Paranormal Central

This Interview with Katie is also viewable at Google Blogger

Meet Katie Hines-Author of GUARDIAN

Although Katie has been writing for as long as she can remember, she didn’t get serious about it until she decided to write a memoir. That’s when she realized she didn’t know what she was doing (her words-not mine). So she started researching and learning about writing do’s and don’ts. She wrote quite a few newspaper pieces, and then completed a middle grade novel.

Katie modestly comments that she “started researching and learning,” but that phrase doesn’t do justice to the thousands and thousands of hours she spent reading, writing, re-writing, consulting, exposing herself  to critiques and advice, workshops, conferences, local newspaper editors, and the rigors of completing her first novel.

She understands the nature and the nurture of giving expression to the author within each writer. From that well, she shares her insights not only into the processes and tools of the trade, but the heart and mind of the author.

“There is Mystery and Adventure in discovering the author within…” Katie Hines

Imagine you have made a secret promise that can lead you to an incredible treasure and an ancient power. But in order to fulfill that promise, you must defeat an age-old sect, determined to claim the treasure and power for themselves.

Hi folks, thanks for stopping by. I am here today talking with Katie Hines, author of “Guardian”,  the exciting new Middle Grade Urban Fantasy about a boy and his courageous struggle with destiny. It’s an adventure steeped in mystery, suspense and unparalleled twists, testing the bonds of love, honor and family commitments to their limits.

There was so much ground I wanted to cover in my interview with Katie, but our time was limited. So I got right to the punch:

Katie, I read a bit of the first chapter from“Guardian” and I have to say, it pulled me right in. Does the book really takeoff that quickly, or is that the teaser before the set-up?

No, the book definitely takes off that quickly and continues at thatpace. It is chock full of action and surprising revelations.

Tell me about Drew. What’s he like, and what personal obstacles does he have to overcome before he can take on the sect that seems so determined to stop him?

Drew is a 14 year old young man who made a promise to his dying mother to search for the journal, find the treasure, and discover his destiny. His apparent destiny is to become the new Guardian of an ancient artifact. Throughout the book, Drew struggles with this destiny and his strong desire not to become the new Guardian. He vacillates between accepting it and wishing heartily for another to take over that destiny.

Sounds exciting. Is there a lesson to be learned here, and if so, what is it?

I didn’t write it with a view towards a “lesson.” Hopefully, it is a fun,exciting book that leaves the reader turning the pages to find out what the ending might be.

You know, I’m from the school of thought that book covers sell a book, and yours is a real eye-catcher. The image seems to jump right off the page. How did you come up with such a great looking cover?

Isn’t that a wonderful cover? I cannot claim any credit for it,however. Diana Navarro, a wonderfully talented artist working with 4RV Publishing (my publisher) came up with the idea and the beautiful finished product.

Without giving up the ending, tell me, is there roomfor a sequel?

No. I thought about doing a series using some of the same characters from “Guardian,” but decided I wanted to write another middle grade urban fantasy using entirely new characters.

All right then, I know you have to run, so I’ll letyou go. Thank you so much for being my guest today, and I wish you the best of luck with the book.

It’s been my pleasure, Dana. Thank you for having me.

“Guardian” is available inpaperback at: http://4RVPublishingLLC.com, Amazon, and your local bookseller. You can contact Katie at katiebug1957@gmail.com, visit her website at www.katiehines.com or blog at http://katiehines.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Katie-Hines/1442953493 You can also follow Katie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/katiehines

This interview is part of an ongoing project at VBT, Writers on the Move, where member authors take turns spotlighting and promoting new and famous authors through online Tours such as this.

Please stop by and check out the wealth of information and resources offered there. Support your online author. Read an ebook!

A dear friend of mine recently had surgery and was unable to share a special celebration with her daughter, one they have celebrated together every year for the last ten years. So in lieu of going out to commemorate this special occasion, she wrote her daughter this and shared it with me. I don't mind telling you I was deeply touched. I asked her if I could post it on my blog, and she said yes. I hope you like it, too. My friend's name is Robin Cross, and Robin writes:

So everyone always asks me... "How did you end up adopting Sara?", and every time I tell the story I cry. Even ten years later, my eyes are watering even now just thinking about it.

