Charline Ratcliff's Blog

For those of you who enjoy Historical Fiction, my new release, A Life in the Age of Pompeii, is available for free Kindle download through end of day today (2/22/19)!
I hope you will download and enjoy, and I look forward to reading your comments and reviews.
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Age-Pompe...

...to fellow, (and Romance genre) author, Diana Rubino.

Follow the below link to read the entire interview.

http://www.dianarubinoauthor.blogspot...

Hello and welcome, Don. Thank you for taking the time to interview with me. So, let’s get started!

I’ve been doing my research about you/your books prior to this interview, but sadly there isn’t a lot out there about you. Why don’t we start with a bit of your history. I do know you’re a North Carolina native…as a child, where in the state was home?

I was born in Piedmont Hospital in downtown Greensboro. It was a very small hospital located directly above a drug store. Not long after my birth, they tore it down and built the police station. Some of my friends, who know I was born there, say that the chain of events was no accident. I have a great aunt who told me she was at that hospital in childbirth during the WWII era, when Greensboro was rocked by an explosion at the military supply depot on English street to the east side of town. The blast blew in the windows of her hospital room. I have not confirmed her story. I think it's great as it is. I missed the excitement by twenty years!
My Dad worked for a large steel company that had an office in downtown Greensboro in the Jefferson building. My mother took care of me and my sister. Even as a child I realized how fortunate I was to have good parents who spent time with me; ones who cared about not only my physical needs, but that I would be a good person as well. I also had two sets of very good grandparents.
We moved out of Greensboro after the city widened our street and took part of our yard. I was about thirteen. My Dad said they took half of his yard and then sent him a bill for improvements. He had to pay for the curb and guttering that they had put in at the edge of the road. I do not know what the number was, but he says that in comparison with that, I was a deal. (He still has the bill for my birth, $80.00).
We settled in Randolph County to the south. I was thrilled! Our new home was in a forest with neighbors far away. Every day was an adventure.


What was your childhood like? Siblings? What did you do for fun?

I had one sister. When we were young, she would make up games (cleverly crafted so that she would win) and we spent almost every minute together. Our days were spent in a small back yard with a shady corner where all of our "outside" things were. We played at all the childhood stuff. Lightning bugs were big!
I well remember how we would use the most colorful leaves in the fall as money between us. The green at the base, then lime green (extra valuable), fading into yellow with an orange to red tip.
My parents were very frugal, so a trip to Hanging Rock State Park for a swim, or an evening at a skate rink was tops! We watched lots of TV. 70’s TV. Lots of it. Lots…
When we moved out into the country, I had a ten speed bike which was relatively new technology then and I had a whole world of woods with trails, streams and ponds to explore. I bought a pair of knobby tread tires for my bike at Western Auto and may have built the first mountain/trail style bike ever. Back then, ten speed bikes only had slim racing tires. I was in paradise!
So, my childhood was full of simple things. No internet, video games, or game boys for us.


Don, I’ve found that most authors I interview developed a love of books during their younger years. When did your love affair with the written word begin? Parents reading to you at night after they tucked you into bed, or something else, no doubt just as magical?

My sister began school years before I did, and I would beg her to check books out of the school library that I might like. She would read them to me. (I am sure I made a pest of myself). My parents, particularly my father, were avid readers. Once I could read, we made often trips to the public library. I would take two trips sometimes just to get all my books to the car.
My Dad kept a subscription with the Readers Digest and the newspaper. Both were always very interesting to me. We also had old encyclopedias around. I read nearly every word in them. If you wanted twenty years’ worth of out-of-date cutting edge science, then I was your boy!
In those “pre-affordable VCR” days, the freedom to explore the world, to learn about what you wanted, when you wanted, only came with books. What I read always seemed to become very real to me, even if it was fiction. Also, I still find that I can read something several times and learn new things with each reading. My "Marriage Certificate" for example. (Just a joke I couldn't resist). I am very happily married to a more than great woman! We have had twenty-nine years together and I would do it all over again if I could.


Since you are a newer author, I’m presuming that you had a separate career prior to your writing? What was it?

I am only a part time author. Most of my "career" has involved the maintenance of machines. I even worked at a small amusement park for a while. For fifteen years I was a master technician; working on materials handling equipment like forklifts and aerial platforms with one of the largest equipment dealers in the world. Currently, I am a Corporate Service Manager; overseeing the service departments of four branches for a very well-run materials handling company based in North Carolina. I have been managing for several years now.


At what point in your life did you finally sit down and start putting pen to paper? If writing stories was something you did your entire life, what was it that prompted you to finally publish them?

I love a good story. I enjoy the adventure, the suspense, and the triumph! It seems today there are so many stories that have such clichéd plots, that I am out in front of what happens next and/or disappointed with the outcome. An example of what bugs me in a story would be a plot built around a misunderstanding. You know that eventually the wrong word, or deed, will be found out, yet you just have to endure the frustration until it ends. I felt that I could write something that was fresh; something with unforeseen twists and turns with imbedded mysteries that may, or may not, ever be understood. Something fun!
After all of our children left home, and with my high stress career running full force, I asked myself…if I were to choose an occupation that I would truly enjoy, what would it be? A “what will I do when I grow up?” kind of moment, had by a man of forty-seven. The answer came as quickly as the question. I realize that I may never be able to depend entirely on my writing for my income. However, it's still fulfilling.
I wrote “Tiny Mouse and the Big Spiders,” the first book of the series, three years ago. I sent a copy of the manuscript to a publisher and I received an offer to publish. They offered for me to give them everything along with more. So, I sat on the story for over two years before I finally found a way to move forward and have it published. When I published the second book, ”Tiny Mouse and the Seeds of Titan,” another well-known publisher sent me a letter asking me to send them a manuscript. I am too new at this to know exactly what that means. For all I know everybody who starts writing gets these. They do, don't they?


Why children’s books versus young adult or adult?

