Tag Archives: author

Words on a Limb Interviews Sylvia Stewart

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Sylvia Stewart grew up in the (then) Belgian Congo. She spent 21 years as an Assemblies of God missionary in Malawi, East Africa, with her husband, Duane. While there, she taught some writing workshops, which are now bearing fruit. She started writing Kondi’s Quest to weave a story for the children of Malawi. In 1992 Sylvia and Duane were asked to go to Ethiopia to found a Bible College. They spent 11 years there, doing mostly Bible College ministry. Sylvia taught college-level English to students who had never taken a grammar class before. Sylvia is the mother of four children who grew up in Africa. Her eleven grandchildren are the delight of her life. Sylvia’s book was a 24-year project. Through the eyes of a Malawian girl, Kondi’s Quest shows middle-school readers that God’s love and presence is with us, even in very hard times.

We are very pleased to introduce you to Sylvia and her story:

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
English was my favorite subject in school. Writing essays was easier for me than for my classmates. I don’t remember writing stories as a child, but I would “tell” myself stories as I lay in bed at night. I guess you could say I’ve been writing most of my life.

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
The Nancy Drew books captured my fancy even before I was a teen. Later Zane Grey, D.E. Stevenson, Miss Read, and Mary Stewart taught me how to turn a phrase and make a story come alive.

When and where do you prefer to write?
I prefer to write in the morning, but that doesn’t often happen. I prefer no interruptions, but I don’t often get that either. I prefer silence for my writing time, but usually I write in the middle of the house with life going on around me. Soon I will have my own “Just Write” cabin on the back of our property. Bliss!
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Words on a Limb Interviews Peter H. Reynolds

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peter_reynoldsWhether he is busy at FableVision inventing new ways to inspire children to just start, or enlightening people at his Reynolds Centre for Teaching, Learning and Creativity, or building a community center with his Blue Bunny bookstore, Peter Reynolds is doing what he does best, CREATING.

A couple of months back, my son came home with a request from his kindergarten teacher to capture the colours of the sky at various times of the day. She had read the story Sky Colour by Peter Reynolds and wanted to help her students experience a bit of the story. I thought this was a clever idea. Not having heard the story before, I quickly went out to my neighbourhood bookstore get my own copy. It was a unique pleasure to read his work and begin a poetry project of our own as a result of his inspiring words. Peter Reynolds is truly an ambassador for creativity.

We invited Peter to tell us more about where it all started and where he feels it is all going. Here is what we discovered.

Thinking back to when you were five years old, what did you want to be when you grew up? When did that change to story-teller?
I was asked by Major Mudd, a television show broadcast in Boston when I was a kid, what I wanted to be and I responded, “A firetruck.”
Fortunately, I broadened my horizons and started a newspaper with my twin brother, Paul in first grade.
That lit the publishing fuse for me.

Continue reading →

Words on a Limb Interviews Pollyanna Darling

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Pollyanna Darling began writing short stories, cartoon strips and poetry at age four and has a passionate love of high quality literature for children and young adults. She has four boisterous children (all boys) and lives on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. Back in the mists of time, Pollyanna was vigorously dissuaded from writing by a well-meaning careers officer. She dabbled in diverse and curious jobs before deciding that writing had her by the heart and wasn’t going to let go. Her intuitive life coaching work led to the publication of her first book in 2011, a self-help guide for adults: The Relationship Revelation, which won gold in the the Living Now Book Awards (USA) in 2012.

Pollyanna has since discovered that writing for children offers many opportunities for fun, mischief and magic. After a two year creative process with Victorian artist Kirsty Chalmers, she completed and published Heartwood (2013): a hand-illustrated, first chapter book for kids who are beginning to read independently.

