tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47783312535903125552024-03-14T01:02:01.815-04:00West PA Authors Book FestivalLK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-42677696006342491592020-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-25T07:00:05.326-04:002020 Interview: M.K. Anthony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello. My name is M.K. Anthony. I live in rural northwest Pennsylvania with my husband, our young daughter and our crazy coonhound puppy. Being just a family of three, you’d think it’d be peaceful and quiet but it’s the exact opposite. For example: I’m trying to answer these questions and my husband decides to walk in strumming his guitar. In turn, my daughter screams in excitement and begins dancing around the room. My life is chaotic but I love it! Currently I’m an Assistant Manager for our local Ace Hardware store. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Puzzles! Now if only I can find the time to do one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My family and I enjoy camping along the banks of the Allegheny River. We try to visit at least once a year. It’s always peaceful and I can normally get some long overdue reading done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scotland, definitely! It’s been a lifelong dream of mine, to explore the Highlands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, I have a guinea pig named, Peppa and a redbone coonhound named, Taco. (Both names were picked by my daughter.) Plus, several chickens and guinea fowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purple, especially when it’s accompanied with teal. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn’t really get into reading until I was a teenager. I loved anything by V.C. Andrews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Procrastination, for sure! I need to stop putting things off.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love Celtic music and it’s my go-to when writing. The fiddles and flutes always sweep me off to faraway lands.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not one to re-read books, but I have Shana Abe’s Drakon series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d have to say, ambivert. I was painfully shy as a child but by some miracle, I broke out of my shell. Working in customer service for the last 20+ years has definitely helped me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No, that’s not for me!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? </b></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />I was born in New Jersey and lived there for almost thirteen years, before my parents moved us to Union City, Pennsylvania. It was hard in the beginning but I’m so thankful that we moved to this small town. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first job was as a dog bather for my mom’s dog grooming and boarding kennel business. I helped with the family business for over ten years before taking an Innkeeper job for a Bed & Breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That would have to be going for a motorcycle ride with my husband and friends. We don’t get to do that very often.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the outdoors! We have a humongous vegetable garden this year and this will be our third year canning. It’s very gratifying to grow and preserve our own food.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had a hard time with this question for some reason. I told my four year old and her response was, “You can be Poppy from Trolls!”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No, not really. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dreams can come true! Never give up on them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some of my favorites are the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the Green Rider series by Kristen Britain and the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn. As you can tell, I’m a huge fan of series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began writing stories around fifteen years ago. Just something I did for fun. Years later, I woke up from an intense dream and thought that would make an interesting story. I instantly starting writing and before I knew it, I created this whole world and characters that I completely fell in love with.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After several rejection letters and many doubting moments, I stumbled across a local publishing company. It’s been a bumpy road but I finally have my story in book form. I’m currently getting my second book ready for publication.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Legends of Breena: Guardians of the Queen</i> – A dramatic fantasy novel about a royal guard who discovers her soul mate and her destiny. The book is available in e-book, hardcover and paperback.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/authormkanthony" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/authormkanthony </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=guardians-of-the-queen%C2%A0" target="_blank">www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=guardians-of-the-queen </a></span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-41449391185136680202020-07-24T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-24T07:00:00.547-04:002020 Interview: Laura Hervey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Laura Hervey: I am blessed to teach 9th grade English at my alma mater. With two married children and three grandchildren, I keep myself busy making memories and sharing experiences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies? </b><br /><br />I play the piano, consider myself an amateur photographer, and love to read, especially on the beach. I do jigsaw puzzles to remind me that sometimes walking away will help me see how things fit together, especially when I’ve overlooked something that’s right in front of me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot? </b><br /><br />I don’t really have a favorite vacation spot. I love to travel with my family, and all of us enjoy lakes, rivers, and the ocean. Swimming, fishing, boating, and lounging on the beach make the best family vacations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go? </b><br /><br />I have always wanted to go to Ireland. My paternal great-grandparents immigrated from Ireland, and my grandfather passed on his pride in his Irish heritage to his children and grandchildren. Even my adult kids love that they are part Irish and plan to visit Ireland. If money and time weren’t issues, I’d love to spend a whole summer exploring Ireland and immersing myself in the history and culture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have two dogs. My mini dachshund is an old girl who mostly loves to sleep. My German shepherd is a Velcro dog that wants to be wherever I am. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it? </b><br /><br />My favorite color is purple. I love that there are so many shades of purple that I never get bored. Purple is my feel-good color and my signature color, too. I wear purple so often that my students sometimes say, “Mrs. Hervey, you’re not wearing purple today.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child? </b><br /><br />My favorite book as a child was The Poky Little Puppy. I think I’ve always been a dog lover at heart. Plus, the poor puppy eventually learns that choices have consequences. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on? </b><br /><br />My house is never as clean or organized as I would like. I love order but find sorting, purging, etc. to be mind-numbingly boring. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular? </b><br /><br />I definitely re-read some books. I love Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b><br /><br />It’s not my favorite topping, but pineapple and ham on pizza create a mouth-watering option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b><br /><br />I currently live in my hometown in western New York, where I have resided for most of my life. I spent 7 years in Meadville, PA, and am an Allegheny College alum. I also met one of my dearest friends, author Gloria Clover at a St. David’s Writer’s Conference many years ago. I also lived in Iowa for one year before moving back to my hometown.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job? </b><br /><br />Like so many girls, my first job was babysitting. But my first “real” job was during my senior year in high school. I worked at a fast food restaurant that later became Burger King. I averaged about 60 hours a week, which of course, would be illegal now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity? </b><br /><br />I love Hallmark movies. Knowing there will be a happy ending relaxes me, especially if I’m super-stressed. I also love inspiring movies about people who overcome what appears to be insurmountable obstacles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others? </b><br /><br />Don’t ever let anyone pressure you into doing something that your gut tells you is wrong. It might be right for someone else but still be wrong for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend? </b><br /><br />I think every woman should read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I love books that emphasize God’s grace, especially when a woman believes she’s gone too far for God to want her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago? </b><br /><br />I remember the exact moment that I knew I wanted to be a novelist. It happened in a class taught by my all-time favorite teacher. We were reading The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury—which is kind of funny because I write romance. My aha moment came when I realized Bradbury had created a whole world with words. My next thought—I want to do that—didn’t come to fruition until years later because unfortunately I had the crazy idea that only geniuses could write novels. It wasn’t until I took a creative writing class after I finished my BA in English that a wise professor told me that I’d never find my own voice until I stopped trying to write like Hemingway or Faulkner.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication? </b><br /><br />My first published works were short: short stories, articles, poetry, devotionals, greeting cards, and opinion pieces. I would have preferred to continue with the traditional publishing route, but I felt compelled to indie publish my first novel, <i>Scarlet Tears</i>, so I formed my own publishing company, Alabaster Box Press, and now operate as a DBA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I currently have two published books, <i>Scarlet Tears</i> and <i>Light in a Dark Place</i>. Both books are available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Readers can find me at <a href="http://www.laurahervey.com/">www.laurahervey.com</a> or on Facebook @AuthorLauraHervey.</span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-12948881970680447092020-07-23T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-24T23:51:00.432-04:002020 Interview: William A. Wright and Dale Ann Edmiston<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Brave Knight Writers-- William A. Wright (Bill) and Dale Ann Edmiston, married 16 years</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bicycling, especially the Great Allegheny Passage lately. Also, all of the fantastic bicycle trails in Western PA. Organic gardening (asparagus, green beans, carrots, and beets are our favorites).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Love to stay home, although we’ve been a lot of places, we don’t typically revisit the same place<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">New Zealand<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have pets?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Currently, 1 beagle, and a cat for each floor of the house (3). We had ducks and chickens in the past.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gray, apparently. We have a gray stone house.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“The Young Children’s Shelf of Books”, all the Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drews, and by age 11, Taylor Caldwell<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Better marketing skills<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Top Christian/ 3rd Day/Lauren Daigle/Hillsong United<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yes, The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">yes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />and with salmon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />too numerous to count, but started here, also the west, the south, and Europe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Bill- Dad’s Dairy Queen- (age 12)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dale-Paper route (9th birthday)<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />READ!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Yes and yes on both counts for both of us</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Don’t pay much attention to movies, although we are looking forward to Antonio Sabato Jr.’s new production company.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />No<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Phil 4: 8 &9<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Pray. Early and often.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Anything by C.S. Lewis, John Eldredge, or Priscilla Shirer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Bill’s Irish. A need to embellish, I guess. He has helped me so much with my life and career, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I want to help him with his writing endeavors.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Places we’ve been and people we’ve talked with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Self published Havasupai in 2015. Pursuing mainstream publisher for next novel. Bought and read every book on publishing there is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><i>Havasupai</i>- Adventure leads to redemption</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>St. Croix-</i> Adventure leads to renewal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Instead</i>- To be announced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Gift</i>- Sequel to St. Croix</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Hitchers</i>- Adventures in 1969</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://braveknightwriters.com/">BraveKnightWriters.com</a> </span>LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-63663279500366476232020-07-22T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-22T07:00:02.336-04:002020 Interview: Amy Bovaird<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEO5LTFH5JI/XxeT_jR6NII/AAAAAAAAD2c/StaHbk0gNGIxsZKeZMnxQGiBoRn__rGiACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/AmyBovaird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1050" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kEO5LTFH5JI/XxeT_jR6NII/AAAAAAAAD2c/StaHbk0gNGIxsZKeZMnxQGiBoRn__rGiACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AmyBovaird.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi! I’m Amy Bovaird. I grew up in a small town in Northwest Pennsylvania of less than 3,000 people. High school sports play a big role in the town, even for adults. Football and basketball draw a big crowd, especially when rival schools play each other. On the outskirts of town are fruit farms and grape vineyards. We’re a typical family of six, two brothers, a sister and me. I’m the third. My father distinguished himself as a tree removal expert and operated his own business for over seventy years. In its heyday, he ran three crews. My mother took calls and did the accounting for the business. I’m quiet until you get to know me – love studying foreign languages, learning about other cultures, and trying new foods. I lived overseas for nearly twenty years and taught English to nonnatives in a career that lasted twenty-two years. In the last few years I also taught Spanish. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like taking photographs, walking, running and hiking. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Growing up, I loved going to my grandmother’s house a couple of hours away. As an adult, I don’t have a favorite getaway, but I do enjoy a trip to the mountains. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d go to Machu Pichu in Peru. I’ve always wanted to go there, just for the experience of climbing it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I grew up with a cat, and had my own cats. I had a black lab mix, who I adored. He passed away about five years ago. I now have three cats to keep me company. I am a big animal lover, though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d have to say red or shades of red, because it seems to burst with energy and high definition. It makes me feel cheerful, looks professional and I wear it well. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn’t have a favorite book, but loved Scholastic Arrow books we ordered from school. They had titles like Carole Moves In and The Wednesday Witch, Jenny Lind and the Listening Cat. I read my sister’s Trixie Beldon series books. I loved the hard backs covers and the beautiful portraits of Honey and Trixie on the inside. I used to go to the library and sign out 3-5 books each time. We were fortunate to have a good library in our town. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Procrastination. It takes me a long time to finish things. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not so much into music. In the fifth grade I discovered Jim Croce and played his best hits constantly. I like 60s, 70s and 80s music, probably because I know the words to them, like Carole King, Journey, some of the more popular songs of the Doobie Brothers (like Old Black Water), and, of course, popular love songs. If someone points out a song and the lyrics are meaningful, I adopt that singer for awhile. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, I used to re-read the Trixie Beldon books, but I do re-read some memoirs or books that take place in other cultures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I guess I’m an ambivert, depending on the occasion. Living overseas has helped me to come out of my shell. I’m never loud, though. I remember my eighth grade English teacher writing in my autograph book at the end of the school year “To one of the loudest girls in my class” (He meant ‘quietest’ as he was rather sarcastic). I’ve moved around enough to feel confident with myself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sure, it can go on pizza sometimes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the states, I attended colleges in West Virginia and Oklahoma. I worked in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Texas and Oregon. Overseas, I lived in Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I worked during the summers at my dad’s tree removal business as a “stick-picker,” raker, and wood stacker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love reading, sometimes watching television. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the sunshine and run if it’s sunny. Otherwise, I’m happy to stay indoors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not typically one who takes on dares, but I did once and wished I hadn’t. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Be resourceful, persistent and courageous. Don’t be swayed from pursuing your goals / dreams. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve always loved writing and creating. As a senior, I skipped lunch and the free period to write my first serious short story (with the lyrics of Leo Sayer’s song as the basis for the plot (I Think We Fell in Love Too Fast). I was so serious. I was going to be a writer. When I went overseas, I started writing newsletters, and devotionals, and editing the professional newspaper in our college as well as the yearbook. I was thrown into a situation where I ghostwrote a book. It took me a year to chronicle that love story. Completing this book gave me the confidence to write my own memoirs. My goal was to write about my travels. But as it turned out, the topic of my first book was inspired by my orientation and mobility training, where I learned to use a white cane due to vision loss. It’s still my biggest selling book. Each book I write is inspired by my experiences and faith journeys. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From my experiences. Some of my settings are right here in Northwest Pennsylvania. In my second </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">memoir, I added six foreign settings. In my third book, the setting was mainly the United Arab Emirates. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I started small, with a poem in the high school newspaper that my sister allowed me to put in because I wasn’t in high school yet. I’m a good essay writer, so just before the graduation ceremony at my associate college, I wrote an anonymous letter (essay-type) to our president about my experience. He read it out loud at our graduation. It was a proud moment for me, though only my brother-in-law guessed it was me who wrote it! The newsletters, and editing jobs came next. In 2004, I wrote a story published in a religious magazine for the Anglican church. After I took correspondence courses, I sent a story about my dad to a well-established secular magazine. The article was terrible, but the topic was so unusual, the editor worked with me to rewrite it. I received $75.00 for it. After a couple years of pitching to low-paying magazines, I decided to publish my own books. I average a book every two years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Mobility Matters: Stepping Out in Faith</i> – is about my orientation and mobility training and coming to terms with losing my sight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Cane Confessions: the Lighter Side to Mobility </i>– has 27 stories of life with and with and without my cane. (lots of culture, and humor!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Seeking Solace: Finding Joy After Loss</i> – contains 45 devotions of moving on after child loss, divorce and the death of my father. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>Hitting a Home Run: Blind and Thriving</i> –is about the diagnosis of my eye condition and subsequent career decisions (e-book) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">•<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span><i>A Time to Dance: Finding Joy after Child Loss</i> – is a sweet short memoir of how God showed me he loved me on one special Valentine’s Day (e-book) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My website is <a href="http://amybovaird.com/">AmyBovaird.com</a>. It looks beautiful and was created by Rebecca Reidmiller, the virtual assistant, who used to work for me. My books are available on Amazon.com in regular, large print and kindle. They’re also available in audio format on Amazon, iTunes and Audible. </span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-8894633266499289592020-07-21T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-21T07:00:00.630-04:002020 Interview: LK Hunsaker<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diViXJgNu7A/XxStARzcilI/AAAAAAAAD18/YBl_9oDS46sPwYAqCqM8pIRxcpCFO5-jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/atLeanas-Oct2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="552" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diViXJgNu7A/XxStARzcilI/AAAAAAAAD18/YBl_9oDS46sPwYAqCqM8pIRxcpCFO5-jwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/atLeanas-Oct2019.