I like the innocence of children's stories. However, I do not think children's stories should insult their intelligence. It's a good thing if a child is interested enough in a book to find that ancient relic called a dictionary to understand the story better. It's also a good thing, from my point of view, if someone (young or old) has to meditate a little over a section of one of my books in order to really understand it. I have tried to write to a small little area of the mind that has a big impact on how we perceive things. That area is the part of our mind that finds the crawl space under a house both scary and alluring at the same time. You know nothing is really under there. Go ahead. Crawl in and take a look. (If you dare)! Common places, when unfamiliar, can be mysterious and powerful.
The entertainment scene today for young adults seems to be full of either demons or vampires, or moving into dating and "partying." Before all those strong heavy topics is a time that's much simpler. That time is not a comfortable place for children only. The adults that have read my "Tiny Mouse" adventures have also been carried away by them. I have found that many folks love to pick up a book or go to a movie and relax. They wish to truly able to enjoy the story without fear of being confronted by disturbing, overly graphic, images.
I realize that my approach is different. In my stories, bad things happen along with good. But there is no need to be overly graphic to get the excitement between the pages. Maybe that's where the appeal has been. Tiny has had over 16,000 reads so far, around the world. That's not a lot compared to a hit, but for a first time, unknown author, who has only been out there a few months, I am awed. There are plenty of other authors if something stronger is appealing to you.
With that mouth full written, I can't say that I will only write children's books. I get bored easily. I will however, be very choosy about any other types of things I write.


Don, you have begun writing the “Tiny Harrison Mouse” adventure series. From what I’ve read, this sounds like a very fun series. Can you tell us how you came up with the premise and the various characters?

All around us is this world of tiny things we hardly notice. The most incredible things are going on there. I have been fascinated by insects, frogs, lizards, and small living things all my life. All you have to do is watch them a while. They are smart, fierce, cunning, and brave. How does all the programming to walk, fly, find food, possibly hunt, mate, and survive fit inside the head of a gnat? The amazing world of tiny things seemed like the ideal place for adventure to me. We all know something about it, but never enough.
Just think about the last time you found a big spider in your home. What grace it moved with. You've seen one a thousand times. You had to take a close look though, didn't you? What instinctive horror you shuddered with! So familiar, and yet, so strange... Uncomfortable thoughts crept into your mind. You know they did. How long has this thing been stalking around my house? How close has it been to me without my seeing it? Has it been under my sofa? In my shoes? On my bed? On ME during the night? It has lots of eyes! Has it been watching me? Now you took an even closer look, didn't you? Then, you either brushed it outside with a broom or.......Squash! To conquer your fears! After the squash you took a creepy look at what you had done.......... Didn't you now?
As for Tiny…
Tiny is a courageous young man of a mouse. He is the reflection of every young person who finds themselves just beginning to find acceptance in the adult world. Their heart is full to the point of busting with the value they know that they can bring if someone would just listen! We have all been there. That is the feeling I am trying to help everyone find...again. I saw him (Tiny) in myself, and later in my sons and daughter. I see him in my grandfather's stories when I hear them re-told in my mind. A few weeks ago my last surviving grandparent told me a story from her childhood. There again was Tiny!
Tiny has a brother who is a loyal and gifted companion. His grandfather is like the grandfather we all wanted, and some got. He is an inventor and fun loving. Wise and daring. I believe Tiny wants to be a reflection of him. I write the books, and I still don't know what he's thinking sometimes.
In our home we have a large terrarium built into a wall. Over the years we have had “guests” living in there. Including, but not limited to: an iguana, a tarantula, a chameleon, another tarantula, another chameleon, and several lizards of various species. We once had a guest come for dinner who ran out of the house! Spiders weren't her thing. Or were they? The inspiration for “Tiny Mouse and the Big Spiders” is definitely somewhere in that terrarium. I look forward to developing the characters of the rest of Tiny's family in future books of the series.
“Tiny Mouse and the Seeds of Titan” must have been inspired by the countless hours of Star Trek I have watched. Tiny went Sci-Fi! However, the title does not lead at all where you would think. You will not see the plot coming in that one! When I explained the premise of the book to a close friend he thought I had lost my sanity. He read the manuscript and found it to be a very pleasant surprise. I hope everyone does. It's all about fun. Mostly…


Besides the “fun” concept of the individual books, are there any important messages within the pages for children to discover?

Any of us could find ourselves in incredible circumstances at any time. Do we have the strength of character needed to face whatever challenge we meet? A very small person can make a large difference. We all need to develop a noble side of ourselves. Tiny is searching for nobility.


Your newest book in this series is: “Hey! That’s My Fly!” Would you care to share the book’s “about.”

As a parent, I wanted to encourage conversation between parents and their preschoolers about sharing. My concept is a bedtime story about two young chameleons who stick the same fly with their tongues. Stubbornly refusing to give in, they learn a lesson.
The cover and all the internal illustrations are scans of hand-painted acrylic originals. I used to paint, a little way back as a young man, and I wanted to see if I could still do such things.
There are questions inside, beneath the actual story dialogue. Just some common sense questions from a father of three to help start things…
I miss my children very much. They were very good children and a lot of fun. All are grown now and have their own lives. That has a lot to do with why I wrote: "Hey! That's My Fly!" The book is just out. I hope to have my heart warmed by future reports of families making good use of "Hey! That's My Fly!" for bedtime story time.


And lastly Don, what’s next from here? A different children’s series? Adult reads? Or something else?

The third Tiny Mouse Adventure will be written soon. However, there is another project in the works that is a departure from what I have done before. I have a dear friend and brother-in-law, David MacFarlane, who has led a very interesting life. Adventuresome actually... He was a commercial fisherman out of Rhode Island for years. I have listened to hours of his tales about what happened in the life of a typical commercial fisherman; from surfing the wake of a submarine to shipwreck.
David and I are writing the story of his life's adventure together. David is the uncle of the famous Seth MacFarlane, the creator of "Family Guy," and other popular animated shows. Seth even hosted the Oscars a while back. I have also seen David's brother on the red carpet in Hollywood too. Those MacFarlanes certainly know how to live a life of adventure!
And Tiny loves adventure…

Ashley, I see from your bio that you were born and raised in Texas. Texas is a huge state, so which part do you hail from? Do you currently still live there, or did you move elsewhere for school/college?

I was born in Houston, Texas and have lived in Texas for most of my life. However, I have moved a few times over the years. In fact, the book was published and came to print while I was living in South Dakota, but as of now I am back in Texas with my family going to school, working, and continuing my writing.


As a child, what did you do for fun?

You know, childhood memories seem to fade as we grow older. I guess that’s just a factor of growing up, but there are always those memories that we never forget. I remember doing a lot of things, but the most prominent thing I did when I was young was drawing. I loved to draw and had more pictures and artwork than one could imagine. Another thing was, of course, reading everything and anything. Hmmm. What else? Well I loved to play with my friends and I do remember spending a lot of time with them and my family. My family was then and has been the center point of my life.


You mentioned that you have been an artist all of your life? How did you discover your gift of being able to draw? When you have the time to draw, what captures your interest, and in turn, winds up on the paper or canvas?

