Charline Ratcliff's Blog, page 2
November 10, 2013
A Veteran's Day Thank You
“How important it is for us to recognize
and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
~ Maya Angelou
and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!”
~ Maya Angelou
October 12, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Author, J B Bergstad
J B, I’ve carefully perused your public bio as well as the synopsis/information for each of your books and I must say you have been, (and probably still are), a busy man. Of course, I always like to delve a bit deeper than what’s “commonly” known when I interview someone, so I guess my first question to you is: where do you originate from? Were you born in one location/state and lived there your whole life, or did you move around while growing up?
Before we begin I’d like to thank you for offering this opportunity for my readers and I to connect.
In answer to your first question I was born on the 13th day of March, 1938 in Streator, Ill. My Dad was a structural steel worker and so six weeks after my birth we moved on to another job in another city. We stayed for short periods of time in many different locations throughout the Midwest and western portions of the U.S. and finally settled for good in Southern California in 1945. I grew up in Compton, CA and lived there until my marriage in 1959.
I noticed you have had quite a few career paths. While I’m presuming they were at different times, it also seems to me like there could have been some overlap. How many jobs did you wind up juggling at the same time? And which one, (other than the writing), has been your favorite?
I was always restless, curious, and when I felt I had mastered one job, liked to move on to something new. I was a wild and reckless teenager, never finishing high school and having spurned education in the conventional sense, I juggled bank employee, liquor store clerk, drive-in movie usher and door-to-door salesman to name a few. My first good paying job was as a roustabout for the Tidewater Oil Company. With that connection I talked my way into an interview for a truck-driving job. From that I moved up to a better paying driving job with Texaco. A year after that, I was accepted for employment by the Compton City Fire Department where I was injured on the job. Through a Vocational Rehabilitation Program I attended the Don Martin School of Radio and Television Arts and Sciences in Hollywood. I rode a Japanese motorcycle from our home in North Long Beach to Hollywood each day for school. After a couple of months, I landed a part-time job with ABC Television as a page and that was the career path I fell in love with and wanted to pursue, but due to many circumstances too convoluted to go into here, it wasn't to be.
You also mentioned that you were a Guest Relations Department Supervisor for a major television network. Am I allowed to ask which one? And if so, what did your duties include, other than ensuring that people were happy/satisfied?
I mentioned The American Broadcasting Company in the last question, but I can elaborate here a bit. After graduation from Don Martin I had my First Phone Operators License which allowed me to pursue a career as a technician in film or television. Because of my age and maturity by this time, I rose from page to other jobs in the Guest Relations Department. My responsibilities were involved in lot and stage security, supervision of a page staff, and as you guessed, making our visitors, in the form of studio audiences, feel welcome, safe and able to enjoy the experience of seeing a television show produced live. I provided security for two Academy Award shows during my time there, an exciting experience.
Wow, three times/tries to successfully retire… *smile* Obviously that didn’t work out so well for you with the first two attempts. What happened?
I retired the first time at age sixty. I fumbled and bumbled my way through various writing attempts over the years and I thought I could learn to write by doing. I soon tired of rejection and decided to go back to work as a courier. After three years of that, and writing on the side, I retired again and got bored again. I went back to courier work, but my Dad died at ninety-four and after that my eighty-eight year old Mom deteriorated quickly into senility and mild Alzheimer’s disease. I retired for the third and last time to manage my parent’s affairs and take care of my mother.
You finally managed to retire, and you “escaped” to South Carolina. Why did you, and your wife, choose that particular state; versus somewhere like…Hawaii?
Yes, escaped is a good word. I hated living in California even before my adult life began. I disliked the disrespectful way people treated each other, the traffic, smog, overcrowding everywhere we went, I could go on and on. I was forced to seek a professional care facility for my Mom, eventually putting her into a nursing home, not far from our home in Concord, CA. I visited several times a week, but she was now in a vegetative state. My visits consisted of talking to her as she sat, slumped in her wheelchair, semi-comatose. In 2006 we sold our home in Concord and left California for North Carolina. From there we searched Florida where two of our daughters live, but found nothing we liked. On the way home, after a Christmas visit; we decided to look at a place called Aiken, South Carolina that sounded promising. It was more than promising and that's where we bought a lot and began construction of our new home in May of 2007. In the winter of the same year I received word my Mother had passed in her sleep, she was ninety-six.
You have mentioned that once you settled in South Carolina you then began a serious study of the art of creative writing. Why at this time period? Had you kicked around the idea of writing your whole life, but never found the time? Or was writing the surprise desire that showed up once the hectic pace of your career life had finally vanished?
I played at writing from the age of seventeen. I had hundreds of ideas for stories based on some of my experiences and on things my Dad told me, later in his life. He described what it’s like to grow in the depression with twelve brothers and sisters. His life on the bum and things he did to survive as a kid and young man. I attended all the writing schools I could find as long as they provided Internet classes. I studied with the Long Ridge Writers Group, Gotham City Writers Workshop, several college courses in creative writing and slowly over the years from 2004 through 2011 my writing developed into something I could publish and better yet, sell. I hear a lot of writers say they write because they have, too. Personally, I think that's something they say because they've heard that's the thing to say. Perhaps they think that reason defines a writer. In my opinion, nothing defines a writer like his or her writing. The more unique and imaginative your phrasing and story structure, the more noticed you'll eventually become. I write not because I have to, but because I love to write. Because I love to write, I never submit something I haven't had scrutinized by people with critical eyes several times over.
Moving on to your books… I see you have written a trilogy, (Hyde’s Corner), as well as two other/separate books: Doors to Perdition, and Screwing the Pooch; each a compilation of short stories. Did you find writing the shorter stories a challenge?
Short stories are a wonderful way for writers to learn structure, plot, theme and character. But there is a trick to writing short stories and that is to learn to put all the elements of a novel into a capsule of 3000 words or less. Granted some of my shorts run over that limit, but those are stories that actually come from novels I'm working on. Pooch is a good example. All those short stories are from novels I'm either working on or considering for development. In Doors, some of those stories are common to what I just discussed and others are expanded flash fiction pieces I did for Zoetrope and several other ezines earlier in my writing development.
Tell me about your trilogy: Hyde’s Corner. What was it that prompted this literary series? I’m also curious if your experiences as a trucker played any part in the locale/storyline? I’m presuming you saw a lot of the countryside during your travels – no doubt it could have been fodder for your writing. (And yes, pun intended).
Hyde's Corner began for me in or around 1997 with one phrase running around in my head: You can't stop a pack of fools from doing foolish things. That phrase begot a two-page character development piece which in turn begot a five-page short story which over the years turned into a novel. I finished the first draft in 2004 and finally considered trying to publish a monster of 159K words and almost 500 pages in 2011. I had the manuscript professionally edited twice and was advised both times to cut it drastically. Luckily, a very good cyber-friend of mine who is also a terrific novelist and short story writer suggested I break it up and the Trilogy idea came to pass. I have D J Swykert to thank for that idea. I picked the Oklahoma panhandle because of Edna Ferber whose novel and film "Cimarron" fueled my imagination.
What about Screwing the Pooch, or Doors to Perdition? Were there any real life experiences that prompted the various tales?
In Pooch I simply set out to create a compilation of stories unique in design and flavor. I'd never seen, or heard, of a compilation based on a mix of genres, i.e., drama, mystery, thriller, horror, coming of age, romance and suspense. I searched through my glut of story starts and ideas and came up with shorts that fit the bill. I had to write a horror story; I'd never tried one in my life. The Puppy Murders is based on a true event that happened to me as I grew up. Stories that deal with alcoholism are snatches of experiences I've had personally with the disease. All are dramatized to the nth degree, but I can write those with some authority. In Doors all are excerpts of novels in progress with the exception of Odorless and The Wake.
And finally J B, what writing projects do you have in the works for the future?
At present, I have nine novels in progress with a few barely fleshed out. Book III of the Hyde's Corner Trilogy is now under construction. I have the story plotted out in my head, but the progression of the personality of the main character Tom Burks is still a mystery to me. How does a man do a complete 180 in his attitudes and his basic character? How does a man assume the persona of another without losing his own identity? These and other dilemmas I won't bore you with here are questions that have to be reconciled, but off I go until That Man Upstairs decides He's had enough of me.
Before we begin I’d like to thank you for offering this opportunity for my readers and I to connect.
In answer to your first question I was born on the 13th day of March, 1938 in Streator, Ill. My Dad was a structural steel worker and so six weeks after my birth we moved on to another job in another city. We stayed for short periods of time in many different locations throughout the Midwest and western portions of the U.S. and finally settled for good in Southern California in 1945. I grew up in Compton, CA and lived there until my marriage in 1959.
I noticed you have had quite a few career paths. While I’m presuming they were at different times, it also seems to me like there could have been some overlap. How many jobs did you wind up juggling at the same time? And which one, (other than the writing), has been your favorite?
I was always restless, curious, and when I felt I had mastered one job, liked to move on to something new. I was a wild and reckless teenager, never finishing high school and having spurned education in the conventional sense, I juggled bank employee, liquor store clerk, drive-in movie usher and door-to-door salesman to name a few. My first good paying job was as a roustabout for the Tidewater Oil Company. With that connection I talked my way into an interview for a truck-driving job. From that I moved up to a better paying driving job with Texaco. A year after that, I was accepted for employment by the Compton City Fire Department where I was injured on the job. Through a Vocational Rehabilitation Program I attended the Don Martin School of Radio and Television Arts and Sciences in Hollywood. I rode a Japanese motorcycle from our home in North Long Beach to Hollywood each day for school. After a couple of months, I landed a part-time job with ABC Television as a page and that was the career path I fell in love with and wanted to pursue, but due to many circumstances too convoluted to go into here, it wasn't to be.
You also mentioned that you were a Guest Relations Department Supervisor for a major television network. Am I allowed to ask which one? And if so, what did your duties include, other than ensuring that people were happy/satisfied?
I mentioned The American Broadcasting Company in the last question, but I can elaborate here a bit. After graduation from Don Martin I had my First Phone Operators License which allowed me to pursue a career as a technician in film or television. Because of my age and maturity by this time, I rose from page to other jobs in the Guest Relations Department. My responsibilities were involved in lot and stage security, supervision of a page staff, and as you guessed, making our visitors, in the form of studio audiences, feel welcome, safe and able to enjoy the experience of seeing a television show produced live. I provided security for two Academy Award shows during my time there, an exciting experience.
Wow, three times/tries to successfully retire… *smile* Obviously that didn’t work out so well for you with the first two attempts. What happened?
I retired the first time at age sixty. I fumbled and bumbled my way through various writing attempts over the years and I thought I could learn to write by doing. I soon tired of rejection and decided to go back to work as a courier. After three years of that, and writing on the side, I retired again and got bored again. I went back to courier work, but my Dad died at ninety-four and after that my eighty-eight year old Mom deteriorated quickly into senility and mild Alzheimer’s disease. I retired for the third and last time to manage my parent’s affairs and take care of my mother.
You finally managed to retire, and you “escaped” to South Carolina. Why did you, and your wife, choose that particular state; versus somewhere like…Hawaii?
Yes, escaped is a good word. I hated living in California even before my adult life began. I disliked the disrespectful way people treated each other, the traffic, smog, overcrowding everywhere we went, I could go on and on. I was forced to seek a professional care facility for my Mom, eventually putting her into a nursing home, not far from our home in Concord, CA. I visited several times a week, but she was now in a vegetative state. My visits consisted of talking to her as she sat, slumped in her wheelchair, semi-comatose. In 2006 we sold our home in Concord and left California for North Carolina. From there we searched Florida where two of our daughters live, but found nothing we liked. On the way home, after a Christmas visit; we decided to look at a place called Aiken, South Carolina that sounded promising. It was more than promising and that's where we bought a lot and began construction of our new home in May of 2007. In the winter of the same year I received word my Mother had passed in her sleep, she was ninety-six.
You have mentioned that once you settled in South Carolina you then began a serious study of the art of creative writing. Why at this time period? Had you kicked around the idea of writing your whole life, but never found the time? Or was writing the surprise desire that showed up once the hectic pace of your career life had finally vanished?
