[Interview] Skyler Grey

Erotic romance novelist, Skyler Grey lives off Florida’s west coast with her husband and children.

She has published two novellas, The Feel of Lace (Aphrodite’s Apples Press, 2007) and The Black Rose (LoveStruck Books, 2007) as well as a novel, Chamberlain’s Knight (Mystic Moon Press, 2006).

Her work has also been featured in anthologies that include Masquerade Vol. 1 (Aphrodite’s Apples Press, 2006); Christmas Candy Anthology (Whiskey Creek Press, 2006) and Diary of a House, 413 Remembrance Lane which will be released by Phaze Publishing in August 2007.

In a recent interview, Skyler Grey spoke about her concerns as a writer.

Do you write everyday?

Sadly no, I don’t write everyday although I’d love to. When I do dig in, I usually spend anywhere from three to four hours if not longer. It’s not uncommon for my hubby to get up around three or four in the morning and peek around the corner to ask me, “You coming to bed?”

But I do think it's important to write everyday because it's so easy to get busy and put off your writing for another time. Next thing you know, it's been a week or a month since you looked at your work. So if you can write a little each day then... awesome! If you can't, at least set a goal for yourself and try hard to stick to it.

I have a very busy life: six kids, five grandkids, karate classes, taxi, nurse, maid, teacher, babysitter... All the things most women have to deal with and it keeps me running constantly. Sometimes I'm so tired, at the end of the day, I can't even "create". When I do get to sit and write, I make sure I have NO distractions. Phone's off, door is closed and hubby takes over the house. It's usually easy once I start and hard when I try to stop. Ha... I get on a roll and sometimes I'll look over at the clock and it's suddenly three a.m. Yikes! But when I do stop, it's because my characters let me know it's time to stop.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I actually started writing stories at the age of nine because I had a teacher, when I lived in Arizona, who had the class write a composition piece every Friday and I loved creating my own stories. I was a huge horror fan... Creature Feature; Dark Shadows; Monster from the Swamp Lagoon... One of the stories from that period was about a witch on a hill.

I have also written several poems over the years, prior to my first novel, one in particular, "The Dying Children," was inspired by Choices of the Heart, a movie based on a true story and which stared Melissa Gilbert from Little House on the Prairie. The movie was about a mission group that went to help nurse and feed the innocents that were caught in the crossfire of war. The story touched me so deeply that I sat bawling while I wrote the poem.

Although I’ve always loved to write, I didn’t get serious about writing until I was in my early thirties. At that time I was a single mom and I had lots of little feet running around the house and it was hard to write as well as work a full-time job. When I did get serious, it involved me getting organized... I simply made it a priority to make time for myself and to write. It took me about six years to come up with my first novel and once I'd finished the novel, I bought The Writers Market from an online bookstore and submitted the novel to tons of publishers but it wasn't until I discovered the e-book world that I finally got my first break with LoveStruck Books.

Do you see a time when more writers will opt to publish ebooks as opposed to ‘the book’?

Yes, definitely. It's a great thing, especially for green writers and authors that might have never gotten their foot in the door otherwise. I have met several authors that love writing e-books as opposed to trade paperback. I think the turn around in getting published is much faster in the e-book industry as opposed to the traditional trade paperbacks. Plus, it doesn't take as long to write a short story or novella as it does to write an actual novel.

I don't think that e-books will ever be as popular as trade paperbacks because most people, including myself, love to hold a book in their hands while reading. But I do think that the e-book industry has come a long way. They're growing in leaps and bounds and are even becoming recognized with some of the bigger house publishers.

How would you describe the genre in which you now do most of your writing?

I love to write in several genres, contemporary, suspense, sci-fi, paranormal, westerns and historical... all erotica. I think this is because I have a wide imagination. I love all kinds of movies and books. So my mind just goes in all different directions constantly.

I've just finished a regency for Aphrodite's Apples that I really enjoyed writing. The one prior to that was a contemporary novella that received an awesome review from Kwips & Kritiques. I've also written a vamp story, a paranormal, a western, a suspense/thriller about a serial killer and am now working on a horror.

What motivated you to start writing in these genres?

I chose writing erotica because of the satisfaction I get by being allowed to go into greater detail. Also, I'm a woman who can't resist an alpha male. I adore a man that is all male but can be tamed by the right woman. I personally feel, incomplete when I read a soft romance. Not to say I don’t enjoy them, but I like to feel my hero’s dominance as well as his tender side.

Who is your target audience?

Definitely eighteen and older.

Although I've written two children’s stories, which I hope to have out soon, my main focus is the mature audience.

Given that you mainly write erotica, how do you think the children’s stories will be received? Won’t there be a ‘conflict of interest’?

No, I don't think there should be any conflict as I write under a pen name.

The two children's stories are similar to Dr. Suess in the sense that they rhyme throughout the story. They are a set. They have the same set of characters and are geared toward young children, from the age of three upwards. One is called The Rainbow's End and the other, A Gloomy Day. I have six children (could be the reason why I love erotica...) and I adore kids. I'll probably have a spot in heaven, in the nursery somewhere there, so I've been told.

Who would you say has influenced you the most?

Romance authors, my first being Johanna Lindsey and Rosemary Rogers. I love those ladies. They took my vision of romance to a whole new level at the age of fourteen. But it was Lucia St. Clair Robson and her book, Ride the Wind that took my breath away and clinched my writing desire forever. The writing was flawless and made me feel as if I was standing right in the middle of everything. My heart was carried away with every emotion the characters went through. To come across an author that can write so smoothly and encase your heart so intensely is a rare find.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I’ve lived a very colorful life, some of it not very pleasant.

I think the lessons we learn and experience throughout life influence the way we perceive ourselves, for me especially. Because I have experienced many things, I tend to let my emotions create a fantasy life that I pour out into my writing... which, I think, gives the writing the ability to transfer the emotions of my characters into the reader’s heart smoothly and with ease.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

Honestly I’d have to say, editing and finding a good publisher. Happily, I've been fortunate in both departments.

I’ve several publishers and they have all gone the distance for me and I've also been blessed with the opportunity of working alongside some wonderful authors in the publishing industry... Emma Wildes, Adra Steia, Kayleigh Jamison, Cheri Valmont and Stella Price, to name a few. As well as being fellow authors, they've also become good friends and have helped encourage, guide and gently critique anything I ask. Having friends like these wonderful ladies has been the best blessing in my writing career.

What are the biggest challenges that you face? And, how do you deal with them?

In my personal life... raising and teaching my children to be all they can be... to believe in themselves as much as I believe in them. In writing... creating that one story that has such an impact on people, they'll never forget it but will always keep it close, giving them a warm fuzzy feeling every time they think of it.

With my kids… I've always made sure I instilled confidence and pride in them at a very early age. Praising them in all they do, even when they fail. I teach them the importance of love and respect so that when they go out in life, they handle life’s obstacles with confidence and in a way they can be proud of.