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Leana of Leana's Books & More<br />for the photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi, I’m LK Hunsaker, also writing as Ella M. Kaye. I have two grown kids, one an ABA tutor working with autistic kids, the other a partner in his dad’s wood restoration and custom builds business. They each have three kids, five of which are between 6 and 1. I help take care of all five. Yes, it gets loud and chaotic around here. I pretty much live in an art studio/day care center these days. And I’m so very grateful they are now all right here so I can enjoy them and watch them grow. We’re an Army (RET) family who planted ourselves in West PA because we loved the area while passing through on our travels. Along with my writing, I do admin and design work for my husband and son’s business. Now and then, I do some of the same for a sand therapy center. I started the West PA Book Festival back in 2015 to try to help the many local authors I’d run into help get the word out about their books. I love how it’s grown! Oh, I also have a degree in liberal arts and a bachelor’s degree in psychology, which I use in my books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Far too many! I’ve always been into art and have recently become obsessed with acrylic painting. I dabble in music and play with a beautiful acoustic guitar and the piano when I can find quiet time. I sew and love to make pretty things for my granddaughters (sewing for boys is not nearly as fun). I’m an amateur gardener, and this year, my husband put up a nice garden space for veggies to go along with my flower gardens (so far, we have a dozen pretty green tomatoes of two varieties coming along well). I’m a bit of a photo bug. And I very much want to get into playing in clay on a wheel. The little ones and I do a lot of arts and crafts together.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The beach. Lake, ocean, sea, even a large pond. I love water. Acadia Park, Maine is one of my past favorites, and I loved the book research trips my husband and I took to Bennington VT and Williamstown WV on the bike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would probably go back to Italy. We were there on a whirlwind tour through Europe 30 years ago, by train, while stationed in Germany, and I loved seeing all of it, but Italy grabbed me. It could be my Italian roots. I was also grabbed by Ireland and Scotland (roots there, too) and hope to get back. But Italy... Although I also want to do an east coast lighthouse tour. So it would be kind of a toss up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have a very stubborn 13-year-old yellow lab and a very hyper 4-year-old lab/border collie. Both were rescues of sorts since their owners had to find other homes for them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yellow. I also love blue, green, teal, and recently coral, but yellow has always been my favorite because it looks warm, cheerful, and inviting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a young child, I adored Dr. Seuss books. I still most enjoy reading those to our grands. As a preteen, I fell in love with The Hardy Boys and read every one our little library had, which thankfully, was a good many. Now I’m collecting all of the older versions of them I can find.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My overall health. I’ve gained major strides in defeating much of my social anxiety and am still working at that, but currently, I’m focusing on the physical push. That has always been a weak point. I can’t tell you how much I detested P.E. class. I did, though, take dance all the way through my growing up years, so if it’s fun enough, I’ll do it. Currently, I’m on my third 100 intentional mile walking challenge. On days, I grimace and force it. Overall, though, I’m finding my slow progress through plenty of injuries and illnesses fulfilling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love lots of genres (pop, rock, country are the main ones) and have lots of favorite musical artists. For writing, when I want music (it does often help me focus), I go for classical, Celtic, or lyrical soundtracks, or sometimes Andrea Bocelli since I can’t understand many of the lyrics, anyway, although I do plan to learn Italian when I can make some time. For a bad day, my MANY-years-now go-to is Kenny Rogers. He can soothe and uplift like magic. Rest in peace, Kenny. For more upbeat needs, usually Bay City Rollers, Sawyer Brown, Journey, or Sugarland. For venting needs, Nickelback or Matchbox 20/Rob Thomas. For walking, I often use the soundtrack for The Greatest Showman.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You know, I don’t re-read books. My shelves are ridiculously full of not only those I’ve read and can’t part with, but those still waiting to be read. I often hit library sales to supplement my bookstore binges. I did re-read the first romance that I somewhat remembered reading way back in my teen days and ended up skimming because I already knew the story and I was far less impressed the second time. I am considering re-reading the Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes, but I haven’t gotten to them again yet. So many incredible books, but I have to sleep sometime. I prefer new stories to those I know. There are very few movies I re-watch, too, unless someone else turns them on and I’m doing other things at the same time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m an extremist introvert/social phobic who enjoys people but has trouble being around them. Social media was made for people like me, and I spend too much time there. ;-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I haven’t tried it. I would, but I haven’t. I didn’t think I’d like bacon with ice cream, but that’s really pretty good. You never know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was raised in central IL, at 21 moved to TX with my Army husband, then Germany (West Germany at that time) where my daughter was born, MA (just west of Boston) where my son was born, GA (just west of Savannah), VA (just south of D.C.) during the times of the D.C. snipers and 9/11, and finally PA after my husband retired from the Army and we got to choose.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Babysitting. I did that quite a bit while young. Otherwise, H&R Block as a tax preparer. No, I do not like math, but I’m good at logic. Mom worked for and later owned/still owns an office, so I got a bit of a push into it. I’ve also done retail and 2 day care centers in the infant room. I’m good with babies. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Down time... That’s generally after I give up trying to get work done because I’m too tired and go read in bed. But, I also love being on the back of the bike just cruising around enjoying the scenery. I’m not sure I can really call that down time, since I’m often thinking about story plots at the same time. I’m a bit of a workaholic. I do love to swim, though. I grew up taking swimming lessons, up to junior life guard. Now that I’ve found a nice place nearby, I hope to do that a lot more often. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes and no. I love nature. I love trees and flowers. But I detest insects and crawly things. I have a few flower gardens that I don’t keep up with well because there are only so many hours in the day. I’m doing well with basil and parsley in large containers on my back porch, but I can’t seem to grow spinach. My husband put up a small garden this spring, fenced in to keep the deer out, and it’s looking beautiful except the cabbage that will have to be pulled out because it’s more holes than leaves. He helps water it because... well, because I may not get to it when I should. So, no, I don’t really have a green thumb, but I do keep trying. Playing in the dirt is good relaxing therapy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preferably, a movie would be made of my Rehearsal series and I’d jump into that in the role of Susie. Her life can be pretty tough, but it’s very adventurous and full of music and true friendship. Other than that, maybe My Best Friend’s Wedding as Jules because, yes, she screws everything up, but she comes around and fixes it and she has a good heart. I love romantic comedies. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nope. I have no need to prove anything to anyone who would ask me to do so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. For me, it’s as basic as you can get. I’m ridiculously far from perfect, just like anyone else, but I do my best to be respectful, since I expect to be treated respectfully. Of course that doesn’t always happen, but you lead best by example.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Picasso. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To young people: Listen. No, really listen. Realize you’re seeing from your own perspective, but that’s only a small drop in a huge bucket of what’s really going on. Look farther and deeper. Learn on your own. Don’t just buy something. Look it up. In several places. Question yourself constantly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I grew up listening to my large family discuss politics and there were always at least two well-developed contrasting sides to every discussion. These were all people I loved and they often vehemently disagreed and had good reasons to disagree, but before leaving the gathering for the day, they hugged and told each other to take care. Agreeing isn’t always necessary, or possible, but listening is, as is respect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two major things I remember from Grandpa, one of the wisest people I’ve known: “You can learn something from anyone,” and “Remember who you are.” It makes me sad to see so many young people ashamed of who they are. There’s no need for it. We are who we are because that’s who we’re supposed to be. Accept yourself and respect yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I could list so many here, but I have to say, being a big supporter of local authors and indie authors, do yourself a favor and find some locals and indies who are writing well outside the “big pub small options” genres. Only the current “in” genres get published and promoted by the big commercial pubs, but there are so many more options and genres being mixed and blended and blurred. Such a richness that is often overlooked. Also, watch bookstore clearance bins for author names you don’t know. I’ve found those are usually some of the best books. They just didn’t get the huge advertising bucks so you know the authors’ names.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It must be innate, since I started writing musical plays for my siblings, cousins, and myself to act out for our family gatherings way back when I was 7-8ish, at best guest. In junior high, a friend and I wrote screenplays and exchanged them for comment/critique. Hers was Star Wars fanfic and mine was Emergency (TV show, remember it?) fanfic. I still have it. It’s pretty atrocious! You have to start somewhere.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Characterization is my strong point. My books always focus mainly on character development, and the settings stem from that. The first published, <i>Finishing Touches</i>, is set in my hometown area. The <i>Rehearsal</i> series is set in Massachusetts, just outside Boston, but in a fictional town, in honor of living there for some time and loving the area. <i>Off The Moon </i>and <i>Moondrops & Thistles </i>are set mainly in NYC due to the main character’s career. <i>Protect the Heart </i>is set in old time Idaho in honor of my husband’s hometown area. Under my pen name, Ella M. Kaye, I’m doing things differently and working around related settings (Lighthouses, Rural areas, Cities), fitting the characters to their environments and social situations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of my books, under both LK Hunsaker and Ella M. Kaye, revolve around the arts and have a lot of psychology/family issues because those are my strongest interests.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A bit of a long story that I’ll try to keep short: After writing for YEARS without thoughts of publishing, my husband asked what I was going to do with it. Um..? Shrug. I’m doing it because it keeps me sane through taking care of my little ones pretty much by myself with no family or friends around? Not good enough? I figured it was. But with the seed planted, I started researching the publishing business and looking at the sad statistics that kept yelling in my face, “You don’t FIT! Forget it! We don’t want that right now. BANG! (door closed)” I mix romance with literary fiction, and that wasn’t a genre. At all. Way back in 2002 or so when I started researching. It’s still a hard sell, but it’s coming around lately. Anyway, I decided not to bother with the agent/contract route. I’m pretty independent. I figured I’d just do it myself. There was no Kindle/Nook/Kobo back then. The only options for going it alone were 1) pay someone to print a ton of books and hand sell them, or 2) use one of the newly emerging presses that would do the formatting and print them on demand so you didn’t have to sink $5,000 or whatever into boxes of books to store in the garage. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Obviously, I went with plan 2. It added to the “hard sell” factor since that also made them more expensive than equal length traditionally published (commercial) books. As soon as better options came along, I jumped on them, establishing my own company, buying a block of ISBNs, doing my cover art using my art and design training, and figuring out how to do the formatting. It was a HUGE learning curve, but worth it. My books now come out under my own Elucidate Publishing, using Ingram for printing/distributing prints and Smashwords for my ebooks. I’m not restricted as to what I can write, and they stay competitively priced with the big guy pub books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An aside, I started using the term Indie Publishing way back before I ever heard the term being used because the “experts” kept insisting that “self-publishing” only covered option 1 and the other was just “vanity” printing. I objected to being called a vanity author because it was not for my own vanity. I believe my stories can reach people, touch them, help them understand other viewpoints, and entertain, as well. I work very hard on them. I’ve taken a novel writing course on top of my own studies and avid reading. I’m not a vanity author. I’m independent just like indie musicians (not the genre, but the publishing process). So I decided my “literary romances” were “indie published” and I’ve never looked back. Okay, at times I do. It’s tough to market yourself without a big press background. It’s an awful lot of work doing so much on your own. But overall, the control and freedom are worth the extra effort.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Under LK Hunsaker, I have 9 novels out. Four are from my massive Rehearsal serial/saga, and the early ones are being revamped currently. Three more will follow, plus a sequel and possibly a prequel. I also have a children’s picture book out called Stanley: A Raindrop’s Story that tells of a little raindrop that always finds the hardest places to fall. Plus, there are so far two write/color/sketch books for my Write the Light In project, one for adults with writing prompts, and one for kids with a growth chart, favorites lists, and space for photos as well as for writing stories. You’ll find them at <a href="http://lkhunsaker.com/">LKHunsaker.com</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Under Ella M. Kaye, I have 6 novels out under two series: Dancers & Lighthouses, and Artists & Cottages. The newest WIP will be the first in the Songwriters & Cities series and is set here in the West PA area. My hope is to have it out by the end of the year. You’ll find them at <a href="http://ellamkaye.com/">EllaMKaye.com</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(Since everyone asks, I decided to do books under a different pen name because they are more romance, less lit fic than my LK books. They still have psychology and family mixed in, and along with whatever art is highlighted, they deal with mental health issues.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you to all for stopping by! Yes, I do tend to be verbose in my books, as well. I like to read fully fleshed stories without a lot of extraneous info and description, so that’s how I try to write them. </span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-58520223348936919932020-07-20T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-20T07:00:10.693-04:002020 Interview: Peggy Loughner Fisher<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello everyone…my name is Peggy Loughner Fisher and I am honored to be included in this interview with authors!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I have been around for many years as I am 71 years old and my favorite hobby is working on my personal genealogy. My interest in genealogy started back in 1975 when my mom shared that our lineage went back to royalty in England and we were from the MicMac Indian tribe in Nova Scotia. This perked my interest as I thought “I MUST BE A ‘ROYAL’ INDIAN”! After many years I documented that we were in the palace in England BUT tracing back to our relative being a SHOEMAKER in the palace! Our Indian lineage goes directly back to being related to Chief Sachem Henri Membertou (B.1510-D.1611) who was the first chief of the FIRST NATIONS MicMac tribe! My sons always teased me that I was related to the MicMac Paddy Wack Give a Dog a Bone Indian but I have full documentation to Chief Membertou.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite vacation spot is Maui, Hawaii. The big reason is because my oldest son has lived there for 22 years! Maui is truly paradise!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the present time we do not have any pets since our dear 14 year old Sadie dog crossed the rainbow bridge on January 1, 2020 and we still are not able to look for another pet since Sadie was the BEST!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When people ask me my favorite color I always say YELLOW because it is bright & cheery and I try to remain the same!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My life came full circle when I became AMMY (which is what my two grand daughters call me). Family means the world to me!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Music is my therapy! My music genre includes the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and hymns. Whenever I struggle I go to MUSIC to calm me down!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Traveling throughout my life I always heard tidbits about my daddy, Earl E. Loughner’s, military life as a POW in Japan for 3 ½ years and his journey on the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. After seeing the movie “Unbroken” five years ago, the thought came to mind that I needed and wanted to keep my daddy’s legacy alive. After I read his only interview after he returned from WWII to the hometown newspaper, I knew I needed to keep his history alive. My first thought was to write a book for his future generations. That is how “DADDY CAME HOME” got started!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I chose to self publish the book to make sure nothing would get changed. However, by self publishing I also became my own advertiser. To date there are over 700 copies out in circulation!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have given many presentations, participated in vendor shows and I refer interested people to my website: <a href="http://www.daddycamehome.com/" target="_blank">www.daddycamehome.com </a><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> My book “Daddy Came Home” has touched my heart in so many ways and has fulfilled my goal to keep my daddy’s legacy alive. I have a hard time being referred as an author and I am deeply humbled to be included in the West PA Authors Group!!!</span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-1204982802135349502020-07-19T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-19T13:58:01.647-04:002020 Interview: Patricia Miller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello. I am Patricia Miller. I live in Sugarcreek, Ohio with my husband, my adult daughter, and her goldendoodle, Benny. I have an adult son who lives in his own place north of us, whom we visit often. I have 2 college degrees and I have worked as a mental health clinical counselor-supervisor for nearly 30 years. I currently work full-time in a hospital-based Intensive Outpatient Program and part-time in an Outpatient Private Practice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love to travel and I am especially entranced with castles and castle-like structures and mansions. I also like to hike and bike. The longest I have ever biked in one shot was 34 miles. I enjoy binging on Agatha Christie movies and books, British murder mysteries and science fiction (space travel) series episodes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Anywhere a cruise boat can take you. LOL I also like flying to all-inclusive international resorts. If there are beautiful structures and mansions there, all the better! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Europe. I’ll probably need about 3 weeks to hit everywhere I want to see. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I grew up with dogs and usually have one all the time but we took a break after our family dog died. Then, my daughter (who still lives with us) was nearing completion of her medical office training and asked for a goldendoodle as her graduation gift. Thus, we have Benny. He’s very ornery and we all love him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I didn’t think I had a favorite color as I love many. But, my daughter just pointed out to me that I tend to buy purple items. She’s right!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The earliest I can recall loving books would be Golden Books. Ironically, a part-owner of that company sold his share and used the money to build a castle in Ohio which is (by chance) my favorite castle in Ohio in which to stay. I stay there at least 2 times a year. