My guest today brings a story with an anthropological nature. Please help me welcome author Richard W. Wise to the interview hot seat! Let’s take a look at his background and then find out more about his stories.
Richard W. Wise is the author of four books: bestseller SECRETS OF THE GEM TRADE, THE CONNOISSEUR’S GUIDE (originally published in 2001, second revised edition in 2016), THE FRENCH BLUE (2010)—an award-winning historical novel, and the mystery/thriller REDLINED: A NOVEL OF BOSTON (2020). He lives with his wife, Rebekah, and their two cats (Charlie and Sammy) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you’re sharing with us today?
Richard: The magnificent cave paintings at Chauvet Cave in Southern France.
Betty: What, if any, new writing skill did you develop while working on this story?
Richard: I think I improved my character development.
Betty: Did you struggle with any part of this story? What and how?
Richard: The personalities of the two protagonists, particularly the female Lada. She is kidnapped by Neanderthals and given a choice to marry one or remain a slave. How she deals with that choice and her conflicted feelings when she discovers she is pregnant with a child by one of the men who murdered her father and all her friends.
Betty: Which character(s) were the easiest to get to know? Why do you think?
Richard: Again, Lada. Writing about a woman who existed prior to the Judeo-Christian ethos.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write this story?
Richard: I read a number of books on the Aurignacian Period in France. 40-30,000 BP. Also, books by archeologists detailing what we know about the customs, technology, physical morphology crafts and art of both Neanderthals and Cro Magnons. The climate, available plants and animals of the European Ice Age.
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Richard: Seven.
Betty: How long did it take for you to write the story you’re sharing with us? Is that a typical length of time for you? Why or why not?
Richard: It took about four years part-time. I began it in 2016 just after finishing the revision (2nd edition) of my first book: Secrets Of The Gem Trade. I had almost finished, Redlined: A Novel of Boston (2019-20), but my agent suggested a number of revisions and I had to drop this book and concentrate on the former for a while.
Betty: What rituals or habits do you have while writing?
Richard: I have the habit of being erratic. I don’t have set days or times, but I do write quite a lot. I’m disciplined in an undisciplined way.
Betty: Every author has a tendency to overuse certain words or phrases in drafts, such as just, once, smile, nod, etc. What are yours?
Richard: “Just and first.” My characters do smile and nod quite a bit. I also use “quite” a lot.
Betty: Do you have any role models? If so, why do you look up to them?
Richard: I admire a number of writers: Hemingway, Tolkien, Bernard Cornwell.
Betty: Do you have a special place to write? Revise? Read?
Richard: I have a separate office/library/reading room.
Betty: Many authors have a day job. Do you? If so, what is it and do you enjoy it?
Richard: I’m a retired goldsmith/gemologist/gem dealer. I was head of the company and wrote my first two books while I was running that business.
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Richard: Well, I guess I’d have to say, my first book. It had a major impact on the gem industry and made me quite well off.
Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?
Richard: Historical fiction.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Richard: I’d like to be a good writer that people read. Improving my craft is important to me.
31,000 BC:
The Dawning tells an age-old story of deadly struggle, the heart-rending tale of young love—its aspirations, pain, disappointments and eventual triumph.
Ejil and Lada, son and daughter of a Cro-Magnon tribe (on the verge of adulthood) have begun to explore their maturing feelings when an encounter with a clan of Neanderthal hunters tears their Ice Age world apart. Lada is lost and Ejil finds himself embarked on a desperate odyssey to find the mother tribe.
The Neanderthals, a pale skinned people, occupied Ice Age Europe for three hundred thousand years. Dark-skinned Cro-Magnons, our direct ancestors, appeared forty-five thousand years ago. Five thousand years later, the Neanderthals had disappeared. What happened when our two ancestral peoples came face to face on the ice bound plains of prehistory?
Travel back 33,000 years into our deep past. Set against the backdrop of the fabulous painted caves of Southern France, follow the gripping tale of two young lovers and the sweeping narrative of ancient cultures met in bloody conflict.
I applaud you, Richard, for tackling ancient history like this. I have studied anthropology in the 1990s and loved the Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jean Auel (well, most of the books in that series). I hope this one finds its audience! Thanks for stopping by.
Happy reading!
Betty
Award-winning Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories
Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.
My guest author today has quite a story to share with us, both about her writing inspiration and process and the book she’s talking about. A quick peek at her bio, and then let’s dive right in!
LENORE HART is the author of eight books, including the novels Waterwoman (a Barnes &Noble Discover selection),Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher, and The Raven’s Bride. Two novels have been optioned for film. She’s the series editor of three Night Bazaar fantastic fiction anthologies. A Shirley Jackson Award finalist, Hart has received prizes, grants, and fellowships from arts organizations in the US, Ireland, and Germany. Her short stories and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and journals. She’s a writer for the Kevin Anderson Agency in New York City, and teaches fiction writing at the Ossabaw Island Writers Retreat in Savannah. Forthcoming is a historical folkloric novel, The Alchemy of Light, from Milford House/Sunbury Press. She lives in Virginia, in a Victorian-era farmhouse on the Chesapeake Bay, with her husband, novelist David Poyer, two cats, and two peahens.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you’re sharing with us today?
Lenore: I was in my last year of graduate school, getting my MFA in creative writing, and realized I’d run out of stories to hand in for that semester’s writing workshops. I had a vague idea of a story I wanted to write; a scribbled note that said: “Two elderly sisters live alone in a house on a remote island, and they are angry at each other. It has something to do with a man.” That was all I had at the moment, but classes were about to start. As the mother of a five year old, who was teaching two classes and commuting 120 miles round trip to the university, I felt panicked. When would I have any writing time? So in desperation I spent a long weekend secluded at a friend’s house intending to crank out what I thought would be a short story based on that mingy paragraph. Instead a rather different story came pouring out as if it was being downloaded directly to my brain. My friend Nancy kept me fed, supplied an occasional glass of wine, and made trips to the local library to get me needed research books. I wrote over 37,000 words (about 125 pages) in less than three days. It was a novel, not a short story. And that MS later became first my book-length MFA thesis, and then my first mainstream novel, published by the Berkley imprint of Penguin Putnam in 2002.
Betty: What, if any, new writing skill did you develop while working on this story?
Lenore: I’m not sure it’s exactly a concrete writing skill, but I learned a lot about how crucial it is to stop being self-critical or second-guess myself too early in the creative process – in other words, to listen to and respect The Muse when she comes calling. Otherwise the writer risks sending her away for good to greener, more receptive pastures.
Betty: Did you struggle with any part of this story? What and how?
Lenore: The odd thing about this book is that is was not much of a struggle at all. I revised it only maybe three times in total before I sent it out for submission. I also had several working watermen read it, and they thought it was accurate and moving. But after Putnam acquired it, I expected to receive an editorial letter and revision guidance from my editor there, yet she said she had none. “I believe it’s wonderful as it is now, and I don’t want to tamper with the unique voice.”
Well, I was astounded to say the least. How could that be? Actually, this made me very nervous, even anxious. I don’t really believe in perfection, at least not for us humans. I called her up and asked her to reconsider: wasn’t there anything she’d like more, or less of? Finally she said I might consider lengthening a scene early on at the post office when Annie (protagonist) receives a love letter from war-torn France, which she mistakenly thinks is for her, rather than for her sister Rebecca. I thanked my editor profusely and did just that, feeling much better. I still wonder if she did it mainly to humor me . . . anyhow, I would like to stress that this has not been the experience with my other novels. They all came much harder and required many more revisions. I think I received a truly magical gift with Waterwoman, that first one!