In writing, I try to put such emotion into my characters that the reader feels the characters are a part of their lives, experiencing the emotions themselves as if they were one with the characters.

How easy or difficult is this?

It's sometimes very easy but other times it's very hard. I have to be careful. I have to be able to 'explain' the characters' emotions in such a way that my readers are drawn in gently and then consumed. Sometimes I write and have to rewrite because I know in my head what emotions I want to put out there but my readers don't. So if need be, I'll keep working an area until I feel it's perfect.

How long did it take you to write your latest book?

The Feel of Lace took me a bit longer than normal to write. About four months. I put it on the shelf and almost junked it. I’m glad I didn’t though. Aphrodite's Apples scooped it up and it just recieved one of the best reviews I've gotten yet. Four klovers from Kwips & Kritiques.

The novella is contemporary erotica about a woman, Lacy Kimbel, who just can’t seem to make the right choice when it comes to men. So Aaron, her hairdresser, best friend and roommate, decides to take matters into his own hands by contacting a cousin in Florida, challenging him to a bet. One that poor Lacy has no clue will involve her.

Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?

Honestly, the one thing I seem to struggle with, are the names of my characters. If the name doesn’t fit, I tend to stumble and freeze up, unable to continue until I find a name that suits their personality perfectly. Some authors can breeze through writing and come up with their characters' names toward the middle to ending of their story. Not me. I have to know them on a first name basis right from the get go.

Which book did you enjoy writing the most?

I’d have to say, Chamberlain’s Knight. I got so attached to Rowan and Chamberlain. I hated letting them go because they were both a part of my life for many years. But now I’ve started another romance novel, a western... and I’m finding myself falling in love all over again with my new hero and heroine!

What sets Chamberlain’s Knight apart from the other things you've written?

It’s a novel for one. Plus, I have several characters I introduced in this book. I’m not a big fan of keeping a story about just the hero and heroine. I like a variety of personalities because I think it makes the book interesting and causes it to stand out among the rest. But when you write a short, it can sometimes be difficult because you’re allotted only a certain word count and I tend to become… well… long-winded.

In what way is it similar?

All my stories have a HEA, (happily ever after) endings.

What will your next book be about?

I have a historical circling the snobs of London’s famous society, the Ton, that's been picked up by Aphrodite's Apples for their, Regency Romp II series. I'm also currently working on two books. One is a western novel, who’s hero is a sexy rancher and half breed Sioux Indian that gets tangled up with a snotty, little English aristocrat. The other is a horror that is really not a romance as much as it is scary. This particular book will actually be a novel and a first non-romance for me.

Where and when is the Western set? And what makes the rancher a half-breed?

It’s set in the Black Hills of Dakota.

The Sioux Indians were one of the tribes that were well-known in that area. When a white man or woman had a child with an Indian , the child was referred to as a half-breed. Meaning their blood was mixed. It was a common name used for children or adults that were not fully white back in the day. Do you remember Cher’s song, "Halfbreed"? I used to LOVE that song.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer? And how did you get there?

The feeling of confidence that success brought into my life by doing something I’ve always dreamed of but wasn’t sure I could.

I never gave up. No matter what was thrown in my path, I never quit. Not to say that I didn’t think about it. But thanks to some very dear friends who encouraged me when I was feeling my lowest, I hung in there and am I so thankful I did!

This article first appeared on OhmyNews International

Related books:

,,


Related articles:

Author of the Week -- Skyler Grey, Inside an author’s mind…., April 23, 2007

Skyler Grey is here to seduce us all!, Heart To Heart with Dahlia Rose, March 9, 2007

[Interview_1] Jonathan Taylor

Crystal Clear Creators is a not-for-profit organization which develops, records, showcases and promotes new and established talent for radio.

Founded in 2004 by Robin Webber-Jones and Jonathan Taylor, the organization has gone on to build an impressive list of achievements, assisting in the production of a notable range of new plays, poetry and prose for radio. It has also hosted creative writing workshops for teachers and school-age children, as well as for other people with an interest in writing.

It has recently produced and published Speaking Words: Writings for Reading Aloud, an anthology of short stories, monologues and poetry.

It has also published a mini-series of poetry pamphlets, provisionally titled Presenting Poets. Each of the pamphlets showcased an up-and-coming poet who is a member of Crystal Clear Creators.

In addition to this, there are plans to publish an anthology of children's stories taken mainly from those that the organization has produced for Leicester's Takeover Radio.

Crystal Clear Creators co-founder and co-director, Jonathan Taylor spoke about the project.

Perhaps we could start by talking about Crystal Clear Creators. What is it? What are its objectives? And when was it started?

Crystal Clear Creators is a not-for-profit arts organization based in the East Midlands (a region of England --ed), which was established with a start-up grant from Arts Council England. We've since been funded by organizations such as the National Lottery, Ernest Cook Foundation, Riverside Housing Midlands, Charnwood Arts and so on.

We set up Crystal Clear Creators officially at the beginning of 2004 after the founder members had worked on producing various radio plays.

Our stated aims were (and still are) to develop, produce, and promote new writing, acting and producing talent, particularly for radio. To do this, we work with both established and new writers, voice-overs and engineers.

We record our members' poetry, prose and plays, upload them onto our Web site, and from there promote the work to other organizations and radio stations. We've had members' work broadcast on various radio stations, including Resonance FM, Takeover Radio, Virtually American, BBC Leicester's Web site, Heat FM and we are currently developing work for Rutland Radio, Carillon Radio and the national digital station, One Word.

As well as this, we run creative writing day schools, courses and live readings and events across the East Midlands.

How did the idea behind Speaking Words start? How many people, artists and/organizations were involved?

We've now got nearly 100 members.

The Speaking Words project started in December 2004 when we received a grant from the Awards for All scheme of the National Lottery. The project consisted of putting on four creative writing day schools during 2005 across the region. Two [of the creative writing day schools] at Loughborough University, one at Monks' Dyke Technology College in Louth, and one at BBC Leicester's Open Centre.

We worked with BBC Leicester, Loughborough University, Literature Development Officers across the region, Monks' Dyke Technology College, Loughborough Campus Radio, Takeover Radio and various other organizations to market, publicize and develop these day schools.

All of these events were fully or over-subscribed. Workshop leaders included well-known writers such as Tony Coult, Julie Boden, Deborah Tyler-Bennett, Mitzi Szereto, Mystie Hood, Maria Orthodoxou and others.

From these workshops, participants were invited to submit writing they'd worked on during and afterwards. In August, we collated all of the material we'd received from participants, members and so on, and passed it to the anthology editor, Deborah Tyler-Bennett. She came out with the collection as it now stands. This was then art-worked by Linda Young, printed and then launched in December at our launch event, held in the Martin Hall, Loughborough University.

The launch event was attended by nearly 65 people and included an extended reading by Julie Bowden, followed by a structured open mic session in which lots of writers performed their work.