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I also remember loving to read Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mystery Books too. I quickly found Agatha Christie soon after that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For some time I have made it a regular habit to avoid negativity in my life and in my thoughts. Life is too short to waste in that way. I’m also looking forward to semi-retirement in about 4 years when I will be able to do more of what I like to do, such as writing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wrote books 1 & 2 in my YA Sci Fi Romance trilogy (The Joshua Trilogy) entirely while listening to 30 seconds to Mars. (Their old stuff) But most of the time you will find smooth jazz saxophone cd’s in my car. My favorite is Boney James whom I saw in concert last year. He’s awesome! Check him out!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Absolutely! I love all Agatha Christie books and stories, Sherlock Holmes, well all British Lit actually. And, yes, I read and watch them over and over!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ambivert. I enjoy interacting and spending time with my close friends and family but I also really enjoy my alone time. Sometimes, I book a suite in that favorite castle-like resort, to get away by myself, which also gives me uninterrupted time to write.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When I have to have a public event, I get a bit nervous before, but once it gets started it usually goes well and I end up enjoying it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">LOL Absolutely not! But, I’m allergic so I guess I’m biased!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have always lived in Ohio. Born and raised a Buckeye. But, I love to travel and seeing Frank Loyd Wright’s Waterfall House in PA is on my bucket list.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />Salad Bar attendant at Blue Drummer Steak House.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Looking for and watching old British murder mystery movies, mostly Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. Again, I also like traveling, even if it’s just a weekend getaway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I wouldn’t consider me the outdoor type even though I like to hike and bike. After these activities, I will admit I like heading inside to beautiful accommodations with air conditioning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As far as flowers go, I kill all inside flowers but I have great luck with outside flowers and bushes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ariadne Oliver in any Agatha Christie story that features this famous mystery writing crime fighting sleuth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not typically!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you have never done.” --Unknown</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And I am very accepting so I would also have to say “Live and let live.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Positive attitude, willingness to listen and learn, hard work and persistence pay off. Have the courage to try and don’t let the fear of rejection take away your dreams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Any and all Agatha Christie books, of course.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">During my junior year in high school I took a class called British Literature. This is where my love of literature ignited, specifically British.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I learned to love and appreciate sci fi while watching original episodes of Star Trek with my brother. I then discovered Agatha Christie. When I would read, I'd started thinking “wouldn’t it be cool if the story went this direction or took this turn?” so I decided to start writing short stories of my own. This then led to a novella and then to full-length novels.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So far, my settings are mostly inspired by places I have visited. Such as the library in which my first “Joshua” book starts in, taken from the library of the first college from which I graduated.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have plans to place a teen paranormal in a castle-like hotel/resort like my favorite one I visit several times a year in Ohio.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">After writing several short stories, novellas and a full length novel, I started to attend writing and publication conventions all over the US. I also joined several professional writing associations. These contacts led to my connection with an editor who lives in CA who really liked my work. He eventually urged me to seek publication. After several rejections, I eventually found a few options and I made a decision. My current publisher provided me with an amazing cover designer who lives in Tennessee. After I release the final installment in my YA Sci Fi trilogy, in addition to more mystery collections, I plan to move on to other genres such as paranormal, cozy mysteries and others. Therefore, I might seek additional contracts with other publishers who specialize in those genres, hopefully an agent someday too. Who knows? :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Find me on FB at this link : <a href="https://www.facebook.com/patriciamillerauthor%C2%A0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/patriciamillerauthor </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Website: <a href="http://pmwritescom.wordpress.com/">http://pmwritescom.wordpress.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Joshua: Life After Theos</b></i>: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Book 1 in The Joshua Trilogy, YA, Sci Fi, Romance; Finalist in the 2019 <br /><br />Next Generation Book Awards in the category of Young New Adult Ages 17+. 5 Star Editorial Review from Indies Today as well as from readers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Review quotes: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> “Wit and humor jostle for space beside the awkwardness inherently associated with adolescence. Add in a touch of suspense from a malicious antagonist bent on exposing their extraterrestrial origins and you have a delightfully crafted young adult alien romance.” “Miller is a rare talent, a true gem of a writer.” …”captivating dialogue,”... “relatable characters,”...”tension you can feel in your gut,”...”just the beginning of good things to come from Patricia Miller.”<br /></span><br />
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<i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Joshua: Breaking Free</b></i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">:</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Book 2 in The Joshua Trilogy, YA, SCI Fi, Romance</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sometimes it takes going back to finally BREAK FREE!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5 Star Editorial Review and from readers alike.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Review quotes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Such a fun novel...content is light and the subject matter relatable...Miller has really upped the ante in terms of the strong bonds forged between the characters...chocked full of humor, particularly from Josh’s inner dialogue...if you’re looking for a delightful afternoon read, there’s hardly a better option than curling up on the couch with Joshua: Breaking Free</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">.”</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />** Book 3 being written as you read this and coming out in 2020!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Mysterious Tales of the Unexplained</b></i>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Volume 1 Mystery Collection with 10 scene sketch illustrations</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Singing specters, secret passageways, unsolved clues, abandoned mansions, old photo albums and hidden motives are all found in the four stories making up this unique collection, Mysterious Tales of the Unexplained. A young sleuth solves a mystery surrounding a creepy, community theatre in Break A Leg & Knock 'Em Dead. She then goes on to investigate the apparent suicide of a wealthy factory owner in House up on the Hill. In Picture on the Wall, a mother/daughter restoration team experience ghostly encounters in an old, abandoned mansion. And six young friends go on a mystery weekend at a spooky inn, deciphering clues and exploring the mysterious property, only to find much more going on than they thought.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Review Quotes:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“So, I finished your latest book and I have to tell you, I was fooled--TWICE!”...”So many twists and turns...I really did not expect that ending in the novella.” “Your character, Kelsie Raymound, really made me think of Nancy Drew.”...”Kelsie is now my favorite sleuth!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Go to Patricia's website for buy links and cover art.</span></div>
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<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-25407725569095737972020-07-18T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-18T21:38:43.625-04:002020 Interview: Karen Malena<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHBqD97jDio/XxJOMNmq-ZI/AAAAAAAAD1A/tz4pHWea52QQ1XWNqBS9QUGRbTwsCn80QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Karen%2BMilena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHBqD97jDio/XxJOMNmq-ZI/AAAAAAAAD1A/tz4pHWea52QQ1XWNqBS9QUGRbTwsCn80QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Karen%2BMilena.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hello everyone. I’m Karen Malena. For almost forty years I’ve worked in the dental field as an assistant and office manager. It’s been a great way to care for people. My husband Jim and I have been married for fourteen years and we have four kids between us. My son Matt is a popular YouTuber and shares his enthusiasm for children and families in arcade videos. We also have five grandchildren.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favorite soothing hobby is to crochet. I learned as a little girl from my Italian Nonna, and now I make handmade purses and lap blankets. I love to read, sit outdoors and bird watch, take small trips with my husband, and also draw.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We love small day trips and two-day weekends, so for now I’d have to say that the sweet little town of Ligonier is a favorite place to visit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few years ago we heard about brother and sister kittens that were left at a local veterinarian’s office. My heart melted when I saw the two gray long-haired kitties. We named them Rocco and Bella. Rocco is the strong, silent type, very loving and follows me around like a dog. Bella is the diva, and won’t leave me alone very long. They’ve grown into beautiful adult cats with gorgeous long coats that spew tumbleweeds of fluff all over the house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love blue and yellow together. They are cheerful and remind me of a glorious summer day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first favorite book was called “The Littlest Angel” in fourth grade. It seemed to soothe me and give me the comfort needed during some rough times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Insecurity. I am learning to be happier with who I am body-wise, age, and talent. I want to love me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Though I don’t listen to music as I write, I do love movie soundtracks when I’m home cleaning or to help chase the blues away. Favorites of mine are from “Lord of the Rings,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and “Titanic.” I also love waltzes and older music that my parents played all the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh yes. I have quite a collection of favorite books and authors. I’ve re-read many Stephen King books, the “Outlander” series by Diana Gabaldon, and my all time favorite “To Kill a Mockingbird.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I’ve lived in Western Pa all of my life except for a six month period where I lived near St. Louis, Missouri due to a husband’s job.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first and only job has been in the dental field. I worked for a wonderful man in my small town of Ambridge, Pa for twenty-seven years. I began when I was nineteen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Nonna and Dad were plant lovers and taught me how to care for flowers and vegetables. I adore my plants to the point that I do speak to them lovingly and tell them just how beautiful they are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wow, this is a fun question, but I’d have to say at this point in my life I wouldn’t want to live anywhere in the movies. Too many of them have so much drama and I’m at a point in my life where I just want peace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Not at all. I like my feet planted firmly on the ground and I like to be in control of my situations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are numerous Bible verses that I love. One in particular is “Do not fear, I am with you, do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my right hand.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When you are young, don’t spend time wishing you were someone else, or better than you are. Take a good look at the gifts you’ve got, and the beautiful person you are and love them unconditionally.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some favorites are any by Mitch Albom, “The Shack” by Wm Paul Young, and books on NDE’s (Near Death Experiences).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ever since I was a little girl, I loved and needed escapism from scary situations. I longed to be other people in books and movies. I began writing sappy short stories when I was about fourteen. Then in the eighties, the music videos came along. Each was like a mini story and they inspired me to want to write more than ever.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whatever inspires or is something dear to my heart would be what I’d choose to write about. As I began looking around a few years ago at people not talking in restaurants, sitting and staring at their phones, I wondered, “hmm, what would it be like if we weren’t permitted to talk any longer. If we lived in a society that monitored our homes and places of work.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Can you tell us a bit about your pa</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">th to publication?</span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It wasn’t until I was in my early fifties that I met a published author in my church and spoke with him about my desire to write. He began a writing group and we learned so much from one another which led to my first published books and meeting local people who would publish them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My first book which is no longer available was called <i>Shadow of My Father’s Secret.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> An old man’s cryptic words of prophecy. . . A young man at odds with the father he loves. . . A father’s childhood secret which threatens to tear his family apart. . . In a small southwestern Pennsylvania town, a near tragedy changes lives forever, sets faith in motion, and leads a family to discover the healing power of redemption.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The second book is <i>Reflections From My Mother’s Kitchen</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When Kate Anderson discovers a haunting, old photograph, little does she know it will open a door to her family's past and her future.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the quaint, old steel town of Ambridge, Pennsylvania, Kate has known adversity. From scoliosis as a teenager, to a failed marriage in her early twenties, insecurity and self-doubt have been daily companions. While she and her mom share the stories that molded their lives, Kate begins a journey of self-awareness and hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But when tragedy knocks on a seemingly innocent morning, will the warmth of a mother's love be enough to carry her through?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My children’s or cat lovers book is called <i>Piggy</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What do a cat and mouse have in common? One little kitten is about to find out. “We don’t always have to fight or prove ourselves to be big and strong. Sometimes it’s the smallest of creatures who can teach us life’s greatest lessons.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">to find out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then I wrote the two-part love stories I call “The Ligonier Golden Years Romances.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Part One:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rose Warner sits alone. An old baby doll she’s hidden most of her life is her only company, and crocheting, her only comfort as she ponders the strained relationship with the daughter she loves.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Harry McMillen is losing precious memories. Once a charming ladies’ man, the ravages of time and health issues begin to plague him. The bond with his children is fragile, and an unforgiveable act of betrayal by his son threatens to pull their family apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the quaint town of Ligonier, Pennsylvania, Harry and Rose meet in their golden years. A warm friendship is forged and their lives become intertwined in ways even they won’t believe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But will Rose's secret from her teenage years, something so terrible she's never shaken it, tear their new found friendship apart? Will the sins of Harry’s past revisit him and shatter all hope for happiness?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Part Two:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the historic small-town of Ligonier, nestled in the Laurel Highlands, romance may be in bloom along with the spring wildflowers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">McKenna O’Malley, a young housekeeper at a senior care facility, has always longed for love. Though she harbors a dark secret, she dreams about breaking free of the legacy of her father—a convict she’s never met--and the shrouded mystery surrounding her mother’s death.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tim McMillen struggles with his own demons. Plagued by alcohol, fueled by anger, he finds himself jobless, homeless and alone.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When Tim and McKenna meet, they find one another as kindred spirits. But the challenges they face may threaten all chances for happiness and even push McKenna to the very brink of sanity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the sequel to Love Woven in Time, we revisit Harry and Rose McMillen, whose love in their senior years is an inspiration to all who know them. But as Rose senses that her beloved is losing precious memories more rapidly, she begins to wonder how long they really have together before the ravages of time and age erase precious moments forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Step into a quaint Pennsylvania town that will welcome you, warm your heart, and take you into a journey of longing, faith, and ultimately, lasting true love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My dark dystopian novel is <i>Sound of Silence</i>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A dark, all-encompassing law blankets the country.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Driven by one terrible secret, a powerful politician brutally suppresses speech for the sake of order and holds the country in the palm of his hand.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ray Warren does the unthinkable. In a bold gesture he seals his fate in a moment of kindness, a moment that marks Ray, his wife, and beautiful daughter as dangerous fugitives and sets a society toward rebellion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Sound of Silence an ominous new society is introduced leaving us with the question: What if?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am also published in Guidepost magazines writing articles about my mom’s journey with dementia and our family’s bond through it all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You can find me on my website: <a href="http://karenmalena.com/">karenmalena.com</a>, or my heartfelt blogs, <a href="http://karenmalena.blogspot.com/">karenmalena.blogspot.com</a>, The Finch’s Nest.</span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-54018083436250205762020-07-17T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-17T07:00:02.619-04:002020 Interview: Virginia More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4I0O3e_iXE/Xw0ZcJ_rW9I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/CMn8XMmXeyghmy161xkq_tgKCNIfhuowACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Virginia%2B-Ginny-%2BMore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C4I0O3e_iXE/Xw0ZcJ_rW9I/AAAAAAAAD0Y/CMn8XMmXeyghmy161xkq_tgKCNIfhuowACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Virginia%2B-Ginny-%2BMore.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello, my name is Virginia More. However, my family and friends call me Ginny. I am a mother to three grown children and grandmother of four grandchildren, the most rewarding and fulfilling roles of my life. I have always lived in western PA. I grew up in Union City, PA and was born to a family of seven children. I had wonderful parents and a happy childhood. Upon graduating from High school, I attended JH Thompson business school. Soon after completion of business school, I married. Maybe, a point of interest, I was married in St. Thomas, in the Virgin Islands. My husband Tim and I lived in Centerville, PA for a year, then moved to Mercer, PA. We brought our son and two daughters up in Mercer where we lived for 25 yrs. When our youngest was in college, we moved into our current home in Centerville to help aging parents who were and are still living in this area. We live on a beautiful rural property, where I very much enjoy walking through our field, and woods in all seasons. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I very much enjoy traveling. I have been fortunate to have traveled frequently through the years. My travels have included the western U.S., the southern U.S., the Caribbean, and Canada.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I really enjoy vacations down south to the ocean/beach during the hot summer months when the water is warm and the days are long. However, I also enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the mountains.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />This is a tough one. I think there are so many interesting, beautiful places to see in the continental U.S. However, possibly a tour of Europe. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I care passionately for animals and until recently had several dogs. Living on a rural property and having a good size home, I have had the pleasure of having several dogs at one time. However, in the past several years, my dogs all being close in age, and being older dogs have passed away. My dogs were a big part of my life, important members of our family, and are missed dearly. I currently, quite frequently, keep my children’s dogs. I call them my furry grand-doggies! