The Write Stuff – Monday, November 3 – Interview With Carol Bodensteiner

November 3, 2014November 3, 2014 raymondbolton 5 Comments

In this, the second to last interview of the year, I feature yet another Readers Favorite award winning author, Carol Bodensteiner. Like many of the authors appearing here, I met Carol online in Melissa Foster’s Facebook group, Fostering Success. It is a group of earnest Indie authors who, like Carol, Melissa and my previous interview’s guest, Michelle Weidenbenner, have distinguished themselves by going on to win numerous awards.

Carol Bodensteiner is a writer who finds inspiration in the places, people, culture and history of the Midwest. After a successful career in public relations consulting, she turned to creative writing. She blogs about writing, her prairie, gardening, and whatever in life interests her at the moment. She published a memoir Growing Up Country: Memories Of An Iowa Farm Girl in 2008. Her debut novel Go Away Home was published in 2014. She’s currently working on contemporary fiction.

Carol, will you please provide us with Go Away Home’s premise and give us a sample?

A family scandal closely followed by tragedy ties Liddie Treadway ever more tightly to the family farm she yearns to escape. When she is finally free of her old life, she seems for a moment to have it all — the opportunity for global travel, unlimited adventures, and new passions. But the reappearance of an old friend leads her to question her choices and her future. Set in pre-World War I Iowa, Liddie’s is the timeless story of the fragility of what seems secure and stable and the discovery of what a woman’s heart truly wants.

Iowa – 1913

Here she was alone for less than an hour, and she felt the rest of her life stretching out before her like an endless, empty road. If she wrote to her mother, what would she say? That she was sitting here feeling sorry for herself after they’d given her exactly what she wanted?

Doing something is better than doing nothing. The words popped into her head. Papa had told her that many times. I will do something, she thought.

She stood and looked around the room, her hands firmly on her hips, her head tilted to one side. The room was similar in size to the one she and Amelia shared, yet it felt so different. So sterile. Functional. Nothing more. The washstand held a plain white pitcher and basin. A white hand towel hung precisely in the middle of the dowel rod. Beside the bed, a straight-back chair offered the only place in the room to sit. A kerosene lamp on the dressing table would light the room at night. A three-drawer pine chest of drawers completed the furnishings.

The faded bedcover unsettled Liddie the most. Such a contrast to the crazy quilt on her bed at home. A riot of shapes and colors and fabrics, the quilt had been pieced together by her mother and aunt before Liddie was born. When she was supposed to be asleep, Liddie often told herself stories about the clothes each piece must have once been. She could smell her father in the wool, see her mother in the silk, hear the rustle of taffeta at a dance. In the dark, she had traced her fingertips along the feather stitches decorating each seam. Each bit of cloth from her family.

Memories of the quilt sent a dizzying wave of homesickness washing over her. She pushed her knees into the edge of the bed, steadying herself until the queasiness passed.

This was her room. She could do what she wanted, so she forced herself to action. She pushed the dressing table into a corner where the mirror caught the light from the window. She put the washbasin on the bed and the pitcher of water on the floor and maneuvered the washstand over to the wall by the door. Immediately, her mood improved.

You do a nice job of beginning to establish a character and her history while setting a scene. What brought you to your story?

Go Away Home was inspired by my maternal grandparents. My grandfather died of the Spanish Flu in 1918. Throughout my life, I’ve been intrigued by my connection to this major world event. Of course I never knew my grandfather and even though my grandmother lived until I was well into my 20s, I never asked her a single question about him or their lives together. And she was not the type to share. So, this story is fiction based on a few facts. It creates a life for the man I never knew and for the grandmother I only knew as a stern old woman.

Do you have another novel in the works?

My work in progress is contemporary fiction. My main character is forced to answer the question of whether she’s willing to risk everything she values to help someone else.

A good story centers around a dilemma. Do you find that the story ever stalls?

Peter DeVries once said, “I only write when I’m inspired, and I make sure I’m inspired every morning at 9 a.m.” Books get written because the author put herself in the chair every day and wrote. I don’t know that I’ve ever had writer’s block, and maybe that’s why. When it’s time to write, I write.

I agree with you. In today’s publishing world, after the work is completed it’s the author’s job to market it. What is your strategy?

I’m fortunate to have spent thirty years in the public relations and marketing business, so marketing comes more easily to me than to many authors. My marketing strategy is to do one thing every day to get the word about my books out to readers. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it has to be something. To some extent, successful marketing is a matter of persistence. Communication research tells us a customer has to hear about something three times to remember they heard the message at all. They have to hear about it seven times before they’re ready to act. So, don’t give up.

I’ve learned that no successful author writes in a vacuum. What is your writhing community like?

For the past ten years, I’ve been part of a writing group that meets every two weeks. Sometimes there are only two of us in the group, but we are committed to supporting each other on the writing journey. And there’s nothing like a deadline for keeping me at the keyboard. I credit my writing partners – their honesty, insight, and support – for much of my writing success.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?

I’m living exactly where I choose to live. I love Iowa, with its change of seasons, wide-open farm fields, and broad range of easily accessible recreational and artistic opportunities. I’m also a resident of the world. I love to travel, meet new people and see new things, so I get on the road often and the road always leads me back home to Iowa.

What inspires you, not just as a writer, but the broader you?