Words on a Limb had a chance to sit with Pollyanna and learn her story.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I learned to read at 2 years old as my mother was very passionate about education. By the time I turned 9, I’d read all the children’s books I could lay my hands on, and began on the walls of adult books that lined our house. I have loved words for as long as I can remember – their power to hurt, to heal, to ignite imagination, to take the reader deep. I began creating poetry, short stories and
cartoon strips as soon as I could write. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer, but I was talked out of it by a well-meaning careers officer – too many writers, can’t make a living etc etc. I know now (regardless of income), that if you ignore the internal drive to create, life becomes flat and meaningless.

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
As a child I loved the Narnia series and I devoured ghost stories, but I distinctly remember discovering Fear of Flying by Erica Jong, a book I sneaked from the shelf when I was 12. In those startling pages I found the edgy, fascinating world of feminist literature. My own writing has been influenced both by the heroic hope of the great children’s writers and the holistic world view of feminist writers. I also love the majestic Russian story-tellers (like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky) and the magical realism of Marquez and others.

When and where do you prefer to write?
As a mother of four, time can be a scarce commodity, so I seize the opportunities that arise. I have learned to be self-disciplined around this, it’s too easy to fritter away the time I could spend writing. If a couple of hours loom, I jump on them! My favourite place to write is my bed, but I feel wickedly indulgent doing that, so move around the house – my office, a table on the verandah gazing out at cows, or a cafe in town.
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Words on a Limb Interviews Karen Autio

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Karen-Autio-AuthorKaren Autio is the author of a trilogy of historical novels for young readers. She writes about events in Canada’s history that haven’t had much attention: the sinking of the Empress of Ireland, tuberculosis and living in a sanatorium; spies, sabotage and internment during the First World War.

Karen also focuses on the value of family stories and heritage. When her Finnish-Canadian grandmother gave her a silver spoon and told her its tale, Karen had no idea it would lead her into a whole novel’s worth of words. She learned that her grandmother’s Finnish friends had members of their family from Port Arthur who died in the wreck of the Empress of Ireland. Karen researched the steamship and wove the ship’s story into fictional Saara’s life in SECOND WATCH.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
While I enjoyed writing and illustrating stories as a kid and thought I’d be a children’s book illustrator when I grew up, I followed a different path in university, studying computer science. A few years after graduating, I took a course on children’s books and chose to write a story as my final project. That was my first inkling that I wanted to become a writer, but it wasn’t until 1998 that I realized I wanted to devote my time, energy, and creativity to writing for young readers.

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
The Dr. Seuss Beginner’s Dictionary played an important role in turning me into a lover of words. Julie Lawson’s historical novel Goldstone about Swedish immigrants in the early 1900s in British Columbia was an inspirational model for me as I was writing my first historical novel called Second Watch about Finnish immigrants in 1914 Port Arthur, Ontario, and their involvement with the sinking of the Empress of Ireland steamship. A book about the writing process that I frequently reread is Take Joy: A Book for Writers by Jane Yolen.

When and where do you prefer to write?
Morning is my best time to write, although I’ve been found writing late into the night when a deadline is looming. I prefer quiet. I filled a spiral notebook while writing Second Watch and wrote scenes out of order. Writing Saara’s Passage and Sabotage was entirely different. I wrote both in a linear fashion from a detailed outline directly on my computer.
Continue reading →

Interview with Aubrey Davis

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GravatarHello everyone. A couple of weeks ago I reached out to one of my favourite Canadian authors, the incomparable Aubrey Davis, who I met many years ago when he was kind enough to autograph a copy of Bagels From Benny for my kids. I asked if we could connect and learn about his journey as a writer. When we got news that he was available, we set up some time and had a chat with Mr. Davis. Here is his story. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.

I’m Mauricio, managing editor at WOAL, and I had the unique privilege of spending some moments with one of Canada’s most cherished story-tellers and children’s authors. A world traveler, he has mastered the gift of recounting timeless traditional tales in both the oral and written disciplines for a modern day audience. We had a chance to reflect on writing, culture, books, movies, the state of the education but most indulging of all, to me, the distinct art of story-telling. He joined us via Skype from sunny downtown Toronto, on of all days, Mother’s Day.