I was divorced, teaching special education, coaching volleyball, volunteering at the boys and girls club, had just finished my masters degree, was singing in the church choir, teaching Sunday school, ... good grief, I was doing anything I could to stay busy! I had decided that because I'd been divorced twice and was childless that there probably wasn't any hope of my ever having any children. I was 37, there were no romantic prospects in the picture, and I wasn't getting any younger or any less single.

Through my work in special education, I befriended a "case worker" for foster children who was assigned to more than one child in my classroom over a couple of years' time. I began talking to her about how much I wanted a child, and how unlikely it was that any agency would grant me that wish since I was single. She said that if I was serious, she'd bring me the papers to get started. I was shocked!! But, I jumped at the chance.

Nicole brought me a HUGE stack of documents to fill out that asked pretty much everything about me except how many times a day I went to the bathroom. I filled them out in record time and turned them back in. Since I had recently completed a master's degree in counseling, I was waivered for most of the foster parenting classes that were required. She took the papers from me the first week of February, and told me to do whatever I needed to to get my house ready for a little girl. She said the process was long and arduous, so I'd have at least acouple of months.

I had this "junk room", the only other bedroom in the house, that was filled to the ceiling with stuff I couldn't find a place for. I wanted to tackle it, but I had time so I didn't. Three weeks later, I got the call from Nicole that she had a little girl for me to meet! Oh My Goodness!!! How could that be? Two months had NOT passed yet!! So much to do!! Oh MY GOODNESS!!! The call came on Wednesday, and the child would come to spend the weekend with me. I was at work, so I basically had two days!!

I took off the rest of the day and the following two days, went straight to knoxville to find the perfect bedroom furniture fit for a little girl but that could grow with her as a teen, which I did, and miraculously they said they could deliver it Friday morning!! WOW!! Never in a million years would that ever happen again! I then rushed home and began emptying the "junkroom". For the next day and a half, which is still a blur, I peeled very old wallpaper off, painted the bedroom a pretty pastel pink with white trim for the woodwork, waxed the hardwood floor, and bought bedding and perfect lacy white curtains. I was so excited... and NERVOUS!!!

The furniture arrived just in time to get the room set up completely before I brought her home. I was to pick her up from a birthday party at a church. As I drove to the church to meet this prospect for a daughter, my heart nearly pounded right out of my chest!

Now, there were some ground rules. I was not under ANY circumstances to mention adoption to her or that I wanted a little girl at all. As far as she knew, I was a respite worker, a person who gives foster families a weekend "respite" from their foster child so that their biological family can reconnect. I would stick to the plan, but boy would it ever be difficult!! Also, my family thought I had lost my mind! They were concerned for me, because you know... you never know what you're gonna get! I love you all, Mom, Dad, Robert, Tessa... and I truly did appreciate your concern! I know now that not a one of you would trade Sara for the world. She is most definitely one of US. Ok... there are the tears again.

So I arrived at the church, took a few deep breaths, prayed a very heartfelt plea to God to please let this child be THE ONE, and went in. I walked into a fellowship hall full of giggly 9 and 10 year old girls who were running, dancing, singing, playing basketball, and eating. There were some adults there who I knew, thank goodness. The mother of the child who the party was for asked me if I was ready, and of course I said YES! She brought this very bouncy wild-looking little thing over to me, and introduced me as the "respite worker" to Marlena (that was her name before adoption). SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL!! And VERY active!! She immediately handed me a brush and some hairbows and asked if I'd fix her hair for her. Are you kidding????? I couldn't wait to fix her hair!! So I did, and she said, "Thank you! I'm going to go play now!" And that was it. I didn't know how to feel or what to think. Was she just being polite? Did she truly trust a stranger to do such a personal thing for her? Did someone suggest to her that she handle the introduction this way? The rest of the party went by in a blur.... I remember very little. Soon, it was time to go home.

Marlena and I got into my car and headed to the house. She asked a gazillion questions. Do you like kids? Do you like boys or girls best? Are you a NEW respite worker? What's your favorite movie? Who's your favorite singer? Am I talking too much? People tell me I talk too much. I like Titanic and Celine Dion and Shania Twain. Do you know any of their songs? What do you mean, you've never seen Titanic??? Can we watch it tonight? You'll love it! I know the song for Titanic! Want me to sing it for you? Ok.... and she did... loudly... and badly! But I loved every minute of it!!

