H. Schussman Interviews D.K. Christi

D.K. Christi

Heidi:

First, D.K., tell us a little about yourself.

D. K.:

I am a romantic and a lover of history and natural environments. The sea rests my soul and the Everglades give me life. I find joy in beauty and diversity and I have worked in exotic, foreign locations that enriched my life and broadened my understanding of human nature. I lived with my family cruising the Caribbean on our yacht Lady Ace for three years, experiencing the power of nature. I love to tell about those adventures and am a professional presenter at organizations and events. I write because I must and am thrilled when others enjoy the stories I tell.

My career includes CEO responsibility for regional implementation of public/private programs to help specific populations from unemployed to migrant and seasonal farmworkers. I wrote and implemented successful grants in the $millions and worked across the nation on behalf of persons needing services and support to find a quality life.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

D. K.:

Whatever is required by the situation is what I write. Romance? Okay. Paranormal? Okay. Non-fiction? Okay. Essay? Okay. General Fiction? Okay. Writing is as natural to me as breathing and I have spent my career engaged in writing of all types for various purposes. I can write about anything for hire from technical manuals to a romantic tryst to a web site. I am also an experienced editor and write for a newspaper.

Heidi:

When did you start writing?

D. K.:

I wrote seriously in high school for WKBZ news. By college, I was writing short stories. I wrote curriculum for universities and state departments of education and for the U.S. Army in South Korea. Often I was called on to present at national conferences and direct workshops and developed a strong speaking voice and interactive presentation style I use today to talk about my novels, writing and other topics from communication to change strategy.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

D. K.:

I write for Spotlight magazines in print and online. I also write for Examiner.comand AXS.com. I have two novels in progress, Caribbean Odyssey and Escape to love. The first is part of the Bamboo Ring series that includes the currently available Ghost Orchid and Bamboo Ring and the second is a story of tunneling to escape a northern POW camp during the civil war by my several greats grandfather.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

D. K.:

I'd have to favor Mel since she appears in all the stories, often found lacking sympathy by readers. However, Neev in Ghost Orchid is a close second.

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

D. K.:

Bits and pieces of all the people I know, including me, are condensed in my characters. Readers love to love and hate them, often making comments about their choices and values as they would gossiping about friends. They also shed tears for the emotional moments my characters experience. They are very realistic in their thoughts and behaviors - like friends, family and neighbors.

Heidi:

Where do you write? Describe your workspace?

D. K.:

I have a great home office with a wall of windows where I watch the cardinals, turtles and rabbits when I drift away from my writing. I love taking short cruises to write also.

Heidi:

Who are your all-time favorite authors? 

D. K.:

Antone St. Exuperey and Dom Luis are two favorites, one for allegory and the second for philosophy. I always loved Russian historical novels and spy novels. While I enjoy watching science fiction, it's difficult to find books I like to read.

Heidi:

Did you find writing a query letter a challenge? If so, how did you overcome it?

D. K.:

I find the entire marketing of my work a challenge. I am accustomed to marketing and public relations for others and know it quite well. I find it difficult to promote myself and am uncomfortable with it. I have the knowledge and the tools and do use them. However, I am a person who prefers a publicist and a publisher that includes promotional support.

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

D. K.:

Be patient. Be sure what is written is something others wish to read by working with professional critique groups and testing your ability to sell your writing by submitting to magazines and contests. Be sure work is edited by a professional editor and goes forward with zero errors and zero inconsistencies. Attempt to get an agent and let them market to publishers and advise regarding the fine points in a contract. Get a proper contract example from someone who is a member of the Author's Guild. Make sure connections and networking are already in place before publication.

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their help/assistance/faith in you/etc?

D. K.:

My muse and the love of my life provided significant inspiration for my best writing, my mom has been a great reader and helps me with book signings and fairs and my friend, Judy Schuitema, is my first editor.Lisa Smith and Linda Houle at the now closed L & L Dreamspell represented all a small press should be. I miss working with them.