It’s actually an interesting fact, that I’ve always had the talent. I used to draw pictures back before I was even in Kindergarten, so it was never something I really discovered, just something I’ve always been able to do. It’s kind of a natural talent. As for what captures my interest, and in turn, winds up on the canvas or paper? Well … a lot of the time I wind up drawing or painting pictures of nature. I’ve never really been one to do abstract work, but at times I do manage to produce a piece like that. However, most of my work is of animals and nature in general, unless of course it was a project we had to do in class where specifics were given; but then, even then, I would put my own twist on it if I could.


So, you are a self-professed bookworm. Was there a pivotal point where your love of books started?

To be honest, this is another thing I can’t really pinpoint when it started. I do remember reading when I was younger, especially the Animal Ark Series (I was always excited when we had the Scholastic Book Fair at school), but not as I do now. Now I read daily and you usually can’t find me without a book. There is one specific point I remember when I was younger and it actually revolves around the J.K. Rowling’s series. I remember not knowing if I wanted to read the books and my best friend convincing me to just read a couple of pages from the book she was in. That was all it took and I was hooked. I went home and that weekend my mom bought me the first two in the series, which I then devoured. Since then, I suppose, I have been a bookworm, always reading.


Ashley, I noticed that your writing career began for you during middle school. How did that come about? Was there one specific thing that triggered it, or was it more of an unknown yearning inside of you that just blossomed into fruition one day?

My best friend and I (we’ve known each other since we were knee high to a grasshopper) used to have a type of imaginary game we would play. It had the imaginary creatures and difficulties we would have to face as if we really lived in that world (we both had quite an imagination back then) and I remember it was summer time when I was thinking about how life used to be when we were younger, nothing but fun and games… and I remembered that game. I thought about it long and hard before I finally decided to try and write about it (well… that was a failure) but that’s where it started and it just evolved from there. I still have the beginnings of that book around here somewhere…


I see that you also have a strong desire to become a veterinary later on in life. Are you currently enrolled in a school for this, or is this something that is temporarily on the back burner?

I am currently enrolled in an online veterinarian technician program and currently studying to become a certified Vet Tech before I head off to the veterinarian school of my choice (that is whichever one accepts me once I apply). School has always been something I have strived at and I do enjoy learning, but sometimes I do have to juggle writing and studying, which can make life a bit interesting.


Moving on to your books, I’ve noticed a definite theme of aspiring to help others learn to recognize, and then overcome, life’s obstacles. Can you share with us your goal with these books? (Other than the good “taking readers away” feeling).

To be completely honest, the book took a turn I didn’t perceive at first. I had an entirely different idea for the novel and then it went left when I wanted to go right. But, as I look back on it now, I know that it was going the direction I was pushing it all along. This book is not a compilation of my own experiences (I did pull for things I witnessed as a teenager growing up); although I have had many assume that and ask me questions pertaining to the subject.
In all reality, I hope that this book can open the eyes of young adults and perhaps teenagers who are considering doing drugs or abusing some other substance in an attempt to get away from something that is troubling them. It is a book that shows the consequences of a choice made and how it not only affects the main person but their family and friends as well. I hope that this novel can hit home and open their minds, to just give them the thought to wait and consider what they are doing before they do it, to show them that drugs and substance abuse is a downward spiral and that it doesn’t fix the problem, only masks it and that the only way to fix what is troubling you is to lean on those you have for support or to find someone you can lean on that understands and listens rather than doing the extreme. Everyone has rocky moments in life because life isn’t fair and it’s not easy, but it is worth living.


Your first novel: “Nothing More, Nothing Less” is now out and published. (Congratulations)! Would you care to share how you came up with this book’s premise?

Thank you, first of all, and I really can’t explain how I came up with the book as I did. As I said before in the answer above, the book idea I had intended didn’t happen; it went left when I wanted it to go right. However, when I realized the direction I was headed, I ran with it because ultimately I realized the potential at that point to help others. I wanted to get a book out that shows the reality of drug addiction and not only how it affects the user but their family and friends as well. I do understand that my perception may not be the same as someone else’s and because I haven’t been in the shoes of an addict it may not be entirely correct, but the point of the book was not to show the highs of drug addiction (for instance, the fun and the feelings that kids talk about when getting high) but the lows, the comedowns, and the dangers; and, all I can do is hope that it does that. That it helps someone.


I also have to ask if “Nothing More, Nothing Less” was difficult for you to write based on some of the situations I know are in it.

It was a difficult book to compose, and the sequel which I am currently writing as of now seems to be giving more of a run for my money then the first one, but I’m glad I was able to write it. I had to research a few things in order to get my ideas straight so that it was realistic and so that when someone was reading it they weren’t thinking to themselves that the book was way off track in the field of drug addiction. I, actually, had to put myself into the emotional status of what I was writing at times in order to formulate the scenes and, I had to literally put myself into the protagonist’s perspective to write his voice. That’s where the next question comes into play because along with pulling from my own downs and ups in life, I used music to help set the atmosphere.


Lastly, I chuckled when I read you write with music playing. As a writer myself, that is not a feat I have been able to accomplish. How do you focus on writing your words, without accidentally writing whatever you’re hearing?

I have actually always written with music on, in fact, I am listening to music now as I answer these questions. As long as I can remember, I used to listen to music even when I did homework back in high school. I guess you can call me crazy but it helps inhibit the side of my brain that allows for creativity when I have to do book-work because I drown in out as background noise, whereas, when I write it’s at the forefront and allows for scenes to play out in my mind because I tailor the playlist of songs to fit the mood and atmosphere of the scene I’m writing. For instance, in Nothing More, Nothing Less, I had to feel like I was viewing the scene from Brandon’s (main character) perspective so if he was mad, the music had an air of anger about it; or if he was upset or down, then the music was calm with an air of melancholy about it.
To keep from writing what I’m hearing, it’s something I can’t really explain because I’m not sure myself. I don’t really tune out the music when it’s playing, but allow a scene to form from it. Certain music will draw a character’s actions formulating a scene almost instantly to my mind and until it’s down on paper that’s all I visualize while the song is playing, other songs I find myself staring out into space while I ponder of what’s going on in the novel (for instance, what does the music bring to the manuscript? i.e. a battle, a somber moment, etc.). Nonetheless, I will add that writing with music is difficult. I have, at times, wound up listening to the songs (and sometimes singing along) more than writing if I’m just not in the mood to write.


Ashley, thanks for your time. It was great learning so much about you, your book and your dreams. I wish you much success with all of your life goals and endeavors!