Betty: Which character(s) were the easiest to get to know? Why do you think?
Lenore: Annie Revels, my protagonist. I had a lot in common with her – save for all the time out on the water; I don’t even fish, I get seasick easily, and I have fair skin that burns after about five minutes in the sun! But she was considered too “boyish” and had trouble fitting in with the social mores of her time; wanted more from life but was trapped in isolation, and thus frustrated, and she longed for a partner in life who understood and accepted her. I think those are universal issues many readers can relate to, as well.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write this story?
Lenore: Again, this novel was atypical for me (as I would find out later.) I had lived on the Eastern Shore by then for about 8 years, and so – as a history buff – I already knew a bit about its past, and about the landscape and people. I had never been out on a waterman’s boat though and knew only a little about the calling (I don’t think it’s a mere “job”). And I am and always have been a stickler for historical accuracy in my work and in the books I choose to read. But again, I was terribly short on time to write, so I got a stack of books about the Shore’s history and about waterman of that period (1900-1921.) And I read them as I wrote, and after I stopped writing, until I went to sleep. When I came up hard against a spot where I needed a particular word or phrase or technical information, I looked it up. But again, it was odd, in that – as I mentioned before – the whole story came so fast and furious, and felt so sure and true as I typed it, I didn’t have to even do a lot of that. It was actually a bit creepy, in retrospect. Almost as if someone was telling me their own story; one they’d waited a long time to have seen and told. I can’t explain it all any better than that – even to myself!
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Lenore: As I mentioned, three in total. The first draft on the long weekend; a second draft to enlarge on that to meet the required word count for my MFA thesis; and once again before it was submitted to three presses: Putnam, Crown, and one other I’ve forgotten. There was something of a bidding war between Putnam and Crown, but ultimately I went with the former.
Betty: How long did it take for you to write the story you’re sharing with us? Is that a typical length of time for you? Why or why not?
Lenore: Not at all typical. For example, I took five years to complete my later novel Becky: The Life and Loves of Becky Thatcher. Almost four years of reading and research, and the rest spent writing and revising. Other novels have taken a year to two or three years. Waterwoman, when I added all the reading, writing and revisions, took less than five months in total. I do wish it would happen that way again, as with Waterwoman. But so far – not! Maybe a writer only gets one of those “ultimate downloads” in a lifetime?
Betty: What rituals or habits do you have while writing?
Lenore: My most effective ritual is to run away from home while I write the first draft of a manuscript. I have to have quiet in order to concentrate – it’s less crucial at the revision stage — and that isn’t the situation at home! My hideout needn’t be fancy. I’ve written first drafts on a fellowship at a lovely writers’ retreat in Germany, and I’ve written them in a friend’s uninsulated office over his boat shed. It’s just the act of getting away to concentrate and work that’s important.
I don’t have a lucky pen or special computer software or anything like that. I write a detailed synopsis of the novel first, about 7 to ten pages long, so I’m sure I grasp the basic events, characters, and trajectory of the story. Some people (like my husband) prefer chapter outlines, but I get too bogged down in them; a synopsis works better for me. But I do feel some kind of planning tool is crucial, and I reject the idea (which I’ve been told more than once) that an outline or synopsis is too “inorganic” or not “creative.” In fact, it’s exactly the opposite. Knowing as much as you can before you begin is freeing for the writer. Once that guide is in hand, you no longer have to worry “Where is this going?” or “What comes next?” You already know; just look at your outline or synopsis and there’s no excuse for writer’s block (which I think is mostly just the writer’s version of “I don’t wanna get up and go to work today”). A plan frees you to be as creative as you like without worrying if you’re getting too far off track (been there, got the T-shirt) and if you encounter a need for changes, well – it’s a computer file, not a concrete building. Easy to update as needed!
Betty: Every author has a tendency to overuse certain words or phrases in drafts, such as just, once, smile, nod, etc. What are yours?
Lenore: Oh lord, yes. Though mine are so boring I hate to even list them. But here goes: a bit, little, small. As a writing prof I’m well aware of avoiding too many repetitive tags like “he smiled” and awkward, negative-attention-drawing words like “strode” or “torso”. But I just . . . can’t . . . seem to shake . . that darn . . . list! So I go looking for them in my last revision with Find and Replace to stamp them out – yet again.
Betty: Do you have any role models? If so, why do you look up to them?
Lenore: Early on I took writers I met and whose behavior I admired as my role models for how to act like a decent person-slash-author. Ray Bradbury was one; a kinder, more patient, humble or humorous soul you could not find. I felt very lucky to make his acquaintance. Also, when I was learning about the craft early on – a good writer is always still learning — I had mentors who helped me immensely: novelist Janet Peery, short story writer Lee K. Abbott, nonfiction writer Philip Gerard, editor/teacher Frank Green, and of course my husband, novelist David Poyer. We still read, comment on, and line edit every single MS the other produces, no matter how long or short.
Betty: Do you have a special place to write? Revise? Read?
Lenore: I like to write away from home, as I said earlier. It needn’t be a fancy place, but should be a fairly quiet one, or it just won’t work!
I can revise (unless it’s a really complex and long change) pretty much anywhere, including at home, despite cats jumping on me, the phone ringing (mostly telemarketers) and my husband watching loud news-clip videos in the next office.
I can and do read anywhere, though my favorite spots are on the back screened porch, which overlooks a tidal creek just off the Chesapeake Bay — and in bed at night before I go to sleep.
Betty: Many authors have a day job. Do you? If so, what is it and do you enjoy it?
Lenore: For many years my day job was teaching creative writing, mostly in colleges and universities, sometimes as a visiting professor or writer in residence. Previous to becoming a full-time writer, in Florida (my natal state) I was a librarian, in such varied settings as a state mental hospital’s forensic unit; at the Florida Department of Commerce, and finally in 25-branch public library system in Jacksonville. Later I was fiction faculty in the country’s largest low-residence MFA program for 16 years. I have been (and still am) core faculty at the Ossabaw Island Writers Retreat, an excellent workshop and retreat-based getaway for aspiring authors that crams a lot of information about how to succeed in a short stay, while also offering a gorgeous unspoiled setting on an undeveloped Georgia barrier wildlife island refuge. I also have a community-based writing workshop at a local arts center which has been ongoing for 27 years now. I’m happy to say that a good number of my students there have been quite successful: receiving publishing contracts, including with NY houses, being finalists for or winning literary awards, receiving conference or retreat fellowships, and even becoming Amazon bestsellers. I still teach the local workshop because I do enjoy teaching, seeing them improve and become skilled writers, and I like helping beginning writers start out on the path to publication well-prepared!
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Lenore: Being able to keep publishing – poetry, short stories, and book-length fiction – nonstop, since my college days in the late 1970s! I feel very fortunate indeed to have the craft of writing shape and inform my whole career.
Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?
