Guest Post: Author Christina Myers

Of all the books I reviewed in 2024, The List of Last Chances earned the most page views. Inspired by this popularity, I asked author Christina Myers to be a guest on this blog and she kindly agreed. I enjoyed learning more about her writing life and know you will too.

Photo by Wendy Lees

How/why did you start to write?

 I started to write when I was a kid, just little stories here and there. I'm positive that arose out of being a really avid reader. I inhaled Nancy Drew books, Anne of Green Gables, and then before I was probably old enough to, I started reading Stephen King and my mom's romance novels. I think when you experience that magic of being transported by someone else's writing, you love the idea of being able to do the same thing yourself, of giving that gift of disappearing into a book. In high school and university, writing was pretty much limited to essays and reports and this will sound weird but I actually really loved doing those - it felt like stretching these great muscles to be creative in that way, and I felt like I was good at it. I didn't get really serious about my writing until my 30s though. 

How did you become an author?

 I had left my full-time job when my kids were little and I was doing a bit of freelance work but it felt flat and uncreative. Eventually I decided to make a real effort at it, and I knew I needed structure. After some research I decided to apply to the Writer's Studio at SFU. That year really changed my path - I met so many people and built a community of fellow writers, which helped so much with creativity and learning and just feeling like I had a "place" and people to look to for help and support. I started submitting non-fiction and fiction to various journals and competitions and had some early successes and that gave me the boost to just keep chipping away. A few years later, I published my first novel. 

Reflect on your writing process:

 I wish I had a single process, but it varies hugely depending on the time of year and the actual project. I seem to work differently in fall versus spring, for example, and with fiction versus non-fiction. But in general, even when I'm working with a daily routine, I find my work tends to come in big leaps - one day will be a huge amount or a big lightbulb goes off and then the next few weeks will be small incremental additions. 

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? 

Was it an asset to your writing? How? 

My first degree at university was in psychology and I definitely think that has helped my writing! But I never worked in that field; after I finished my degree, I did a second degree in journalism and that was where I landed in my career. It was a way to write and get paid a wage to do it. And I got to learn about a lot of interesting people everyday. I did that for about 13 years before I left. And it has been an asset for sure but not in the way people think - there seems to be an assumption that the fields are so closely related that it's easier to get published in literary work but that's definitely not the case. I didn't know anyone in the publishing industry, didn't have any special connections. But it did help me a ton in other ways - I learned how to work fast and clean and meet a deadline. I learned how to edit my own work and how to work collaboratively. I am often told by the people I work with that they enjoy working with me because I am responsive, efficient ... I'm always thinking about the next person in the production line after me, knowing that an editor or a proofreader or a layout person will have to take my words and get them publication ready. So I want their job to be as easy as possible, and that means I try to cross my T's and dot my I's and deliver clean good copy that doesn't need a lot of work to prep. 

What inspires you? 

oh that's a good question - I think I'd say other writers because I'm always blown away by the ideas that people come up with, the tenacity and determination I see in other writers. It's the most exciting thing when I have a writer friend who gets that phone call from an agent or publisher and I know that behind the scenes there has been rejection, and that they had to keep picking themselves back up and trying again, to make it happen. 

Please share one of your successful author platform-building techniques:

I have a really hard time asking people to "pay attention to me" - it's one of the things about social media in general that I find challenging. But sharing your books, your events, your updates is really critical when you're a writer. It's part of how you promote and publicize your work. On the other hand, I find it really easy and fun to promote other people, to be a cheerleader for other writers and so I do a lot of that, it feels much more authentic to be paying attention to other people and to be sharing their work out to other people. And that is across the board, from emerging writers placing in a contest to a multipublished author announcing a new book. I get excited for people and I like cheering them on. And though it wasn't intentional, I think that kind of outward-looking focus feels genuine to people who are watching, and so they're maybe more inclined to want to follow you as a result? I don't have heaps and heaps of followers but I think the people who do follow me are there partly because of that - because I'm not just there to talk about my own stuff. 

Parting words: 

Keep going. If the urge to write is in you, it won't go away. You have stories to tell! And if you don't feel like a writer, and you're waiting for that magical moment when you will, I can tell you that no outside approval or success will get you there - it's an inside job. So start telling yourself right now, every day: I am a writer, I belong here, I can do this. 

Published in 2024

Halfway Home: Thoughts From Midlife (non-fiction, essays) - From first bra to first hot flashes, the essays in Halfway Home consider and re-consider the lessons we’ve learned through media and culture-–and often from each other—about our bodies, gender roles, aging, parenting, and our own futures in an uncertain world, as we reach and move through midlife. With warmth and wit, tears and laughter, Halfway Home is a reminder that none of us are walking home alone.