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t know that I have a favorite color. So many colors are beautiful.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />I remember discovering the book, “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe”, in probably fifth grade, and thinking what a great book it was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My one superficial change would be to lose some weight. But, having said that, I hope every day to grow in character, to think less of self, more of others, to be a voice for the voiceless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have re-read the “Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom. I also enjoy reading aloud to my husband on road trips. I recently re-read, “Killing England” by Bill O’Reilly. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am probably an ambivert. I took the Myers/Briggs test many years ago and my answers indicated I was an extrovert. I believe this is true because talking with people when I’m out. However, I also very much enjoy quiet alone time at home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />I’m willing to give it a try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />I was a cashier at Quality Markets when I was a teenager.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy watching historical documentaries, dramas, and crime shows on Netflix and Hulu.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not much of a gardener. However, I love the outdoors. I very much enjoy taking long walks on our rural property, picking wild berries and apples when in season, and spending time at our cabin in our woods.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two of my favorite quotes are:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Something is only as important as the degree one is willing to sacrifice to have it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>All it takes for wrong to succeed is for right to be quiet and do nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>I like you because, I love you in spite of.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Hiding Place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any of the “Killing” series of books by Bill O’Reilly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have always wanted to write a children’s book because I enjoy words, poetry, and reading. Bits of poetry in rhyme come to me as I’m walking, and I find it rewarding to put it down on paper and create a complete story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I want children to have an appreciation for animals and God’s creation. Therefore, I chose a woodland setting for my children’s book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After writing my story, my husband agreed to illustrate it. I then made the decision to contact Christian Faith Publishing and submit my manuscript. They accepted it and I began working with a literary agent to bring the book to completion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My children’s book is titled “Awesome Possum-bilities”. It tells the story of a little possum trying to everything he is not. It is only when he discovers his true gifts and purpose that he shines brightest for his creator. Told in a fun rhyming format, it is a great self esteem booster for children of all ages. Currently available on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, Wal-Mart.com, and Target.com. <br /><br />Website is <a href="http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=awesome-possum-bilities">http://www.christianfaithpublishing.com/books/?book=awesome-possum-bilities</a></span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-110258979020653312020-07-16T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-16T07:00:06.667-04:002020 Interview: Linda Au<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSg-b8FXjUA/Xw0VVCS1mEI/AAAAAAAAD0M/I1jh7ivQuW0mX6CA_tq2uBy54gPTzkOqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/LindaAu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hSg-b8FXjUA/Xw0VVCS1mEI/AAAAAAAAD0M/I1jh7ivQuW0mX6CA_tq2uBy54gPTzkOqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/LindaAu.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Linda Au: I enjoy
typewriters, tech gadgets, crocheting, air conditioning, cats, guinea pigs,
semi-tame squirrels in my yard, meandering around Sam’s Club looking for huge
vats of salsa, and anything else that lets me be the adrenaline junkie I
clearly am.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do
you have any hobbies?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No. I
don’t have any hobbies.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just
kidding. Besides the stereotypical reading that most writers would list, I also
enjoy playing board games with my grown kids or computer games alone, crocheting,
listening to “Weird Al” Yankovic music, watching Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder
movies, and going on cruises with my husband. (I think that last one is a
requirement at our age.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
is your favorite vacation spot?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anywhere
on a cruise ship! We’re not sure when we’ll be able to go on a cruise, or whether
the ship would even be able to dock at any ports, but if the boat simply
dawdles around the ocean for a week or so, going nowhere, I’d be totally fine
with that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If
you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would
you go?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scotland!
I’ve been to London twice (thirty years apart), and somehow missed getting to
Scotland both times. So close, yet so far. Maybe the third time’s a charm. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do
you have pets?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m
currently the slave to two annoying, demanding guinea pigs, Carl and Steve. Honestly,
how can a creature this small make such loud noises?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
is your favorite color and what do you love about it?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Green,
emerald green. I have no idea what I love about it, since it reminds me of all
the weeds growing around our lawn and all the yard work I tend to neglect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
was your favorite book as a child?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Black
Beauty</i>… which
led to reading any book I could find in the library that had speaking/talking
animals. Not the fairy-tale type animals of Disney movies, but more realistic
animals living in nature. I wish I remembered any of these titles (I don’t
remember even one!), but I do remember reading stories of anthropomorphic foxes
in their dens and deer in the forest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My weird
concept of time management needs some work. Working from home means freedom…
almost too much freedom. I’m easily distracted (look, squirrel!), and I tend to
work in fits and starts, often staying up till three a.m. when I’ve hit a
stride and can’t seem to turn off the muse. I’m a hopeless night owl, which is
only a problem when some rude person insists that I be somewhere before noon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Always “Weird
Al” Yankovic. But when he’s not quite right (which is almost never), I turn to
alternative and grunge music, preferably from the 1990s when I first discovered
it. And yes, I realize it’s a long way from “Weird Al” Yankovic to Nirvana and
Nine Inch Nails. I juggle it as best I can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do
you reread books? If so, is there one in particular?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only
books I’ve ever reread are the Outlander series books by Diana Gabaldon. I was
fortunate enough to get sneak peeks at the first book when she was uploading
early chapters to CompuServe’s LitForum thirty years ago, asking for critique.
I’ve been in love with the series ever since and am on my sixth or seventh
reread. (I like to reread the entire series before a new book comes out.)<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m also
just starting a reread of the A Song of Ice and Fire series and will then take
up <i>Lord of the Rings</i> again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are
you an introvert, extrovert, or ambivert?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m
definitely an introvert and never get lonely or fearful being alone. It’s not
that I dislike being around people, and I don’t mind being in a large crowd as
long as I don’t need to interact with everyone. But I do need high-end “alone
time” once I’ve had to socialize with other people. The exemptions to this rule
are my closest friends, my family, and my grandson. They get a free “Get Out of
Introversion Free” card every time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Does
pineapple go on pizza?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No! What
kind of barbarian do you think I am? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pineapple
goes in a glass as juice or on a fork as fruit. Period.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How
many places have you lived?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I grew
up on the other end of the state in Easton, Pa. I meandered out here for
college (Carnegie Mellon) in 1979 and then pretty much stayed here. It’s been a
good choice. So far. But it’s only been forty years, so we’ll see if it sticks.
😉 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
was your first job?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I worked
at our local McDonald’s at age 16 (like everybody else my age), then switched
to the local Burger King at age 17. (When I was in my mid-20s and very poor, I
took a night job at a local Wendy’s. This trifecta of fast-food jobs has given
me definite opinions about each franchise.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
is your favorite down-time activity?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love playing
computer games, fiddling around with book cover ideas in InDesign, binge-watching
one of several miniseries, or rewatching the same dozen of my favorite movies
while I fiddle around with those book cover ideas. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are
you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love
camping (except when it rains, and it always rains). But I like it best with
one of those pop-up tents and a comfy airbed. And only when it’s <b>not</b> 90
degrees and humid. So that almost means I really don’t like camping, I guess. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes, I
do have a green thumb. Plants inside my house thrive to the point where I can’t
give away replanted spider plants fast enough. And the weeds that grow up around
our yard are a living testament to how much plants feel at home here. Just my
luck.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">However,
I hate outdoor yard work. I mean, with a pure, undefiled hatred. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If
you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would
you be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d live
inside <i>Howards End</i>, as one of the Schlegels, sitting in drawing rooms, reading
books, talking with friends about books, playing piano, and having tea. But I’d
skip stealing other people’s umbrellas. That never turns out well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are
you the type to take a dare?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nope. I
am definitely <b>not</b> a risk-taker. Like, <i>not at all</i>. Unless it’s a goofy
dare. I’d totally do that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do
you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Always
remember you’re unique … just like everyone else.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to
others?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking
care of yourself in the world when you become an adult is a lot harder than
most of us realized when we were teenagers aching to get out from under our
parents’ houses. Oh sure, our parents were constantly telling us how tough it
was going to be, but we weren’t listening, were we? No, we weren’t. Because they
totally didn’t know what they were talking about. We knew better. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And yet,
they were right. Darn it, they were right. Just surviving is a Herculean task. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What
books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As I’ve
mentioned, the Outlander series is outstanding as historical fiction and just compelling,
grand storytelling. I also love Lisa Lutz’s series of <i>The Spellman Files</i>
books—hilarious, witty, and constantly surprising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On to
writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can
remember writing stories as far back as third grade, and I know for sure I was
telling people I wanted to be a writer from sixth grade onward. How many kids
ask for a typewriter for Christmas at age ten? I did. And I loved that thing. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t
know why I enjoyed writing so early on. I think I enjoyed entertaining people, but
the introvert in me didn’t want to be in front of an audience or a camera.
Writing fulfilled that need and has been the best of both worlds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How
do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purely
by accident.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, to
be clearer, it’s often that I come up with a “hook” of some kind first: either
a distinct, interesting character that I place into a bad situation or a fully
formed, focused main plot point that I expand.<br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
nonfiction for me usually consists of humor essays based heavily on real
events. I’m blessed to have family and friends with good senses of humor who
allow me to cannibalize and condense those experiences into a few funny moments
on paper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can
you tell us a bit about your path to publication?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of
my adult jobs involved working behind the scenes in publishing somehow: first
as a secretary at my denominational publishing office, then as a proofreader
and typesetter. In the past fifteen years, I’ve connected with other writers at
writing conferences and online and have honed my craft. With decades of
experience in prepress work and lots of time writing fiction and nonfiction
(and winning a few awards here and there), I was ready to be my own boss and
jump into the indie publishing world. I wear all the hats now and love it. It’s
a lot of hats, but that probably just means I have a big head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally,
please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve
currently got the following books out there: the Red Ink Mysteries cozy series
(three books so far), two humor essay collections, one women’s fiction book,
one stand-alone humorous “spy” mystery, and a travel memoir of my cross-country
bucket-list train trip.<br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You can find me, my books, and a freebie humor
collection at </span><a href="https://lindaau.com/" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">https://lindaau.com</a><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br /> </span>LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-5442394483342485632020-07-15T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-15T07:00:05.250-04:002020 Interview: John Frederick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAAv6AsptPM/Xw0NUnU1OlI/AAAAAAAAD0A/rFpF8N0a23MXp-7n4RL7Oa58fvIwrX83gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/JohnFrederick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="556" data-original-width="447" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jAAv6AsptPM/Xw0NUnU1OlI/AAAAAAAAD0A/rFpF8N0a23MXp-7n4RL7Oa58fvIwrX83gCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/JohnFrederick.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello, I’m John Frederick. I grew up in a middle-class neighborhood on the edge of Altoona, Pennsylvania. It comes as a surprise to people who didn’t know me then that I was a shy, quiet kid and one of the worst athletes in my neighborhood and class. To make matters worse, when we finally got cable service, I became addicted to television. Yet despite that, I spent much time outdoors, playing in the woods behind our house and riding bicycles whenever we could in our quiet corner of town.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By junior high, I began to grow out of my introverted personality a bit, but remained a skinny, nonathletic twit. But my interest in the outdoors couldn’t be squelched by that and I spent more and more time hiking and bicycling as those next few years passed. This prompted a metamorphism of sorts, physically, socially and academically and I ended up connecting my interest of nature and the environment to my academic pursuits.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My interests in nature pushed me toward the environmental movement that was part of the social awakening and protests (and music) of the late sixties and early seventies. Besides reading everything I could and picking the brain of my gardening grandfather, I started my own vegetable garden at home. Bicycling and walking were natural outgrowths of that “greener” life style. When I realized that I wasn’t a bad bicyclist, it only followed that it would become not just a hobby but, ultimately, an obsession. It was unplanned, but my hobbies and studies became intertwined. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having been fortunate enough to visit or bicycle through 48 of the 49 contiguous states, it is difficult to pick out one favorite spot. That said, I can reduce the list to a pair of places to which I have returned every time the opportunity presented itself. Rocky Mountain National Park enthralled me the first time I saw it, albeit briefly, on a motorhome trip with my aunt in 1973. I have many memories of that and subsequent trips, but the most vivid is the exhilaration of flying down the park highways so fast I was passing the cars.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My many trips to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, both on my bike and with my family exploring parks and historic sites, have been memorable and enjoyable. The enthusiasm of my two sons for the historic and natural treasures of the region confirmed time and again that we had pointed them in the right direction and that they valued the things that mattered.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Orange has been my favorite color as long as I can remember. I suppose its vibrancy has always been appealing, but because of the fruit of the same name, it has always been a sweet, delicious, and refreshing color as well. When many of my cycling friends longed for a cold beer after a long ride, I was looking for a cold orange juice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not sure if this counts, since it was in high school, but I was moved and entertained by Henry David Thoreau’s Walden. I recall being fascinated by the juvenile sci-fi Tom Swift series in elementary school and read a bundle of them. In junior high, I read one of the original biographies of Yankee star Lou Gehrig (either Pride of the Yankees or A Quiet Hero) and did my final oral book report of seventh grade on the book. His career and life was cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a debilitating and fatal disease still often called “Lou Gehrig Disease.” It was an inspiring story I relive every time the Gary Cooper movie airs on cable television</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can be an impatient person. Though I have come to accept that any wall must be built a brick at a time, I still too often expect rapid change that most often must be incremental. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I can’t imagine a better time for music than the late sixties and early seventies – The Beatles; The Rolling Stones; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young; Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Little Feat, The Moody Blues. I loved them all and still listen to them whenever I can. (Not coincidentally, many of the chapter titles in my book come from the music I loved and often sang to myself during lonely times on the road.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Three that I have reread and enjoyed just as much on the second or third go-round have been Thoreau’s Walden, George Stewart’s Earth Abides, and William Least-Heat Moon’s Blue Highways. My first two readings of Earth Abides were 35 years apart and my reactions to the post-apocalyptic novel at two very different points in life were profoundly different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I suppose I’m and ambivert. I enjoy the quiet, contemplative air of being alone, but am happy to join a spirited conversation or share or listen to an interesting story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not fond of mixing my salties with my sweets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though my travels have taken me all across the country, I have never lived permanently more than a half mile from the Mainline of the old Pennsylvania Railroad in, and just north of Altoona, Pennsylvania.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I helped in my mother’s corner grocery store. The money wasn’t great, but the penny candy was an exceptional fringe benefit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Even in late middle-age, you guessed it, bicycling still gives me great pleasure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy the outdoors and have been known to grow a thing or two. Though I must admit, some years my heartiest crops are the weeds, rather than the vegetables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Breaking Away, the 1979 Oscar winner that follows the bicycle racing and life adventures of Dave Stohler (played by Dennis Christopher) remains a special movie and character to me. It was released the same summer I began serious racing myself, prompting my sister to exclaim, “It’s you! This is your story.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Though I’m not one to back down when things get tough, I also don’t like to take unnecessary chances and risks. I’ll accept a challenge, but not a pointless dare.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">An old friend of mine taught me that life is an adventure to be experienced, not a drudgery to be tolerated. Thoreau wrote, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation,” and I simply refuse to part of that desperate group.