Welcome Mr. Davis. We know early on you began your career as a story-teller, what inspired you to become a writer?

It began when I was a kid, I was 9 years old and I lived next door to a writer. I never spoke to him about his writing, nor did I see any of his writing, I just lived next door to him. One day I woke up and felt, I want to be a writer too. I kind of caught it like a cold. So I bugged my mom for a typewriter, and a great big Webster’s Dictionary and I started to write.

What I loved to write back then was funny things. I really loved humour. I was a fan of Mad Magazine and the Bible. I was a religious kid on my own, not through my parents. And I just kept writing funny things until grade 8.

Who were some of your champions supporting you early on? And what happened in Grade 8?

I think it was when I was a kid, my 6th grade teacher. I noticed all the other kids got their stories handed back to them and I was the only one that didn’t get a story back. I didn’t know what was going on. He read my story to the whole class, with tears of laughter running down his cheeks. And I thought “Oh, this is nice”. I loved to write in school.

I had a grade 8 teacher that wrote, “There’s nothing worse than humour poorly done”. That shut me down, and I didn’t write again until I was I was about 40 and I came into story-telling.

How did teaching shape your writing? Continue reading →

Words on a Limb Interviews Stephen B. Pearl

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So who is Stephen B. Pearl? He is a lifeguard, husband, mystic, science enthusiast, home handyman, backyard mechanic, and writer. Like most of us the face he wears changes with the company and the season. His three cats know him as the pride alpha, I like to think so, though servant might be more accurate. Who is he kidding? His wife runs the pride; “I just try and stay out of her way.” He says.
At any rate, I am a man of middle years who lives in a house in Ontario, Canada with three cats, a wife and a sincere hope that you will enjoy my book. This week,
Stephen B. Pearl steps into the Spotlight on Authors.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I think I started taking it seriously when I was twenty three. I was always a story teller.

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
My writing, Marvel comics (many titles), The Harry Dresden Wizard for Hire books by Jim Butcher, the collective works of Frank Herbert and The Odyssey by Homer.  My life, Lord of the Rings by J. R. Tolken.

When and where do you prefer to write?
Is it warm? Yes. Is it dry? Yes. Does my laptop have power? Yes. I’ll write. Heck, I’ve worked on writing in a freezing car between teaching Mad Science extracurricular sessions. Continue reading →

Words on a Limb Interviews Dave Freeman

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This week Spotlight on Authors is delighted to virtually visit with Dave Freeman. Although we would have preferred to visit him in person since Dave and his wife live a few miles from the ocean in beautiful West Palm Beach Florida – and since we are having a great winter this spring.

Ocean notwithstanding, here is his Mushroom Tale.

Dave is a professional who writes motivational children’s books. With forty years experience solving problems in industry and in his communities, he would like to change that title to: 

WRITER who solves problems, promotes, teaches and entertains.

Well said.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I don’t recall beginning my love affair with writing. I can only remember that once I joined the real world, in a professional capacity, I was always drawn to and selected for writing assignments. From resumes, radio commercials, complaint letters and other letters to turn an angry client in to a proponent, I stepped up and surprisingly continued to hit the bulls eye on many assignments. That is simply exhilarating. Continue reading →

Words on a Limb Interviews Bonnie Ferrante

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Bonnie Ferrante is a hybrid writer (publishing traditionally and self-publishing). Her work has appeared in various children’s and adult magazines and anthologies. She is a Jodo Shinshu Buddhist lay leader and was a grade school teacher for thirty-three years, ten as teacher-librarian. Her first three novels were published by Noble Romance Publishing. In 2014, her next book, a young adult historical paranormal, Switch, will be published by Tradewind Books in Vancouver. She has received two OAC grants for her writing. She has recently entered the field of self-publishing and is greatly enjoying illustrating her own picture books. Bonnie lives in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. She loves to chant, bike, garden, read, volunteer, create visual and needle art, and attend live theatre.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I wanted to be a writer since I was a child. I was the first person in my family to go to university and money was very tight. The regional university did not have a writing program so I chose librarianship and then later switched into teaching. When I taught half time, I began writing short pieces for newspapers, magazines, and anthologies. But when I began teaching full-time, I found I couldn’t manage it all. Now I no longer teach and am writing full time. Continue reading →