I played at writing from the age of seventeen. I had hundreds of ideas for stories based on some of my experiences and on things my Dad told me, later in his life. He described what it’s like to grow in the depression with twelve brothers and sisters. His life on the bum and things he did to survive as a kid and young man. I attended all the writing schools I could find as long as they provided Internet classes. I studied with the Long Ridge Writers Group, Gotham City Writers Workshop, several college courses in creative writing and slowly over the years from 2004 through 2011 my writing developed into something I could publish and better yet, sell. I hear a lot of writers say they write because they have, too. Personally, I think that's something they say because they've heard that's the thing to say. Perhaps they think that reason defines a writer. In my opinion, nothing defines a writer like his or her writing. The more unique and imaginative your phrasing and story structure, the more noticed you'll eventually become. I write not because I have to, but because I love to write. Because I love to write, I never submit something I haven't had scrutinized by people with critical eyes several times over.
Moving on to your books… I see you have written a trilogy, (Hyde’s Corner), as well as two other/separate books: Doors to Perdition, and Screwing the Pooch; each a compilation of short stories. Did you find writing the shorter stories a challenge?
Short stories are a wonderful way for writers to learn structure, plot, theme and character. But there is a trick to writing short stories and that is to learn to put all the elements of a novel into a capsule of 3000 words or less. Granted some of my shorts run over that limit, but those are stories that actually come from novels I'm working on. Pooch is a good example. All those short stories are from novels I'm either working on or considering for development. In Doors, some of those stories are common to what I just discussed and others are expanded flash fiction pieces I did for Zoetrope and several other ezines earlier in my writing development.
Tell me about your trilogy: Hyde’s Corner. What was it that prompted this literary series? I’m also curious if your experiences as a trucker played any part in the locale/storyline? I’m presuming you saw a lot of the countryside during your travels – no doubt it could have been fodder for your writing. (And yes, pun intended).
Hyde's Corner began for me in or around 1997 with one phrase running around in my head: You can't stop a pack of fools from doing foolish things. That phrase begot a two-page character development piece which in turn begot a five-page short story which over the years turned into a novel. I finished the first draft in 2004 and finally considered trying to publish a monster of 159K words and almost 500 pages in 2011. I had the manuscript professionally edited twice and was advised both times to cut it drastically. Luckily, a very good cyber-friend of mine who is also a terrific novelist and short story writer suggested I break it up and the Trilogy idea came to pass. I have D J Swykert to thank for that idea. I picked the Oklahoma panhandle because of Edna Ferber whose novel and film "Cimarron" fueled my imagination.
What about Screwing the Pooch, or Doors to Perdition? Were there any real life experiences that prompted the various tales?
In Pooch I simply set out to create a compilation of stories unique in design and flavor. I'd never seen, or heard, of a compilation based on a mix of genres, i.e., drama, mystery, thriller, horror, coming of age, romance and suspense. I searched through my glut of story starts and ideas and came up with shorts that fit the bill. I had to write a horror story; I'd never tried one in my life. The Puppy Murders is based on a true event that happened to me as I grew up. Stories that deal with alcoholism are snatches of experiences I've had personally with the disease. All are dramatized to the nth degree, but I can write those with some authority. In Doors all are excerpts of novels in progress with the exception of Odorless and The Wake.
And finally J B, what writing projects do you have in the works for the future?
At present, I have nine novels in progress with a few barely fleshed out. Book III of the Hyde's Corner Trilogy is now under construction. I have the story plotted out in my head, but the progression of the personality of the main character Tom Burks is still a mystery to me. How does a man do a complete 180 in his attitudes and his basic character? How does a man assume the persona of another without losing his own identity? These and other dilemmas I won't bore you with here are questions that have to be reconciled, but off I go until That Man Upstairs decides He's had enough of me.
September 12, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Author, Susan Joyce
Welcome Susan. Thank you for taking the time to share some information about yourself with our readers. Let’s get started, shall we?
I’ve been perusing the various websites and web-pages of yours and I have to say that you have lived an extraordinary life. If you don’t mind though, I’d like to start this interview a bit further back by asking you about your childhood. Who were you as a child? (Were you the shy, demure child, or did you always have that adventurous spirit)?
Shy? Never. I was more of a tomboy type. Always adventurous, I had a wild imagination. I was the second child born into a family of eight children. My father became a Pentecostal preacher months after I was born (was I to blame?) and my family moved from LA to OK, TX, CO, and then to AZ. Most of my childhood was spent in Tucson. I used to sit out on a hot rock in the desert with my dog and wait for the space ship to pick us up. I was convinced they had left me with the wrong family.
You mention that you were born in Los Angeles, but then you moved to Tucson, Arizona. Having myself lived in Phoenix, Arizona for many years, and knowing what a sleepy little town Tucson has been until only recently, that move must have been a huge transition? Were you old enough to notice/recognize the difference between the two cities/cultures?
Tucson was sleepy compared to LA, but because of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base it had lots of activity happening. Because I was so young when we moved from LA, I didn't really know LA as a kid. But when my family would pile into our nine-passenger station wagon and drive from Tucson to LA, to visit my aunt who lived there, it was very exciting. So many miles of cars and people scurrying about... I knew then that I wanted to return and live in LA someday. As my father used to say: “When you're old enough to tell yourself what to do.”
What was life like growing up in Tucson? What did you do for fun? Is this where your love of books and possibly the notions for your photography/artist career began?
My creative juices were definitely stirred by the wide open spaces of nature surrounding me in the desert around Tucson. We lived out of town, near Sabino Canyon. We didn't have a television. My father thought TV was evil and a waste of time. Imagine that! But we had a bookcase filled with books and a set of encyclopedias. Once a week we visited the public library and were allowed to check out as many books as we could carry. My father also read two daily newspapers and encouraged us to get beyond the comics. We all played a musical instrument and loved singing. At a young age, I wrote stories and songs.
At age twenty you left the United States, intent on exploring this big world of ours for one short year. How did that timeline work out for you? *chuckle* What was it you discovered that kept you from returning like you originally thought that you would?
I found myself wanting to stay a bit longer in every country. To explore more. When I needed money, I found a job and stayed on. So months of travel became years of travel. The more I traveled, the more I discovered. I was so young and naïve when I left the States, I often chuckled about the simple discoveries in life that changed me forever. Travel is the best education for anyone. The world is a great classroom. You learn volumes about yourself and others.
Even though I’ve familiarized myself with the countries you have visited/lived in, would you please share them again here for our readers?
I visited numerous countries during my years abroad—Israel, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Austria, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Australia, New Zealand. Lots of different countries mainly in the Middle East and Europe, and now South America.
I've lived in Israel, Germany twice, Switzerland, Cyprus, Greece, England, Belgium, Mexico, and now live in Uruguay.
Susan, what were your favorite countries? Do you have any “not so” favorite countries?
They were all favorites at the time. Exciting to explore and to learn about different cultures and their unique history. Cyprus was probably my favorite, until there was trouble in paradise—the coup and war in 1974. I also loved living in Germany. Its central Europe location made it a great home base for traveling around Europe.
While I’m not going to list your age, simple mathematics makes me wonder what it was like being an American woman traveling, and living, in some of these tumultuous countries during the time periods that you did? How often (if at all) did you worry for your safety?
I don't mind people knowing my age. It was probably safer to travel then, than now. Especially in the Middle East. I usually traveled with friends and felt a bit envious that Paul Theroux (a man) could travel alone anywhere and never be bothered. I was in my 20s-40s when I lived in the Middle East and Europe, and I can only remember being worried about my safety once in the souk in the old city of Jerusalem. I was admiring some large colorful pieces of fabric when someone covered my head with one and started moving me toward the back of the tent. Sensing danger, I started screaming. My husband, at the time, realized I had vanished and started asking questions of others nearby. After a struggle with the man, I broke free and ran out. The man laughed and pretended it was a joke, and offered my husband a few prized camels in exchange for a blonde, blue eyed young woman... I knew it wasn't a joke, was not amused, and felt grateful to be rescued.
What was it that started you writing? Was it you wanting to share your various world-life experiences, or did the writing itch start at a much earlier age?
I enjoyed making up songs and stories at a young age, but my language skills needed help. I had dyslexia and when I spoke I got my words all mixed up. People often laughed at me. My nickname was 'Dutch' because it sounded like I was trying to speak a foreign language. My mom played word puzzle games to help me. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I was reading, writing and telling stories that others understood. I wrote a short story about my dog Brownie and his bad liver breath, and how I loved him in spite of his bad breath. The story won first place in a competition, giving me confidence to keep writing.
Susan, You have a new book coming out: “The Lullaby Illusion – A Journey of Awakening.” What prompted you to write this “travel memoir” of yours? What do you hope that readers will take away from it?
The idea came as I struggled to find answers to questions about mysterious events that happened in my life. My life was shattered by the coup in Cyprus on 15 July 1974, followed five days later by the Turkish invasion on 20 July 1974. Thousands of lives were drastically changed forever by the atrocities, including foreigners who lived there. Of which I was one. Bewildered at how a place—which seemed like paradise— could simply disappear and how my own perfect life could unravel as a result pushed me to find the missing pieces of the puzzle. As I started putting my life back together, scattered fragments of news clippings, letters from friends, dream and travel journals, poems, notebooks filled with tidbits of thoughts fell into place and I started writing my story.
I always expect a book to encourage and inspire me. So I hope my work does exactly that.
How have your dreams, and that little voice of “intuition,” shaped you into the woman you are today?
Like spirit guides, my dreams and intuition have directed me to find my own unique path in life and my place in the universe. Because I believe and trust in these, I have lived a most extraordinary lucid, aware life. Being aware is key.
And finally… If you could tell every single person in the world just one important “something,” what would that “something” be?
Believe in yourself and trust your own still small voice. It speaks your truth.
Thank you again, so much, for sharing your story Susan. It has truly been a pleasure learning about you, your experiences, your books, and what makes you…well…YOU!
I’ve been perusing the various websites and web-pages of yours and I have to say that you have lived an extraordinary life. If you don’t mind though, I’d like to start this interview a bit further back by asking you about your childhood. Who were you as a child? (Were you the shy, demure child, or did you always have that adventurous spirit)?
Shy? Never. I was more of a tomboy type. Always adventurous, I had a wild imagination. I was the second child born into a family of eight children. My father became a Pentecostal preacher months after I was born (was I to blame?) and my family moved from LA to OK, TX, CO, and then to AZ. Most of my childhood was spent in Tucson. I used to sit out on a hot rock in the desert with my dog and wait for the space ship to pick us up. I was convinced they had left me with the wrong family.
You mention that you were born in Los Angeles, but then you moved to Tucson, Arizona. Having myself lived in Phoenix, Arizona for many years, and knowing what a sleepy little town Tucson has been until only recently, that move must have been a huge transition? Were you old enough to notice/recognize the difference between the two cities/cultures?
Tucson was sleepy compared to LA, but because of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base it had lots of activity happening. Because I was so young when we moved from LA, I didn't really know LA as a kid. But when my family would pile into our nine-passenger station wagon and drive from Tucson to LA, to visit my aunt who lived there, it was very exciting. So many miles of cars and people scurrying about... I knew then that I wanted to return and live in LA someday. As my father used to say: “When you're old enough to tell yourself what to do.”
What was life like growing up in Tucson? What did you do for fun? Is this where your love of books and possibly the notions for your photography/artist career began?
My creative juices were definitely stirred by the wide open spaces of nature surrounding me in the desert around Tucson. We lived out of town, near Sabino Canyon. We didn't have a television. My father thought TV was evil and a waste of time. Imagine that! But we had a bookcase filled with books and a set of encyclopedias. Once a week we visited the public library and were allowed to check out as many books as we could carry. My father also read two daily newspapers and encouraged us to get beyond the comics. We all played a musical instrument and loved singing. At a young age, I wrote stories and songs.
At age twenty you left the United States, intent on exploring this big world of ours for one short year. How did that timeline work out for you? *chuckle* What was it you discovered that kept you from returning like you originally thought that you would?
I found myself wanting to stay a bit longer in every country. To explore more. When I needed money, I found a job and stayed on. So months of travel became years of travel. The more I traveled, the more I discovered. I was so young and naïve when I left the States, I often chuckled about the simple discoveries in life that changed me forever. Travel is the best education for anyone. The world is a great classroom. You learn volumes about yourself and others.
Even though I’ve familiarized myself with the countries you have visited/lived in, would you please share them again here for our readers?