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m frequently surprised by how the lessons we learn in other parts of our lives are transferable to seemingly unrelated, disparate events and challenges later on. Similarly, we carry lessons from many people, often not realizing their value until it becomes evident long afterwards.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">George Stewart’s <i>Earth Abides</i> and Edward Abbey’s <i>The Monkey Wrench Gang</i> are two that come quickly to mind. Earth Abides is the engaging story of a geographer who survives an apocalyptic plague which kills nearly everyone on the planet. The Monkey Wrench gang is the hysterical tale of a group of friends intent on sabotaging everything in Arizona that destroys the magical landscape of the region – from billboards to dams, written only as Edward Abbey could..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After wandering away from writing early in my career (as an Earth And Environmental Science teacher), I came back to technical writing and then a biweekly newspaper column later on. Especially when it came to environmental policy, I always felt that it was valuable to convey the truth as alternative facts and twisted stories became more common. As to my book, <i>Winding Roads</i>, I long ago sensed it was a compelling story. And when a good story comes to pass, shouldn’t it be our duty to tell it? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whether my book, my technical writing or my newspaper column, the stories and topics seem to fall into my lap. I fear I’ll run out of time long before I write about everything I hope to write about.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was difficult to find the time to write a book while holding down a demanding job, so the writing took much longer than it should have. After shopping for both and agent and a publisher, I finally hooked up with Deeds Publishing in Georgia. This process was also time consuming, though many of the delays were self-inflicted. But when it was finished and printed, I was delighted with how it all turned out. It ended up not just being a good story, but an attractive book as well. It was worth the wait.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Winding Roads: A Bicyclist’s Journey through Life and America </i>is a memoir that culminates with my cross-country bicycle trip following college. But it is also the story of the dozen years that lead up to the adventure. For a trek across the continent would have seemed to be one of the most unlikely of events, given the embarrassingly nonathletic childhood that preceded it. But like so many lives, unexpected turns (and winding roads) take us the most unexpected of places.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can learn about both my book and my other writing on my website, <a href="http://www.johnjfrederick.com/" target="_blank">www.johnjfrederick.com </a></span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-45581562940902870442020-07-14T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-14T07:00:08.821-04:002020 Interview: Daisy Townsend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Daisy Townsend: I'm a blessed wife, mom and grandma living in Greenville, Pennsylvania. I grew up in Grantsville, Maryland, in a Mennonite family with three sisters and two brothers. My husband, Donn, and I met when I was 13 at a Music Day in his uncle's church (where I attended) and were married fifty years ago when I was not quite 19. Our twins, Angelyn Ruth and Robert Donn, were born in 1973 while Donn was in graduate school at Purdue University. Jennifer joined our family when she was 18. We have six grandchildren, three girls and three boys, ages three to almost thirty! Donn and I had a Christian Nursery School and sang full time, using music we composed, for a year and then continued to sing part-time when he started working at Shenango Valley Campus of Penn State, where he ultimately taught for 24 years. Beginning in 1991, we were foster parents with Mercer County Children and Youth, and eventually, with Keystone Adolescent Center. I did Christian Counseling under the National Christian Counselors Assn. for many years. We also served as missionaries in Japan with One Mission Society for a total of four years. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies? </b><br /><br />I love to read, sing, watch the Pittsburgh Pirates play baseball, do jigsaw puzzles with my husband, take care of my outdoor flowers and spend time with my grandchildren. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot? </b><br /><br />My favorite vacation spot is anywhere in the South with a beach! I also love Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, near where I grew up. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would go back to Japan to visit our dear friends there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets? </b><br /><br />No pets. I'm allergic to cats and dogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite color is yellow, the color of sunshine and the color of the center of daisies! It makes me happy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child? </b><br /><br />Big Susan</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on? </b><br /><br />I'd like to lose about ten pounds and keep it off! I'm working on it--again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /><br />I love many Christian music groups including Casting Crowns and Anthem Lights. Right now my favorite song is "There Was Jesus" by Zach Williams and Dolly Parton. I listen to it every day, good or bad :)! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes. I'm more likely to reread a spiritual book that has helped me a lot such as "Seeking the Face of God" by Gary L. Thomas, which I've read many times. However, recently I had a desire to reread B. J. Hoff's various fiction series so I'm in the process of reading them again. Set in the U.S. and Ireland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert? </b><br /><br />I am an introvert who loves people! I didn't understand myself until I had a temperament profile done as part of my training in counseling. I am melancholy in how I think, but a sanguine in how I relate to people. All my life has been balancing these two parts!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza? </b><br /><br />NO!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b><br /><br />It depends if you're counting homes or states! I've lived in Maryland, Goshen, IN; West Lafayette, IN; Franklin, PA; Sandy Lake, PA (four different houses); Stoneboro, PA; Penn Hills, PA; Higashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan; and now Greenville PA. My husband grew up in Pennsylvania and his first job after graduate school brought us to western PA </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job? </b><br /><br />My first job was as a waitress in a Mennonite-run restaurant, Penn Alps, which still exists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity? </b><br /><br />Reading.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb? </b><br /><br />I love being outdoors and I have an outdoor green thumb--indoor plants, not so much! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b> <br /><br />The Sound of Music. I'd be Maria!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare? </b><br /><br />Not if it's dangerous or foolhardy</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life? </b><br /><br />Make of your body a living sacrifice, being willing to do, or go, or be whatever God asks of you. (Romans 12:1-2) What could be worse than reaching the end of life and not having fulfilled the purpose for which you were created?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others? </b><br /><br />Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. "Earth stuff" will never do it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend? </b><br /><br />The Mitford series by Jan Karon, Sarah Young's Jesus Calling, etc, Stormie Omarian's books on prayer. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Growing up, I had published writers on both sides of my family and I don't remember ever having any ambition than to be a wife, mother, and a writer. My oldest sister also became a published writer. I have a story I printed when I was a child, but serious writing didn't start until 1977. I lived up the road from a writer who invited me to go to a Christian Writer's group. She said I had to write something so I'd have something to read at the meeting! I did and that was the beginning. That story was eventually published in a Mennonite children's Sunday School paper, and I went on to write many devotionals and Christian articles. Later, researching the history of our house, built in the 1800's, prompted me to begin writing historical fiction based on the lives of some of the people who lived in our house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)? </b><br /><br />Setting of my historical fiction is Sandy Lake because that's where our house is. Nonfiction, I wrote devotionals for years based on experiences I'd had that I thought could be helpful to others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication? </b><br /><br />I did marketing using a book with many Christian markets for years when I was writing non-ficition. Some markets came to recognize my name and I published many devotionals in those magazines. Deciding I didn't want someone telling me when the next book in the series needed to be done prompted me to learn to do the publishing process myself with my husband's help for fiction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Homespun Faith</i> is an autobiographical devotional book that tells the story of my life. The <i>Sarah's Legacy</i> series is historical fiction set in Sandy Lake, PA, with many of my characters being based on people who lived in our house from 1870's to mid-1900's. (Sarah's Legacy, Sarah's Legacy Shared, Sarah's Legacy Tested. I'm in the process of writing Sarah's Legacy Lived.) <br /><br />My website is <a href="http://www.homespunfaith.com/">www.homespunfaith.com</a> </span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-63971822659027724502020-07-13T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-13T07:00:00.462-04:002020 Interview: Megan Vance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Megan Vance: I am a Pittsburgh girl born and bred. I have lived in Natrona Heights the last 32 years. I have three adult children and three adorable grandsons. I have been happily married to Kevin for nearly 36 years. We have two cats that we dote on. I earned a BSN in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Probably too many! I like to read...a lot... as my many bookshelves will attest. I also love sewing and quilting as my cluttered sewing (dining) room will also attest. I enjoy taking photos of nature also.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot? </b><br /><br />Don’t travel much anymore but when I was young, I adored visiting my Iowa farm relatives every summer, camping on the way back and forth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b> <br /><br />Israel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets? </b><br /><br />Missy, a spirited dilute tortie cat, and Grace, a sweet-tempered Manx.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it? </b><br /><br />Robin egg blue, but purple comes in a close second.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b><br /><br />Little Women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /><br />I would like to be able to read New Testament Greek.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Contemporary Christian (the older stuff) For cleaning and/or exercising 70s music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am re-reading <i>Earthquake Resurrection</i> by David Lowe about end-time prophecy. I have re-read <i>The Great Divorce</i> by CS Lewis a few times because I love it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert? </b><br /><br />More of an introvert.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza? </b><br /><br />Never tried it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? </b><br /><br />Only when I was a baby we lived in Kellogg, Michigan for about a year. Rest of the time, Moon Twp., then the McCandless area, Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Mount Troy and finally Natrona Heights since 1988.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job? </b><br /><br />Camp counselor at the Fresh Air Camp in Warrendale.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity? </b><br /><br />Sewing or quilting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb? </b><br /><br />No did not inherit that unfortunately.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b><br /><br />Not really, but sometimes I take on my own challenges, like writing my first book, or somehow passing my lifeguard class in high school.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life? </b><br /><br />“But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Life is easier when you forgive others.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br /><br />The Bible, CS Lewis: Surprised by Joy and The Great Divorce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote poetry in high school and was published in the high school anthology, but never thought about taking writing seriously. When I was going through a hard time in 2005 I decided to take a children’s writing course. It was risky but I wanted to prove something to myself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like to write inspirational articles that might help someone struggling in their faith. When I get an idea for a poem, I have to write it quickly or I will forget it. I feel challenged by writing fiction, am more comfortable with non-fiction.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I began a children’s writing course in 2005 with the Institute of Children’s Literature (ICL) and after the course was published for the first time in a children’s magazine. My book project for the Advanced Course at ICL led to publication of my first book, <i>Sure Mercies: Hope for the Suffering</i>, 4RV Publishing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I have written many poems over the years when inspiration strikes. I finally compiled some of my favorites in my <i>Praises and Ponderings</i> book, which came out last year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I like to try my hand at humor writing and have been a blogger for quite some time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, children’s and adult magazines, anthologies, and have written two published books, the devotional Sure Mercies and a poetry collection, Praises and Ponderings from a Poet’s Path. I am working on a manuscript for a children’s Bible workbook to submit to a Christian publisher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Sure Mercies</i>: Hope for the Suffering, 4RV Publishing 2015. Devotional book based on the Psalms of David and people who overcame great trials and obstacles. It is my hope that this book would encourage and help those who are struggling in their faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Praises and Ponderings from a Poet’s Path</i>, Tree Shadow Press, 2019. I share some of my life, faith and struggles in this collection of fifty different poems.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/megan-vance.php">http://www.4rvpublishingcatalog.com/megan-vance.php</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://meganevance.com/">http://meganevance.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SureMerciesbook/">https://www.facebook.com/SureMerciesbook/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Praises-Ponderings-Poets-Megan-Vance">https://www.amazon.com/Praises-Ponderings-Poets-Megan-Vance</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://inchristalone-byhismercy.blogspot.com/">https://inchristalone-byhismercy.blogspot.com/</a></span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-83172042364734769432020-07-12T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-12T07:00:01.505-04:002020 Interview: Greg Dillensnyder<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m Greg Dillensnyder, a husband, father, grandfather, and retired Clinical Social Worker. In my job as a social worker, I provided psychotherapy services to children, adults, and families for forty years. For several of those years, I worked as Clinical Director of the Community Counseling Center of Mercer County. Through that experience, I feel a fond connection to the Mercer area. I’ve lived near Pittsburgh for most of my adult life, coming here after graduation from Penn State, where my undergrad degree was in English. My childhood roots are in the eastern Pennsylvania anthracite coal region (Schuylkill County), which I use as the locale for my first two novels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love music and spend a lot of time ‘playing at’ the piano. Though my playing is not very accomplished, it provides me pleasure. I also love to garden and grow anything that produces flowers or fruit. Another hobby is family tree research. I have been able to trace one line of ancestors back to the Middle Ages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have never found anything to compare to the beaches of North Carolina. My family has taken weeks there in the summer every few years for the last forty-five. In recent years Topsail Island has become my favorite for a relaxing adventure. However, for culture, history, ambiance, I have also grown to love the city of San Francisco as my go-to place. While I’m getting too old for longer walks, I used to love full-day walking excursions to the various neighborhoods of the City by the Bay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would probably spend time in the Lorraine region of France, where my ancestors originated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My wife and I are the proud servants of two cats. Buddy is a sixteen-year-old flame-point Siamese, and Chloe is a chocolate point. Both are rescue cats from the Siamese Rescue Center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color, and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Without question, blue is my favorite. I find it calming – the color of the ocean in some places and of open summer skies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This question prompted my recollection of one of my first serious reading experiences outside of school requirements. That first book was The Diamond Cave Mystery by Troy Nesbitt. In retrospect, that and other later readings played a role in my interest in mysteries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As someone introverted by nature, I am enjoying the social opportunities that come with the promotion of my books; book festivals and signings are great places to meet new people. From my discussions with other authors, writing as a solitary activity does not prepare one for what it takes to promote and market the fruit of that activity. It doesn’t come naturally for many of us. So, it seems, even an old codger like me can learn some ‘new tricks.’</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the music of Josh Groban, the Canadian Tenors, Judy Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Celine Dion. When writing, I usually like quiet, but when needing some inspiration, I sometimes play Chopin in the background. The cadence and tonal qualities of his music seem to supplement creativity rather than distract me when I’m working.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Without question, an introvert.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Absolutely. Not my favorite thing, but I’m a fan of putting two things that are good separately, together for an added benefit. That doesn’t always work out, but with pizza, a pineapple garnish is a good thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? (If not native to western PA, what brought you here?)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was born and raised in Frackville, Pennsylvania. I lived in State College, PA, through my undergraduate work at Penn State, then moved to Pittsburgh in the early 1970s to eventually marry my wife, who is a native Pittsburgher.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first paid job, during summer break from college, was working in a garment factory laying out the cloth material that was made into bathrobes. After graduating from college, my first employment was as a Public Assistance caseworker, administering public welfare payments to those who qualified and connecting them with any social service that they needed. This led me to my graduate work in Social Work and my career as a therapist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not usually. Introvert, remember? Also, not a risk-taker.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the suspense mysteries of Patricia Cornwell. I also like most of Dean Koontz’s writings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I recall vividly the pleasure of my first experience with fiction writing in about eighth grade. Then, in undergraduate English classes, I had the good fortune of receiving encouragement and mentorship from one of my professors. It was then that I truly began to think that I might have some degree of talent for writing, but the practicality of finding a serious, paying profession led me to put writing on the ‘back burner.’ It is only since my ‘retirement’ that I have become serious about actually producing novel-length pieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have just finished my second mystery novel. I chose my hometown as the location for both books, partly out of nostalgia and partly out of trying to follow the maxim: ‘write what you know.’ I felt that I had enough experience with the culture and geography of my hometown to be able to bring an element of realism to the story plots.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote my first novel for pure pleasure without any thought that it would be worthy of publication. Once it was finished, my son encouraged me to publish and knew someone who worked for a ‘hybrid’ publisher and who gave me some guidance about my options. Given the low odds of traditional publishing for a first-time author, I decided to use the ‘hybrid publisher’ option.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first novel, <i>Murder at Mountain Tavern</i> is the story of Aubrey McKenna, a celebrated criminal investigator who is on the rebound from losing everything: her career, her relationship, and her pride. Determined to recover personally and professionally, she accepts a position investigating a previously solved murder in a sleepy Pennsylvania coal-mining town. New evidence will likely exonerate the man serving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, and the real culprit in the horrific murder of a teenage girl is still at large. McKenna navigates the pitfalls of small-town politics and corruption, leading her investigation to the highest levels of state government in her attempt to bring justice to the thirty-year-old cold case.