Words on a Limb Interviews K.S. Daniels

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kimberly outside2_editedKimberly Daniels is the terrific Goodreads author of The Valkyrie Profiles which is the #1 book of the Valkyrie Trilogy.  We learn some more about her on this installment of Spotlight on Authors.

Kimberly spent four years teaching English Composition and Literature at the University of South Alabama. She also writes Science Fiction (Genre fiction! Oh, My!) and consumes copious amounts of coffee and whiskey (not necessarily together or in that order). When she’s not busy writing, much like a cat, she enjoys napping, running suddenly into a randomly selected room, and plotting the destruction of mankind. She exhibits a curious interest robots, leading to the widespread rumor that she may, in fact, be one herself.

Her current projects include the third installment of the Valkyrie Trilogy and various short stories. Her first novel, The Valkyrie Profiles, was a quarter finalist for Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013 and the second novel, Flight of the Valkyries debuted in May of 2014 to much fanfare (read: she threw confetti at herself). She also has a prequel short story in the Valkyrie Trilogy, Children of Ymir, that is a Kindle exclusive and another short story in the second Lunar’s Children anthology by Dark Oak Press titled Chimera, which began as horror but somehow still managed to end up as Science Fiction. Much to her own surprise, she currently lives in New Orleans, LA. eating as many raw oysters as robotically possible (that’s a lot of oysters) and working on yet another time machine.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
My first serious thoughts on being a writer began around the age of fourteen. I was really big into Star Wars and read a lot of the books that were written post-Return of the Jedi. At some point, I realized, hey, I could write books like this! So began my first book, never to be finished, handwritten across several black and white Mead compositions books. Eventually, I outgrew my Star Wars fan fiction and by the time I started on my Master’s in English, my first ‘real’ novel was well underway.

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
I grew up on classic Science Fiction: Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Andre Norton, etc. so those books had the biggest impact on my writing. My prose tends to be tight, no pages and pages on the scenery descriptions for me. As Hemingway said, “Writing is architecture, not interior decorating.” I’ve also been partial to Victorian literature, like Jane Eyre, so I tend to incorporate a lot of gothic elements into my work as well. Some of the books I still read over and over again are Asimov’s “The Caves of Steel” and “The Stars Like Dust”, Philip K. Dick’s “Ubik”, Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”, Huxley’s “Brave New World”.

When and where do you prefer to write?
I prefer the morning, before my head has time to get bogged down with everyday, mundane tasks. The where can vary these days, though years ago I had to be in ‘my writing spot’. I do usually write away from home, but I prefer quiet places, like a dark corner in a locals-only coffee shop. We have a wonderful English Tea Room near my house that I hope to try out soon. Sometimes I like to listen to music when I write. Each of my characters has their own play list on Spotify so that helps me get my head in the right place before I begin.

What was your biggest challenge in writing your book?
With my first book, it was finding the time. I wrote half the book as my Master’s thesis, but right after graduation I took a two year internship at the University of South Alabama teaching four sections of either Composition or literature. I barely wrote at all during that time, but once I finished the internship, I could teach fewer classes and devote half my time to finishing the book.

What advice do you have for other writers?
Read good books! Never neglect your reading for writing; you should do both with equal vigor.

About you …

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I do a lot of reading, of course, but I also have a horde of rescue pets so they keep my pretty busy too. I just moved into a house that we are renovating ourselves, so I spend much of my free time on the project that is my new home.