Lenore: Oh dear. A hard question, since my tastes are very eclectic and tend to evolve over time. I read mostly novels, story collections/anthologies, and memoirs. But my favorite genres, fiction or nonfiction, usually draw heavily on either fairy tales, folklore, or mythology to inform their themes, plot, and underlying structure. Those old, archetypal stories are both a big side interest, and a big influence on my own work.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Lenore: Definitely the joy option, as with other aspects of life, even though there are always low points. But I would celebrate still being able to keep at it, over three decades later. And – though I’ve been known to carp about how hard first drafts are, since my favorite part is revision – the fact that I never grow tired of the process, and have been able to make it work as my primary career for so long. The unhappiest writers I’ve met went into writing feeling sure they’d get fabulously rich, probably right away, with their first book. As if – especially these days! They probably should have gone into a field that more readily assures such a goal. For that kind of success is the exception, not the rule, in publishing, an industry in which success is also heavily dependent on sheer luck. But even if I never made another cent from writing, I would still be a writer. It’s not really even a choice for me, but rather an essential and basic part of my existence! And I’m very satisfied with my fate.
Even as a child in 1920s Virginia, plain and boyish Annie Revels had everyone’s role in life figured out. Everyone’s except her own. Her mother was sickly and needed to be taken care of. Her little sister Rebecca was remarkably beautiful, while Annie was not. Her father was a waterman, a free-looking life Annie deeply envied and could’ve had, if only she’d been born a son. But a waterman wants no women aboard his boat; it’s bad luck.
Tiny, remote Yaupon Island knows nothing of the partying, gin-soaked Roaring Twenties which grip the rest of the country. The Revels family depends on the coastal waters to make their living, and tragedy is always only a bad storm away. As Annie notes, “In order to live on the Shore, you need to understand that good weather always follows bad.” But when her father dies suddenly, it falls to Annie to take his place aboard the oyster boat and support what’s left of her family. Out on the water, she’s free for the first time. It seems Annie’s found a life she can enjoy, even if the watermen around there shun her. Then one day, stuck on a sandbar, she meets a handsome hunting guide named Nathan. And finally, against her better judgement, she takes him home to meet her mother and sister. His presence in that house of women upsets the family’s uneasy balance, bringing joy – but also discontent, jealousy, rivalry – and ultimately, tragedy for them all.
Lenore, you’ve had quite a diverse and impressive career! Thanks for sharing The Waterwoman with us—I’m adding it to my TBR now. I’ve always been in love with and fascinated by the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia, so this sounds right up my alley.
Happy reading!
Betty
Award-winning Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories
Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.
I have a special treat today: author Linda C. Wisniewski is here to share about the inspiration for and writing of her time-travel tale. Let’s find out more about Linda and then we’ll delve into her writing process.
Linda C. Wisniewski is a former librarian and journalist who lives with her retired scientist husband in Bucks County, PA, where she volunteers at the historic home of author Pearl S. Buck. Her work has been published in Toasted Cheese, Hippocampus, and many other literary magazines. She teaches memoir writing in the Philadelphia area and online and is the author of a memoir, Off Kilter: A Woman’s Journey to Peace With Scoliosis, Her Mother and Her Polish Heritageand a time travel novel, Where the Stork Flies.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you’re sharing with us today?
Linda: At a family reunion, a cousin showed me a copy of our family tree. The oldest known ancestor was a woman named Regina, born in 1778, and we were curious about what she’d think of our lives today. From that beginning, I decided to time travel her to the present day and find out.
Betty: What, if any, new writing skill did you develop while working on this story?
Linda: Although I’ve written short stories, this is my first novel. I attended workshops with fiction writers and read books on plotting, character development and scene building. Not a surprise, I found that the same skills are used in my first genre, memoir writing, but with more world building and less self-reflection.
Betty: Did you struggle with any part of this story? What and how?
Linda: Since I was creating characters who did not really exist, I struggled to find motivation for their actions. Why would Kat take in a homeless woman? Why would they come to believe that time travel was real? I needed to sit with these questions and come up with possible answers, which turned out to be their ‘back stories:” what happened in their lives that made them act this way.
Betty: Which character(s) were the easiest to get to know? Why do you think?
Linda: The point of view character was easiest because I made her a librarian, a career I’m familiar with, and the setting was eastern PA, where I live. She also has a Polish American background. Initially, I was writing Regina’s story, but after a while I realized it was Kat’s story I wanted to tell.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write this story?
Linda: I love to do research as a former librarian and journalist, so this was fun, and often led me down rabbit holes I had to pull back from if I ever wanted to finish the book! My husband and I went to Poland to see the area I was writing about. We got to visit an outdoor living history museum and saw the houses, villages, clothes people wore and what they ate from the time period I wrote about.
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Linda: I don’t count them because when I have revised the story, I delete the old stuff. It’s a risk, I know, but I find that keeping old drafts is confusing.
Betty: How long did it take for you to write the story you’re sharing with us? Is that a typical length of time for you? Why or why not?
Linda: I took about ten years to write Where the Stork Flies, taking my time, putting it aside for weeks or months at a time. I didn’t feel an urgency to write it, but I did feel motivated to finish it. I think this is typical for me and some other writers, especially because I also write personal essays and short memoir pieces in between big projects like this one.
Betty: What rituals or habits do you have while writing?
Linda: I like to have coffee at hand, and I write in the afternoon, after my chores and errands are done, when the house is relatively quiet. I write in my upstairs office beside a window that looks down on evergreens and birds flitting between them. Can’t seem to write in cafes or libraries, though I’ve tried.
Betty: Every author has a tendency to overuse certain words or phrases in drafts, such as just, once, smile, nod, etc. What are yours?
Linda: My writing ‘tic’ is gerunds: ing words. “Walking down the street, she…,” “Looking out the window, he…,” “Asking herself the next question, she…” Early feedback I was given was “get rid of all the ‘ing’ words!”
Betty: Do you have any role models? If so, why do you look up to them?
Linda: Oh yes, I do. Older women who taught me what I know and are still writing. Maureen Murdock, Susan Tiberghien, Susan Wittig Albert, were kind and encouraging when I was starting out. The first two are memoirists. Susan Albert writes cozy mysteries and started an organization, Story Circle Network, that supports women writers of all ages and genres.
Betty: Do you have a special place to write? Revise? Read?
Linda: I write in my cozy office/sewing/yoga room on the second floor of my house. Same place for revising, but I take my reading downstairs on the couch or in a big recliner looking out over our deck at the birds and grass. I like to reward myself after a writing session with a good book and a cup of tea about 4 in the afternoon.
Betty: Many authors have a day job. Do you? If so, what is it and do you enjoy it?
Linda: I teach memoir writing on Zoom and in person once a month, and I also volunteer as a docent at the home of Pearl S. Buck. I love both because they connect me with people who love writing and authors, and because my students are eager to share their stories.
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Linda: Lifting up other women by writing about my own struggles and those of my female ancestors. I am a big believer in the connections we make when we give each other the time and space to be heard. People have told me that my words have helped them understand others and themselves.
Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?
Linda: Mystery novels have been my favorite all my life, from romantic suspense as a teen to British mysteries today. I love entering the worlds the authors have created, whether from the past or the present day, and following the plot that works like a puzzle to be solved.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Linda: In terms of wealth or fame, I’m a failure! 😉 But that was never my goal in writing. I started late in life, after 50, and the joy comes from knowing my words are being read far and wide. I love hearing from readers about what they liked. Just the other day, a reader called me from Florida to say I wrote “a great book” because it touched him by bringing up memories of his childhood in the Polish section of Philadelphia, a neighborhood that is one of the settings of Where the Stork Flies.
Kat is estranged from her family when she finds an old woman who speaks no English in her Pennsylvania kitchen, desperate for help. Eager to give her life meaning by coming to her rescue, Kat hires Aniela as translator. When the woman tells them she is Regina, a 19th century Polish peasant, Kat thinks she’s crazy – until Aniela convinces her it may be true.