You mention a number of radio stations. Are they all in the U.K. or are some in other countries?

The radio stations we've had material broadcast on are mainly based in the U.K., though Virtually American, is a U.S. radio drama broadcaster and organization.

What's the feedback been like on the material that's been broadcasted?

We've had excellent feedback on a lot of the stuff that's been broadcasted. We've been asked for more content by all of the stations we've worked with, which is a good sign. And listeners of Heat FM, Resonance FM and Takeover Radio have all fed back to us that they really enjoyed our plays and stories and poetry.

Virtually American has also asked for more material. They loved the radio play, "The Music Master" which is now on their site.

Are there any opportunities for U.S. or overseas-based writers and performers to take part in your projects? Have any done so? If they would like to, how do they go about it?

We don't have any U.S.-based members yet, though we do have members from the U.S., and we've had material from overseas, including France and the continent.

What would you say sets Speaking Words apart from other anthologies that have been and are being published?

What sets Speaking Words apart from other anthologies is its emphasis on writing for reading aloud. The idea of writers performing and reading their work in public has boomed in recent years and this anthology reflects this huge increase in public readings.

The anthology does not, though, just cater for public readings. It also includes more private material, which can be read, whispered or sung to family and friends. What binds the collection together is simply the performative aspect, the stress on sound as well as words on a page.

The anthology encompasses a whole range of writers: from new writers for whom this is their first publication, to much more established and well-known figures. It's great to be able to publish an anthology like this, in which professionals rub shoulders with talented newcomers. The emphasis is on quality, though, throughout the editor picked what she felt to be the best of the material, and the material that made a homogeneous collection.

Who would you say is the books' target audience? Who would the book appeal to?

The book is all about audiences, readers and listeners, that's in the nature of a collection of words to be read aloud. I suppose the primary audience is anyone who's interested in new writing of good quality, as well as people who are interested in looking for material they can read out loud to each other or in public. The anthology is, more than anything else, meant to make entertaining and enjoyable reading.


This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related Books:

,,

Related articles:

• Jonathan Taylor [Interview_2], Conversations with Writers, February 7, 2008
• Jonathan Taylor [Interview_3], Conversations with Writers, February 11, 2008

[Interview] Raven Starr

Emerging author, Raven Starr has been writing since she was 15 years old.

This year, some of her poems are going to be featured in When Times Moves On (Anchor Books), a new poetry anthology. She is also publishing her first novella, The Vampire’s Embrace (TreePress.net) and a short e-book, Fantasy (Red Rose Publishing).

In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.

In your teens, one of your plays was staged in New London, Connecticut. What was the play about? And, how did you come to write it?

“The Wrong Choice” is about teens and drugs. It's about the loss that teenagers feel when one of their friends dies from an overdose.

It came about when I was in the 9th grade and a friend of mine died from an overdose. One day he was in school with us, laughing and the next day he was gone. It was my very first experience with death. "The Wrong Choice" was how I coped with losing a friend.

I was pleasantly surprised when my after-school program, The Drop-in Learning Center, also in New London, arranged with a local church to have the play staged there. The first night went very well. We received a standing ovation. I was really proud. The reception which "The Wrong Choice" received inspired to write another play called, “Running Scared But Free.” I still have copies of both plays. Somewhere.

As a writer, who would you say has influenced you the most?

The person who has influenced me the most is my mom. She was in my corner. She was awesome and very supportive. I suffer from a condition called endometriosis. I am in severe pain most of the time. There was a time when I didn’t think I could handle the pain... My mother showed me how to focus on the important things in life.

I read a lot: Stephen King, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Charlaine Harris, Michael and Kathleen Gear, Thomas Moore and the great poetic mastermind, Maya Angelou. All of them have influenced me in one way or the other. Their style, their prose...

What are the biggest challenges that you face? And, how do you deal with them?

I feel that the only challenge I face is facing myself. Writing is not easy. It takes time, patience and, yes, talent. Without the first two ingredients sometimes talent falls through the cracks.

I try to remain focused and when I have bad days, when I want to write but the pain is too intense, I make sure I surround myself with creative and supportive people.

I also find it very frustrating when what I want to do is write but nothing comes out clearly. Or when I have a good idea for a story but I'm already working on two other ideas and I just can’t get to everything. My friends keep me grounded. They help me see the bigger picture. They've taught me not to force my writing. They've taught me to relax and let it come to me.

How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?

I am an avid horror movie buff. I now float between paranormal erotica and fantasy. I love writing in both genres. I love writing about things that scare you or creatures that come purely from the imagination. I truly don’t think that fantasy is too different from paranormal. Some people think that vampires, shape shifters and werewolves are a part of fantasy.

My concern as a writer is being ‘real’ and believable. I want the reader to become involved in my work, to be able to see the world I create.

Do you write everyday?

Yes, I try to write everyday. Even if it's 500 words, to me it's 500 more words than I had before. And I'm always writing or jotting down little tidbits.

My first book, The Vampire’s Embrace is going to be published by TreePress.net, a small publishing house based in Atlanta, Georgia. I'm going through the edits now and I don’t have a release date, just yet. The Vampire's Embrace is a novella and it's the first of a trilogy. It's the first in a set of three books that I'm working on. In the novella, we met Kia, the heroine. She is a shape shifter that falls in love with a vampire. And she may also be the key to ending the war, or the beginning of a new reign of death.

I submitted The Vampire’s Embrace to a number of publishers and Tree Press was the one that saw promise in my work. I did consider self-publishing, but I was told that agents and other publishers would not take me or my subsequent work seriously if I self-published so I decided against it.

In addition to The Vampire's Embrace, I also have a short e-book, Fantasy, which is being published by Red Rose Publishing. The e-book focuses on Star Morgan, a young black woman who falls for an 80’s heartthrob. She gets the chance to meet him and that’s when the fun begins.

Which aspects of the work that you put into Vampire's Embrace did you find most difficult?

Honestly, when I first started to write with the intention of being published, I thought: "How hard can it be? I just put my thoughts on paper and I’m done." No, it takes time and effort, combined with a love of learning.

I had the drive but it was the time issue that I found most challenging. Being a single mother of three, I found that I don’t have a lot of time. I had to learn to manage my time better. I had to ask myself if I was willing to sacrifice some things for my craft.

What will your next book be about?

I am working on the sequel to The Vampire's Embrace. The sequel is called Bayou Moon. I am also working on two fantasy books for young adults, The Dragon’s Phoenix and The Calling.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer? And how did you get there?

Besides getting a contract with Tree Press, I'd have to say my other significant achievement is the publication of, “The Otherside,” a poem I wrote for my mother.

Before I tried my hand at writing novellas and short stories, poetry was my heart. I posted some of my work to Poetry.com. It was a start. I received three different Editor’s Choice awards and have been published in a few anthologies through Poetry.com.

