V.R. Leavitt's Blog

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I am not a native of Orlando, but I moved here in 2010. Although I was apprehensive about moving away from the place I called home for over 30 years, I came to this town with my family and to be honest, I’ve never had a moment of regret. The people, the culture, the weather…I love this city. I love it when friends and family visit so I can take them to a great restaurant we’ve discovered, or a new local shop, or when we can show them some interesting art. I love going to an Orlando City game and seeing people from all different walks of life, spend time as a unified group to support our local team. I love going to the Fringe Festival and meeting artists who have traveled here from all over the world to take part in Orlando’s Fringe Festival, because it’s the longest running and one of the most respected Fringe festivals in the U.S.

When most people think of Orlando they probably think of at least one of the three following things: theme parks, gators, and weird ass stories they read on the Internet about “Florida Man.” Yes, we have all of that and yes, we have problems just like any other city, but even with all its weirdness, Orlando really and truly is “The City Beautiful” for the reasons above and a myriad of others.

For something like the massacre at Pulse nightclub to happen is unfathomable to me. Any kind of event like this is, but for it to happen here in Orlando…I just don’t understand. This is a city whose economy is literally built upon showing people world-class hospitality and a good time, tourists and locals alike. People come here to have fun, to make memories, and to escape reality for a little while. They go to a theme park, check out a museum, or maybe go to a nightclub.

I don’t even care what the reasons were for the shooting, or pretend to propose any type of solution. That’s not my job, and that’s not what this post is about. This is about remembering the victims and their families, and supporting the survivors, with blood, and well-wishes. This is about knowing that this horrible act will weigh heavy on us as a community. It will make us crazy wondering why these things happen, and how could they happen here in Orlando. It will make us feel angry, sad, defeated, and even afraid.

But this senseless event will do other things too. It will remind us that we are all part of this city, and this community. We will and must stand strong together, because that’s what’s going to get us through. It’ll remind us that even though we are a community woven together with people from all over the country and the world, with different backgrounds, customs, and beliefs, we are still ONE city, united. We are The City Beautiful. Not because of the pretty lakes, fountains, or palm trees. The people are what make Orlando beautiful and this horrible act will never, ever take that away from us.

I love this city.

#WeAreOrlando #OrlandoStrong

A while back my family was invited to a 50th wedding anniversary party for my husband’s aunt and uncle which was to take place in early April. They live out in Nevada and since our 12-year-old daughter has never really gotten to see the sights out west other than the L.A. area, we decided to make a vacation out of it. We did a lot of activities and I learned a lot, as I typically do when I travel. More to come on that. Here’s a summary of the trip:

The plan:

Day 1: Fly from Orlando to Las Vegas and drive to Zion National Park in Utah.

Day 2: Hike and do horseback riding in Zion and then drive approximately 4 hours to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

Day 3: Hike in the Grand Canyon.

Day 4: Hike in the Grand Canyon some more and then drive approximately 3 hours to Laughlin, Nevada and have dinner with family.

Day 5: Hang out in Laughlin and attend the anniversary party that evening.

Day 6: Have breakfast and lunch with family and then drive to the Hoover Dam and continue on to Las Vegas. Hang out in Vegas and see some of the more kid-friendly things.

Day 7: Get up and fly back to Orlando.

 

In reality it went more like this:

Day 1: Flew from Orlando to Las Vegas. Remembered that Las Vegas is in the desert and that I’m basically from a tropical rain forest, so my skin and sinuses shriveled up and tried to die.

Next, we made a Trader Joe’s run, got some awesome coffee at Mothership Coffee and then drove to Zion National Park.

 

 

Day 2: Hiked and also did a three hour horseback ride in Zion. Got to see beautiful scenery like this: (click on any of the pics to make them bigger)

 

I didn’t take a lot of pictures while we did horseback riding, because I was afraid of dropping my phone, but this was my view of H.B. for three hours. She was actually a mule, not a horse, and incredibly sweet, even though she did try to eat part of a fence.

H.B.

Next, we drove approximately 4 hours to Grand Canyon National Park, checked into the hotel and got some sleep. Achievement unlocked!

