C.L. Wells's Blog, page 6

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Susanne Lambdin

Hi, everyone! Do you have a teenager or young adult at home who gobbles up books then scavenges for more? If so, you don’t want to miss this! Today, I have an author who might be able to satisfy their cravings. Susanne Lambdin is the author of The Dead Heart Novel Series. Take a look! Hi, Susanne! Welcome and thanks for taking the time to talk with me about your life and work. S: My pleasure! I’m ready to talk to you about zombies! But since you’re a native Kansan, I wanted to ask about that first. Where did you grow up? S: I am from Wichita, Kansas.  Tell me a little bit about your background. Did you go to college? S: I attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a BA in Professional Writing. At the time I went to OU, you had to go through the Journalism school since they didn’t offer ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Thomas William Montgomery

Welcome back! I want to start off by saying how much I appreciate you stopping by to check out my interviews with these fabulous people. I hope you’re checking out the rest of the website along the way! Anyone who has ever managed their own website knows how much work goes into these boogers so it means a bunch that you’ve spent any of your precious time here. With that said, I have another exceptional person for you to get to know today. Thank you for joining us today, Thomas. T: Thanks for your interest. Let’s start with where you’re orginially from. T: I’ve lived nearly all my life in this wonderful state of the Union. I lived most of that time in Fort Scott, Kansas, but have lived in Augusta where I graduated from high school, and Emporia where I graduated with two degrees. Impressive! May I ask what your two ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Jan Allison

Hi, everyone! Welcome to another edition in the ‘A Kansas Author’ blog series. Until the author fair at the Topeka Public Library, most of the authors I rubbed elbows with were all over the country and even the world. I didn’t really know too many of the folks here. It’s been a pleasure to get to know some authors who live right around the corner! Today my interview is with Jan Allison. Welcome, Jan. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to interview you. J: Thank you!  Are you originally from Kansas? J: Yes, Dodge City. Have you lived in Kansas your whole life? J: Yes, for 73 years Wonderful!  When did you start your writing journey? J: I was the curriculum person at McConnell AFB in Wichita and in charge of the preschool curriculum. I found a need for books on Kansas history written for a lower age level. I knew that ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Marcia G Riley

Today we’re saying hello to the weekend with a lovely interview from a children’s author. Marcia is the author of the children’s picture book, The Pillow Fairy. Look at this cover! It’s absolutely adorable. Welcome, Marcia! Thank you for being here. Tell me about The Pillow Fairy. What is about and what inspired the story? M: It is the true story of our sons, Justin and Matt, and what we did to get them to sleep in their own beds when they were little. I wrote the book over 20 years ago, and with the encouragement of family and friends, self-published it on August of 2012. The beautiful illustrations of Joni E. Patterson have enabled The Pillow Fairy to become a family favorite. It has helped thousands of little ones sleep in their own beds, and is asked to be read over and over again. Wow! First of all, congratulations! Second, I’m glad your ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Mary Ann Wittman

Welcome back to another installment in the ‘A Kansas Author’ blog series. Today, my interview is with an author of children’s books! Let me tell you, Mary Ann Wittman’s books are adorned with the sweetest covers. Clemmie and the Mailman is my favorite, so far! Welcome, Mary Ann! Where in Kansas did you grow up? M: In Salina. Have you lived in Kansas your whole life? M: No, I have lived also in Mississippi, Texas, Colorado, and overseas in Izmir, Turkey. Wow, Turkey! When did you know you wanted to write? M: I have always had a creative imagination and have written poems and short essays. As I began to develop stories in my mind, I decided to begin writing them down. What is the name of the first book you published? M: The first book is titled ‘The Little Christmas Tree.’ What’s it about? M: It is about a small, sad little tree that ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Ronda Miller

Hi, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying this blog series as much as I am. When I put the request out there for the interviews, I had no idea how fascinating these folks would be. Initially, I just wanted to shed some light on local talent. Being a new author, I know how difficult it is to break into the market. You can work your tail off and barely scratch the surface. It’s a never-ending challenge. You have to toot your own horn so much that your cheeks end up with a permanent blush from the countless times you’ve embarrassed yourself. So, I figured I could toot a few horns for others and have been blessed in the process. *********************** Today, I welcome Ronda Miller, author of MoonStain, a collection of poetry. Ronda! Welcome and thank you for being willing. R: Thank you!  So you grew up in Kansas, is that right? R: I ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Kyle Ferlemann

Howdy, Peeps! Welcome to the third interview in this blog series. Thank you all so much for following and getting to know these authors through their interviews. Today, our special guest is Kyle Ferlemann. I have to tell you all that Kyle fascinated me. I’m somewhat of a conspiracy theorist so when Kyle told me he a Freemason, I got a little itchy. Then our conversation went down several different roads… mostly because I’m nosey. I can’t even post the entire interview because it would make the blog too long. Now here I am taking up more space explaining all this. ****************************** Welcome, Kyle. Thanks for your willingness to be interviewed. K: Thanks for the invitation to connect. Tell me about your Kansas ties. Did you grow up here? K: I was raised in the Flint Hills of Kansas and forests of Missouri. I traveled a lot as a child but the years I ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Charles Edward Kayser

Welcome back for the next installment of A Kansas Author blog series. I must say, my line-up of special guest interviews is quite impressive! Please help me to welcome long time writer and new author, Charles Kayser! Welcome, Charles! C: Thank you! Let’s jump right in. Obviously, since you’re part of this blog series you have ties in Kansas. Did you grow up in the Sunflower State? C: Yes! I grew up in Americus, Kansas, and except for my two initial teaching years in Denver, I’ve been all Kansas. Wow. You’re a teacher. What subject do you teach? C: I primarily taught English and coached football. I taught for 20 years.  What grades did you teach? C: My first four years was junior high, the rest was high school and also includes four years as an adjunct instructor with Allen County Community College. That’s wonderful! At what point did you know you wanted ... click here to read the full article.

A Kansas Author ~ Interviewing Robert Collins

Recently, I was invited to attend an Author’s Fair at the public library in my hometown. I met some pretty amazing people and had the privilege of rubbing elbows with folks who’ve been on their writing journey for way longer than I have. Afterward, I was inspired to do a blog series to highlight some of these individuals and their work. I would like to thank Miranda, from the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, for reaching out to these authors and begging on my behalf for their time and attention. Please help me to welcome Robert Collins. He is my first guest. Robert! Thanks for being willing to speak with me. R: You’re welcome. Thanks for having me. Tell me a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? Have you lived in Kansas your whole life? R: I grew up around the Wichita area, and I’ve lived in the state my whole life. ... click here to read the full article.

Special Guest ~ Actor and Musician ~ Cardiff Gerhardt

Welcome, everyone! Today, I have a special guest. This interview is out of the ordinary for me, but I hope to have more like it. I’m excited to share my interview with Cardiff Gerhardt with you. He’s an up and coming actor and musician from Salt Lake City, Utah. If you’ve seen the movie MistleTones over the holidays, you may know him as Ludacris Kringle who takes the stage during a competition scene and raps ‘Away in the Manger.’ Welcome, Cardiff! Thanks so much for accepting my invitation to an interview. C: My pleasure! So, I read your IMDb biography and saw that MistleTones was your first acting job. However, you weren’t really acting, you were rapping! You did a rendition of Away In A Manger that I absolutely fell in love with. I tried to find the song to purchase and when I couldn’t, found you instead. Was that an ... click here to read the full article.