It's about out 3:20 am Ireland's time and I am awake reading Iain Banks' A Song of Stone, A
Song
of Stone Paperback: 288 pages. Touchstone Books; ISBN: 0684855364; Scribner edition
September 1999. Price 12.00 It still reminds me powerfully of Kafka's The Castle (except that the
protagonist here lives in the castle and would very much like to leave it and it's barbaric
conquerors
whereas Kafka's Castle the hapless fellow wanted to get INTO the castle and never could. It's the
tone, really, that is similar. The haplessness of most people's lives, many times my own included,
was
a theme that always appealed to me in Kafka and also does in this Banks story. But, I don't want
my
readers to think I am spending the whole of this wonderful trip with my nose stuck in a book.
I have had a very good time, which is a bit unlike myself since I tend to be a bit shy . I have
actually
introduced myself to people, started up conversations, and hugged them. In a brief time I have
become best buds with two women from Canada who used to work for a newspaper and are now
retired and met Tommy Joyce who recommended some good bookstores in Galway which are
also
online. It turns out he is a newspaper man in Galway but , in spite of that , he was very pleasant
and
sweet as the three of us, Jean, Jan, and Fay, were sat at his table in a busy restaurant at lunch. Fay
and Jean seem to be easy company. The lady I sit with is a doctor from Washington, D.C. on
vacation with her parents. She hasn't admitted she is a doctor but like some of my friends she has
Dr.
Suzie porter's mannerisms and can't seem to avoid commenting on health, (my psoriasis and the
cortisone cream), but stops herself elegantly, remembering that even a doctor gets a
vacation.
In fact, we have at least TWO doctors on the trip. I met the second one briefly but found out he is
a
doctor from Puerto Rico when I invited myself to dinner in the hotel with him and his wife. I
forgot
to ask their names so I remember them, but we had a wonderful dinner and talked about China
(they'd been there for two weeks on a medical tour), and language studies in the U.S. and Puerto
Rican's concerns about becoming an official state and losing their linguistic identity. I forgot to
ask
about their family because we were talking about ideas (the wife who I'd talked to before as well
as
the husband). Under normal circumstances, I would have been nervous about talking to them
because I would expect to be rejected.
The lady I sat with is I understand of Philippine descent and her father was in the U.S. military in
a
submarine during WWII. She grew up in Hawaii but they moved to the continent while she was
still
a girl. She kindly wanted to include me in a picture in an old style crofting farmhouse, along with
her
mother and father and a couple of other people (a couple named David and Florence). In fact, I've
had a chance to be nice to and appreciate lots of other people and am working on getting their
names straight. For example, a lady who wears these great clothes and is almost as tall as and a
little
bigger than me. As is her husband who seems to like me also.
I expected to come back to the room and work tonight after a light supper, but the Puerto Rican
couple really wanted to talk and the lady even thanked me for my company. I must get their
names,
in fact; try to ask about them discreetly.
I am gradually potting down from work and the review and editing stuff but would pay a lot for
an
internet connection for just a few minutes so I could resolve some issues and send off some stuff.
I
am determined to write reviews and at least the basis for encyclopedia articles, for example within
the next few days. In fact, I am going to have to try the electrical outlets soon. Got an adapter but
I
hope this one is ready for it.
I talk about my husband Philip to people as it's is impossible not to. Today we briefly visited the
Galway marble workshop and saw raw green, black, and slate colored marble bits. We also got
some
stuff - I got Philip a lovely otter on a piece of Connemara green marble and a hedgehog for myself
and so ended up talking about him to several people. I miss you Philip and want to talk to him all
the
time and think, gee, Philip would love to meet these people but wonder if he would (probably)
and
then I probably wouldn't as he would be more interesting and aggressive about it but then he
would
learn more too.
The banks novel is rather depressing and I am looking forward to Feersujm Enjinn which, along
with
Look to Windward, I would like to finish before writing my short paper for the utopian
conference.
(Look to windward, Feersjum Enjinn, The Business and A Song of Stone, I think, but I got
complicity and one other in mm paperback just to be sure.
I seem to be sleeping a lot or trying to on the bus but the road really winds and the bus bounces a
lot. In any case, A Song of Stone is about this guy who owns a castle and he and his girl Morgan
are
trying to escape in a refugee situation. They are set upon my military types (though without a real
army behind them anymore) and all go back to the castle . The little troop of military are lead by a
female lieutenant and the two are immediately in a contest of wills as he tries to do minor irritating
things (not sabotage, but irritations like 'dropping' all the little birds the L. has just shot into the
river
and playing an ugly aria on the piano when asked to show his skill. They also seem to be trying to
compete for Morgan's affection and Morgan is not really resistant to either of them.
The narrative is in the first-person and HE is narrating it to Morgan, telling her the story from his
perspective and in the first person present as if he is speaking to hear but the story is told from a
future point; look for pg , and I think we are seeing a narrative where L. and the Pro. May merger
into or turn into each other - or at least it's what the Prof. fears. Commentary on identity, personal
and social and philosophical and historical about and whole chapters of it interrupt the action (like
a
long soliloquy while he is done in a well being pissed and vomited on. It is also more like the wasp
factory but the Pro. Is not crazy, the world is. It's in a state of social chaos and so centuries of
civilizations artifacts are gradually (or rapidly in one night of debauched partying in the castle
itself)
being destroyed. It is about all such occurrences in recent history (from Italy before the U.S.
entered
WWII and France) and stuff with the Tutsi and Hutu and Afghanistan under the Russian attacks,
in
between and now under U.S. attack, but it is the upper class who comments here. In Whit we had
a
social outcast in a cult society and in the business we had a member of the business elite, all of
whom have to figure out complicated social and political feints and secrets and personal
manipulations in order just to survive (which then seems also to be the way they triumph). In the
latter two, Business and Whit, however, the protagonists are female.
Well, it's almost 4 a.m. (which is 10 p.m. in Wisconsin) and I am fading fast - the night of June
18-19 (OR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY) boy THE time is really off on this machine. I will
have to adjust it when I get home it says June 18, 2002 8:55 a.m. Which seems to be five hours
ahead of and one day behind what I should be for here in Ireland So, TIME TO say
goodnight...?
Greetings from Inverness, Lock Ness and the Caledonian Mountains
Jan Bogstad, 3:26 a.m. Greenwich mean standard time, Inverness, Scotland , July 2 (that's 9:26
p.m.
July 3 for you guys in the Midwest U.S..I guess it's time to sing for my lunch at least that one that
James Cox , Editor & Chief of Midwest Book Review fame, bought me four weeks ago in the
WisCon time-space continuum. I must say, I am certainly in a different one here in Inverness,
Scotland . Or perhaps I could just hit the bagpipe on my newest hedgehog and she will play a
familiar Scottish tune for you instead. (Jan's newest hedgehog rounds off her hedgehog collection
at
somewhere between 250& 275, carved, cast, whittled, sculpted, but never stuffed or live
hedgehogs.
My favorite is a French hedgehog carved from a dried apple.)
I am in Inverness Scotland which is known to us in the U.S. for two features: It is close to Loch
Ness and the elusive Loch Ness monster. It is also very close to the battlefield of Culloden, the
last
battle fought on English soil, April 16, 1746. However, there is a lot more to see around
Inverness,
some of it on tours planned and paid for at the tourist information center in the middle of the town
and some of it unexpected and therefore even more delightful.
While I have booked tours to Culloden (a 7 pound tour takes you around the town and out to
Culloden then drops you off and you can walk around at your own pace for free or sign up for
visits
to a rebuilt cottage, slide show, museum, etc for 5 additional pounds) as well as a one-day visit to
the archeological sites on Orkney and a 7 hour trip to various castles, around the town, I also love
Inverness for, well for Inverness.
I have been here with Phil, my husband, and Cathy, my best friend. This time I came alone
knowing
that I was familiar with the town and could rest and recuperate after two conferences and that I
could go on early tours and do lots of walking (so next time I come one of these two, I won't be
so
grouchy about their collective disinterest in either of these activities. I also came because this is,
well, Inverness.
So, I will be here two more days, and I had lots of details to handle yesterday - laundry, internet
access (in the launderette, no less), post office, getting oriented. So I just had time for about three
hours of touring and took the little cream and green guide Friday tour out to Culloden and came
back on the last, 5:45 bus. I skipped lunch, so I went to Bella Pasta near the tourist office for
dinner,
stopped in the Kiltmaker's shop on the way home and got my little hedgehog highland piper, a few
minor bits of jewelry (the prices were so good) and two more pair of kilt sox - the only
knee-highs
I've ever found to fit my 6'1" frame.
On the way to cross the River Ness on my way to my B&B in Fairfield street Ardgowan, 45
Fairfield road, 18 pounds a night for a single no less and I am sitting in it at 2:30 in the morning
on
July 3, and looking back at how a little more than six hours ago I noticed a couple of men dressed
in
full tartan plaid and carrying bagpipes. (It was the red Steward plaid, I think). I snapped few
pictures
as they waited at the street crossing with a few other people. Then a few more started to emerge
from cars and minibuses until there were about a dozen pipers, one player of a big drum who
rested
it on an imitation lion pelt apron (complete with head peeping out from his back, two men with
smaller drums (one red one black) and this tallish slender fellow carrying a silver-tipped cane. By
this
time a few people were following them as they walked from the bridge to a pedestrian section that
extends from the tourist office about two blocks past shops and diners. I asked a couple of
pedestrians I had seen talking to one of the group of pipers and they told me there was to be a
performance in the town I should just follow along if I wanted to see it. Sure enough, when the
company of about 16 assembled, all in their full regalia of caps, (the four anomalous ones had
those
tall black fuzzy ones), full kilts with the over the should bit too, kilt shoes with white spats
attached,
kilt sox, short swords and many of them with a dirk slipped in at the knee of the right kilt sock,
and,
or course, their tartan bagpipes, they lined up as a troupe of four ranks of four, four and three
with
the chap with his silver headed baton in front. He raised his baton and said "Pipes and drums,
Pipes
and drums attttttten-shun. Pipes and drums on my mark," and then they began to pipe and drum
and
walk in formation to the other end of the block, followed by their band of eager observers who
grew
on the passage down the block. I certainly followed and snapped more pictures which I will be
glad
to show people.....
At the other end, they went into a circular formation and started playing a range of piping pieces
which I recognize but couldn't name. They played a couple of songs, then the big drummer put
down
his drum and they stopped for a bout a minute while people scrambled around taking pictures.
Now
these guys ranged in age from about 20 to about 70, and they had very different but
characteristically Scots faces - only a few had beards, some were about 5'4" and others over 6'4' -
the snare drummers who stood side by side were one of each. Then the leader said "Pipes and
drums, Pipes and drums attttttten-shun. Pipes and drums on my mark," and they started another
tune. This went on for about 40 minutes, with short breaks for the bid drummer to put down his
drum and everyone to get their wind back - bagpipes take a LOT of wind.
I loved the music, although there was more than one young kid in the audience with their hands
over
their ears. But I also loved looking at their faces. There was this one tall, healthy looking,
clean-shaven young man about 30 and he was a delight to behold. But than there was this fellow
whose face was slightly red, but it was also festooned (the only appropriate word I can find), with
a
beard and mustache and this grin that showed around the blowpipe of his bagpipes. Then there
were
a couple of fellows who had to be in their sixties at least, one of then with that long droopy white
mustache we used to see in the Shirley temple movie of The Littlest Sergeant. And this guy in his
50s who as a little bigger than the norm, but had this cream-white hair longer than most of the rest
that waved all over the place under his cap. I took pictures of as many as I could manage,
delighted
in the music, and finally made my way to a phone box to tell Phil all about it, because, this is, after
all, Inverness, and by now I had finally realized I was here.
( Husbands note here. Jan was staying one of the northern most parts of Scotland around 59
Degrees North Latitude which means that it stays light till almost, mid night and Scotland is six
hours ahead of Eau Claire Wisconsin. Therefore Jan called me at my office at 5:30 p.m. and
informed that among other things she was watching a 11:30 p.m. sunset. What a world, what a
life.)
For those of you interested in my literary work , I have given my outline-paper on Diana
Gabaldon's
Outlander series -Outlander-, 1991; Mass Market Paperback: 850 pages, Dell Books; ISBN:
0440212561; Reissue edition (July 1, 1992)Price 7.99 - Dragonfly in Amber,- 1992; Paperback:
947
pages; Dell Books; ISBN: 0440215625; Reprint edition (December 1993)-Price 7.99
-Voyager,-Mass market paperback ; Dell Books; ISBN: 0440217563; (November 1994)Price
7.99
-Drums of Autumn-, 1997 Mass Market Paperback: 1070 pages, Publisher: Dell Books; ISBN:
044022425X; (December 1, 1997)Price 7.99 -Fiery Cross-, 2001; Hardcover: 976 pages;
Publisher:
Delacorte Press; ISBN: 0385315279; (November 6, 2001, Price 27.95) and Soldier Farewell
scheduled to come out in 2003 at the Science Fiction Research Association conference held in the
utopian community of New Lanark, Scotland, and am now reading the third book, Voyager,
which I
never had time to read properly.