Heidi:

What works are currently available?

D. K.:

My current publications are fiction novels. I'm thrilled that Vinspire is re-printing Ghost Orchid with an October release date. This novel of love, loss and redemption, surrounded with coincidences and the mystery of ghost orchids has thrilled many readers who are mesmerized as I am by the rare and endangered ghost orchid of Corkscrew Swamp and its affect on those caught by its spell. Bamboo Ring, the prequel to Ghost Orchid tells the back story of Mel, a character in Ghost Orchid and is rich with exotic, foreign locations and adventure.

D. K. Christi, M.Ed., CWDP 
Consultant, Speaker, Author & Journalist
Member, Authors Guild & Naples Press Club
www.dkchristi.com
Spotlight Magazines
AXS
Examiner
Ghost Orchid book trailer by Darryl Saffer 
Bamboo Ring-New fiction novel 

H. Schussman’s review of Curse of the Exile, a traditional Gothic romance by Janis Susan May

This is my first book review, and I am honored to be able to do it.

From a reader’s point of view:

Curse of the Exile begins with a gentle story-telling quality. The beautiful child cloistered in an Italian villa, the eccentric father and delicate ailing mother. The story is told by Angelina, as an adult recalling her childhood. She recalls the sunny bright villa and the protective care of the household servants. The cataclysmic event sending her from sunshine to the dull, harsh, coldness of England. Everything was an affront to her senses. The reader is quickly pulled through the complexities of the teenage years, attending a rigid private school away from her parents. After her mother’s death and an absentee father, she is offered a job as a housekeeper.

In a rare burst of rebellion, Angelina refuses to comply with Aunt Cornelia’s plans and runs away to find her father. Her darling Pappa, the darling of too many women to count, was a librarian by trade and a womanizer at heart. He found it difficult to nurture this gangly sixteen year-old. Instead, Angelina became his assistant librarian, an assistant doing the majority of the work. They moved from town to town to work in private libraries. Then she met him… her first love, Myles Stonecypher. Everything was as beautiful as a dream… until she realized he had a less ladylike dream which didn’t include marriage.

Scorned and bitter, Angelina settles into the belief that she will never marry. She accepts her lot in life as a librarian’s assistant in cold foggy England. Just when she thinks it couldn’t get any more dismal, her father takes a job in rural Scotland. Here is where Angelina meets Sir Nairn MacTaggart in his natural surroundings and she is smitten, but would rather die than admit it. The castle staff each has their own role to play in this charmingly romantic tale of two strong-willed people in stormy Scotland. After I finished reading it, I was surprised to be in sunny California.

From a writer’s POV:

Well structured literary work. Excellent character development and story-line. It’s interesting how May uses light and weather to progress her story. Starting with a gentle, sunny home—surrounded by gentle caring people. She was forcibly removed from warm Italy, and the cold-harsh environment of England shocks her childish perception of the world. Like-wise she is now surrounded by cold and harsh people as she watches her Pappa run away and her mother wither away. Next May takes the climate one step further by going to the wilds of stormy Scotland. Everything about Scotland is cold, stormy, and violent. Her growing attraction to the lord of the castle is marked by thunder storms. The mysterious Mad Margaret, the sword of the exile, and the unexpected arrival of her teen-age crush (Stonecypher) compete for attention like a strobe-light show… or better yet, a lightening storm.

Fascinating display of light and weather elements. It’s no wonder her work has been compared to Virginia Holt and Phyllis A Whitney.

H. Schussman Interviews Nolan Carlson

Heidi:

Tell us something about your background and family and what led you to start writing?