I visited numerous countries during my years abroad—Israel, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, France, Germany, Luxemburg, Denmark, Sweden, Holland, Austria, Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Austria, India, Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Australia, New Zealand. Lots of different countries mainly in the Middle East and Europe, and now South America.
I've lived in Israel, Germany twice, Switzerland, Cyprus, Greece, England, Belgium, Mexico, and now live in Uruguay.
Susan, what were your favorite countries? Do you have any “not so” favorite countries?
They were all favorites at the time. Exciting to explore and to learn about different cultures and their unique history. Cyprus was probably my favorite, until there was trouble in paradise—the coup and war in 1974. I also loved living in Germany. Its central Europe location made it a great home base for traveling around Europe.
While I’m not going to list your age, simple mathematics makes me wonder what it was like being an American woman traveling, and living, in some of these tumultuous countries during the time periods that you did? How often (if at all) did you worry for your safety?
I don't mind people knowing my age. It was probably safer to travel then, than now. Especially in the Middle East. I usually traveled with friends and felt a bit envious that Paul Theroux (a man) could travel alone anywhere and never be bothered. I was in my 20s-40s when I lived in the Middle East and Europe, and I can only remember being worried about my safety once in the souk in the old city of Jerusalem. I was admiring some large colorful pieces of fabric when someone covered my head with one and started moving me toward the back of the tent. Sensing danger, I started screaming. My husband, at the time, realized I had vanished and started asking questions of others nearby. After a struggle with the man, I broke free and ran out. The man laughed and pretended it was a joke, and offered my husband a few prized camels in exchange for a blonde, blue eyed young woman... I knew it wasn't a joke, was not amused, and felt grateful to be rescued.
What was it that started you writing? Was it you wanting to share your various world-life experiences, or did the writing itch start at a much earlier age?
I enjoyed making up songs and stories at a young age, but my language skills needed help. I had dyslexia and when I spoke I got my words all mixed up. People often laughed at me. My nickname was 'Dutch' because it sounded like I was trying to speak a foreign language. My mom played word puzzle games to help me. By the time I was in the fourth grade, I was reading, writing and telling stories that others understood. I wrote a short story about my dog Brownie and his bad liver breath, and how I loved him in spite of his bad breath. The story won first place in a competition, giving me confidence to keep writing.
Susan, You have a new book coming out: “The Lullaby Illusion – A Journey of Awakening.” What prompted you to write this “travel memoir” of yours? What do you hope that readers will take away from it?
The idea came as I struggled to find answers to questions about mysterious events that happened in my life. My life was shattered by the coup in Cyprus on 15 July 1974, followed five days later by the Turkish invasion on 20 July 1974. Thousands of lives were drastically changed forever by the atrocities, including foreigners who lived there. Of which I was one. Bewildered at how a place—which seemed like paradise— could simply disappear and how my own perfect life could unravel as a result pushed me to find the missing pieces of the puzzle. As I started putting my life back together, scattered fragments of news clippings, letters from friends, dream and travel journals, poems, notebooks filled with tidbits of thoughts fell into place and I started writing my story.
I always expect a book to encourage and inspire me. So I hope my work does exactly that.
How have your dreams, and that little voice of “intuition,” shaped you into the woman you are today?
Like spirit guides, my dreams and intuition have directed me to find my own unique path in life and my place in the universe. Because I believe and trust in these, I have lived a most extraordinary lucid, aware life. Being aware is key.
And finally… If you could tell every single person in the world just one important “something,” what would that “something” be?
Believe in yourself and trust your own still small voice. It speaks your truth.
Thank you again, so much, for sharing your story Susan. It has truly been a pleasure learning about you, your experiences, your books, and what makes you…well…YOU!
September 5, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Author, Nathalie Montreuil
Welcome Nathalie, and thank you for taking the time to interview with me. I’m sure readers everywhere will enjoy getting to know you better.
Now, I know that you have written, and published a book, but before we get to that, why don’t you tell us a little something about yourself. What do you like to do when you’re not working, writing and/or researching?
I go out to eat and I listen to music.
What kind of fun hobbies do you have? Are there any favorite travel locales?
Traveling. No favorite travel locales.
Nathalie, I have found that many writers start off at an early age with a love of books. As a child, were you an avid reader?
No. I was only reading children books as a child.
Who would you say that your favorite authors are, both past and present? What would you say is your favorite reading genre?
Stephen King and James Patterson. My favorite reading genre is drama.
Moving on to your own writing, when you first began, what was it that got you started? Was there one specific thing, or was writing something you just kind of “fell” into?
Something I fell into.
So, you’ve just recently published the book: “Every Day Quotes.” What was is that prompted this compilation?
I wanted to write with a purpose and to know history in a quotable way.
Nathalie, how long would you say it took you to find, and put together, all of the quotes that you used in your book?
It took me about two days to put together the quotes and write the book.
Was “Every Day Quotes” a fun project for you?
Yes. I learned a lot about history in a quotable direction from famous names.
What would you say was your favorite part of the book writing/publishing process? And of course, I must also ask what your least favorite aspect was?
Putting together the quotes was my favorite part and my least part was finding the right cover for the book.
I think it’s fair to say that “Every Day Quotes” is not your average book, so who are the readers that will benefit from it the most? (What is the book’s main purpose? College student text material, or…)?
The books main purpose is to understand history in a quotable way. All readers will benefit from this book.
Lastly, are there any “pearls of wisdom” that you would like to share with aspiring writers?
Yes. Always write with thought and integrity.
Again, thank you for sharing Nathalie. I wish you the best with any, and all, future endeavors (writing or otherwise).
Now, I know that you have written, and published a book, but before we get to that, why don’t you tell us a little something about yourself. What do you like to do when you’re not working, writing and/or researching?
I go out to eat and I listen to music.
What kind of fun hobbies do you have? Are there any favorite travel locales?
Traveling. No favorite travel locales.
Nathalie, I have found that many writers start off at an early age with a love of books. As a child, were you an avid reader?
No. I was only reading children books as a child.
Who would you say that your favorite authors are, both past and present? What would you say is your favorite reading genre?
Stephen King and James Patterson. My favorite reading genre is drama.
Moving on to your own writing, when you first began, what was it that got you started? Was there one specific thing, or was writing something you just kind of “fell” into?
Something I fell into.
So, you’ve just recently published the book: “Every Day Quotes.” What was is that prompted this compilation?
I wanted to write with a purpose and to know history in a quotable way.
Nathalie, how long would you say it took you to find, and put together, all of the quotes that you used in your book?
It took me about two days to put together the quotes and write the book.
Was “Every Day Quotes” a fun project for you?
Yes. I learned a lot about history in a quotable direction from famous names.
What would you say was your favorite part of the book writing/publishing process? And of course, I must also ask what your least favorite aspect was?
Putting together the quotes was my favorite part and my least part was finding the right cover for the book.
I think it’s fair to say that “Every Day Quotes” is not your average book, so who are the readers that will benefit from it the most? (What is the book’s main purpose? College student text material, or…)?
The books main purpose is to understand history in a quotable way. All readers will benefit from this book.
Lastly, are there any “pearls of wisdom” that you would like to share with aspiring writers?
Yes. Always write with thought and integrity.
Again, thank you for sharing Nathalie. I wish you the best with any, and all, future endeavors (writing or otherwise).
September 4, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews Professional Editor and Virtual Assistant, Linda Barnett-Johnson
Today I’m interviewing Linda Barnett-Johnson, a professional editor and virtual assistant. After you read her interview you can find out more about Linda, and her services, by visiting either Linda's blog, or Linda's website.
Hi Linda, I've reviewed your website and I have to say that I appreciate how informative you are about yourself, the things that matter to you, helping others, etc.
In your bio you mentioned that you worked in the business world for forty years and now you’re in Montana. What, if you don’t mind me asking, was your “day” job while you lived in Southern California? How did you come to enter the world of editing and being a virtual assistant for authors?
That’s a good question and the first time I've been asked. Right after high school, I entered the secretarial field. My two-year typing course in high school, prepared me for setting up letters and business forms. I worked at a hospital in several areas. I learned to do payroll, AR/AP, time cards, receptionist, dictation (in long hand), sales, etc. I loved working with people, and the applicable experience each job brought me. I loved working for an agency where you went to different businesses and learned another job. I became well-rounded in the secretarial field.
Denise Cassino and I started Long Story Short e-zine, where we could help new writers get published. That was in 2003. I learned a lot from reading and giving feedback. We did what we could to help many writers achieve their writing goals. In 2005, we opened Long Story Short School of Writing to further help new and advanced writers. We have a wonderful group of instructors, and the fees are very reasonable.
In 2001, I opened up my own writing and poetry forums that are private. I used to write a short story each month and then receive feedback from my other members. I would give them feedback, too. I have helped many writers achieve their publishing goals. It’s a satisfying feeling for me personally. I have also been published with short fiction and poetry. Now I do more reading than writing.
Being a virtual assistant for authors, I enjoy telling others about new books and authors. More and more people know me from Long Story Short and I was good at advertising and marketing, so it all went hand-in-hand for me. I actually enjoy this as much, if not more, than editing. I have a lady client that sent me her book to edit and after that I did marketing for her. She has now sent me another book, which I edited and is now marketing it. I have met so many wonderful people through this all. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What do you love most about editing? What do you like least?
I love reading new stories, for one. I love the process. Is there a good opening hook? Does the story flow? Are the characters well-defined? Is there good build-up of tension and a reasonable resolution? What changes should be made to make the story stronger? How about the dialogue? Does it sound realistic? What about the tag lines? Too many “He said – She said?” How about the punctuation and grammar? All this needs to be taken into consideration when editing a story.
I guess the time factor would be the part I like the least. It’s hard to find extra time when you are doing all these jobs and making everyone happy. My motto is: Your goals are my goals. I want them to succeed.
Linda, in the writing world, I’m sure there are those who feel that they can handle everything, (writing, editing, marketing, social media), by themselves. While I’m sure they can, how would your services make their life easier?
What my clients want is their time to write and not worry about the marketing aspect of the business. That’s where I come in. I free up their time and worries so they can just do what they love, and that’s to write. I give them …their freedom to write, while I am finding interviews, book reviewers and putting out blurbs about their book(s) daily.
Listing yourself as a “Virtual Assistant for Authors,” do you ever feel people shy away; thinking that your services will be too expensive for them to afford? What are the prices for your editing/assistant services?
My prices are very reasonable. Here’s a breakdown:
I charge $30.00 per hour.
That may sound a lot to some, but you have to figure your time put into this. I usually do more time than I charge, that’s just the way I am. I am a giver. I am willing to do financing, like ½ and ½. What is your writing worth to you? What is it worth to not worry about doing marketing on top of writing?
CHARGES PER HOUR:
$100.00 per mo. = 4 hours
$200.00 per mo. = 7 hours
$300.00 per mo. = 10 hours
$400.00 per mo. = 12 hours
$500.00 per mo. = 17 hours
Last question Linda; do you have any nuggets of wisdom that you would like to share with my readers?
I do have a couple of quotes that I wrote:
“Write what you feel; Feel what you write.”
“If you don’t toot your own horn, who will?”
Everyone has a story. I hear people tell me that they couldn't write. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can. I like to encourage people to achieve their goals and reach for the stars. You can do anything you put your mind to. If you want to be a couch potato, you’ll be a couch potato. If you believe you can write a children’s book, then you’ll write a children’s book. If you’re a story teller to your kids or grandkids, then you’ll be a story teller to all of us.
I want to take the opportunity to thank you for doing this well-defined interview. I appreciate your work ethic.
Linda Barnett-Johnson
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com
http://lindabarnett-johnson.blogspot....
Hi Linda, I've reviewed your website and I have to say that I appreciate how informative you are about yourself, the things that matter to you, helping others, etc.
In your bio you mentioned that you worked in the business world for forty years and now you’re in Montana. What, if you don’t mind me asking, was your “day” job while you lived in Southern California? How did you come to enter the world of editing and being a virtual assistant for authors?
That’s a good question and the first time I've been asked. Right after high school, I entered the secretarial field. My two-year typing course in high school, prepared me for setting up letters and business forms. I worked at a hospital in several areas. I learned to do payroll, AR/AP, time cards, receptionist, dictation (in long hand), sales, etc. I loved working with people, and the applicable experience each job brought me. I loved working for an agency where you went to different businesses and learned another job. I became well-rounded in the secretarial field.