As they struggle to find a time portal, the exasperated Aniela reveals her true identity as Jadwiga, medieval queen of Poland sent by the Black Madonna to help them. It’s Jadwiga’s first mission after dying in childbirth at 25. If she succeeds, she can stay on Earth and experience more of life.
Kat is overwhelmed as she feels responsible for both Regina and Jadwiga. At least she can buy Regina a new pair of shoes, but no sooner do they arrive at Wal Mart than Regina rescues a girl from assault and realizes that years ago, she was a victim too. Lesson learned, she goes back home with a desperate Kat close behind her.
When Kat gets lost in a 19th century forest, she realizes her own mistakes and goes home to heal her family.
Okay, Linda, I will confess to gasping when you said you delete your previous drafts! I can’t say the same…Eventually I do, just not as I go. Thanks for sharing about your story and writing process.
Happy reading!
Betty
Award-winning Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories
Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.
Please help me welcome my guest author, Sylvia Broady, to the interview hot seat! I think you’ll enjoy finding out more about the inspiration for her stories, so let’s look at her background and then dive right in. Ready?
I was born in Kingston upon Hull, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which has a rich tapestry of history. I live near to the market town of Beverley where stands the magnificent Beverley Minster, and for 17 years I welcomed visitors from every part of the globe. These wonderful places and its people inspire my writing. My novella, The House by the Mere, was shortlisted for the RNA Romantic Short Novel Award. The setting of Wassand Hall gardens and grounds, and the mere, which I love, was instrumental in my story.
Writing is my enduring passion and when I am happiest, apart from my beloved family. My daughter is my biggest fan and I am lucky that she and her family live nearby. I recently returned from a six-week stay with my family in Australia. On a road trip with my son, we stayed over in Inverloch, and visited the library where I spied two of my books. The librarian asked if I would give a book talk. If only I didn’t live on the opposite side of the world.
I keep up with the writing market with memberships of the RNA, The Society of Authors and the Historical Novel Society. Plus, I attend my monthly writers group. I regularly give book talks. And I am eternally grateful for my wonderful readers.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you are sharing with us today?
Sylvia: The inspiration to write Orphans of War started way back. I interviewed a man for local radio for a programme about World War 2. He told me that as a young boy he was on the cliffs at Hornsea when an amphibious craft came along the beach and out stepped General de Gaulle. Fast forward a few years and when I visited nearby Wassand Hall, I learnt that stationed there during WW2 were the Free French. Soon, the idea for my book went into creative mode and became a reality.
Betty: Did you struggle with any part of this story?
Sylvia: I didn’t exactly struggle. However, 70,000 words into my story and researching the best way for my Free French soldier to travel from Paris with his wife and daughter to the safety of his parents’ small farm, I came across the terrible massacre of the Villagers of Oradour-sur-Glane. I realised that this was the refugee children’s story who were being cared for at the manor house by my lovely character Charlotte Kirby, and this was the main storyline. Though the Free French soldiers were still important to the story. With this in mind, I rewrote the 70,000, and the book finished near to 100,000 words.
Betty: Which characters were the easiest to get to know?
Sylvia: Without a doubt, Charlotte Kirby. We first meet her during an enemy bombing raid in the city of Kingston upon Hull, and the attack killed her mother. Her father had died years earlier, so at 16 Charlotte was an orphan. When she goes to live with her aunt in the village of Mornington, she understands the loss of the refugee orphans of war living in the manor house. Feeling an affinity for their suffering, she volunteers to care and support them by helping them to lead as normal a life as possible. I also loved the three ladies who come into her aunt’s pub and tell her stories. And the old man Jack, and the Free French officer Emile, who both play an important role in Charlotte’s life. There is a spirit of camaraderie amongst the villagers, which is a character in its own rights.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write the story?
Sylvia: I love researching and have a tendency to do more than necessary. A friend loaned me copies of his mother’s letters of when she went out with a Free French Soldier. From these, I could gain an insight into authentic life, a part of social history. And other people were generous with information. I read many books and documents, and local history books, far too many to mention. The Free French in the area were the 2nd Tank Armoured Division, under the command of General Philippe Leclerc, and they were training for a special battle mission across the English Channel. Later, they liberated Paris. The bombing raids on the city of Kingston upon Hull, were relentless, causing the loss of many lives. With several books written on the subject and the tragedies well documented. In the past, I have interviewed people about their memories during the WW2 period. Juliette is the Free Frenchman’s daughter who survives to be cared for by Charlotte. While researching this story, I came across a photo of Julia Bricht, age 3 years, with lovely bright eyes and shiny dark hair, and she became my Juliette. Sadly, this beautiful child didn’t survive the death camps.
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Sylvia: About 5 or 6 drafts. Each time I rewrite and edit, I polish, adding finer details or deleting words. Sometimes I have given minor characters the same name. If a sentence become too long and straggly, I reword it so that its meaning is clearer. Double check facts, like the colour of a character’s eyes, or a date of a battle. The list becomes endless, but I enjoy the process, which I feel enriches my writing. Something I have learnt over the years is to know when to stop rewriting.
Betty: Do you have a place to write? Revise? Read?
Sylvia: I have a cosy study where I write, with a view of my garden and the ever-changing sky, and its shelves full of books. Books for research that I have collected over the years. Some with intriguing titles: Every Women’s Enquire Within, Cassell’s Book of Etiquette by a Woman of the World, Women in Wartime. A North-East Coast Town, this is about the city of Kingston upon Hull, and the bombing it suffered during WW2. This is to name but a few of my books. I revise in my study and usually read books on research at my dining room table. Here I spread out maps of the areas I am writing about. However, when the weather is warm and fine, you will find me in the garden surrounded by my writing paraphernalia.
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Sylvia: Most definitely the last book I have published, Orphans of War. So the last book I have published will always be my greatest achievement, though I will always have a place in my heart for the first full-length book I had published. It started with the publication of The Yearning Heart. Previously, I had written short stories and novellas. Over a few years, I wrote a 120,000 words manuscript, which had gone through many changes. With my writers group, I discussed my prospect of publication–it was now or never. I sent off my beloved manuscript to Robert Hale Publishers. To my surprise, it thrilled me to receive an email the next day to say they loved my work and would publish it if I cut 40,000 words. A dilemma! After discussing it with a writing friend, I decided I would cut all those words. My greatest joy was to hold the hardback edition of The Yearning Heart in my hand. And so my joy continues with each book I have published.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Sylvia: I worked full time with a demanding job, a family to care for and aging parents, which didn’t give me much time for myself. Until I answered an advert to attend an evening creative writing class to be held in the local community hall. I loved it, having found my niche. I wrote short stories and a three-part serial and colleagues encouraged me to enter a short story competition on local radio. Imagine my surprise, when at work, I received a telephone call from the literary presenter at the radio station to say that my stories and serial were to be broadcast on the radio and they would pay me. I knew then that my destiny was to become a writer. It took a few years, but I made it. I am passionate about my writing and finding my inner happiness, which pleases me to know that now I can write forever.
Kingston Upon Hull, 1941.
German bombs are raining down on the city. Racing to the nearest air-raid shelter, Charlotte hears an almighty explosion. Her mother’s haberdashery shop has taken a direct hit – killing her mother. Suddenly, Charlotte, 16, is all alone in the world. Then a mysterious aunt comes forward who she didn’t know existed, her mother’s sister, and offers Charlotte a home in the village of Mornington, and to work in her pub. She works hard, despite her aunt’s coldness towards her. When a group of distraught French orphans arrive to live in the big house, Charlotte volunteers to help care for them and finds a new purpose in life.