Michael, “The Hanging Tree” is your first novella, (although not your first title) and of course my immediate question is: what got you started with writing?

I started writing because I had a story and just tested it out. I can't say that there was an "Aha" moment. I have always dabbled, but CreateSpace gave me the opportunity to actually publish. I have written things over the years, but it is almost impossible to get an agent. Having a site where you can actually bypass an agent, as well as a publisher, opens up horizons to untested talent. You no longer have to be at the right place, at the right time - you can make the right place at the right time!


Moving on to your book, “The Hanging Tree” has a very unique premise. What was it for you that triggered this story?

There is an old tree on Route 107 that has a history of hauntings. Though the "ghosts" are from the early part of the 20th century, the tree is gnarly and awesome looking. Halloween was around the corner, I could see the apple cider, and Goody Bennett told me she had a story to tell. Not really, but she took shape in my mind and one thing lead to another.


On the book’s back cover you mentioned that this tale is loosely based on a local tree with a haunted past on the North Shore of Long Island. How did you come to learn of this tree’s history? Did you grow up near it?

I passed it daily when I went to CW Post College. It was around the corner from a friend's house and that's how I heard of the legend. It was the scene of a horrific accident from the "roaring 20's." My parents used it as an example of the consequence of driving too fast, or drinking and driving.


Why was the tree named: “The Hanging Tree?” Was it really because its branches were so low to the ground, or was there a more sinister meaning?

I had heard it was called the Hanging Tree because the bodies from the accident were strewn in the branches. It is said, that when the light is just right, you can see the bodies of the victims hanging on the limbs of the tree.


In “The Hanging Tree” your readers will meet seventeen-year-old Arielle along with her eighteen-year-old boyfriend Chad. Shortly thereafter, they will also meet the ghostly denizens who call “The Hanging Tree” home. How did you come up with the apparitional aspect of this plot?

I wanted to include very different time periods. Goody Bennett comes from early colonial days. Though there is no record of witch hunts like in Salem, it wasn't a stretch. The area is dotted with old homes and remnants of early settlers in the area. The North Shore of Long Island was an area rich in history with big, beautiful mansions, many dating from a wide variety of time periods. I picked Gibson Girl from the Victorian period and her story is rather brief. Martin and Arthur are inspired from the accident that occurred at the infamous tree. Each is connected in a very special way.


What era is “The Hanging Tree” set in? Are there multiple eras? If so, when are they?

The book starts in the present, and then goes into Long Island during the 1600's with the early British settlers. It skirts around the Victorian era. I did not go into Gibson's girl other than a suggestion of what happened to her, because I actually found it too horrifying. I really got attached to the characters. The last era is World War 1, just around 1917.


What keeps these ghosts tethered to this earthly plain? Why haven’t they moved on into whatever the afterlife is?

They have been cursed by Goody. I can't really reveal more because it’s the thread that holds the story together. You will have to read what the commonality between these grounded ghosts is!


And finally, with Arielle and Chad spending so much time around “The Hanging Tree,” is there a “happily ever after” in their future? Or will they wind up being the newest additions to the ghostly “family” that calls “The Hanging Tree” home?

Again, the choice is theirs, and ultimately yours if you decide to read the book!

Michael, you are working on a new epic fantasy series, the first book of which is: “Schism: The Battle for Darracia.” Can you tell us how you became interested in writing a fantasy genre book/series to begin with? Did you grow up reading authors like MacDonald and Tolkien, or was writing fantasy just something that you felt a calling for?

I love Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. I have played fantasy video games my whole life as well. “Schism: The Battle for Darracia,” sort of played out in my mind before I wrote it. Consequently, it was relatively easy to commit to paper.


Do you find writing fantasy more challenging than any other kind of fiction, due to the requirement of having to create everything yourself? With no facts, (historical or otherwise), to use as stepping stones for a tale?

I didn't think about it until I actually started writing. I had a story and then I realized as I wrote it, that I had to back everything up with a structure to build upon. If the world is completely new, the reality totally my own, it needed to be defined. It was hard to describe everyday things we take for granted and try not to sound silly by inventing names. I did use world history for the political backdrop; I just adjusted the issues to my new little world. People and their challenges are the same, as far as I am concerned. The human condition is universal, even if you are not dealing with "humans."


Michael, you previously shared with us how you became interested in the fantasy world. Now can you share with us how your series “Schism” came to fruition?

My brother and I were playing at inventing a universe with conditions and problems that plague this world. The characters came to life, easily and felt so familiar. They could be found anywhere, they just look different.


In “Schism: The Battle for Darracia” you have explained, (via the back cover), that an ever widening social gap is destroying the harmony of a once peaceful world. Can you give us a brief summation of your vision for this book?

Prince V'sair is the heir apparent to a fractured world. His father married a different species and he has never fit in with the rough and tough Darracians he will someday rule. His own planet is divided into three very diverse cultures that barely tolerate each other. It is a planet fraught with prejudice and social inequality. Add in action, romance, rebellion, fratricide and you have a great adventure that tackles a wide variety of issues. It is a coming of age story, a tale of budding romance, a novel of fate and the choices we make to get here.


And then, of course, what’s your vision for the “Schism” series?

I don't know yet. I actually have the last page of the series done, but I haven't decided how I am going to get there. I am thick into the second book right now and just getting to the climax.


While I understand that this is a fantasy read Michael, is there anything you wish your readers to take away from the tale with regards to our very real world? If so, what would that be?

The most important lesson my mother taught both my brother and myself is: "To thine own self be true." Every time we get just slightly off course, she will remind us of those words. The book is also about faith and belief in yourself.


Lastly, what other tales are in the works once this series is completed?

I have a ghostly crime drama that I will start researching as soon as this one is printed. It is based on truth and is very interesting.

Hello, Jennifer. Thank you for choosing to share some of your life story with us. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? I read in your bio that you were born and raised in California. Which part? Did you ever move out of state, and if so, where and why?

Hello, and thank you so much for having me here today. I grew up along the coast of central California (Monterey to San Francisco area), which jump-started my love for the outdoors and the abundant wildlife. Even today, I still love taking hikes along the beaches and up in the hills. It has been a great way for me focus and relax. And, of course for me to get a new idea for my next book. I have lived most of my life in California, but I have also lived in Oklahoma and Colorado for short periods of time.


As a child, what was your life like? I imagine, (since you enjoy the outdoors), that you were a fairly active child? What were some of your favorite activities?