I’m inspired by the outdoors. I’ve live on a small acreage that affords room for lots of trees, a vegetable garden, flower beds, and a prairie. The prairie has taught me many lessons about life and is a great place to take visitors – both adults and children – to give them a taste of what Iowa looked like before it was settled by Europeans.

What a treat! Jumping all over the place, I’ll ask if you have a favorite quote.

I have many favorite quotes, and here’s one:

“It’s not our abilities that show what we really are. It’s our choices.” – Albus Dumbledore

Hah! To accompany that, what is your greatest life lesson?

As a public relations professional, the best advice I gave clients was: “Don’t write it down if you are comfortable seeing it as a headline in the New York Times.” In today’s uber-sharing social media world, we could also add: “Don’t share a picture with anyone that you’re not comfortable having everyone in the world see.”

Moving away from the serious, what makes you laugh?

Silly greeting cards.

And that brings us to our Lightning Round. As briefly as possible, please answer these:

The one thing I cannot do without is…

Ice cream.

What is your defining trait?

Optimistic persistence.

Hard copy or ebook?

Both.

Vice? Virtue?

Ice cream. Iowa Nice.

Favorite book.

1000 White Women, Cold Mountain, The Poisonwood Bible, The Other Boleyn Girl, Grapes of Wrath.

Favorite movie.

Mamma Mia

Do you have a parting thought you would like to leave us with?

Write on!

Well said.

Go Away Home is available on Amazon in paperback http://amzn.to/1kUiKxx and ebook http://amzn.to/1qr3YhB formats.

And you can connect with Carol at the following social links:

Website http://www.carolbodensteiner.com

Twitter @CABodensteiner

LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=14449814&trk=tab_pro

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CarolBodensteinerAuthor

The Write Stuff – Monday, October 20 – Interview With Michelle Weidenbenner

October 20, 2014October 20, 2014 raymondbolton 1 Comment

Today, The Write Stuff features Michelle Weidenbenner. Both her YA Thrillers, To Cache a Predator and Scattered Links won Readers’ Favorite gold medals this year. She has won other awards as well. This is no small accomplishment and this is not the first time her name has come up on this website. I had considered featuring this remarkable writer early on, but instead she pointed me to Oliver Dahl, my first interviewee. It’s her turn now. When I asked her to describe herself, this is what she told me:

Michelle is a full time employee of God’s kingdom, writing and encouraging writers every day. She’s often a sucker for emotional stories, her sensitive side fueling the passion for her character’s plights, often giving her the ability to show readers the “other” side of the story.

She grew up in the burbs of Detroit with five brothers. No sisters. Each time her mom brought the boy bundle home from the hospital Michelle cried, certain her mom liked boys better than girls. But when her brothers pitched in with the cooking, cleaning, and babysitting–without drama, Michelle discovered having brothers wasn’t so bad. They even taught her how to take direct criticism without flinching, which comes in handy with book reviews.

Michelle is living her dream–writing every day and thanking God for the stories He puts in her path. She’s a random girl who writes in random genres.

When Michelle isn’t writing she’s winning ugly on the tennis court. She’s known as “Queen of the Rim Shots.” No joke. It’s ugly.

There’s not enough space here to shine a spotlight on both her gold medal winners, so we’ve decided to focus on Cache. The Midwest Review has this to say about it:

Cache a Predator isn’t a one-dimensional story of one man’s vendetta: it’s also about mystery and suspense wrapped up in the modern art of geocaching (thus the title)…that’s part of the allure of Cache a Predator, which uses this urban game to the best advantage in the context of a urban mystery.

Any who look for deep psychological elements in their mysteries will find this a satisfying read, moving beyond the usual one-dimensional focus on mystery to reach out and tweak the reader’s heart.

—D. Donovan, Reviewer

Here’s an excerpt:

When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed she was a child again. That she and her brother were playing tag outside near the barn, and their mother was calling to them, standing in the front yard with a kite in her hand. She played out some of the string, and the kite’s rainbow colors sailed back and forth in the wind. She said, “Come, I’ll teach you how to fly a kite.”

Sarah and Dean giggled and ran to her, running against the wind. But the wind’s force pushed Sarah back and made her run harder to gain distance. She gulped air and lost her breath. The more she ran toward her mother, the farther the wind pushed her back. She yelled, “I’m coming, Mama.” But the wind took the sound of her words away. Her mama kept waving for them to come.

Dean held Sarah’s hand. Little brother, Dean. His tiny arms and legs like thin tree branches. He was always small for his age and sickly. She tightened her grip on his hand, certain the wind would blow him away from her if she didn’t. “Hold tight, little brother. We’ll get there.”

But the more they tried, the farther they fell back, until finally Sarah couldn’t see her mother anymore. She’d disappeared. The wind died, and their father loomed above them. His yellow teeth, his bent nose, and the scar on his forehead stared back at them. When she heard his deranged, boisterous laugh she screamed, which made him laugh all the more.

Sarah bolted upright in bed, her heart racing. Perspiration crawled down her neck like ants marching up a tree. Why had the old man suddenly appeared in her dreams here in her mother’s room? It was like he was taunting her, saying, “You can’t escape me.” Oh, how she hated him.

Chilling! Michelle, in your own words, will you tell us what this story is about?