Then a band of Free French soldiers are billeted in the village, including a handsome young officer, Emile. Soon he and Charlotte become friends, and then they fall in love. Though will it survive? The events of war mar their joy as Emile returns to France and to face more tragedy in his life. And Charlotte must uncover both his and her own family’s secrets if they have a chance of lasting happiness.
Settle in with a cuppa and let’s meet a cute character, Gwyn, taking a break from her story to chat with us. First we’ll look at author Nancy Lee Badger’s bio and then we’ll find out more about our young guest, Gwyn.
Nancy Lee Badger grew up in Huntington on New York’s Long Island. After attending Plymouth State, in New Hampshire, she earned a Bachelor of Science degree and met and married her college sweetheart. They raised two handsome sons in Rumney, New Hampshire while she dreamed of being a writer. When the children had left the nest, and shoveling snow became a chore, she retired from her satisfying job as a 911 Emergency Medical Dispatcher and moved to North Carolina, where she writes full-time.
Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and the Triangle Association of Freelancers. She finds story ideas in the most unusual places, especially at Scottish Highland Games.
Gwyn: My name is Gwyn. Mom died giving birth to my younger brother, York. Da’ is a great man, but we are curious why he made us move from the south shore of Loch Ness to the cliffs along the North Sea.
Betty: Do you know how to swim? How did you learn, if so?
Gwyn: Growing up on Loch Ness meant ye learned to swim early. Da’ taught us all to fish, but our tiny boat leaked.
Betty: What do you think is your greatest failure? Why?
Gwyn: I do not believe I am a failure. Rather, I have had little opportunity to show my true strengths. That all changes when I discover a not-so-dead naked sailor on our beach.
Betty: Do you have a favorite sibling? Who?
Gwyn: Sorry, but I canno’ choose between Tor and York. They have their faults. We three are rather young, but what happens when we meet Monroe makes all of us mature quickly.
Betty: What kinds of friends do you have?
Gwyn: (Gwyn blushes) I recently met a hurt sailor named Monroe. I saved his life on that beach then saved him again when he was kidnapped, and when I meet his da’. Monroe is A GIFT FROM THE SEA and we have become…close.
Grab some hot cocoa and snuggle under the covers this season with four all-new medieval romances by best-selling and award-winning authors Allison Butler, Aurrora St. James, Ria Cantrell, and Nancy Lee Badger. From friends to lovers to a marriage of convenience, hidden identities and his best friend’s sister, you’ll be swept away to the magic of Christmas in Scotland where braw heroes will do anything for the women they’ve come to love.
Sometimes it’s the little things that matter most in life. Today let’s chat with an interesting character from Helena Dixon’s cozy mysteries, Miss Kitty Underhay. Welcome, Kitty! After we find out a little bit about Helena, I’m looking forward to finding out more about you.
Helena Dixon splits her time between the Black Country and Devon. Married to the same man for over thirty-five years she has three daughters, a cactus called Spike, and a crazy cockapoo. She is allergic to adhesives, apples, tinsel and housework. She was winner of The Romance Prize in 2007 and Love Story of the Year 2010 as Nell Dixon. She now writes the Miss Underhay historical 1930’s cozy crime series.
Kitty: My mother vanished when I was six and my father went to America. I have only recently become reacquainted with my father who is something of a rogue. I was brought up by my grandmother at the Dolphin Hotel.
Betty: Who taught you to tie your shoes?
Kitty: Mickey, the maintenance man in the hotel that I co own with my grandmother.
Betty: Do you know how to swim? How did you learn, if so?
Kitty: I live in Dartmouth, a small riverside town in Devon. When you live by water you need to know how to swim.
Betty: What do you think is your greatest failure? Why?
Kitty: I can be quite impetuous and sometimes this has placed me in considerable danger.
Betty: What is the most wonderful thing that has happened to you?
Kitty: I met my fiancé, Captain Matthew Bryant who is a private investigator. We are due to get married on Christmas Eve
Betty: If you could change the past, what would you change?
Kitty: I wish my mother was still alive. I spent years trying to find out what happened to her.
Betty: What’s your greatest fear? Who else knows about it?
Kitty: I really don’t like rats. I think everyone knows!
Betty: What’s your favorite game to play?
Kitty: I like to play billiards although I’m told this is not very lady-like.
Betty: Do you have a favorite sibling? Who?
Kitty: I’m an only child.
Betty: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Kitty: I love living in Dartmouth. Being by the sea has to be the best place to live in the world. The countryside here is beautiful and we have the best seafood and clotted cream.
Betty: How do you like to relax?
Kitty: I like to read, especially whodunnits. I also go to the cinema with my friend, Alice. She is a huge fan of the talkies as my grandmother still calls them.
Betty: What genre of books do you most enjoy reading?
Kitty: Mysteries. I love Mrs. Sayers.
Betty: How do you like to start your day?
Kitty: I wake up early and my best days start when Alice my friend sneaks into my room to share a cup of tea with me. She’s a chambermaid at the Dolphin and has to avoid Mrs. Homer, our housekeeper. We have a good old chat and its such fun. I shall miss that when I marry Matt.
Betty: What kinds of friends do you have?
Kitty: All kinds. Alice and her sister Dolly are my closest friends but there is also Father Lamb who is a priest at Exeter. He’s very kind and generous. Dr. Carter, who I always seem to meet whenever there is a murder. Since I met Matt I always seem to end up embroiled in murders.
Betty: Who would you like to meet? Why?
Kitty: I would like to meet Queen Mary, she always seems so very gracious. Plus, Mrs. Craven has met her and won’t stop bragging about it.
Kitty Underhay is drowning… in murder.
Kitty Underhay hopes for plain sailing as she caters a 21st birthday party for the Chief Constable’s daughter aboard a luxury paddle steamer. So her heart sinks when she learns that the man her fiancé Matthew has been tailing on orders from Whitehall, Gunther Freiburg, is aboard. And she’s even more horrified when she steps below deck to discover Gunther dead in the engine room. One of the Chief Constable’s party must be responsible for his demise, but who, and why?
And the evening is on course for further disaster. As the lights go out around the candlelit cake, a terrible scream rings out over the merry hubbub. A priceless diamond necklace has been snatched from around the birthday girl’s neck… Something fishy is going on, but is this the work of the same sailing assassin, or is it a red herring?
With the local inspector in deep water having to investigate his own boss, Kitty and Matt dive in to help. But when Kitty’s eavesdropping puts her in mortal danger, will everything turn out shipshape, or will it be her turn to go swimming with the fishes…?
My guest today has a unique view of historical fiction writing I think you’ll enjoy. Please welcome author Tamar Anolic! Let’s take a look at her background and writing credentials and then find out more about her and her writing process.
Tamar’s short stories, including several stories that appear in The Lonely Spirit, have been published in Foliate Oak, Frontier Tales, Pen In Hand, Evening Street Review and The Magazine of History and Fiction. Tamar has also had stories published in The Copperfield Review, The Sandy River Review, The Helix and Every Day Fiction. Her full-length books include the nonfiction biography The Russian Riddle and the novels The Last Battle, Triumph of a Tsar, Through the Fire, The Fourth Branch,The Imperial Spy, The Fledgling’s Inferno and Tales of the Romanov Empire. In addition, she has presented on historical fiction and writing at the Historical Novel Society of North America and the Historical Writers of America conferences.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you’re sharing with us today?