Published in 2021

The List of Last Chances (fiction) - Heartfelt and humorous, The List of Last Chances follows a pair of reluctant travel companions across the country into an unexpected friendship, new adventures, and the rare gift of second chances. From PEI to Vancouver, this road trip story takes readers along for a ride that reveals that our best life might be right around the corner - if we have the courage to keep going and see. 

February on this blog

Sunday, February 9

Love Stories: a collection

I'm celebrating love in all its wonderous forms in this collection of prose and poetry--just in time for Valentine's Day.

Sunday, February 16

Two Paths (short story)

Inspiration for this story came from two sources--a quote by Ella Winter "Don't you know you can't go home again?" and Robert Frost's poem The Road Not Taken

Sunday, February 23

Grandma's Knitting Needles Sing (children's story)

This children's story celebrates the bond between grandparents and grandchildren, introduces the art of knitting, and explains how wool is produced.

Guest Post: Karen McBride (writer/illustrator)

 Of all the books I reviewed in 2020, Crow Winter by Karen McBride earned the most page views. And so I invited Karen McBride to be a guest on my blog. I loved reading Crow Winter and I look forward to learning more about Karen McBride...

Karen McBride

How/why did you start to write?

I've always been drawn to writing. When I was a kid, my friends and I would create very elaborate pretend worlds with vivid and dramatic storylines that pretty much consumed our lives to the point where we'd get in trouble in class for continuing games started at recess. As I got older, playing "pretend" wasn't really an option anymore so I drifted into writing fan-fiction and then on to my own fiction from there. Creating worlds, characters, lives, and lore has always been a huge passion of mine -- one that I hope to continue. 

-How did you become an author?

Honestly, I still feel strange calling myself an author. It still doesn't quite feel real. But I suppose my journey to getting published began when I took a writing workshop during my undergrad. I got the chance to work with Andre Alexis and he saw something in me that I didn't even think was possible. I still remember how excited I was the first time he told me my writing was good enough to be published; I screamed in the elevator after leaving his office! 

From there I found my way to the Masters of English in the Field of Creative Writing program at the University of Toronto and was matched with the uncomparable Susan Swan as my mentor, who also believed strongly in my work. Then I suppose I sort of just fell into it. Not without any shortage of hard work though! 

 

-What did you do before writing full-time? Did it help your writing, how?

I'm trained as an intermediate/junior teacher, so I've worked teaching grades 5, 7, and 8. I think being a teacher really helped me to understand how people -- not just kids! -- learn and experience their world. This knowledge has allowed me to better hone my characters and shape their motivations. 

-What inspires you to write?

I write for Indigenous Peoples. I write stories that show our joy as well as our hardships. There's no shortage of stories that delve into the tragedies of our collective past, so I want to write books that play with our present and our future. I want to create characters that kids from the Rez can see themselves in and can be proud of. So I guess, in a way, I write for that little kid who played wild games of pretend at recess, in her backyard, and beyond. 

-Reflect on your writing process

I feel like my writing process is very haphazard nowadays. I write whenever I can find time, but I tend to write on weekends for the most part and even then not consistently. However, when I do carve out time for writing, I'll clear off my desk, light a candle, find some music that fits the tone of the piece I'm working on and dive in.

-I was very impressed with your novel Crow Winter--especially with the many-layered plot and beautiful imaginary. Please share tips that may help me develop these aspects in my own writing...

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the novel. I love the natural world and representing it in my work, so a lot of my writing will be steeped in earth imagery and teachings. I suppose my tip for achieving this sort of thing would be to be present in the world that's around you. Notice big things like the way the wind sounds in the trees in your backyard or in the park near your house. Notice little things like the taste of fresh honey in a cup of tea.  

-What are you currently working on?

A few things. Some nonfiction, some new art, and a new novel. Lots of magic, some mystery, and, of course, Indigenous truths. Stay tuned!

-Please share advice for new authors

Read, listen to, and watch as much as you can. I find creativity is sparked in me when I see the brilliant creativity of others. 

Book Review:  Crow Winter by Karen McBride

Book Review: A Wake for the Dreamland by Laurel Deedrick-Mayne (historical fiction) and interview with the author

Set in Alberta, Canada--and England and Italy--before, during and after the Second World War, A Wake for the Dreamland is about the faithfulness and devotion of enduring friendship.

Buy this book

(Laurel Deedrick-Mayne sent me a copy to review)

Published in 2015

Printed by Friesen Press

on the Edmonton Journal Bestseller list for 35 weeks

won the Alberta Readers' Choice Award (2016)

and the Whistler Independent Book Prize (2018)

Annie, Robert, and William--the trio of twenty-somethings meet the way people do. Robert meets William in music school. Robert meets Annie and then introduces her to William. They bond by going to movies at the Dreamland theatre. Through the horrors of war and self-discovery, they remain close. A well-crafted multi-layered character, William is clearly the star of the book. 