Denise Cassino and I started Long Story Short e-zine, where we could help new writers get published. That was in 2003. I learned a lot from reading and giving feedback. We did what we could to help many writers achieve their writing goals. In 2005, we opened Long Story Short School of Writing to further help new and advanced writers. We have a wonderful group of instructors, and the fees are very reasonable.
In 2001, I opened up my own writing and poetry forums that are private. I used to write a short story each month and then receive feedback from my other members. I would give them feedback, too. I have helped many writers achieve their publishing goals. It’s a satisfying feeling for me personally. I have also been published with short fiction and poetry. Now I do more reading than writing.
Being a virtual assistant for authors, I enjoy telling others about new books and authors. More and more people know me from Long Story Short and I was good at advertising and marketing, so it all went hand-in-hand for me. I actually enjoy this as much, if not more, than editing. I have a lady client that sent me her book to edit and after that I did marketing for her. She has now sent me another book, which I edited and is now marketing it. I have met so many wonderful people through this all. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
What do you love most about editing? What do you like least?
I love reading new stories, for one. I love the process. Is there a good opening hook? Does the story flow? Are the characters well-defined? Is there good build-up of tension and a reasonable resolution? What changes should be made to make the story stronger? How about the dialogue? Does it sound realistic? What about the tag lines? Too many “He said – She said?” How about the punctuation and grammar? All this needs to be taken into consideration when editing a story.
I guess the time factor would be the part I like the least. It’s hard to find extra time when you are doing all these jobs and making everyone happy. My motto is: Your goals are my goals. I want them to succeed.
Linda, in the writing world, I’m sure there are those who feel that they can handle everything, (writing, editing, marketing, social media), by themselves. While I’m sure they can, how would your services make their life easier?
What my clients want is their time to write and not worry about the marketing aspect of the business. That’s where I come in. I free up their time and worries so they can just do what they love, and that’s to write. I give them …their freedom to write, while I am finding interviews, book reviewers and putting out blurbs about their book(s) daily.
Listing yourself as a “Virtual Assistant for Authors,” do you ever feel people shy away; thinking that your services will be too expensive for them to afford? What are the prices for your editing/assistant services?
My prices are very reasonable. Here’s a breakdown:
I charge $30.00 per hour.
That may sound a lot to some, but you have to figure your time put into this. I usually do more time than I charge, that’s just the way I am. I am a giver. I am willing to do financing, like ½ and ½. What is your writing worth to you? What is it worth to not worry about doing marketing on top of writing?
CHARGES PER HOUR:
$100.00 per mo. = 4 hours
$200.00 per mo. = 7 hours
$300.00 per mo. = 10 hours
$400.00 per mo. = 12 hours
$500.00 per mo. = 17 hours
Last question Linda; do you have any nuggets of wisdom that you would like to share with my readers?
I do have a couple of quotes that I wrote:
“Write what you feel; Feel what you write.”
“If you don’t toot your own horn, who will?”
Everyone has a story. I hear people tell me that they couldn't write. Well, I’m here to tell you that you can. I like to encourage people to achieve their goals and reach for the stars. You can do anything you put your mind to. If you want to be a couch potato, you’ll be a couch potato. If you believe you can write a children’s book, then you’ll write a children’s book. If you’re a story teller to your kids or grandkids, then you’ll be a story teller to all of us.
I want to take the opportunity to thank you for doing this well-defined interview. I appreciate your work ethic.
Linda Barnett-Johnson
www.lindabarnett-johnson.com
http://lindabarnett-johnson.blogspot....
September 3, 2013
Charline Ratcliff interviews Christina of Christina Renee Design
Welcome Christina, and thank you for agreeing to share some of your story with me, and my readers!
Jumping into it, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Who are you, and what is it that makes you…tick? (Pun intended.)
Hmm… What makes me tick? Well, I love to learn; sometimes to the point where I’m overwhelmed by how much I want to absorb. I’m a sponge so to speak: full of random trivia and knowledge, while constantly searching to fill any voids with more knowledge, more experiences, and more beauty.
I was recently watching “Rise of the Guardians,” and a question caught my attention. “What is your center?” I think I’ve been searching a long time for my center, but I feel my answer is a bit like the response provided in the movie by Santa: “My eyes are so big because they are full of wonder.”
I find that I am an idealist, and while I don’t look at the world through rose colored glasses (so not fashionable anyway,) I do see the potential, beauty, and good in everything, and everyone, around me. I attempt to focus on that in my life; to share that perception of the world with everyone, whether it be through creative mediums, or just in my actions. As with everything, I am a work in progress…
Christina, I understand that you have a sincere interest in the incredibly technical world of computer programming, designing, creating, et cetera. What was it about this field that initially piqued your interest? Was it a vision and desire to create? Or did you simply see something mediocre and think to yourself: “I could do that so much better?”
Honestly, I think it was the freedom to do something on my own, while still being bound to the confines of “structure.” Computer programming is a language that I find interesting. It’s dynamic and fluid; it changes, it grows, and it evolves. Just like people.
Plus, I wanted to be able to contribute something that says: “I did that. I’m useful.” I saw designing as my outlet to allow me to show expression, creativity, and uniqueness while also developing me as a person and artist.
However, I’m also grounded in the “structure” and the “matrix” of it all, so to speak. These things give me a sense of stability and security, while allowing me to flow and explore. I find that there is something uniquely beautiful about lines and geometry. To me, even the most “abstract” has structure.
With that said, my love of art, and wanting to create beauty, started at a young age. I would visit museums, see amazing works of art and think: “I wish I could do that.”
Then I discovered math — and the world of fractals. I saw how beautiful, and for the most part unnoticed, art was in nature. I was amazed to find that it could be recreated with the power of mathematical functions. This knowledge gave structure and harmony to the world in which I lived.
So, after you had dabbled in the tech side for a while Christina, what was the defining “aha” moment where you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was a field you wanted to immerse yourself in for the long haul?
I think it actually started in college — as a math major. I also worked in the CS (Computer Science) laboratories, teaching Calculus programs to students. Then I got one of my dream jobs: internship at NASA Ames Research Center in the Neuro-Engineering laboratory! It was the most eye opening two years of my life. I was completely embedded (pun intended!) in programming, learning to write analysis scripts, and I found it challenging yet extremely satisfying.
Christina, as your skills grow, where do you hope to go? What do you hope to achieve with your creative tech side?
Well, I would like to be working full-time designing websites and graphic logos, as well as pursuing my drawing and photography interests. I aspire to share my creative vision with the world that loves technology and is always looking for the “next big thing.”
On the flip side though, I don’t know that I want to be the “next big thing,” as that involves eventually getting passed by. I want to find myself always on the cutting edge, pushing that envelope, and breaking the mold. :)
Last question Christina… You seem to have an innate sense of how things work in this usually intimidating field. Some might call it a gift…or just good genetics. How do you view it? If it is a gift, do you feel that there’s a higher calling out there somewhere for you?
That’s an interesting question, and I think it’s a little bit of both…
I catch onto things quickly, so in that aspect I would say it’s a “gift.” I would also give it up to “genetics” or “experience,” since I was immersed in a world of technology as a child. My grandfather is a laser physicist, and he always brought home new gadgets to show my brother and me.
In addition, our household had PC, and Apple, systems so that we could learn how each one worked. By the time computers were being brought into my classrooms, I already knew how to navigate one, how to play around, and…how to get myself into trouble. *chuckle*
In college, I expanded my knowledge by building my own computer from the ground up. I felt it was important for me to understand the hardware, software and accessories needed to build a computer that worked properly.
That’s all we have time for today Christina, but thank you so much for sharing! I know I have learned a lot today – and not just about technology!
Jumping into it, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself? Who are you, and what is it that makes you…tick? (Pun intended.)
Hmm… What makes me tick? Well, I love to learn; sometimes to the point where I’m overwhelmed by how much I want to absorb. I’m a sponge so to speak: full of random trivia and knowledge, while constantly searching to fill any voids with more knowledge, more experiences, and more beauty.
I was recently watching “Rise of the Guardians,” and a question caught my attention. “What is your center?” I think I’ve been searching a long time for my center, but I feel my answer is a bit like the response provided in the movie by Santa: “My eyes are so big because they are full of wonder.”
I find that I am an idealist, and while I don’t look at the world through rose colored glasses (so not fashionable anyway,) I do see the potential, beauty, and good in everything, and everyone, around me. I attempt to focus on that in my life; to share that perception of the world with everyone, whether it be through creative mediums, or just in my actions. As with everything, I am a work in progress…
Christina, I understand that you have a sincere interest in the incredibly technical world of computer programming, designing, creating, et cetera. What was it about this field that initially piqued your interest? Was it a vision and desire to create? Or did you simply see something mediocre and think to yourself: “I could do that so much better?”
Honestly, I think it was the freedom to do something on my own, while still being bound to the confines of “structure.” Computer programming is a language that I find interesting. It’s dynamic and fluid; it changes, it grows, and it evolves. Just like people.
Plus, I wanted to be able to contribute something that says: “I did that. I’m useful.” I saw designing as my outlet to allow me to show expression, creativity, and uniqueness while also developing me as a person and artist.
However, I’m also grounded in the “structure” and the “matrix” of it all, so to speak. These things give me a sense of stability and security, while allowing me to flow and explore. I find that there is something uniquely beautiful about lines and geometry. To me, even the most “abstract” has structure.
With that said, my love of art, and wanting to create beauty, started at a young age. I would visit museums, see amazing works of art and think: “I wish I could do that.”
Then I discovered math — and the world of fractals. I saw how beautiful, and for the most part unnoticed, art was in nature. I was amazed to find that it could be recreated with the power of mathematical functions. This knowledge gave structure and harmony to the world in which I lived.
So, after you had dabbled in the tech side for a while Christina, what was the defining “aha” moment where you knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was a field you wanted to immerse yourself in for the long haul?
I think it actually started in college — as a math major. I also worked in the CS (Computer Science) laboratories, teaching Calculus programs to students. Then I got one of my dream jobs: internship at NASA Ames Research Center in the Neuro-Engineering laboratory! It was the most eye opening two years of my life. I was completely embedded (pun intended!) in programming, learning to write analysis scripts, and I found it challenging yet extremely satisfying.
Christina, as your skills grow, where do you hope to go? What do you hope to achieve with your creative tech side?
Well, I would like to be working full-time designing websites and graphic logos, as well as pursuing my drawing and photography interests. I aspire to share my creative vision with the world that loves technology and is always looking for the “next big thing.”
On the flip side though, I don’t know that I want to be the “next big thing,” as that involves eventually getting passed by. I want to find myself always on the cutting edge, pushing that envelope, and breaking the mold. :)
Last question Christina… You seem to have an innate sense of how things work in this usually intimidating field. Some might call it a gift…or just good genetics. How do you view it? If it is a gift, do you feel that there’s a higher calling out there somewhere for you?
That’s an interesting question, and I think it’s a little bit of both…
I catch onto things quickly, so in that aspect I would say it’s a “gift.” I would also give it up to “genetics” or “experience,” since I was immersed in a world of technology as a child. My grandfather is a laser physicist, and he always brought home new gadgets to show my brother and me.
In addition, our household had PC, and Apple, systems so that we could learn how each one worked. By the time computers were being brought into my classrooms, I already knew how to navigate one, how to play around, and…how to get myself into trouble. *chuckle*
In college, I expanded my knowledge by building my own computer from the ground up. I felt it was important for me to understand the hardware, software and accessories needed to build a computer that worked properly.
That’s all we have time for today Christina, but thank you so much for sharing! I know I have learned a lot today – and not just about technology!
August 12, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Author, Michael Ness
Hi Michael, thank you for being willing to share your story with us today. I’m sure your friends, family, and fans are interested to learn some of what makes you tick.
So, I see in your bio that you mention you share the same birth month/day as Leonardo Da Vinci. You also comment that you feel you “own a share of the creative spirit for which the renaissance master was known.” Your comments lead me to believe that you have a certain respect/awe for the man and his accomplishments, and if so when did that start, and why?
I’d say you’re very perceptive, Charline.
Da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man. He could, and did, do it all.
