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Showing posts from October, 2007

[Interview] Elena Dorothy Bowman

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Elena Dorothy Bowman is an honors graduate of Fitchburg College where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and Management. She grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts and spent 25 years working as an aerospace software engineer. She now writes full time and serves as an officer in the Massachusetts Chapter of the National League of American Pen Women . Her books include Sarah’s Landing: Contact (Writer’s Showcase Press, 2002); The House On The Bluff (Write Words, Inc., 2006) and Gatekeeper’s Realm (Write Words, Inc., 2007) . In a recent interview, Elena Bowman spoke about her writing. When did you start writing? I have been writing off and on since way back when it only cost a dime to go to the Saturday Matinee, or any other time I could scrape up the price of a ticket. And in most cases when the ending was not to my liking, I felt compelled to go home and rewrite it. I discovered I enjoyed writing stories… putting words down on paper gave me a sense o

[Blog Review] Doris Lessing, Nobel Prize Laureate

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On Oct. 11, the Swedish Academy announced that Doris Lessing (87) had won the Nobel Prize in Literature . Most bloggers reacted to the news by recounting meetings they have had with Lessing and by discussing the influence her writing has had on them as individuals and as writers. They also discussed some of Lessing’s books and the themes she explores in her writing. A few reacted by reviewing what has been said in newspapers about Lessing and her books. An even smaller minority, like T. K. Kenyon, the author of Rabid — used the news to launch a diatribe against the “self-appointed literati and men” who had unfavorably criticized Lessing’s science fiction. There was an almost unanimous agreement that the award was well-deserved and long overdue. Nury Vittachi , author of The Feng Shui Detective responded by revealing how, a few years ago, he had gone to a book signing Doris Lessing was hosting and about how she was holding one of his books when he approached her table. “

[Interview] Nadia Aidan

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Nadia Aidan lives and works on the East Coast in the United States. In addition to writing erotic romances, she enjoys watching, reading and writing about strong, assertive heroines and is an enduring fan of Fight Girls , Xena , Buffy , and La Femme Nikita . Enthralled (iUniverse, 2007) is her first published novel. In a recent interview, Nadia Aidan spoke about her writing. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? I began writing about a year ago when I was finishing my dissertation, but once I finished my dissertation I didn't look at the novels again. It wasn't until my mom was diagnosed with uterine cancer that I began searching for an outlet for the emotional highs and lows of taking care of her. My mom recently lost her battle to cancer, which gave me the courage to submit my work. My mother was (and continues to be in spirit) my biggest cheerleader and support system. She was a strong, courageous woman who wasn't afraid of anything, and she raised

[Interview] Kate Hofman

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Kate Hofman was born in The Netherlands. She lived in England for a few years before moving to Canada where she now lives and works. This year alone, she has published seven romance novels, among them, A Greek Love Story (Romance At Heart, 2007), Castle in Spain (The Dark Castle Lords, 2007), Navajo Dreams (Romance At Heart, 2007), Greek Fire (Romance At Heart, 2007) and A Sensual Seduction (Romance At Heart, 2007). Two more novels, A Greater Love (Romance at Heart, November/December 2007) and The Spanish Conquest (AweStruck EBooks, February 2008) are going to be released soon. In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing. When did you start writing? On April 22, 2002. The romance author Nina Bruhns , for whom I do Internet publicity, said that I should write. I was very surprised, but decided to try it, and found that she was right. Writing came easy to me. I’ll also tell you my most daunting moment: when I sat down in front of that blank page on my computer.

[Blog Review] The Mind of a Working Writer

Emmanuel Sigauke teaches English at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento and is one of the Cosumnes River Journal's editors. He is also founder and editor of Munyori Poetry Journal , which publishes poems by established and emerging writers from all over the world. His own poems and other writings have been published in journals and magazines that include Virtual Writer , Slow Trains Journal , Ibhuku and AfricanWriter.com . His blogs, Wealth of Ideas , Chisiya Echoes: New Zimbabwe Poetry and Namatsiwangu give an insight into the mind of a working writer. Chisiya Echoes is the oldest of the three and is a collection of over 370 poems in English that Sigauke has been writing since February 2006. The second blog, Namatsiwangu , was started in November 2006 and is made up of 10 Shona poems. Wealth of Ideas , which is the focus of this article, is three months old. So far, it has about 20 posts of varying length. The posts focus on Sigauke's observations on African literature