Tamar: A single line in the Coen brothers’ version of the movie True Grit. There’s a scene where the main character, Maddie, is asking the sheriff of Fort Smith who the best Marshal is. The sheriff mentions a half-Comanche Marshal who is good at tracking and brings his prisoners in a lot. I thought, “that sounds like an interesting character!” L.S. Quinn came out of the desire to write about a character with that background and those skills.
Betty: What, if any, new writing skill did you develop while working on this story?
Tamar: With short stories, you don’t have a lot of space to convey your plot, character and emotion. Writing these stories definitely helped me hone my skills of brevity while still conveying a lot.
Betty: Did you struggle with any part of this story? What and how?
Tamar: I struggled with where to start this short story collection. The first story I wrote about Quinn is actually the third story that appears in this book. Also, when I first wrote that story, I thought of it as a one-off. It wasn’t until I finished it that I wanted to write more about the character, and realized that I wanted to write more about his backstory.
Betty: Which character(s) were the easiest to get to know? Why do you think?
Tamar: Colonel Robert Graypool, which was a surprise to me. In this book, he is the head of the Comanche reservation at Fort Sill. I conceived of him as a character not long after I thought of Quinn himself, and from the time that Graypool rescues Quinn on a lonely stretch of road, I knew I wanted to write more about him. There are a couple of stories dedicated to him in this collection, and after the first one, where he loses his wife and child, the rest were easy to write.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write this story?
Tamar: I read quite a few books about the Comanche and got as much information as I could from the tribe’s website. I also belong to the Historical Novel Society, and their North American conference last year had a panel on writing Native characters, which I attended. In addition, there are a number of Native authors and educators, such as Debbie Reese and Sarah Elizabeth Sawyer, who offer materials about writing Native characters which I found particularly helpful. Lastly, I submitted the manuscript for The Lonely Spirit to the company Salt and Sage for a sensitivity read, and the feedback I got from that was insightful.
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Tamar: Each story in this collection was different. Some took more drafts than others. With the short story called “The Lonely Spirit,” it’s the longest story in the book and probably took the largest number of drafts to write. It was closer to a novella when I first drafted it, so a lot of my work went into getting it down to short story length¾around 7500 words. When it initially did not get picked up by any literary journals, I put it down for a while before going back to it. Then I revised it some more and resubmitted, and it got published in the Magazine of History and Fiction.
Betty: How long did it take for you to write the story you’re sharing with us? Is that a typical length of time for you? Why or why not?
Tamar: It took me close to ten years to write all of the stories in this collection. That’s unusual for me. I usually write a story, finish it and move on. I kept coming back to Quinn’s character because I liked him so much. I also really liked all of the characters he meets on his journey.
Betty: What rituals or habits do you have while writing?
Tamar: I plot out a lot of my work. I have both an overall arc for the character and a plan for the next several scenes I want to write. I note those scenes at the bottom of wherever I leave off for the day. I also do my best writing in the morning. I like to sit down with a mug of hot tea, which helps me focus.
Betty: Every author has a tendency to overuse certain words or phrases in drafts, such as just, once, smile, nod, etc. What are yours?
Tamar: I definitely like my “long moments in silence.” There came a point where I noticed just how often I use that phrase, and I’ve been working on finding different ways of saying it.
Betty: Do you have any role models? If so, why do you look up to them?
Tamar: I don’t know that I have a single role model, but I admire the writers in my beta reading groups and the writers I’ve met in the writers’ associations to which I belong and the conferences I’ve attended. Each person has a different reason for writing, and a different story to tell. I’ve learned so much from interacting with each of these writers and reading their work.
Betty: Do you have a special place to write? Revise? Read?
Tamar: I usually work out of my apartment. It helps me get into the zone. Before the pandemic, though, I sometimes took my laptop to coffee shops when I needed a change in scenery. I’m looking forward to a time when that can happen again.
Betty: Many authors have a day job. Do you? If so, what is it and do you enjoy it?
Tamar: Yes, I’m a lawyer. There’s a lot that’s interesting about it. My research and writing skills come in handy there, too, and I find that helpful.
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Tamar: Seeing my writing in print. Indie publishing can be an uphill battle in a lot of ways, but it’s a great resource to get my work out there. I feel a sense of accomplishment in seeing a book come to fruition, when it was once just an idea in my head.
Betty: What is your favorite genre to read?
Tamar: Historical, both fiction and nonfiction. I read a lot about the Romanovs, which is the other historical time period I write about.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Tamar: This is a tough question. Writing has always brought me joy¾that’s why I continue to do it. But with indie publishing, it’s so hard to reach an audience. I definitely wish I could connect with readers more and build a broader audience.
The Lonely Spirit is a short story collection of the Old West. L.S. Quinn is a half-Comanche U.S. Marshal who straddles two worlds, searching for peace in both.
Quinn’s adventures pit him against criminals like brothel owner and gunslinger Florence Finnegan, and Jack Mattherson, whose attack on U.S. Senator William Quincy brings out Quinn’s desire for revenge. Quinn isn’t always lucky: when one of his partners turns into his enemy on a lonely stretch of land, Quinn no longer knows whom to trust.
The fight between the Comanche and the United States Army is also never far from Quinn’s mind. When the Army kills his fiancée, Quinn must rebuild his life, even as he finds himself a lasting enemy in Colonel Ranald Mackenzie.
But Quinn’s journeys also bring him into contact with kindness he does not anticipate in such a wild land. Sympathy comes in the form of Colonel Robert Graypool, whose level-headed command of the Comanche reservation at Fort Sill brings out Quinn’s respect when he least expects it. Humanity also resides in Dr. Mary Newcomb, one of the few women physicians of the day. In both of them, Quinn finds some of the community for which he searches.
I have a special treat for you all today. We get to chat with a financial planner (sort of) from Trapped by the Mob by Tami Lund. Please help me welcome Antonio Sarvilli! First a very quick peek at Tami’s bio and then we’ll see what Antonio has to say…
Romcom. Mafia. Suspense. Shifters. Vampires. Demons. Dragons. Witches. And more. Tami Lund writes it all. With wine.
Antonio: *rubs back of head* Wow, you start with a whopper of an interview question, don’t you? Not exactly my favorite subject. There’s a lot of woulda, shoulda, coulda when it comes to my parents… I suppose I’d describe them as never satisfied. Christ, that sounds like a Prince song. But it’s true. They moved to America from Italy, searching for that elusive American Dream, but they never found it and died poorer than before they made that decision. The worst part is, my brother and I, we found the underground version of that American Dream. Running a mafia business is most definitely lucrative.
Betty: What do you think is your greatest failure? Why?
Antonio: Damn, there’s another powerful question. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’re in cahoots with that annoying cop, Detective Proctor. Did you know he thinks I’m just a lay about who constantly mooches money off my brother, the mafia king? Guy has no freaking clue I’m the one who’s grown Gino’s empire so big, there’s no possible way he could spend all that money in a single lifetime. Which, I suppose, takes us back to my greatest failure. Yeah, my greatest accomplishment is my greatest failure. That’s what happens when you start regretting your involvement with the mob, I guess.
Betty: What is the most wonderful thing that has happened to you?
Antonio: This is gonna sound weird, but meeting Phoebe Cavanaugh is definitely the most wonderful thing to have ever happened to me. It’s weird because all I was supposed to do was keep an eye on her, make sure she didn’t cause trouble for my brother. Instead, I… well, I don’t wanna use the l-o-v-e word, but let’s just say… I’m crazy about her. Which sucks because, as wonderful as that is, I can’t let it go anywhere. No way am I pulling her into this messed up world I live in. And since I can’t get out…
Betty: If you could change the past, what would you change?