Cache a Predator is a story of one man’s pursuit to gain custody of his five-year-old daughter. But first he must convince a judge, child protective services, and a deranged vigilante that he’s a loving father.

I always ask about the underlying story, the story behind the story. Will you fill us in?

So many children are living with their grandparents because of illness or unemployment. We had to help our son and daughter-in-law with our grandgirls for a period of time when our son lost his job. During that time, I discovered many other grandparents were raising their grandchildren too. My oldest granddaughter helped me brainstorm this series of chapter books. I learn a lot from her.

What are you working on now?

Several different things at once. One is a YA novel about a world where kids with powers are shunned and killed. Another is a mid-grade novel about a twelve-year-old boy who has to save the canine race. Both are supernatural. I’m also working on a few non-fiction projects and will publish the second book in my children’s chapter book series, Éclair Meets a Gypsy, late this year.

You do work in a number of genres. Why is this?

I write in random genres because I can’t seem to hone my imagination to only one. I write the stories that move me.

Why is your writing different?

My writing seems simpler, easier to read. There isn’t a ton of description, but enough to set the stage. I’ve been told I write about difficult subjects. This is true, but again, it’s what seems to move me to a strong emotion.

That said, why should someone buy Cache?

Readers who like a quick thriller, one they can’t put down, and are interested in learning about geocaching will like Cache a Predator. It’s hidden in geocaching sites all around the US and Canada to bring awareness to child abuse. The books’ goals are to travel to all 50 states and each Canadian province. Some books have traveled more than 5000 miles. It’s fun to watch how they travel, but it’s really fun to chat with geocachers so far away.

Tell us a bit about your path to publication.

I had an agent for a year and a half who was shopping my YA novel (which hasn’t been published yet) but after a few rejections, and waiting for a publisher, I decided to self-publish. I’m an entrepreneur spirit—always have been. I wasn’t afraid of the marketing and the extra work involved in seeing my books in print. What I was afraid of was not publishing a perfect book. But is there such a thing? I learned that books are products and not everyone likes the same brand. However, I’m nit-picky about editing my work. I probably spend the most money on editors.

Do you have a writing routine?

I’m totally blessed that I can write full time. I typically get to my office around 8:30 or 9:00 and start with answering emails and then jump into my projects for the day. I wear many hats, but I recently hired a virtual assistant to help handle promos. I hope it frees up more writing time.

I have a desk treadmill so I work (like right now) while I walk about 2.0 miles an hour. In a typical week I walk about 18 miles. I don’t kill myself on it, but it feels great to move while I write.

As I told our visitors at the outset of this series, I am featuring award-winning authors. Please tell us about the awards you have won.

Scattered Links and Cache a Predator both won the GOLD Medal Award in the Readers’ Favorite International Awards. Scattered Links has won several other awards too: It was the Kindle Book Promo Award winner and a BRONZE Medal winner in Dan Poytner’s Global eBook Awards in the multi-cultural literature category. The fact that it won something in the “literature” category had me dancing on the sofa.

Athletic as you are, I can see that! And so many contests.

Indie authors have to enter contests to win. Not everyone can afford them though. Contests cost money to enter. So I’m a little choosy on which ones I enter. It’s also important to enter the right category. Some categories are more difficult because there are more entrants. Authors have to research sites and analyze what they see. Is the payout worth the expense?

What else have you written?

I write for a nurses’ aide magazine because I love the elderly, and it’s my way to help in their care. I’m also working with my pastor on articles to teach other pastors how to grow their churches. Like I said, I’m a bit random about what I write. I like to have a purpose though and typically write for a reason—to help a certain group.

I wrote Scattered Links after adopting our daughter from Russia. So many adoptive parents think that love is enough when they adopt or foster a child, but sometimes love is not enough. I wrote that story to bring awareness to RAD, reactive attachment disorder.

To give our visitors a better sense of Michelle, the person, let’s hear a little about your “other” life. Do you have another job outside of writing?

Does mother, wife and grandmother count?

Where would you live, if you could live anywhere?

I love where I live—close to my family. It’s not the most beautiful place, but my family matters more than anything to me, so it’s worth the compromise. But if I could move my family to the most beautiful place it might be to Colorado or New Mexico.

What is your dream job?

I’m living my dream job. Some day I want one of my books to make it to the big screen. Hey, a girl can dream, right? So I keep working at making that dream come true.

If I spoke to your closest friend about you, (s)he would tell me:

“Michelle is purpose-driven and goal-oriented. She works hard at what she loves, almost to a fault.”

I’m not the type to sit around and chit-chat if there isn’t a purpose, but I’m working on it. I know it’s important to interact and establish relationships, but sometimes all I can think about is getting back to work. To write.

Do you have a favorite quote?

“I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.” ― R.J. Palacio, Wonder.

Before we bring this to a close, Michelle, a few Lightning Round questions:

The one thing I cannot do without is:

Tennis, but I know some day I will have to give it up. I’m getting older. I won’t be able to place forever.

Hard copy or ebook?

Ebooks rule because I can take them anywhere and open multiple ones at a time, flipping through them easily. However, if it’s a resource book I want to dog-ear the pages and hold it.

