AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Michael Jensen

1      Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I’ve been writing as long as I can remember. Shortly after I learned how to read I started to keep a diary. The majority of my writing was for myself so I didn’t know I was any good at writing until I took a creative writing class in collage.  I also enjoy songwriting and have written a few musicals. Along with writing I also love to sing. I work as a probation officer for my day job which is a great source of inspiration and character study.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

I find my best work comes in the mornings just after I wake up.  That’s when I’m most creative.  I have to schedule it or I find life gets in the way. If I don’t set the time aside to write it doesn’t happen.   

     How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I do most of my writing on my laptop in my living room at home. When I’m in the story development stage of writing I will often hand write my ideas on note cards.  I also use an excel spreadsheet to keep my ideas organized. 

4.     What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

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My favorite thing about writing is blowing my mind, reaching in to the brightest and darkest parts of me to create and experience things I might never know in real life.  There is nothing about writing that I don’t love.  I wish I had more time to commit to it.  But I will always write and I have many more stories inside me that will be told.  

5.     How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

     I started the story nearly a decade ago. I dreamed I died and came back as a ghost. Nobody could see or hear me.  It was surreal and I couldn’t wait to write about it. It wasn’t until I met my co-author David Powers King that that story developed into what it is now.  We worked on it for a couple years and we got our book deal with Scholastic almost a year after it was completed.

6.   What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

     Scholastic does a great job promoting Woven at the school book fairs.  David and I both have social media outlets that also help to promote the story. 

7.     What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I don’t have anything new out… yet. David and I are currently working on a sequel to Woven.   

8.     Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I always have something on the back burner.  I’m getting ready to start my middle grade wizard series. It’s nothing like Harry Potter, but it does have wizards and a world of magic.

9.     What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

     That’s exactly what I would tell them. Believe in yourself.  Your story is worth telling. Educate yourself, learn your craft well, then tell the story you were born to tell.

***
Thank you, Michael!

TEN COMMANDMENTS for Writers by Yours Truly

You've probably seen a similar list like the one I'll be offering below. What you need to know is that this list goes in order of priority, so number 1 is the least important commandment. And while it is still a commandment for any writer who wants to write and sell what they write, it is not as important in the ultimate scheme of things when looking at commandment #10.

1. Thou shalt be open to writing multiple genres. You may think you're a suspense writer, and later learn you're a fantasy buff. Be open to writing more than one genre. Love romance? You may also love writing Christian fiction or nonfiction. Used to be you had to choose a genre and stick with it. No more. I write Christian fiction, nonfiction and mystery.  
 
2. Thou shalt take it with you. Write when you're on the bus, sitting at a park, going downtown. Keep a small notebook in your purse or glove compartment. Some folks even carry a handheld recorder. When the muse hits, you may even be sleeping. Get it down when you first think of it.

3. Thou shalt be smart. Writing and publishing is a job for many of us. Treat your writing seriously, and you'll get the same in return. Treat it like your favorite hobby, and you may find yourself writing without results.

4. Thou shalt help other writers. Join a critique group. Seek out opportunities to speak about writing. Join a writer's group.

5. Thou shalt seek out opportunities to learn your craft. This includes classes, workshops, books at the library, etc. Learn then practice, practice, practice. Read. Read. Read.

6. Thou shalt have a web presence, i.e., a webpage and/or blog, accounts with twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+. If you start your social media at least 6 months before your first book comes out, you'll already have some readers in place. Post every day, whether that be quotes you like, information about your book or the subject of your book, signings, new book releases, etc. The sky is the limit, just make sure that you're not just marketing your book.

7. Thou shalt listen to criticism. This might be tough beans for you, but listening helps you on to #8. Do you have to take every critique, every criticism you get and mull it inside your head for a month or longer? No. Just take it, take a look, and then decide what you'll do with it.

8. Thou shalt edit. As part of this process you will lay aside your work for a day or days before you go back to it. You will not edit as you write, thus interrupting your inspirational flow. You will illicit at between 5 and 10 beta readers for your work. These readers/editors will often find things you've missed.

