in bed, I do research, read my emails, do critiques for my critique partners. Sometimes I manage to read something for pleasure. Rare. I try to practice the harp for about half an hour to an hour, and then I go to bed usually around 10:30 or 11:00.
How do you handle life interruptions?
I have six children; my life is all about interruptions! Sometimes I handle the interruptions with grace, and sometimes I get snippy. The interruption that bugs me the most is the phone, and usually when I'm writing I let the voice mail pick it up; otherwise it often turns into a long conversation that eats up my writing time.
Do you write with music playing? If so, is the music likely to be songs with lyrics or only instrumentals?
I sometimes write with music, but I don't need it for the creative process. I prefer instrumental rather than music with lyrics. I like harp and piano music best, or classical.
What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
I don't typically eat when I write. I usually immerse myself in writing so much that I forget to eat until I'm starving.
Oh, me too! What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love writing the story for the first time, so the rough draft is by far my favorite. I also really like brainstorming the plot and the characters before I begin, too. Meeting with my critique partner every week and hammering out problems or tossing around ideas is also really fun and productive.
My least favorite part is getting criticism, followed closely by editing.
Tell us about your novel, The Stranger She Married.
It is Book One of the "Rogue Hearts" series.
When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin.
Desperate to save her family from debtor's prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret.
Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.
When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger of all…to her heart.
What is your next project?
There are four books in the Rogue Hearts series; each about one of the four brothers of the Amesbury family. I'm putting the final touches on Book Two of the "Rogue Hearts" series called The Guise of a Gentleman, which is about Jared, who is a pirate, and the lady who captures his heart. I hope to have that released in May or June of next year. Book Three is rough-drafted, and Book Four is still in the planning stages.
And I have a 15 page novella coming out soon called Troubled Hearts, also a Regency Romance. It's finished and in the hands of the publisher.
What is your advice for other writers?
Work to develop your craft. Take classes, read books about how to write, re-read your favorite books and analyze why exactly you love them, and read best-sellers and do the same thing with them. Most of all, be persistent. You have to love writing more than almost anything, and sacrifice almost anything in order to make it as a writer. I had to give up a lot when I first decided to get serious about getting published. I didn't give up my family, of course, but just about everything else; TV, hobbies like scrapbooking, a lot of reading time, you name it. It wasn't until I was willing to give up all that, plus work, work, work, and learn, learn, learn, that I got serious enough to get published.
What other work of yours has been published?
This is my first one.
Thank you for the Interview.
Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he'd thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true.
When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer's attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger of all…to her heart.
What is your next project?
There are four books in the Rogue Hearts series; each about one of the four brothers of the Amesbury family. I'm putting the final touches on Book Two of the "Rogue Hearts" series called The Guise of a Gentleman, which is about Jared, who is a pirate, and the lady who captures his heart. I hope to have that released in May or June of next year. Book Three is rough-drafted, and Book Four is still in the planning stages.
And I have a 15 page novella coming out soon called Troubled Hearts, also a Regency Romance. It's finished and in the hands of the publisher.
What is your advice for other writers?
Work to develop your craft. Take classes, read books about how to write, re-read your favorite books and analyze why exactly you love them, and read best-sellers and do the same thing with them. Most of all, be persistent. You have to love writing more than almost anything, and sacrifice almost anything in order to make it as a writer. I had to give up a lot when I first decided to get serious about getting published. I didn't give up my family, of course, but just about everything else; TV, hobbies like scrapbooking, a lot of reading time, you name it. It wasn't until I was willing to give up all that, plus work, work, work, and learn, learn, learn, that I got serious enough to get published.
What other work of yours has been published?
This is my first one.
Thank you for the Interview.
Thanks for having me.
Donna can be found on the Internet at the following places:
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Perilous Times
Sigh.
The financial picture all over the world is not the best it could be. I'm taking huge hits in my retirement savings. However, I will rely on my faith in my Heavenly Father, who has proclaimed that if I am prepared, I should not fear.
Here's a bit of wisdom from a wise man, Brigham Young, with which he admonished his people in another era of lean years:
Mend it, fix it,
Wear it out;
Make it do
Or do without.*
I grew up in a large family that didn't have many of the riches of the world (probably why I tend to be a hoarder). Whenever some one would come over, my mother's favorite saying was, "Ask me for anything you want, and if we don't have it, I'll show you how to do without it."