Favorite book:

For this week: The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion. I just finished it and loved it. But I have a different favorite every month. I give a lot of FIVE-STARS because I know how difficult it is to write a good story with all the necessary elements and proper editing. Last month it was Wonder, by R. J. Palacio.

I want to thank you so much for joining us, Michelle. Visitors who want to learn more about Michelle or are interested in buying her books can do so at the following links:

Twitter: @MWeidenbenner1

Blog: http://randomwritingrants.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Weidenbenner/e/B00E21RMNG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

264 pages

Regular Price: $3.99

ISBN: 978-1490936390

Cover artist: Avalon Graphics

Random Publishing, LLC

Amazon Buying Links: http://amzn.to/16MjTyP

Amazon Print Book Link: http://www.amazon.com/Cache-Predator-A-Geocaching-Mystery/dp/1490936394/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1407178641&sr=1-1

The Write Stuff – Monday, October 6 – Interview With Diane Robinson

October 6, 2014October 7, 2014 raymondbolton 6 Comments

This, the second interview in The Write Stuff’s series of Readers Favorite award-winning authors focuses on children’s author, Diane Robinson. Diane, I’ve learned, is as fantastic as are her characters. Scouring the web for information about the author produced this:

Diane lives in a small hilltop castle nestled amongst a very old and magical forest. In this mystical forest, all the fantasy creatures one can imagine live and audition for parts in the author’s next book.

The author has a journalism diploma from the Schools of Montreal and an advanced diploma from the Institute of Children’s Literature in Connecticut. Diane writes fantasy children chapter books, teaches watercolor and acrylic art to children, and is a writing instructor to adults.

I asked Diane to give us the premise of her latest title, Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures. This is what she provided:

Sir Princess Petra has already proven she is a kind and noble knight. This, however, does not please the king and queen—they want her to behave like a princess and forget this silly knight nonsense of hers!

But when the king writes a new rule in the royal rule book that requires her to attend Talent School and acquire a princess talent certificate or suffer the spell of the royal magician, Petra, reluctantly, agrees to go. But who could have guessed what Sir Princess Petra’s Talent would be?

How delightful! Will you tell us the story behind your book?

The story behind the book is my rebellious nature, to write the kind of story I want to write, to do something out of the norm, to possibly do what many people say a person can’t do in writing for children. I have studied children’s literature extensively—I don’t agree with all the rules. The main character of this series, Petra, has that same rebellious nature and proves that the unattainable can be accomplished with finesse and pizzazz and through kindness. Maybe I just had to prove, to myself, that a writer doesn’t have to follow the norm to write a fun book for kids.

What are you working on now?

Working on the 3^rd book in my fantasy/adventure children’s chapter book series entitled, Sir Princess Petra’s Mission-The Pen Pieyu Adventures. I’m also working on a grammar book for elementary age children entitled, Grammar for Kids and Dragons—written in a humorous tone with the medieval characters from my series in the grammar examples.

And a worthy task that is. Goodness knows how much dragons need this sort of help.

May I ask why you have chosen your particular genre?

I’ve been fascinated with the medieval era and fantasy books since I was a kid. By the age of nine, I was making up mini plays–with princesses, brave knights, and meddlesome, or fun, dragons–and performing them for the neighborhood kids. The only hard thing about making the plays work was my sister, the brave knight, insisting to wear her cowboy attire at all times and shooting the nasty dragon instead of spearing him. Sheesh! Cowboys!

Sheesh indeed! Will you tell us why your writing is different from other authors in this genre?

I have a bizarre sense of humor (or so I’m told from non-bizarre humor people) and I think some of that humor comes out in the characters quite well. My books have been described as: ridiculously fun; very silly; incredibly witty; charmingly funny; and even, a maverick fantasy with brilliant flashes of humor and originality. Hmmmm.

That said, why should someone buy your book?

Well, if you think you might like to read about Sir Princess Petra, a tom-boy, onion-throwing princess knight who hangs out with a dragon (Snarls, from the Forest of Doom) that is a chef, royal steed, and is her best friend, along with a bog witch who is afraid of frilly dresses and a continuously soggy-smelling midget knight, Prince Nastybun, from the Land of Mesoggie, then you might want to buy the books. Oh, and then there’s Prince Duce Crablips who wears pink armour and likes to crochet, and King Asterman who runs Talent School in the Land of Lost Donkeys.

Hah! Ridiculously funny, indeed. I like it. Tell us a bit about your path to publication.

My road to publication was full of pot holes and ruts and quite a few broken wheels. I wrote the first book as a picture story book, researched publishers, queried them, sent manuscripts, had a couple of bites, and after 9 years and 27 rejections got an actual traditional publishing contract if I could turn the book into a chapter book. I did, publisher and I signed, publisher forfeited contract due to lack of funds (during the 2010 U.S. recession), back to drawing board, several months later found another publisher who wanted my book and does a few traditional contracts a year. Yep signed up, toot sweet. This publisher also accepted book two (since I hadn’t signed a series contract with them), and will publish book 3 also.

Good for you. What is your writing routine?

In the summer, I have no writing routine. Summers in Canada are just too short, and we all flock outside to play ball, ride horses, gardens, cruise on the lakes, drink beer around the fire pit, play ant hockey, stuff like that. By November, when the snow flies, I wake up early on Fridays (day off from day job) and write for several hours in a row. Saturdays, I edit for a few hours, write blog posts, work on marketing, and catch up on social media stuff.