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My second book, <i>The Loner</i>, continues the adventures of McKenna, who gets pulled into an investigation of late-night lights and gang symbols appearing on Centralia, Pennsylvania’s desolate Graffiti Highway. Worried about a new incursion of gang violence into the region, McKenna confronts an intrusion that is far more sinister and deadly. She finds herself battling a timeline to save the lives and health of the citizens of her area and relying on the premonitions of one of Centralia’s last few residents to guide her investigation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website <a href="https://pinecirclepublications.wordpress.com/">https://pinecirclepublications.wordpress.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/mountaintavernmystery/">https://www.facebook.com/mountaintavernmystery/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Greg-Dillensnyder/e/B072B9HGC3?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1593802500&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16663276.Greg_Dillensnyder?from_search=true&from_srp=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-25152954475657180772020-07-11T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-11T07:00:01.142-04:002020 Interview: Jacqueline Terrill<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyZvHL1ESso/XwfRyvBLQfI/AAAAAAAADzA/nBRxdyKjvCcz3XIAtd3oQyBcWECpvGMbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/JacquelineTerrill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kyZvHL1ESso/XwfRyvBLQfI/AAAAAAAADzA/nBRxdyKjvCcz3XIAtd3oQyBcWECpvGMbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/JacquelineTerrill.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jacqueline Terrill: I'm from Hermitage, and I went to Hickory High School, Shenango Valley School of Business, I attended Gannon University for Marketing, and Penn State Shenango Slackwriters Group, and was a member of Penn Writers. I'm now a member of Mystery Authors of America.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite vacation spot is Chincoteague Island, Virginia.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have two pets - Cream is an Alaskian Malimute, and Oliver is my cat - I call him the bachelor because I keep him inside the house. He doesn't mind if we go out of town, he likes to be on his own.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you like about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite color is red, and what I like about that color is that it's bold, and vibrant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I liked the Hardy Boys - Nancy Drew mystery books</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What is my favorite music for a bad day? I love the eighties music. Such great memories, and fun times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I would re-read a book it would be Sycamore Row. I just loved the story. I have a few favorite Authors, and John Grisham is one of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm an ambivert - Sometimes I like no noise at all when I'm writing that could distract me. I'm not a loud mouth, and I can be very quiet. But, when I want to say something, and make a point, I'll take the time and speak up. I used to be just an introvert, but I grew-up, and am not afraid to say what I'm thinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You bet, add some bacon bits on that pizza too! I love any pizza. I'm Italian, and have a recipe book that has my families home-made sauce recipe inside of the book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first job was being a waitress in the Shenango Valley Mall.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite down-time activity?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite down-time activity is swimming in the pool this summer with my grandchildren. Having outdoor barbeques, and spending time with the kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Writing is a gift by creating a blank page, and using all five senses. A canvas of artwork and words that builds reactions to your story. A novel that you want readers to engage in and not want to put down to the last page.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One thing that I'd like to pass along to others? A legacy </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jacqueline Terrill is an Author of Chick-Lit, Historical fiction, Mystery, Paranormal, and Suspense genre's. She's a native of Pennsylvania. For more than twenty years she was an Entrepreneur, Business owner. She attended Shenango Valley School of Business, Gannon University for Business Marketing, and attended Penn State Shenango Valley. Jacqueline is also a member of Mystery Writers of America in New York.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Books: New release: <i>Island Secrets, The Hunt, The Eighties Ladies,</i> & <i>Awesome Traditional Recipes</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website: <a href="https://jacquelineroskos.wixsite.com/website-1" target="_blank">Jacqueline Terrill's Novels</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://books2read.com/u/b5ZxVA">https://books2read.com/u/b5ZxVA</a></span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-27714040386047312002020-07-10T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-10T07:00:05.131-04:002020 Interview: Kathy Otten<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxR3G0lRQSc/XwfPullCmHI/AAAAAAAADy0/-cxRbuyNv6AgP7_ocqKDExFEIbwoqjtdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/KathyOtten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="140" data-original-width="250" height="179" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxR3G0lRQSc/XwfPullCmHI/AAAAAAAADy0/-cxRbuyNv6AgP7_ocqKDExFEIbwoqjtdwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KathyOtten.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi, My name is Kathy Otten, Baby Boomer and transplanted Vermonter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ever since I was a kid and read <i>My Friend Flicka</i>, I’ve always wanted to go to Wyoming. Not to anything like Frontier Days, someplace quieter, like a Dude Ranch out in the mountains, with horses and cows, animals I’m familiar with and no crowds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have a German Shepherd named Henry, who is currently 15 mos. old. I also have a cat named Goofy who was given to me so I’m not sure how old he is, maybe 6-7yrs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like blue, any shade from baby blue, to sky blue, to midnight blue. The color looks good on me, and I find it relaxing. I live out in the country and when I come home from work and take my dog out and look up into a big blue sky, I sigh and feel at peace. Tensions ease and sometime feel like I could stare at a bright blue sky (with or without clouds), forever.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m not sure what an ambivert is, though I can guess since my husband is ambidextrous. But, me, I am an introvert. Shelter-in-place means life goes on as usual. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve had pineapple on pizza. It was good, but not my favorite. I like a white pizza with cheese, stuffed crust optional.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My parents owned a general store in Vermont. You know, the quintessential sold everything from custom-cut meat to horse shoe nails. My brothers and I started working in the store when we were kids. On Saturday mornings we had to be there at 9am and fill out a time-in and time-out card. Then we had to empty the ash trays, sweep the floor and the parking lot. We stocked shelves and delivered groceries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy walking. Growing up my brothers and I did a lot of hiking. The Long Trail was a favorite. I still love walking my dog every day, and sometimes I walk him on Rails-For-Trails or the Overland Trail.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My dad always said, “Work for it, kid, and you’ll get your dream.” His dream was to have a little store in the country. His family came from Germany when he was kid. He worked hard every day and finally achieved his dream. Writing is the same. Hemingway said you sit down at the typewriter and open a vein. It’s work. It’s sacrificing TV time, getting up early and doing what you need to do in order to get those words on the page. It’s research and rewrites, rejections, and reviews. It isn’t easy, but if you want to be a writer, you have to work for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have always loved books. When we were little my mom would sometimes buy us Little Golden Books at the grocery store. One day I asked her to buy a new one, but she said she didn’t have enough money. They were like 29¢ back then. She suggested I write my own. So I wrote Lucky the Dog on notebook paper, colored the pictures with crayon and tied it together with yarn. I’ve been writing ever since.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My characters come to me first. I see them in my mind saying or doing something. When I see them they are usually in period dress, so I know whether the story will be set during the Civil War, the Old West, or World War I France. The story and research are built out from there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I write primarily historical romance and I’m published in all lengths from novel to novella to short story. My stories are set in the United States and cover periods from the Civil War through the end of the free-range cowboy. My heroines are feisty and loyal, and my heroes quiet, but strong. I’m a Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star winner and a Utah/Salt Lake RWA Heart of the West finalist.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can find all my books through your favorite online distributor. The novels are also available in print and my short stories can also be found on Audible.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can visit my website at <a href="https://www.kathyotten.com/">https://www.kathyotten.com</a> or email me at kathy@kathyotten.com sign up for my newsletter for updates on my writing life and on any new releases.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thank you for having me today. I always loved coming to the Western PA Book Festival, meeting new people and talking to fellow authors. Hopefully next year we can get together again. Stay safe.</span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-58636268605583503782020-07-09T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-09T07:00:08.397-04:002020 Interview: Arlon Stubbe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ax_LcEKZsS0/XwPax1qjj7I/AAAAAAAADyY/2aKAtqMbKvgxp1WFUGu2Ki3acaHV2fR0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ArlonStubbe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="444" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ax_LcEKZsS0/XwPax1qjj7I/AAAAAAAADyY/2aKAtqMbKvgxp1WFUGu2Ki3acaHV2fR0QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ArlonStubbe.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Arlon Stubbe: I was born in Freeport, IL, went to college and seminary in Illinois, and served two congregations in Michigan [5 and 23.5 years respectively)] before moving to PA in 1994. I retired in 2007, and my wife and I became FL residents then, though we still own a house in Hermitage and spend each summer and early fall there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Travel (not at the moment, thanks to COVID-19), photography, and music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Too many to mention.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Europe, to visit our son and his family – and then to travel all over the continent again.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No. A favorite cat, Stash, died a number of years ago, and for him there could be no replacement.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It used to be blue; now I’m more broad-minded.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Billy Whiskers Kids” (I know, I’m dating myself)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nothing. I’ve worked on all my growth areas enough to make the progress that’s needed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anything classical.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now and then. I just finished a second reading of Nikos Kazantzakis’ “The Last Temptation of Christ” and this spring read “The Handmaid’s Tale” again after finishing Atwood’s sequel, “The Testaments.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A little bit of each.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not on mine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Five.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stock boy in a grocery store. That lasted all of 4 hours!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reading, writing, walking, a bit of TV news – when it’s really new.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like to hike, and I walk 3 miles most days, especially in FL. I’m learning to like gardening, at long last.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have no idea.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Believe in yourself, and follow your dreams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Where the Crawdads Sing” and “Before We Were Yours.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After 41 years of doing sermons and newspaper articles, not to mention a passel of term papers for degrees, I thought writing fiction was worth a try. I found I enjoy it, especially writing dialog.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Inspiration, from a muse that visits me, usually early in the morning – or when I least expect a visit. Steven King says that you notice one thing around you in real life, later on notice another with no apparent connection – and all of a sudden, a creative spark develops between them. That’s about it for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After searching for 5 years to find an agent and/or a publisher, I learned about independent publishing and went to work, learning that trade. 22 books later, and I’m happy with the progress I’ve made.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of my books are on amazon.com – under my name. I don’t have a website. About 15 of my works also appear on barnesandnoble.com, but since CreateSpace was taken over by KDP, that bookseller no longer lists my newer books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My latest is a second collection of short stories, titled “A Charmed Life.” </span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-20100537838683335462020-07-08T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-08T07:00:01.755-04:002020 Interview: Kimberly Miller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PlK9c2NnpE0/XwPXXsPbczI/AAAAAAAADyM/QIMM6gIjgxs3APZr7yAQpzZVhAaEKq4aACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/KimberlyMiller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PlK9c2NnpE0/XwPXXsPbczI/AAAAAAAADyM/QIMM6gIjgxs3APZr7yAQpzZVhAaEKq4aACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/KimberlyMiller.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My name is Kimberly Miller and I’m a wife, mother, and college writing and film professor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies? </b><br /><br />I love reading, watching movies, camping, and making jewelry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot? </b><br /><br />I would go to the beach every day if I could. Any beach, really. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go? </b><br /><br />Hmm… great question. I’ve always wanted to see Paris. Maybe someday…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets? </b><br /><br />One cat. Westley. He’s named for the Princess Bride (one of my favorite films) – because sometimes he’s kind of bad, like the dread pirate Roberts, and sometimes he’s just my sweet Westley. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it? </b><br /><br />I’m not sure I have one. Probably red if I had to choose. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child? </b><br /><br />Anything with Ramona Quimby in it. Thanks, Beverly Cleary!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on? </b><br /><br />I worry way, way too much. About pretty much everything lol. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /><br />When I’m working or writing I definitely go to smooth jazz because it soothes me but doesn’t distract from writing. For a bad day, I’m partial to serious rock- classic rock, or even metal cranked up nice and loud. I also LOVE Pink for bad days. She’s amazing and so talented!<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular? </b><br />While I love books and often will hang onto them forever, I don’t often re-read them. I have re-read ‘The Mountain Between Us’ by Charles Martin though. I adore that book. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /><br />I would say ambivert. I love people and talking and being with a group (and I love my students and teaching) but after a bit of that I need to be left alone. It’s like I run out of words (and patience) and need to recharge. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b><br /><br />Ick. I LOVE pineapple. But not on pizza. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b><br /><br />Houses/ residences four. I’m not very exciting that way. Always lived in PA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job? </b><br /><br />I babysat a little when I was younger but the first ‘real’ job was as a Pizza Hut waitress. Worked a LOT of hours. It (and 2-3 other jobs) helped to pay my way through college (no loans!)- at $2.34 an hour plus tips, it’s no wonder I still remember much of the menu and ordering process. (Did I mention I worked a LOT of hours?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity? </b><br />What’s down time?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b><br /><br />I have a garden. When something survives, I bring it in, raised high, as an offering of sorts, and declare, “Look what I didn’t kill!” I do love to be outdoors though</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b><br /><br />It’s a toss up between Princess Bride (many would say they’d want to be Buttercup- but she’s pretty useless. So, I’d either want to be Westley or Inigo Montoya)/ OR basically any romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock. I, of course, would be her. (Maybe While You Were Sleeping? I could be Lucy)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b><br /><br />Not likely </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others? </b><br /><br />It might sound trite, but don’t give up. When something is right and worth it, even if it doesn’t come out as you expected, friends are great and life is usually pretty darn good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend? </b><br /><br />Did I mention Charles Martin? I love his writing. I also like Francine Rivers and Lori Wick</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /><br />I started writing when I was in junior high. A friend was writing stories about us meeting various famous people (guys we had crushes on, of course) and I thought- “I can do that.” So we’d write and read the stories over the phone to each other every night. It was a lot of fun. I’ve pretty much been writing ever since. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b><br /><br />I like small towns because that is what I know and like to read about</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication? </b><br /><br />It took a few years to get an agent and then it took another few years to find a publisher. While with my agent, I published three books (two novels and a novella) with the same publisher but had trouble moving on to bigger opportunities. The industry has changed so much in the years since I started (about ten years ago) that my agent and I recently parted ways (amicably) and I’ve just published my first shorter novel independently with Amazon (not quite a novella but not quite the length I usually write either). So far it’s going well but there’s a huge learning curve.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After seeking the counsel of several more successful authors, they encouraged me to go this route- neither has ever had an agent and both are doing wonderfully on their own. I’m not sure I’m yet in the same league as they are, but I am encouraged. Both of these authors said one of the hardest parts was having enough material to keep the voracious romance readers satisfied. I have seven novels finished already that are pretty much ready to go and I’m working on an eighth. When they heard that they said ‘run, don’t walk’ to self-publishing – you’ll do fine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fingers crossed! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All of my books are considered clean romance novels. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Picking Daisy</i>- An unlikely pairing of a rock star and a struggling writer brings frustration, fun, and of course, unexpected love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Forgiving Tess</i>- A girl with a past meets a boy with a future. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Lucy in Love</i>- (novella) A second-chance romance for two high school pals</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Pushing Robby</i> – This is the ‘happily ever after’ from Picking Daisy. So many readers asked for it – How could I refuse?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Check out my website, facebook page, and more! Sign up for my newsletter too!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://kimberlymmiller.com/">https://kimberlymmiller.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Kimberly.Miller.Author">https://www.facebook.com/Kimberly.Miller.Author</a></span><br />