Day 3: Woke up with incredibly sore ass due to the horseback riding. I knew this would happen, but I cannot overstate how sore my butt was. At the age of 39, it’s both fascinating and terrifying that I can get insanely sore in places that I didn’t even know existed. Totally worth it though and I’d do it again.  Next we went to Grand Canyon National Park and hiked part of the Bright Angel Trail.

 

 

 

 

 

We made it to the three mile rest house, which is about 2,000 feet down into the canyon. Click the picture below and check out the pink dot.

 

This is the view from the pink dot, back up to the top of the canyon. As they said in the signage, going down is voluntary, coming up is mandatory.

Ah-mazing. Painful? Yes. Dusty? My sinuses are still giving me the finger.  Worth it? 100%

Day 4: Woke up with less sore butt, but excruciatingly sore legs, laughed at the idea of hiking more and just kind of walk limped around the visitor center, took some more pictures, bought some stuff, including the book to the left, (glad I didn’t read it BEFORE the trip) and then drove approximately 3 hours to Laughlin, Nevada and had dinner with family. Made it! Great to see everybody!

Day 5: Hung out in Laughlin, still insanely sore, as in still hobbling around, grunting and groaning when I stand up sore. Shot some pool with the fam at the hotel and attended the anniversary party, which was a fun time! Our daughter got to meet a lot of family that she’s either never met or hasn’t seen in a long time.

After the party, we went cosmic bowling and got to deal with a “lady” who had it in her head that we were sitting at her table, (we weren’t) and stealing her bowling balls (we didn’t). No lie, at one point, she stopped playing and told her little girl that they would continue playing once we had left. Apparently we are terrible people and I just didn’t know it. I told you I learned things on this trip!

Day 6: We had breakfast and lunch with family, packed up and then drove to the Hoover Dam. Like the Grand Canyon, it’s hard to get an appreciation for how big it is from movies and books. What an impressive feat of engineering this thing is!

After we left the Hoover Dam, we finished our loop of insanity by returning to Las Vegas. On the way there, we ended up in a torrential downpour, which rarely happens because, again, it’s the desert. I suppose the weather gods were trying to make up for the fact that the dry air tried to kill us when we first arrived. Joke’s on us. Fortunately, it let up…temporarily.

 

 

We decided to grab dinner and to see the tigers at the Mirage. We had an amazing meal at Mint Indain Bistro! If you’re ever in Vegas, check it out. It’s a little place, off the strip, a real hidden gem.

Our after dinner plans changed pretty quickly however, since we got snarled in traffic from people trying to see the boxing match. We were able to park at Caesar’s Palace and figured we’d walk from there to the Mirage which is right next door. Cue “Here Comes the Rain Again” because it did, so we ran from the parking lot toward the Mirage, but were getting soaked so we sought shelter in an alcove in front of Caesar’s. There were other people doing the same thing, as well as an Elvis impersonator who wanted to take a picture with us, so we ran away and into Caesar’s. The Elvis impersonator was a little creepy, hence the running away.

We figured the rain would stop again and we could go to the Mirage, but it didn’t. And no, we didn’t have an umbrella or ponchos or anything. At that point though we were all stuffed from our awesome dinner, and pretty beat in general, so we just headed back to the hotel to get some shut eye.

Day 7: We got up, and flew back to Orlando.

 

 

 

 

 

Summary: It was an amazing trip! More pictures and info about the hikes and horseback riding coming soon.

 

Today’s writing challenge warranted a blog post, simply because it was a little more detailed than a Facebook or Twitter post could accommodate. Here’s the challenge: You are somehow transported into the world of your story. Name the biggest challenge you would face having to transition from living in the real world to your story world, and be as detailed as you like.

So far in these challenges, I’ve been using my current WIP, the currently untitled bio-hazard clean up story. For this challenge, it doesn’t make an interesting post. Bio-hazard clean up story takes place in modern-day Orlando, Florida. I currently live in…modern-day Orlando, Florida. Hardest part of transitioning from Orlando to Orlando. Nothing.