This third book of 800-1100 page novels is set around the battle of Culloden and then in the new
world of the Carolinas, so it's really appropriate and hard to tear myself away from to sleep, or
write, etc. It's historical, but also time-travel perhaps science fiction or that term I despise often
applied to women's sf, science fantasy, mystery, and romance, as I was explaining just a few days
ago on June 30 to an audience of about 20. Of course, that's one reason I wanted to come back to
Inverness, to experience it after I had read Gabaldon's books (she's American and will be visiting
Edinburgh and Inverness to meet her German publishers later this year).. Check these books out,
even if you don't usually read science fiction, science fantasy, historical, mystery, or romance
novels.
She's got a large and devoted audience already. Her third book beat out Michael Crichton for the
#1
bestseller in 1994. And reading her is precisely what I'm going to do now as I put myself back to
sleep (or maybe I will play my little piper and drift off to his mild version of a highland piping
tune.
So, tomorrow I spend 11 hours riding to the Orkneys ferry, on the ferry and around the main
island,
and back. I will see prehistoric villages found in the 1930s, standing stones, as well as the
Churchill
barriers erected in world war II, and the Italian Chapel built by 500 Italian prisoners of war who
were sent to the Islands to do war related construction. It will be a long day, but probably
well-worth it. And, of course, I will have to come back to Inverness to see the rest.
Dr. Janice Bogstad, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
International Editor, Midwest Book Review
Kaveny's Bookshelf
As some of you might remember from last month's Kaveny's Bookshelf I participated in a poetry
slam, which was really good for me in a lot of was, real people, real time, but no instant replay. So
this month I gave I gave the poetry slam at The Acoustic Cafe in Eau Claire WI another shot,
however I did not make it past the first round maybe Eau Claire is just not ready for me. This
months winner was a big bouncy blond in tight shorts in her mid twenties who won it all by
reciting
a poem about how she lost nights studying because she shallowed her boyfriends tongue, and she
didn't even have to got to the emergency room to have it removed .
I also won in a much bigger way than I ever could have expected by un-inventing television in my
personal and intellectual life. Like many great inventions this un-invention happened almost be
accident the day after me wife Dr. Janice Bogstad left for 31 days in the United Kingdom and
Ireland. Jan by the way is the international editor for Midwest Book Review , and I suggest you
check out her feature for this month with The Midwest Book Review.
Well my un-invention of television was the result of my attempt to play a tape through a VCR that
our cable service ran through. No matter what I did the screen stayed blue and nothing I did could
make it play either a tape or tune to the cable channels. Of course I could have just called the
cable
guy the next day , but that was not to be . Because , instead I picked up a thousand page book
called
Dreadnought: Britain, Germany, and the Coming of the Great War, Ballantine Books (Trade
Paper)
Paperback - 1007 pages Reprint edition (November 1992) Ballantine Books (Trade Paper);
ISBN:
0345375564 Price 13.97
Well I have been planning to read this book for the last ten years but somehow between selling
books creative writing, playing chess. Graduate School and working through my with The
University of Wisconsin Madison position to a successful early retirement , it just kept falling off
my
shelf. Which is strange since I have had an interest in "The Great War For The last forty years. My
interest in the Great War stretches back across my life. As a matter of fact I decided to include
just a
little of a conference paper revised and updated which I presented at The International Conference
on The Fantastic & the Arts in 1989, with the hope I can now turn it into a book
I was born in 1944 in the midst of another war, but my father Edward T. Kaveny 1898-1985 , was
born the same year as Albert Maria Remarque author of All Quiet on The Western Front.
Incidentally, my father was a World War I veteran and a member of THE V.F.W. (he was in OCS
at
Holy Cross University where they trained with broomsticks) though he never saw the European
theater, as I was fortunate enough to never see Vietnam. Eighty Eight years later the Great War
has
almost fallen off the event horizon, and yet its magnitude is such that it is a cultural watershed of
western civilization.
Confounding the understanding of World War I is a problem of numbers. It is popular to talk of
Vietnam and its costs to our generation; yet, more British soldiers died on two days during the
First
Battle of the Somme than the total American personnel loss throughout the course of the Vietnam
War, a fact forgotten by almost all except military historians. While World War I is lost in the
mists
of popular consciousness it still permeates the literature and literary tradition of western culture.
And in turn these images mediated through the aesthetic of literature profoundly change the way
we
look at and think about war. It is my intent to utilize various conceptual approaches and analytical
tools to discuss the way this imagery operates through the craft of the artists to assert their voice
during the process of artistic creation.
The forty-some years from the end of the Franco-Prussian War(1871) as described by such
popular
historians as Barbara Tuchman, were a period of geometric acceleration of industrialization. It
would be too boring to make a point by point comparison of western civilization in 1871 with that
of
1914. However, the statistics are certainly available for those that wish to do so. Perhaps most
importantly, the west had become mass producers and mass consumers. So the factories turned to
"producing death looking for more death." By 1914 it begins to make sense to start talking about
a
post-industrial infrastructure. All the economies, even Czarist Russia, were engaged in
exponential
growth and transformation. With the advent of Bernstein, even Marxist theorists had to redefine
the
timetable for world revolution. It seems that in August of 1914 the Great War was a war which
everyone wanted. International Socialism prostituted itself by voting nationalism and war credits.
Radicals became patriots, and territorial claims generations forgotten were resurrected by the
necromancers of the newly developed mass media. And yet it seems that almost no-one had any
idea
of what these changes could mean for the nature of warfare. It was expected that the war would
be
over by autumn. What is now so apparent to all is that the energies of the transformed economic
infrastructure were mobilized for the wholesale extermination of a generation. Some have
suggested
that the Great War was fought by opposing boards of directors. And yet, it was as if those who
ran
the war were still dominated by the romantic imagery of an earlier age, calling out the flower of a
past age to stop the onslaught of the enemy.
The thing that hooked me about Dreadnought was that it is a book about the present as it is a
book
about a Naval arms Race That may have been both the Necessary and sufficient cause for World
War One. For months I have planned to introduce my theory of varying length centuries into my
feature . Well here goes working backwards!
The 20th Century Lasted Eighty Six years form August 3rd 1914 to Sept 11 2001. The
Nineteenth
Century lasted almost exactly one Hundred from the Battle of Waterloo June 18th 1815 until the
Guns Of August of 1914. The Eighteenth Century really lasted much longer from the Treaty of
Westphalia which ended the 30 years War in Germany 1618-1648 until Battle of Waterloo June
18th
1815. This one hundred and sixty seven year period is called "The Enlightenment in European and
even American History. It's salient feature was people stopped killing each other over religion.
Sad
to say it seems as if we have come full circle in the 21st Century.
But back to Dreadnought it is a great work of history in a time when great works of history are
academically discouraged. Scholarship seems caught up in the case study and synthesis which
might
have some relevance to the present is thought only as the study of "Dead White Men. Really
Dreadnought is not a book about a battleship it is a book about a deadly race for control of the
sea
in which Great Britains Attempt to build the an all big gun battleship in 1906 second to none.
Britain
succeeded and not only made every German battleship obsolete but every made every other
British
Battleship obsolete also.
But it is also a book in which Great figures shine through. Perhaps the two greatest being Queen
Victoria who ruled sixty three years 1837-1901, and to my mind Winston Churchill 1874-1965
Victoria was the Grandmother of The German Kaiser Wilhelm II 1862-1940 and the mother of
The
British King Edward VI 1841-1910, along with several other European Monarchs. Churchill does
not get as much ink as some f the figures in the book since it only covers the period up to his rise
as
first Lord of The Admiralty, yet when one thinks that Churchill served Queen Victoria as a Young
Calvary officer in the late 1890's after his graduation from the British West Point Sandhurst, and
lived serve Elizabeth II in 1953 as prime minster his figure is like a spindle that holds together
three
centuries of world history.
For example as I turn to the Wonderfully organized and topically arranged index of Dreadnought
( A
book which weighs almost four pounds ) I find about 100 entries on Churchill I turn to pages
784-785. "the decision to convert the Royal Navy from coal power steam engines to Oil which
Churchill made in 1911 as First Lord of The Admiralty, We find that Churchill is now aware that
the
oil of The Middle East will become a critical factor in British Naval Supply, By this is decision he
may have doomed us to our present and future by the type of warship engine he chose . I have
looked at some other reviews of this book particularly on Amazon and to be as kind as I can I
found
them moronic. You just have to read this book to get a feeling of the high drama and human
frailty
that so characterized the of the period of | Dreadnought.
With my un-invention of television which is now in its sixth week I was able to turn back to some
of
my favorite books which cover some of the same themes and period as dreadnought. I have not
re-
read all these books from cover to cover, but they all have my highest recommendation and I have
included buying information from Amazon so I know they are all still available though my copies
are
out of print, those I listed are easily available from Amazon,.
The Guns of August, Ballantine Books (Trade Paper) Paperback - 511 pages Reprint edition
(April
1994) Ballantine Books (Trade Paper); ISBN: 034538623X. Price $10.50 I read this book first at
least thirty years ago, I am delighted it is still in print because there are a whole generation of
readers
and citizens that need to know how tragically the early 20th Century May come to foretell the
21st
Century with sakes of civilization raised by a whole order of magnitude.
The First World War, John Keegan Paperback - 475 pages (May 16, 2000) Vintage Books;
ISBN:
0375700455. Price 11.20 Keegan is in many ways the dean of the 20th Century Military Historical
writers. I own all of his books which I have read and all of his nearly score of books. He is able to
make the jump from the personal, to the historical and finally to the global more easily than any
writer of military history I know each time I re-read one of his books I find out something
new.
Zimmermann Telegram, Ballantine Books (Trade Paper) Paperback Reprint edition (March 1985)
Ballantine Books (Trade Paper); ISBN: 0345324250 Price 11.20. I first read this book 37 years
ago
as a result of a road trip to Valpariso University when I was a junior at UW Madison in 1965 . I
remember the blind date was a flop but by the time I was done with this wonderful book I had a
lot
better idea of the necessary cause for United states intervention in WWI in April 1917.
The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Oxford
University Press; ISBN: 0195133315; 25th anniversary edition (April 2000) price 11.17. Fussell is
one of my favorite writers as long as he writes military history because that is where he writes like
a
pissed off nineteen year old 2nd Lieutenant who fought his way accurse Europe after D Day
rather
than the candy ass English professor
Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused
It
by Gina Bari Kolata Hardcover: 330 pages Publisher: Farrar Straus & Giroux; ISBN:
0374157065;
(November 1999) Price 4.99. Picture a disease that sweeps the world and kills more civilians than
all
the soldiers who died in both world wars do. Picture a disease so dreadful that it seeks out the
young and strong in the prime of their lives; picture a disease that is so virulent, that it course
knocks ten years of the predicted life expectancy of an American born in 1919 from 49 to 39
years
of age. Yes I checked detail and it is correct. That is what the great Flu Pandemic of 1918 did. It
is
part of my family history. I lost a grandfather, and uncle as an infant, and a great uncle by
marriage.
Both my mother and aunt recalled the horror the experienced in the flu epidemic of 1918 as six
and
four year old girls history has a lesson for us and this is what a natural agent did to us out of
nowhere. Read this book and try to sleep well the next night.
That's all for this month, and I still have not gotten around to calling the cable guy. But I confess
my
wife figured out what I did to the cable. But for me T.V is still un-invented.
Philip Kaveny
Literary Editor
Midwest Book Review
Laurel's Bookshelf
Interview with Karen L. Syed:
Karen L. Syed is founding partner, CEO, and senior editor of Echelon Press, located in Crowley
TX. Echelon Press is a regional publisher at this point, specializing in e-books and trade
paperbacks.
I chose to interview her because of her vision and philosophy.
LJ for MBR: I know you have a vision for Echelon, and from my previous contacts with you I
feel
you operate according to a specific philosophy. Tell us in your own words what hopes you have
for
Echelon and how you go about realizing those hopes and goals.
KLS: The main focus for Echelon is the author. Being a writer myself, I know how hard it is to
break into the market. You have to have a name to sell and you have to sell to get a name. Does
anyone else see the error in this logic? When I hooked up with Stacey King and we decided to
form
Echelon Press, we thought about all the things holding us back from becoming world famous
authors. Honestly, we write outside the box. We both have what we like to think of as innovative
ideas. We realized that there must be many others out there just like us. So we set up the
company.