9. Thou shalt market every week, daily if you can and for at least two hours a day if you can. Taken a good look at Amazon and all of your competition? You'll want to market if you want to sell. Get this book to get you started if you haven't already.

10. Thou shalt write every day. Some writers write so many pages a day or so many words a day. If you write as if your job depends on it - it does - then you'll have a completed book in a year, not years or never.

Happy Writing!

Kathryn

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: J Christopher Thompson

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I am 38 years old, I’ve been married for nine years to a gorgeous librarian (who enables my addiction to books), and I am currently a stay at home dad raising twin boys (aged 5).

I started writing when I was thirteen. I had these very vivid dreams, as cornball as it sounds, about this group of fantasy adventurers on a quest. It looked so great in my dream I wanted to write it. I did and it was terrible! I’ve been trying to write that dream ever since.

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How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

Between park visits and being a House Husband, it seems like I have no time for writing. I try to schedule my writing time in the afternoon and in the late evening. When the boys are asleep and when the house is quiet. It works out that I get to write during those times, more often than not.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

I prefer my PC to my Chromebook for getting the words down in a finalized format.

I’ve been known to use just about anything to get my words down. I have a sizeable collection of composition books that are half filled with my scribblings. I’ve even written on post-it notes because I had nothing else.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

Orson Scott Card described my favorite thing the best. He said. “Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day.  The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” I love looking at the ordinary and wondering, “What if…” and going from there.

My least favorite part of writing. I dislike story problems. Plot holes, deus ex machina, writer’s block, etc. Really, it’s a love hate relationship. I hate it when it happens, but I love it when I have to work harder to make the writing better. Keeps me on my toes.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

The Lineage Saga was conceived from a few different sources.

I have always loved Arthurian lore. Show me a story of the Knights of the Round Table, Arthur himself, Excalibur, or anything to do with Camelot and I’m sold. I’m also a big fan Celtic lore, specifically the tales of Cú Chulainn the Hound of Ulster.

What really set me to writing the first book in the Lineage Saga were three questions I came up with:

What if Arthur and Guinevere had a child that no one knew about?

What if Lancelot and Guinevere had a child that no one knew about?

What if more Knights of the Round Table survived the final battle? Would they carry on Arthur’s legacy? If so, how would they do it?

These questions led me to the back stories of an Academy on Avalon, the survival of Arthur’s line and the corruption it suffered, the journeys and fates of the Knights of the Round Table, the Rise of the Bane of Pendragon and so on.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

I do my best to maintain a social media presence. I use an author page on Facebook, (search J. Christopher Thompson and you’ll find me), and Twitter, (@avalonacademyuk).

I also have business cards with a knight in armor and I sign bookmarks at public events with a phrase that will be found in a future sequel of the Saga.

“When you pass through these gates you will learn the art of peace and the science of warfare. As you are taught, always be mindful that might is not right, mercy is not weakness and cruelty is not strength. Welcome to Avalon.”

If someone purchases a book, or whenever I am on a panel, I have pen/styluses that I give out with the Lineage logo on them.

We are looking into other ways to market in the future.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

I am currently working on the sequel to Book one. Book two will be called the Wild Hunt. The release of book two is indefinite, due to my publisher shutting down and changing hands.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

I have a couple of big projects coming up actually.

As I said my publisher, Big World Network, is in the process of shutting down and they are changing hands. Those hands are mine and Jared Quan’s, President-Elect of the League of Utah Writers. Jared and I are hoping to transition the company to a non-profit entity and continue publishing the excellent writers that are, and will be associated, with Big World Network.

Writing wise I have my sequel, the Wild Hunt. Released at a time and date to be determined. I am also currently working on a collection of short stories with a darker theme to them.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

If you ever think that you have no talent, that you’re a fraud, or that you don’t belong, remember this. Every creative person you look up to has those same fears. They have felt exactly as you have, and they all realized what you will. That their desire to achieve their goal was stronger than their fear.

***

A Question for Me: 

How do you maintain a positive attitude when you receive bad reviews on your books?