As we were driving home, it occurred to me that in the overwhelming rush of getting THE ROOM ready and making sure my house was nice and clean; that I had forgotten about FOOD. So, I told her we would stop at the grocery store to buy things that she liked to eat since I had no idea. Whew! What a save! I had made her feel special instead of making her feel like I had forgotten! Very quickly I realized that she would have me buy EVERYTHING in the store if I could!! She wasn't picky at all! So, I let her make some choices and I made the rest. We rented Titanic, which we never got to watch (thank goodness... really not appropriate for a nine year old)!

We got home, I gave her the tour of the house, and introduced her to my two dogs. The dogs loved her, of course! Soon we were on the couch in the den, eating a snack and attempting to watch Titanic. There was so much to talk about, though! At least, it appeared there was. She talked non-stop! I have no idea what we talked about that night, but it didn't matter. She seemed perfectly comfortable with me. THAT was all that mattered to me! She went to bed, and I read her a story. We said a prayer together, and then I was alone with my thoughts. I was so excited that there was no way I could sleep! This was better than any magical Christmas morning I'd ever had in my life! Better than any accomplishment or adventure or ANYTHING so far in my life! I couldn't wait until morning.

I got up early. Very early. It was all I could do to wait until an appropriate time to start cooking our big country style breakfast that we had planned out the night before. I was making it all. The works! As I was standing at the stove, humming softly along with the radio, these teeny little arms came sneaking around my waist from behind and hugged me hard. I turned around, and there was that beautiful brown eyed little face, with hair all tousled, looking up at me with a HUGE smile. She said good morning, and then she said something else. She said, "I want you to be my mommy." She said it very matter of factly, not playfully, not whiney, just as if she would have said that the sun was up or the house felt warm. My voice caught in my throat, and I had to blink back tears. I WANTED to be her mommy! But I was not allowed to say so!! So, I stooped down to her level, and said that I really was enjoying her company and that she could come visit with me any time her foster family needed a respite weekend. Those words felt so cruel coming out of my mouth, but I didn't know what else to say! Then, she said, 

"I don't want you for a respite mommy. I want you to be my mommy FOREVER." Oh. My. Goodness. How do you keep your heart from exploding under these conditions????? Excuse me while I wipe away more tears.

So, on Friday, February 26th, 1999 I met my future daughter. I'll never forget it. I don't think she will either. The rest of the weekend was wonderful. The weather was cooperative, and we were able to go play in the park, and play outside with the dogs. It went by SO quickly though! On Sunday, when Nicole (the case worker) came to pick her up, she hid in my office under my desk. She did NOT want to leave. I loved it! But at the same time, I felt bad because she was misbehaving because of me. Nicole finally coaxed her out by promising to bring her back very soon. We hugged hard and long, and my little girl left. I cried, I laughed, I prayed and thanked God, I called my family to tell them that I had found THE ONE, and then I cried some more. I was completely swept off my feet by this amazing little ball of energy! 

A few hours later, Nicole called me to tell me about the trip home with Marlena. She asked me how I felt about her. How did I feel??? I was elated! I couldn't wait to buy her toys! And clothes! And take her to school! And introduce her to all my family!! There was no way to describe how I felt about her! So after I stopped blathering on, Nicole said this: "Would you like to know what she thinks about you?" Oh, my heart dropped down to my toes! "She told me that you are the person that God had picked to be her mommy forever." Of course, then I was crying. Those of you who know me well know what a crier I am. I was bawling! So was Nicole.

Sara moved in with me the following Friday, March 4th, 1999. Our adoption was final on December 20th, 1999. We fondly recall that we were each others' Christmas gifts that year. She's twenty now, and I can't believe that ten years have gone by so quickly! She's beautiful, smart, an amazing singer, and has a gift for working with children. I am SO proud to be her mommy forever!

Sara, you are still the BEST Christmas present I ever got! In honor of being your mommy for ten years, since we can't go out anywhere today, I'm publishing this story to facebook to tell the world how amazing you are! I love you babygirl!