What else have you written?

Sir Princess Petra – The Pen Pieyu Adventures (book one) was my first publication, Jan., 2012. Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures (book two) is the 2^nd book published, Sept., 2013. Previous to those publications, I wrote some newspaper articles, and had some poetry published. I have written adult short stories that are not published yet.

Tell us about the awards you have won.

On Sept. 1^st, 2014, I found out that book one won the Sharp Writ Book Award, 1^st place in children’s books, and book two won a bronze medal in the Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards, grade 4^th – 6^th category.

Previous to that, book one won: 2012 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist (literary) Award (medal and $10,000.00); 2012 Purple Dragonfly Book Award, 2^nd place, children’s chapter books; 2013 Readers’ Favorite Intl’ Book Awards, honorable mention, grade K – 3^rd; and was a finalist in the 2013 “50 Great Readers You Should Be Reading” contest.

Do you ever experience writers block and, if so, how do you overcome it?

Sometimes I have writer’s block for weeks at a time. I don’t worry about it much and I never force myself to write. I just have to wait until my imaginary friends start talking to me again, and they do, eventually. If my friends have been silent too long (mad at me because of a ridiculous scene I have put them in?), I go for a walk through the forest on my acreage—that usually gets my characters talking real fast (after threats of bringing in new characters).When I’m going through a writing blockage, I usually work on editing and other left-brain thinking stuff.

Some say marketing a book is more difficult than writing it. What is your marketing strategy?

Marketing books is sheer torture chamber stuff. I work on marketing approximately 5 hours per week. I have a marketing manager, a publicist, and an agent. They all give me input and help me with marketing strategies like: news releases, author signings, school visits, book blast promotions, social media, blogging, and author lectures. It’s still a lot of work on my part, but I have seen how the books have become more popular as I keep up a good and steady marketing effort.

Tell us about your writing community.

I live on an acreage, near a small town. This small town has one library and no book stores. There are several self-published writers around the area, and we all know each other, support each other, and keep in touch. Occasionally, we set up multi-author signing together in the small surrounding towns.

What life experiences or careers inspire or enrich your writing?

For several years, I have been an art teacher to children; being around children is rewarding in that I really get to see and hear what children act and think like, which is vital in writing for children.

For the last year, I have been a writing instructor in the course I teach to adults at the Creative Writing Institute–Writing for Children course. Mentoring other writers is a wonderful experience and it makes me into a more prolific writer—well, I have to be or I will get fired. Yikes.

Ever since I read my first book, Black Beauty, at age 7, I have been a fan of the written word. I read all the time, and have rarely watched television, even as a kid. Reading great writers, whether it is children’s literature or adult horror novels always inspires me to be a better writer.

Do you have a parting thought you would like to leave us with?

If you ever think to convince a wayward dragon of your opinion, either rub his tummy, or run away (which is very insulting to wayward dragons). But always go with your first instinct.

Before I provide our visitors with the links to your book and way to connect, I’d like to share with them an excerpt from the second chapter of Sir Princess Petra’s Talent – The Pen Pieyu Adventures, the title that earned the Readers Favorite award:

The pink knight spoke with a vibrating voice,

“I am Prince Duce Crablips of the Kingdom of

Crablips. I aim to stop the Princess Knight from

acquiring a talent and gaining her certificate. I

will stop at nothing. We may have to duel if you

do not turn back.”

“What in the entire kingdom are you talking

about?” Petra frowned her eyebrows at him.

“Are you not the Princess Knight?”

“Yes, I am Petra Longstride of the Kingdom

of Pen Pieyu.”

“Oh no, not another do-well?” Snarls

grumbled. “The last time you had a do-well,

you squeezed and squished and twirled

Prince Nastybun in your dance routine for so

long … well, he did finally give up, but honestly,

it was just boring. Don’t you know of any other

do-well maneuvers?”

“It’s a duel, Snarls, not a do-well.”

“I know all about your little clutch-’em-dance

routine,” Duce Crablips blurted. “And you’re not

touching me!”

“I have no intentions of touching you or

dueling with you.” Petra said, feeling quite

sure she was becoming annoyed. “But why in

the kingdom would you care if I received my

talent certificate?”

Duce Crablips dropped to one knee,

shouldered his spear to point at them, and began

chanting something that sounded in between

humming in Chinese and the rusty wheels of

the royal wheat mill.

“Stop that! I can’t understand a word your

saying, and it’s all quite harmful to the ear!” Petra

slid down the smooth scales of her mount.

Duce Crablips let loose his spear.

It landed between Snarl’s toes.

Snarls yanked the spear from the dirt, broke

it in two, then, raised his head and blew out a

fierce stream of something that resembled torn

pieces of gooey parchment.

“Oops.” Snarls flashed a fake smile. “Possibly

too many onions in that last omelette ta-da?”

“Snarls, stop dragon blasting!” Petra snapped.

“And as for you, Duce Crablips, just tell me what

your problem is, and you won’t be reported for

interfering with my mission!”

Duce, covered in layers of sticky onion skins,

looked like something ready to bake. His eyes, as

wide as royal platters, were wider than his wide

lips. He slowly stood up on shaking legs.

“Is it true they put you in a frilly dress

for interfering with someone’s mission?”

he whimpered.