Great question! I have had both positive and negative reviews on my books. Initially, the positive ones keep me swimming, the negative ones, sinking, but as I reflect on the review through the days the same things always occur to me:

Not everyone is going to like or understand my books. Everyone likes different things. I once had a reviewer review a book knowing that it was Christian related. Let's just say she didn't review my book very positively, but that's primarily because she's atheist. She even admitted in her review that she probably shouldn't have reviewed the book.

What I've come to learn is to take the good from all reviews, taking into account that everyone is different, sort of like weeding a garden while remembering not to pull out the 'real' plants. There is always something to learn from a review, so I try to keep an open mind and only throw out those things that need to be tossed.

***

To learn more about J C and his books visit:

Lineage Book Trailer - We remember the stories

http://bigworldnetwork.com/site/series/lineage/

http://twitter.com/avalonacademyuk

FRIDAY FLICKS: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

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CONTEST! Win Conquering Your Goliaths!

Click on the link below to learn more!

Conquering Your Goliaths: A Parable of the Five Stones 

First, second, third person and POV

As a writer, it's pretty simple to say that you don't know everything at once. You learn as you go, and, in fact, may not know the term of something you are writing, though you know that something is off when certain rules are broken. 

Such was the case with first person, second person and third person.

Because POV (point of view) runs a close race with the above perspectives it was easy for me to get everything convoluted and a bit mixed up when it came to knowing what a writer was actually writing. So here it is as simple and as straightforward as I can make it:

First person: I

Second person: You

Third person: He, She


POV:

External Narrator: The narrator stands outside the story as the story is being told

Internal Narrator: The character or characters are telling the story

Things get confusing as you try to figure out what the narrator's orientation is. For example, what is the distance of the narrator, very close or very far away? First person tends to bring readers closer to the story, while third person keeps the readers more at a distance. But by reining in the reader through an internal narrator, your reader feels as if he/she has moved closer to the story.

Problems arise when the writer shifts gears within the paragraph, even within the chapter. If a story is told from a third person internal narrator, for example, the story must run true throughout. You wouldn't want to suddenly shift to an external narrator, for example. 

Here is a simple but effective chart putting the two issues together.

It's always great to learn new things, even technical things because knowing them will not only help your writing to improve but perhaps even the writing of a fellow writer as was the case with me.

Happy Writing!

Kathryn

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Felicity Augustina Sparrow

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.)

Hi, there! My name is Felicity Augustina Sparrow.  I live in a hollow part in a tree.  I am a Passeridae. I read that word in a big book that my friend Mister Yellow Horse has. He says it’s called an, um, En-cyclone-pedia. Or something like that. Anyway, Passeridae is a fancy word that means Sparrow. That’s what I am!  I am brown with dark brown stripes.  I have wings, and a tail, and um, feathers.  I’m about the size of, um, other sparrows.  Let’s see, what do I want to achieve? Oh, I know! I would like to read more books, and learn how to use a come-putter better.  I also want to be able to talk to nice featherless two-foots. Mister Yellow Horse says I just sound like chirps and stuff when I try to talk. So it’s lucky I can write stuff, because he can read what I say. Oh, and featherless two-foot is the bird-word for persons.

What do you like to do in your spare time? 

Reeead!  I love to read books, and more books! 

What is your favorite color and why? 

Um, I guess that might be green, because that’s what I see all the time.  Or maybe it’s black!  Because beetles are black! And beetles are delicious.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite?  

Beetles!  Beetles, beetles, beetles!  They are the best! Especially when they’re fresh and kicking!  And I love the guts the best, oh, yum!

What would you say is your biggest quirk?  

Hmm. Maybe I talk too much. But Cairn talks way more than I do. (He’s another pal of mine, and he’s also a sparrow.)

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested. 

Well, there’s Grak, and there’s Davy. I guess I’ll pick Grak. He’s a hawk, and the biggest thing that annoys me about him, is that he wants to EAT ME!  I don’t like that at all, no way.  Plus, he is really good at writing confusing riddles. I had to figure out a bunch one time.  It was so annoying.  And scary. Also, he kidnapped Colin’s mom Queen Lilia. She’s a fairy.  And so is Colin.  And I still don’t know why he would do that, other than Grak’s just a jerk. Maybe I’ll ask him some time.  What the heck was I saying? Grak wants to EAT ME!  (Well, still, I’m curious.) Oh, and here’s an example of one of his riddles from the book:

If you wish to enter, my name then you must speak.