We love going out and finding fresh new voices to publish. Many are first time authors who have
been rejected for any number of reasons, because traditional publisher are afraid to take a chance
on
an unknown author with a new idea. We also have previously published authors who just want to
write their own stories and not what someone tells them to write. Echelon is all about growing.
We
want to grow with the market while we help grow the market. We don't even consider previous
credits, we just look at that story and if we love it we will do what it takes to make it work. We
want to introduce fresh voices to the market so they can go on to make a name for themselves,
not
necessarily just with us, but wherever they choose to go after us. We like being cutting edge and
we
thrive on the abnormal...er...non-traditional.
LJ for MBR: That philosophy is long overdue! I know that many of the books I review by
unknown
writers simply knock my socks off. The fact that these writers are published by small presses or
e-publishers does not negate the fact that they are excellent at crafting prose.
Give me a rundown of your process then. The Echelon submission guidelines on your site are
straightforward. What happens between author query and your refusal or publication of a
manuscript?
KLS: We read! When a query comes in, either Stacey or I decides if it strikes us or not. There
have
been a couple of books that I knew after the query that I would end up buying. I always go with
my
first instinct. I have to say, we are a little slow in responding because we do read carefully. Once
we
get a proposal or a full manuscript we make marks as we read. If it starts out slow, but improves
throughout, chances are we will take the time to work with the author (this is usually after a
contract
is offered). I contracted a book recently that I only received the proposal, I was so enthralled with
the book that I rushed into my office to get the rest of the book...which I DID NOT HAVE! I
e-mailed the author and begged her to send me the rest ASAP so I could finish it. I knew after the
proposal I would buy it and I did. That just happened again this past week. I MADE myself read
the
entire book before offering the contract. I have called the author, but with it being a holiday
weekend she is gone and has not called back. I am more nervous about her accepting our contract
than she will be about signing it. I get excited about what we buy and that makes it easy for me to
work with the author. Stacey has to constantly remind me to keep a cool head or I'd have us
contracted into 2006 already. If a book is rejected by us, it is done so with a full explanation as to
why. We consider style, character development, and technical skills. We want good clean
manuscripts (what editor doesn't?) but if the story is so outstanding, we will put a little extra
effort
out to help the author hone their skills. I don't think we have yet sent out a form rejection. A
writer
will never learn or grow if someone doesn't take the time to tell them what they did wrong, or
why it
didn't work.
LJ for MBR: Well that sure blew MY vision of publishers out of the water! I always imagine
editors
mired in ennui and tossing manuscripts off to the side onto a giant slushpile. To know you reply
and
try to educate even the authors whose work you decline is refreshing, even amazing.
Do you have a set number of manuscripts you accept each month or season? How does that
procedure go, and tell us what guidelines Echelon follows regarding new releases.
KLS: heehee. oh heehee...You are cute...procedures, guidelines...ohh. Sorry. Seriously. The first
phase of Echelon has been a true learning experience. We started thinking we would get a couple
of
submissions a month. Shoot, some weeks we get dozens. We are stunned by the attention we
have
received. So far we have not even considered closing submissions (we do ask for patience). We
just
want authors to know that just because we are an independent publisher we cannot simply say,
"Okay, we buy this book and it will be out in a month." It will not happen. If we even tried, we
would kill ourselves and put out sub standard books. We are contracted well into 2003 and as
much
as we would like to publish books quickly, there is too much involved. Because some of the
books
need technical work, it might take months to edit and revise it, then we have the review process.
(Authors, it can take up to six months to get reviews back-so have mercy on your editors and
marketing department.) Then you have the actual publication process: formatting, cover art (done
mostly in house), printing, distribution, and it all takes time. We recently boosted our editing staff
to
offer a better system for our authors. We can't do everything, as much as we thought we could.
We
set out to release our titles in electronic format first, with the paper release to follow 3-6 months
later. But as you know life happens and the system changes daily, so this might not be the case
tomorrow.
LJ for MBR: Great answer with good details, Karen, and it dovetails nicely into my next question.
I
tried to do my homework before starting this interview, by checking out your website. I got the
impression that you ALWAYS publish a book in e-format first before it goes to the paper version.
Are you saying that is not the case necessarily, or that you may modify that practice? The reason I
ask that is that many authors are still hesitant about e-publishing, or know very little about it.
KLS: We get a lot of "flack" in regard to this practice, but it is the path we have chosen. In a
sense it
is a period of adjustment for the authors. Since so many of them are new authors, this offers a
chance for stepping into a new market, as well as giving us a kind of pre-promotion period. We
get
the book out into the market and build up some interest and excitement and hopefully everyone
wins
with this practice. As for what is the norm, this is what we do now, generally speaking. The only
exception will be multi-author anthologies, like our Crumbs in the Keyboard project. I wish there
was a way for writers to experience electronic books on a wider level. I am a convert. I now read
on
my Palm Pilot and I am so thrilled with it (much more convenient than carrying a book). If you
haven't read an e-book, try it, you will honestly be surprised.
LJ for MBR: You mentioned Crumbs in the Keyboard. When I first learned of this anthology I
was
impressed with the purpose behind it.. In fact, it was through the project that I originally met you
and learned of Echelon. Please tell us more about Crumbs in the Keyboard, why it's important to
you
and anything else you'd like to share about the anthology.
KLS: Crumbs in the Keyboard was a first for us at Echelon. Pamela Johnson (one of Echelon's
Award Winning authors) asked the initial question..."How do they do it?" As she can tell you, the
project snowballed from there. I became a contributor before I became a publisher and I've never
participated in anything as important. The idea came from the emotions barreling around inside
everyone after the tragic murder of Nancy Richard Akers. Obviously, as women, we are saddened
and motivated by the need to make things better in a world that is overrun with domestic violence.
Crumbs is that something for many of us. Each of the eighty contributors has their own personal
reason for being a part of it and for working as hard as they do, but they all share a common
goal--to make a difference. I became a contributor because I am a domestic violence survivor and
my life is richer because of the strength I've gained from the liberation. It is those lessons that
allowed me to move on and make something of my life. Echelon Press became involved at the last
minute because Crumbs needed a home. The editors (Pamela Johnson and Sheryl Hames Torres)
put
it together and got it to us very quickly, our staff worked desperately with Pamela to get it
formatted and ready to go, and the authors did everything they could to pre-promote and generate
the interest necessary to launch the book on June 1, 2002. It is absolutely glorious to see what
such
a large and scattered group of people can do when they share a common goal. It is safe to say that
to date, in the short time it has been available, Crumbs is our best selling book. The best part is
that
everyone is doing this out of conviction (all the authors have vowed to donate 100% of their
royalties to the education and awareness of domestic violence, with Echelon matching their
donations.) You can find out more about the cause and the contributors at
www.crumbinkeyboard.com.
LJ for MBR: WOW! What a worthy purpose, Karen! Your answer gave me goosebumps, and I
regret more than ever discovering that project too late to contribute in some small way. Give me a
second here to regroup....
Alright. You've given us a basic overview of Echelon and your vision as publisher. Would you
mind
sharing a bit of information about you, your background in education or experience related to the
field of publishing?
KLS: Most of what I know I learned from experience (bad ones). I have been writing for as long
as I
can remember. My days in college consisted of heartbreak, where my basic English professor told
me not to give up my job flipping burgers because I would never amount to anything in the
writing
industry. May I just say...JERK! I have taken as many different level classes about writing as I
could
find and I have picked the brain of any published author, editor, or agent who would stand still
long
enough to let me suck them into my learning sponge. I worked for a small pres publisher prior to
forming Echelon and was raked over the coals by several others as an author. We try to run
Echelon
on the ideas of NOT doing to others what has already been done to us. I write from the heart, I
read
from the heart, and I contract from the heart. Life has been my teacher and years of working
through
it. Then there are those people who tell me I can't, so I do!
LJ for MBR: I like that answer. You write, read, and contract from the heart. There are those
who
will say yeah, but that does not feed the bottom line. Maybe you and Echelon have found a way to
publish with heart and STILL have a healthy bottom line. That would be refreshing in the world
of
publishing, now wouldn't it!
I think this is a good place to start winding down. Is there any question you wish I would have
asked, or any other information you would like to share with our readers?
KLS: You could have asked me how it feels to be a Goddess! (laugh) I'm not sure you missed
anything in your questions. As for the bottom line? If we make the readers happy by producing
quality books we will achieve all that we deserve. Instinct has led me down many a different path.
(Unfinished Dreams by Pamela Johnson--brand new full length author who is now sporting a list
of
industry award nominations and a Crystal Globe Award for Best New Writer. I went with my first
instinct and she is golden!) How can we go wrong when the praise speaks for itself?
But I would like to encourage writers and readers alike. Writers, know your market and follow
instructions. I am finding that in the publishing end of this business, the most common reason for
manuscript rejection is failure to pay attention. (grammar, style, submission guidelines). All of
these
things are part of the business. If you want to be a professional, you must first act like one. I face
people every day who tell me that Echelon is not as important or valuable to the industry because
we
are an independent publisher. Horsepucky! Ask any reader what they want and they will always
tell
you something that they cannot get! Write from the heart and you automatically become a success
in
what you do! You must please yourself before you can please others.
As for readers, don't be afraid to tell us what you want. If you only buy what is made available to
you, that is all you will ever get. You want wild? Write a letter and tell that to your favorite
publisher. You want exotic? Shout it from the mountain tops. You want weird and freaky? Don't
be
afraid to speak up! Without the loyalty and support of the readers there is no need for publishers
or
authors. We are but one small part of the entertainment industry, and we are no good if we fail to
entertain. So let us entertain you!
LJ for MBR: If that answer does not give struggling writers a boost, nothing will! Thanks for
leaving everyone on a note of hope to keep them writing and creating.
That's all I have, Karen. I appreciate the time and thought you gave to your answers. Thanks! I'll
just
remind our readers of your website again before we close this out. www.echelonpress.com
KLS: No, thank you!!!
==================================================
Interview with E.L. Burton
I reviewed E.L. Burton's first book, $oft Money, for the August Reviewer's Bookwatch. I chose
to
interview him because of both his spoken and unspoken philosophy.
LJ for MBR: Your first book, $oft Money, had all the intrigue and excitement of any action
thriller I
have seen in recent years. Your fictional accounting of the underside of politics in Washington DC
was believable and had the ring of truth to it. What gave you the idea to write this book, and
what, if
any, research did you do to give it that realistic edge?
E.L.B.: What a fun question!! I think that the reason you felt that $oft Money had a true ring to it
was because in reality it is not too far from the truth. Just look at how bloated government has
become. Look at the laws that have been written and passed that have no bearing on or concern
for
the average citizen. I believe that the government envisioned by our forefathers has been
corrupted
by the flow of money and the access that it provides. On the final pages of $oft Money I
wrote:
"The vision conceived by the founders of this great nation in reference to the structure and nature
of
government has drifted farther and farther from its original course and ultimate destination. Gone
are
the ideals that embodied political aspirations of generations past, whose sole purpose was to
aspire
to office, to step in and serve his fellow man, and bring with him the wisdom of a life's work.
Those
intrinsic values have been replaces with individuals that have earned the moniker, Career
Politician."
The makeup of government should be that of people like you or me. People who have labored in
the
private sectors and lived a life outside the beltway. Instead we have elected and re-elected
professional politicians, people who have lost touch with what it means to be average. Even those
who come up the honest way, are soon pulled in by the lure money and the power that follows. I
could go off on a rant here, but I will save it for another day.
The inspiration for $oft Money really came from viewing what we have now and comparing it to
what I think that our founding fathers had envisioned. One of the other inspirational factors was
the
election held in 2000. The massive amount of money generated by both parties really got me
cooking.
As far as research, I read any and all articles that pertained to political campaigns as well as
special
interest groups. C-SPAN provided me with a real look at the process. The various talk shows that
permeate the airways provided me with some of the fodder for my work. As far as some of the
technological aspects of the book, I spent time on the internet researching what is available. The
internet is a phenomenal research tool.
We live in very interesting times. We have more access to our government and how it works than
in
any other time in history. I truly believe that we will see a profound change in government in our
lifetime. As people take the time to really see what is going on, more and more will find some of
the
outrage that I expressed in $oft Money. I guess that will occur when people have finally seen
enough
and had enough.
LJ for MBR: Your answer revealed the side of E.L. Burton that prowls the information highway,
devouring tidbits and grist to file away for future action thrillers. And your website says you're
working on a second book, as yet unnamed. Have you come up with a working title for that book
yet? Tell us just a bit about it so we know what to anticipate.
E.L.B.: The working title for my next book is Conspiracy of Fear. I love politics, and I have what
some might call a bit of a conspiratorial mind. The topic of Gun Control has always been a hotly
debated subject within our society. Also, there has been an explosion of random acts of violence
within our school systems, workplaces, etc... In Conspiracy of Fear I have decided to combine the
two elements. Politicians and their hunger to write and pass new legislation, and people who for
one
reason or another walk into school or their place of employment and start shooting.