Instead, I’ll go with my finished (but still editing) novel, “Shaping Fate” which takes place in London, England in the year 1349 at the height of the Black Death. As I posted in my most popular blog post ever, (why?!) “Fun Facts About the Plague,” the Black Death was responsible for claiming approximately 50 million people in Europe, Asia and Africa. Not exactly modern-day Orlando. Clearly the biggest challenge in transitioning from “The City Beautiful” to “The City Oh God Get Me Out of Here” would be trying not to die from a horrible disease. But, not everybody died. Assuming I am one of the “lucky” survivors, plenty more challenges lay in store. The protagonist in “Shaping Fate” is a chandler in his mid 20’s, which was considered middle-aged for the time, if not older. If I, a 39-year-old woman was transported to that time, I’d better hope that I didn’t get any other diseases let alone plague, because at 39, I’m as good as dead already. Best case scenario, I’m insanely healthy. How am I going to support myself in this crumbling economy? Women were business owners in the early middle ages, although as the century wore on, more and more restrictions were placed on women’s work and the merchant guilds became more of a boy’s club. But would that even matter? With London literally dying, what business was there to be had? Other choices include peasant life or a nunnery. It kind of reminds me of the computer game Oregon Trail, where pretty much no matter what you do, you’re going to get dysentery and die.

No thank you. I’ll take my chances in the land of gators and “Florida Man.”

If you want to join in on the writing challenge, please do and send me your links so I can follow along! Use the hashtag #30DWC. 

 

 

Hello! Today I am very happy to have Satis. Let’s jump right in!

Q: How long have you been writing either as a hobby or professionally?

A: Inasmuch as writing is creating, I’ve been doing it since I was a kid. I see stories in everything, and I’ve always tried to tell those stories, either through music, or writing. My first novel was published in 2014, and the sequel is coming out on February 22.

Q: What inspired you to get into writing?

A: Growing up, I always loved it when my mom or dad would read stories to me. I particularly enjoyed when my dad would tell a story with ‘no-no book’; in other words, something made up. When I had my own son, I wanted to give him the same experience, so I started telling him stories. Those stories turned into The Redemption of Erâth, which now stands at two full novels, with more to come.

Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?

A: All of it. Literally, everything. Writing, editing, marketing … it’s all a challenge!

Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?

A: I gave a copy of my first book to a friend at work. He wears a Deathly Hallows pendant around his neck, so I figured I had a fellow fantasy fan on my hands. One day he was reading the book during lunch, and over his shoulder I happened to see the page he was on, and knew a shock was about to come. I kept watching, and as he turned the page, I literally saw him jump out of his seat. He flipped back and forth for a minute as though he couldn’t believe his eyes. Then he looked up at me and cried out, “What did you do?” I don’t think I’ve ever been happier about my work than I was that day.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: The third book of The Redemption of Erâth is my current work in progress; I have about ten chapters completely drafted at the moment. I’m hoping to finish it by the end of the year.

Q: What are currently reading?

A: I once heard that Christopher Lee used to read The Lord of the Rings at least once a year. I’m trying it out.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

A: What an interesting question. There’s actually a scene in the second book that is taken directly from a place I once visited. I remember hiking in the Swiss Alps with my dad as a child, and one day we were walking up a long valley and ended up climbing up a short cliff. At the top of the cliff was a small lake, smooth and crystal clear, an azure reflection of the skies above. All around was green grass, and scree slopes ascending to the peaks. It’s an absolutely stunning location.

Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

A: Everything I’ve ever written—be it music or stories—has centered around darkness, depression and despair. These are emotions I’m only too familiar with. If there was to be a message in The Redemption of Erâth, it’s that sometimes the darkness within and around us can be overwhelming, and unsurmountable without friends.

Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

A: Lavazza is particularly nice for espresso; Illy is wonderful for filter coffee. I enjoy Starbucks’ ristretto shots, too—they normally only come in a flat white, but you can ask for them in anything. If it’s the evening, though, tea it must be: Earl Grey, Lady Grey, Lapsang Souchong … even just Twining’s Everyday tea. All good stuff. What did C.S. Lewis say? No book long enough, or cup of tea large enough?

Anything else?

Coffee, tea, stories and me … I’m actually a pretty insular and boring person in real life. Aren’t most writers? I have a day job, though I wish dearly to write full time one day. Check out my books, and help a struggling author!

Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.

A: Thank you for having me! I’m really excited about the launch of my second book, and I hope to see you there!