Nolan: I started writing as a kid. I wrote mysteries, sports, and animal stories. I loved to write fiction and to retreat into a “world of my own”. I wrote three manuscripts while I was in the military service. When I got out of the service, I put my writing aside and went back to graduate school and helped raise our four kids with my wife, Lorena. I taught special education for fourteen years and owned a restaurant at the same time. All of our four kids finally became college graduates. When I was close to my 40^th birthday, I decided to take up writing once again while I taught and ran my restaurant. I sent excerpts of my writing to several New York literary agents and one day I got a telegram (you can tell that that was a few years back) from the Glenn Cowley agency. He liked my writing and agreed to represent me. I went on to sell five titles to Berkeley Publishing of New York and E.P. Dutton. My agent told me that a new publishing house from Melbourne, Florida was looking for quality books for middle school boys. He asked me if I had any interest, so I wrote a book called “Summer & Shiner”.

It was about my boyhood growing up in a small rural community in the Flint Hills of Kansas. We grew up much like Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. It was wonderful. He sent the manuscript to the new publishing house and it was chosen to be their lead hardback book. They received over 300 entries throughout the nation so I felt very fortunate. Seventy-five percent of the book was fact and twenty-five percent was fiction. Shiner was our pet raccoon that we released from a trap. The book was held by Disney Studios for six months as a movie option. From that point it won first prize in a state-wide competition and was awarded a plaque at an author’s banquet. It also won favorable reviews in Booklist in Chicago. The initial book became the first in a series of six: Summer & Shiner, Shiner’s Return, Shiner & King, Shiner & Baseball, Shiner & Hobo Joe, and Super-Kid vs. Super Bully. I’ve written many other books over the years including: The Wizard of Halloween, Balbena’s Grave, The Lopsided Angel, Vagabond Jack (wolf-dog), Lewis & Clark & Davey Hutchins, and many more. My books have been sold through the Troll Book Club as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The minister of education from the Soviet Union was presented my series of books when he visited the U.S. a few years ago. “Broken Vows”, my latest book from Vinspire is a departure from my previous genres. It seemed to fit better in Vinspire’s list of genres.

Heidi:

Could you tell us a little bit about your family?

Nolan:

My wife and I have been married for 44 years. She is a former nun. She is a wonderful, hardworking, very intelligent, and a very creative person. She is a retired algebra teacher and for the past 15 years has been the full-time director and volunteer at Community Health Ministry in our town helping people in two counties. I obtained a Ph.D. some years back and teach two college classes, counsel people, go to schools presenting programs on reading and writing, and of course, always have a book-in-the-making. We have four grown children and six grandchildren. Currently, one of our daughters is courageously fighting 3^rd stage brain cancer. She has received love and support from so many as well as the wonder authors and staff at Vinspire Publishing. The CEO of Vinspire is always helpful, creative and supportive. And the authors are great people always supporting and cheering one another on. I feel proud to be one among these very talented and creative people.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

Nolan:

I write mostly YA books for middle school boys but also have a book out called “Beguiled” from Vinspire Publishing that is a Teen Paranormal. And just recently my book “Broken Vows” was released from Vinspire and it’s a romance/suspense. It is about a young, dedicated priest who falls in love with a young war widow. The setting is small town American in the late 1940’s.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Nolan:

I just finished an adult suspense novel titled: “The Sinister Minister”. It is gritty and reveals what some people will do at the expense of others to gain fame and fortune.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Nolan:

Carley Bimberg in the Shiner series because he “is” me those many years ago.

Heidi:

Where do you write?

Nolan:

I used to be very disciplined and wrote at least two hours daily in my den. I burned our six electric typewriter back then. I now have five manuscripts backlogged, so I write just when the inspiration hits me or a germ of a new idea takes over.

Heidi:

Who are your all time favorite authors?

Nolan:

I actually have several. But, I’ll name just three: Mark Twain, Truman Capote, and Normal Mailer. I am an avid reader and recently read 14 novels in one month.

Heidi:

Final Question: Could you tell us a little about your latest book “Broken Vows”?