I’m in the deepest cavern, I’m at the highest peak.

I’m very large. I’m very small. I’m flat I’m sharp I’m round.

If you wish to find me, just take a look around.

If you haven’t guessed my name, one more thing you must know.

As I grow old and older still, the smaller then I grow.

See what I mean about the riddles? So confusing!

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life?  

Well, let’s see.  I’ve got a bunch of friends.  There’s Mister Yellow Horse.  He’s a nice featherless two-foot, and there’s Cairn Constantine Sparrow. He’s my pal. And he's really good at math. But my best friend in the whole wide world, is probably Colin.  He’s a fairy.  And he lives in the Wildwood.  He and his parents made me an honorary fairy, and I would do anything to help them, and keep them from getting found by crazy featherless two-foots. Because that would be bad. I also love the Wildwood, because it is nature, and I want it treated nicely.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit?

I like featherless two-foots who treat the Wildwood nicely, and pick up their garbage, and don’t start fires, or take things that aren’t theirs. I like them a lot!

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be? 

I want to ask Grak (remember that mean hawk who wants to EAT ME?) why he kidnapped Queen Lilia in the first place, because I don’t know.  But it’s scary, because he wants to EAT ME!

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

Okay. What exactly is an inter-net? I used to think it was like other nets (I'm not a fan of nets) but now, I don’t think it is. I know you can use it on a come-putter because Mister Yellow Horse says he can send letters to his family with an inter-net. But what is it, exactly? (Oh, and the answer to the riddle, is A Rock!)

Felicity, great question and pretty technical too if you ask me. But since you asked me, let's just say it's too hard to explain. Just know that it works, sort of like a telephone works and a television works. I'm glad all I have to do most of the time is turn the computer on and everything works the way I want it to.

Thanks for asking! I wish I was more computer literate.

***

Learn more about Felicity and her author LoraLee here:

LoraLee Evans, Author

FRIDAY FLICKS: Prayer Warrior by Stormie Omartian

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Rod Miller

Tell me a about yourself. What got you started in writing?

Since at least junior high school I had some ability to string words together. I worked on school newspapers and earned a degree in journalism. For nearly four decades I have worked as an advertising copywriter. But I never studied or practiced creative writing until, in my mid-fifties, curiosity led me to wonder if I could write a poem, then a short story, then a novel, then a nonfiction book. I have had the good fortune to be published in all those areas, in anthologies and books of my own. I have also written magazine articles. Having grown up in the West in a cowboy family, I have an ingrown interest in those subjects and that is what I write about.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?

In my day job I learned to write to specific (and often ridiculous) deadlines. As a result, I can write anytime, anywhere. I don’t even understand the idea of writer’s block. If there’s something to write, I make the time to get it done despite the usual distractions of life. Early mornings, late nights, long days, short snatches—it doesn’t really matter.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?

While I am not technically inclined and dislike computers—even to the point of being something of a Luddite—I early on saw the advantages writing on a computer provided. When the first “portable” computer came on the market, the Osborne, I bought one (it’s still in the basement) and have written on computers ever since. I’ve had a variety of desktop and laptop computers over the years, but do not like to change hardware and software and resist doing so as long as possible.

I have a home office of sorts, but also write at the kitchen table if there’s something on TV I want to sort of pay attention to. Distractions like that—TV, radio, music—actually help me focus. For some reason I don’t like peace and quiet when I write. I have written in airports, on buses, in cars, and just about anywhere and everywhere else I’ve found myself.  

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing?

To borrow a phrase from Bill Moyers (he was speaking of poetry, but it applies to any writing), I like “fooling with words.” Beyond the basics of their meanings, I enjoy paying attention to the sounds and the rhythms they create when strung together. A well-turned phrase, a well-crafted sentence, a well-structured paragraph are always enjoyable to write and read. Samuel Taylor Coleridge said prose is “words in their best order” and poetry is “the best words in their best order.” I think all writing can and should be poetic to some extent.