Few, regardless of their talents or medium, will ever be called “master.” Art itself is a mountain, virtually impossible to scale to its pinnacle. We will always be trying to be better at what we do, and we will never be perfect in our endeavors. That’s part of the philosophical beauty of the arts in general. Art is a way of life. It’s a mode of living toward continual self-improvement. But, Da Vinci, is hailed as a master, and after study, I’m comfortable saying that title is most likely true and fitting. Few others can say as much…
Prior to discovering our shared birthday, (now known as the American Tax Return deadline day,) I already had aspirations of being a Renaissance Man. I drew, I painted, and I sculpted. I wrote stories and poetry and songs. I philosophized; I had a craftsman’s background in construction, I enjoyed landscaping and architecture and I even played musical instruments a bit. So naturally, when I discovered that birthday connection, late in my tenure at the Art Institute of Seattle where I was working for a Bachelor’s in Animation and Applied Media Arts, it did become a sort of fixation. Da Vinci became a subject of intent study.
I felt proud to share such a celebrated artist’s birthday, and I found it interesting that two people separated by so much time and geography, could share such proclivity toward similar interests and abilities. Then, (no less curiously,) my own son, M.P.N.2., was due on my birthday as well. Unfortunately, he was induced two days early, on a Friday, the 13th.
Spooky…but true.
Michael, allow me to continue a moment longer in the Da Vinci theme to ask: do you feel that your acquired knowledge about Da Vinci helped open the “creative” side of the world for you?
Given that discovery came so late, some seven years after I had already taught myself to draw, had been writing for as many, and had sought schooling to further those abilities, it had less of an impact than it might have, had I discovered it in my earlier creative years.
I was already at the point where I knew I wanted to do everything. I wanted my creative control/director position, and I wanted to produce the stories I’d worked on for so many years prior.
However, in terms of focusing more on finer arts and expanding my abilities to include a wider variety of mediums and subjects when I should have been focusing on my animation studies, it certainly did have an impact. I began to see things differently, more mechanically, and from there my understanding of rendering complex three-dimensional subjects on paper took a dramatic leap. Not surprisingly, my animating skills improved as well. I literally began to set the grading curve in my respective 2-D traditional animation courses. Unfortunately, my desire and enthusiasm to draw frame after frame after frame, in what equates to endless hours of work for mere minutes and seconds of footage, took an opposite turn.
I decided then to simply write, and execute visual art by commission, (I’m always for hire,) and to compliment my storytelling. Art became a secondary passion. Writing remained dominant.
Many tell me that I should be composing Graphic Novels, given the multi-threat trait. I agree; I should be. However, one key element yet escapes me: page by page composition. It’s something I’ve always attempted, but never quite gotten the hang of. Perhaps one day I will commission a graphic novel artist to work with me on creating those types of books, as I hold a healthy respect for the graphic novelists and comic book artists/writers out there. They can do it all.
You know Michael; I was intrigued to read that you are a “sometime” musician. Does this mean you play an instrument and/or sing? If so, what instrument? I’m sure some of your readers/fans would also like to know if you have given up performing completely, or is there a possibility that they might see you out on a Karaoke night... *chuckle*
I was in boys’ choir in grade school, and I’m also told that I have a pleasant speaking voice. However, I do not sing anymore. Except in the car... Or sometimes randomly with my iPod when I’m really in the zone as I work on a painting.
In truth, the “sometime musician” means I used to play a fair amount of Bass. Unfortunately, there’s only so much time in a day, a week, or a lifetime. Between the time demands of writing and art/art school, I knew I had to put music aside. It was a third passion, dominated by two bigger brothers.
Music is one of those things I can do, and I enjoy it, but it just isn’t my passion. Nothing equates to simply disappearing for hours into the imagination as you write a story.
Michael, you’ve shared that you’re an artist, and that you studied at the Art Institute of Seattle. You also mentioned that while you were there, you were inspired to write your debut novel series: E.L.F. White Leaves, the first book of your fantasy series is now out, and I’m curious what it was about the Seattle locale and/or experiences that brought this book series to fruition?
It was a newspaper stand, actually. On the sidewalk, right outside the AIS campus in Belltown, Seattle was a headline that snared my attention. Being a longtime fantasy reader, there’s no way I could have missed it.
“ELF burns down housing complex,” the headline read, in big, bold, blue font.
At the time, I had no idea what ELF meant, but it wasn’t something one would expect to see on a REAL newspaper headline. I bought the paper, read the article and discovered ELF: the Earth Liberation Front.
Based primarily the Pacific Northwest, the Earth Liberation Front is a hierarchy-lacking extremist-activist organization. They’re Eco terrorists, and not many people are familiar with such a concept. I know I certainly wasn’t.
These activists are in favor of defending nature, but in the long run their methods are misguided. They firebomb resource companies and housing developments and the like. They actually do more harm than good.
However, to me it was a story. My initial question that struck me upon reading that headline was: “What if it WAS real elves that had burned down that housing complex? How would it play out? Why would they do such a thing? And how had no one ever seen one before?”
After stewing on the idea for a while, I then attended a PNWA, (Pacific Northwest Writers Association,) conference in Seattle where I pitched the raw, unwritten idea to urban fantasy author, Richelle Mead, during an urban fantasy seminar she was co-teaching. Frankly, I owe Richelle a huge thank you. I didn’t even write urban fantasy. No one in the entire seminar wanted to speak up about their stories when she and her co-host opened the floor to pitches; so I stepped up with nothing to lose and spilled my raw but coveted concept. She said something to the effect of: “If you can write it, you’ve probably got a sale on your hands there.” That was all the encouragement I needed. I at last decided to write it. So thanks, Richelle!
I sat down, and the story literally almost wrote itself. I just did the pen-work. The rough draft, (135k words/29 chapters,) took me exactly 30 days. It just poured out, and just in time for the original version to take a place in my schooling, which at the time was the only way I was getting any writing done at all. Art school is no joke. The workload is staggering. So, I completed it for a screenwriting class under tutelage of Seattle’s well known, John Keister, (the 206 & Almost Live - sketch comedy shows,) who was teaching at the AIS at the time. He liked it enough that I decided I’d make it a book one day.
One day has come and gone. And so it is.
Michael, as a writer, why did you choose the fantasy genre?
There are several reasons, really. The funny reason; I’m an escapist writer, so for me its therapy.
I love to daydream, and fantasy reading/writing affords me that. I love immersing myself in other worlds. I think it keeps the mind sharp and helps with problem solving/thinking outside the box.
Mostly, though, I write fantasy because I’ve always been a fantasy guy. I initially started reading for personal enjoyment as a child, but only about animals. I had checked out every non-fiction book there was on dinosaurs, sharks, snakes and all the creepy crawly things little boys find fascinating, and I knew all the facts about all those animals. I was a sponge. But then that blasted, (but holy,) Book Mobile came to school early in the 4th grade. The first fantasy I ever read was one I bought there with my own coin.
The cover art sucked me in. It was Terry Brooks’ “The Talismans of Shannara” which is book four in his second Shannara series. I didn’t know that, and didn’t care. The image struck me enough that I had to know who the one armed man was and why he battled against an excellent rendering of the grim reaper who rode a unique, particularly vicious, looking lizard/cat sort of steed.
I razed that book to the ground, I read it so fast. I got to the scene that the cover art depicted, and I never looked back. The following year, I’d read every single Shannara book there was.
Why Fantasy? It captures me. It really does.
However, I have many stories I will prepare throughout the years to come, and not all are fantasy.
I also plan to write my mother’s memoir/biography with her. She’s led a…particularly brave life, and despite lifelong hardship, her kindness, generosity, patience, and understanding still know no equal in my eyes.
I did note Michael, that “White Leaves” has a rather stunning cover. It definitely attracts the appropriate attention for the fantasy genre. As an artist, did you design/draw the cover yourself, or did you come up with the concept and allow someone else to put your graphic vision to paper?
See, now you’ve totally touched on a topic I can really blab about for far too long. I’ll try to restrain myself. Firstly, I’m proud of it. I did indeed do the artwork, and I’m glad you like it. So far the response to the imagery as a cover has been wholly positive.
The cover started as a quick scene-sketch intended to help my creative juices by giving me a visual rendering of the awful “Powers” called: Traemin and Gane. I’d tinkered with various concepts for the cover art: a simple silhouette of a modified Seattle skyline to include a gargantuan tree, a simple, stylized, bold, flourish-styled tree in silver on black, as well as a few other ideas. However, after having created the current cover image, I couldn’t imagine anything else ever being the cover.
Personally, I am a fan of “scene” covers. I think this style provides a better idea of the story, especially since you’re looking right into one of the moments in the book as soon as you see the cover.
Artistically, I like to render photorealism with pencil/pen, but when it comes to digital and book covers especially, I really enjoy that roughly hewn, concept-art, sketch-quality painting that you see in the White Leaves cover. It just seems to feel more alive than a picture perfect rendering. So, I will most likely continue that trend; at least for the E.L.F. series, as I also like uniformity in series covers.
Image style and selection really get quite interesting when you take a look at the studies of why, and how, that loose style actually affects the imagination of a viewer/reader, as opposed to using photographs, like a romance novel might. Covers are all about establishing a connection with the internal individual. The more realistic something is, the more external, objective, or “out there” the subject is to your viewer. The more simplistic, vague, or stylized something is…the more a viewer can see of themselves within it, or of it within themselves. This is why Comics and Anime and Manga-novels and Cartoons are all so effective. Simplification and stylization…
The best example is a smiley face, because you cannot NOT see a smile when you see two dots and a curved line put together. There are many who may even have a difficult time NOT seeing a face in their car’s headlights, bumper or grill arrangement. Take the Volkswagen Beetle. Did you ever see such a smiley, happy, friendly looking car? No. Why is that? The designers in old Germany wanted to build an affordable vehicle that every commoner could own and love. Their vision worked flawlessly.
This concept also works with sports cars. How many of them just look plain old beastly, aggressive, and mean? There’s a reason for that beyond simply being aerodynamic. It’s a style choice, made specifically to appeal to a type of person who has a set standard of pre-existing interests.
This study was something I learned during my AIS tenure. You can find more about it in a brilliant book, “Understanding Comics,” by graphic novelist/comic artist and writer, Scott McCloud. It’s a comic book about making comic books. Some of his concepts are quite enlightening, and I highly recommend it, even if you aren’t an artist, but especially if you’re thinking about creating graphic novels.
But I digress…to continue with the matter of connection.
As an artist, I like to show works in progress. I’m not shy about it, and I don’t secret away my upcoming book covers to do special-event cover-reveals. I like others to be part of that creative process. And in my opinion, if they get glimpses as I go, they can get more excited about it. I like to think others become more connected that way. As again, it’s all about establishing that connection. And that doesn’t only apply to the visual. We writers pour a great deal of ourselves into our words, and I like to know that others know I’m in total creative control, and that you readers are getting the purest look at me and my vision of my tales as you possibly can.
Case and point, let’s connect a moment. I’m actually in the process of creating the cover art for “Blighted Leaves;” book two of E.L.F., lately. I take a certain measure of delight in revealing the fact that the sequel and its cover-art were both inspired by…chocolate chip cookies. Yes, chocolate chip cookies.
But that’s crazy talk! You might exclaim. The title is “Blighted Leaves,” and it’s darker than the first book by far. How could it be inspired by something so sweet and decadent and frankly harmless as freshly under-baked chocolate chip cookies?
To which I can say…because, E.L.F. was originally just going to be a stand-alone story. I wrote it in school. It had a single direction and a single dimension at first. However, one day I saw an image on a plate of chocolate smears left behind by fresh chocolate chip cookies. I sketched it because I though it looked a little like a monster, and I thought I could improve upon that happy chaotic accidental image. Sometime later, that sketch triggered a connection with White Leaves, and E.L.F. literally came to life as a whole world of stories.
The point, all triggered by your connection/reaction to the original cover art, Charline, is this… Everything about my books is done by me. As I said before, I like that unrestricted creative control. I believe an artist‘s vision is best when pure. So, with the exception of my wonderful Editor, Maryanne Torgerson, (who may actually be available for hire to other Indie authors,) the book’s entire coming to fruition has been done by my own two hands.