Funny. I haven't thought of that for a long time. It's time I adhere to all these wise words (instead of buying yet another personal-sized table I don't need).
*Thanks for reminding me, Josi!
The financial picture all over the world is not the best it could be. I'm taking huge hits in my retirement savings. However, I will rely on my faith in my Heavenly Father, who has proclaimed that if I am prepared, I should not fear.
Here's a bit of wisdom from a wise man, Brigham Young, with which he admonished his people in another era of lean years:
Mend it, fix it,
Wear it out;
Make it do
Or do without.*
I grew up in a large family that didn't have many of the riches of the world (probably why I tend to be a hoarder). Whenever some one would come over, my mother's favorite saying was, "Ask me for anything you want, and if we don't have it, I'll show you how to do without it."
Funny. I haven't thought of that for a long time. It's time I adhere to all these wise words (instead of buying yet another personal-sized table I don't need).
*Thanks for reminding me, Josi!
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Author Interview - Judy and Ronald Culp
I'm hosting a duo today, a husband and wife who write individually, but whose collaborative fiction efforts result in Western novels. Judy and Ronald Culp have a book in a continuing series coming out in October. The Search for Justice is available for ordering on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Hastings. Avalon Books is their publisher.
Welcome Judy and Ron! How long have you been writing? What made you start?
We started writing as a team in 2001 when we lived in Colorado while both of us worked in day jobs. We spent a lot of time exploring old mining towns in the Arkansas River valley around Leadville, Granite, Fairplay, Buena Vista, and Salida, and the history, scenery, and our imaginations all came together.
When did you sell your first Western?
We sold book one in the Telegraph Series, The Search For Truth, to Avalon Books in 2004 and it was released early in 2005.
What type of writers are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
Ron: I’m organized and Judy is global. Both: We brainstorm, research and discuss, yell and holler, finally we put together an outline and finally build a long synopsis. Then we begin to write. Soon our characters take over and we go from there. More often than not, our story changes from what we originally envisioned.
How do you choose your characters' names?
We try to choose names commonly in use at the time of our setting. Some come from our family history records, some from friends. For example, a friend was named Diosune, meaning God Unites, and it struck us as apt for one of our characters in The Search For Freedom.
What is your daily schedule like?
We attempt to do detailed daily planning over coffee, and then forget about it within an hour. We write when we can. But while life can get in the way, our current project is never far from our minds. As we go through a day, we think about a situation, a plot twist, a character and how he or she might behave, and when our thoughts are complete it goes onto notes or into the draft.
How do you handle life interruptions?
You’ve got to have a sense of humor and be ready to share a laugh. We know that we are either in the middle of some family crisis or problem, have just finished one,22http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_C3rviwv2sw4/SOEvQrq3rnen we write what we enjoy, but we WRITE.
What other work of yours has been published?
Ron:
“Tuskegee Marine,” November 2005, World War II magazine
The First Black United States Marines, 2007, McFarland & Company
Judy:
“The Three Little Pigs, or Tres Cerditos,” bilingual play, 2002, I. E. Clark Publications
“Jack and the Beanstalk, or Juanillo y la planta de frijoles,” bilingual play, 2002, I. E. Clark Publications
“Dear Journal,” November 2004, Plays Magazine
Both:
The Search For Truth, 2005, Avalon Books
The Search For Freedom, 2007, Avalon Books
The Search For Justice, (release date October) 2008, Avalon Books
"Cavalry Tactics in the Civil War," "The Henry Rifle," Union spy "Sarah Thompson," World War II British entertainer "Vera Lynn," the British "Women's Land Army" in World War II, and "British Signals Intelligence in World War II."
These are part of ABC-CLIO's Military History Series entitled "The United
States at War: Understanding Conflict and Society."
Thank you for the Interview.
Thank you for asking us to do this. For anyone wishing to read more, we have our website:
www.judyandronculp.com
We started writing as a team in 2001 when we lived in Colorado while both of us worked in day jobs. We spent a lot of time exploring old mining towns in the Arkansas River valley around Leadville, Granite, Fairplay, Buena Vista, and Salida, and the history, scenery, and our imaginations all came together.