This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related Books:

,,

[Interview] Saje Williams

Saje Williams writes novels which combine elements of both science fiction and fantasy.

He made his debut as an author, in 2005, with the publication of Loki’s Sin by Wings ePress. This was followed by five more novels: Of Man and Monster (Wings ePress, 2006); Freak City (Wings ePress, 2006); Sword and Shadow (Samhain Publishing, 2007); Lady of Blades (Wings ePress, 2007) and Tales from the Magitech Lounge (Samhain, 2007)

Currently, Williams is working on a sequel to Sword and Shadow.

In a recent interview, he spoke about his writing.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I was in fourth grade and already a voracious reader... so much that I would rather be reading than doing my schoolwork. To force me to actually do what I was supposed to, my parents took away my books. So I picked up a notebook and a pen and started writing my own stories. I haven’t stopped since. I knew before the end of that year that the only thing I ever wanted to be was an author, and it’s a dream that’s stayed with me ever since. To a lot of people I may have seemed as though I had no ambitions, or that my ambitions were little more than a ‘pipe dream,’ but I never, ever, gave up on them.

How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?

Futuristic Urban Fantasy. Or, alternately, science fantasy. It combines elements of both science fiction and fantasy into a, mostly, seamless whole.

The books are aimed at people that want something a little different from the same ol’ stuff. Fans of fantasy and paranormal tales who are tired of genre clichés and want to read something that isn’t just a clone of what’s popular at the moment.

What motivated you to start writing in this genre?

My novels actually arise from the universe I created in the design of a role playing game I started working on when I was eighteen. We played and meddled in that universe for the better part of fifteen years and one day I sat down and asked myself, “Okay, how did this ‘world’ come into being in the first place?”

The result of me asking that question was my first published novel, Loki’s Sin.

Who would you say has influenced you the most?

Oh, man, that’s a hard one. I take a little from a lot of different authors. One of my early favorites was Robert Heinlein, and then Frank Herbert. Heinlein because of the way he used dialog to establish his characters so clearly, and Herbert because he built worlds on a macro scale. He thought BIG, and created incredibly complex societies that seemed so different from those with which we are familiar.

Beyond that, maybe Julian May, who merged science fiction and mythology in her Saga of Pliocene Exile in a very inspirational way. And the pioneers of urban fantasy, like Tanya Huff, Mercedes Lackey, and Emma Bull. And, more recently, Anne Bishop, who creates heroes who are scarier than the villains they oppose.

And, of course, Spider Robinson. My latest novel, Tales from the Magitech Lounge is intended as a bit of tribute to his Callahan series.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

I want first and foremost to entertain. I don’t write to teach or preach, but it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if I can make people think and feel a little differently than they did before reading one of my novels.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I had a very adventurous youth. I traveled the west coast on a shoestring several times, going from the Seattle area all the way to Los Angeles once. All in all, I hitchhiked up and down the west coast seven times, meeting all kinds of people.

I’ve traveled a lot throughout the U.S., though I’d love to travel all over the globe and hope someday to manage it. Because of my experiences, I can write about a lot of different locales with intimacy, which has its advantages.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

Promoting myself. Honestly.

In the current environment it’s imperative that an author take every opportunity to promote his/her work and make him/her self sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I’m a pretty humble guy, ordinarily. I don’t believe in claiming accolades I didn’t earn. So I have to go out and get those accolades, and then I still feel a little uncomfortable trumpeting them. I believe sincere humility is good for the soul, insincere humility is egotism, and we authors are caught trying to play in the freeway lying between the two.

How do you deal with these challenges?

Accept that occasionally I’m forced to do things I find a bit distasteful for the sake of getting my name out there and keeping it out there.

Do you write everyday?

I try to write at least a few hours every day, and usually manage it.

I also keep a myspace page and I occasionally drop by the Samhain or Wings blogs, but I’m far more active on the yahoo groups than I am as a blogger.

What is your latest book about?

Tales from the Magitech Lounge took something like seven months to finish. It is an unusual piece in that it’s a single work broken up into various p.o.v. narratives. Each chapter in the first two acts is written from the [point of view] p.o.v. of a different character. I had to create a different “voice” for each, and create a flow between the narratives. It was an interesting challenge, but I think it worked out the way I’d intended.

I really enjoyed bringing back an old villain and redeeming him.

What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?

It’s more experimental in concept, and it’s written primarily as a first person narrative.

It's similar to the others in that, well, it expands on my universe… or multiverse, rather. People who’ve read my other novels will quickly see the relationship between it and the others, even though it’s quite different in many ways.

What will your next book be about?

As I mentioned before, it’s a sequel to Sword and Shadow, and involves an illegal time travel operation to prevent a world-destroying war between normal humans and meta-humans on a parallel Earth.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Believe it or not, my most prized achievement as an author so far is just knowing I actually have fans out there. People who love what I write and hunger for more. To be able to share my stories with people, and have them actually me for them, seems just so astounding. It’s honestly a dream come true.

How did you get there?

Just by writing the weird stuff that lives in my head. Sounds strange, but that’s pretty much all there is to it.

This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related books:

,,

Related articles:

• Saje Williams Interview, Fallen Angel Reviews. January 2007
• Interview Saje Williams, by Kay LeGrand, Wings ePress
• Interview Saje Williams, by Faith Frances Berlin, Wings ePress

[Interview] Caridad Pineiro

Lawyer and award-winning author, Caridad Pineiro Scordato was born in Havana, Cuba before moving and settling in the New York Metropolitan area in the 1960s. She attended Villanova University on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated Magna cum laude. She subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from St. John's University and became the first female and Latino partner of Abelman, Frayne & Schwab, an Intellectual Property firm in Midtown Manhattan.

Caridad Pineiro made her debut as an author in 1999 with the publication of Now and Always by Kensington's Latina romance imprint, Encanto. Her fifteenth novel, Blood Calls, was released in May 2007 by Silhouette Nocturne.

In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

I have two concerns as a writer. The first is to entertain my readers by writing a really good book. The second is to make them think about something they might not have considered before.

For example, in Devotion Calls, there is a subplot about a terminally ill mother. The heroine has exhausted all the established medical practices that were available before turning to a Santero (he’s actually a psychic healer, but the heroine doesn’t know that at first). I wanted people to consider that there might be alternative ways of treating illness, but also understand how a daughter might feel when confronted with her mother’s illness.

My personal experiences have definitely influenced my writing. The subplot in Devotion Calls came about as a result of my own issues dealing with my mom’s death from cancer. In earlier books I’ve dealt with issues such as discrimination and women dealing with careers that are in predominantly male fields. All of these come from my life experiences.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I had always had stories running through my head as a child, but in the fifth grade a teacher assigned a writing project. Everyone in the class had to write a book for inclusion in a class lending library. I went home and started writing and by the end of the year, had 120 typed pages. I knew then that I wanted to be a writer.