Interview with the author

How/why did you start writing?

I have been writing in one form or another most of my life. My family, going back many generations on both sides, were terrific correspondents. My maternal grandfather was a broadcaster and journalist. My father, his family: mother and aunts especially, were letter writers and yarn spinners with a particular penchant for poetry. By that I mean they would conjure all the mundane reportage of the day into fantastic verse. My parents wrote those crazy family Christmas newsletters and we kids were raised to have thank-you notes written by the end of Boxing Day. Whenever possible I turned school assignments into creative writing projects. 

Sometimes I wrote because spoken words failed me. Writing a book was always something I hoped and wanted to do but, as you know, life can get in the way of many of our aspirations. It took years (decades really) for the stars to align. And it took a triad of lightening bolts of inspiration before I fully committed. 

What was your first published piece?

I hope this doesn’t shock you too much but A Wake For The Dreamland is my first published piece. Unless you count the program copy from my stint as a publicist for Alberta Ballet or CBC’s Bill Richardson reading the story I wrote about losing my dress (I was wearing it at the time) on the corner of Vancouver’s Broadway and Granville streets.

Where was it published?

I was writing publicity material for Alberta Ballet back in the early 80’s. The CBC story was nationally broadcast on their afternoon show, Richardson’s Roundup, some time in the 90’s. All this to say I’m a late bloomer.

What inspires you?

I’m inspired by people just living their lives — from the little tiny gems of day to day existence to the huge capacity of the human spirit to endure and prevail in the most trying of circumstances. People never cease to amaze and fascinate me. I’m a writer whose day job has been practicing massage therapy for over thirty years. I have learned a great deal by the privilege of working one on one with folks. 

Why did you choose to self-publish? What are the benefits and challenges?

I shopped the manuscript around to a couple of places that turned it down. I had thought that the book would primarily be read by my parents’ generation and they (like me) were getting older. One afternoon I realized that even if I miraculously got a book deal that very day, it would probably be at least 3 years before it hit a bookstore shelf and that’s when I started exploring independent publishing. At least it could be available to readers within a year. 

The challenges and benefits are many. 

Benefits: 

The author has control.

Challenge:

The author has control.

Hahaha — But it’s true. The responsibility is huge and there were many skills I simply did not possess (or have time to learn) which is why I went through a company that could see the project through and who I felt I could count on to produce a good looking book that could hold its own among traditionally published ones. I needed their expertise but one needs to have the resources or willingness to go into debt to see their dream book become reality. That’s a scary prospect. Sure, they produce it and make it available but ultimately it is up to the author to make it sell. Writers are often quite introverted and authors need to don their shameless hussy pants. Fortunately I think I fall in the category of ‘gregarious hermit’ so with deep breaths, I embarked on book promotion, not knowing if I had a hope in a windstorm of recovering my costs. 

Reflect on your writing process

We’re in a deep freeze here in Alberta as I write this so I’m going to use the analogy of getting up in the morning and hoping to goodness the car will start. Does that sound cheesy? Yes, I think so but it was true for me. Often, when I had a little time I was lacking inspiration. Or the mountain just seemed too high to climb. Nothing I tried seemed to work and that beautiful story that was so rich and fully formed in my head couldn’t seem to find its way to the page. I had so many other balls in the air at the time, which I don’t want to sound like a ‘the dog ate my homework’ excuse but —  I had kids in school, aging parents, the aforementioned massage therapy practice and, just to top things off, the attention span of a flea. I mentioned mountains a few lines back. One of my saving graces was periodically abandoning life as I knew it and retreating to the Banff Centre in the Rocky Mountains where I could hole up for days or weeks at a time and soldier through.

Are you working on another book (my fingers are crossed)?

My great aunt was THE district nurse for the Indigenous people of the Yukon in the 40’s and 50’s. The entire territory was her district. I have all her correspondence, field notes, photos, sketches and poetry as well as the memoir she published. I’m hoping to create something from this material. Maybe a biography. Maybe a series of novellas of her episodic adventures. Or, maybe I bundle up all that material and take it to the Yukon archives for the descendants of people she served to access and create something from. Is that vague enough?

Why did you choose to set your book in the years before, during and after World War II?

I had no choice and here’s why: 

The first bolt of inspiration came the one Remembrance Day we weren’t taking in any ceremony and I was in a Safeway spaghetti aisle at the 11th hour. An announcement came on to stop for 2 minutes of silence. I stood there weeping. Something opened up inside me. 

Then, on December 26, 2003 a feature came on the 11 o’clock news about the 60th anniversary of the crucible Battle of Ortona. I hadn’t even known there’d been an Italian campaign and that the Loyal Edmonton Regiment was instrumental in its success. Again, I was deeply moved. 