 

Bio:

Raised between the soaring peaks of the Swiss alps and the dark industrialism of northern England, beauty and darkness have been twin influences on his creativity since an early age. Throughout his life, he has expressed this through music, art and literature, delving deep into the darkest parts of human nature, and finding the elegance therein.

He met his wife in England, even though she grew up in New Jersey. A dedicated scientist, she makes sure that he brushes his teeth and cleans the dishes even when he wants to write. Together they have an twelve-year-old son.

Now residing in northern New Jersey, he still enjoys walking in the woods and taking pictures, and sometimes still writes music—when he’s not absorbed in the world of Erâth.

The Redemption of Erâth synopsis:

Exiled from his homeland, never to return, Brandyé Dui-Erâth finds himself lost in the wilderness on the coast of a black sea, with the influence of Darkness closing in around him. Here, he learns the true meaning of solitude, and begins to discover that he indeed has an influence on the world that is beyond the natural.

Soon, he finds he is not alone in the greater lands of Thaeìn, and is captured and taken in by the Cosari, a seafaring nation whose delight is in battle, glory and death. Thus begins a new chapter in Brandyé’s life, one that will lead him from the rocky islands of Cosar through the dangerous forests of the Trestaé Mountains, and ultimately to the greatest kingdom of men in all of Erâth.

Along the way he discovers old friends and new enemies, and learns ever more about the world of Erâth, its history and its future, and the role he has to play in its fate.

Links:

Facebook Launch Party: www.facebook.com/events/1052504834789080/

Official Website: www.authorsatis.com/

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/Satis/e/B00SF155QK/

Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/satiswrites/

I’ve seen a few of these challenges floating around and decided, why not give one a shot. Not all of these will be blogs, most will just be posted on FB and Twitter, so if you’re not following me there, get on that. Please.

Day 1. One sentence summary of the first story you ever wrote: Crap, just crap.

It was a non-fantasy, very melodramatic piece about a widower college professor and him finding love again with a woman who had her own set of serious issues. It was lost to a corrupted floppy disk back in the dark ages, when we still used floppy disks, and honestly that’s a good thing. I was mortified at the time because I’d put so much time and effort into it, but I learned some valuable things from that entire experience.

Save early and often.
Save things in multiple places like a squirrel before winter.
No really, save your work.
Writing is a process, and you have to write a lot of crap before you write something that you’re happy to put your name on and share with the rest of the world.
Save.

If you want to join in on the writing challenge, please do and send me your links so I can follow along! Use the hashtag #30DWC.

I went to Target the other day on my lunch break. I usually go on the weekends, but I needed to exchange something and figured I’d just get it out of the way and beat the weekend crowd. The weekend crowd and the weekday lunchtime crowd are totally different, and as I pushed my bright red cart around I started to feel a weird sense of nostalgia. It took me a while, but I finally realized why.

When my daughter was born, I worked part-time for a while so we were the weekday lunchtime crowd. Nobody likes taking a cranky toddler to a crowded Target on the weekend, or, well, anywhere at any time at all, so we’d go during the week when the other moms and kids were there. We’d go and get whatever we needed to get and some things we didn’t need because that’s just how it is at Target. If my daughter was good, she’d get to pick out a little toy. (Don’t judge, I was not above bribery! The toddler years were stressful.) Usually she’d pick out a little plastic animal figurine and she amassed quite a collection over the toddler years. Meerkats, pandas, elephants, and even a unicorn…basically any animal you can think of.

So, when I passed the toy aisle and saw a mom and her little kid, I was reminded of that phase, and I admit, it was kind of bittersweet. As cool as it is to watch my girl grow up and to see all of the potential she has, I kind of miss those days. And her growing up is also a reminder that I’m growing older. I realize that this is the way of the world, but ten years ago when she picked out her first plastic animal seemed like yesterday, but it wasn’t. It was TEN YEARS AGO. So much has happened in those ten years, that it’s hard to wrap my head around.

I don’t really remember what the last animal she got was or when exactly we grew out of that phase, but she’s twelve now and I don’t have to bribe her anymore. But…I kind of miss letting her go pick out a new animal. Now she has her allowance money to buy her own stuff. These days it’s art supplies and the occasional Lego set. She’s in a place where even though she likes the more grown up feeling of being in middle school, she’s still holding on to a bit of her childhood, which is cool. And I suspect she was too young to remember our weekday trips to Target, but every time we clean out her room and donate what she’s outgrown, she still holds onto those plastic animals, which always gives me a little smile.