In closing Michael, what would you say is next for you once the E.L.F. series is finished? Another fantasy book/series? Or focusing on turning your books into blockbuster movies?
Well, Hollywood might be a little way off yet. One needs some renown and credibility, not to mention inclusion in the Screenwriter’s Guild, before seriously tackling that mountain. So, for now, I simply plan to write books. But I would very much like to see my stories on screen. That’s why I write them. I see them. And that’s how I write them.
They’re literally written to be seen. Whether that comes by imagination or by film is merely a matter of timing, and perhaps a little luck.
I’m a very visual and linear writer. The visual aspect definitely comes from the artist part of me, and the linear is exciting because I never know how a story is going to unfold. I get to discover it just as much as a reader might. I think it creates a visceral experience in the reading, much like how the rough-hewn imagery of the cover creates a more living feel.
At any rate, E.L.F. wasn’t the first story I ever wanted to tell, and it won’t be the last. It’s just the first one to make it to the chopping block.
I have a much…larger higher-fantasy saga to tell under the working title of “The Winds of Arillus,” the first book of which will be called “Pheinixfall” for reasons which will eventually become apparent. But that won’t be until after I release a few of the E.L.F. tales. And there are a number of unique standalones, or potential other series that I’d like to delve into. For now though, it’s straight-ahead, full-steam with E.L.F.
Aside from that I’m also in cahoots with a small contingency of other Indie authors, creating a network around our personas rather than our writing genres. The publishing industry as a whole is like a newborn all over again. The environment we are coming up in is radical and fresh, and authors all over the world have to rethink outside the box, just how best to appeal to the right readers to make their careers. So, we considered this and decided to approach it from a new perspective.
We decided to appeal to people and readers with similar interests as our own, as opposed to people who specifically read fantasy, or thrillers, or sci-fi-noir-gothic-grind-house-multi-genre-fusions. Since our interests are part of ourselves, and thus come out in our stories, we believe a fantasy story can appeal to someone who happens to like the same music as the author, even if that reader wasn’t into fantasy prior to finding our work. We’d like to think this is a radical and fresh way to approach our own collective marketing. It may well be crazy enough to change the dynamic; given time…if you consider that it’s the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world that actually end up doing so.
Our take…? The authoring world doesn’t have much, if any, in the form of rock stars. As unconventional individuals with interests in some really cool things out there in the variety of mediums that entertainment takes, we collectively agree and suppose a new breed of young author is rising, and fast.
We aren’t your stereotypical authors. We’re people with interests just like the readers out there. We’re into the edgier side of life, and that comes out in our work. So we’re building a network geared toward the hard and fast, full-throttle, and unique type of stories we tell in a variety of genre fictions.
I’d like to mention and suggest readers also take a gander my fellows in this venture. Thriller Bestseller, Charlie Flowers, whose “Hard Kill” has rocketed to chart topping, and Fantasy Author, J.L. Hickey whose “Secret Seekers Society” series is climbing the sales charts quickly, are on board -just to name a few. But there are more, many more, and I think there’s a large a number of us out there worthy organizing our efforts. Naturally, we’ll have more information on that when it gets a little more developed.
Pardon the name, but we’re a little unapologetic about our personas, and we’ll be operating under #BadassAuthors soon.
So, on that final note, I would also encourage other Indie authors who might be a little bit badass in their personal life and interest, and who aren’t afraid to show it, to get hold of me. We have the perfect place for you!
Thank you, so much, Charline!
So, I see in your bio that you mention you share the same birth month/day as Leonardo Da Vinci. You also comment that you feel you “own a share of the creative spirit for which the renaissance master was known.” Your comments lead me to believe that you have a certain respect/awe for the man and his accomplishments, and if so when did that start, and why?
I’d say you’re very perceptive, Charline.
Da Vinci was the quintessential Renaissance man. He could, and did, do it all.
Few, regardless of their talents or medium, will ever be called “master.” Art itself is a mountain, virtually impossible to scale to its pinnacle. We will always be trying to be better at what we do, and we will never be perfect in our endeavors. That’s part of the philosophical beauty of the arts in general. Art is a way of life. It’s a mode of living toward continual self-improvement. But, Da Vinci, is hailed as a master, and after study, I’m comfortable saying that title is most likely true and fitting. Few others can say as much…
Prior to discovering our shared birthday, (now known as the American Tax Return deadline day,) I already had aspirations of being a Renaissance Man. I drew, I painted, and I sculpted. I wrote stories and poetry and songs. I philosophized; I had a craftsman’s background in construction, I enjoyed landscaping and architecture and I even played musical instruments a bit. So naturally, when I discovered that birthday connection, late in my tenure at the Art Institute of Seattle where I was working for a Bachelor’s in Animation and Applied Media Arts, it did become a sort of fixation. Da Vinci became a subject of intent study.
I felt proud to share such a celebrated artist’s birthday, and I found it interesting that two people separated by so much time and geography, could share such proclivity toward similar interests and abilities. Then, (no less curiously,) my own son, M.P.N.2., was due on my birthday as well. Unfortunately, he was induced two days early, on a Friday, the 13th.
Spooky…but true.
Michael, allow me to continue a moment longer in the Da Vinci theme to ask: do you feel that your acquired knowledge about Da Vinci helped open the “creative” side of the world for you?
Given that discovery came so late, some seven years after I had already taught myself to draw, had been writing for as many, and had sought schooling to further those abilities, it had less of an impact than it might have, had I discovered it in my earlier creative years.
I was already at the point where I knew I wanted to do everything. I wanted my creative control/director position, and I wanted to produce the stories I’d worked on for so many years prior.
However, in terms of focusing more on finer arts and expanding my abilities to include a wider variety of mediums and subjects when I should have been focusing on my animation studies, it certainly did have an impact. I began to see things differently, more mechanically, and from there my understanding of rendering complex three-dimensional subjects on paper took a dramatic leap. Not surprisingly, my animating skills improved as well. I literally began to set the grading curve in my respective 2-D traditional animation courses. Unfortunately, my desire and enthusiasm to draw frame after frame after frame, in what equates to endless hours of work for mere minutes and seconds of footage, took an opposite turn.
I decided then to simply write, and execute visual art by commission, (I’m always for hire,) and to compliment my storytelling. Art became a secondary passion. Writing remained dominant.
Many tell me that I should be composing Graphic Novels, given the multi-threat trait. I agree; I should be. However, one key element yet escapes me: page by page composition. It’s something I’ve always attempted, but never quite gotten the hang of. Perhaps one day I will commission a graphic novel artist to work with me on creating those types of books, as I hold a healthy respect for the graphic novelists and comic book artists/writers out there. They can do it all.
You know Michael; I was intrigued to read that you are a “sometime” musician. Does this mean you play an instrument and/or sing? If so, what instrument? I’m sure some of your readers/fans would also like to know if you have given up performing completely, or is there a possibility that they might see you out on a Karaoke night... *chuckle*
I was in boys’ choir in grade school, and I’m also told that I have a pleasant speaking voice. However, I do not sing anymore. Except in the car... Or sometimes randomly with my iPod when I’m really in the zone as I work on a painting.
In truth, the “sometime musician” means I used to play a fair amount of Bass. Unfortunately, there’s only so much time in a day, a week, or a lifetime. Between the time demands of writing and art/art school, I knew I had to put music aside. It was a third passion, dominated by two bigger brothers.
Music is one of those things I can do, and I enjoy it, but it just isn’t my passion. Nothing equates to simply disappearing for hours into the imagination as you write a story.
Michael, you’ve shared that you’re an artist, and that you studied at the Art Institute of Seattle. You also mentioned that while you were there, you were inspired to write your debut novel series: E.L.F. White Leaves, the first book of your fantasy series is now out, and I’m curious what it was about the Seattle locale and/or experiences that brought this book series to fruition?
It was a newspaper stand, actually. On the sidewalk, right outside the AIS campus in Belltown, Seattle was a headline that snared my attention. Being a longtime fantasy reader, there’s no way I could have missed it.
“ELF burns down housing complex,” the headline read, in big, bold, blue font.
At the time, I had no idea what ELF meant, but it wasn’t something one would expect to see on a REAL newspaper headline. I bought the paper, read the article and discovered ELF: the Earth Liberation Front.
Based primarily the Pacific Northwest, the Earth Liberation Front is a hierarchy-lacking extremist-activist organization. They’re Eco terrorists, and not many people are familiar with such a concept. I know I certainly wasn’t.
These activists are in favor of defending nature, but in the long run their methods are misguided. They firebomb resource companies and housing developments and the like. They actually do more harm than good.
However, to me it was a story. My initial question that struck me upon reading that headline was: “What if it WAS real elves that had burned down that housing complex? How would it play out? Why would they do such a thing? And how had no one ever seen one before?”
After stewing on the idea for a while, I then attended a PNWA, (Pacific Northwest Writers Association,) conference in Seattle where I pitched the raw, unwritten idea to urban fantasy author, Richelle Mead, during an urban fantasy seminar she was co-teaching. Frankly, I owe Richelle a huge thank you. I didn’t even write urban fantasy. No one in the entire seminar wanted to speak up about their stories when she and her co-host opened the floor to pitches; so I stepped up with nothing to lose and spilled my raw but coveted concept. She said something to the effect of: “If you can write it, you’ve probably got a sale on your hands there.” That was all the encouragement I needed. I at last decided to write it. So thanks, Richelle!
I sat down, and the story literally almost wrote itself. I just did the pen-work. The rough draft, (135k words/29 chapters,) took me exactly 30 days. It just poured out, and just in time for the original version to take a place in my schooling, which at the time was the only way I was getting any writing done at all. Art school is no joke. The workload is staggering. So, I completed it for a screenwriting class under tutelage of Seattle’s well known, John Keister, (the 206 & Almost Live - sketch comedy shows,) who was teaching at the AIS at the time. He liked it enough that I decided I’d make it a book one day.
One day has come and gone. And so it is.
Michael, as a writer, why did you choose the fantasy genre?
There are several reasons, really. The funny reason; I’m an escapist writer, so for me its therapy.
I love to daydream, and fantasy reading/writing affords me that. I love immersing myself in other worlds. I think it keeps the mind sharp and helps with problem solving/thinking outside the box.
Mostly, though, I write fantasy because I’ve always been a fantasy guy. I initially started reading for personal enjoyment as a child, but only about animals. I had checked out every non-fiction book there was on dinosaurs, sharks, snakes and all the creepy crawly things little boys find fascinating, and I knew all the facts about all those animals. I was a sponge. But then that blasted, (but holy,) Book Mobile came to school early in the 4th grade. The first fantasy I ever read was one I bought there with my own coin.
The cover art sucked me in. It was Terry Brooks’ “The Talismans of Shannara” which is book four in his second Shannara series. I didn’t know that, and didn’t care. The image struck me enough that I had to know who the one armed man was and why he battled against an excellent rendering of the grim reaper who rode a unique, particularly vicious, looking lizard/cat sort of steed.
I razed that book to the ground, I read it so fast. I got to the scene that the cover art depicted, and I never looked back. The following year, I’d read every single Shannara book there was.
Why Fantasy? It captures me. It really does.
However, I have many stories I will prepare throughout the years to come, and not all are fantasy.
I also plan to write my mother’s memoir/biography with her. She’s led a…particularly brave life, and despite lifelong hardship, her kindness, generosity, patience, and understanding still know no equal in my eyes.
I did note Michael, that “White Leaves” has a rather stunning cover. It definitely attracts the appropriate attention for the fantasy genre. As an artist, did you design/draw the cover yourself, or did you come up with the concept and allow someone else to put your graphic vision to paper?
See, now you’ve totally touched on a topic I can really blab about for far too long. I’ll try to restrain myself. Firstly, I’m proud of it. I did indeed do the artwork, and I’m glad you like it. So far the response to the imagery as a cover has been wholly positive.
The cover started as a quick scene-sketch intended to help my creative juices by giving me a visual rendering of the awful “Powers” called: Traemin and Gane. I’d tinkered with various concepts for the cover art: a simple silhouette of a modified Seattle skyline to include a gargantuan tree, a simple, stylized, bold, flourish-styled tree in silver on black, as well as a few other ideas. However, after having created the current cover image, I couldn’t imagine anything else ever being the cover.
Personally, I am a fan of “scene” covers. I think this style provides a better idea of the story, especially since you’re looking right into one of the moments in the book as soon as you see the cover.