Most of my work is in the romance genre, although the romantic element varies from book to book. For example, with my Chicas books, the romantic element is generally secondary to the relationships of the four friends who are the main characters of the books. I say "generally" because in the next book, South Beach Chicas Catch Their Man, the romantic element is a more prominent part of the story [because] this Chicas book is about a mother and daughter who must reconcile their feelings about the men in their lives in order to find true happiness.

I have a very broad target audience because I am a multi-genre writer. My paranormal works draw in both male and female readers and the age range is anywhere from 14 to 80. The romantic suspense and Chicas books tend to pull in more female readers, but again, the age range is large. I think the moral of the story is that a good book appeals to readers of all kinds and ages.

What motivated you to start writing romance novels?

There’s an old adage that you should write what you know. I knew romances because I discovered that what I liked to read was mostly romances. In fact, that first book back in the fifth grade was a romance.

All of my books feature empowered heroines and I think that is a direct result of the kinds of books I like to read and the television that I watch (I am a media junkie). Embracing this empowered heroine has allowed me to write books that appeal to all kinds of readers and also, show that women can be in positions of power.

What are the biggest challenges that you face? And, how do you deal with them?

My biggest challenge is finding enough time to write and also, trying to always push the envelope to offer readers a fresh new story.

The first is difficult since I have a full time job. I juggle motherhood, being a lawyer as well as a writer. That takes efficient time management and not much goofing around (although I have been taking a break to recharge the past two weeks). As for the second, I try to envision stories that are different and characters that are larger than life rather. I start by not making the characters perfect and by having them deal with those imperfections during the course of the story.

For example, in Blood Calls, the hero was once a selfish and unfaithful man. That resulted in his being imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition and eventually losing his life. When he is given a second chance by becoming a vampire, he vows to be a better man. When the time comes for him to prove he is a better man, he is conflicted between taking what he wants -- the heroine -- and his vow to not be selfish. That leads to a lot of pain of both a physical and mental kind. Readers have embraced the hero, understanding all that he does because he is punishing himself for what he wants but should not have.

Do you write everyday?

I write every day on the train ride to and from work. I also spend about three or four hours on each weekend day. If I have a deadline, I may also write at night after dinner, but I try to avoid this as I need time with my family and time to unwind. During a typical week, I’ll spend approximately 15 to 20 hours writing.

How many books have you published so far?

Blood Calls (May 2007) is my fifteenth book and the sixth book in The Calling series from Silhouette Nocturne. The Calling originally started in Silhouette Intimate Moments in March 2004 with Darkness Calls. The other novels in the series are: Danger Calls (June 2005); Temptation Calls (October 2005); Death Calls (December 2006) and Devotion Calls (January 2007). The series continues with Holiday with a Vampire in December 2007 and three other books in 2008/9.

My romantic suspense titles are More Than a Mission (August 2006, Silhouette Intimate Moments) and Secret Agent Reunion (August 2007, Silhouette Romantic Suspense). [And] finally, my latest Chicas books are: Friday Night Chicas (September 2005, St. Martin’s Griffin ); Sex and the South Beach Chicas (Downtown Press, September 2006) and South Beach Chicas Catch Their Man (September 2007, Downtown Press).

How long did it take you to write Blood Calls?

Blood Calls is out as one of the May ’07 Nocturne books. I wrote the proposal for this book in about three weeks, but then was asked to finish the rest of the book in under a month. It was tough and I had to write every day in every free moment I had, but it was worthwhile as I loved how the story developed.

The hardest part was the research into art fraud and how it occurs and then developing a believable story as to how Ramona became involved in such a fraud. I enjoyed the passion between Ramona and Diego. Their desire for one another had been simmering there for some time, but this book lets it all come out and sometimes in unexpected ways.

What sets the Blood Calls apart from the other things you've written?

Although all of my vamp books are dark and sensual, there’s something about the hero in this book that reaches a new level. I think the reason for it is Diego’s tortured past and how he is running away from all that he wants. That leads him to be less than heroic sometimes and you are always wondering whether he will embrace the goodness within himself and his love for Ramona in order to be the better man he vowed to become.

It is similar [to the other books] in that all the action is occurring in the Manhattan vampire underworld that is a part of The Calling mythology and which allows the reader to revisit with familiar characters, if they’ve read the other books in the series. If they haven’t read the other books, [they shouldn't worry] -- each story stands alone.

What will your next book be about?

My next book is a romantic suspense -- Secret Agent Reunion. The story is about two spies who are reunited after three years apart. They must work together to find out who is trying to destroy the investigative agency for whom they now work. There’s a lot of angst between the two agents due to the history between them. They have to battle all those old wounds in order to not only accomplish their mission, but possibly rekindle the relationship they once shared.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

I think my most significant achievement as a writer is to keep on writing books that are good enough to get published. I recently sold my 25th book and I think that speaks to my abilities to not only write an entertaining story, but to get the word out there about the books.

I strongly believe that with as many books as are published today, you need to promote yourself to readers and booksellers. The promotion part has been wonderful as I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many nice and interesting people while doing so. That’s the rewarding part of writing -- meeting and talking with the readers.

I’ve [also] discovered that publishing is not for the faint of heart and that you need to keep on writing and growing as a writer in order to keep on selling books.

This article was first published by OhmyNews International.

Related books:

,,

Related articles:

• Interview with romance author Caridad Pineiro, We Really Dig Romance Novels, January 2007.
• Caridad Pineiro-Scordato Interview, Vampire Romance Books, February 1, 2007.
• Caridad Pineiro Interview Part 1, Bright Cove Romance Novel TV, February 27,2007.
  
  

[Interview] Andrew Hook

In addition to being the founder and publisher of Elastic Press, a small independent U.K. press that specialises in anthologies of short stories “at the edges of reality and fantasy,” Andrew Hook is an award-winning author and editor.

He has written over a hundred short stories, some of which have been featured in magazines that include The Third Alternative, Em: writing and music, Multi-Story, Buzzwords, and Front and Centre.

His books include the short story collections, The Virtual Menagerie (Elastic Press, 2002), Beyond Each Blue Horizon (Crowswing Books, 2005) and Residue (Halfcut Publications, 2006) as well as the novels Moon Beaver (ENC Press, 2004) and Full Circle. He has also edited The Alsiso Project (Elastic Press, 2003), an anthology which features 23 stories from 23 different writers all of whom examine, in their own way, the enigma of Alsiso.

In a recent interview, Andrew Hook spoke about his writing.

In the writing that you are doing, who would you say has influenced you the most?

As a child, Enid Blyton, Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming: as a teenager, Franz Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Sartre; as an adult, Tom Robbins, Raymond Carver, Nicholas Royle. As a child, those authors gave me a sense of adventure. The sensation of the world beyond where I lived, and one that might be filled with intrigue and mystery. As a teenager, those authors gave me a sense of self, of examining the internal workings of our motives and imaginations. And as an adult the two are combined and coupled with a love of language and what we can do with it.