A couple of months later, driving to pick up my kids from school, which happened to be right next door to an Armoury that I’d hardly given a moment’s notice of before, the three primary characters of the novel sprang to mind. I felt they were whispering their life story in my ear as I drove. Their story came so fully formed: a spark, a flash. I knew it would begin with the Royal Visit of 1939 and end with the (spoiler alert) demolition of the Dreamland Theatre in 1979. I just didn’t know how the hell I was going to do it.

 When I first started writing A Wake For The Dreamland, I knew nothing about the second world war. Not really. Not much. My dad had been in the RCAF but not overseas. I’d only been to one war movie, and only because I had to —  social studies class went to see Bridge on the River Kwai. In fact, I consciously chose NOT to see war movies. And I’d certainly never read any war fiction. I thought it would break my heart.  Writing the book nearly did. But I don’t regret a single step of the journey.

Words of advice for the yet-to-be-published

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is for anyone contemplating self-publishing to take a good hard look at all the ways and means they will get the book into readers’ hands. You only have to step into a bookstore or library to realize the world will keep on spinning with or without your book.  In addition to my own hard work, I also got lucky. I am incredibly fortunate that enough people liked it and began telling their friends, who told their friends, that it started to gain some momentum. 

It doesn’t matter how good your book looks if what’s between the covers isn’t the very best it can be. This is where taking your time and spending the money to work with a really good editor is absolutely essential. It is the best money one can spend. People ask me why it took ten years to get this book from the brain to the bookshelf and, aside from it being very heavily researched (although that should not be too blatantly obvious on the page — boring!) I had to take the time to raise the money to take the steps to find and pay for the workshop or manuscript consultant or editor to help me make it as good as possible. I’d tuck it away for awhile. Bring it out and work through it again. Do not try to take a shortcut on this part of the process. Whew! Went on a bit of a rant there.

I would add that distribution is a huge challenge. Being available and widely distributed and promoted are different things and one kind of needs all three to make sales. Even traditionally published authors now have to do a lot of their own legwork on the promotional side. Most bookstores (think Chapters/Indigo) are not likely to take an Indie author’s book. They’ll order it for customers but not stock it. 

Let’s talk about money, even though my mother would have said that’s gauche. Self publishing a book is very expensive. Promoting it and distributing is costly. You will see a very tiny return on e-book and amazon sales. The more books you print and distribute yourself, the more likely you will cover your costs or make a little money but you must give a great deal of thought to how you’re going to do that. It’s very hard to get traditional media coverage now. Even traditionally published authors struggle to get reviews or coverage. 

None of this is meant to be discouraging. Only realistic. Most people only dream about writing a book. Very few actually do. Have courage. Have patience. Persevere.

More...

Are you writing a historical fiction novel? I just found this helpful article:  Three Ways to Make the Historical Real by Katia Raina 

'February 2019 on Mayne Island' photo by ldyck

Next  Post...

Sunday, March 31 at approximately 5 PM PST

I recently penned a short poem about the transition from winter to spring--Let the Sunshine in.

Solo Writing Retreat by Laurie Buchanan

Laurie Buchanan (Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth) recently went on a solo writing retreat and I was excited to ask her about it. Every Tuesday I visit Laurie's popular blog Tuesdays with Laurie. I'm thrilled that she is visiting us here today. Please welcome her.

What gave you the idea to go on a solo writer's retreat?

I write best when I have no distractions—none whatsoever. 

Have you, would you, will you go on a writing retreat with other writers? Are there any that interest you?

I would love to be accepted for a writer’s residency at Hedgebrook (http://www.hedgebrook.org) on Whidbey Island, Washington.

What other writers (living or dead) would you like to go on a retreat with? Why?

I would love to be at a writing retreat where Mary Oliver (one of my favorite, still-living poets) was writing. Why? Because I know she’d stay in her cabin (like I would stay in mine) and we’d only meet for meals at the main lodge.

What do you see as the main difference between going solo and going as a member of a group? 

My idea of "solo" is no distractions—being completely by myself. I have no interest in group writing situations; it wouldn’t work with my writing style. 

How did you pick your retreat's location? 

When my in-laws called to say they were going to Australia for three months (Jan-Mar), I told them I’d love to house-sit for them. It was a win-win situation.

What were you retreat's main goals? 

To write The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace

Why do you think these goals couldn't have been achieved without going on this retreat? 

I would have eventually finished writing The Business of Being, but it would have taken double or triple the time to do it. I was hoping for a 2018 publication date. When I sent the Preface and Introduction to my publisher, not only did they say YES, it’s slated for a June/July 2018 publication date.

I understand one of your goals was to work on your next book, please tell us a little about it. 