Antonio: *Snort* That’s an easy one. I never would have let my brother bully me into becoming his financial planner. Man, what I wouldn’t give to be just another working shmuck. Trust me, money really doesn’t buy happiness. Plenty of heartache, though.
Betty: What’s your greatest fear? Who else knows about it?
Antonio: Pushing my brother too far and ending up wearing cement shoes at the bottom of the Detroit River. And no one knows that fear, except, of course, my brother. And you, now. But you know better than to talk to anyone about this interview, right? Crap, interview… you aren’t planning to publish this, are you? That whole cement shoes scenario could become reality. Can you at least change my name or something?
Betty: What’s your favorite game to play?
Antonio: Cat and mouse with my brother, the mafia king. Just kidding. I hate that game.
Betty: Do you have a favorite sibling? Who?
Antonio: I have one sibling, Gino Sarvilli, leader of the Detroit mafia, and he’s definitely not my favorite.
Betty: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
Antonio: Wherever Gino couldn’t get to me. And I’d take Phoebe with me. And maybe Gino’s ex-wife, Margot, and my niece, Nina, because they are good people who got a raw deal and don’t deserve to be under Gino’s thumb.
Betty: How do you like to relax?
Antonio: Before all this mess with Phoebe and my brother and Margot started, I liked to hop into my boat and cruise around the lake. So relaxing. Now, pretty much anything I do with Phoebe is relaxing. Well, when we aren’t trying to hide out from my brother, I suppose. So yeah, I’m not getting much relaxation time these days.
Betty: What genre of books do you most enjoy reading?
Antonio: Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I love a good romance. They’re kinda sexy, y’know? Plus, it’s great fodder for figuring out what women really want. Act like a romance hero, and you’re in, know what I mean?
Sure, Antonio Sarvilli is the money man behind his brother’s criminal empire, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy. He’s not the one out there killing people. All he does is make greenbacks and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
That attitude changes when his brother assigns him to get to know Phoebe Cavanaugh, a Good Samaritan who witnessed something she wasn’t supposed to.
Now, all Antonio wants is to get out so he can be with Phoebe.
Except that’s not how it works when you’re related to the mob.
Yikes, Antonio! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you find a safe passage out of your current situation. Be sure to thank Tami for giving you a few minutes away from your job to chat with us, too!
Happy reading!
Betty
Award-winning Author of Historical Fiction with Heart, and Haunting, Bewitching Love Stories
Visit www.bettybolte.com for a complete list of my books and appearances.
Buckle your britches, here comes Captain Hook! He’s here to tell us more about author Andrea Jones’ story about his life and times. First, let’s get to know more about Andrea, and then Captain Hook will take it away…
Andrea Jones, author of the Hook & Jill Saga – Novels of Neverland, for grown-ups.
Author Andrea Jones questions the fairy-tale premise of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan story: is it truly desirable to remain a child, or is it a greater adventure, after all, to grow up? Jones enthralls us with her award-winning literary series, the Hook & Jill Saga. As a “pirate author,” Jones breaks the rules, and her stories leave readers rethinking convention.
The first three books of the Hook & Jill Saga ─ Hook & Jill, Other Oceans, and Other Islands ─ won numerous literary awards and the hearts of their many readers. Within these novels, Jones deepens and explores Barrie’s famous and infamous characters, and re-imagines the Neverland for grown-up readers who long to return there. Jones is currently composing book four, The Wider World. Five books are charted for this series.
Jones graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Oral Interpretation of Literature, with a Literature minor. In her earlier career in television production, she worked in PBS, CBS, and corporate studios. Jones is known around the world as “Capitana Red-Hand” of Under the Black Flag, a web-based pirate brotherhood.
Captain James Hook: My murderous father, and my cheat of a mother? He was handsome and aristocratic. She was vibrant, and corrupt in a very charming manner, and I adored her. Until their fatal day, they were discreet in front of the servants. But I assure you, there was nothing I didn’t hear.
Betty: Who taught you to tie your shoes?
Captain James Hook: A nursemaid, naturally. Since my unfortunate injury, however, Mr. Smee performs these little tasks for me. He is, quite literally, my right-hand man.
Betty: Do you know how to swim? How did you learn, if so?
Captain James Hook: One doesn’t bother with such a trifle until one adopts a life upon the sea, although many a sailor fails to learn, and many a sailor drowns. Of course, once Pan’s damage was done, leaving me maimed and single-handed, I had to relearn everything. I endured terrible pain, for a very long time. Before the insolent boy’s interference, I was a master swordsman. Do you think it was easy to regain my skill? I couldn’t wield a spoon, let alone a cutlass! By the time I was able to scrawl my signature, even my name had changed. To remain afloat upon a sea of turmoil, aye, this is a skill I was forced to refine, or die.
Betty: What do you think is your greatest failure? Why?
Captain James Hook: For too long, I failed to grasp that my existence is dictated by my Storyteller. I strove in vain to win on my own terms, while all along it was she – “the Wendy” – who narrated my failures and my successes. Once I understood her power, I moved to take her under my control. Alas for all the time spent fighting the boy, when I should have pursued the girl. And yet, those years of struggle make the taste of my victory all the sweeter to the tongue.
Betty: What is the most wonderful thing that has happened to you?
Captain James Hook: I shan’t give the ending away, but I can attest that to possess a woman whose soul encompasses my own is the most exhilarating discovery a man of spirit can experience.
Betty: If you could change the past, what would you change?
Captain James Hook: Not one thing. I have arrived, after years of striving, at a place of perfection. It will not last. In the world of piracy I inhabit, it cannot last. Yet my legend will abide, and I shall die with the satisfaction of having truly lived.
Betty: What is your greatest fear? Who else knows about it?
Captain James Hook: I flinch at nothing but the sight of my own blood. For this reason, the threat of the Crocodile looms ever at my back. Since that fateful day that Pan fed my right hand to the monster, the beast sniffs about the island of Neverland, seeking to devour the rest of me. The men of my crew are aware of my dilemma, as is the Wendy, who, attempting to inflict a weakness upon the “villain” of her tale, dictated this hitch’s existence along with my story. I contrived to make the Croc swallow a clock, which instrument ticks warning of its coming. When the beast and its ticking approach, I seize the nearest weapon, and launch my attack.
Betty: How do you like to relax?
Captain James Hook: Piracy is not a vocation that lends itself to relaxation. In my private moments, when they occur, I devise my schemes for revenge and enrichment; I read philosophy and the classics, play the harpsichord with one hand and one hook, and, in more stimulating moments with the fairer sex, share warm sips of rum to set the mood for seduction.
Betty: Who would you like to meet? Why?
Captain James Hook: I have already met her. I await her awakening. Why? Really – I am a man, and she is a female. I’ll not be so crude as to elucidate the nature of my desires. And one other walks this world with whom I should like to share my appreciation for her interest. My author, Andrea Jones. She “pirated” the brilliant Mr. Barrie’s Neverland, yet she remains true to his vision. I find her ideas as to my character and circumstances enthralling. As I judge it, her mind is full of wit, intelligence – and intriguing twists. She expresses me beautifully. If you doubt me, do pick up the Hook & Jill Saga. We’ll both come to life there.
Wendy Darling learns. What appears to be good may prove otherwise, and what seems to be evil…is irresistible.