I was very lucky because of the mild weather along the California coast. I was able to be outdoors whenever I could. I was somewhat of a fearless child (a little bit tomboyish) and wanted to try just about everything. My closest friends were both boys and girls. I spent time at the beach, went cycling, go-carting, horseback riding, enjoyed various sports, and my favorite outdoor sport was tennis. Even though I loved to be outside, I still made time for reading and writing.


When did your love of books begin? And of course, with the genre you write, I have to ask if you were a Nancy Drew fan? Hardy Boys?

Of course! I loved the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series – and still do. In fact, I have most of the Nancy Drew books on my bookshelf today. My love for books goes back as far as I can remember. I learned to read at an early age, before school-age, and I plowed through every book I could find. Books fascinated me and I loved to read all types of genres, but mysteries and adventures interested me the most.


Now, you also mentioned that your love of writing started early on in your life. Was there something significant that prompted this?

Every week my mom took me to the library and I would load up on books – as many as I could carry. I loved books because it inspired a wild imagination that prompted me to write little stories. Basically, my stories were about animals (namely my own stuffed animals). Let us just say that my tea parties were not the typical kind, since I liked to write little scripts for all of the participants.


So, Jennifer, childhood came and went, college arrived and you chose police forensics and criminology. Why? Had you always been interested in what makes the criminal mind tick, or was there something else that propelled you to this calling?

In the usual order of school, I went into business management and accounting. It was not until about ten years ago that I decided to go back to school to pursue my interest in criminology and forensics. This came about through a personal experience I had with a violent “sociopath” that lived next door to me. For two and half years, this person threatened my life, stalked me, as he had very specific ways that he was going to murder and dismember me. I could have let this situation really stumble my life and live in fear, but I began to study everything I could about crime, forensics, and the criminal mind. I developed friendships with various local law enforcement individuals, which were supportive of my studies. Let us just say that there is always something good to come out of something terrible – if you look for it. I never looked back and moved forward with a new career with something I really enjoyed.


Moving on to your books… Emily Stone, the protagonist of your series, sounds like an impressive woman. Fiercely determined to stand up for what is right, while not being very interested in the overly material things in life. Is there someone in your life (including you) that you may have modeled her after?

Emily Stone is a combination of people I have met throughout my life, and of course a little bit of me. As I studied various subjects in criminology, a few things stood out to me. One of them was the number of reported missing/abducted children every year in this country – about 800,000. Once parent or family abductions were subtracted, there still were a significant number of children missing every year. The total is about 60,000 children. For more information, you go to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The numbers astounded me and I incorporated this into the character of Emily Stone along with profiling, forensics, and law enforcement knowledge.


Jennifer, I must also confess that I was taken aback to see you had written four crime fiction/thriller novels and one non-fiction book: “How to Write a Screenplay.” That’s quite a genre jump… How did that come about? Do you have movies out that we are unaware of?

I have written more than twelve completed screenplays in the cop and suspense genres, and I have taught workshops for beginning screenwriters. In addition to my love for books, I love movies too. I learned everything I could about the art of screenwriting. I was close a couple of times of selling a script; but at this point, I have not had any of my stories produced. In fact, my first Emily Stone novel, Compulsion, was originally going to be a screenplay. Something interesting happened along the way, I began to write a full-length book. I realized that I had found my comfortable niche and writing voice. I also found that screenwriting with tight action and dialogue formats has helped me to fine-tune my books.


Returning to your crime fiction/thriller novels I see that “Dead Burn” is the fourth book in your Emily Stone series. Is there a new book upcoming, and if so what’s in store for Emily?

I am having the best time creating new adventures for Emily Stone – I feel that they are endless. There are several more books planned in the future. Late winter, early spring of 2014, Stone Dark will be released. It will take the reader into the darker past of Emily Stone and why she chose her current path as a vigilante detective. Of course, there will be plenty of action and forensic investigations as in the previous books.


When can we expect to see Emily Stone on the big screen and which actress would you choose to represent her?

I would love to see Emily Stone on the big screen. You never know what the future will bring. I will just have to wait and see. As for what actress would best represent Emily Stone, that is a tough one. It would have to be a gutsy, tough actress like Angelina Jolie.


And of course, what’s next for you?

There are two new novels slated for this year. In addition to the Emily Stone crime thriller, I am creating a new forensic mystery series. I will have book updates and fun additions on my blog and social networks.


Finally, as we wrap this interview up, is there anything else that you would like to share with your/our readers?

Thank you for having me. That was fun! First, thank you to everyone who took the time to read this interview about my experiences and books. I appreciate so much my readers and feedback of my Emily Stone series, please feel free to leave comments or questions for me anytime.


Thank you, Jennifer. This interview has been a pleasure.

Tom, you mention in your bio that you’re a native of San Antonio and I noticed that you currently reside there. What is it about this particular place that brought you back/keeps you there?

To coin a phrase, home is where the heart is. I was born and reared in San Antonio. When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait to get out of here. But in the Yankee cities I moved to – New York and Boston – I missed the polite manners and warm climate and biculturalism and Mexican food and fried chicken. I also missed my friends and relatives and other loved ones. Thomas Wolfe wrote “You Can’t Go Home Again,” but he was wrong. I could and I did.


I imagine that as a child, San Antonio was much different then, than it is today. Would you give us a brief glimpse of San Antonio through your eyes as a child?

When I was a child, San Antonio was an overgrown town. It is now a big city. I used to be able to walk downtown from my house and everybody took the bus when they didn’t feel like driving. Emerson said that for everything that is given, something is taken, and I guess that applies here. The transformation has had pros AND cons. A character in one of my short stories (“Going Down with the Ship”) says of San Antonio, “In its push to become a city, it had lost its charm and grown too big for its britches.” I don’t agree totally, but I do somewhat. One thing that has not changed is the retired military mentality here because of all the bases. That’s something I wish had changed but never will. San Antonio still calls itself “Military City.”


Tom, in reading through your blog, I took stock of the fact that you have been writing for many, many years. Where did your love of writing come from? Was there one particular moment, or has writing always been a lifelong love?

I started writing when I was four years old. I was an only child in a big house with lots of grownups and I had few playmates. Someone gave me a blackboard – the kind that folds up like a TV tray – and some chalk for Christmas, and I used to compose serials and comic strips on my blackboard. Since then I have never wanted to be anything other than a writer. I had no talent for anything else anyway.


Most people I have interviewed write only books whereas you began with short stories/magazine features. How did that come about? How different is the writing of a short story versus a book? Which do you enjoy more?