 

When I was a kid, one of my favorite movies was “Throw Momma From the Train.” If you haven’t seen it, bookmark this page, go find a copy and watch it. I’ll wait.

Welcome back. So, if you’ve seen the movie, you know that the two main characters are a writing teacher and an aspiring writer. One of the lines in the movie is, “Remember, a writer writes always.” If this is true, then last year I wasn’t much of a writer. I tinkered with stuff, but really didn’t do a whole lot of writing. I just wasn’t showing up for the gig, as it were, and because of that, nothing was getting done. Toward the end of the year, looking at my complete lack new work I decided I was going to change that. As fortune was have it, I was contacted by another writer, Rebecca N. McKinnon, that she was going to start up a writer accountability group. It sounded like just what I was looking for, so I joined up.

BEST IDEA EVER. We get together once a month and set goals, but check in daily to keep each other accountable but support each other when we’re just stuck in one way or another. It’s great to have a group of people to be able to talk about the frustrations and joys of writing with. The real indicator though is I actually look forward to meeting every month. Meeting new people is not my forte and I’ll usually avoid it if I can, but this is a cool group and I’m really glad I joined it. I’ve probably already gotten more writing done this year than last year, which makes me cringe for last year, but really excited about this year. So, I’ll be blogging more and hopefully finishing up the projects I have underway. Thanks for being here for the journey so far. Let’s see where it goes!

Be sure and check out the other writers in our group:

Rebecca N. McKinnon

Jennifer Bradley

Ruth Stearns

Michael McGarvey

And enjoy this clip from “Throw Momma From the Train”

Hello! Today I am very happy to have R.L. Oaks. Let’s jump right in!

 

Q: How long have you been writing, either as a hobby or professionally?

 A: I’ve been telling stories since I was a little girl. My sister and I got our start putting on plays for our parents when we were very young. I actually started writing them down a little later, and the most memorable short story I ever wrote, “Cygnet,” was written when I was thirteen years old.

 

Q: What inspired you to get into writing?

 A: I had been writing and telling stories for a long time, but it was a pair of professors at my alma mater, Central Methodist University, who convinced me that I was talented as a writer.  Both men liked my work, and they were notorious on campus for NEVER liking the same things, EVER.  I was originally a Theater major, but I decided that I was better off writing, so I switched my major to English and continued writing. No matter what kind of work I was doing, I was always writing on the side, so after I got laid off a few years ago and had a hard time finding a new job, I decided to split my focus between classes and writing professionally. I’ve tried a few things here and there, but writing children’s books seems to be the niche that suits me best, at least for now.

 

Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?

 A:  A big challenge is telling a story that keeps the reader engaged. There are times when I’m writing and I find myself utterly bored by what I’ve written, so I’ll tear it out and look for a new angle to tell that particular part of the story.

Another challenge I face is getting back into a story when I have to step away to take care of other things.  I’m a single parent, an artist, and an Avon lady in addition to being a writer, so sometimes I have to step out of my groove to take care of more pressing matters, such as getting my daughter on or off of her school bus. If I’m in The Zone, it’s difficult to break away because getting back into it can be so difficult. There’s also something of a head rush when I’m in The Zone, so leaving that feeling behind can be a challenge, too!

Overall, though, the most massive challenge is having the courage to write something, polish it until it gleams, and put it out there for publication.  The rejection level is HUGE, even when uses unconventional means to get published.  But if you’ve got a story to tell and you really want your words to permeate people’s minds and inspire them, you must overcome the naysayers, be they internal or external.  It’s easy to look at poor sales or negative reviews and go, “This is crap. I’m crap. Why bother?” It takes courage to take that first step, and it takes even more courage to keep on going.

 

Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?

 A:  The most rewarding aspect of my work is when it has a positive impact on someone else’s life. If I can inspire one person to keep dreaming and not lose hope, I’ve accomplished something remarkable!

Another rewarding thing is when I check the stats on my books and see who is at least reading samples. While having people buy the books is a wonderful feeling, having them at least read the books or borrow them through Amazon Prime llso makes me feel good. People are reading at least part of what I’m creating.