In this startling new vision of a cultural classic, Wendy intends to live happily-ever-after with Peter Pan. But Time, like this tale, behaves in an unsettling way.
As Wendy mothers the Lost Boys, they thrive on adventure. Struggling to keep them safe from the Island’s many hazards, she finds a more subtle threat encroaching from an unexpected quarter: the children are growing up, and only Peter knows the punishment.
Yet in the inky edges of the Island, the tales Wendy tells the Lost Boys come true. Captain Hook is real, and even the Wonderful Boy can’t defend his Wendy against this menace. Hook is a master manipulator, devising vengeance for his maiming. Insidious and seductive, Hook has his reasons for tempting Wendy to grow up.
Revenge is only the first.
Deepening the characters sketched by J.M. Barrie, Hook & Jill reveals the dark side of innocence within Peter Pan. It awakens a daring Wendy who asks questions and seeks truth; it delves into Hook, the iconic villain. Striding from fairy tale and thrusting into reality, Captain Hook becomes a frightening force indeed.
My guest today embodies the spirit of never giving up and believing in yourself. And all wrapped up in a sweet and fun woman! Come on and meet author Shelley Justice and find out exactly what I mean. First, here’s a glance at her bio and then we’ll meet her and her latest book release.
Shelley Justice is a Southern belle who lives with her husband and two children in northern Alabama. Her love for the written word inspired her to start writing when she was thirteen years old, and she’s been living in her imagination and crafting stories ever since. In addition to being a bookworm, she is a self-proclaimed TV addict with a special affinity for dramas. She also loves romantic movies, especially of the black-and-white variety.
Betty: What inspired you to write the story you’re sharing with us today?
Shelley: This is a part of my series, and Brick is a popular character among readers of the series. When I began, I never intended for him to have a book all his own, but the more I wrote in the series, the more I liked this character and wanted to explore his story.
Betty: Which character arrived fully or mostly developed?
Shelley: Both of the main characters, Brick and Hope, were fully developed when I started writing. I liked the idea of an opposites attract trope for these two, and it worked well.
Betty: Which story element sparked the idea for this story: setting, situation, character, or something else?
Shelley: Hope owns a bridal boutique and designs her own wedding gowns. This was inspired by my love for the television show Say Yes to the Dress.
Betty: Which character(s) were the hardest to get to know? Why do you think?
Shelley: The antagonist. I won’t say who this person is because there’s a reveal close to the end. But this character was sort of a “throwaway” character, as I call them, one meant to add something to a more important character and then the throwaway character is gone and probably forgotten. It wasn’t until the midpoint of the book that I realized this character needed a more prominent role in the story. It meant having to go back and add some hints in what I’d already written, but I was glad I did.
Betty: What kind of research did you need to do to write this story?
Shelley: I didn’t do a lot of research before I started writing. I usually wait until a particular question comes to mind, and then I disappear down a rabbit hole of internet searches. There are some characters who work as commercial realtors, so I had to do some research into their licensing and qualifications.
Betty: How many drafts of the story did you write before you felt the story was complete?
Shelley: Two read-throughs and edits of the whole thing, start to finish. Multiple edits of particular scenes as I was writing. Something would occur to me, and I’d either go back and work it out in another scene so I could move forward, or I would make a note to edit that scene once I finished. Sometimes I have to edit as I go, otherwise I get stuck on something and can’t concentrate enough to move on.
Betty: How long did it take for you to write the story you’re sharing with us? Is that a typical length of time for you? Why or why not?
Shelley: About three months. Maybe a little more. Since I write part-time, it usually takes me three or four months to write a first draft, but that’s if the characters cooperate. I’ve had one or two in the series to take longer because the characters wouldn’t follow the story I had in mind. The longest amount of time it’s taken me to complete a first draft has been over a year.
Betty: What rituals or habits do you have while writing?
Shelley: I start with a list of characters and descriptions. Sometimes I find photos of random people online to provide me a visual of what the characters look like. Then I just start writing and see where the words take me. Sometimes I’ll have an inkling of how I want the main characters to meet, but the rest comes when it comes.
Betty: Every author has a tendency to overuse certain words or phrases in drafts, such as just, once, smile, nod, etc. What are yours?
Shelley: That is a BIG one. Smile or look/gaze/stare is another. I have an eye fetish I’ve discovered. LOL!
Betty: Do you have any role models? If so, why do you look up to them?
Shelley: My mentor, Maryann Jordan, is one I look up to. She and I have become great friends, and she’s been so patient in answering my endless questions about her writing career and her process. She’s published over 70 books and doesn’t have plans to stop. That’s a goal I’d like to shoot for. I also look up to Dolly Parton. She’s a Southern gal with sass and style and a don’t-care attitude that I wish I had. But I love her work with the Imagination Library and with literacy.
Betty: Do you have a special place to write? Revise? Read?
Shelley: Because I write part-time, I write everywhere. In the car, in the living room piled up on my recliners, in waiting rooms, you name it. Revising I prefer to do while I’m at home. Reading is something I do everywhere. If I’m bored, then I look for something to read usually.
Betty: Many authors have a day job. Do you? If so, what is it and do you enjoy it?
Shelley: I work in marketing for a community college. I never thought this would be a career I enjoyed, but I do. I have time for writing, but I’m able to be creative. I’ve also met some incredible people along the way.
Betty: As an author, what do you feel is your greatest achievement?
Shelley: Actually, publishing that first book. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I was thirteen, but it never seemed to be the right time. I allowed my doubts about whether my writing was good enough or whether anyone would want to read it keep me from considering publishing an option. I don’t know how many times I almost talked myself out of doing it, but I have so many supportive people in my “tribe” who wouldn’t let me give up. It’s only been two years, but I’ve learned so much since that first book.
Betty: What other author would you like to sit down over dinner and talk to? Why?
Shelley: Harper Lee, the author of To Kill a Mockingbird. That book has always been a favorite of mine, and her story has always fascinated me. She’s an author from Alabama, which is my home state as well, and she just always seemed like someone who would shoot straight from the hip, as my grandmother would say. I admire people like that.
Betty: Success looks different to different people. It could be wealth, or fame, or an inner joy at reaching a certain level. How do you define success in terms of your writing career?
Shelley: I have set goals for my writing career, but I don’t believe meeting those goals would mean success for me as much as they would be a source of personal pride. Success for me is a single image I’ve had in my head a long time – to be in a library, to see my book on a shelf and to hear one reader (who doesn’t know me personally) to recommend the book to another reader. Knowing I created something that someone enjoyed enough to recommend it would be a humbling and joyful moment.
Hope Robertson has carefully thought out every aspect of her life. That plan does not include losing her mind, and she had a to-do list to prove it. Someone is disrupting her orderly life in ways so subtle no one believes they are anything more than just flukes. But she has no time for chaos, so she heads to the security firm next door for help.
After a successful military career, Brick Coffey landed at Knight Security and Investigations, and discovered a job he loves. He never imagined he could need or want more in his life — until he sees her. One quick look through the boutique window, and Brick can’t forget the vision dressed in a brilliant white wedding dress. He knows she is out of his league, but when she hires KSI to protect her, he can’t stay away from her.
Hope is French food and fine wine. Brick is barbecue and beer. He’s everything she thinks she doesn’t want. She’s everything he didn’t realize he had been missing. He’ll stop at nothing to protect her because when this case is over, he plans to show her they are more right than wrong.
Betty Bolte's Musings 