There’s nothing I dislike about writing itself, but many of the related aspects of being a writer can be frustrating. Sometimes it seems to take forever to see something in print. Whether it’s a magazine article, a collection of poems or stories, a novel or nonfiction book, waiting on publishers to finally apply ink to paper gives one a glimpse of eternity.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?

Over the past decade I’ve had two collections of poetry and a chapbook, four history-related books, and five novels (with another just accepted by the publisher) published. Most of my ideas come from some aspect of history—the people, places, and events related to the American West.

It’s hard to say how long the books take. I know one of the nonfiction books went from zero to ink in nine months, because that’s what the publisher needed. Some of the novels probably took less time. Collections of poetry and short stories take years.

In a way, it has taken a lifetime to write the books.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing?

There’s a web site I try to keep current (www.writerRodMiller.com) and I post short items on www.writerRodMiller.blogspot.com every week or two, and inform by e-mail a few hundred folks when there’s something new there.

I try to teach at conferences and workshops whenever possible, and speak to community groups. When I hear about a book-related event I try to participate.

I write for several magazines, and the byline and short bio that accompanies articles gets my name out, and the names of my books. And I try to get reviews of my books published and I write cover blurbs for other authors. I have been fortunate to win several recognized writing awards and I try to publicize those when I can. Finally, I am a member of a few writers’ organization that work, in various ways, to promote reading and literature.

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out?

As mentioned earlier, a publisher just picked up a new novel, my third book featuring the character Rawhide Robinson. Like the other two, it’s adult/young adult crossover fiction that features an Old West cowboy with a penchant for spinning outrageous tall tales around the campfire, along with living a lot of real-life cowboy adventures.

A second edition of my first poetry collection is in the works. The original publisher closed up shop to spend more time writing, and another publisher wants to keep the book in print, so we’re getting all that arranged.

A historical novel is in the early, early stages and I am always working on a magazine article or two.

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.

There’s a history book—chronicling Old West lawmen who were also, at times, outlaws—I have been wanting to write and have done a lot of research for. A publisher of another my books has even expressed interest in it. But it will take considerably more research and I am not yet convinced there will be enough there to make a book. I haven’t given up on the idea yet and will keep nibbling away at it.

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?

If you don’t believe you can write, how can you expect other people to believe it? Earn some confidence in your ability. Much of writing is simply a skill that anyone can learn with effort. But it takes talent to employ that skill in exceptional ways. Work on the mechanics of writing with practice, learn the artistry of writing by reading and studying the best writers. And all the while, write and write and write, but write with a purpose.

Enjoy what you have written, but don’t fall in love with it—be more critical of your work than anyone else could be and don’t quit rewriting until it’s as good as you can possibly make it. Then try again. And again.

While critique groups can be helpful, I would be leery of taking too much advice from others—they can only tell you how they would do it, and you have to ask, what do they know? Always remember that it’s not theirs, it’s yours, and follow your heart or head or gut or whatever guides you.

I’ve never understood why so many people say they want to be writers, pretend to be writers, learn all kinds of writer jargon, talk a lot about writing, and exhibit all kinds of “writerly” behavior, but never actually write anything or attempt to get anything published. Why is that?

***

Thank you, Rod!

Learn more about Rod:

Online links:

www.writerRodMiller.com, 
writerRodMiller.blogspot.com, 
www.amazon.com/author/rodmiller

I'M HOME!

I had a blast in Texas from golfing to beaching...

Now I have loads of work to catch up on.

Thanks for hanging in there while I was gone. A special thanks goes out to my friends from near and far who wished me well and commented on my facebook posts. I appreciate all of you in my life.

Tomorrow, I have an author interview set up and you'll want to tune in, especially if you like westerns.

Ye Haw! And I'll see you with your spurs on tomorrow!

Kathryn

Do you know who this is?

TIME FOR A VACATION!

I'm going to be spending some time with my family in Texas the next few days, so you'll not be hearing from me. I have decided to leave all of my work home, and that includes posts like this one, editing projects, and writing my fourth mystery - Over Easy. You will also not be seeing any author or character posts during my time away. Sorry, just didn't get these filled in time.

Summer begins!