Nolan:

Heidi, here is the blurb on the back cover: One man’s promise to God becomes his torment. When Fr. Dan, a charismatic young priest, starts his first assignment at St. Francis, he helps transform a tired, complacent parish into one of renewed faith and hope. He’s loved by the parishioners and knows he is following the right path. Still, there is something missing in his life. Something he can’t place until a beautiful war widow arrives from Alabama. Lucy captivates him and steals his heart. Though there’s been a hint from the Vatican for decades that someday priests will be allowed to marry, Fr. Dan doesn’t believe it will happen in his lifetime. So he’s left with a painful choice. Does he choose to love Lucy from afar or walk away from his commitment to God and the Catholic Church?

Thank you, Heidi, so much for including me as a guest author on your blog.

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H. Schussman interviews Teryl Cartwright

The Teryl Cartwright Interview

Heidi:

First, Teryl, tell us a little about yourself?

Teryl:

I am that writer who loves to sneak humor and jokes inside some fun, yet serious stories. I live in PA (Pennsylvania to the rest of the country) and have two kids, three pets, and a serious need for many, many, many more bookshelves.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

Teryl:

I write inspirational romance, drama, westerns, fantasy, and mysteries. I usually start with a question or concept to base a book upon and then think of the ending before starting to write the beginning of the book. That way I know where I am going and why as I explore the story that unfolds. For instance, in my first inspirational romance I wondered if you could "make yourself love someone" and in the next one I wrote to discover whether you could "make" someone love you.

Heidi:

When did you start writing?

Teryl:

I started in third grade when I wrote about what I wanted to be when I grew up. I stated, "I want to be a writer, farmer, fireman, banker, and circus girl. I know it is a lot, but I can do it." I'm still working on the other jobs!

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Teryl:

Right now I just finished work on a screenplay and today I started some freelance copywriting for an educational publisher. The screenplay was for a contest sponsored by Meryl Streep for women over forty (which shares another fact about me). In a few weeks, I hope to start writing humor after I finish an online course that I wrote and currently facilitate.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Teryl:

My favorite character right now is Constance, the heroine in my second Regency romance. She didn't give up on love despite her mishaps and the many misunderstandings of her reluctant suitor--I enjoy her optimism and spunk.

Another favorite character is actually real. One of the sneaky additions to my first novel, A Sensible Match, was the bay mare that Abby rode and which just happened to be based on my own horse Esprit. (The other characters, I promise, are fictional, including the "church ladies" who get a bit nosy at times.)

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Teryl:

I see myself "reading too much into things" that Abby (the heroine in A Sensible Match) did. Yet I hope that sometimes people can see the wise, calm personality that I wrote into sidekicks like Robert (in Courting Constance) and Roundy (a character in my western, Prodigal).

Heidi:

Where do you write? Describe your work-space?

Teryl:

My work space consists of the laptop I use while sitting on the living room couch. I have a huge window that lets in a lot of light with a view of a wide street and a tree with a nesting robin nearby.

Heidi:

Who are your all-time favorite authors?

Teryl:

Georgette Heyer and Louis Lamour are my favorite storytellers because you can re-read their books and get something new each time.

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Teryl:

Write in many genres, you don't have to specialize unless you want to do so. Build readers in more than one place and see if they will crossover. I have learned to be flexible and to have different avenues to create a "name" and income. When you learn the multiple formats and mindsets of writing styles, you can bring that into your storytelling. For example, in writing books you share many details about the setting and delve into the thoughts of your characters. In plays, you share much less and in screenwriting you rely on subtext, letting the director and actors read into what your characters feel and why without telling or showing too much. Going back to fiction where you can share so much makes my writing deeper because I'm more aware of how much unimportant text can be cut. I want every word to work and count for me.

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their help/assistance/faith in you/etc?