Can you share something that is happening in your life that would surprise us?
That’s a tough one. I don’t feel like I’ve ever done anything particularly surprising. I’m a vegetarian, so that surprises some people. I own two pit bulls, a toy poodle, and a cat who all get on swimmingly. I love whiskey and playing dress up on any given day for no reason other than my own amusement.

Do you have any unique talents besides writing?
I took ballet for fifteen years so I’m a pretty great dancer. I also taught myself how to sew a few years back so I could make my own costumes for Halloween and SF conventions.

What can we expect from you in the future?
Many, many, many more books! I’ll never stop writing. I aim to leave me mark on the world by bring people enjoyment through my fiction.

Quick hits …

Is there an author that you would really like to meet?
All of my favorite authors are dead, so it’d be really hard to meet any of them without a time machine. Meeting Neil Gaiman would be cool though. Simon Pegg wrote a book, so I guess he counts and I’d certainly like to meet him.

What book are you currently reading?
I just finished The Paris Wife, by Paula McLain and Unwind, by Neal Shusterman. I just got into Philip K. Dick’s Man in the High Castle, and after that I plan on reading Cress, by Melissa Meyer.

Who designed your latest book cover?
Ana Cruz. She is the absolute best! She’s a pleasure to work with and her art is phenomenal. You can check out more of her work at Anna Cruz @ Deviant Art.

What is your favourite quote?
I’ve got so many, it’s hard to pick just one! I guess I’d have to go with “I write for the same reason I breathe – because if I didn’t, I would die.” – Isaac Asimov. I feel the same way. If I couldn’t write, I think I’d probably die.

Where can new fans can follow you?
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kimberlysdaniels
Twitter: @KimSDaniels
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/ksdaniels
My horribly neglected blog: ksdaniels.blogspot.com
Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/K.-S.-Daniels/e/B00B084336

The Valkyrie Profiles
By K.S. Daniels
Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Nook

My first book in the Valkyrie series is The Valkyrie Profiles and the second book, Flight of the Valkyrie will be out this summer.

The Valkyrie Profiles: With war on the horizon and a rising body count, Vladia Robespierre must decide if her brother is really what he seems? And if he is the enemy, what does that make her?

 

Kimberly, Words on a Limb would like to thank you for your time.  We wish you much success with The Valkyrie Profiles and future books in this series.

 

Words on a Limb Interviews Victoria Zigler

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This week Spotlight on Authors visits with Victoria Zigler, author of many books including her latest
Filicity The Musical Platypus.

She was born in the shadow of the Black Mountains in Wales, and now lives by the sea in the South-East of England with her husband, Kelly.

About writing …

When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
I’ve always known I wanted to be a writer. I’ve loved to write since I learned how, and wanted to be a published author as soon as I learned what one was. It took me until about two years ago to actually become published, but I got there in the end!

What book(s) has most influenced your writing?
I think I’ve been influenced more by certain authors than by certain books. I also think that I’ve been influenced by several authors, but Beatrix Potter and Hans Christian Anderson have had the biggest influence on my writing; Beatrix Potter for the talking animals that act like people, and Hans Christian Anderson for the fairy tale style of writing.

When and where do you prefer to write?
I don’t really have a favourite time or place to write, but I mostly end up writing on my laptop in the bedroom. I can, and will, write anywhere and at any time though; if I’m inspired and in a position to do so, I’ll write.

What was your biggest challenge in writing your book?
It depends which one. The books that were hardest for me to write were my ‘Toby’s Tales’ books, because they’re semi-fictionalized stories based on my own experiences with the challenges Toby faces in adjusting to sight loss. But, if you mean my most recent book, then the hardest part was trying to visualize a platypus and the environment one would live in clearly enough to be able to write about them, bearing in mind I had to do this from nothing more than bits of description I was able to find online; it was something I wanted to do though, because I really wanted to write a story about a platypus, because they have a funny sounding name.