Also, I’m going to try very hard to have the first two Henry books available in paperback form ASAP

The thing that felt the most rewarding, though, was when our church’s preacher’s wife stood up in front of the congregation and joyfully told them all about my first book being published. As the congregation applauded, my mother’s eyes filled with tears, and she told me later that she was so proud of me.  Sure, it’s not an Oscar or a Nobel Prize or a Pulitzer, but that moment, when my mom had visible pride on her face—that was everything to me.

 

Q: What is a typical day like for you? Or are there no typical days?

A:  My days are scheduled out, but there’s always wiggle room in case of the unexpected.  Each day is full of things that MUST be done, but it wasn’t until a friend of mine suggested scheduling out my days and designating certain amounts of time for classwork, writing, making art, and taking care of my other day-to-day responsibilities that I began to have any measure of success in my work.  I even schedule time to take some sort of exercise each day.  If you find yourself getting overwhelmed by everything you need to get done, I suggest making a schedule and getting a trusted friend to look it over and hold you accountable for how well you stick to your schedule and what works for you and what doesn’t.

 

Q: What compelled you to write your first book?

A:  Dog, Dog…Goose? was inspired by the stories my father used to tell when I was a little girl.  When he was a child, he and his family really did have a goose named Henry who thought he was a dog.  My mom tried to get my dad to write the stories himself, but he never got around to it, so, thirty years later, she asked me to do it. I talked to Dad, who gave me his blessing to do the work, and he has retold some of the old Henry stories. While everything is heavily fictionalized (Henry wasn’t really raised by a family of dogs, but he did hang out with the family dog and chased cars), many of the stories that will be forthcoming are based on real stories Dad told me.

 

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: At the moment, I am working to expand the first two Henry books (Dog, Dog…Goose? and Henry’s Tail) to an appropriate length for paperback publication. The company I’m going through stated that the manuscripts are too short to be produced in paperback as they are, so I’m adding more illustrations as a bonus, since I feel that the stories themselves say all that needs saying with no additional fluff to lengthen them.

I’ve also got a rough draft of the third Henry book in progress, and I’m hoping to have it ready to go in ebook form before Valentine’s Day, but we’ll see how things go.  I’ve had a few challenges thrown my way that are interfering with my progress, but I’m still pressing on.

 

Q: What are you currently reading?

A: I usually have a few books in progress—some are reference, and some are for leisure.  AS far as leisure books go, I’m currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (I’ve heard good and bad things about it and the series, so I thought I would read for myself) and Some Buried Caesar by Rex Stout.

 

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

A: As I mentioned before, I plan out a schedule, and it has helped me immensely with productivity.  Just the same, sometimes a job is too big to finish on time as scheduled, so I’ll end up pulling an all-nighter just to ensure that it comes out on time and looking its best. I wake up early to get my daughter ready for school, and I’m a night owl and often have insomnia, so I tend to stay up late.  Caffeine is my best friend.

 

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

A: In addition to being a writer, I’m also an artist, an Avon lady, a student, and a single mom, so if I’m not taking care of my daughter or spending time with her, I’m reading, studying, making art, letting people know about the latest and greatest from Avon, or playing the occasional video game. (And sometimes I play those with my daughter as well!)

 

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

A: My space is extremely limited (I rent a bedroom and sitting room, and my daughter and I share the bedroom), so I write on a laptop on a bedside table in the bedroom.  I sometimes have music going to help inspire me, but sometimes it’s more a hindrance than a help if I’m having trouble concentrating.  I always have to have light, too—I can’t work in a dark room—so I’ve always got sunlight pouring in or a couple of lamps on.

 

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

A: My family has been very on board about me writing these stories, especially my mother.  She always thought I would make a wonderful children’s book author.  My dad inspired them, of course, since he grew up with Henry and gave me his blessing to write stories about him.  My friend Adam has been tremendously helpful in giving me new methods to get organized and stay on task—without his help and encouragement, I doubt the first two Henry books would have been written, illustrated, and made available as quickly as they were.  Then there’s Ryan, my best friend and rock of two years now—he’s believed in my abilities and dreams since we first met.  And there’s Chris, someone who I respect tremendously who encouraged me to never give up, even when I felt like it. And I can’t forget my good friend Bill, who is a fellow writer and someone who understands some of the health challenges I face all too well.  Then there’s Jennifer, who has been a great patron of mine. And you, Vanessa—your encouragement has meant a great deal to me.  And last but not least, my daughter Samantha—she has been the driving force behind everything I do, and she’s the reason I never give up on life.  (There are even more, but if I mention them all by name, I’ll write a whole book.  You know who you are, and you’re awesome!)