Teryl:

I'd like to thank God for giving me unexpected opportunities--after all, my first magazine clip came from a rejected article by that same magazine and A Sensible Match was initially going to be rejected as well. It needed to be completely rewritten to include the male viewpoint (Edwin) and yet Dawn Carrington gave me that chance to resubmit my first book to Vinspire--and it was accepted. I'd like to thank you, Heidi, as well. Not too many "coming soon" authors would invite so many of her fellow authors to share space on her blog, most wait until after their books are released. Your effort to reach out to help us was very generous and kind of you. I'm looking forward to learning more about your new book, El Tiburon, too!

Heidi:

Thank you Teryl. I do the interviews for selfish reasons though. I wanted to learn more about other authors and what makes them tick, and I wanted to get my Blog up and running. So for me it is a win-win! El Tiburon will be released on December 30, 2015. My wild-and-crazy book release party will be January 16, 2016.

Heidi:

How can your fans learn more about you and connect with you?

Teryl:

Here's a few ways;

Teryl Cartwright Website

Facebook

Amazon: Sensible Match

Amazon: Courting Constance

H. Schussman's Interview with Diane Wylie

Diane Wylie: Grandma Writes Romance (and Loves It)

Hi, Heidi, thanks for having me at your blog. First off, I bet you can take a guess as to how old I am by the title of this blog article…and I think that is close enough. I live in Maryland at the top of the Chesapeake Bay, so close that we can see the bay out of our windows when the leaves are off the trees. Even though we don’t own a boat, we still love living here. There is something about being able to walk down by the water that is both soothing and inspirational. We came here from New Jersey for my husband’s job and decided to stay long after the job was over.

taken from internet

I have two grown children and two little grandchildren. They are my heart. I believe in strong family ties, which is a constant theme in my novels.

Heidi:

What genre do you write?

Diane:

I write historical and fantasy/paranormal romances and romantic suspense.

Heidi:

When did you start writing?

Diane:

I’ve been a technical writer for most of my life, but didn’t start writing fiction until a little over 10 years ago.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Diane:

I am working on the second book in a three-book series about a family of Scottish falconers set during medieval times.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Diane:

Well, with eight full-length novels in publication (MAGIC AT THE ROXY coming out in June will be number 8), I find it hard to pick just one favorite character. Right now, I guess I would say that Copper, the Jack Russell terrier in MAGIC AT THE ROXY is my current favorite. He is a spunky little guy, chosen to be in the story by my readers in a “Favorite Dog” contest a while back. Copper accompanies his magician owner through all kinds of adventures and excitement and brings a little light-hearted atmosphere to the drama.

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Diane:

Some part of me exists in all of my female characters. The desire to help care for people in Jenny of JENNY’S PASSION, the mother in me in Lila of LILA’S VOW, the desire to fit in can be found in Charlotte of SECRETS AND SACRIFICES, the wish to do something important for your country in Marilla of ADAM’S TREASURE, and in all three women in my MARK OF THE MAGICIAN series you can find my enjoyment of things outside the realm of reality.

Heidi:

Where do you write? Describe your workspace?

Diane:

I don’t write in any one place. I write all of my novels in spiral-bound lined notebooks by hand. I find that my thoughts flow easier when they come out through my pen. I also find that I can carry a pen and my notebook and write wherever the mood strikes. I sometimes write at lunchtime while I’m a work or sitting on the sofa while my husband watches NASCAR.

Heidi:

I can't believe you write all these books by hand, then you have to type them into your computer later. Is that when you do a lot of proofreading and tweaking? I'm sure the readers will be curious too.

Diane:

Yes, I do self-editing and embellishment when I type them into my computer. It gives me the chance to re-read what I wrote and critique it. Usually I don't type it in until long after I've written it. As a result, I have stacks of notebooks around.

Heidi:

Who is your all-time favorite author?

Diane:

Diane Gabaldon of the Outlander series is my hands-down favorite author. I love her style. I also love the new Outlander TV series.

Heidi:

Did you find writing a query letter a challenge? If so, how did you overcome it? Do you think there was a key phrase or idea in your query letter?