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<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-8362258873598455282020-07-07T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-07T07:00:05.038-04:002020 Interview: Kerry E.B. Black<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hi! I'm Kerry E.B. Black. I live in an eastern suburb of Pittsburgh, PA with my husband and two of our five children. (The other three have grown and started their marvelous and independent lives.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have more hobbies than time! Besides reading, writing, and story telling, I enjoy nature, cinema, and theatre. I adore taking tea with friends, singing, and hosting parties. I study history and take classes when I can. A big part of my daily life includes playing with my kids. Their imagination astounds me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One day, when I'm old and grey, I hope to take a retirement gig portraying Cinderella's Fairy Godmother at Walt Disney World. However, if (and when) I have discretionary cash, I adore travel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm a fairly easy-to-please gal. I love exploring this amazing world. I think the next trip I plan for our family will be a jaunt to the Caribbean. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Do we have pets, or do the pets have us? More to the point, I'm enslaved by three cats named for great authors (E.A. Poe, E. Hemingway, and P.D. James), and my daughter has an invaluable service dog named Latte.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm a deep color lover, the kind found in Imperial Crowns, Christmas ornaments, and Jack-O-lanterns aglow on Halloween Night. Color is magical, yet I invariably dress in slimming and stylish black. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My Grandma gave me a pop-up Thumbellina that I adored. It might have prodded my natural proclivity toward near bibliomania. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I find something to enjoy in almost every musical genre, but when I'm writing, I tend to tune out my surroundings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I do re-read books when I need some nostalgia, to revisit a literary friend, or recall an important story. I've read Harry Potter enough to have passages memorized. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm shy by nature, but I love people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I prefer pineapple in Dole Whips, and my favorite pizza is Margherita with fresh basil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Western PA has always been my home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm the eldest of four, and as children, we had four younger cousins who came to live with us, so I learned early to work. My brother and I shoveled snow, raked leaves, and did chores for neighbors to earn a little cash. When I was old enough, I babysat for many area families. To earn equestrian lessons, I worked at a local riding stable. I've been paid for acting and entertaining, worked retail, food and customer service, and marketing. However, writing's always been an important part of my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How stereotypical am I? My favorite down time activity is curling up with a good book, my family around me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nature rejuvenates the soul, and I love tending our little portion of the earth. Although the back yard has been overtaken with a swamp, flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits grow in our gardens.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Since I'm writing this on Ray Harryhausen's birthday, I'll say today I'll be Princess Parisa from "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad." Not only is she plucky, brave, and joyful, she frees a genie and rescues her guy. Plus, she looks fetching in her silks. However, I'd want to fence alongside Sinbad rather than stand back and watch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite my careful nature, I have been known to throw caution to the wind on occasion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carpe diem. Seize the day. We've only so much time on this earth, so it's best to make the most of what we have.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wouldn't be vain enough to offer such advice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When I'm feeling low, I revisit Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's "Good Omens." It never fails to make me laugh.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Writing has always been a big part of my life, though I took a bit of a break while raising the kids. Even then, though I didn't write them down, I told stories to entertain them. And though I still have two at home, I'm able to work around their schedules to write, for which I'm immeasurably grateful. My husband's amazing, too, and encourages me in myriad ways. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Inspiration is a bit like lightning. It strikes, and I scramble to catch its electricity, or I attract it with the lightning rod of daily word counts. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although I wrote short fiction, I kept it private. I was first paid for non-fiction articles and journalistic pieces. After a challenge by a friend, I joined a writing group at my local library and met some of the best people. (In particular Debra Sanchez and her Nomadic Wordsters.) Because I have a crazy schedule, I was thrilled to find online writing groups, too, where I discovered publishing opportunities, found great advice, and forged some invaluable friendships. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I've been thrilled with the attention Tree Shadow Press pays to my story collections! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have three collections of short stories available through the fabulous Tree Shadow Press. They are called "Herd of Nightmares," "Carousel of Nightmares," and "Fairy Herds and Mythscapes." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also have a young adult novel called "Season of Secrets" which is a paranormal thriller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BlackKerryblick">https://twitter.com/BlackKerryblick</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kerry_e_b_black/">https://www.instagram.com/kerry_e_b_black/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Goodreads: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874880.Kerry_E_B_Black">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7874880.Kerry_E_B_Black</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pinterest: <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/kerrylizblack/">https://www.pinterest.com/kerrylizblack/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BookBubs: <a href="https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kerry-e-b-black">https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kerry-e-b-black</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazon: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kerry-E-B-Black/e/B00IKURGVS/">https://www.amazon.com/Kerry-E-B-Black/e/B00IKURGVS/</a></span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-23514899881986638522020-07-06T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-06T07:00:11.593-04:002020 Interview: Randy Ryan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQsrNf-KkWk/Xv_kcHPj-zI/AAAAAAAADxg/U9ZZKlgHDuMbDSozWxIeLDoA_CoF-D7tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RandyRyan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WQsrNf-KkWk/Xv_kcHPj-zI/AAAAAAAADxg/U9ZZKlgHDuMbDSozWxIeLDoA_CoF-D7tgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RandyRyan.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My name is Randy Ryan. I have a master’s degree in English from Youngstown State University and a post bac in secondary ed English from Westminster College. I live in New Castle, Pennsylvania and work as a full-time substitute teacher at Shenango Area School District. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy weight-lifting, drawing, reading, watching horror movies, and spending time with family and friends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Eerie, Pennsylvania. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Carnegie Museum of Natural History. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Two dogs—Lilly and Grizzwald. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Green. The Hulk and a lot of dinosaurs are often depicted as green. Its also the color most associated with nature—the rainforest, grass, trees—and as a kid, I thought that Godzilla was green, although he’s actually charcoal grey (depending on the version). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Last Dinosaur by Jim Murphey and The Werewolf of Fever Swamp by RL Stine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My need to feel structured and productive all the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like all genres of music. My favorite artists, going back to my childhood, are Kid Rock, Eminem, Limp Bizkit, and Disturbed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Very rarely, only because there are so many good books out there to read! Occasionally, I have reread classic literature, namely because many of those works are collected in various volumes, along with new stories, that I like to buy. The few works that I have reread are Dracula by Bram Stoker, the collected works of Edgar Allan Poe and HP Lovecraft, Shakespeare’s plays, and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Introvert by far. My idea of a good time is being home during the evening with a good book or movie…or both!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yup. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve lived in New Castle my entire life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cashier and stock at K-Mart. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reading and watching movies/TV. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yes. I love the outdoors. Some of my fondest childhood memories are going camping in the mountains. The idea of living in a busting urban metropolis is about as unappealing to me as anything. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Washingtonians. It’s an hour-long B-movie created for Masters of Horror, an anthology show that ran from 2005-2007 which was kind of like The Twilight Zone, only scarier. I would play the role of protagonist Mike Franks, who must protect his family from a secret society of men and women who like to dress in colonial garb. I love Revolutionary War history, and these types of stories, so this would be my choice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nope. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />“The robbed who smiles steals something from the thief.”—William Shakespeare. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Be passionate and imaginative when it comes to as many things as possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">IT and The Stand, by Stephen King. Mister B Gone by Clive Barker. The Collection by Bentley Little. This list could go on forever. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I started writing when I was eight or nine years old. I found an old typewriter and began typing novelizations of some of my favorite Goosebumps episodes. I started writing that day, and in school, and I have never stopped since. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In my three novels, the setting of Willow Falls is based hugely on New Castle. It is perfect for the fall and winter seasons that the stories take place in. I take the features I’m attracted to in real life and try to make them as vivid and atmospheric as possible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wrote a one-page paper when I was in sixth grade for an object writing assignment where I went to the batting cages and turned into the baseball. My mom liked the story so much that she kept it, and about the time I turned twenty, she suggested that I use it for a story idea, which is where my first book, which was a children’s book, came from. The protagonist in each of the stories, a boy named Hunter, goes to his first professional baseball game with his father and experiences the thrill of the game by becoming the ball. I wrote the story, submitted it, and it was accepted. The publisher that I published by first five books with has since gone out of business, but both of my novels have been republished as second additions by another publisher, who is also putting out my third novel which will feature illustrations done by me. I have also had a short story put out in my new publisher’s yearly anthology, with another one on the way this year, and we are going to republish my three children’s books in a single volume omnibus as well. I am currently working with my editor, who also runs the publisher, on editing my fourth novel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My three children’s books are <i>My First Baseball Game, My Trip to The Museum, and Hunter’s Christmas Memories.</i> The main character is named Hunter because he searches for something new in every book, and the series is about childhood imagination. I made it a point to try and write about things that all kids like—sports, dinosaurs, Christmas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My novels are <i>Perspectives</i>, which is a meta-novel about the power of words as told through creepy stories that take place in a small, rural town on Christmas eve, and <i>Haunted Revengeance</i>, which has since been republished as <i>Haunted Farm</i>. It is my tribute to my favorite film, John Carpenter’s Halloween, and my favorite season of the year. My newest novel, <i>Mediums</i>, which is a psychological examination of how art in all its forms impacts our daily lives, will be out later this year. <br /><br />You can find me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/myfirstbaseballgame" target="_blank">Facebook</a> under my personal account or under Randy Ryan Author Page. </span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-70902897597267866512020-07-05T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-05T07:00:01.228-04:002020 Interview: Ruth Ochs Webster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TgM0-EpAqpc/Xv_iB-gPpUI/AAAAAAAADxU/M0IH01kGUAAcK2VTJPqByAW9qkSjJGGJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/RuthOchsWebster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="344" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TgM0-EpAqpc/Xv_iB-gPpUI/AAAAAAAADxU/M0IH01kGUAAcK2VTJPqByAW9qkSjJGGJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/RuthOchsWebster.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I'm Ruth Webster. I write using my maiden name: Ruth Ochs Webster </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Retired National Board-Certified Teacher of Social Studies and Lang. Arts. Middle school grades.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Born and raised in Covington, KY, the Edge of the South.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Besides writing? Playing guitar and singing at open mics/jams.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jigsaw puzzles. Collecting coffee mugs (way out of control).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?<br /></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can’t possibly choose. Some favorites were Yosemite, Rome, Scotland, Banff, Quebec City, Maine.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Probably back to England and Germany, my ancestors’ stomping grounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They’re all in Heaven with my late husband. I’m not getting any new ones, animal or human.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The entire red family: pink through fire engine to maroon and purple.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They are firey yet smokey.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Cinderella.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m eternally trying to lose those ten pounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grand movie instrumental soundtracks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only books I reread are my own (over and over again) as I edit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am an introvert who can pose as an extravert through sheer force of will when necessary.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Why not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>How many places have you lived? If not native to western PA, what brought you here?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Covington, Kentucky; Syracuse, New York; Baltimore, Betterton, Annapolis, and Cumberland, Maryland (all over that state). Retired to Pittsburgh area upon retirement. Wanted to be near one of my two sons. The other choice was Seattle and that was too far from my friends and Kentucky family.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Way back when? Delivering newspapers. Working in my uncle’s grocery store.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Upon graduating from high school: worked my way through college as a bookkeeper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />Making music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>More or less. It’s getting harder to hike as I age, though I did go on a seniors’ hiking trip to Death Valley last fall.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Out of Africa”. The girl. She had Robert Redford.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or “The Way We Were”. Same reason.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />I am a very reasoned risk taker. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Live a “terrifyingly earnest life”. Ellen Key</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“The proper function of man is to live, not to exist.” Jack London</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You don’t have to listen to the experts and do something because it’s the vogue, or someone says you have to. I pretty much don’t heed any writing advice. I’m old. I will write what I want and market it the way I want. If you don’t need x, y, or z to put food on the table why wear yourself out seeking constant outside validation? Do what you love. Someone will respond and that someone is enough. If there are a handful of someones, even better. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any of the historical novels by our local author Kathleen Shoop. She’s good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My current read is Chernow’s “Grant”. I tend to read Civil War non-fiction to supplement the research I do for my novels.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a fifth-grader, I wrote stories that were read to the first graders.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As a teenager, I was a teen reporter for the Cincinnati Enquirer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In college I was associate editor of the student newspaper.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While teaching, I wrote a newspaper column for seven years in the Cumberland (MD) Times-News.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve written way too many grant proposals and curriculums.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, in retirement I got serious about attempting book length manuscripts that could educate while entertaining.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My novels are based on the actual lives of my ancestor Civil War soldiers, so the setting and basic plot elements are gleaned from that factual skeleton of time and place. I just flesh out the story.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was always a magazine/newspaper/literary journal type of writer. When I took on my Ancestral project, I decided to Indie publish through collaboration with Tree Shadow Press. By the time I was retired I was not interested in pursuing traditional publishing. I wanted complete control of my art. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I intend to write six novels about the Civil War, all based on research. I glean information from the records of the National Archives, state repositories, historical newspapers, and genealogical documents. I volunteer at the Carnegie Library of Carnegie in their Civil War program. I also hold membership in historical groups. It all adds to my knowledge base.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My latest book, published in 2019 is “Cousins at War.” Prior to that, I wrote “Jesse: 53rd Kentucky” and “Henry: The Jersey Brigade.” My work in progress is “The Ramsey Legacy.”<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Website: <a href="http://www.ruthochswebster.com/">www.ruthochswebster.com</a></span><br />
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LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-52009166981835876972020-07-03T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-03T07:00:04.467-04:002020 Interview: Anne Slanina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzBaoguSWuU/XvqV3mlZ8kI/AAAAAAAADwk/tDMPc8D0XbMG0YsoBGLdPWsvB00Vmf3FwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/AnneSlanina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="418" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzBaoguSWuU/XvqV3mlZ8kI/AAAAAAAADwk/tDMPc8D0XbMG0YsoBGLdPWsvB00Vmf3FwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/AnneSlanina.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anne Maro Slanina, Ph.D. I write children’s books. It was a natural extension of my career as an educator. I began my career as a Kindergarten teacher where I learned just how literal young children can be! I am certified to teach K-8, hold an A.A.S. in Child Care Technology and a B.S. in Elementary Education with a specialization in Early Childhood from YSU. I then went on to get a Masters degree in Reading Education from YSU and am certified K-12. I taught remedial reading for many years in various K-12 schools in the Youngstown area. When I realized how bright many of the children in my remedial reading programs were, I was inspired to conduct research in gifted children with reading difficulties and ended up continuing my graduate work leading to certification in gifted child education and a Ph.D. from Kent State University. I taught at YSU, Notre Dame College of Ohio and recently retired from Slippery Rock University. All of these experiences, as well as those with my own two children, influenced the evolution of the character of Annie Mouse in my books. My two sons are adults, married with lovely wives who have given me four beautiful grandchildren. Their antics are giving me many more ideas for more Annie Mouse adventures!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Uncommon instruments: I play both mountain and hammered dulcimers and Native American Flute. I also own a bowed psaltery and hope to learn to play it in my retirement. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s not a single spot. I travel Route 66 yearly. Most years I go from Illinois to California. But if I can’t do the entire Route, I always do some of it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Paris; as long as the fantasy also involved getting there without getting on a plane. I hate to fly.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not currently. I travel too much.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Blue. It is calming and peaceful. I even put blue glass bottles in my windows so the sunlight will reflect on the blue glass and spread the blue throughout the rooms.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I loved the Nancy Drew series.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My weight. I’d like to lose weight but I like my sweets so much, I lack the willpower to stop buying the goodies! Chocolate is my downfall!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love all music and it just depends on the mood I am in at the time. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I typically don’t, but will buy a physical copy of a book if I enjoyed listening to the audio book during my travels so that I could flip to different sections and see the actual print in sections I’d like to revisit.