I wrote short stories in college for my creative writing courses at UT-Austin and enjoyed it. I then tried to write novels but nobody would publish them. I did not start writing for magazines until the seventies, when two counterculturalists started up a city magazine here. Short stories are easier to write because you can see the whole story in your head before you begin. It’s a sprint, like running the hundred-yard dash. Whereas novels are more like marathon runs, lasting many miles, and you don’t always know where you’re going. Novels are sheer hell to write.


In the year 2000, you wrote your first book: “Banking on Tradition.” What prompted this “130 year history of the Frost National Bank?” Can you share a little bit about this book with our readers?

I wrote the bank history in 2000 because I had gotten very interested in the city’s history. The Frost Bank history began just after the Civil War. My book chronicles the history of San Antonio along with that of the Frost Bank. The reason I wrote it was, I had been the editor of the city magazine (“SA: The Magazine of San Antonio”) and the big shots at the bank thought I could do a better job than anyone else who was a native San Antonian. They were right.


Tom, you recently published another title, “SIGNED CONFESSIONS” in 2012. How did this book come to fruition? Were these stories originally written just for fun? As magazine articles that never made it to print? Or, had you been aspiring to write a book that would allow you to showcase a different aspect of your writing talents?

The stories in SIGNED CONFESSIONS were written over a 20-year period starting in 1993. I wrote the first one, “Blessed Are They That Mourn,” for a San Antonio writer’s club I’d joined. The other stories came to me at random, one at a time, over the years. I had no plan to collect them in a book. But after I had written the seventh and final one, I realized how many themes had recurred throughout and decided to make a collection of the stories. It all came together serendipitously.


What do you do in your “off” time when you’re not writing?

I am an old dude now and live a pretty dull life. In my “off” time I read, follow sports (baseball, Spurs basketball, pro football), listen to music (classical and country western), go to movies, and watch TV. I watch a lot more TV than I used to because lately what I see on TV is better written than what I see up on the big screen in theaters. Continuing week-to-week shows like “The Sopranos” and “Six Feet Under” and “Homeland” and “House of Cards” are better written than the movies in the theaters. I look forward to them as I did Saturday afternoon serials when I was a kid.


From this point in your life, where do you hope to go with your writing? More magazine features and short stories, or is there another book in the works? If there is another book can you share anything about it?

I hope to continue writing until the day I die. There is no happier person than a writer who has totally submerged himself in working on a story or novel or play or book of poems or whatever. There is no more miserable person than a writer who is not writing anything. I am now working on a novel, even though the three novels I wrote between 1976 and 1996 never got published. The new novel is called A DAY IN THE LIFE, after a Beatles song, and it’s in the absurdist CATCH-22 mode. That’s all I can say about it now.


Tom, with as much knowledge, and experience, as you possess in the industry, are there any words of wisdom you can pass on to our readers and/or aspiring authors?

To aspiring and wannabe writers, I would advise the following. Write! The more you write, the better you will write. Establish a regimen and stick to it. Go to the same place every day at the same time and see to it that you are not interrupted. Don’t be discouraged by rejection slips. CATCH-22, which I consider one of the greatest novels of the Twentieth Century, was rejected by 24 publishers before someone would take a chance on it.


And finally, as our interview comes to a close, is there a humorous experience or anecdote of yours that you would like to share?

Humorous Experience? When I was trying to find an agent and a publisher for SIGNED CONFESSIONS, I kept hearing this: “Nobody will publish a collection of short stories unless the writer has already published one.” That sounded to me like something crazy out of CATCH-22. It was like hearing “You can’t get a job unless you’ve already had a job.” Then how does anyone ever get his or her FIRST job? And how does anyone publish his or her FIRST book of short stories? When I asked the agents and publishers these questions, they just laughed at me as if I were crazy. And by then I was going crazy, thanks to them. You have to keep a sense of humor in this profession or you will go bananas.


Thank you for sharing, Tom. It has truly been a pleasure to learn more about you.

Welcome J; and thanks for sitting down with me today. I’m looking forward to learning more about you, so let’s get started!

I’ve attempted to do as much research as possible (prior to this interview), but there isn’t a whole lot of “about you” out there. With that said, why don’t you tell us something about yourself? Like, where did you grow up?

I'm from the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. It was strange because so many people who pass through there are military families, but mine wasn't. I actually lived there from birth until college whereas most people only stay there for a few years before they’re transferred elsewhere. At that time, there wasn't much in the area aside from military bases and Virginia Beach; however things are very different now. There are actual bars! And not just in strip malls! Don’t worry though; there are still plenty of bars in strip malls, if that's your thing. There are even nice restaurants that aren't chain restaurants and more than one art house theater. I hardly recognize the place anymore…


I know you started writing (if I may quote you) “terrible science fiction” novels at age fourteen, but what was your childhood like prior to then?

It was on the water, so there was a lot of fishing and seasickness in my childhood. For about eight years, my mother was also a single mother which meant I had to learn how to entertain myself when she dragged me on multi-hour shopping trips.

I was an only child, and a lot of people write about how only children experience solitude rather than loneliness. I think that was very true in my case. I had a lot of time to myself. That’s probably why I still have such an overactive imagination. I would always try to make up new games for my friends to play, which usually just involved overelaborate tweaks to freeze tag or flashlight tag.

I read a lot, like…every novel written by John Bellairs (at the time), Fred Saberhagen's Swords books, Lord of the Rings, and a lot of Marvel comics. I also did a lot of drawing, a talent I have well, and thoroughly, lost in adulthood.

I was an awkward kid, and sometimes I had a lot of discipline problems at school because I thought drawing comic book and video game characters was much more interesting than math class. The one thing I didn't do was play D&D, which I actually regret. I also had a handful of like-minded friends who I'd chew things over with as we spent too much time playing aforementioned overelaborate versions of flashlight tag at night and tons of Nintendo during the day.


What about after the age of fourteen? What did you do for fun? (Besides penning stories to paper and/or floppies).

I spent a lot of time with music. It started with piano lessons when I was about twelve. Then I turned into a band geek and spent quite a bit of time playing the saxophone. I even kept that up throughout college, including my long and still ongoing flirtation with being a bad guitar player. I was even in a few short-lived jazz bands in college that were a lot of fun. I definitely went full into being more of a music nerd back then. I owned mountains of tapes, then mountains of CDs.