[Interview] Caroline Pitcher

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Caroline Pitcher has written over 60 books which range from stories for small children to novels for young adults. She says she started writing because she’s always loved words and stories, especially those about the natural world and its creatures. “One of my favorite books was The Tailor of Gloucester , a re-telling by Beatrix Potter of a legend. As soon as I was able, I wrote poems and stories of my own and illustrated them (dreadfully).” Her mother and her primary and high school teachers encouraged her writing. After high school, she went on to the University of Warwick where she studied English and European Literature. There, her tutors included Professor George Hunter, Germaine Greer , Gaye Clifford, Bernard Bergonzi and Edward Thompson . One of them told her that she wrote very well and should become a professional writer. “That meant a lot to me,” she says, in an interview with the English Subject Centre. After university, Caroline Pitcher worked in places that included

[Interview] L. Diane Wolfe

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L. Diane Wolfe grew up in Salem, Oregon and traveled around the United States before eventually settling in North Carolina.In addition to being an author, Diane Wolfe is also a professional photographer and a motivational speaker. She conducts regular workshops and seminars on writing, publishing and book promotion. Her books include The Circle of Friends series of novels for young adults which, so far, is made up of four books: Mike (AuthorHouse, 2007); James (AuthorHouse, 2006); Sarah (AuthorHouse, 2005) and Lori (AuthorHouse, 2004). In a recent interview, Diane Wolfe spoke about her writing. How would you describe the writing you are doing? My current series falls under young adult fiction. Previously, all of my writing had been science fiction... but when I discovered I had a growing teen fan base, I shifted the focus to young adults. I had never intended to write anything in this genre, especially since my first love is science fiction, but I was inspired to wri

[Interview] Steven M. Reilly

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Steven M. Reilly is a practicing attorney, a baseball coach and an author. Since 1976, he has coached Babe Ruth, Senior Babe Ruth and American Legion teams in Connecticut's Lower Naugatuck Valley . He has also spent the last 20 years assisting high school coaches. Schools he has been involved with include Derby High School; Emmett O'Brien Regional Vocational Technical School and Seymour High School. His book, The Fat Lady Never Sings tells the story of the 1992 Derby Red Raiders and has been described as "a marvelous adaptation from an exciting era... which blends emotion, humor and ultimate success." In a recent interview, Steve Reilly spoke about his writing. How have your personal experiences influenced the direction of your writing? My writing so far has been of a true story that I was fortunate to be a part of. I think even if I decided to write fiction, I would likely use my personal experiences at least as a starting point. I believe it would be har

[Interview] Nicola Beaumont

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Nicola Beaumont writes contemporary romance stories as well as regency romance novels. Her books include a novel, The Resurrection of Lady Somerset (Wild Rose Press, 2007), a novella, The Lighthouse (Wild Rose Press, 2007) and an inspirational short story, "Hyacinths in Winter" (Wild Rose Press, 2007). In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing. How would you describe the writing you do most? Lovely escapist fiction. Romances are a great way to lose oneself for a time in another story, knowing full-well that there will be a warm-fuzzy "happily ever after." I write specifically for women between the ages of 18 and 70. However, anyone can enjoy a romance, I believe, and since I write "sweet" romances, there's nothing of what some would call "inappropriate" included. What motivated you to start writing? My love of reading the genre and a desire to create the same types of stories. I seriously decided to try my hand at

[Interview] Kate Rigby

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In addition to writing novels, Kate Rigby has also had several short stories published in various publications including several in Skrev's magazine for experimental fiction, Texts' Bones . Her novels include Fall of The Flamingo Circus (Allison & Busby 1990); Seaview Terrace (Skrev 2003); Sucka! (Skrev 2004); Break Point (Skrev 2006) and Thalidomide Kid (Bewrite 2007). In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing. How would you describe the writing that you are doing? [I write] contemporary literary fiction, mainly [for] adults, although as I sometimes have teenaged or child protagonists, I like to think there's crossover appeal too. I've often be told that my writing doesn't easily fit into one genre. Do you write everyday? I try and write as often as possible, but my personal circumstances and health are making it difficult at present to write as much as I used to. I'm hoping this will change in the next few months or so. When