I decided to write it because I asked myself over and over: Why are so many kids, businessmen,
etc... going off and killing randomly in schools and workplaces? I was also fascinated by the fact
that
legislators continually want to write new legislation surrounding guns, without any thought of
trying
to enforce the many laws that are currently on the books. So you take the explosion of violence
and
the debate over gun control, combine it with my twisted conspiratorial mind and walah!! You
have a
"Conspiracy of Fear" Those entities who want to remove guns from society, versus those who
believe it is constitutional right.
The book is based on the theory that the only way that our government will get firearms out of
our
hands is if we as a society demand it. Currently the country is polarized and frozen in a stalemate.
Conspiracy of Fear deals with the means to an end, the end of gun ownership in this country. The
means to that end are conceived by members of our government coupled with members outside of
government with a personal agenda. Their aim is to compel society to demand the removal of
firearms from the fabric of society. The only thing standing in the way of that goal is Dr. Henry
Stone, a medical examiner who discovers an anomaly in a young boy who had walked into his
homeroom and opened fire on his classmates, killing several of them before dying himself.
I don't want to give too much of the story away. But rest assured, it is a fast paced story that
delves
into the underbelly of government, our military and the gruesome life of a medical examiner.
LJ for MBR: That one sounds like another riveting scenario and a book I'll label "must have, must
read".
Alright, E.L. Our readers have learned a bit about you and your books, how you think along those
lines. But there's more to E.L. Burton than conspiracy theories and hard edged thrillers. I learned
that from reading your website. Do you mind giving us a peek at your softer side for lack of better
word? Hobbies? Other types of writing? Work world? Just tell us what you're comfortable with
sharing.
E.L.B.: My softer side.... Well that is going to be a little tough. I never really take much time to
look
at myself. My website was done to showcase my book. I decided to add some short stories /
essays
that I wrote that were kind of a peek into my personal life. In a way, I do think that it is important
for readers to get a look at who an author is outside of his or her work. I grew up in a very value
driven family. My parents did an excellent job teaching me the value and meaning of life. They
were
awesome examples of how one should live their life. I owe a lot to my parents. Without the values
that were driven into me at an early age, I probably would be wandering around, lost. I also wrote
an essay about my wife, Kelly. She is the reason I am who I am today. She encouraged me and
has
supported me in pursuing my writing. There are a couple of others on the website as well.
As far as the "work world," I write full time. As we talked about earlier, I am writing Conspiracy
of
Fear at the moment. After I finish that book, I will spend several months doing research for the
next
book. I hope to be able to complete one book every year for as long as people decide to read
what I
write. As for my past work life, I spent several years in corporate America. From sales, to sales
management, to just plain old management of a company. Many days of customers, numbers and
personnel. But in the back of my mind there was always a little voice that yearned to be heard. So
here I am, listening to that little voice and hitting the keyboard.
As far as hobbies go, well, I enjoy fishing. My family has a cabin in the White Mountains of
Arizona.
Your readers have probably never heard of the White Mountains, until this year. It was the
location
of the largest fire in the US this year. Thankfully, we stayed out of the path, but a lot of people
lost
everything. I usually go up there and spend the summer writing and fishing. Fishing helps me
creatively, I write in the mornings and then I fish in the afternoon. The next day the process starts
over again and that goes on until I come down from the mountain with a completed MS. The only
reason I am home now is because I am headed for Los Angeles to meet with an agent who has
expressed interest in representing $oft Money as a mass market paperback, and for other various
rights.
LJ for MBR: OH how exciting! Those are magic words that every author yearns to hear.
"Interested
agent." "Mass Market Paperback." And the ever intriguing "other various rights"! Of course, what
comes to mind is MOVIES! Let's play a little here, E.L. Indulge me. If you could choose any
actor
at all to play the main male character in $oft Money, who would it be?
E.L.B.: I don't want to put the cart before the horse here. I think we are a long way from
"interested
agent" to "who would be playing the lead character". But if we are going to play I would have to
go
with Ed Harris. Lawrence Brazelton's character seems to fit him best. He is an accomplished actor
who has proven that he can play roles that are dramatic in nature as well as that of an action
figure.
Lawrence is smart, dramatic, and as the story progresses, he becomes somewhat of an action
oriented man. As I wrote $oft Money, and as I write Conspiracy of Fear, I do tend to put faces
with
the characters I create. It helps to write the story if I can play the scenes and the dialogue over in
my
head. The character of Kelly Ford, Lawrence's interest in the $oft Money, was Laura Dern. I drew
a
picture in my mind of Clay Danvers from two sources, the actor Billy Bob Thornton and the
Political Consultant James Carville.
LJ for MBR: I put faces with characters when I read also, but I saw Billy Bob Thornton as
Lawrence Brazelton. Of course, I think Billy Bob can play every male character in every book.
Thanks for indulging my whimsy just this once.
Alright, E.L., let's return to the subject of writing. If you were in a position to advise aspiring
writers, what would you tell them, based on your experience?
E.L.B.: That is an interesting question. I look at myself as simply an aspiring author. My hope is
that
no matter what level of commercial success that I may experience, I will always be simply an
aspiring writer. I guess if I were to give advice, I would have to say start slow. Read everything
you
can on the craft of writing. Establish whether or not this is something you want to pursue. If you
feel
passionate about writing, if you feel like you have a message, then you can move on. Timelines
are
your enemy, creativity can not be forced, take your time and begin the creative process.
I have heard it said that everyone has a third place. Meaning that most people have home life,
work
life, and the third place is where you go to find peace and comfort from the rigors of life. Find
your
third place and that is where you will find the inspiration to create.
Develop a thick skin, you will need it. It comes in handy as the form rejection letters roll in.
Breaking into this business is rough. People could care less about you or what you have written.
Unless you are one of the very rare few, who writes a bestseller on the first go around, unless you
know someone in the literary community, be prepared to have to earn your shot. I have been at
this
for several years, and I am just now getting a foot in the door. Mind you, we are talking a foot
here.
This is a slow and methodical process, one that is fraught with rejections, setbacks and endless
re-writes. Take pride in your work, research the proper way to format and submit a manuscript to
prospective agents and publishers. The last bit of advice would have to be, believe in
yourself.
LJ for MBR: That was very well put. Thoughtful, sensible and to the point.
For my final question, is there anything you wish I had asked you? Or are there any thoughts you
want to leave with our readers before we bring this interview to an end?
E.L.B.: I will admit that I could talk to you for a while, the experience has been that wonderful.
As
far as I can tell, there really is nothing more that you could have asked. I do want to thank the
Midwest Book Review and you Laurel, for taking the time and having the interest in someone
who
is trying to break into this business. This is a rough road to hoe, and having you take the time to
ask
me a few questions makes me feel like a winner.
The one thing that I would like to leave you and your readers with is this: Books are one of the
few
treasures in life. Whether you pick up a book and love it or hate it, at least you have taken the
time
to expand your horizon. Someone took the time to write it, and it is up to readers to take
something
away from the experience. I have heard it said that most people don't even have one book in them.
So when you pick up a book, settle down on the couch or that favorite chair, take the time to
really
read what the author has written, and hopefully you will discover something you never knew, an
emotion you never felt or a thrill that makes it all worth while. I have read many books that I
simply
did not like, however, I have always respected the authors that have written them. In the end, I
can
honestly say that I have learned something with each book that I have read. I am sorry if I came
off
like a writer, but that is me and it is what I do and what I love.
Thank you again for the opportunity to chat with you Laurel. I want to extend my wishes for
many
years of success for the Midwest Book Review. It has been a pleasure dealing with you and your
organization.
LJ for MBR: You're welcome, E.L. And thank you for taking time to talk with me today. I do
want
to give our readers the url to your website and publisher. www.elburton.com and
www.1stbooks.com.
$oft Money: The True Power In Our Nation's Capitol
E.L. Burton
1st Books
2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington IN 47404
ISBN 1-58820-403-0, 212 pp at 9.95 paperback or 4.95 e-book
I've heard it said that as long as the public has "theirs" - meaning the good life - they don't care
how
down, dirty, and lethal politics is played in our nation's capitol. In this fictional account of how
money rules our government, the public doesn't get enough truthful information out of D.C. to
make
that decision either way. In $oft Money, power begats power, money begats more money, and
only
a privileged few rake in the bounty. And the American taxpayers, who closed their eyes while
career
politicians took over, are reaping the bitter harvest.
E.L. Burton has created a fast-paced thriller that entertains and intrigues. I couldn't put it down.
It's
packed from start to end with avaricious power hungry villains, the hapless folks they victimize,
and
idealistic men who take an honest stand. His characters are well-developed and defined.
Clay Danvers is the smooth talking, good looking spin doctor who serves a popular President.
Clay
considers himself to be a skilled, well-paid assassin. No, he doesn't actually KILL people, but he
brings about their downfall until they might as well be dead. Whatever scruples Clay once had are
long since buried by his crimes.
Preston Wesley is the people-friendly, charismatic President of the United States. A covert group
of
wealthy, powerful, and ruthless men stay busy day and night maintaining Pres. Wesley's front and
ensuring all skeletons of the past stay hidden.
The undisputed leader of the covert group is Mike Baker, President and CEO of Bytes
Technology.
Mike is a billionaire many times over from his computer software business, but even billions are
not
enough to sooth his greed for more money and increasing power. Mike is vicious, a puppet master
with a passion to control the President and all he stands for.
Lawrence Brazelton is one of the unfortunates the group has sacrificed in protection of the
President. He's lost everything dear to him, but isn't quite the broken man he seems. He has the
hope
of loving for a second time and finding life outside the Beltway, if he can just live long enough to
make it happen. Lawrence has a covert op of his own underway, and neither the President nor his
cohorts will like it much. Paybacks will be hell if Lawrence Brazelton has his way.
I couldn't wait to see the bad guys taken down in this one, and held my breath in hopes that at
least
one good guy survived to make it happen. Mr. Burton does a fine job of holding the reader's
interest, and introduces subjects that will keep you pondering after the book ends. For certain, I
will
never use a cell phone, telephone, or connect to the internet again without thinking of this author
and $oft Money.
I reviewed E.L. Burton's first book, $oft Money, for the August Reviewer's Bookwatch. I chose
to
interview him because of both his spoken and unspoken philosophy.
LJ for MBR: Your first book, $oft Money, had all the intrigue and excitement of any action
thriller I
have seen in recent years. Your fictional accounting of the underside of politics in Washington DC
was believable and had the ring of truth to it. What gave you the idea to write this book, and
what, if
any, research did you do to give it that realistic edge?
E.L.B.: What a fun question!! I think that the reason you felt that $oft Money had a true ring to it
was because in reality it is not too far from the truth. Just look at how bloated government has
become. Look at the laws that have been written and passed that have no bearing on or concern
for
the average citizen. I believe that the government envisioned by our forefathers has been
corrupted
by the flow of money and the access that it provides. On the final pages of $oft Money I
wrote:
"The vision conceived by the founders of this great nation in reference to the structure and nature
of
government has drifted farther and farther from its original course and ultimate destination. Gone
are
the ideals that embodied political aspirations of generations past, whose sole purpose was to
aspire
to office, to step in and serve his fellow man, and bring with him the wisdom of a life's work.
Those
intrinsic values have been replaces with individuals that have earned the moniker, Career
Politician."
The makeup of government should be that of people like you or me. People who have labored in
the
private sectors and lived a life outside the beltway. Instead we have elected and re-elected
professional politicians, people who have lost touch with what it means to be average. Even those
who come up the honest way, are soon pulled in by the lure money and the power that follows. I
could go off on a rant here, but I will save it for another day.
The inspiration for $oft Money really came from viewing what we have now and comparing it to
what I think that our founding fathers had envisioned. One of the other inspirational factors was
the
election held in 2000. The massive amount of money generated by both parties really got me
cooking.
As far as research, I read any and all articles that pertained to political campaigns as well as
special
interest groups. C-SPAN provided me with a real look at the process. The various talk shows that
permeate the airways provided me with some of the fodder for my work. As far as some of the
technological aspects of the book, I spent time on the internet researching what is available. The
internet is a phenomenal research tool.
We live in very interesting times. We have more access to our government and how it works than
in
any other time in history. I truly believe that we will see a profound change in government in our
lifetime. As people take the time to really see what is going on, more and more will find some of
the
outrage that I expressed in $oft Money. I guess that will occur when people have finally seen
enough
and had enough.
LJ for MBR: Your answer revealed the side of E.L. Burton that prowls the information highway,
devouring tidbits and grist to file away for future action thrillers. And your website says you're
working on a second book, as yet unnamed. Have you come up with a working title for that book
yet? Tell us just a bit about it so we know what to anticipate.