Artistically, I like to render photorealism with pencil/pen, but when it comes to digital and book covers especially, I really enjoy that roughly hewn, concept-art, sketch-quality painting that you see in the White Leaves cover. It just seems to feel more alive than a picture perfect rendering. So, I will most likely continue that trend; at least for the E.L.F. series, as I also like uniformity in series covers.
Image style and selection really get quite interesting when you take a look at the studies of why, and how, that loose style actually affects the imagination of a viewer/reader, as opposed to using photographs, like a romance novel might. Covers are all about establishing a connection with the internal individual. The more realistic something is, the more external, objective, or “out there” the subject is to your viewer. The more simplistic, vague, or stylized something is…the more a viewer can see of themselves within it, or of it within themselves. This is why Comics and Anime and Manga-novels and Cartoons are all so effective. Simplification and stylization…
The best example is a smiley face, because you cannot NOT see a smile when you see two dots and a curved line put together. There are many who may even have a difficult time NOT seeing a face in their car’s headlights, bumper or grill arrangement. Take the Volkswagen Beetle. Did you ever see such a smiley, happy, friendly looking car? No. Why is that? The designers in old Germany wanted to build an affordable vehicle that every commoner could own and love. Their vision worked flawlessly.
This concept also works with sports cars. How many of them just look plain old beastly, aggressive, and mean? There’s a reason for that beyond simply being aerodynamic. It’s a style choice, made specifically to appeal to a type of person who has a set standard of pre-existing interests.
This study was something I learned during my AIS tenure. You can find more about it in a brilliant book, “Understanding Comics,” by graphic novelist/comic artist and writer, Scott McCloud. It’s a comic book about making comic books. Some of his concepts are quite enlightening, and I highly recommend it, even if you aren’t an artist, but especially if you’re thinking about creating graphic novels.
But I digress…to continue with the matter of connection.
As an artist, I like to show works in progress. I’m not shy about it, and I don’t secret away my upcoming book covers to do special-event cover-reveals. I like others to be part of that creative process. And in my opinion, if they get glimpses as I go, they can get more excited about it. I like to think others become more connected that way. As again, it’s all about establishing that connection. And that doesn’t only apply to the visual. We writers pour a great deal of ourselves into our words, and I like to know that others know I’m in total creative control, and that you readers are getting the purest look at me and my vision of my tales as you possibly can.
Case and point, let’s connect a moment. I’m actually in the process of creating the cover art for “Blighted Leaves;” book two of E.L.F., lately. I take a certain measure of delight in revealing the fact that the sequel and its cover-art were both inspired by…chocolate chip cookies. Yes, chocolate chip cookies.
But that’s crazy talk! You might exclaim. The title is “Blighted Leaves,” and it’s darker than the first book by far. How could it be inspired by something so sweet and decadent and frankly harmless as freshly under-baked chocolate chip cookies?
To which I can say…because, E.L.F. was originally just going to be a stand-alone story. I wrote it in school. It had a single direction and a single dimension at first. However, one day I saw an image on a plate of chocolate smears left behind by fresh chocolate chip cookies. I sketched it because I though it looked a little like a monster, and I thought I could improve upon that happy chaotic accidental image. Sometime later, that sketch triggered a connection with White Leaves, and E.L.F. literally came to life as a whole world of stories.
The point, all triggered by your connection/reaction to the original cover art, Charline, is this… Everything about my books is done by me. As I said before, I like that unrestricted creative control. I believe an artist‘s vision is best when pure. So, with the exception of my wonderful Editor, Maryanne Torgerson, (who may actually be available for hire to other Indie authors,) the book’s entire coming to fruition has been done by my own two hands.
In closing Michael, what would you say is next for you once the E.L.F. series is finished? Another fantasy book/series? Or focusing on turning your books into blockbuster movies?
Well, Hollywood might be a little way off yet. One needs some renown and credibility, not to mention inclusion in the Screenwriter’s Guild, before seriously tackling that mountain. So, for now, I simply plan to write books. But I would very much like to see my stories on screen. That’s why I write them. I see them. And that’s how I write them.
They’re literally written to be seen. Whether that comes by imagination or by film is merely a matter of timing, and perhaps a little luck.
I’m a very visual and linear writer. The visual aspect definitely comes from the artist part of me, and the linear is exciting because I never know how a story is going to unfold. I get to discover it just as much as a reader might. I think it creates a visceral experience in the reading, much like how the rough-hewn imagery of the cover creates a more living feel.
At any rate, E.L.F. wasn’t the first story I ever wanted to tell, and it won’t be the last. It’s just the first one to make it to the chopping block.
I have a much…larger higher-fantasy saga to tell under the working title of “The Winds of Arillus,” the first book of which will be called “Pheinixfall” for reasons which will eventually become apparent. But that won’t be until after I release a few of the E.L.F. tales. And there are a number of unique standalones, or potential other series that I’d like to delve into. For now though, it’s straight-ahead, full-steam with E.L.F.
Aside from that I’m also in cahoots with a small contingency of other Indie authors, creating a network around our personas rather than our writing genres. The publishing industry as a whole is like a newborn all over again. The environment we are coming up in is radical and fresh, and authors all over the world have to rethink outside the box, just how best to appeal to the right readers to make their careers. So, we considered this and decided to approach it from a new perspective.
We decided to appeal to people and readers with similar interests as our own, as opposed to people who specifically read fantasy, or thrillers, or sci-fi-noir-gothic-grind-house-multi-genre-fusions. Since our interests are part of ourselves, and thus come out in our stories, we believe a fantasy story can appeal to someone who happens to like the same music as the author, even if that reader wasn’t into fantasy prior to finding our work. We’d like to think this is a radical and fresh way to approach our own collective marketing. It may well be crazy enough to change the dynamic; given time…if you consider that it’s the ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world that actually end up doing so.
Our take…? The authoring world doesn’t have much, if any, in the form of rock stars. As unconventional individuals with interests in some really cool things out there in the variety of mediums that entertainment takes, we collectively agree and suppose a new breed of young author is rising, and fast.
We aren’t your stereotypical authors. We’re people with interests just like the readers out there. We’re into the edgier side of life, and that comes out in our work. So we’re building a network geared toward the hard and fast, full-throttle, and unique type of stories we tell in a variety of genre fictions.
I’d like to mention and suggest readers also take a gander my fellows in this venture. Thriller Bestseller, Charlie Flowers, whose “Hard Kill” has rocketed to chart topping, and Fantasy Author, J.L. Hickey whose “Secret Seekers Society” series is climbing the sales charts quickly, are on board -just to name a few. But there are more, many more, and I think there’s a large a number of us out there worthy organizing our efforts. Naturally, we’ll have more information on that when it gets a little more developed.
Pardon the name, but we’re a little unapologetic about our personas, and we’ll be operating under #BadassAuthors soon.
So, on that final note, I would also encourage other Indie authors who might be a little bit badass in their personal life and interest, and who aren’t afraid to show it, to get hold of me. We have the perfect place for you!
Thank you, so much, Charline!
August 5, 2013
Charline Ratcliff Interviews: Dr. Herman Kagan
Hello Dr. Kagan and thank you for being willing to share some of your story with us.
Before we get into the “nuts and bolts” of our interview, why don’t you share a little bit about yourself? What fun facts/tidbits would you like us to know about you? What do you do for fun or relaxation? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1931. I am the youngest of three brothers and the only one still alive. My youngest older brother, Norman, was killed by a car when he was about four years old while my mother was in the hospital delivering my second brother, Jack, who is two years my senior. Sadly, Jack died in 2011 at Temple University Hospital where he was a lab technician. And unfortunately, my father died when I was about six months old so my mother, bless her heart, had the strength to be able handle all that trauma and raise me and my brother.
I have been married for over fifty-five years, and have two grown children and two grandchildren. My son lives close to me while my daughter lives in Santa Cruz, California where she went to school and graduated with a degree in Environmental Science. My son is a CPA who owns his own business in Ventura, California. He is married to a Mexican woman and any family gatherings of ours result in a large mob… Us white folks are now accepted as part of the Mexican clan.
While I was in the army, stationed in Germany in 1955-56, I learned about photography and this has been a hobby of mine ever since. I once had my own darkroom in my garage and developed, and produced, Cibachrome prints. Now I am immersed in digital photography and I use it to take pictures of family gatherings, concerts we attend, graduations pictures of my own children and
Grandchildren, nature pictures, especially birds from when my wife, dogs and I go camping in the National forests. We have been doing this for the past forty years and only last year switched from tent camping to renting ranger stations turned into cabins for the public.
My wife and I both belong to the Audubon Societies in Ventura and Conejo Valley. My house is filled with pictures of all kind of birds that feed in our back and front yards along with the hawks that come to feed on them. My hobbies now include writing which began after I retired because I wanted to leave a legacy of information and personal experiences for my grandchildren when they have their own families. After my first book I now believe I also have something to offer to others about how we adapt to and cope with our natural and man-made worlds with the symbolic brain endowed to us by evolution.
Dr. Kagan, I would say that you chose a very…intense career for yourself. What was the defining “Aha” moment that started you down the path of helping others deal with various forms of trauma or abuse?
I don’t believe there was an “Aha” moment. My mother was certainly an inspiration, with realizing what she had to go through and how she landed on her feet. Add to that my experiences with my childhood friends, where I witnessed the results of parental abuse and how they left a lasting impression.
I grew up in a low socioeconomic neighborhood in New Jersey and, without a father; I depended on older kids, and my friends, for my masculine identity. I developed a strong sense of empathy, and a keen sense of what it takes to survive, at an early age.
Then my internship at the Reiss Davis Child Guidance Clinic in Los Angeles, my first job at a private psychiatric hospital after my internship, and my work with delinquent kids in the California Youth Authority made me realize the difficulty humans face; that trauma and abuse are major factors in producing disabling emotions, confused cognition, anti-social and self-destructive behavior. Once this realization set in, I then had to ask myself if I had the knowledge and capacity to help people recover from their abusive and traumatic experiences. I believed I did, and felt that if I could help, this would be uplifting to my sense of self and help me contribute to society. So off I went in a clinical direction…
Dr. Kagan, in reading through your very amazing bio, I appreciated learning that, for eighteen years, you also directed a support/treatment group for children/families experiencing sexual abuse. The sexual abuse prevention program for elementary schools you helped create is also an amazing thing. Words cannot adequately describe what a blessing that is, and will be, for those in need. What was the “why” that prompted these much needed programs?
The idea for these programs developed after I was working for the County Mental Health Department and interacted with my colleagues and other community agencies like the school system, the Police Department and Protective Social Services. I was in charge of the children’s program at the Simi Valley Mental Health Clinic and many sexually abused children were sent to us by the police and protective social services. The natural thing to do was collaborate with them about this ongoing problem.
Treatment for these children necessitated the inclusion of other family members, and continued interaction with both the police and protective social services since children were sometimes removed from their home and their family had specific plans to follow or the court issued “no contact” orders which the police then had to enforce.
Eventually interactive family programs were created in Los Angeles County and another northern California county, and I became part of the interactive therapists that met together and worked on program planning. This led to the treatment support group that I and a number of other therapists created in Ventura County. With support from some of the elementary school principals, a sexual abuse prevention program was developed and instituted.
The mental health staff was involved in training the school psychologists, teachers and nurses to carry out the program and police officers and protective social service workers lent a hand by getting to know the school staff involved in the program and setting up a supportive interaction to take calls, answer questions, and respond when the school staff needed a response.
We thought the program ran well for many years but the cost of providing psychologists, teachers, and nurses, and allowing time for the training took its toll, and many schools eventually dropped out.
Dr. Kagan, being that you are a trained psychologist, I would imagine that your life’s calling has ensured that you view the world from a very fact oriented viewpoint; yet you have written a book titled: “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain.” From what I’ve seen of today’s world, it seems that “Science” and “Faith Based” beliefs don’t always mesh well, or easily. Did you experience any difficulty during the writing of “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain” due to the “oil-and-water” nature of “Science” versus “Faith” probabilities or situations?
Your question brings out your observations of the rift between science and faith based beliefs--including supernatural beliefs--observations to which I agree. The scientific outlook usually considers beliefs that have no scientific foundation as based on ignorance, mythology, prejudice or sociopathic attempts to deceive the public for some personal gain and every attempt should be made to eliminate them.