I’m not sure why they effected me in this way, other than to say I was open to reading books and therefore of a mind to take on board new ideas.

Other than fiction, I was also influenced by punk and surrealism –- the do-it-yourself approach to dealing with the word and your subconscious.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

To continue in the face of adversity! It’s so difficult to get a tangible feeling of success in this business.

The first goal is to get one story published, then a few more, then ten, then… well, a novel perhaps… then some critical acclaim… then… then… to be honest, as any writer will tell you, there is always the next book to be written and you’re never any better than your last story. It’s like climbing a ladder that’s sinking into the ground at the same rate that you’re ascending. Sometimes, that feeling of desperation, of needing to feed the muse without gaining sustenance yourself, can be a real bind.

In all, how many short stories, published and unpublished, would you say you have you written?

In total I’ve written 114 short stories, of which 84 have been published or are pending publication, and most of the unpublished stories go way back when I was learning my craft. I’m quite impressed with myself! I’ve had stories in genre publications such as The Third Alternative, Nemonymous, and Midnight Street, and mainstream stories in Aesthetica, Open Wide magazine, and at LauraHird.com. Lots of these magazines are probably difficult to obtain nowadays, even secondhand, so I’d recommend searching out my collections. My website contains the relevant information.

Why and how is it that short story writers are perceived differently from novelists?

Short story writing and novel writing are completely different disciplines, and there is respect in both camps for both. At heart, I’m definitely a short story writer because I tend to think in short outbursts which are suited more to developing stories in that form.

Booksellers tend to look less favourably on short stories and have spent a lot of time convincing the public that they don’t need to buy short story collections either. No doubt commercial considerations lie at the heart of that decision.

As for readers, some people like longer works and others shorter. There’s no mystery to it, it’s just the way that people are.

How easy or difficult is it for a short story writer to make a living solely from writing short stories?

It’s very difficult. But then it’s also difficult for a writer to make a living solely from writing novels. Usually they’re also reviewing, or teaching creative writing, or have some such other income. The markets -- particularly the paying markets -- for short story sales are also dwindling; yet on the other hand the short story writer is in the fortunate position of being able to write for a specific market and sell a story quickly. It’s all swings and roundabouts in the end.

I feel that bookstore chains have made some of these decisions for readers by not encouraging short fiction to be published by the larger publishers. At a time when everyone claims that we’re living in the fast lane, with short attention spans and sound bites, short stories should be more popular than ever. This is somewhat true in the independent press, but less so with the majors. Readers can only buy what they see on the shelves.

How long did it take you to come up with the stories that make up, Residue?

My third collection of short stories, Residue, was published by HalfCut Publications in paperback and illustrated hardback in November 2006. These are mainstream literary short stories, usually concerned with fractured relationships and the nature of self. Some of the stories in the book were written ten years ago, some more recently. My publisher’s website contains a story by story account of my inspiration for each piece, and this can be read here.

As some of the stories are quite old, I had to re-read and re-write them. Occasionally it was difficult to return to the mental space in which they had originally been written in order to bring them up to date and yet keep them fresh.

Which did you enjoy most?

Out of the stories in the book: “Tight”, “The Summer of Hate”, and “Streetwalk”, because I think they’re amongst the best pieces I’ve ever written.

Residue is a collection of mainstream stories, whereas my other published work has tended to be science fiction, fantasy, horror or slipstream. Some of the stories are similar to my slipstream stories in the way that they deal with relationships, only there isn’t any weird stuff happening in the background.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

That I tell the story as it is.

For me, this means that the end result -- the story -- does justice to the original idea. The way that a story can be told can vary considerably from piece to piece, so I don’t restrict myself to genre or style. So long as the original idea is expressed how I believe it wants to be expressed, that’s fine by me.

Some authors -- those with big publishers barking at them -- may have to tell their stories in the way that best reflects marketing concerns, rather than artistic ones. There’s nothing wrong with that of course, we all have to eat, but at the moment, with most of my successes being in the independent press, I don’t have to compromise my writing in such a way.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

Most of my fiction contains some kind of real life experience, albeit fictionalised. It could be the plot, a character, or even something as tiny as a phrase. Just as the person I am is constructed from the sum of my experiences, so is my fiction.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

Having the commitment to write a novel.

I’ve actually written five novels in total. The first two (Reason and Consumption) will never see the light of day because I’ve subsequently moved on as a writer and those were written almost twenty years ago, the third is called Moon Beaver and was published in the United States by ENC Press in 2004, and the other two (Full Circle and Bobbing for Reality) are awaiting a suitable publisher. I’m happiest with Bobbing for Reality out of the unpublished work. Hopefully it’ll find a home soon.

I personally find it a challenge in terms of the time-scale involved. With a short story, when it’s ready to be written, I can write the first draft in a matter of hours, and after a brief respite to give it some distance, can edit it over another few hours. Then it’s ready to be sold. A novel is totally different, it can take anywhere between three months to (literally) years to write, with no indication at all that it might be saleable. For me it’s a real challenge to commit myself to such a long-term project that might end in nothing. Yet, when the idea for a novel comes, it’s impossible to resist starting it.

What happens in Bobbing for Reality?

In Bobbing For Reality the main character is a successful photographer with a damaged past. Dissatisfied with the pictures of reality found within his camera lens he becomes obsessed by the people in the peripheries of his photographs. When an elderly couple inexplicably appear in a double exposed image, and then continue to permeate his existence in terrible visions, he is forced to discover the cause of their hauntings.

Adding to the stress is the traumatic relationship with his ex-wife, the inescapable commitment to his young son, and his budding desire towards his son’s childminder.

Patrick is the key character throughout the novel, but is the reality that he sees the truth, or is that to be found beneath the surface of his experiences?

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

I always used to make up stories when I was a kid. Mostly detective stories based on television programmes such as Columbo, Ellery Queen, Agatha Christie adaptations etc. Subsequently this lay dormant until I was 20 and had given up my day job to travel.

I spent a couple of months camping and inter-railing in Europe. My main memories of that time include moving from city to city on an almost daily basis and fantasising about what we were going to eat. To say we were on a shoestring budget would be rather an understatement. I’d always wanted to travel, and I agree with the adage that it broadens your mind. Within a couple of years I was off again, for sixteen months in Australasia. Experiencing a wider world view can be crucial when writing, I believe. It fuels and informs your imagination.

When I came back from travelling my life was a blank slate, and writing returned to it.

This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related books:


,,

Related articles:

• An Interview with Andrew Hook by Duncan Barford, infinity plus, 2005.
• Interview: Andrew Hook of Elastic Press, Emerald City #105.

[Interview] Jenny Alexander

Jenny Alexander has written over a hundred books for children, among them, Finding Fizz (A & C Black, 2006); Tom, Sid, the Goth and the Ghost (Longman, 2004); and Stranded! (Longman, 2003).