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was painfully shy as a child and always considered myself to be an introvert. After years of teaching and professional presentations before beginning my author career, I learned to “put myself out there” and feel as though I have morphed into an ambivert.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">NO</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m a native of Youngstown, Ohio and moved to western PA to be closer to Slippery Rock University, where I was a professor from 1998 until my retirement in August 2019.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A clerk/typist for the Ohio Department of Motor Vehicles, which was located inside a gas station. During slow times, I would also pump gas for customers since this was long before customers pumped their own gas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I really haven’t experienced too much downtime lately! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gone with the Wind. Scarlett – but I’d recognize Rhett’s love before it was too late.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you are shy, don’t let it limit you. Put yourself out there in small steps until you gain confidence. Find that one single person who will be your cheerleader. I will forever be grateful to the late Dr. Margaret Braden from YSU for being that person for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anything that broadens your world. Go beyond what you think you’re interested in to learn something new. I love young adult literature and historical fiction, in which you learn about various cultures. It builds understanding and empathy. <i>Shabanu </i>by Suzanne Fisher Staples, <i>Number the Stars</i> by Lois Lowry and <i>Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry</i> by Mildred Taylor come to mind.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">During my professional conference presentations regarding child development and social-emotional growth, I would share stories from my actual teaching experiences to illustrate children’s perceptions that adults would often view as “misbehaviors” but are actually normal child development. I was inspired to turn some of those stories into my first book, Annie Mouse Meets her Guardian Angel, in a dream in 2002. I finally released the book in 2004. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The themes of Annie’s adventures are all taken from issues that pertain to young children. The Route 66 travel series is based on my actual travels and I share the travel through the eyes of a child.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I began, I intended my sales outlet to be through presentations, so immediately went to self-publishing. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.anniemousebooks.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">www.anniemousebooks.com</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Adventures of Annie Mouse</i> include the Guardian Angel series: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Annie Mouse Meets her Guardian Angel, in which Annie’s mother is a “yeller” and Annie mistakenly believes when Mommy yells at her it means her Mommy doesn’t love her. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Baby Brother Goes to the Hospital, where Annie hears that her brother has to go to the hospital “until he is better” and mistakenly believes that Baby Brother is sent away because he is “bad” because he cries too much. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Annie Mouse Meets a New Friend, in which Annie’s new friend is different from all the other kids at school and Annie has to learn to be a true friend and stand up to the bullies at school. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Where the Rainbow Touches Ground in which Annie takes the story of the leprechauns guarding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow literally and gets lost trying to find it. When Daddy finds her, she learns that love is the true pot of gold.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Annie’s Route 66 Adventures</i> include:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Adventure: A Photo Journal where Annie shares actual photographs of Route 66 through the eight states that make up Route 66. Children learn historical facts and meet the people and places along the Route. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Annie Mouse’s Second Route 66 Photo Journal: The Journey East follows the Route from California to Illinois and includes many more photographs and facts than the first photo journal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Family Vacation is a chapter book that provides much more information than is shared in the photo journals for children who are readers. It is a great companion book to the photo journals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finally, Annie Mouse’s Adventures: The Coloring Book actually tells a story by linking the Guardian Angel series and the Route 66 travel series sharing Annie’s story about how the Mouse Family decided to travel Route 66. </span><br />
-----------<br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Thanks so much, Anne! Please feel free to leave questions here in the comments or find her through her website.</i></b></span><br /><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-2791869012022223382020-07-02T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-02T07:00:06.833-04:002020 Interview: Jess Weible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My name is Jess Weible. I taught middle and high school English for about ten years before deciding to stay at home with my two young boys. Now, I am a freelance writer and local reporter in Brookville, PA. I’m also the Executive Editor of The Watershed Journal, an inclusive literary magazine for the western Pennsylvania wilds as well as the President of The Watershed Journal Literary Group, a 501(c)3 nonprofit literary organization. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’m lucky to live in an amazing area for outdoor recreation. I love biking, yoga, and have recently gotten into snowshoeing. I also just got into brewing kombucha. And I read a lot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is tough because I honestly feel like where I live is a great vacation spot. But, for a change of pace, I like visiting Pittsburgh or the Harrisburg area. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greece. I’m hoping some day to take my family there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This might not count, but I read the Little Prince in a high school French class and it resonating with me in the way it likely has for millions of other children and adults alike. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am trying to maintain a balance, which is not always easy as a mother of young kids. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Florence & the Machine, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, and Hozier—any day, all the time.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think I’m an ambivert. Social situations are exhausting and often feel performative for me, but I am most inspired while interacting with others. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What was your first job?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My first official job where I had an actual work permit was at Kmart. I handled layaway as incompetently as one can without drawing too much attention and getting fired.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the movie I Heart Huckabees, which would be a wild, hilarious, existentially-dizzying world to live in for awhile. I might want to be Lily Tomlin’s character. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The best advice I got from my dad was in the form of a “this too shall pass” revelation that, when I was in elementary school, almost instantly comforted some deep-seated anxiety within me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book that is giving me context for the Me Too movement is Becky Aikman’s Off the Cliff: How the Making of Thelma & Louise Drove Hollywood to the Edge. It’s very well done and, I think, contributes to a conversation worth having about how we commodify storytelling and how women are represented in our most popular stories. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I used to write stories all the time when I was young. It was an impulse that persisted until I became preoccupied with college studies and then a teaching career. I don’t know where that impulse came from, but now I see it in my oldest son, which is exciting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Several years ago, I started a local writer’s group called The Writer’s Block Party as a way to support, encourage, and connect with other writers. From that group, we pursued our own literary publication to empower and elevate authorship in our region of the state. Throughout all of that, I had been working on my own writing, and, eventually, my book. It was through the momentum of this literary community that I started to identify opportunities in publishing my own work and came in contact with Sunbury Press Books. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My debut book is called <i>Dead Letters: Delivering Unopened Mail from a Pennsylvania Ghost Town</i>. The book chronicles my investigation into 10 letters which were written over 120 years ago, but were never delivered. After reading the letters, and inspired by my mentor and friend, Joan Swigart, I become determined to tell the stories of the people and places in the letters, then deliver their to the living descendants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You can find out more about the book at <a href="http://jessweibleauthor.com/">jessweibleauthor.com</a>. </span><br />
<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-48022882402462939862020-07-01T07:00:00.000-04:002020-07-01T07:00:04.471-04:002020 Interview: D.R. Sanchez<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Hi, I go by many names. To my three kids, I’m Mom. To my five (so far) grandkids, I’m Grandma. To my husband of 40+ years and our cat and dog, I’m “What’s for dinner?” (Just kidding, kind of.) To my friends and family, I’m Debbie Sanchez. To the bank I’m Debra R Sanchez. Bylines are usually that or d.r. sanchez.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I’m not writing, I am a freelance translator (English <->Spanish), language tutor (Spanish and ESL), editor, and publisher. However, my most highly developed skill is procrastination.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I graduated (with my middle child/older daughter) in 2008 from Westminster College with a degree in Communications and English/Writing.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am a member of West PA Authors, PennWriters, and SCBWI.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have any hobbies?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Besides procrastination, my hobbies include planning denim quilts (that I will most likely never make), cooking family meals (that I like to do, and do well, but don’t always want to do), visiting family all over the world (when I can, which is never often enough), traveling and exploring new places (when I can, which – again – is never often enough). I love to play board games and card games, but seldom find willing opponents. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I also have fun leading writing groups and teaching workshops at writing conferences, as well as hosting writing retreats.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite vacation spot?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anywhere where I can either visit family or explore new places…anywhere in the world. I have been in 3 American countries (USA, Canada, and Venezuela) and 3 European countries (Austria, Spain, and Scotland). I have also been in France, just long enough to lose a phone at the airport.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you were given a ticket to anywhere and spending money to indulge, where would you go?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Europe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have pets?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A dog and cat that don’t know what they are, since they’ve been together since they were babies. Each has their own natural behaviors in addition to the ones they learned from the other. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">We’ve had them for nearly 11 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is your favorite color and what do you love about it?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It would depend on the day and my mood. I really don’t have many favorite “one” anything.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What was your favorite book as a child?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>The Velveteen Rabbit</i> has lived in my heart the longest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing about yourself you’d like to change or are trying to work on?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Reducing procrastination…I will…one of these days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What music genre/singer/band is your go-to for a bad day? For working? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">70s Rock or current Alt Rock…for any reason. For listening in the car, I prefer Radio Classics, which is the station for REALLY old radio shows from the 30s – early 60s. It’s like watching tv without a tv.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you re-read books? If so, is there one in particular?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I re-read many books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an introvert, extravert, or ambivert?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ambivert for sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Does pineapple go on pizza?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On some people’s pizza. I can eat it if it’s there, but I wouldn’t ask for it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How many places have you lived?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have moved OVER 30 times. I have lived in 5 states in 2 countries…so far. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>What is your favorite down time activity?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Napping</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you an outdoor type? Have a green thumb?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I like outside…but am usually inside. My thumb is as non-green as they come. If you ever have a plant you want to die…I’ll take care of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>If you could live inside a movie, which would you choose and which character would you be?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My life has been a good enough movie for me, and I am happy with my character.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Are you the type to take a dare?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have taken more than a few, but certainly not all.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Do you have a favorite motto or quote that applies to your own life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think my company’s motto fits my life well. “Dedicated to Different”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What is one thing you’ve learned through experience that you’d love to pass along to others?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you want to do something…learn how. You can do ANYTHING if you want it bad enough. Well, to a degree. There’s a lot of things I cannot physically do, even if I wanted to, like fly without an airplane, or blink my eyes and have all the money I need. But for realistic things, like creating something…figure it out and do it, like I figured out how to become a publisher. Believe in yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What books, other than your own, would you highly recommend?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love far too many books in a vast variety of genres to recommend anything specific. I’d be happy to discuss more specifics depending on what kind of book someone is looking for. I used to work in libraries…I really DO know quite a bit about books.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>On to writing: what inspired you to start creating stories/non-fiction? How long ago?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve been making up stories my entire life. I’ve been writing them down since I could hold a crayon to draw them and then to write when I learned how. (So, well over 50 years)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How do you choose your settings (fiction) or topics (non-fiction)?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I do not have a set way to do this, nor do I have a preferred genre. I write what needs to be written to get it out of my head and onto paper/screen/print. The settings, plots, characters, topics choose me, not the other way around.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Can you tell us a bit about your path to publication?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had several poems, stories, and plays published and/or produced over the years, and several others won awards in contests and at conferences. My local library where I was leading a writing group asked me to write a play as a fundraiser. I wrote a dystopian short play that showed the importance books and libraries have for society. At first we couldn’t find people interested in performing it. After a few years, we were able to have it performed and people wanted it to be available as a book for the library and for purchase. I researched how to get a play published. I found only two options. One required that the play be unseen and unperformed. Too late for that. The other required that it had been performed and brought in a LOT of money. It was a library fundraiser, not much money in that. So, I learned how to format it and how to publish it myself.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In 2016 I launched an independent publishing company, Tree Shadow Press to publish it. Since formatting a play is one of the hardest things to do, I decided to publish another book, and another. As I learned more with each book, I grew into editing for other people. I translated my play and published it in Spanish. I started publishing books by other people. I entered books that I published into contests for “indie press” books…and won four times for my own books, and five other books by other Tree Shadow Press authors also have won over the past four years.<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These days I spend more time editing, translating, and publishing than I do writing, but I still find time to write and continue to be published by various other presses, not only my own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Finally, please tell us about your books and add your website so we can find you:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.debrarsanchez.com/">https://www.debrarsanchez.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DebraRSanchez/%C2%A0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/DebraRSanchez/ </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/DebraRSanchez">https://twitter.com/DebraRSanchez</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.scbwi.org/members-public/debra-sanchez">https://www.scbwi.org/members-public/debra-sanchez</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.treeshadowpress.com/">https://www.treeshadowpress.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I write what comes to me to be written, and my books cross several genres. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Plays: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Pages: A Library Play” in English and in Spanish as “Páginas: Un Cuento de Bibliotecas”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bilingual Picture Books:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“And My Mother Cried/Y Mi Mamá Lloro” won “Best Children’s Book” at The Author Zone in 2017. It is based on a true story about some of the reasons that people make a long-distance move and the many emotions, good and bad, that make mothers cry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Snow Pants for Isabella/Pantalones de Nieve para Isabella” won “Best Children’s Book 2020” in the older children’s group at The Author Zone. It is about a girl who knows her own mind and wants a certain kind of snow pants, even if it isn’t what “all her friends” are wearing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“What’s that Noise?/ ¿Qué Ruido Es?” was just released in June of 2020. It is a fun mystery that also teaches words in English and Spanish for animals and numbers from 1-20. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Writers’ Guide/ Anthology:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Prompted, Prodded, Published: How Writing Prompts Can Help All Writers” won an award in the “Business” category at The Author Zone 2017. The first part of the book is a guide for writers. The second part is a collection of two or three responses from a variety of writers to a set of 30 prompts. Whether you want to write or like to read, there is something here for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Poetry:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Raw & Unfinished” won an award in the “Poetry” category at The Author Zone 2018. It is a collection of my poetry that has either already been published in literary magazines online and/or in print or has won awards in contests and at conferences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anthology:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Celebrate: A Collection of Life’s Celebrations” was published in late 2019. I edited and compiled from a selection of stories and poems from a variety of writers, including some of my own. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have several other books “in the works” at various levels of completion. </span><br />
-----------<br /><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"><b>Thanks so much, Deb! If you have questions, leave them in the comments or find her at one of her links.</b></i></span></span>LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4778331253590312555.post-78224122099099501832019-07-19T16:31:00.000-04:002019-07-19T16:31:26.910-04:00Author Feature: M.K. Anthony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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M.K. Anthony lives in rural northwest Pennsylvania with her husband and their young daughter. If she’s not working in her garden or chasing down a feisty toddler, then she’s probably lost in the world of her characters. M.K. is currently working on the second installment in the Legends of Breena series.<br /><br />
Like and follow M.K. Anthony on Facebook and Twitter for up to date information.<br />
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<br />LK Hunsakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10706929624587891992noreply@blogger.com0