In a nutshell, The Business of Being spotlights the intersection of workplace and spirituality; it’s designed to help readers thrive in business and life.

What was the best thing about going on this retreat? 

1. Solitude

2. It was breathtakingly gorgeous. Darby, Montana is located between the Bitterroot and the Sapphire Mountain ranges, and I was within walking distance of the Bitterroot River. Without fail, I saw wildlife every day.

What was the worst thing? 

It was the worst winter Darby had had in record-breaking years, so there was tons of snow and ice on the roof. When the snow started melting, there was a place in the ceiling that started leaking. Yikes! I went next door to the neighbor man to see if he had any suggestions. Nope—a portion of his ceiling had caved in. I called my husband (Boise, ID), and he made an emergency trip to Darby and saved the day!

What did you have to overcome? 

Driving 17 miles each way on treacherous roads to get groceries once a week.    

What do you wish you had planned for? 

I wish I’d taken a second power cord for my Mac. I don’t think there’s an Apple store in the entire state of Montana. The closest one is in Boise, Idaho (where I’m from). I don’t know what happened to my cable, but I woke up to “crimp” marks. My husband overnighted a cable to me—a rather expensive, but necessary, undertaking.

Please share a memory of your retreat. 

It’s against the law (at least in Darby, Montana) to feed deer, so I waited until twilight each night and then snuck out under cover of dark and fed the deer organic apples, blueberries, and carrots that I cut into bite-size pieces. I did my research first—making sure that those three foods aren’t harmful in any way to the deer. 

Do you view this retreat as successful—why or why not? 

I accomplished what I set out to do so I feel the retreat was successful.

What advice would you give writers who are planning a solo retreat? 

Stay on task and use your time to write, Write, WRITE! In the evening I refueled by reading. I read over a dozen books in the twelve weeks I was there. 

Would you go on another solo writing retreat—why or why not? 

In a heartbeat! I already told my in-laws that if they go anywhere, for any length of time, to please call me and I’ll housesit.

Are you planning to go on another solo writing retreat? Where will/would you go this time? 

I’m applying for a writer’s residency at Hedgebrook. We’ll see how that turns out…

Sending you tons of positive energy, Laurie. I hope you get in.

AUTHOR BIO 

Board Certified with the American Association of Drugless Practitioners, Laurie Buchanan is a holistic health practitioner, transformational life coach, speaker, and author. Her areas of interest include energy medicine, inner alchemy, and spiritual awareness.

Embracing the belief that “Life is an expression of the choices we make,” she’s a teacher and student of purposeful living.

With tremendous respect for the earth’s natural resources, Laurie’s goal is to leave the slightest footprint on the planet, while at the same time making a lasting impression on its inhabitants—one that’s positive, uplifting, constructive, and healing.

Laurie’s previous book, Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth was a 2016 Idaho Author Award winner for inspiration; a 2016 Foreword Indies Book of the Year finalist; and a 2016 Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards finalist.

Guest Post author Victoria Chatham

How/why did you start to write?

I’ve always written – from crayons on the wall (not appreciated!) to pencils and paper. English Grammar and English Literature were my best subjects at school and I was regularly admonished by teachers for scribbling bits of stories in my school exercise books. I loved the freedom of being able to write what I wanted and let my imagination take over, even if it didn’t make sense to anyone else.

How did you become an author?

According to Wikipedia ‘an author is broadly defined as “the person who originated or gave existence to anything” and whose authorship determines responsibility for what was created’. That being said, I suppose I became an author when I wrote my first book at age thirteen. If you can call ‘Virginia, Girl of the Golden West’ a book! Virginia had wonderful adventures from capturing a wild mustang to living with Indians and being kidnapped by a mountain man. Looking back now I’m sure it was heavy on melodrama and light on writing skill. I do remember that my parents found it highly amusing, which at the time wounded me deeply and enough for me to retire my pencil and throw myself headlong into the new craze of rock n’ roll.

It wasn’t until many years later that I took up that pencil again and wrote ‘If Wishes Were Horses’ for my horse-mad daughter. Who am I kidding, I’m horse mad myself so it was as much for my enjoyment as hers. On Sundays the family had to fend for itself whilst I, with a flask of coffee and plate of sandwiches, shut myself in my room and wrote all day. I didn’t have a type writer back then so a friend typed my hand-written chapters and enjoyed the story so much she was always keen to get the next chapter. It was in the mid-70’s and the only copies I had were the original, presented to my daughter, and the carbon copy. At my friend’s insistence I had the book photo-copied and sent it out to four children’s book publishers. Each editor gave a really good review (only now do I understand how lucky I was) but not one offered to buy it although they all encouraged me to keep trying. I’d love to say my daughter still has it but, over the years and after many house moves, both hers and mine, the book vanished.