Since I espouse the scientific outlook I had some difficulty trying to reconcile why faith based beliefs continue to be so entrenched. The difficulty vanished when I considered the possibility that human survival may have depended on these beliefs, and that natural selection may have had a hand in perpetuating these beliefs. I had no idea that this was an explanation to consider when I started writing “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain,” so my eventual conclusions as to why supernatural and faith based beliefs persist even surprised me.
I guess my final question for you Dr. Kagan is simply: from this point in life, where do you plan to go? What do you still want to accomplish? Is there a figurative “torch” that you hope to pass on? If so, how can your readers help?
I sort of laughed when I read this question, because at my age I plan to stay as healthy as I can so
I can stay alive for some time. At eighty-two I’m not sure how much time I have left, but I would like to see my granddaughter, who is now a freshman, graduate high school.
I have another book in mind to write about “deception,” which I believe is an evolutionary survival tactic and I see it all around me. However, my daughter said I was too focused on the negative and strongly suggested I should also focus on “honesty.” I don’t know if it will ever come to pass, but I suggested she should write about the evolutionary significance of honesty and I should write about deception and we should collaborate.
If there is a torch I want to pass on, it would be to look at us humans as a unique animal but an animal, nevertheless, that took evolution three and a half billion years to create who interacts with each other and the world in symbolic terms, a very strange change from life interacting with each other and the world using signals and signs. Where in the hell is symbolism taking us? Readers can help out by looking at our innate nature and wondering why we have to fight against it so often and letting me in on the secret.
Dr. Kagan, I just want to say thank you very much for all the fun tidbits, personal facts, and insights you have shared with me/us. It was truly an honor being able to interview you, and I very much enjoyed all that I learned. I’m sure my heartfelt “thanks” is also echoed by all those whom you have touched and helped throughout your life – whether it was through personal/one-on-one sessions or via your outreach programs and shared ideas/visions with other mental health experts.
Before we get into the “nuts and bolts” of our interview, why don’t you share a little bit about yourself? What fun facts/tidbits would you like us to know about you? What do you do for fun or relaxation? Do you have any interesting hobbies?
I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1931. I am the youngest of three brothers and the only one still alive. My youngest older brother, Norman, was killed by a car when he was about four years old while my mother was in the hospital delivering my second brother, Jack, who is two years my senior. Sadly, Jack died in 2011 at Temple University Hospital where he was a lab technician. And unfortunately, my father died when I was about six months old so my mother, bless her heart, had the strength to be able handle all that trauma and raise me and my brother.
I have been married for over fifty-five years, and have two grown children and two grandchildren. My son lives close to me while my daughter lives in Santa Cruz, California where she went to school and graduated with a degree in Environmental Science. My son is a CPA who owns his own business in Ventura, California. He is married to a Mexican woman and any family gatherings of ours result in a large mob… Us white folks are now accepted as part of the Mexican clan.
While I was in the army, stationed in Germany in 1955-56, I learned about photography and this has been a hobby of mine ever since. I once had my own darkroom in my garage and developed, and produced, Cibachrome prints. Now I am immersed in digital photography and I use it to take pictures of family gatherings, concerts we attend, graduations pictures of my own children and
Grandchildren, nature pictures, especially birds from when my wife, dogs and I go camping in the National forests. We have been doing this for the past forty years and only last year switched from tent camping to renting ranger stations turned into cabins for the public.
My wife and I both belong to the Audubon Societies in Ventura and Conejo Valley. My house is filled with pictures of all kind of birds that feed in our back and front yards along with the hawks that come to feed on them. My hobbies now include writing which began after I retired because I wanted to leave a legacy of information and personal experiences for my grandchildren when they have their own families. After my first book I now believe I also have something to offer to others about how we adapt to and cope with our natural and man-made worlds with the symbolic brain endowed to us by evolution.
Dr. Kagan, I would say that you chose a very…intense career for yourself. What was the defining “Aha” moment that started you down the path of helping others deal with various forms of trauma or abuse?
I don’t believe there was an “Aha” moment. My mother was certainly an inspiration, with realizing what she had to go through and how she landed on her feet. Add to that my experiences with my childhood friends, where I witnessed the results of parental abuse and how they left a lasting impression.
I grew up in a low socioeconomic neighborhood in New Jersey and, without a father; I depended on older kids, and my friends, for my masculine identity. I developed a strong sense of empathy, and a keen sense of what it takes to survive, at an early age.
Then my internship at the Reiss Davis Child Guidance Clinic in Los Angeles, my first job at a private psychiatric hospital after my internship, and my work with delinquent kids in the California Youth Authority made me realize the difficulty humans face; that trauma and abuse are major factors in producing disabling emotions, confused cognition, anti-social and self-destructive behavior. Once this realization set in, I then had to ask myself if I had the knowledge and capacity to help people recover from their abusive and traumatic experiences. I believed I did, and felt that if I could help, this would be uplifting to my sense of self and help me contribute to society. So off I went in a clinical direction…
Dr. Kagan, in reading through your very amazing bio, I appreciated learning that, for eighteen years, you also directed a support/treatment group for children/families experiencing sexual abuse. The sexual abuse prevention program for elementary schools you helped create is also an amazing thing. Words cannot adequately describe what a blessing that is, and will be, for those in need. What was the “why” that prompted these much needed programs?
The idea for these programs developed after I was working for the County Mental Health Department and interacted with my colleagues and other community agencies like the school system, the Police Department and Protective Social Services. I was in charge of the children’s program at the Simi Valley Mental Health Clinic and many sexually abused children were sent to us by the police and protective social services. The natural thing to do was collaborate with them about this ongoing problem.
Treatment for these children necessitated the inclusion of other family members, and continued interaction with both the police and protective social services since children were sometimes removed from their home and their family had specific plans to follow or the court issued “no contact” orders which the police then had to enforce.
Eventually interactive family programs were created in Los Angeles County and another northern California county, and I became part of the interactive therapists that met together and worked on program planning. This led to the treatment support group that I and a number of other therapists created in Ventura County. With support from some of the elementary school principals, a sexual abuse prevention program was developed and instituted.
The mental health staff was involved in training the school psychologists, teachers and nurses to carry out the program and police officers and protective social service workers lent a hand by getting to know the school staff involved in the program and setting up a supportive interaction to take calls, answer questions, and respond when the school staff needed a response.
We thought the program ran well for many years but the cost of providing psychologists, teachers, and nurses, and allowing time for the training took its toll, and many schools eventually dropped out.
Dr. Kagan, being that you are a trained psychologist, I would imagine that your life’s calling has ensured that you view the world from a very fact oriented viewpoint; yet you have written a book titled: “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain.” From what I’ve seen of today’s world, it seems that “Science” and “Faith Based” beliefs don’t always mesh well, or easily. Did you experience any difficulty during the writing of “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain” due to the “oil-and-water” nature of “Science” versus “Faith” probabilities or situations?
Your question brings out your observations of the rift between science and faith based beliefs--including supernatural beliefs--observations to which I agree. The scientific outlook usually considers beliefs that have no scientific foundation as based on ignorance, mythology, prejudice or sociopathic attempts to deceive the public for some personal gain and every attempt should be made to eliminate them.
Since I espouse the scientific outlook I had some difficulty trying to reconcile why faith based beliefs continue to be so entrenched. The difficulty vanished when I considered the possibility that human survival may have depended on these beliefs, and that natural selection may have had a hand in perpetuating these beliefs. I had no idea that this was an explanation to consider when I started writing “Faith, Supernatural Beliefs and Our Symbolic Brain,” so my eventual conclusions as to why supernatural and faith based beliefs persist even surprised me.
I guess my final question for you Dr. Kagan is simply: from this point in life, where do you plan to go? What do you still want to accomplish? Is there a figurative “torch” that you hope to pass on? If so, how can your readers help?
I sort of laughed when I read this question, because at my age I plan to stay as healthy as I can so
I can stay alive for some time. At eighty-two I’m not sure how much time I have left, but I would like to see my granddaughter, who is now a freshman, graduate high school.
I have another book in mind to write about “deception,” which I believe is an evolutionary survival tactic and I see it all around me. However, my daughter said I was too focused on the negative and strongly suggested I should also focus on “honesty.” I don’t know if it will ever come to pass, but I suggested she should write about the evolutionary significance of honesty and I should write about deception and we should collaborate.
If there is a torch I want to pass on, it would be to look at us humans as a unique animal but an animal, nevertheless, that took evolution three and a half billion years to create who interacts with each other and the world in symbolic terms, a very strange change from life interacting with each other and the world using signals and signs. Where in the hell is symbolism taking us? Readers can help out by looking at our innate nature and wondering why we have to fight against it so often and letting me in on the secret.
Dr. Kagan, I just want to say thank you very much for all the fun tidbits, personal facts, and insights you have shared with me/us. It was truly an honor being able to interview you, and I very much enjoyed all that I learned. I’m sure my heartfelt “thanks” is also echoed by all those whom you have touched and helped throughout your life – whether it was through personal/one-on-one sessions or via your outreach programs and shared ideas/visions with other mental health experts.
April 22, 2012
“Pun Enchanted Evenings” Book Review
“Pun Enchanted Evenings” Book Reviewed 08/2010
Author: David R. Yale
I have to be honest and confess that the real reason I read “Pun Enchanted Evenings” by David R. Yale was because I was having an incredibly bad day and needed something, anything, that would make me laugh.
At ninety-seven pages “Pun Enchanted Evenings” is not a long book and it is definitely a quick read. True to its title the book really does feature seven hundred and forty six puns. I would know. I checked each number as I read each pun. I’m sure some of us remember having to write things like “I will not talk during class” one hundred times as homework and as a punishment for being disruptive in class. I don’t know about the rest of you but I occasionally skipped a few numbers. What do you mean thirty-six is supposed to follow thirty-five? Number forty-seven is missing? Are you sure?? You can see now why I would pay attention to the pun count…
“Pun Enchanted Evenings” was, for the most part, funny. A few of the puns were so droll that I actually had to call a friend of mine in California so that I could share them with him. Of course once I started reading them aloud I even began giggling my way through some of the not so funny ones.
In summary I think it would be safe to say that this book provides a pun for every sense of humor. “Pun Enchanted Evenings” is a quick read and can be leafed through anytime one is stressed and in need of something to laugh about. A great book to keep on your desk at work; it’s fun reading while you’re in the waiting room at your doctor’s office but be aware that it might be considered disruptive if you’re reading it and laughing during jury duty. Lastly, “Pun Enchanted Evenings” would make a great gift for any occasion and will definitely keep your guests amused while they are using the bathroom. Just don’t expect them to vacate the facilities in a timely manner…
“Perfect Alibi” Book Review
“Perfect Alibi” Book Reviewed 08/2010
Author: Sheldon Siegel
I’ve just finished reading “Perfect Alibi” by Sheldon Siegel and now I’m attempting to write its review. Unfortunately for me, I’m having some trouble with that. No, it’s not because I’m suffering from writer’s block. I’m just at a loss for words because the only thing running through my head right now is “Wow, what a great book!” Just for the record, heaping praise on a book isn’t my customary starting point in a review.
“Perfect Alibi” by Sheldon Siegel is the seventh installment in the Mike Daley Mystery series. In this episode Mike Daley and Rosie Fernandez discover that their sixteen-year-old daughter’s boyfriend Bobby has been arrested for the alleged murder of his father who also happens to be a Superior Court judge. All the evidence seems to point to Bobby as the killer yet he is emphatic that “he didn’t do it” and their daughter Grace is his only alibi. Against their better judgment Mike and Rosie take the case. In an attempt to exonerate Bobby they wind their way through some of San Francisco’s seedier neighborhoods and in doing so they uncover a sex scandal involving some of the city’s more prominent citizens.
I found “Perfect Alibi” to be a fantastic read and it kept me on the edge of my seat. Siegel is an amazing writer and he has a way of deftly enveloping you in the story. This book is legal fiction and because of Siegel’s writing style I felt as if I was personally sitting in the courtroom watching the various proceedings. I liked that the book was written in the first person and I definitely enjoyed the sarcastic and sardonic thought processes of Mike Daley.
Overall, I would say this book is a five-star “must read.”