                                     Linda Metal                                                         Pontikonissi

Linda is an author, teacher, artist and freelance journalist living in Greece on the beautiful island of Corfu. When she isn’t painting, teaching or publishing children’s fiction and nonfiction, then she is likely writing articles on travel, health, lifestyle and food for various sites on the net.

Her latest challenge: ebooks!

I recently sat down with Liana for a chat, and I asked her what was new. Here is what she said.

"Εθελοντικός Οργανισμός για τα Παιδιά, συμπληρώνει φέτος 15 χρόνια δράσης, έχοντας πάντα ωςπρωταρχικό στόχο την παροχή φροντίδας και προστασίας της υγείας και ασφάλειαςχιλιάδων παιδιών σε όλη την Ελλάδα."

Frankly, it all sounded a bit Greek to me.

Of course, I am only kidding. Actually, it went something like this.

Dana: Liana, hi and thanks for joining me today. I wanted to ask you, you are involved in so many different things, writing, painting, photography, teaching; where do you find the time and what motivates you to wear so many different hats?

Liana: Time has always been a difficult issue!  I never seem to have enough time to do what I like.  But I always find time in between during the day …or night.  I remember once I stayed up the whole night to complete some paintings. I can be very productive at times but then I may as well be quite lazy for many days! I love flexibility and variety of tasks so I usually get involved in 2-3 tasks at the same time.  When I get bored working on one, I just turn to the other one; this can be very relaxing for the mind and quite inspiring at times. I usually work on two different paintings and a writing project simultaneously, but teaching is set at regular times and reminds me that routine is not a good thing at all! Life needs some twists and I dare to be unpredictable whenever I can!

    The White Snail

Dana: Tell me about “The White Snail”.  It sounds darling. What inspired that book?

Liana: The White Snail is about differences in people, racism, low self esteem and courage to change.  Working with young kids and observing their reactions gave me the main idea, and then it was my daughter and our first cooking lessons that helped the plot and the characters develop. Also my love for nature and all little creatures that we take for granted. It was fun creating this little story and observing the kids’ reaction! This book is on sale in Corfiot book stores only at the moment.

Dana: Will there be more books like The White Snail?

Liana: I have written a couple of books like that and I intend to complete the illustrations and publish them in the near future. They all feature creatures such as spiders, crabs and mice and all of them are educational. There is a quiz at the end of the book so as the kids to learn about the animals and become aware of nature.

                                The Hostel

Dana: You know, I look at your artwork and I am charmed by your versatility in both oil and watercolors.  At what age did you start painting and do you prefer one medium to the other?

Liana: I started painting very early, in my primary school years, and my first large oil painting was a portrait, which you can see here along with my other paintings. http://liametal.tripod.com/myartalbum/

At first, I started with watercolour but then I tried other mediums such as oil and pastel. I prefer pastel as it is fast and I can complete a work pretty soon, while oil needs time to dry.  But I love the smell of oil and the whole technique! I actually love all mediums and whenever I have time, I work on whatever is available. Currently I prefer acrylics as they are fast drying and have vivid colors.  I also work with pastels on tinted paper and my next exhibition will include both acrylics and pastel.

Dana: When did you have your first art display?

Liana: It was long ago, in the70s and it was not a formal display. But I sold all of my work. The display included nature scenes, especially olive trees and cottages and most paintings were oil on canvas or wood and pastel on paper. My first formal display was at Viros in October 2009, with acrylics and pastel works.

 A Street View in Spring

Dana: I love your painting titled, A Street View in Spring. Is that a real place on Corfu?

Liana: Yes, this is a view from my balcony. I sometimes take pictures from places I like and then paint them indoors. But this one was created on the spot. I do a sketch and then work with colors.

Dana: With so many irons in the fire, Liana, I think our readers would like to know what’s next. What are you working on these days and is there anything else you would like our readers to know about you?

Liana:  I am currently working on an art theme titled Cosmos, which will feature galaxies and stars from the universe in acrylics. I intend to blend the images with space music at the display, probably taking place in early summer. I have a couple of offers from Corfiot galleries and one in Athens.