When did you sell your first Western?
We sold book one in the Telegraph Series, The Search For Truth, to Avalon Books in 2004 and it was released early in 2005.
What type of writers are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
Ron: I’m organized and Judy is global. Both: We brainstorm, research and discuss, yell and holler, finally we put together an outline and finally build a long synopsis. Then we begin to write. Soon our characters take over and we go from there. More often than not, our story changes from what we originally envisioned.
How do you choose your characters' names?
We try to choose names commonly in use at the time of our setting. Some come from our family history records, some from friends. For example, a friend was named Diosune, meaning God Unites, and it struck us as apt for one of our characters in The Search For Freedom.
What is your daily schedule like?
We attempt to do detailed daily planning over coffee, and then forget about it within an hour. We write when we can. But while life can get in the way, our current project is never far from our minds. As we go through a day, we think about a situation, a plot twist, a character and how he or she might behave, and when our thoughts are complete it goes onto notes or into the draft.
How do you handle life interruptions?
You’ve got to have a sense of humor and be ready to share a laugh. We know that we are either in the middle of some family crisis or problem, have just finished one,22http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_C3rviwv2sw4/SOEvQrq3rnen we write what we enjoy, but we WRITE.
What other work of yours has been published?
Ron:
“Tuskegee Marine,” November 2005, World War II magazine
The First Black United States Marines, 2007, McFarland & Company
Judy:
“The Three Little Pigs, or Tres Cerditos,” bilingual play, 2002, I. E. Clark Publications
“Jack and the Beanstalk, or Juanillo y la planta de frijoles,” bilingual play, 2002, I. E. Clark Publications
“Dear Journal,” November 2004, Plays Magazine
Both:
The Search For Truth, 2005, Avalon Books
The Search For Freedom, 2007, Avalon Books
The Search For Justice, (release date October) 2008, Avalon Books
"Cavalry Tactics in the Civil War," "The Henry Rifle," Union spy "Sarah Thompson," World War II British entertainer "Vera Lynn," the British "Women's Land Army" in World War II, and "British Signals Intelligence in World War II."
These are part of ABC-CLIO's Military History Series entitled "The United
States at War: Understanding Conflict and Society."
Thank you for the Interview.
Thank you for asking us to do this. For anyone wishing to read more, we have our website:
www.judyandronculp.com
Friday, October 03, 2008
Author Interview - Karen J. Hasley
Today's guest is author Karen J. Hasley. Karen's books integrate real-life women of history such as Jane Addams, Dr. Alice Hamilton, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Donaldina Cameron into the lives of remarkable fictional heroines of strength and passion. We'll spotlight her recent novel, Waiting for Hope.
Welcome, Karen! How long have you been writing? What made you start?
The first time I recall writing fiction was in the fifth grade. I remember scribbling away and sharing my stories with classmates. I started to write because I loved to read. In my mind there was a very direct correlation between the two. I was such a voracious, precocious reader, and creating my own stories was a natural next step.
I started writing book length fiction seriously in 2002. Now I have 10 manuscripts squirreled away on a flash drive that I carry with me wherever I go, and I am organizing my research notes for book 11. I lost my job in 2002 and used my severance pay to write for four glorious uninterrupted months before I had to find another job. Since then I've felt like someone turned on a literary faucet in my head. It may dry up eventually, but so far I have more ideas and projects than I have time.
Do back up that flash drive! They can become corrupted. When did you publish your first book?
Lily's Sister was published in June of 2006.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
I am not a writer that outlines and plans ahead page by page. I could never do that. I have a musical background, and the best way to describe my process is to say that I write from crescendo to crescendo. For example, somewhere in the back of my mind was the knowledge that 1) the heroine is a house servant and 2) she's going to Wyoming to homestead and 3) she's going to start her own business. But when I sat down to write Waiting for Hope I had no idea how she was going to get the land she needed or how she would know what to do when she got to Wyoming or what business she would start.The details were still in the future. I write first person narrative, though, so I become my heroine, sit down at the computer, and start telling my story. I connect the crescendos with melody.
How do you choose your characters' names?