I'm still a bit of a music hoarder to this day, but since most of it is digital, it doesn't cause the astounding amount of clutter that it used to. I was the guy in high school who listened to a bunch of bands no one had heard of, but I knew better than to be the snob. We all know teenagers take their music very seriously, and I was coming into my music fanaticism during peak grunge and then the heyday of Tupac, Biggie, and Wu-Tang. I only tried to drink it all in, the popular and the obscure, and I still try to. It's hard nowadays, though, with so many sub-genres and the disintegration of radio into something that only plays the same ten songs over and over again. Thank god for something like Spotify. I can be a parasite on my friends and expose myself to everything they're enjoying. I discover most new music nowadays that way. College was often a drunken haze of arguments about whether the loud frat party music was terrible or genius.


J, Based on your book’s genres, I’m presuming that somewhere along the way, between infancy to fourteen, you became enamored of Science Fiction. How did that come about?

It all started with watching the Star Trek animated series on Nickelodeon of all places. That was probably my first exposure to sci-fi. Then there was Star Wars, naturally, and more Star Trek. I even read a lot of the novels. I was that kind of obsessive. Mix in the Star Wars and all the fantasy books I read and it was always going on in the background of my mind.

A lot of my early writing and drawing were all about imitating those influences; trying to fuse them together. I would invent my own characters and universes, but there were always echoes of these other stories, narratives, worlds, and characters. I also went to a few writing camps when I was an early teenager, and those also helped me hone my interest and abilities. Later, I discovered stuff with a lot more nuance and slippery morality, which is still a subject that interests me to this day, but that early stuff got me hooked through my childhood and then teenage years.


J, in doing my research, I also noticed that you are rather… fond of Immanuel Kant. *smile* How does one bridge the gap from Science Fiction to a man who is, for all intents and purposes, considered to be the central figure of modern philosophy?

Kant was a philosopher who I was obsessed with in college, among others. Hannah Arendt and Michel Foucault were also a huge influence on me. I was a double-major in political theory and econ, and Kant was something that resonated with me. I got into a lot of drunken arguments with some people about him, most of which I had forgotten about until I saw that Russian news story about the people who started shooting at each other over an argument in a bar about Kant. Gave me a lot of flashbacks, definitely.

Kant held, and I'm paraphrasing a lot here, that what we perceive is partially a result of things that our minds impose on the world. What we know, and see, is not the full picture of objective reality. There may be many aspects of the world and the universe that we cannot comprehend or perceive. That is obviously rich territory for both science fiction and/or fantasy, as there may be areas of science or technology beyond our understanding. Or, of course, magic might exist outside our normal perception.

Kant originally intended to stop the endless squabbling among philosophers in trying to “prove” the existence of God as that's clearly a realm outside human perception, but it had much stronger implications than that. There are things that we understand, that we can predict, but we never quite have the whole picture. Again, that's a dramatic oversimplification, but it's an important takeaway from Kant's philosophy.


Moving from childhood into adulthood, what career path did you choose for yourself outside of the writing arena?

I had a misbegotten urge to take up public service. That started with a college internship I had with the Navy. I studied a lot more in college taking classes in public finance, government, and political philosophy and went to graduate school in public administration. During that time I had an internship with the City of Syracuse and got a close look at the problems the “Rust Belt” in the northeast is facing.

The local officials were fighting a losing war against a city with a shrinking tax base and a shrinking population, but with growing problems in all sorts of areas like crime, abandoned housing, and unemployment. They were dedicated and smart people, but they were facing questions that had no good answers. It was sobering, but when I graduated in 2003 the only things available were public sector jobs at the federal level here in DC. That's how I ended up in the DC area, and I've worked for several different agencies as a fed and as a contractor since then. I'd like to one day work for local government, or write full-time, but both of those are not the easiest situations to pull off.


Let’s talk about your debut novel: “Hand of Chaos.” What inspired that manuscript?

A few different things… A lot of it was very spur of the moment. I had decided that I would do National Novel Writing Month in 2007 and I had a few different ideas kicking around in my head. I wanted to do a dark fantasy story set in present day for quite a while, and I had a few different scenes and characters in mind, so I decided to just do it. I also had recurring nightmares about zombies in my high-rise apartment building, and that was just a gift from my subconscious. I couldn't NOT write about that.

One thing “Hand of Chaos” was very inspired by was the BBC show “Spooks” (“MI-5” here). That show had a lot of things shows like 24 and The Shield did, where the protagonists have to morally compromise themselves in order to stop the greater evil, but the pacing and the characters were so much richer and the villains and antagonists evil, but relatable on some level. Especially interesting in that series was the impact their jobs had on their lives, the fact that they lived in deception and couldn't have an authentic personal life. That's obviously something that has influenced me, not in terms of straight-up anti-heroes, but more like people who constantly have to live in a world of moral flexibility where truth and certainty are illusive.

They do good, they do evil, and they have personal problems. They struggle for the right answer and get it wrong sometimes and they accept that “it is what it is” when that happens. I thought it would be interesting to build my heroes out of a worldview like that, one where both pure good and pure evil are the problem. Both can be equally oppressive in certain ways. The Grays, as my characters are referred to by others, seek to balance them. They keep either side from truly winning and try to protect ordinary people from all of these hidden agendas. I took the ideas of demons, angels, and these other mystical forces and sort of have them stand in for terrorists, ideologies, and geopolitics.

Aside from all that pretentious talk, I also wanted to write a fantasy novel where the magic was something deeply unnatural and disturbing. I wanted the moments of magic use to be surreal and unsettling, even when the protagonists use it. Sometimes the way magic is treated in fantasy is frustrating to me, so I wanted to do it the way I wanted to see it.


J, what were your favorite aspects of writing “Hand of Chaos?”

Aside from the adrenaline-fueled experience of churning out the first 50K during NaNoWriMo, I took to reading some weird things for inspiration. Things like medieval witch-hunter handbooks (malleus mallificarum), the Goetia with its demon-drawings by Aleister Crowley, lots of folklore, apocrypha, and Gnostic bibles. That gave me a lot of interesting alternative viewpoints and historical perspectives on Christianity that I could use to shape out this world.

I adapted it to the modern context and tried to understand how these concepts and ideas could fit in with not only a contemporary setting but to the world of espionage and counter-terrorism. Solving those puzzles and finding the interesting pieces to put together was fun and a challenge. There's also watching the characters come to life. They popped in “Hand of Chaos,” feeding off each other and growing better than I expected. It's exhilarating when you have a “cast” that gels together like that.


What were your least favorite aspects?