What was your first published piece? Where was it published? How long ago?

If annual reports and newsletters count as being published, that would be since the early 80’s. Sadly, I think I’m giving my age away here! However, my first actual book, Always A Lady, was self-published as part of the Bandit Creek Books series in 2012. This was a huge and fun enterprise, with some thirty authors collaborating to write their stories set in the fictional town of Bandit Creek. Together we planned the town, both the old town for the historical writers and the new town for the contemporary writers. We ‘borrowed’ each other’s characters and we all had to incorporate one mystical character, Jack, into our stories. These were all novellas and we published two books a month for over a year.

Readers wanted to know what happened to my characters but, under the Bandit Creek collective agreement, I couldn’t use any of the characters and features devised by the group, I could only keep the characters I created. I revised that book as Cold Gold, The Buxton Chronicles Book 1which was then published by Books We Love Ltd. More readers asked what happened next, so then I sent my characters off to San Francisco in On Borrowed Time, The Buxton Chronicles Book 2. The last in the series, Shell Shocked, The Buxton Chronicles Book 3 has just been published.

The Buxton Chronicles were set in 1907, 1913 and 1918 respectively. Anyone who enjoys the TV series Downtown Abbey and before that Upstairs, Downstairs would recognise the Edwardian era but it’s the Regency period that I truly enjoy. My first full length novel is a Regency romance, His Dark Enchantress. That came out as an e-book in 2013 and in paperback August 2014. My current work in progress is another Regency romance, His Ocean Vixen which will be released in April 2015.

Reflect on your writing process.

This is somewhat haphazard. Once I’ve embarked on a book I try to write about four hours a day, five days a week. Note I said try! I’ll spend hours reading, researching and making notes, sketching houses my characters reside in, jotting down ideas for scenes and lines of dialogue. I have two critique partners, authors Brenda Sinclair and A.M. Westerling, and I am very grateful for their input. I’m a combination of a plotter, quilter and pantser and it’s always a relief when I type The End.

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing? How?

The majority of positions I held throughout my working life involved customer service, so I really had a great start in understanding motivation which I can apply to my characters. I’ve always been an avid reader, too, and this was a great escape from my working life. I was dreaming up stories for a long time before I actually started writing.

Parting words

I’d encourage anyone who is interested in writing but hasn’t started yet, to join a group or take some courses, whether in person or on line. Writing is a craft that has to be learnt and having a great story idea is only part of the process. I’d also say it’s never too late to start writing. I always wanted to be published and now, as a senior and two-time breast cancer survivor, I’ve reached that goal.

(Cover designer:  Michelle Lee)

A London season is the last thing bright, beautiful Emmaline Devereux wants. But her grandfather knows he is dying and insists that she find herself a husband and secure her future. But Emmaline has a past that, if revealed, will undoubtedly bring disgrace on her and those with whom she associates.

Lucius, Earl of Avondale, has sworn to not marry until he is forty, but fate brings Emmaline to his door. Intrigued by her, Lucius swears to unravel her mystery even if it does mean a marriage of convenience with her to appease her grandfather. But then Emmaline’s past catches up with her and she is abducted. Will Lucius want to find her and will the truth tear them apart or strengthen their love?

5 stars A heroine to admire By Roberta Langon

No simpering miss is this main character. The brother and guardian of her best friend is amused, outraged, and finally caught. An entertaining and delightful read.

Link: http://amzn.com/B00BOW42QG

  

Lady Serena Buxton follows her husband from England to Cold Creek, a gold mining town in northern California. But, when she arrives, Randolph is missing.

The sheriff seems to be keeping a watchful eye on her. She cannot trust Douglas King, the mine manager who treats her as if she is already a widow. The bank manager refuses her request for access to Randolph’s funds. With no husband and no money, what is a girl to do?

Serena has an unsuspected and quite shocking talent. Two enterprising local ladies help her prepare for a public performance but the only suitable venue in town belongs to King with whom she strikes a bargain. The whole town turns out to see the show, the venue is packed.

But who is in the crowd watching? Will King insist on exacting his fees and will Serena be reunited with the husband she loves?

5 stars A gem By Sue Short, sweet, delightful. Good plot and wonderful characters-especially considering the length of the story. Clever, funny, touching, suspenseful. I want more!

Link: http://amzn.com/B00F04HD1K

Lord Randolph and Lady Serena Buxton’s orderly lives are upset by Pinkerton Agent Stuart Montgomery’s unexpected arrival at their estate in England. And this is no ordinary social call!

Montgomery is investigating four suspicious deaths at an American aviation company, and of the two remaining partners one is the old friend of Lady Serena’s. Can Montgomery convince his friends to return to America with him in hopes of finding the missing piece to the puzzle that will help him close the case?