They really do mysteriously appear most of the time, and usually they're exactly right for the story. I write historical books, so once in a while I'll research the popular names of the time. I also write down names I run across in my research that strike my fancy. And my very first published heroine, Louisa Caldecott of Lily's Sister, was purposefully named to sound a little like Louisa May Alcott, to honor the author that introduced me to the joy of reading.
What is your daily schedule like?
I have a day job because those pesky bills have to be paid, and I'm not at a place in my life where I can earn my living by writing historical fiction - yet, anyway. My evenings are spent trying to balance researching, writing, editing, and reading. Never enough time - and it depends on which deadline, or which passion, is dominating my life at the time. Recently I discovered a new author and I dropped everything to read all nine of his books in a row. It was like an addiction. Then I fell behind on a writing project for work and another writing project I'd promised my church and then I had to give my third book a final edit before sending it off to the publisher. When I'm writing a book, I try to write 1,000 words a night, good, bad, or indifferent, but 1,000 words. Those words are going to get edited a million times anyway, so it's really about maintaining the discipline of writing.
How do you handle life interruptions?
I hope I prioritize properly. My spiritual life is most important and it must never be considered an interruption. Everything has to fall in place behind that. Frankly, there are times I couldn't tell you which is the interruption. Sometimes the need to write a scene or get a bit of dialogue right is so compelling that writing interrupts my life. Other times, having to weed the garden interrupts my writing. It's all about the perspective of the moment.
Do you write with music playing? If so, is the music likely to be songs with lyrics or only instrumentals?
I need it quiet when I write. No music. And definitely no lyrics. Ever.
What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
My morning coffee is the only foodstuff I ever have at my writing desk, and only two mugs a morning. I'm a coffee snob, though - grinding the beans and using real cream and drinking it while there's still a wisp of steam rising from the brew...
To be perfectly fair, I suppose I should credit caffeine for some of my creative energy.
What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love creating characters that become so real to me and others that they have the power to make us weep, and how when I'm writing, my characters sometimes take over the page and surprise me. I love words, the flow of them from the brain through the heart into the hand and onto the paper. I love the mystery of the writing process.
I do not like the marketing and promoting part of writing, as necessary as it is. I do not like trying to convince a publisher or editor that what I write has worth. My work has been rejected over the past six years more times than I could count and although I know intellectually that it's not supposed to be personal, of course it's personal! And it's very often painful. I don't like that at all.
Tell us about your novel, Waiting for Hope.
Waiting for Hope was written in honor of a wonderful single woman homesteader that lived at the turn of the last century named Elinore Pruitt Stewart. When I ran across her letters while doing research, they fairly tingled with energy and enthusiasm and courage. Every word was a delight, and so was Elinore. She was the kind of woman I'd love for a best friend. Nothing fazed her. So I wanted my heroine, Hope Birdwell, to exemplify Elinore's energy and positive attitude. At the same time, I wanted Hope to be flawed, which she is.
Waiting for Hope is Hope's story, how she leaves the bordello where she was raised as the daughter of a famous courtesan, how she turns her back on a life of ease and comfort in order to be independent, how hard she works and sacrifices, and in the end, how much she has to learn about herself before she can have the life she dreams of. That's all in Waiting for Hope.
What is your next project?
Barring anything unforeseen, my third book - Where Home Is - will be available in time for this year's holiday gift giving. (My three books are connected in several ways and the set would make a lovely holiday gift.) A while ago I read a biography of Jane Addams and visited what remains of her Hull-House in Chicago. I loved and admired everything I read and saw. So in Where Home Is, my fictional heroine is a young doctor who spends her first year after medical school graduation working with Miss Addams among the immigrants of Chicago. The research was fun, and everything in the book is exactly accurate to the time. Some of the characters from my first two books pop in for a visit, too.
What is your advice for other writers?
Write. Make the time. Just do it.
What other work of yours has been published?
Lily's Sister was published in June of 2006 by Outskirts Press and Waiting for Hope in February of 2008, also by Outskirts Press.
Thank you for the Interview.
Thank YOU for the opportunity to share with your readers. Anyone interested can find out more about me and my books at my website, www.karenhasley.com
The first time I recall writing fiction was in the fifth grade. I remember scribbling away and sharing my stories with classmates. I started to write because I loved to read. In my mind there was a very direct correlation between the two. I was such a voracious, precocious reader, and creating my own stories was a natural next step.