E.L.B.: The working title for my next book is Conspiracy of Fear. I love politics, and I have what
some might call a bit of a conspiratorial mind. The topic of Gun Control has always been a hotly
debated subject within our society. Also, there has been an explosion of random acts of violence
within our school systems, workplaces, etc... In Conspiracy of Fear I have decided to combine the
two elements. Politicians and their hunger to write and pass new legislation, and people who for
one
reason or another walk into school or their place of employment and start shooting.
I decided to write it because I asked myself over and over: Why are so many kids, businessmen,
etc... going off and killing randomly in schools and workplaces? I was also fascinated by the fact
that
legislators continually want to write new legislation surrounding guns, without any thought of
trying
to enforce the many laws that are currently on the books. So you take the explosion of violence
and
the debate over gun control, combine it with my twisted conspiratorial mind and walah!! You
have a
"Conspiracy of Fear" Those entities who want to remove guns from society, versus those who
believe it is constitutional right.
The book is based on the theory that the only way that our government will get firearms out of
our
hands is if we as a society demand it. Currently the country is polarized and frozen in a stalemate.
Conspiracy of Fear deals with the means to an end, the end of gun ownership in this country. The
means to that end are conceived by members of our government coupled with members outside of
government with a personal agenda. Their aim is to compel society to demand the removal of
firearms from the fabric of society. The only thing standing in the way of that goal is Dr. Henry
Stone, a medical examiner who discovers an anomaly in a young boy who had walked into his
homeroom and opened fire on his classmates, killing several of them before dying himself.
I don't want to give too much of the story away. But rest assured, it is a fast paced story that
delves
into the underbelly of government, our military and the gruesome life of a medical examiner.
LJ for MBR: That one sounds like another riveting scenario and a book I'll label "must have, must
read".
Alright, E.L. Our readers have learned a bit about you and your books, how you think along those
lines. But there's more to E.L. Burton than conspiracy theories and hard edged thrillers. I learned
that from reading your website. Do you mind giving us a peek at your softer side for lack of better
word? Hobbies? Other types of writing? Work world? Just tell us what you're comfortable with
sharing.
E.L.B.: My softer side.... Well that is going to be a little tough. I never really take much time to
look
at myself. My website was done to showcase my book. I decided to add some short stories /
essays
that I wrote that were kind of a peek into my personal life. In a way, I do think that it is important
for readers to get a look at who an author is outside of his or her work. I grew up in a very value
driven family. My parents did an excellent job teaching me the value and meaning of life. They
were
awesome examples of how one should live their life. I owe a lot to my parents. Without the values
that were driven into me at an early age, I probably would be wandering around, lost. I also wrote
an essay about my wife, Kelly. She is the reason I am who I am today. She encouraged me and
has
supported me in pursuing my writing. There are a couple of others on the website as well.
As far as the "work world," I write full time. As we talked about earlier, I am writing Conspiracy
of
Fear at the moment. After I finish that book, I will spend several months doing research for the
next
book. I hope to be able to complete one book every year for as long as people decide to read
what I
write. As for my past work life, I spent several years in corporate America. From sales, to sales
management, to just plain old management of a company. Many days of customers, numbers and
personnel. But in the back of my mind there was always a little voice that yearned to be heard. So
here I am, listening to that little voice and hitting the keyboard.
As far as hobbies go, well, I enjoy fishing. My family has a cabin in the White Mountains of
Arizona.
Your readers have probably never heard of the White Mountains, until this year. It was the
location
of the largest fire in the US this year. Thankfully, we stayed out of the path, but a lot of people
lost
everything. I usually go up there and spend the summer writing and fishing. Fishing helps me
creatively, I write in the mornings and then I fish in the afternoon. The next day the process starts
over again and that goes on until I come down from the mountain with a completed MS. The only
reason I am home now is because I am headed for Los Angeles to meet with an agent who has
expressed interest in representing $oft Money as a mass market paperback, and for other various
rights.
LJ for MBR: OH how exciting! Those are magic words that every author yearns to hear.
"Interested
agent." "Mass Market Paperback." And the ever intriguing "other various rights"! Of course, what
comes to mind is MOVIES! Let's play a little here, E.L. Indulge me. If you could choose any
actor
at all to play the main male character in $oft Money, who would it be?
E.L.B.: I don't want to put the cart before the horse here. I think we are a long way from
"interested
agent" to "who would be playing the lead character". But if we are going to play I would have to
go
with Ed Harris. Lawrence Brazelton's character seems to fit him best. He is an accomplished actor
who has proven that he can play roles that are dramatic in nature as well as that of an action
figure.
Lawrence is smart, dramatic, and as the story progresses, he becomes somewhat of an action
oriented man. As I wrote $oft Money, and as I write Conspiracy of Fear, I do tend to put faces
with
the characters I create. It helps to write the story if I can play the scenes and the dialogue over in
my
head. The character of Kelly Ford, Lawrence's interest in the $oft Money, was Laura Dern. I drew
a
picture in my mind of Clay Danvers from two sources, the actor Billy Bob Thornton and the
Political Consultant James Carville.
LJ for MBR: I put faces with characters when I read also, but I saw Billy Bob Thornton as
Lawrence Brazelton. Of course, I think Billy Bob can play every male character in every book.
Thanks for indulging my whimsy just this once.
Alright, E.L., let's return to the subject of writing. If you were in a position to advise aspiring
writers, what would you tell them, based on your experience?
E.L.B.: That is an interesting question. I look at myself as simply an aspiring author. My hope is
that
no matter what level of commercial success that I may experience, I will always be simply an
aspiring writer. I guess if I were to give advice, I would have to say start slow. Read everything
you
can on the craft of writing. Establish whether or not this is something you want to pursue. If you
feel
passionate about writing, if you feel like you have a message, then you can move on. Timelines
are
your enemy, creativity can not be forced, take your time and begin the creative process.
I have heard it said that everyone has a third place. Meaning that most people have home life,
work
life, and the third place is where you go to find peace and comfort from the rigors of life. Find
your
third place and that is where you will find the inspiration to create.
Develop a thick skin, you will need it. It comes in handy as the form rejection letters roll in.
Breaking into this business is rough. People could care less about you or what you have written.
Unless you are one of the very rare few, who writes a bestseller on the first go around, unless you
know someone in the literary community, be prepared to have to earn your shot. I have been at
this
for several years, and I am just now getting a foot in the door. Mind you, we are talking a foot
here.
This is a slow and methodical process, one that is fraught with rejections, setbacks and endless
re-writes. Take pride in your work, research the proper way to format and submit a manuscript to
prospective agents and publishers. The last bit of advice would have to be, believe in
yourself.
LJ for MBR: That was very well put. Thoughtful, sensible and to the point.
For my final question, is there anything you wish I had asked you? Or are there any thoughts you
want to leave with our readers before we bring this interview to an end?
E.L.B.: I will admit that I could talk to you for a while, the experience has been that wonderful.
As
far as I can tell, there really is nothing more that you could have asked. I do want to thank the
Midwest Book Review and you Laurel, for taking the time and having the interest in someone
who
is trying to break into this business. This is a rough road to hoe, and having you take the time to
ask
me a few questions makes me feel like a winner.
The one thing that I would like to leave you and your readers with is this: Books are one of the
few
treasures in life. Whether you pick up a book and love it or hate it, at least you have taken the
time
to expand your horizon. Someone took the time to write it, and it is up to readers to take
something
away from the experience. I have heard it said that most people don't even have one book in them.
So when you pick up a book, settle down on the couch or that favorite chair, take the time to
really
read what the author has written, and hopefully you will discover something you never knew, an
emotion you never felt or a thrill that makes it all worth while. I have read many books that I
simply
did not like, however, I have always respected the authors that have written them. In the end, I
can
honestly say that I have learned something with each book that I have read. I am sorry if I came
off
like a writer, but that is me and it is what I do and what I love.
Thank you again for the opportunity to chat with you Laurel. I want to extend my wishes for
many
years of success for the Midwest Book Review. It has been a pleasure dealing with you and your
organization.
LJ for MBR: You're welcome, E.L. And thank you for taking time to talk with me today. I do
want
to give our readers the url to your website and publisher. www.elburton.com and
www.1stbooks.com.
Interview with Nancy Marie:
Nancy Marie is the author of When You Wish Upon a Star, which was reviewed in the June
edition
of Midwest Book Review. I wanted to interview Nancy Marie because I admire her writing style,
and because I think she's capable of writing in a wide range of genre. Whatever Nancy Marie
writes,
whether it be romance, mystery, or thriller, is created for the Christian market.
LJ for MBR: Your first book, When You Wish Upon a Star, was one of my recent favorites. It
had
a little bit of everything in it - action, suspense, and romance. What gave you the idea to write this
story about domestic violence and the subsequent redemption of two lives through courage and
faith?
Nancy Marie: Boy! What a loaded question. When I resigned my position as a newspaper
journalist
to write novels, I decided (for once in my life) to follow the advice I had been given. That advice:
write about what you know.
Well, I had tons of experience with domestic violence, I knew about it first-hand, so I decided to
write about a woman who runs away from her violent husband with her kids and ends up in
Colorado. That was what I did and that's where the basic plot for the book came from.
The rest is purely fiction, except for the emotional trauma Paige goes through. I drew heavily
upon
my own experiences of healing and recovering from abuse to add reality to the book. Even though
most of the action/suspense in the book is fiction, Paige's reactions, her insecurities, her return to
her
faith, etc. are all drawn from my own life experiences.
About the courage issue, I don't know. People tell me I have a lot of courage, but I don't think of
it
that way. Sometimes life just gives you lousy choices, and you do what you have to do to make
the
best of those situations. I don't think of it as courage, and I don't think of Paige as being
particulary
courageous. She just did what she had to do.
In that way Paige and I are a lot alike. We're both some of the most fear-filled people I know, but
neither one of us lets fear stop us from doing what has to be done. It's really a matter of
practicality
rather than courage. Courage is fighting a forest fire, taking a stand for something you believe in,
or
defending your family from attackers. Doing what has to be done, simply because you don't have
any
other choice, well...I don't call that courage. When you're backed into a corner and the only way
out
is forward, well it makes sense to go forward. Doesn't it?
LJ for MBR: That answer is a good example of why your book was so effective. You wrote what
you knew, you did it very well, and infused your lead character with the same quiet, unassuming
courage you just demonstrated in your answer. Thank you for being honest.
I know you have a second book in the works now. Would you mind giving our readers a small
preview of it?
Nancy Marie: Actually, I have three more novels completed and one non-fiction book finished
also.
Two of the fiction novels are part of a series. They are Benjamin's Bride and Jinger's Journey.
Both
of these feature three main characters: Colorado Bureau of Investigations Agent Bob Barnes (aka
Bird), Father Casey O'Flagherty and his mule Balaam. Together these three tackle a variety of
complex mysteries and problems. In Benjamin's Bride, they track down a cult that has been
kidnapping women. In Jinger's Journey, they try to save a teen-age girl from a group of
Satanists.
In future novels in this series, such as Daniel's Deliverance, Pollie's Poverty, Rozzie's Redemption,
and Abigal's Answer, Bird, Casey, and Balaam will track down international terrorists; uncover a
plot to make euthanasia of the elderly and insane part of our "constitutional rights"; expose a mad
scientist who has developed a 30-day strain of AIDS and is infecting prostitutes. I could go on but
I
won't. Let's just say I've got titles and plots to cover every letter in the alphabet.
Each novel deals with a current social issue as well as Christianity's ability or inability to deal with
it.
All are suspense novels with lots of action. I dunno but maybe somewhere along the line, in one of
them, I may let Bird fall in love and get married. I do like to write romances.
I have to admit I kind of fell in love with Bird as I was developing his character. He's human, not
real great, but trying hard to be better. I also got a kick out of creating Father Casey O'Flagherty.
He's a charasimatic Catholic priest with very unorthodox beliefs, so much so that his mother
church
sent him on a mandatory sabbatical. He has a bad cussing habit for which he is forever repenting
and
failing and repenting again. And then there's Balaam. That mule is me in many ways and it is fun
being rebellious, stubborn and sometimes plain mean and ornry through this character.
Walking In Faith, my third finished novel, is a romance that deals with both illegal and
prescription
drug abuse, and deliverance.
But my favorite book so far is my newest one, my first non-fiction book, Buttercups for Jesus:
Reflecting His Light in Your Life. I can't really say why this book has such a hold on me. I wrote
it
in just a little over a month, and the writing process itself was exciting and consuming. I lived and
breathed nothing but "Buttercups" the whole time I was writing it.
Part of me thinks I should add a subtitle to "Buttercups" and call it "Confessions of a Neurotic
Christian" because I used my own personal failings and humilations as teaching examples of what
not to do, and was as absolutely and completely honest as I know how to be. But then I show
how
God used those lessons to make me better and to "let His light shine through to others" which is
the
whole point of the book.