Serena has her doubts. Her concern for her friend, Sir Hilary, is overlaid by her fear that Randolph may once again find his life in danger from an old adversary who once left him for dead. Does Montgomery really want their assistance? Or is his case just an excuse to renew a potentially scandalous association with her?  Time is running out as events escalate revealing more secrets than ever suspected.

Link: http://amzn.com/B00IWGKQWG

In the closing months of World War 1 Lady Serena Buxton is plagued by doubts. Her husband is reported missing. Not knowing if he is dead or alive, she fights her own battle on the home front.

Buxton Hall is now a hospital. Her allies are the quartermaster, doctor and matron. Her household staff rally round her, all except the housekeeper who seems more and more detached. What is her problem? Keeping her own emotions in check while she solves one issue after another, Serena is barely holding her own, but then Randolph comes home.

She married for love. But the man who returns to her, damaged in body and mind, is not the man she married. Fearing that he is lost to her, Serena knows she will have to be strong to look after him. But will her love be strong enough to hold everything she most cares for together?

Link: http://amzn.com/B00QIWP8H4

Find Victoria at:

www.victoriachatham.webs.com

www.amazon.com/author/victoriachatham

www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaChatham

Guest Post Dietrich Kalteis (screenwriter, short stories and crime fiction author)

Why did you start to write?

I have always had my nose in books. When I was a kid, I read everything from Dr. Suess to the Hardy Boys, to the adventures of Huck and Tom. The images created for me were magic. Stories have always taken me to new places and on great adventures. This inspired me to create my own stories. It just seems like a natural progression.

When did you start to write?

I drafted a novel when I was about sixteen and kept the longhand pages in a shoebox under the bed. I wasn’t serious enough back then and never took it past the shoebox stage, but I always felt I’d come back to writing one day.

How did you become an author?

Five years ago, my wife convinced me it was time to close my graphics business and start writing full time. I guess she’d heard me say it often enough, that one day I would write. So, that’s what I did.

What was your first published piece? Where was it published?

I polished a short story I started about twenty years earlier. It’s called Early Monday and was published at Joyful! It’s a story of a man coming to terms with raising his young son alone. Next up, I wrote one called Bottom of the Ninth. It’s about a cheating wife who fakes her own kidnapping and a husband who doesn’t want her back. It was published in One Cool Word. Getting those early pieces published was very encouraging.

How often and when do you write?

I write every day. I start early and write till about noon, often returning to it in the afternoon or early evening. Mornings are generally best for me, I’m more focused and energetic then.

Reflect on your writing process.

I start with a spark of an idea that intrigues me. Sometimes it’s based on something I read, heard or experienced, other times it’s just from my imagination. For me, there has to be some element of humor to the story. From there, I do whatever research is needed and check facts. Then, I draft a very basic plot outline and develop my characters and just start writing, letting the characters drive the story. After a first draft, I go back and edit, adding depth and taking out anything that didn’t work. I might edit a couple more times until I feel it’s ready to send out.

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing?

I was a commercial artist for many years, so coming up with concepts and ideas is nothing new. That work also required a strong visual sense, and now, I’m creating pictures with words; so, yes, all of it has certainly been an asset.

What inspires you?

Reading something I can’t put down. As far as crime fiction goes, greats like Leonard, Ellroy and Higgins are always inspiring and always worth more than a single read.

Parting words

Well, I plan to keep on writing and having fun with it. And lastly, I want to thank you for inviting me to be your guest, Leanne. All the best.

 (Thank you, Dieter. I enjoyed reading about your author journey.)

Buy this book

Ride the Lightning

Seattle bounty hunter Karl Morgen goes after Miro Knotts on a skipped bond, finding the dope dealer wrapped around an underaged girl at a rave. Dragging Miro in the hard way gets Karl’s license revoked and Miro off with only a suspended sentence.

Finished in Seattle, Karl finds work as a process server up in Vancouver. To Karl, it seems the kind of place where people settle things with middle fingers instead of guns, the kind of place a guy could get used to. But he soon finds out otherwise.

After ducking a drug sweep by escaping north of the border, Miro seizes an opportunity to settle his score with Karl. And Karl finds himself immersed in the city’s underbelly of two-bit criminals, drug dealers and gangsters, eager for another crack at the scumbag who had his license revoked.

“Dietrich Kalteis will be deservedly compared to Elmore Leonard, but he is an original voice. Ride the Lightning is a great story filled with wonderfully flawed characters.”

– John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet and Black Rock.

“…it sustains a breakneck pace without sacrificing character to action, or action to character. Kalteis made me care about his cast of lowlifes, screw-ups and marginals.”