“Worse for messing with a knight!” Petra

scolded. “It’s a strict rule in my kingdom.”

If you, or any younger acquaintances, would like to learn more about Diane or her works, so may do so through the following links.

Book online sales:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1gPU1D5

B & N: http://bit.ly/1e2PvFL

Tate Publishing: http://bit.ly/12hBWGg

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18136476-sir-princess-petra-s-talent—the-pen- pieyu-adventures

Booktopia: http://www.booktopia.com.au/sir-princess-petra-s-talent-diane-mae-robinson/prod9781625106827.html

Abe Books: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=Sir+Princess+Petra%27s+Talent&sts=t&x=-863&y=-100

Website, blog and other online social accounts:

Author website and blog: http://www.dragonsbook.com

All About Children’s Books blog: http://www.dianemaerobinson.com

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The Write Stuff – Monday, September 22 – Interview With Patricia Reding

September 22, 2014September 22, 2014 raymondbolton 3 Comments

I am using the last several weeks of the year to feature a select group of authors in what promises to be a truly exciting series. Several have earned one or more Readers Favorite book awards this year. Two will be of very special interest. I begin this series with Patricia Reding.

Patricia Reding leads a double life. By day, she practices law. By night, she reads, reviews a wide variety of works, and writes fantasy. She lives on an island on the Mississippi with her husband and daughters (her son having already flown the nest), Coconut (a Westie) and Flynn Rider (an English Cream Golden Retriever), from whence she seeks to create a world in which she can be in two places at once. She took up Oathtaker as a challenge and discovered along the way, the joy of storytelling. Currently, Patricia is working on Select, the first sequel to Oathtaker.

Oathtaker’s description is as follows:

An Oath Sworn. A Struggle Engaged. A Sacrifice Required.

When Mara, a trained Oathtaker, is drawn by the scent of the Select to battle underworld beasts summoned by the powers of evil to destroy the guardians of life, she swears a life oath for the protection of her charge.

Armed with a unique weapon and her attendant magic, and with the assistance of her Oathtaker cohorts, two ancients and a spymaster, Mara seeks safety for her charge from one who would end Oosa’s rightful line of rule and from assassins who endeavor to bring ruin to the land.

As Mara puzzles to decipher ancient prophecy concerning her charge, as she is haunted with memories of her own past failings, she discovers the price her oath will exact.

To renounce her word would be treasonous; to fail, ruinous; to persevere, tortuous. Abiding by an oath requires sacrifice.

Patricia, I’ve had a chance to glimpse Oathtaker’s opening pages and found it hard to step back out into the “real” world. It’s a captivating read. Further, your readers rave about what a wonderful story it is, but I’m wondering if there is a story behind the story.

I will age myself here and probably open a wider window into my soul than I might intend, but the inspiration for Oathtaker was my longing to return to the world as I saw it as a child. Perhaps it is just that my parents sheltered me more than I thought, but I recall a world in which people said what they meant and meant what they said. People entered into agreements with a handshake. Children knew that if a parent said “no,” it didn’t mean “no” only until the child overcame the parent with begging. People in relationships worked hard to walk through the difficult times together. Their behavior, their choices, came with consequences. I longed for that world because today it seems so easy to go back on your word. This is true across the board—of parents, teachers, politicians, and more. I think that our young people in particular, suffer as a result. They crave continuity and truth and something they can count on to be and to remain true. In many ways I think society has failed our youth in this regard, and I wanted to help to make up for that failure.

With all that in mind, I sought to create a world in which one’s word mattered, and in particular, to examine what someone might do if she found something that, or someone who, pulled her from her path—if she found her love—a moment after swearing a life-oath that forbid her from attaching herself to him. Thus, Mara came to be. Her situation is made more difficult by the fact that in Oathtaker, the man she comes to love, Dixon, is released from his vow only moments before Mara swears her oath. From that premise, Oathtaker was born.

Why have you chosen your particular genre?

There are two main reasons I write fantasy. The first is that I think it is the hardest. You see, I read a fantasy series some years ago that I found utterly genius. I sought to know how the author accomplished what he did. After reading it, I then went through a period when, notwithstanding the many, many wonderful works out there, I struggled to find stories that engaged, entertained, uplifted and challenged me. I had to see for myself what the process included. I had to know more. Thus, I started this writing venture as a challenge to myself—and writing fantasy was the greatest challenge I could conceive of. It requires the creation of a new world and a magic system. Such features must make sense to the story and must be internally consistent. Those are not easy tasks. Along the way, I discovered the joy of storytelling. I also discovered that writing a story that is new and different is very difficult. Perhaps of most importance, I developed a strong understanding of and for other authors. I am much more forgiving of mistakes than I once was.

The second reason I chose fantasy was because I wanted to explore a concept that I felt might seem “preachy” if I approached and discussed it through a story set in our modern world. Specifically, I wanted to present a story in which the main character was faced with choosing between honoring her word and following the path her heart begged her to pursue.

Your Readers Favorite award sets you apart from the herd, but in your words, why is your writing different from other authors in this genre?