Diane:

In the beginning, it was hard to write a query letter. Now that I have done it multiple times, it is much easier. The key is to be able to tell the submissions editor why your story is different from the hundreds they see every day.

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Diane:

Keep trying. There is a lot of competition out there; you need to make your voice heard.

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their help/assistance/faith in you/etc?

Diane:

I’d like to thank my two sisters and my friend Lillian for their assistance as beta readers. But my husband is my biggest supporter of all, and the man on which I model all of my heroes. They have to be like him—strong, honorable, tender, romantic, kind, and most of all, sexy!

Links to Diane Wylie

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H. Schussman’s Interview with Christine Bailey

Christine Bailey Heidi: First, Christine, tell us a little about yourself.

Christine:

I live in Tennessee, right between Memphis and Nashville. I grew up in Toronto, Canada and moved to the States as a pre-teen. 

Heidi: What genre do you write?

Christine:

I write contemporary Young Adult fiction—of the mysterious, romantic kind.

Heidi: When did you start writing?

Christine:

I started writing short stories in high school and even had a poetry journal in Grade 2. But it wasn't until I began working on my MFA back in 2009 that I became serious about writing YA fiction. My first novel, Girl in the Middle, really came to life during that program.

Heidi: What are you working on now?

Christine:

I've just started writing my fourth novel, which takes place in a small southern town, much like my own in Tennessee! I'm having a ball writing it, ya'll.

Heidi: Who is your favorite character in your stories?

Christine:

It has to be Skye Walker from Girl in the Middle. I mean, what a name right? One of my favorite parts of the book is when Skye explains why she gets called "Luke Skywalker" on a daily basis:  “Have you been living in a hole for the past decade? Star Wars ring a bell? The movie? I get called Luke or Princess Leia just about on a daily basis.”

“Never seen it. We don’t watch television at my house,” the girl said with her mouth full.

“Well, you’re just about the only one on this planet who hasn’t heard of it. I’ve been traumatized my whole life having to live with the stupid name that my mom swears didn’t have anything to do with Star Wars.”

Heidi: Do you see yourself in any of your characters?

Christine:

I see a little of myself in all of my characters, but then again I was a pretty angsty teen. Most YA fiction deals with the protagonist searching or longing for something (like Skye Walker does in Girl in the Middle). Having moved countries during a pivotal time in my life made me long for a sense of belonging.

Heidi: Where do you write? Describe your workspace?

Christine:

I can write anywhere really, but it has to be on a computer. A typical day of writing is usually me at home on the couch with my laptop and a pot of coffee close by.

Heidi:

What books have most influenced your life most?

Christine:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger; Night by Elie Wiesel; Are You There God? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume (actually, everything by Judy Blume); Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson; Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird; A Separate Peace by John Knowles; Lord of the Flies by William Golding; and all of Sarah Dessen's YA novels. Plus, 1980s teen movies influence my writing—Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Lucas…

Heidi:

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Christine:

Maintaining an authentic teen voice, especially when I write in first person. Having to stay fresh with teen trends and talk can be challenging when you're no longer a teen yourself.  What I might think is "rad" could be totally bunk by today's standards. What stays the same, though, is human emotion and the psychological warfare teens often battle. 

Heidi: What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Christine:

Don't write to get published or to get recognition. Write because you have to—because it's part of who you are and there’s a story that needs to get out from inside your head.

Heidi: Would you like to acknowledge someone for their help/assistance/faith in you/etc?

Christine:

My mom is my biggest fan and my biggest critic—but in a good way. She always reads my novels before I send them out and tells me when something is not working. She is very honest—nothing held back. But it's what I want. I recently read an article about tough editors who make their authors cry as in John Green's editor (as in best-selling author!). The title of the article: "Her Stinging Critiques Propel YA Best Sellers." I like to be pushed to my very best, and my mom and my writing mentor from my MFA program both have stung me multiple times.

Heidi:
How can your fans follow you?
Christine:
Author Website
Facebook
Amazon Link