 

Q: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

A: Yes: You are loved, just as you are. You are unique, and while your circumstances may not be ideal, there are people in the world who love you and the things about you that make you who you are.  It may take time, but you will find where you belong, your home, the people who love you—your tribe—and from there, you will soar—just be patient, pay attention, and don’t give up.

Also, the family you’re born into might not be the family that raises you or helps you to become who you’re meant to be, and that’s okay, too. Henry will be learning a lot from his adoptive family, and they’ll be learning a lot from him.  And who knows? Henry might set out to learn more about his birth family someday.  In the meantime, though, he loves the family he has, and they love him, too.

 

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process? What was it like to edit your book?

A:  I have several novels in progress in addition to the Henry books, and it’s considerably easier to edit the Henry books, because they are shorter and more concise than the novels. I tend to get verbose in text, and with books, especially books intended for young children, it’s crucial to trim the unnecessary material from the books so that they remain easy and enjoyable to read without losing the main themes of the story.  It can be challenging sometimes, but I’ve found that there’s always room for improvement in my work.

 

Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

A:  I don’t have a coffeemaker of my own right now, so I pretty much live on Folgers instant coffee with a splash of creamer (no sweetener needed) and Hills Brothers cappuccino.

 

Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.

Thank you, V!

Bio:  R.L. Oaks was born in Hannibal, Missouri, and spent most of her childhood reading, playing in the woods with her brother and sisters, or cuddling with the many cats who roamed their small farm. She graduated from Central Methodist University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and now spends her time making art and sharing stories about her father’s boyhood pet, Henry the goose. Oaks lives in Saint Ann, Missouri, with her daughter Samantha and dreams of the day when she and her daughter can share their home with cats again.

Books:

Dog, Dog…Goose?

Synopsis: When an egg rolls down to the barn at Shady Maples Farm, Nomi and her puppies decide to help it hatch and get it back to its family.

Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Goose-beginning-story-square-ebook/dp/B018IT0SIS

 

Henry’s Tail

Synopsis:  When Henry realizes that he doesn’t have a tail like his adopted siblings, he sets out to find a proper tail.

Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/Henrys-Tail-Continuing-Story-Square-ebook/dp/B019IMUUFU

Social Media:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RLOaksAuthor

Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/LadyCygnet

Website (as always, a work in progress):

http://www.LadyCygnet.com

I can’t say anything more or any better than what’s already been said, I can only speak to my personal experiences. Yesterday I woke up, checked the Internet and was met with the news that he’d passed. Surely, it was a hoax. David Bowie couldn’t just die. I figured I’d just go to his official site, certain that they would have posted it was a hoax, that Mr. Bowie was alive and well. I’d breathe a sigh of relief and get on with my otherwise uneventful Monday. Not so. More stories about his passing poured into my news feed. I was shocked, but felt reasonably okay until my husband came into the room and when I opened my mouth to tell him the news. The words came out, and so did the tears. They vanished quickly enough, but not for long. I did what a lot of people did, read articles, watched videos, listened to the music and remembered the time I got to see him in concert. Yesterday was a day when I was glad I work in a home office, and that my cats don’t judge me for crying.

For me, David Bowie was not only an incredible musician, but what made him special was so much more than the music. He was instrumental in showing me, and many others, that it was all right to be different. It was good, and important to push the boundaries of your art and to do so without giving too much or any thought at all to what others thought about it. Not only that, but he was able to speak to people individually through his art. Every fan of his took away something a little different, and that kind of connection is pretty magical.

So, even though he’s gone, to me, he is the kind of person who can never really die. Artists are lucky in that their art will always keep them around in some form. And while I’m profoundly saddened by this huge loss, I’m so very grateful for the amazing art that he shared with all of us; little pieces of himself that will never truly ever go away. Thank you, David Bowie, for everything.