Actually, this question makes me laugh. You see, I’ve discovered that there are many who would consider themselves “fantasy aficionados.” These are people who, it seems to me, have preconceived notions of what a fantasy story should do, how it should be told, that all the names should be unpronounceable and include apostrophes, and so forth. For example, some think a fantasy author can only teach about his world and how it works by having the main protagonist begin the venture in some kind of training. In this way, the reader learns along with the character. Some think that the world has to include so many “made up” things (that bear some loose resemblance to things in our world) that the reader has to learn an entirely new vocabulary in order to follow the story or constantly refer to the back-of-the-book glossary. Sometimes I read about how a fantasy work is “set” into some time period in our world (such as medieval, for example). But it makes no sense to me to say that because some features of a fantasy world are “medieval,” that as a result some other features or things can or cannot exist or happen. For me, that is the whole idea behind a fantasy world—it is made up. It can be anything. Thus, I am willing to give the writer the freedom to include or not to include anything in that author’s world that he or she chooses. This includes language used, gadgets in existence, and so forth.

Of course, people can have whatever thoughts they like about the fantasy genre, but I think having preconceived ideas about how a fantasy should be told, is a bit short-sighted. If all authors followed that train of thought, new ways would never come about. For example, where did steampunk come from, but that someone decided to do something different? What about gaslamp fantasy? I found a great list of fantasy subgenres to which I refer from time to time. The titles are intriguing. Consider, for example, the following: hard, gritty, dark, urban, dying earth, new weird, and so on. See: http://bestfantasybooks.com/fantasy-genre.php. A reader with preconceived notions might be disappointed when they encounter these works. By contrast, I appreciate a writer doing what has not been done before. I’ve read of wizards and elves and fairies. I want something new.

With those ideas in mind, I decided I would create the world I wanted—regardless of what someone else thought it ought be. My world does not fit any particular era in our own world history. The names do not begin with “de” or include apostrophes—and they are pronounceable. In most cases, I chose names because of the meanings behind them or, where I wanted to avoid drawing any connection to a meaning, I made them up. Several readers have told me that they’ve never been able to get into fantasy before—but that they enjoyed my work. Perhaps this is because, as one reviewer of my work suggested, I wrote Oathtaker “from the outside looking in” (see http://joshuagrasso.booklikes.com). I believe he was on to something . . .

Why should someone buy your book?

Oathtaker is a story that is challenging and uplifting. It offers heroes, secrets, magic, and an adventure. It is appropriate for readers 13 and older.

Tell us about the awards you’ve won.

To date, I’ve only entered one contest and that was the Readers’ Favorite 2014 International Book Award Contest. The winners were announced September 1, 2014. I was delighted to be awarded with an Honorable Mention Award in the Young Adult Fantasy category. This is quite something for a “first work.” I note that while my story may not be a standard “young adult” tale, in that it includes significant characters of a wide range of ages (and does not include “insta-love” or a love-triangle), it certainly poses a challenge to young readers and it speaks to issues important to them. Best of all—young readers have enjoyed it.

The Readers’ Favorite contest also includes a connection with WindDancer Films (at http://www.winddancer.com), the production company behind such movies as “What Women Want” and such television series as “Home Improvement.” Of the thousands of entrants in the contest, Oathtaker was chosen as one of ten works about which WindDancer Films would like to learn more.

What is your day job?

Goodness, where does one begin? In addition to being a wife and mother of three (two of whom are still “at home”) I also practice law. My main practice area is Intellectual Property. Intellectual Property includes assets of value that cannot be touched—trademarks, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and so forth. In particular, I handle trademark matters, including registrations and infringement, domain name infringement, and so forth. (Have you ever received a cease and desist letter from me?)

I think the practice of law makes for good training for writing fantasy—a genre that requires that the author keep numerous balls in the air at the same time. My experience with questioning people, collecting facts, looking for alternative ways to resolve matters, negotiating, drafting, and counseling, serves me well when it comes to writing.

Alright then, would you tell us about your dream job?

More than anything, I would like to teach. I would enjoy mashing some first year law students’ brains, as was done with my own, but even more, I think I would like to teach political science at the undergraduate level.

My undergraduate degree was in Political Science, with a minor in Philosophy. I concentrated on studies relating to what was then the Soviet Union, including history and philosophy courses pertaining to the USSR. Today, I am a 24-7 political news junkie. (The funniest stories my children tell me are of their bringing their teachers, unaware of details about which my children are well-versed, up to speed.) There are so many issues, aside from simple civics details, that would be great fun to explore with young minds. Some themes I know I would concentrate on would be how to be good consumers of information, how to “read between the lines,” how to identify when someone is not answering the question asked, how to spot an ideological bent, and so on.

If I spoke to your closest friend about you, what would she or he would tell me?

She would probably tell you that I have a knack for asking questions—questions that will unearth issues not previously considered and/or that will move you from problem to conclusion. She might also tell you that I truly do believe that “chocolate” is one of the four basic food groups, that I salt things way too much (because “salt” is another of the four basic food groups), and that I am bilingual—sarcasm is my second language.

Do you have a favorite quote?

There are so many. In particular, I love Abraham Lincoln and Mark Twain quotes. But with a philosophy background, I find myself thinking of this, from John Stuart Mills: “War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.” In many ways, these words seem to sum up life and the state of the world at any given time.

What are your favorite authors?