I started writing book length fiction seriously in 2002. Now I have 10 manuscripts squirreled away on a flash drive that I carry with me wherever I go, and I am organizing my research notes for book 11. I lost my job in 2002 and used my severance pay to write for four glorious uninterrupted months before I had to find another job. Since then I've felt like someone turned on a literary faucet in my head. It may dry up eventually, but so far I have more ideas and projects than I have time.
Do back up that flash drive! They can become corrupted. When did you publish your first book?
Lily's Sister was published in June of 2006.
What type of writer are you? Do you plan ahead/plot or do you simply fly by the seat of your pants?
I am not a writer that outlines and plans ahead page by page. I could never do that. I have a musical background, and the best way to describe my process is to say that I write from crescendo to crescendo. For example, somewhere in the back of my mind was the knowledge that 1) the heroine is a house servant and 2) she's going to Wyoming to homestead and 3) she's going to start her own business. But when I sat down to write Waiting for Hope I had no idea how she was going to get the land she needed or how she would know what to do when she got to Wyoming or what business she would start.The details were still in the future. I write first person narrative, though, so I become my heroine, sit down at the computer, and start telling my story. I connect the crescendos with melody.
How do you choose your characters' names?
They really do mysteriously appear most of the time, and usually they're exactly right for the story. I write historical books, so once in a while I'll research the popular names of the time. I also write down names I run across in my research that strike my fancy. And my very first published heroine, Louisa Caldecott of Lily's Sister, was purposefully named to sound a little like Louisa May Alcott, to honor the author that introduced me to the joy of reading.
What is your daily schedule like?
I have a day job because those pesky bills have to be paid, and I'm not at a place in my life where I can earn my living by writing historical fiction - yet, anyway. My evenings are spent trying to balance researching, writing, editing, and reading. Never enough time - and it depends on which deadline, or which passion, is dominating my life at the time. Recently I discovered a new author and I dropped everything to read all nine of his books in a row. It was like an addiction. Then I fell behind on a writing project for work and another writing project I'd promised my church and then I had to give my third book a final edit before sending it off to the publisher. When I'm writing a book, I try to write 1,000 words a night, good, bad, or indifferent, but 1,000 words. Those words are going to get edited a million times anyway, so it's really about maintaining the discipline of writing.
How do you handle life interruptions?
I hope I prioritize properly. My spiritual life is most important and it must never be considered an interruption. Everything has to fall in place behind that. Frankly, there are times I couldn't tell you which is the interruption. Sometimes the need to write a scene or get a bit of dialogue right is so compelling that writing interrupts my life. Other times, having to weed the garden interrupts my writing. It's all about the perspective of the moment.
Do you write with music playing? If so, is the music likely to be songs with lyrics or only instrumentals?
I need it quiet when I write. No music. And definitely no lyrics. Ever.
What food or snack keeps the words flowing?
My morning coffee is the only foodstuff I ever have at my writing desk, and only two mugs a morning. I'm a coffee snob, though - grinding the beans and using real cream and drinking it while there's still a wisp of steam rising from the brew...
To be perfectly fair, I suppose I should credit caffeine for some of my creative energy.
What one thing do you like most about writing? Least?
I love creating characters that become so real to me and others that they have the power to make us weep, and how when I'm writing, my characters sometimes take over the page and surprise me. I love words, the flow of them from the brain through the heart into the hand and onto the paper. I love the mystery of the writing process.
I do not like the marketing and promoting part of writing, as necessary as it is. I do not like trying to convince a publisher or editor that what I write has worth. My work has been rejected over the past six years more times than I could count and although I know intellectually that it's not supposed to be personal, of course it's personal! And it's very often painful. I don't like that at all.
Tell us about your novel, Waiting for Hope.
Waiting for Hope was written in honor of a wonderful single woman homesteader that lived at the turn of the last century named Elinore Pruitt Stewart. When I ran across her letters while doing research, they fairly tingled with energy and enthusiasm and courage. Every word was a delight, and so was Elinore. She was the kind of woman I'd love for a best friend. Nothing fazed her. So I wanted my heroine, Hope Birdwell, to exemplify Elinore's energy and positive attitude. At the same time, I wanted Hope to be flawed, which she is.