Hopefully these books, and all the others I want to write, will be in print someday.
LJ for MBR: Your distinctive writing style is one reason I wanted to interview you. It was what
and
HOW you told your story in When You Wish Upon a Star that blurred the genre edges and gave
it a
mainstream feel. Was that style unique to Star, or do you employ different writing techniques in
the
series books you mentioned?
Nancy Marie: When You Wish Upon A Star was unusual in that I did cross-over several genres,
something you're not supposed to do. Benjamin's Bride also crosses-over into romance, suspense,
and inspiration. Jinger's Journey does also, only it's a paranormal-suspense novel. Walking in Faith
is
a straight romance with a lot of action. About Buttercups for Jesus, though I can't really say
because
it's non-fiction and it has to be different from fiction.
I guess I could say all the books are written in the style that I enjoy reading: fast-paced, not too
much descriptive narrative, and based as closely to reality as I can make them.
LJ for MBR: I would have said the opposite, Nancy Marie. Your use of descriptive narrative was
what appealed to me. I loved your choice of words and how you used them.
You've shown us that your walk of Christian faith is a major focus of your life. Other than your
marriage, family and writing - which go without saying of course - what other aspects of your life
take a priority?
Nancy Marie: School is a real priority for me right now. I will be a senior at the end of August,
and
am planning to have my Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies by next May. I will be throwing a
big,
big graduation party and EVERYBODY'S INVITED. (GRIN!)
Do I sound a little excited? I am. You see, I never graduated from high school. They didn't have
all
those programs for unwed, pregnant teenagers back in the days when "good girls didn't do things
like that."
And, it's way to late for me to go to my junior ball or senior prom, so I am going to relive my
teen-age years and have a real college graduation with the cap and gown and the whole nine
yards.
And a BIG PARTY!
In addition to that B.A. in Religious Studies, I will graduate with a specialization in Spirituality
and
two minors in History and Communications. And, unless I screw-up between now and then, I will
also be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. And, yes I am bragging, and yes I am an over-achiever, but
this
is really, really important to me.
When you've been abused, you start thinking you are "less-than" everybody else. You start
believing
that you must be inferior, or else why would your loved one treat you so badly? And then it
becomes
a reality. You start acting and thinking like "less-than" everybody else.
So, after years of healing, when I decided to go back to school, I was out to prove something to
myself. I am not "less-than." And of course with my obessive/compulisve nature, I not only have
to
not be "less-than," I have to be perfect.
To be honest, I can't wait until I get my B.A. so that I can let up on myself in graduate school. I
figure by that time I will have already proven I can get a 4.0 GPA. I won't have to do it again in
graduate school, and can take things a little easier.
I know, I am neroutic, but it works for me.
LJ for MBR: I'd say calling yourself an "over achiever" is an understatement! I've been humbled
good and proper by your answer.
By now, with one book out there and several more to follow, you could offer words of experience
or encouragement to other writers. What would you say to aspiring writers who ask for words of
wisdom, knowing what you know now?
Nancy Marie: That's real simple. First learn the basics. If you didn't learn the difference between
accept and except, they're and their and there, way, weigh, and whey, and other word choices like
that in school, or if you just don't remember, re-learn it. If you don't know not to put quotation
marks around internal thoughts, then learn it. In other words, know how to write a proper
sentence,
use words properly, and the difference between showing and telling.
All of this is quite simple to learn and there many excellent tools out there to help you learn these
things. I recommend Sol Stein's, How to Grow a Novel and Strunk and White's, The Elements of
Style to begin with. Then, when you have written the next "great American novel," get and use,
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.
If I sound a little adamant about this, it is because I am. One of my pet peeves is writers who
haven't
taken the time to learn the basics and refuse to learn them. All they do is clutter up editors and
publishers desks with unpublishable manuscripts. Don't let your manuscript fall into that category.
Believe me, you can have all the talent in the world, but if you don't learn the basics you are never
going to get published by a traditional publisher. Yes, there are POD publishers who will publish
anything. But if you are serious, if you really want to become a well-known and respected writer,
learn the basics.
Next and last, never, ever, ever give up. Getting published by a traditional publisher not a POD or
Vanity Press, is hard, hard, hard. But it can be done if you learn the basics, believe in yourself, and
never, ever give-up.
I strongly suggest getting involved in a writers group, either in-person or on the Internet and there
must be thousands of writers groups on the internet. These groups not only provide you with
motivation to keep going when you've just received your bizillionth rejection letter, but will often
provide you with valuable critiques of your work from which you can learn, and thus become a
better writer.
Writing is like playing the piano. You may have a natural talent for it, but unless you practice,
practice, practice and learn, your talent will not get any better.
Never for a moment, not ever, think that you've learned all there is to learn. Don't be so
closed-minded and protective of your "baby" that you can not accept helpful criticism when it is
offered. The English language is a complex, complicated and beautiful thing, and it is the medium
through which writers communicate. Because of the complications of the language, it therefore
makes sense that there will always be a better word, a better phrase, a better sentence to
communicate what you are trying to say. Don't be stubborn, accept the fact that you can do
better,
and keep trying to improve your work. You will benefit by getting published, and the readers will
benefit by finding a book they can easily understand and enjoy.
LJ for MBR: Good answer, Nancy Marie, and good practical advice.
It's time to wind things down here, but before we do, is there anything else you'd like readers to
know about you, or anything you wish I'd asked?
Nancy Marie: Yes, I'd like to invite your readers to visit my website at www.nancymarie.com.
And I
love to get e-mails from people! My book is available on the Amazon, Barnes and Noble,
Books-a-Million, and buy.com websites.
Thanks for giving me this opportunity to tell a bit about myself.
LJ for MBR: You're more than welcome, Nancy Marie. I appreciate your time, and wish you well
in
everything you do.
Flowers For Megan
Gloria Davidson Marlow
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-58851-715-2, 184 pp at 19.95 paperback
Will Kinkaid was born exactly three hours before Megan Hardy in their tiny, safe Florida
hometown.
Through the years of childhood, they live as next door neighbors, share birthdays and holidays,
and
are such inseparable friends that everyone calls them "the twins". By their last year of high school,
Will has moved beyond that, to thinking of his long time friend and confidant in far less platonic
terms. But instead of easing into the more adult stage of their relationship as Will hopes, the
friends
encounter horror unimaginable.
After a day of swimming with their friends, Megan returns home to find her sister, niece and
nephew
murdered in a blood soaked bedroom. Will is right behind her, drawn into the gory scene by
Megan's
screams. Neither of them fare well in the aftermath of bloody murder. Megan grieves incessantly
and
withdraws into a near catatonic silence that lands her in a mental hospital. Will, in typical male
fashion, denies the horror, tamps it down inside his mind. And every time he sees the grieving
Megan, his heart and spirit break a little more for what might have been between them. Will
knows
he won't survive the sorrow or the memories very long, so he moves away from family and
Megan.
Twelve years later, he returns.
Neither Will nor Megan expect their youthful ties to be intact, but both pick up where they left off
without missing a beat. They still share an easy camaraderie, a special brand of humor and a
kinship
that goes beyond explaining. And the teenage ardor Will tried to hide when they were younger
rapidly becomes the openly desirous kisses, looks and touches of a man in love. Just when I was
settling into the relationship and hoping it would work this time, a whole new set of murders
begin.
Monstrous, inexplicable murders. And Megan starts receiving gifts accompanied by flowers, just
like
the flowers that arrived the day her sister, niece and nephew were murdered.
"Roses for funerals, flowers for Megan"
A murderer so far gone in madness thinks and speaks those words aloud in a quest to separate her
from anyone who might keep them apart. The demented monster kills with a message in mind,
murders according to well laid plan. It soon becomes apparent, as both Will and others struggle to
protect her, that the killer plans to drive Megan insane or be the instrument of her death, or maybe
both.
Ms. Marlow really told this story well, with words that raced across each page in a style I found
quite pleasing. Her characters were believable and charismatic. The relationship of Will and
Megan
was detailed realistically, with honest feelings and emotions. The author knew what she was doing
from start to finish of this story. Any reader who likes mystery, suspense, or romance should
enjoy
this book immensely.
Sarawak
Jerry Mohrlang
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-59129-336-7, 352 pp at 24.95 paperback
The year is 1824, in those glorious days when the sun never set on the British Empire. They were
days of exploration into exotic lands and grand adventures on the high seas, days when young
men
dreamed of making their mark on the world in impossible ways. It was an epoch that would
change
the world we know in ways beyond imagination.
Lt. James Brooke of the East India Company has been commissioned by the King, as were his
father
and grandfather before him. From a life of ease and privilege in England, he travels across the
world
to India and Burma. Never one to knuckle under to authority and constraints, Lt. Brooke dreams
of
gaining riches and fame in the Far East. Not even devotion to his father or love for the
far-from-innocent Elizabeth Wethington can deter that dream for long.
Despite his young age, James Brooke is blessed with a force of character and courage that
inspires
the men he leads in battle. Those who opt to stay beside him when he resigns his commission are
an
odd mix. Si Tundok is an imposing half-breed Malay, devoted to no man or cause until he meets
Lt.
Brooke. Henry Steele is a rough-around-the-edges Welshman and former soldier of the King's
Army. Captain Timothy Irons is a seaman who finds more adventure than he wanted in the
company
of Brooke. Dr. Arthur Claygate and his wife Margaret find in James a humorous compatriot and
friend.
Random happenings and chance circumstance throw James into the adventure he seeks. He finds
his
way to Borneo, to Sarawak. And what an unexpected life he finds there, one of breathless wonder
at
the land itself and an unanticipated sympathy for the native peoples living there. Through the eyes
and experiences of James and his friends, the reader meets headhunters, fierce warriors, gentle
jungle
dwellers, and the cruel despots who have plundered Sarawak for years. The author leads us into
the
lives and longhouses of each tribe James encounters - the Punan, Kayan, Iban, Bidayuh, and
Maylay
- and documents their differences in entertaining style. We meet the villains of this story and learn
to
hate them for their callous greed. Worst of all is the Maylay prince, Api, who taxes his own
people
to the point of starvation, and whose taste for cruelty is worsened by the impotence he tries to
hide.
Not far behind Api is Geoff, the foulest Englishman who ever graced a literary page. Loi Pek, the
Chinaman, cares little for anyone or anything but opium and gold.
James Brooke becomes Rajah of Sarawak, and soon develops an almost fatherly concern for the
native people. He gains cooperation from all tribes because of their superstitions and beliefs.
James
is tall, an imposing figure to the short and stocky tribesmen. Brave in battle, as ferocious as the
most
successful headhunter, James "casts a long shadow", and one the natives would find difficult to
bury.
Sarawak is what might have been labeled an epic tale or sweeping saga in earlier times. Through
what must have been diligent research, Mr. Mohrlang makes this story come alive. A decidely
masculine writing style and focus adds to the feeling that this is James Brooke's story, told from
his
perspective in another time and age. For readers who are history lovers, Sarawak is a must read.
For
those who think that history is boring, there should be enough adventure, romance, violence,
warring and intrigue between these covers to satisfy. I recommend this book, and wonder what
Jerry
Mohrlang could possibly do to top it. I'm hoping for a continuation of the James Brooke
story.
Undo The Deed
Adam Michael James
PublishAmerica
P.O. Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-58851-795-0, 409 pp at 29.95 paperback
What if you found yourself transported back in time, to another generation? And what if you had
the
opportunity to undo all the awful karma that had been handed down to you from your parents and
grandparents? Don't try to think those questions through logically or explain them away by
scientific
means. Just feel, accept, and think about the possibility of undoing awful deeds. That is what
Adam-Michael James presents in this parable of domestic violence and child abuse.
The year is 1987. Amanda Grant has just been badly beaten, kicked and choked by her alcoholic
father, Matthew. As far back as her memory will go, all Amanda can remember of her father is
terrifying alcoholic rampages and vicious fists. She has all but given up on youthful dreams of
writing songs or finding stardom as an actress. And she's prayed for death, contemplated suicide,
and covered bruises with make up until she's wearied of it all. After Matthew almost kills her, the
beaten down 17 year old is driving blindly to an unknown destination. All she remembers is bright
lights, a tree, and then her world goes black.
She wakes up in the hospital to find a different world. Suspicious doctors, nurses, and police
officers
believe that all her injuries could not be caused by the accident. At least not those choke marks on
her throat. Amanda observes the strangely skewed world around her, finally realizing she is in the
year 1965. She is befriended by a kindly sympathetic couple, and by a teacher who knows far
more
than he lets on about time travel. And that is just the bare beginning of it.
1965 is a whole new way of life for Amanda. Gone are Madonna and the Bangles, and in their
place
are the Beatles and folk music. The Vietnam war is just an obscure skirmish in some far off jungle.