I adore Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables. I think it is the most beautiful thing ever written. It is more than a story—it is poetry. I am also a big Charles Dickens fan. It took me some time to catch his rhythm, but I now find him positively hilarious. Once, I sat and read aloud to my then middle-grade daughters, the opening chapters of Great Expectations. Honestly, we laughed until tears ran. I love his descriptions of everything from people, to dead and scattered bugs on the floor. As to more contemporary works and/or those in my own genre, I am a big fan of Terry Goodkind’s Sword of the Truth series.

It’s time for the Lightning Round. Brief answers please!

The one thing I cannot do without is:

music. I especially enjoy movie soundtracks, Celtic works, and Broadway shows (in particular, Wicked, The Pirate Queen, Phantom and Aida). My family and I have also performed for almost 20 years now, in a Christmas musical, Two From Galilee, so I love participating as well as listening.

In one or two words, what is your defining trait?

Committed. Serious.

Hard copy or ebook?

Preferably hard copy. I love the feel of the book in my hands.

Vice? Virtue?

Vice: Louis Vuitton handbags. If I ever go broke, I will have to auction mine off. Virtue: Can I think about this for a while?

Hah! Favorite book:

Les Miserables

Favorite movie:

Oh . . . this is so hard. I love the Lord of the Rings movies, but probably not for the same reasons as many others. Truthfully, I find the story a bit difficult to follow. My favorite parts are the background music and the lighting—which in some scenes is true genius.

Do you have a parting thought you would like to leave us with?

Don’t limit yourself—and don’t allow anyone else to do so either.

So true.

I asked Patricia to provide an excerpt from Oathtaker. This is the gem she provided:

Upon touching the woman, Dixon’s eyes turned quickly from the soft glance he had given her to a kind of madness. He jumped up and glared. “What have you done?” he hissed.

“What have I done?” Mara crouched down, pulled away the blanket that covered Rowena, then carefully took into her arms first Reigna, then Eden. She stood up, holding herself as tall as she could. She glared. “What have I done? Oh, nothing! Oh, well that is, except—ahhh . . . well . . . let me think here—.”

She hesitated, playacting. “Oh, yes, I remember now. I took down a full pack of grut, helped Rowena birth these beautiful children, accepted them as my charge, saw to it that she released her power with her dying breath, comforted her in her last moments—. Shall I go on?” She took a deep breath. “What have I done? Who are you to accuse me of anything? I have done my duty!”

“I am her Oathtaker. That’s who I am!”

“Were,” Mara snapped. “You were her Oathtaker. She’s dead. Or did I forget to mention that? So I might ask—what have you done? Where were you when she so clearly needed you? The truth is, if I hadn’t arrived when I did, I expect we would have lost them all!” Her eyes remained fixed on him.

After some seconds, he looked away. “Dead.”

She could not tell if he was stating the fact or asking if it was true. Considering the shock he must be feeling, she decided that arguing with him would not be in anyone’s best interests. She recalled that above all, she must get the girls to safety quickly.

“I’m sorry. I did all I could. Rowena had lost too much blood before I arrived. She . . . she was a fighter, I know.”

He did not take his eyes from his former charge. He dropped to his knees at her side. Taking her hand into his own, he lifted it to his cheek and closed his eyes. His breathing slowed. His jaw set. Mara sensed he fought back tears. Slowly, he leaned forward to stroke the woman’s cheek, then her hair. Finally, he bowed his head and audibly exhaled.

Mara watched his easy touch, saw his shoulders sag and his eyes pressed closed. She knew that look.

“You loved her.” She had not intended to speak the words out loud, but there they were—hanging in the air.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat, obviously restraining himself, “of course I cared deeply for her. She was my charge. She’s been my charge for . . . for some time now. I’ve forgotten what life is without her.”

“No, that’s not all. You . . . you loved her. I can see it in your eyes, in your touch, in—”

“She was my charge!” He held Mara’s gaze, as though daring her to challenge him further.

She said nothing. Perhaps he was trying to convince himself, but she wondered.

“You do understand the significance of the oath you just swore?” he asked, scornfully.

Of course she did. An Oathtaker’s vow came with commitments. Mara hadn’t given it much thought earlier, but when she swore her oath, she had sealed the deal. Her word bound her to the twins for so long as they lived. She could no longer follow another path.

In the moment she took her vow, Ehyeh bestowed gifts upon her, attendant magic and continued youth. She would not physically age until the death of her charge. Only then could she begin her life anew, follow other dreams. The same had been true for Dixon while his charge had lived. But what did his denial mean? What was he trying to imply? That because he’d sworn to accept Rowena as his charge, he had not still been vulnerable to his own feelings, longings, desires? Had he been one who had fallen into the state of pain that came with loving someone while subject to his oath?

“Of course I do,” she confirmed.

If you’d like to read more, or learn more about the author, here are some links to help you:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Oathtaker-Book-1-Patricia-Reding-ebook/dp/B00K32MW6U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409924611&sr=8-1&keywords=oathtaker

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4767727

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oathtaker-patricia-reding/1114778887?ean=2940149813094

Links to website, blog and online social accounts:

Website and blog: http://www.oathtaker.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6983212.Patricia_Reding

BookLikes: http://patriciareding.booklikes.com

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Patricia-Reding/e/B00BQUN18G/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1409925157&sr=8-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaRedingAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Oathtakers