Her non-fiction books include When Your Child is Bullied (Pocket Books, 2006); Bullies, Bigmouths and So-called Friends (Hodder Children's Books, 2003) as well as The 7-day Stress-buster; The 7-day Brain-booster; The 7-day Bully-buster and The 7-day Self-esteem Super-booster (Hodder Children's Books, 2007) which seek to empower children and their families in dealing with issues concerning bullying, self-esteem and self-confidence.

She is also the author of How 2 B Happy (A & C Black, 2006); How to Be a Brilliant Writer (A & C Black, 2005) and Going Up! The No-worries Guide to Secondary School (A & C Black, 2004).

In a recent interview, Jenny Alexander spoke about her writing.

What prompted you to write your first book?

I decided I was going to be a poet when I was about 7 years old -- well, either a poet or an artist. Writing and drawing were my favourite pastimes, a quiet oasis in a very noisy, busy, family -- I was the middle one of four children.

In my teens I stopped writing poetry because learning literature at school convinced me that I didn’t really understand it. Poetry had felt like a natural thing, like talking, but we dissected poems like dead bodies, trying to force them to yield up their secrets, instead of enjoying their music and sensing the shades of meaning in the words.

I wrote a number of adult novels in my late teens and twenties but didn’t really try to find a publisher. Writing at that stage was a way of trying to make sense of my own experience and publishing the stories I was writing then would have felt exposing for both me and my family. I find the current popularity of ‘misery memoirs’ very unsettling and I’m really glad I didn’t freeze my own family within the story I had of them when I was in my turbulent twenties.

What prompted me to write for publication was that I needed a proper job after my last child started full-time school. I sent a lot of material to an agent, including an adult crime novel and several pieces of children’s fiction.

When was this material written?

I wrote them while my youngest child was at playgroup, for a few hours each morning, with the express intention of trying to find an agent and start my writing career. A couple of months after she took me on, she sold my first children’s novel to Hamish Hamilton. It had taken me about two weeks to write the novel. When I got the call I whooped for joy -- it was the most amazing feeling because suddenly a writing career felt completely possible, not just a dream.

Who would you say has influenced you the most?

I write all different sorts of books, both fiction and non-fiction for readers aged 4-years-old to adults, as well as magazine articles and the odd poem, so I’d say my biggest influence has been the wonderful British library service. When I left university, almost completely cured of the urge to write anything original at all, I took a job in a branch library where I discovered the absolute joy of reading adventurously.

Why did university have this effect on you?

I studied French with English, so lots of reading analytically. When I wasn’t working, I didn’t read for leisure -- that would have been a busman’s holiday -- and the activity of reading became an intellectual process, which although it is a sort of pleasure, can interfere with the emotional satisfaction of responding to a text on the personal, heart level.

Do you remember some of the books you read when you were working in the library or how you selected them?

I read all the Agatha Christie mysteries, literary fiction, non-fiction of every kind -- pictorial histories of steam railways, royal biographies, practical art and craft books, animal books... and best of all, children’s books such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the entire contents of the kinder box, which I fell upon having never possessed any books as a child or belonged to a public library.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I think the decade I spent as a stay-at-home parent has provided the inspiration for a lot of my stories as well as the experience to write non-fiction about life-strategies for children. Virtually everything I write comes out of first-hand experience rather than research -- looking after your rabbit, living on an island, understanding your dreams…

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face and how do you deal with them?

I think writers have pressure these days to keep working to the same formula once they become established. A lot of writers I know feel trapped by that expectation and I don’t want to be pigeon-holed. I enjoy the thrill of trying new things, seeing what I can do.

I write different things in my spare time and between contracts and then try to sell them.

How many books have you written so far?

I stopped counting when I passed 100 -- but lots of them are very short.

Of all the books you have written, which was the most difficult to write? Which was the easiest? Why do you think this is so?

The most difficult was How 2 B Happy. It’s a straightforward book based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy and positive psychology but I happened to land the contract just before my marriage broke up.

I had just written a book on bullying and was asked to put together some material on self-esteem. I wasn’t keen on the whole idea of self-esteem, mostly because I thought people often have mad ideas about what good self-esteem constitutes, so I went for happiness instead since I think happy people tend to have good self-esteem anyway. The most difficult thing was feeling authentic writing this book when I was struggling with unhappy feelings about the events unfolding in my life at that time -- but of course, one of the things you need in order to be happy is the pragmatic acceptance that shit happens and sometimes you’re bound to go through gloomy patches. It’s not about being happy all the time, but being buoyant and recovering quickly if you get knocked down.

Researching involved revisiting books like Susan Jeffers’ Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway which served to remind me of exactly what I needed to do for myself as well as for my book.

The easiest was the first one, Miss Fischer’s Jewells (reissued in paperback as Haunting for Beginners) because when I started writing, after putting my ambition on hold for so long, I was completely fuelled by joy. The idea behind the book was a gift -- it just arrived all on its own, and I wrote it a chapter a day, no rewrites, just a bit of tinkering with the text before sending it off.

And what's your latest book about?

I’ve just done a series of children’s non-fiction books called The 7-day Stress-buster; The 7-day Brain-booster; The 7-day Bully-buster and The 7-day Self-esteem Super-booster. The idea for the series came about because my publisher wanted another book on bullying. Her first idea was to do a workbook, so children could do the exercises and tasks I suggest in spaces within the text because, often, with self-help books you race through, intending to do the tasks later and then don’t get around to it.

In the series, I offer a menu of quick tasks for each day, so that children can develop a practice of thinking and behaving in self-affirming ways, not just think about the ideas in the chapter. Modern childhood is nothing like it was for today’s adults -- children have to handle enormous stresses both at school and at home, with fractured families and parents often working all the hours or not working at all, and feeling too stressed themselves to really be there and spend time with their children. I think of myself as an elder in a society which doesn’t really have elders any more, writing the sort of reassuring common sense that grandparents used to be there for when families had more leisure and were less geographically dispersed.

How long did it take you to write the series?

I did the four books in about 7 months. In Great Britain, the first two books were published in January 2007 and the second two in April.

With non-fiction I always find the planning gorgeous, the first draft frustrating and re-drafting satisfying. I think the first draft is hard because you have to find a way of expressing your ideas that is both interesting and accessible, and sometimes that makes my brain hurt.

Which aspects of the work that you put in the series did you enjoy most?

Devising the quizzes and special features. I like the playfulness of quizzes and the extra dimension that comes with writing visually varied types of text.

What sets these four books apart from the other things you have written?

It’s the first series I’ve done.

In what way is it similar?

I’d already written several other life-skills books for 8 to 12-year-olds: Bullies, Bigmouths and So-called Friends; Going up!: The No-worries Guide to Secondary School; How To Be a Brilliant Writer and How 2 B Happy.

What will your next book be about?

My spare-time book is an adult workbook on dreams. I think most dream books are very disappointing because they either comprise stock interpretations which never fit any individual dream or theoretical ideas that distort the way we approach dreams and detract from their power.