Sex is not openly discussed, even if you're doing "it", and discussing domestic violence or child
abuse with anyone is certainly taboo. Amanda struggles, not always successfully, to fit into this
new
world. And the worst part of it, the most mind blowing, heart chilling part of it all is that the
teenage
version of her father Matthew is a student at her school.
The 1965 version of Matthew Grant is a sweet, shy, idealistic boy who plays piano and keeps his
deep thoughts to himself. This Matthew, like Amanda, is the product of a violently dysfunctional
home and a father who beats him without mercy. Amanda can't despise this Matthew as she does
the
older version. The 17 year old boy is kindly and supportive, still has hopes and dreams despite his
lot, and she finds herself drawn to him in odd fashion. It's then she gets to thinking that it might be
possible to "undo the deed" for future generations - change the abusive father Matthew's heart by
intervening somehow with the boy. When the young Matthew falls in love with her, the tale takes
an
even stranger turn.
What Mr. James has done with this story was an emotional experience for me. To say the reading
of
it broke my heart is barest understatement. Despite the premise that some will call sci fi or
fantasy, it
all seemed real to me. While reading, I did not think of time travel, parallel universes, alternate
realities. or quantum leaps. I focused, as the author did, on Matthew and Amanda and the horrors
they were forced to live each day. I experienced the same futility and despair they lived with, and I
dared to hope along with them that someday - SOME day - they'd find a kindlier existence. I'm
relieved to report that the book does end on a hopeful note for both Amanda and her father
Matthew.
As a footnote to Undo the Deed, Adam-Michael James has included resources for those
experiencing domestic violence and child abuse. I suspect he is a weary but determined activist for
this cause. Mr. James writes well and tells the tale as if he's on the outside looking into broken
lives.
I liked this book and recommend it, even if Undo the Deed DID break my heart.
Interview with John LaurenceRobinson:
John Laurence Robinson is an enigma, a man and author not easily revealed.. But I think he is a
man
of hope and humor who is also capable of blind-siding readers with raw emotions that shock and
devastate. He is a Christian man who has not forgotten those dark days before his walk with
Christ
began. Everything he is, was, or ever will be is present in his prose. Since reading his first book,
Sock Monkey Blues, he has become one of my of favorite authors.
LJ for MBR: Your first book, Sock Monkey Blues, is a mystery suspense novel with a strong vein
of
humor running through it. It was an entertaining read, well written, but that is not what lingered
once the book was done. What surprised me was your range - the way you pulled such a variety
of
emotions from unexpected depths and made me feel them with you - and your writer's "voice".
Your
style of writing is unique. Have you crafted your individual style through study, or does it come
naturally?
JLR: Thanks for the kind words, Laurel. As a writing "newbie", I'm still a bit disconcerted to find
people actually seem to like my work. I'd say the answer to this question is, a bit of both. I come
from a long line of "talkers". My grandfather used to joke that he could talk the hind legs off a
mule.
Like my protagonist Joe Box, I also come from strong hillbilly stock. My clan enjoys storytelling,
and perhaps Joe's "voice" comes somewhat naturally from my own family memories. But having
said
that, I've also tried to stay teachable. I work daily at reading works from folks who've paid their
dues at the craft, and know the struggles we writers are heir to. Did I just end that sentence with a
preposition? Heaven forfend!
LJ for MBR: Don't start me laughing this early in the interview, John! By your answer, I
understand
that you have not studied writing at the university level then, but drew your style from the world
around you and by reading the works of those writers you admire. Who are some of your favorite
writers and why?
JLR: Oh golly. Well, let's do fiction first. On the secular side I'd have to go with Robert Crais and
James Lee Burke. Both of these guys are absolutely at the top of their craft, and always surprise
you. On the Christian side, I like James Scott Bell and Al Gansky. And Frank Peretti, of course.
Ya
gotta love Peretti; he broke the trail for the rest of us. Plus Jim Bell and I have gotten to be good
friends since we met at Glorieta two years ago, and he and Karen Kingsbury helped mentor me on
Sock Monkey Blues. Matter of fact, you'll find their names on the dedication page.
For nonfiction Christian writing, anything by Penelope Stokes and Sally Stuart; both these ladies
have forgotten more than I'll ever know about putting words on paper. And for nonfiction secular,
anything by P. J. O'Rourke. If you think no one could do comedy explaining how the United
States
government works, read Parliament of Whores by O'Rourke and be proven wrong. He's
hands-down
the funniest writer on the planet...next to me of course. JUST A JOKE, FOLKS!
LJ for MBR: Much of your preferred reading seems to be works by Christian writers, and an
underlying chord in Sock Monkey Blues makes your Christian belief system clear. Peretti, for
example, writes stories that appeal beyond the Christian readership. Your book is the same, in my
opinion. Is it hard to write a rock 'em, sock 'em, exciting book like yours and stay within the
guidelines of your faith?
JLR: Hard?? Oh, darlin', if you only knew! I've been a Christian now for over twenty-five years,
but
back in my "B.C." days I was quite the heathen...I'll just let your readers' imaginations fill in the
gaps
on that. One of the things I've really enjoyed over the years is detective writing, but so much of it
is
filled with profanity and sex that, to me, it gets in the way of the story. So what I've done with my
Joe Box character is to take that knight-errant of popular fiction--the rough-edged, hard-drinking,
worldly-beyond-belief private eye--then get him saved and turn him loose. The challenge is to
chronicle Joe's resulting life in novels that contain no profanity or sex, but still are gritty enough
so
an unsaved person can enjoy them. The results of these efforts, I felt, would be interesting, to say
the least. I'll leave it to the reading public to see if I've succeeded.
LJ for MBR: If Sock Monkey Blues is an example, you have succeeded beyond your hopes in
appealing to the reading public at large, regardless of their spiritual beliefs..
Alright, John, let's get serious now. No jokes about this one, although I do appreciate your
humor.
As a reviewer, I sometimes sense the author's true self "shining through" the prose when I read.
That
was very much evident in yours. You've made it clear where your humor comes from. Will you
reveal a little about the deep felt, let's say more tender side of you that caught me off guard in
your
book? That had to be present, even before you became a Christian.
JLR: Tender side? That's a tough one. If I had a tender side before I became a Christian, it must
have been pretty well hidden, as I really was a selfish, hard-hearted cuss. Even today, twenty-five
years after starting this journey of faith, I sometimes have trouble keeping my flesh under and
letting
the heart of Christ show through. And that's really all that he asks of us, isn't it? To be his heart
and
hands to a dying planet? But as I walk it out, and daily make a conscious decision to let Jesus
have
his way with me, it gets easier by degrees. In another thousand years or so I should have it licked.
(grin) Sorry, I couldn't help it.
LJ for MBR: Tender was probably the wrong choice of words on my part. It was the closest I
could
come to describing that undercurrent of emotion that gave Joe Box his depth, and a sense of your
range as writer, as if you had barely begun to skim the surface of your capabilities with this first
book. I'll try to breech the subject more directly.
Sock Monkey Blues is your first book and I know you're working on a sequel, Until the Last Dog
Dies. First, tell us a little about this second book in your Joe Box series.
JLR: I'm really cranked about this one! DOG takes place three months after SOCK's conclusion,
and
once again Joe is in trouble up to his neck. But this trouble stems from a nightmarish situation
he'd
encountered thirty years ago in Vietnam, when his platoon was picked to go and eliminate a
deadly
VC gunman known only as Sammy the Sniper. In the past six weeks Sammy had killed over
twenty-two high-ranking South Vietnamese officers, and the US brass wanted him dead in the
worst
way. Three weeks later Joe and his men find him, but his identity comes as a shock. Now the man
they'd sworn to kill is whisked off by the government and locked up in a mental hospital,
supposedly
for life. Three decades later he's pronounced cured. Of course he isn't, and now Sammy is
crossing
the country, and one by one killing every member of Joe's old unit that had put him away. DOG is
the story of Joe going from hunted to hunter, and in the process discovering even more about
himself.
LJ for MBR: Great premise! If it is even HALF as good as your first it will be tremendous, but
from
that description I suspect you will surpass yourself.
Do you have any other books in the pipeline, anything you're working on that you'd care to share
with our readers?
JLR: Yeah, I do. One book that's completely done, and in the hands of my agent, is called Gravity
Fades. It's not a Joe Box piece, but is instead an end-times thriller with a twist. The premise is
simple: the Bible is clear that no one knows the day or the hour of the rapture, but it DOESN'T
say
we won't know the month. Or the week... Gravity Fades is based on exactly just such a
supposition:
what if you knew? What if every Christian on the face of the earth suddenly had two words
dropped
in their hearts: This Week. How would you live those remaining hours differently? Or would you?
Like Until the Last Dog Dies, there are some extensive combat scenes, as well as a subplot of
satanists trying to kill everyone in a church before the rapture hits. It's quite off-the-wall, and
maybe
not to everyone's liking...but I think it's swell. (grin) And of course the next Joe Box adventure,
entitled Embrace the Scorpion, is in the wings. (Each Joe Box book has an animal in the title, as
you
can tell). Other than that, I'm free for lunch!
LJ for MBR: What a great roster of books! I hope they all get published soon. That's a selfish
hope
on my part because I want to read them now, and not a year from now.
Sorry, John. You can't have lunch until this interview is wrapped up. I'll be merciful and wind it
down with one last question. Is there anything you'd like your readers to know about you, or any
question you secretly wish I'd asked you in this interview?
JLR: Yes. I'd like for the readers to know my secret vice. Here it is: I am a Mystery Science
Theater
3000 junkie. YES, I know it's off the air. YES, I know the entire crew has moved on. But
doggone
it, I like it. I have nearly every episode ever done on tape, and, since my wife cannot abide the
show
in any way, many times I'll pop one in just to get a reaction. Does that make me bad? I'll leave that
for others to judge. And for the question I wished you'd asked, it's this: why do hot dogs come
eight
to a package, while buns for the same are in packs of ten? Is Oscar Meyer TRYING to drive us
mad?
LJ for MBR: Alright, John. I get the message. The eccentric author with the zany sense of humor
wishes to remain somewhat a mystery, AND he's hungry. Thanks for coming out of hiding long
enough to talk with me. I enjoyed it.
Now, go fix yourself a hot dog, pop your favorite episode of MST 3000 into the VCR and
relax.
Editor's Note: The review of Sock Monkey Blues appeared in the July edition of "Reviewer's
Bookwatch".
Sisters Forever
Sharon D. Martin
America House Book Publishers
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-58851-589-3, 210 pp at 19.95 paperback
Sharon D. Martin begins this poignant tale in 1822 South Carolina. It's the Old South, that
antebellum era of plantations and parties, southern belles and courtly gentlemen, free men and
slaves. Into this world of privilege, April Marie Cothran is born to wealthy plantation-owner
parents.
April is born breech, a difficult and traumatic birth. She is the only child her mother will ever
bear.
One month later, a 13 year old Cothran slave named Lilly gives birth to a girl child sired by a
Mandingo warrior. April's mother names the newborn slave May. Lilly, little more than a child
herself, is taken into the master's house as wetnurse for April. Thus begins this story of two lives
that remain entwined together for a lifetime.
April and May - one the white child of privilege, the other a result of mating slaves like prize
animals
- are raised as siblings. These two children of diverse backgrounds are oblivious to color barriers
and
taboos of the time.
Southern race and class issues mean nothing to them. In their minds, they're sisters. Sisters
forever.
Ms. Martin masterfully intertwines the lives of April and May through ensuing decades. Through
marriage, births, joys, deaths, sorrows, the Civil War and its aftermath, the author shows us the
lives
of these two women. Along the way we witness human cruelty and courage, hatred and
forgiveness ,
the blessings of unconditional love, and the surprise of reward and resurrection.
This is a beautiful story, written with honesty and compassion, about a time in our history that
was
not always pretty for either race. The surprise ending lays the groundwork for a sequel to Sisters
Forever. Readers should prepare themselves for more southern history, and another well told
story
by Ms. Martin.
Interview with Dennis Collins:
I wanted to interview Dennis Collins because the main character of his first book, The Unreal
McCoy, was a departure from conventional heroes. The author gave McCoy depth and heart
beyond
the usual in this genre, and his writing style is understated but effective.
LJ for MBR: I liked Albert McCoy the way you wrote him - slightly worn, quietly competent - as
a
realistic everyday man. And the subtle off hand way you breathed the heart and spirit into him
impressed me. Why did you choose this type of hero for your first book instead of, say, a Dirty
Harry type?
Dennis: I'm really glad that McCoy comes across that way. I didn't want another "Dirty Harry" or
any other stereotype. What I was hoping for was a new character, one who was closer to being a
real person.