Waiting for Hope is Hope's story, how she leaves the bordello where she was raised as the daughter of a famous courtesan, how she turns her back on a life of ease and comfort in order to be independent, how hard she works and sacrifices, and in the end, how much she has to learn about herself before she can have the life she dreams of. That's all in Waiting for Hope.
What is your next project?
Barring anything unforeseen, my third book - Where Home Is - will be available in time for this year's holiday gift giving. (My three books are connected in several ways and the set would make a lovely holiday gift.) A while ago I read a biography of Jane Addams and visited what remains of her Hull-House in Chicago. I loved and admired everything I read and saw. So in Where Home Is, my fictional heroine is a young doctor who spends her first year after medical school graduation working with Miss Addams among the immigrants of Chicago. The research was fun, and everything in the book is exactly accurate to the time. Some of the characters from my first two books pop in for a visit, too.
What is your advice for other writers?
Write. Make the time. Just do it.
What other work of yours has been published?
Lily's Sister was published in June of 2006 by Outskirts Press and Waiting for Hope in February of 2008, also by Outskirts Press.
Thank you for the Interview.
Thank YOU for the opportunity to share with your readers. Anyone interested can find out more about me and my books at my website, www.karenhasley.com
Thursday, October 02, 2008
The Book Trailer Adventure
Over the last few days, I've been very domestic. I changed a light bulb and cleaned my toilet. I might even get around to sweeping the pine needles off my porch sometime this week.
I blog at two other sites, The Ink Ladies and ANWA Founder & Friends. One of the writers on Ink Ladies, Robyn Heirtzler, told this week how she created a book trailer for her novel, Against My Will. It looked like a fun thing to do, and I posted a blog about the subject on Ink Ladies.
The upshot of all this is that I created a book trailer for my first novel, The Man from Shenandoah. Here is the YouTube addy for the trailer. I'd love it if you visited the site and left a comment.
Okay, I got brave and clicked on an icon I haven't used before. It tells me that I'm going to have a video of the book trailer just below here. We shall see if I did it right. If I didn't, use the link above to enjoy the trailer on YouTube.
I blog at two other sites, The Ink Ladies and ANWA Founder & Friends. One of the writers on Ink Ladies, Robyn Heirtzler, told this week how she created a book trailer for her novel, Against My Will. It looked like a fun thing to do, and I posted a blog about the subject on Ink Ladies.
The upshot of all this is that I created a book trailer for my first novel, The Man from Shenandoah. Here is the YouTube addy for the trailer. I'd love it if you visited the site and left a comment.
Okay, I got brave and clicked on an icon I haven't used before. It tells me that I'm going to have a video of the book trailer just below here. We shall see if I did it right. If I didn't, use the link above to enjoy the trailer on YouTube.
Ooo, that was fun! I can't seem to get enough of this. If you haven't read my book yet, I hope you are sufficiently intrigued that you will go right out and order it.
So much for domesticity and pine needles. I've got to go do another trailer, this time for Ride to Raton.
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Fun Stuff
Have you ever tried Google Alerts?
I have them set up on several word clusters, such as my name and the titles of my books.
Every day I get a report of the places on the Internet that mention a Marsha or a Ward, and sometimes they come together. Those are the best times. I get to meet my other selves as well as keep up with where I am talked about.
I also have found out that my novels are sold in such far-flung places as South Africa and India. Westerns are popular all over the world.
ANWA is evidently a real word/name in some languages, and people wanting to hitch a ride to Raton, New Mexico show up in these alerts. I also get a lot of weather reports about there being a "trail of storms" somewhere or other.
Fun stuff! Go here and give it a try.
I have them set up on several word clusters, such as my name and the titles of my books.
Every day I get a report of the places on the Internet that mention a Marsha or a Ward, and sometimes they come together. Those are the best times. I get to meet my other selves as well as keep up with where I am talked about.
I also have found out that my novels are sold in such far-flung places as South Africa and India. Westerns are popular all over the world.
ANWA is evidently a real word/name in some languages, and people wanting to hitch a ride to Raton, New Mexico show up in these alerts. I also get a lot of weather reports about there being a "trail of storms" somewhere or other.
Fun stuff! Go here and give it a try.
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