I would also like to revise my young adults novel, The Hostel, and republish it online, and translate it into Greek. It will take me some time though and I don’t really know if and when I can complete it. At this time of the year, painting comes first…

Thanks for your questions, Dana. and thank you so much for hosting me!

My Pleasure, Liana. Thanks for your time.

Sunset at the Port

Liana's Forthcoming Projects

Visit Liana’s ebooks site at http://liamet.tripod.com

Liana’s drawings/paintings can be found both online at www.aggelia-online.gr and at the Bazaar shop located in Corfu town(at Spirou Vasileiou 23 in Karteria, Kefalomantouko. Tel: 26610.21713 /6936.873700).

To contact the artist visit http://LianaMetal.tripod.com or her blog at http://LianasKerkyra.blogspot.com Η Ηλιάνα Μεταλληνού διδάσκει Αγγλικάστην Κέρκυρα, γράφει άρθρα και ιστορίες για έντυπες και ηλεκτρονικές εκδόσειςσε όλο τον κόσμο και ζωγραφίζει. Μπορείτε να την επισκεφθείτε στην ηλεκτρονικήδιεύθυνση http://toasprosaligari.blogspot.com

Thanks again Liana for taking the time to chat with me. This interview is part of an ongoing project at VBT Writers on the Move, where member authors take turns spotlighting and promoting new and famous authors through online Tours such as this.

Please stop by and check out the wealth of information and resources offered there. Support your online author. Read an ebook!

I have been a member of VBT for barely three months, and in that time I have checked out most of the authors’ profiles and followed many of their blogs. My assessment, in a word, is that they are all amazing.

Most of them have regular jobs, family obligations, religious obligations; some even have medical concerns that demand priority over all else. Still, they forge ahead, insinuating themselves in the folds of a community that supports and understands them like no one in their personal circle really can. Their drive to be the best they can be at their craft fills their blogs, web pages and bookmarks with links to every conceivable venue offering tidbits that contribute to making them better authors.

What one learns, all learn in shared experiences. The tribulations of one serve to teach its lesson to many. It is truly inspiring the way networking authors pull together to help one another reach that elusive goal of making the Best Sellers list.

It is my observation that the Internet has become a powerful tool for cultivating, polishing and producing new authors of the highest caliber. It is beyond me why mainstream publishers and hot shot agents have not made sites like VBT their go-to source for recruiting qualified new talents.

You see it in sports all the time. Baseball, basketball and football players don’t send query letters to sport agents, do they? No, they play their hearts out on the field every day, hoping that today is the day that one agent is in the stands watching, taking notes and taking names.

Authors at VBT pour their hearts out in that same way. But you know the difference is that they do it not because they think that agent is out there somewhere watching; they do it for the love of the game, and that, as I say, amazes me. So I dedicate this blog spot to my fellow VBTauthors, and it is to them that I say with pride in knowing them all, play ball!

VBT Writers on the move

Hi, welcome to my blog where today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing to you

Author Linda Suzane

Click Image for Word doc version of this blog

Hello everyone, it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you, Linda Suzane.

Linda Suzane is an author, mystery game designer and reviewer who enjoys reading and writing mysteries and paranormal stories, especially those with vampires. Combine vampires and mystery and you really have her attention.

Linda lives in a small rural town in the foot hills of Oregon’s Willamette Valley with her husband of over 40 years. They share their home with their son-in-law, daughter, and two grandchildren, somehow making a multi-generational family work. One thing Linda has learned is that a set of good earphones and loud music are essential ingredients to being able to write in a noisy and lively household.

Writing has been a passion for as long as she has been married and creating worlds in her imagination even longer. Her biggest success as a writer until the advent of the Internet and eBooks was working as a ghost writer for a couple of late night real estate gurus. She always got a big kick out of seeing the guys holding up the book that she had written and saying, "When I wrote this..."

In 2000, she began exploring Internet publishing and soon had a book, The Murder Game, accepted for publication. The Murder Game is a romantic mystery about a murder mystery game designer whose mystery game goes murderously wrong. In September 2008, The Murder Game was reprinted by Wings ePress, Inc. and is now available in both print and eBook. Like her heroine, Linda also enjoys designing mystery games to entertain her friends. You can find her games at murdermystery.host-party.com, the Internet’s largest supplier of downloadable games.