When I was a kid, the man who lived next door was a Deputy Sheriff in the Detroit area and he
would come home after work and play catch with us or roast marshmallows over a bonfire or any
of
the other things that dads do. I've always known that policemen had a human side and wondered
why books and movies never showed it.
Actually, there is a private detective in the book too and he's not typical either. You won't find
him
hanging out on bars and whooping butt. If he's in a bar, he came in for a hamburger or to play the
video games. His free time is usually spent on a trout stream.
When I began writing The Unreal McCoy, I wanted it to be believable and that starts with
believable, human characters who act like humans. All of my characters have strengths and
weaknesses, virtues and flaws, and determination and fear. I've attempted to keep the story
intense
by emotionally involving the reader.
LJ for MBR: You did involve THIS reader emotionally, and accomplished it in such a subtle way
that it caught me off guard. I read and reread that passage where McCoy became real to me and I
started to care about him and your story. Did you deliberately create that silent pathos at Mike
O'Conner's bedside in the hospital, or did it just sort of happen that way?
Dennis: That was one of those things that just sort of happened (with a little nudge from a critic).
That scene wasn't in the original manuscript. Before the book was published, I sent the first three
chapters in to be critiqued at a writer's conference. The woman who read and discussed the
sample
chapters with me said that she liked the story but strongly suggested that I add something
substantive to set in motion the bond between a veteran policeman and an unconscious beating
victim. It needed to be a significant, unanticipated emotional event.
As soon as I wrote that part and then re-read it in context, I knew that I had it right. What you
see
there is the first and only draft. Imagining the scene in my mind, I put myself inside McCoy's head,
looked through his eyes and simply wrote what I saw and felt.
LJ for MBR: For me, that "first and only draft" was THE pivotal passage in your book. I knew
Albert McCoy's heart and character right then, and even marked that page. From that point on,
you
had me hooked.
So you had The Unreal McCoy critiqued at a writer's conference. Tell our readers what goes on
at
such conferences, and if, from your experience, the time and money spent attending is beneficial.
Tell us what you think in general.
Dennis: I attend at least five writer's conferences a year. I believe that conferences are the most
affordable and most effective networking resource that a writer has. One of the nicest features is
that
you can adjust your participation level to fit your own comfort zone.
When I first began attending them, I just sat in on the lectures and took notes. After I gained a
little
confidence, I began joining in the Q&A sessions and now I've moved on to doing presentations
and
sometimes TV interviews. I feel that you need the support and encouragement of your peers and
this
is how you get there. Even the most successful authors know how fragile the shell is around a
manuscript. They come to conferences to help struggling authors. I highly recommend writer's
conferences. Go at your own pace, but go.
LJ for MBR: The feeling I get is that you approach writing in a sensible, practical way, like you
would a job. You're far enough along in the process that you could no longer be classified as
novice.
What advice would you give to unpublished writers, or those who are new to the business?
Dennis: I only write fiction so I can't tell you about anything else. Right now everything I write is
part of a series featuring a core trio of characters. The plan was to get them all introduced in the
first
book and then have them step forward one at a time in subsequent novels. It's a blueprint pretty
much tailored to this particular series.
When it comes to advice, it seems that we hear one phrase over and over. "Don't be discouraged
by
rejections and don't give up." I'm actually working my way through one of those struggles right
now. I'm trying to find
representation for my latest book and I've felt the frustration.
If you have a finished manuscript, make sure that it's squeaky clean. punctuation and spelling
errors
can really distract an agent. Do your homework. Be sure that the agent you query handles your
type
of work. Check out the agent's submission guidelines. Don't try to be cute or fancy, but don't be
afraid to make a strong statement with your query letter.
It's a real trial and error business. Every agent, editor and publisher is different with different
tastes
and preferences. They are your first customers. If you can get past them, the rest gets easier. You
will get rejections, they're part of the landscape. File 'em and move on. Your agent is out there
somewhere.
LJ for MBR: Thanks for that advice, Dennis. Knowing you learned it all first hand, the hard way,
lends credence to your answer.
You mentioned The Unreal McCoy introduces characters in a series of books. Give our readers a
little synopsis of the next book in this series. What is the name of it and is it completed yet?
Dennis: The next book in this series is titled, Turn left at September, and it's the story of Monica
Wilson, a young girl who drifts into the wrong crowd and finds herself mired in the world of drug
dealers. When she lands a job with an up and coming musical group, it looks like Monica's
beautiful
singing voice might provide her with a ticket out of this dark zone.
Billy Bones, the gang leader who controls the drug network is a ruthless killer who completely
dominates his followers and never allows them to just walk away from him and his dirty business.
He
decides to make Monica an example for all to see. Monica is scheduled for a New Year's Eve
appearance at a northern Michigan casino/ski resort and Billy has a stroke-of-midnight execution
planned.
In this story, McCoy is given the opportunity to show a little more of his personality and I think
you'll find him quite a likable guy. He develops a warm relationship with Ruby, a goodhearted
waitress from Eddie's Bar on Detroit's east side. McCoy's partner, Otis Springfield has the chance
to
show his quick wit as well as his solid expertise as a policeman and their Private Investigator pal,
Michael O'Conner begins to bloom as a dependable cohort.
The book is complete and ready for publication and I'm currently seeking representation.
LJ for MBR: I find adding the young and irrepressible Michael O'Conner into that already
effective
mix of main characters quite enticing. I'm really looking forward to reading this second book, so
hope you find a publisher or agent fast!
Is there anything you wish I'd have asked you, Dennis, or any other bit of information you'd like
to
share with our readers about publishing or any other subject?
Dennis: Just a word about Michael O'Conner. He was the inspiration for this entire series.
Did you ever wonder how the tough guys like Mike Hammer and Sam Spade got started? At
some
point they must have been wide eyed rookies losing more fistfights than they won and tripping
over
their mistakes. We never seem to hear about those early days.
In The Unreal McCoy, Michael O'Conner is first introduced as an unconscious, anonymous
beating
victim lying in a hospital bed, his vulnerability undisguised. Readers will have the chance to
witness
the metamorphosis as Michael learns from his two mentors, McCoy and Otis Springfield. He is
innocent enough to be non-threatening to the male readers and the female readers will want to
mother him. The object is to make the reader feel as if they were part of Michael's growth
process.
LJ for MBR: I get the sense that your writing style is refining and maturing right along with
Michael
O'Conner. If that is the case, Turn Left at September will be at least as good a read, if not better,
than The Unreal McCoy.
Thanks Dennis. I appreciate your time.
Dennis: You're very welcome, Laurel.
Readers can learn more about Dennis Collins by visiting his website at
www.theunrealmccoy.homestead.com
Interview with Adam-Michael James:
I wanted to interview Adam-Michael James because he is a promising young writer and dedicated
activist to a worthy cause. With Undo the Deed, he took a serious message and presented it in
unique form and style.
LJ for MBR: I've read many books on child abuse, but never one like the story you created. Tell
us
what prompted you to write your story with the science fiction/time travel theme.
AMJ: Well, this is really going to date me, but this was back in 1986 when I was 17-I'm 33 now. I
was still being abused emotionally, and I was going out with someone who was dealing with
physical
abuse on a regular basis, so the whole subject was really up in my face. It was right around the
time
Peggy Sue Got Married came out, plus I was still heavily enamored of Back to the Future.
Somewhere in the back of my head, from around the age of 12, I'd decided if I ever got away
from
the abuse in my own home, I should try and help others not have to go through what I did,
because
back then abuse wasn't talked about the way it is now-hell, domestic violence wasn't even
considered
a crime then. So one day it all came together, kind of out of nowhere; I wish I could remember
more
specifically what happened the day I first came up with it. I'd always had these grandiose ideas,
especially when it came to creating my own versions of movies and TV shows I liked, but I knew
if I
was going to do something like this, it had to be my own story, even if I allowed those influences
in.
It just made sense to me at the time, so I started laying the groundwork. It never occurred to me
that
my idea was all that different, but I've gotten plenty of raised eyebrows when I've broached the
concept with people, so I guess it must be.
LJ for MBR - What you call "grandiose ideas" seem more like a creative force to me, especially
after
checking out your website. The many forms of creativity you pursue belies your young age. But I
need to stay on track here.
I did get the sense while reading Undo the Deed that you were lightening a heavy subject by
coming
at it from an angle that might provide a broader message base. Tell us a bit about what you hoped
to
achieve, or what your thoughts were as you wrote this book..
AMJ: I'll go off that track with you for a moment just to clarify: Before Undo the Deed, most of
anything I came up with-as an impressionable teenager, understand-were either spoofs or
reworkings of pre-existing ideas; they weren't wholly my own. That's what I meant by
"grandiose",
but maybe that was a poor choice of words.
Getting back to your question.I didn't want to write something too intense and depressing,
otherwise
nobody would read it, and I certainly wouldn't want to write it. And I didn't feel it would do to
have
it be a one-message book, either. There are other characters and other facets to their lives.plus I
wanted to have a little fun once in a while. I'm a big believer in humor-it's the A #1 reason I'm still
here. In terms of my target readership.certainly a big section of that readership would be
teenagers
and young adults, but it's really intended for anyone old enough to understand what I'm talking
about, say, from 13 on up. And I don't really consider this book science fiction, either, per se. It's
the
same idea-I wasn't thinking in genres or audiences when I wrote it. It's for anyone who can
appreciate what I have to say and get something out of it. I like what Madonna once said about
the
marriage of art and commerce, and I've always tried to do that in anything I've created. If you're
too
specialized, you limit your audience, but if you're too commercial, you can come off as cheesy or
sanitized. So it's a balancing act. I hope I've achieved that balance.
LJ for MBR: As an adult who is well past middle age, I can say with certainty that you
accomplished
what you set out to do. I bought into the "time travel" element - what I labeled sci fi - without
question. The story drew me in and I believed it. The characters were sympathetic, believable, and
real. That being said, I'm curious to know if you are working on another book. If so, will it be a
departure from this one?
AMJ: In some ways yes, in some ways no. I have an idea, but my focus right now is getting this
book out there, otherwise there won't be a next one. I'm not doing child abuse again, though, I
will
say that.
LJ for MBR: I thought Undo the Deed was well written and skillfully crafted. Have you studied
writing or taken related college courses to help hone your natural abilities? I ask that because
many
writers have strong feelings one way or another about formal writing courses.
AMJ: You know, it is funny, because there really do seem to be two camps when it comes to
studying writing. Myself, no; the only class I took was my Creative Writing class in high school. I
see so many books on "how to write this" and "how to write that", and my feeling is---and I know
this is a bit inflammatory---that if you need a book on writing to tell you how to write, then maybe
you shouldn't be writing. That's just my feeling. I don't believe in doing much studying on it per se
because I think it interferes with individual style, and that the creative process gets locked up if
you
get stuck thinking "this is how you're supposed to write". There's no "supposed to" anything. It
happens to actors and musicians, too. Not that any of this means I'm against studying the creative
arts as a whole. I just think people fall into a trap of thinking you're supposed to do things one
way,
and if you do them a different way, then you're not doing it right. The writing world, in particular,
can be a bit pretentious in this area. I think it's important to not go too far the other way and be
open
to criticism and suggestions and changes, but in my mind, knowing if a story is working or not is
instinctual and can't be learned in a classroom. Again, these are just my feelings about it.
LJ for MBR: Since you mentioned the creative arts and music, that gives me the perfect opening
to
bring up your other accomplishments. While preparing for your interview, I checked out your
website. You've packed a lot of experience into your young life, and have accomplishments to be
proud of besides your published book. Tell our readers a bit about your radio days, your acting
aspirations, and anything else you'd like to share.
AMJ: Well, it's true I'm my own worst critic-compared to where I wanted to be by now...well, I'm
nowhere near it. This book being published is, in my mind, my first major accomplishment. But
yes,
I have done quite a bit of radio, both professionally in Florida, as a DJ, and as a volunteer here in
the
Los Angeles area. I wrote scripts for a radio show every week for almost 3 years, as well as
performed on-air duties and produced segments. I guess it's minimizing things to imply this wasn't
an
accomplishment-I did, in fact, win the Radio and Television News Association's Golden Mike
Award for Best Entertainment Reporting for a piece that aired in 1998. I would consider that my
first major adult accomplishment. As for acting, I won all kinds of awards and stuff in high school,
but the real adult world hasn't been nearly so kind. I did tons of extra work for a few years trying
to
break in, but nothing ever came of it. I thought I was getting close when I was on Days of Our
Lives
12 times-I thought for sure I'd get a line, but it never happened. In fact, it was because of all the
brick walls I hit that I decided to take Undo the Deed out of mothballs, so that's what's brought
me
to where I am now, and there's nothing to complain about there. I really would like to act, though.
I'm doing a small production of Oklahoma! right now at a local theatre, with 7 lines and trying to
dance like I know what I'm doing! It's fun, but it sure has made me realize how much I'