Kathryn





Prepare yourself! Hard Boiled, the third book in the Susan Cramer Mystery series will be out in August.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Loralee Evans, author of Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot

1.     Tell me about yourself. What got you started in writing?

I have loved stories as long as I could remember.  My parents would read to me when I was little, and one of the things I was most excited about, when I started school was learning how to read.  Just as fast as I started reading, I started writing.  I started writing more seriously in high school and college, and got a few pieces published in literary magazines.  The inspiration for my first book, which was based on The Book of Mormon, was from a verse in Alma in the Book of Mormon that talked about a young woman who was beaten by her boss Morianton, a pretty abusive man by all standards, and she ran away, traveled what had to have been quite a distance, and told Captain Moroni all of Morianton’s plans.  I always thought that girl had spunk, and I wanted to write a story about her.  So I did.

How do you schedule your writing time? When do you write?  

I am a teacher and a mom as well as a writer, and so I have to schedule writing time around that.  Mostly, my writing time is during the summer.  I also write a little bit on the weekends when I am able to.

How and where do you write? Do you prefer a lap top or some other method of getting your words down?   

I write at my kitchen table, on my laptop.  It’s the easiest place for me to write.  I wish I had a big old private office, but I don’t.  My whole house is my office.

What's your favorite part about writing? Your least favorite part about writing? 

My favorite part is going to book signings, and especially school visits.  My last two books have been middle grade books, so I’ve gotten to do many school visits, and I absolutely love those.  My least favorite part is when I’m trying to work through a scene, and I think I know how I want to do it, but when I write it down, it looks crazy and illogical, and so I have to go back and do it over again.  And again, etc.

How did you come up with your book idea? How long did it take you to write your book?  

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My two most recent books are about a little sparrow named Felicity.  She can read, and because of this gift, she goes on an adventure in one book, and another adventure in the next.  The idea for her came to be when I was in junior high, actually.  I was on the bus on the way to school, and we passed a chain link fence.  In the fence, there was a little bird perched in one of the diamond shaped squares, and I got the idea that if a bird and its tiny fairy friend were trying to escape from a hawk, they could fly through a chain link fence since they could fit, and the hawk would crash into the fence.  Many years later, after having written and published my first few books as I was watching a few sparrows playing around, I remembered that idea.  The thought came to my mind that the sparrow would be a female named Felicity, and the idea stayed in my mind, so finally I started writing it down.

What types of marketing do you do to promote your writing? 

I use a lot of social media like Twitter, Facebook, etc.  My first Felicity book, titled Felicity~ A Sparrow’s Tale, is perma-free on Amazon and a number of other online booksellers, like smashwords, Kobo, itunes, barnes and noble, etc.  I also have a website and blog. 

What are you currently working on? Do you have a new book out? 

My second Felicity book, Felicity and the Featherless Two-Foot came out this last fall.  It continues Felicity’s adventures, but this time, she’s dealing with a bunch of crazy unpredictable creatures that her fairy friends call people.  She’s not sure what to make of their crazy ways.  That one is my latest published book.  This summer I plan to write a third book about Felicity’s adventures. 

Do you have a project on the back burner? Tell me about it.  

I’ve been working a little bit on a story that takes place in a fantasy world that involves lots of sword fights, intrigue, and a few kissing scenes.  I think I’ll start working on it more seriously this summer, along with Felicity’s third book. 

What would you tell a beginning writer who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?  

I would say that you should find out all you can about how to be a good writer by learning as much as you can.  Take creative writing classes in school.  Go to writers’ conferences if you can.  Read books written by good authors, and see what they do, and how they weave their words to create plausible stories, and pictures in your head.  Be willing to admit that your writing isn’t perfect, and can use polishing and improving.  At the same time, be encouraged by your chances to better your skill, not discouraged.  Don’t be too proud to listen to any constructive correction that you’re given; quite often, readers can see something in a piece of writing that the author simply can’t; but also don’t take it too hard, and remember don’t think you need to impress everyone.  Most importantly, if you want to write, do it.  Don’t let anyone (ANYONE) tell you that you can’t.

Thank you, Loralee! Learn more about Loralee here:

http://www.loraleeevans.com/