– Peter Rozovsky, Detectives Beyond Borders

Read the full review in Detectives Beyond Borders

Dietrich Kalteis's short stories have been widely published, and his screenplay Between Jobs was a finalist in the 2003 Los Angeles Screenplay Festival. 

Visit him at: http://dietrichkalteis.blogspot.ca

www.facebook.com/dietrich.kalteis

Guest Post: Shirley Hershey Showalter

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How/why did you start to write?

I remember enjoying creative writing projects in school. My favorite teacher, Mrs. Lochner, gave each child a black and white photo and said, “Write a story.” My photo depicted a dilapidated barn. I scratched my head. Who cares about an old barn? Then my eyes lit up. I wouldn’t write about the barn itself. I would become a mouse inside the barn! All of a sudden, my hand moved fast, and soon ink was flowing across the page. I loved the feeling of being inspired.

How did you become an author?

I published my first essays while I was a college student. I was a reporter and then co-editor of the student newspaper. (I later married the editor!) At every stage of my life I wrote and published a few articles. After graduate school most of my writing was academic and published in journals. And as a college president and foundation executive, I wrote narratives that illustrated the missions of my respective organizations. I also published a number of precursors to my book-length memoir in the form of personal essays.

Only after retiring from those executive roles, however, was I willing to concentrate on the story of my childhood. I wrote about my own magical years exploring one hundred acres of our family farm as I held my first grandson in my arms.

What was your first published piece?

“The Sins of the Fathers.” It was published about 1971 and was about my experience of trying to be a good teacher to black students in the recently-integrated public school system just after I graduated from college.

Where was it published?

In Christian Living, a church publication.

What did you do before embarking on your writing career? Was it an asset to your writing? How?

I’m the oldest of five children, and my first career followed naturally from my birth order. I became a teacher. First high school. Then college. Then, as president and foundation executive, I continued teaching but found a wider classroom. Teaching, learning, and writing are three legs of a stool for me. I can’t separate them. I discover truth by writing about it. I test truth in the classroom and by engaging with my readers.

What inspires you?

Ultimately what inspires me most is the certainty that I am going to die. Knowing that, I want to cherish every minute. My mission is to prepare for the hour of my death, one good day at a time. And to help others do the same.

That may sound morbid, but it isn’t! I am also inspired by grandbabies and sunsets and flowers and laughter and great writing and beautiful art and music. Like Keats and Wordsworth, however, my joy is intensified by the sadness of the evanescence of life.

Please share one of your successful author platform building technique

As a passionate learner, I naturally sought out teachers when I knew I wanted to write a book-length memoir. I started at the 2008 Santa Barbara Writers Conference, where I first heard the word “platform.” Then I took classes from Dan Blank and Michael Hyatt on platform building. The single best thing I have done to build platform has been to create a simple “newsletter” called Magical Memoir Moments that people sign up for on my website.

Come to think of it, that newsletter is a lot like the photo of the old barn my teacher first inspired me with. Anyone who subscribes to my email list gets a picture every Tuesday at 9 a.m. I ask a few questions at the end to stimulate the imagination of the reader. The group has grown slowly, and it is inspiring other people to write their own stories. I love that.

It has also helped me to sell books. Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World went into its second printing one week after publication. After four months, it still hits number two in the Amazon bestseller list under religion/Mennonite.

Parting words

This is a marvelous time to be a writer. Think of writing and publishing as a form of school without walls, grades, and classes.

Publishing is like the old barn. But YOU are like the sly little mouse who has a story to tell!

Writer, Speaker, Blogger

http://www.shirleyshowalter.com

Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World (memoir)

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ShirleyHersheyShowalter
540.746.4044 (c)  

Shirley Hershey Showalter (1948 - ) grew up on a Mennonite family farm near Lititz, Pennsylvania. The first person in her family to go to college, she eventually became the first woman president of Goshen College in Indiana, a national liberal arts college noted for its commitment to peace and international service learning. She joined the Fetzer Institute in 2004, a private operating foundation with this mission: "to foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community." In 2010 she became a full-time writer living in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has won awards for excellence in each of the fields she entered: teaching, higher education, leadership, and writing.

Her memoir "Blush: A Mennonite Girl Meets a Glittering World" (September 19, 2013) tells the story of a little girl who dreamed big and was transformed by dreams much bigger than her own. It was named a Best Spiritual Book of 2013 by Spirituality & Practice.

"I promise: you will be transported," says Bill Moyers of this memoir. Part Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, part Growing Up Amish, and part Little House on the Prairie, this book evokes a lost time, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, when a sheltered but feisty little girl entered a family and church caught up in the midst of the cultural changes of the 1950's and '60's. With gentle humor and clear-eyed affection, the author tells the story of her first encounters with the "glittering world" and her desire for "fancy" forbidden things she could see but not touch.