After “The Murder Game” Linda completed two other novels, Eyes of Truth and Captivity: Darkhour Vampires , both of which are also available from Wings ePress, Inc.

Here’s a look at those books:

The Murder Game:

When Lawrence Van Hise offers Gwen Wilson $10,000 to create a mystery game in honor of his birthday, Gwen agrees. Gwen's mother once worked as the Van Hise housekeeper before her death twenty years ago, and Gwen is looking forward to returning to the beautiful mansion on the flanks of Mt.Tamaplais. Before Gwen can explain to Lawrence who she is, he tells her of a housekeeper who stole a jade statue. Gwen is shocked to learn the thief was her mother and sets out to prove that her mother was innocent, only to uncover more secrets from the past, long buried secrets about her mother's death and her relationship with Lawrence Van Hise. To complicate matters, Gwen's feelings for Hunter, Lawrence's son, confuse her. When she was 13 and Hunter 16, he was her first crush. Having matured into a devastatingly handsome man, he still has the power to send her heart and mind reeling. Is he really attracted to her or merely using her as his father used her mother? Is his offer to help real or is he merely trying to protect his father? Then the night of the party, Lawrence Van Hise is found dead, and it appears someone is trying to frame Gwen for murder.

Eyes of Truth

A body is found drained of blood, the ruler of Naj sends his brotherDar to investigate. In distant Dak-moon, Dar discovers a series of gruesome murders and a city plagued by mysterious sickness and gripped with fear ofdangerous night creatures. Dar possesses the Eyes of Insu, the power to discern lies. With his companion, a retired assassin named Waulo, and the help of the Guard Master Joaran, Dar searches for the truth, a truth that the Magistrate Insu-ha Shoki doesn’t want him to find. For Insu-ha Shoki has stolen the secret of immortality from the Dolzi and now forces others to pay the price for his obsession.

 Capativity: Darkhour Vampires

The mutilated bodies of two teenagers and a third one missing in the Oregon woods... A body apparently stolen from the SanFrancisco morgue and a wino brutally murdered... To the vampire, Dr. Donovan Reed, these are clues that there is a new born vampire hiding in the dark shadows, driven by blood hunger to kill, and that Donovan’s most hated nemesis, the vampire Cassandra, has grown careless. Does Donovan have a chance to put an end to the wanton killings?

Check out these books and much more at Linda's web site. You'll be glad you did. Thanks Linda for letting me host you today!

http://www.lindasuzane.com/

Murderx5.blogspot.com ~ JourneyBestSeller.blogspot.com ~ MidnightbloodReviews.blogspot.com

When I first set up my web site, I titled one of the pages “It’s all about me”. What can I say? After all, I was setting up a site designed to promote my books and me. However, as I have learned, sometimes the best way to get noticed is to let someone else do it for you. It’s called reciprocal promotion. Okay, I just made that up, but it is really something like that. You see, since joining VTB-Writers on the move, I learned how important it is for authors to work together. Collectively, we possess a wealth of knowledge about our industry (particularly the digital side of publishing) and maintain contacts that no single individual can boast in a lifetime of bogging. It is for this reason that we reach out to help others who are in our shoes. By reading each other’s works and posting reviews on social networking sites, e-publishing feedback pages and linking to one another’s home pages, we promote each other in ways no one person can. It is in that spirit that I would like to introduce you to Crystalee Calderwood. Crystalee is, by all accounts, the busiest author in the business. When I Googled her in preparation for this blog, I struck on no less than seventeen pages dedicated entirely to her! Only Michelle Obama returned more page hits than that. But it is with good reason that so much of the web is dedicated to Crystalee. Her reviews shine and her accolades are many. Most of the buzz swirling around this talented author is over her picture book “Angeline Jellybean” about a young girl that only wants to eat jellybeans. The book is filled with marvelous illustrations by Stephen Macquignon, who also collaborated with Rich Aaron on the book "Would a Kangaraffe Make You Laff?", Dana Warren on the book, "Colors" and Ransom Noble on "The Art of Science". You can find Angeline Jellybean on Amazon.com and from the publisher 4RV Publishing, LLC. http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com