I’m [also] putting together material for two fiction series that will hopefully be my next contract. One is for girls aged 9 to 12 years, a favourite age group for me -- the other for boys age 6 years and up. The main difference is that these will be for trade publishers, and since my first few books I’ve only written fiction for educational publishers.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

Overcoming first my fear of failure and then my fear of success.

How did you get there?

I think I was propelled by this life-long feeling that I was meant to be a writer and the sense of home-coming I felt every time I put pen to paper.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

To enjoy myself and keep pushing back my boundaries by trying new things. Why is it important that I push back boundaries? I’m stumped by this! I just don’t know. I guess I think of writing, like life itself, as a big adventure, and the main business of it is to keep pushing into new areas in order to become the most that you possibly can.

You have also written a number of books on bullying. What motivated these books and how much of a problem, for young people and for children, do you think bullying is?

One of my children was bullied at school and I discovered that all the advice available to him and to me, as a parent, was useless. The latest ChildLine research found that 5 to 10 percent of children will suffer prolonged bullying at school no matter what interventions staff make or how good the school is. These kids tend to be different in some way -- exceptionally bright or attractive, physically or mentally less-able, or not fitting into gender stereotypes, for example -- but it could equally be some poor child who had suffered a bereavement or family break-up, fallen foul of bullies at a vulnerable moment and then got overwhelmed by it, enabling a pattern to set in.

It seemed to me that those kids and their families needed strategies for surviving and not being damaged by the experience through learning skills such as how to handle anxiety and self-doubt. The added bonus is that emotionally robust people make less satisfying targets for bullying, so toughening up is also the best chance for getting the bullying to stop.

I think unkindness, envy and so on are part of human nature, so bullying will always exist, but the fashion for mocking, practical-joke-style humour in the media is certainly making it worse because it blurs the lines about what is acceptable and makes children feel it’s cool and funny to humiliate other people.

This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related books:

,,

[Interview] Sammie Ward

Sammie Ward is an author and a publisher.

Her short stories have appeared in magazines and e-zines that include Black Romance, Jive and True Confessions as well as Timbooktu and Nubian Chronicles.

In September 2004, she formed Lady Leo Publishing and subsequently published In The Name of Love; Love To Behold; Seven Days, and It’s In The Rhythm.

In June 2005, her debut novel, In The Name of Love was voted “Best New Drama & Fiction of the Year” by the Disilgold Literary National Association (DLNA) and in 2006, she earned a YOUnity Guild Award for New Romance Author of the Year.

What motivated you to start writing?

I consider myself a romantic person. Who doesn't want romance in their life or enjoy a good romantic novel or movie? It's a wonderful genre to write about. I love it. I grew up reading. I must have read every Silhouette/Harlequin romance novel I could get my hands on. I loved those books. I always thought I could also write one such book, but never considered it seriously until years later. I was out of work. To keep myself busy while looking for a job, I began to write.

I'm published as a fiction and nonfiction writer. In fiction, I write romance, but my novel, Seven Days is a romantic suspense. In nonfiction, I've published numerous health articles in various magazines.

I consider myself a cross-over writer. I write stories and articles that affect everyone from all ethnic groups and backgrounds. Whether it's a love story or a health article, anyone can relate to it.

Who would you say has influenced you the most?

Rochelle Alers, I love her books. Francis Ray: Beautiful person, awesome romance author. Both women write with such passion that it draws you into their books and they have a great eye for detail. Of course I can't forget my family who has stood behind me, pushing me.

What are your main concerns as a writer?

To write a good, moving stories readers will enjoy. That's what authors do; we're storytellers. We want everyone to enjoy those stories. When a reader puts the book down, we want them to be affected by our words, to be moved by our words.

How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing?

I find myself adding or relating to some of my life experiences in my novels or short stories. Of course the name is changed to protect the innocent, and its given a different twist.

What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face?

Finances. I publish my novels through my own company, Lady Leo Publishing, therefore money is sometimes a challenge. When you're your own company, you are the writer, publicist, editor. You are the face, therefore you're responsible for getting your works out to the public.

How do you deal with these challenges?

I learn to juggle the two. I put myself on a schedule, dividing time between taking care of the business, and writing.

I have written five books so far. Four of them are novels and one is a novella: In The Name of Love (Lady Leo Publishing, 2005); Love To Behold (Lady Leo Publishing, 2005); Seven Days (Lady Leo Publishing, 2005); It's in the Rhythm (Lady Leo Publishing, 2006) and Lace & Honor which is due in October 2007.

Do you write everyday?

Yes. I try to spend between four or five hours a day or whenever the urge hits me.

What is Lace & Honor about and how long did it take you to write it?

My latest book, Lace & Honor tells the story of Sergeant Kayla Perry, Specialist Marissa Poe, and Elizabeth Shupe. Female soldiers and friends assigned to Delta Company 32nd Combat Support Hospital (32nd CSH).

The three women deal with relationships, life, love, ups and downs associated with the army while on the verge of deployment.

It took me about a year to write the novel and it's also going to be published through my company, Lady Leo Publishing.

Which aspects of the work that you put into Lace & Honor did you find most difficult?

Writing about the trials and tribulation of each of the women as it related to the military. A former female soldier myself I know firsthand what it means to juggle being a soldier, girlfriend, mother, and wife. It's not easy.

Which did you enjoy most?

Putting the female soldiers out there. To show that female soldiers go through a lot. But at the end of the day, they love being able to represent our contry and do it with pride and dignity, regardless of what's going on in their lives.

What sets the book apart from the other things you have written?

The story is told from a more intimate point of view. With real life problems, real life ups and downs that female soldiers go through.

It's similar to my other books because I wanted to show that no matter what you're going through in life, at the end of the day you can rise above it.

What will your next book be about?

My next book is Stroke of Midnight. It's a sequel to Seven Days. It's part of a series, featuring former CID Agent, Victor Sexton. It will be release in 2008.

What would you say has been your most significant achievement as a writer?

My novella, Love To Behold was recently picked up by Lavender Isis Press and will be reprinted in May 2007. In June 2006, I was recognized as one of the Literary Divas, in Heather Covington best-selling, Literary Divas: The top 100+ African American Women in Literary Fiction. Also, I was named Best New Romance Writer of 2006 by the DLNA (Disilgold Literary National Association).

How did you get there?

The novella, Love To Behold was rejected by the publishing company that requested me to write it. I published it through my own company, Lady Leo Publishing, and it sold very well. To have the book picked up by another publisher is awesome, making all of the hard work pay off. Being recognized as a Literary Diva and being on the same pages as Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou and Terry McMillan is just mind blowing. I was speechless when I found out I was included in the book. I formed my own publishing company because no one accepted my work and now to be recognized for my effort is very satisfying.

This article was first published on OhmyNews International.

Related books:

,,