Editing. I've gotten a lot better at it over time, but it was tough with this one. One of the early pieces of feedback I got from a lot of my beta readers was that they wanted more explanation and description. In subsequent drafts I took that way too far and ended up with these exposition dumps all over the place. My manuscript went from the original, hefty length of 130K to a 190K word monster. Obviously that was unreadable, so I ultimately decided to eviscerate it. I got it down to around 115K at the end, which was like cutting a Great Gatsby and then some out of my novel.

It was painful, and I lost a lot of interesting “flavor” moments and dialogue between the characters, as well as a lot of stuff shaping out the main villain, but in the end the manuscript became a lot more focused and most appreciate the slim version more than the bloated one. It was a difficult and painful process to cut so much, though. It's a painstaking process for any author to put so much of their own writing in the trash. It did make me more economical as a writer overall, though. The fact that I can actually write flash fiction, which is something that I thought myself incapable of before, is a good measure of that.


So, “Hand of Chaos” has been published, and you have moved on to “Scarred Earth,” a Tumblr novel where you share new content weekly. What started this compilation? Is this a story that will ever come out in book format, or do you prefer it to remain on Tumblr and forever free to all?

It began with NaNoWriMo! Sorry, it's a recurring theme. I find it important to me as a writer. It forces me to get bolder and take more risks in my writing, and usually the leftovers from it help me develop something better either in subsequent drafts or repurpose into something else. That's sort of what happened with “Scarred Earth.” I had a problem with writing chapters and scenes that were far too long. I didn't let the negative space, the hidden transcript between the text, speak for itself.

“Scarred Earth” was a challenge I undertook to write extremely short chapters. I had long had a lot of ideas and had written some manuscripts and stories for a fictional universe that involved an alien invasion and the aftermath of that, and “Scarred Earth” was when I finally decided to tell that story. The multitude of perspectives and characters lets me examine things from a lot of different angles and even in forms that don't match traditional fictional narratives.

As far as whether I will put it out in book format, I'm not sure. If anything, I would probably release it in e-book format and maybe put some extra chapters and material in to justify releasing it separately, but I certainly don't ever plan to take the Tumblr version down; barring significant changes in the platform. A lot of writers put free stories up to promote their work and get things out to readers and I've decided “Scarred Earth” was a great method for that, especially as it is a novel and an anthology wrapped in one.


Last question… What’s your plan/vision from here? Any political satire books to write/share? *chuckle*

Political reality satirizes itself nowadays. That said, I am moving forward with the sequel to “Hand of Chaos.” I've written most of the first draft and it does have a lot more acidic things to say about politics, as does a lot of “Scarred Earth.” A lot of my experience has made me pretty cynical, but it's been a long transformation. In my past I actually did things like lit dropping and political canvassing, but it's tough to look at the landscape nowadays and think happy thoughts. If anything, I do tend to have faith in people, but not so much in institutions. Certainly not so much of our civilization's leadership, either.

Welcome Catherine, and thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. I know my, and no doubt your, readers will enjoy learning more about you.

I've been to your website and I appreciate how informative it is. In perusing the website, you mentioned, very eloquently I might add, that your library card was your passport, and the books you read were your adventures. How old were you when you started reading so voraciously? What was is that prompted your keen interest in books?


I started reading in the first grade, and by the fourth grade I had read every Nancy Drew I could find in the library. My mother had been a school teacher, so TV, which was in its infancy, was forbidden during the week. In the evenings, books were my adventures, and I usually read several each week. I fancied myself after Pippi Longstocking! To this day, I am an avid reader, choosing to read over watching TV.

(*chuckle* I, too, was a Nancy Drew, and Pippi Longstocking fan).


Catherine, after college, you state that you took your love of books to the classroom. How did that come about? What did you teach? In your twenty-five years of working with students, I imagine there were many memorable moments. Do you have a favorite?

My majors in were English and Communication Arts. I decided to pick up a teaching credential so I could find a job, which I did. I started teaching second grade, and fell in love with opening up the world of books to hungry students. I earned my Masters Degree in Education, and became a Reading Specialist.

I taught elementary school for fifteen years, and college level English for ten. My favorite grade was third. The students still love their teachers, and they still love school. My favorite time of the day was DEAR: drop everything and read. We would all read for fifteen minutes after lunch. I found it relaxing and I used this time as a role model for my students. I had discovered that many of my students lived in homes where there were no books and their parents didn't read. One of my favorite experiences was putting on the Christmas play with my first graders—complete with costumes!


With your intense love of books Catherine, when was it that you actually sat down and began writing your own?

After I left the school district and went to the college level, I found I had more time. I completed The Artist Way program and my first book, “Reaching the Summit,” came out of it. I created a studio off my bedroom and developed the practice of writing. (Around my own children’s sports schedules).


Catherine, you have a new book out: “The Divorce Ranch.” From what I've read, it seems to have the makings of a very fun story. What was it that inspired this specific book?

I read an article in the paper several years ago about the divorce ranches and started researching. I discovered that I live up the mountain from where two of the most famous ones once were. I picked the thirties because the social conditions were similar to what we have now: recession/depression, war abroad, economic hard times, etc.

Women were discovering their voices. Gambling was beginning in this state, and Nevada figured out a way to weather the Great Depression by creating the divorce culture. They shortened the length of time to six weeks and one did not have to prove cause. You just had to stay here for six weeks, have someone verify that you were indeed here for six weeks, and promise to make Nevada your home. (Most people had their return tickets in their suitcases). Thus, people came from all over the world to divorce their partner. Divorce gave Nevada a unique identity, a cosmopolitan glamour, a splash of sin, and the whiff of celebrity.


This has been a great Q & A Catherine, and I guess my final question would simply be: do you have any words of wisdom for the author who is just beginning his/her own writing journey?

First, one must be an avid reader. Reading opens up so many worlds. One must see the words “dance across the page.”
Then one must develop the self-discipline to actually write—sitting down at your desk and writing. I feel the writing process is important, and when I taught college English I always instructed my students in this process.

First, you must have your “shitty” first draft. (Anne Lamott) The first draft is the frame of the story. When I finish the first draft, I put it away for awhile, then I take it out and then I re-read it, take notes, etc.

The second step is to re-write it. This is where people get hung up. Re-writing is not revision. It’s not using Word to “move” words around. It’s re-writing. I print out the pages and delete it off my computer so I’m not tempted.

Next is Revision. (Make it better). Proofing, then Publication. I also think you need a fair reader, and avoid critics who just want to rip you apart because they are too scared to even try.

Also, it’s important to remember that writing is a journey, and I have found it’s a journey to my own truth.

Catherine MacDonald
http://www.supernovel.com/