Here is a bit more about Crystalee from her blog http://crystaleecalderwood.blogspot.com/

Crystalee Calderwood is a born poet turned children's writer, small town girl turned big city dweller. She moved from Altoona, Pennsylvania, to Pittsburgh, when she was twenty-two years old to attend the MFA in Creative Writing program at Chatham University. It was there she took her first class in writing for children and adolescents, and she's never looked back. As a member of Literacy*AmeriCorps Pittsburgh, Crystalee had the pleasure of interacting with children in the community through the non-profit organization, Beginning with Books. She introduced children to great books in hopes that they would fall in love with them the way she has. In her spare time, Crystalee likes to surf the internet and read YA novels. She spends a crazy amount of time in her own head, formulating ideas for picture books out of things she has overheard throughout the day. She is currently working on a YA novel that takes place in Pittsburgh, and has ideas for two more novels. I just want to say Good Job to Crystalee, and to keep it up. Dr. Seuss watch out!

Angeling Jellybean                  Crystalee Calderwood

Someone once said to me, “So, you like to write, do you?” which seemed strange, since we were talking about all the books I have written. I am sure I answered yes and probably smiled, as if just thinking about writing brought me joy. The truth is, though, I did not always find writing such a joy. Early on, there were times when I considered writing somewhat of a chore. Sure, I enjoyed the results: a finished novel with my name on the cover. As any author will tell you, a finished book gives one a real sense of achievement. I have heard many people boast that they could write a book if they wanted to, but until one attempts it, one cannot appreciate what an accomplishment it really is. You authors know what I mean.

When I was a kid, I used to come home from school, sit down at the kitchen table and make sure I finished my homework before changing into my street cloths and going out and play. I am like that with everything. If I start a weekend project, I am not happy unlessI can knock it out in a single afternoon. It is the reason I do not read many books. I will take a magazine or newspaper article over a thousand-page novel any day. I am just not that committed to making such an investment in time.

I suppose you can say that early on, I treated my writing like homework, or that weekend project that I rushed to finish before the first day’s end. Once I started a book, I felt as though I needed to hurry up and finish it. Sure, I enjoyed the process when the writing flowed onto the page in moments of blissful inspiration, but in-between those pages,when life’s commitments kept me from the keyboard; I dreaded that chore awaiting me like unfinished homework. Consequently, I believe it sometimes showed up in my work; endings that seemed a bit rushed, plots not quite reconciled and characters left sadly undeveloped.

Then one day something happened; my attitude about writing changed. Somewhere around Resurrection, I decided I would start taking my time with it. I reminded myself that writing was not making me rich, so I might as well treat it like the hobby it was. Instead of the three or so months it usually took to finish a manuscript, I let it take its course and completed Resurrection in just over seven. Did that make it a better book? Not necessarily, but it did make it more enjoyable for me. Now I write when I want to, not when I feel I have to. These days, instead of the feeling that a chore awaits me, I get a rush of anticipation knowing I have a spare hour or two to rescue a story suspended like a cliffhanger, awaiting my every keystroke—ahh, the God-like powers of an author.

I think anyone that has ever written a book or two would agree that, as much as we all hope and dream to make it big in the literary world someday, the chances of that actually happening are stacked wildly against us. So, we write for ourselves, our friends, family and anyone else who will read what we have to say. Me, I write for a scant dozen or so loyal readers who buy my books because (I believe) they thoroughly enjoy them.  They are not obligated through blood or beholden through friendship to spend their hard-earn money on me. If they were, they would not ask when my next book will be out; and in that I find both validation and inspiration to continue. So now, if you will excuse me, I should get back to the pages that matter. After all, I do have a reading public to consider.

Okay, this is cool. I just joined the group VTB (Virtual Book Tours) Writers on the move. It is a site dedicated to new authors and focuses on group participation to further the exposure of its members throughtout the writing community. You do not have to be a member to peruse the site, on the contary, this pool of eclectic authors is a great place to learn about new talents emerging from the shadows of literary mainstream. These are dedicated writers, under-represented but no less deserving of critical recognition. I hope you check it out, and I will see you there. 

VBT-writers on the move