What advice do you have for other writers?
“If you want to write, then write already, and stop making excuses not to write. Then, when you’re done, edit, edit, and edit some more, because a poorly edited story won’t be very well received, no matter how good it is.”

About you …

What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Mostly, if I’m not writing, I’m either reading, sleeping, doing housework, catching up with e-mails, or spending time with my hubby and our pets. Sometimes I’ll do other things though, like watching movies, listening to music, knitting, cardmaking, cooking and baking, figure gaming, playing roleplaying games, or checking to see if any of my family or friends posted anything interesting on Goodreads or Facebook lately.

Can you share something that is happening in your life that would surprise us?
Hmmm… This is a tough one. Well… Anyone who hasn’t read about me anywhere before may be surprised to learn that I’m completely blind. Does that count? If not, then I guess the only thing that’s going on in my life that people might find surprising is that a couple of the interviews I’ve done lately have been character interviews; one is an interview with a dragon named Daisy, who’s one of the main characters in my ‘Magical Chapters’ trilogy, and the other is an interview with my dog, Kero, who’s the main character in my ‘Kero’s World’ series. I really can’t think of anything else.

Do you have any unique talents besides writing?
Not really. I’ve devoted so much time to writing that I haven’t really had time to get good at anything else. I would like to be able to say I played an instrument well, but the couple of attempts I made in the past weren’t very successful, and I’ve never really tried to be any good at anything else.”

What can we expect from you in the future?
I’ve got a book called ‘Thistle The Fairy Trickster’ due for release in May 2014, which is loosely based on the well-known ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’ story. Plus, I’m working on a couple of others, including a story about a pixie and some faerie dragons who get in to mischief and end up in trouble in a cave full of goblins, a story loosely based on ‘Jack And The Beanstalk’ about a little white bear who climbs a beanstalk and finds himself in the land of the giant sky bears, and a story about a vegetarian zombie. I also have a story called ‘Quest For The Purple Pumpkin’ that’s being published in a collection of sci-fi and fantasy stories with some other authors who publish via Smashwords. The book is called ‘Wyrd Worlds 2’ and is the second collection of its kind the group has published, but the first I’ve submitted a story for.

Quick hits …

Is there an author that you would really like to meet?
There are several authors I’d love to meet, and exactly who makes the list would depend on if we’re only including authors who are still alive. If we can include any authors – dead or alive – then my list, in no particular order, includes: Hans Christian Anderson, Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl, Charles Dickens, Monica Dickens, David Estes, J K Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Michelle Paver, Terri Brooks, Kim Harrison, Enid Blyton, Jill Murphy, Lauren Child, Bonnie Bryant, and Dick King-Smith. If we’re not including dead people, then just remove anyone not still alive from that list. Basically, if I’ve enjoyed a book by them, chances are I’d like to meet them.

What book are you currently reading?
I read too quickly for me to be able to say what book I’ll be reading by the time this is published. Your best option for knowing what I’m reading is to check out my Goodreads shelves; they’re always up to date.

Who designed your latest book cover?
The cover for ‘Filicity The Musical Platypus’ was created by Karl Mousley; a good friend who helps me out with covers whenever he can. Karl also created the cover for ‘Thistle The Fairy Trickster’ (due for release on May 16th 2014). The cover for ‘Goodies For Grandmother’ was created by Jacob Blackmon; a freelance artist who became a friend through his work on some of my covers. Karl and Jacob are my main cover artists, though a few of my covers have been created by Doug of Gendrill Publishing. I know you only asked about my most recent book cover, but all three titles I mentioned are recent, and I figured since I was giving both Karl and Jacob a mention, then I might as well mention all three of my cover artists.

What is your favourite quote?
I like too many quotes to list them here. Basically, I like quotes that hint at the magical worlds that words can create, and the wonders the universe holds if you take the time to look for them.

Where can new fans can follow you?
All my links can be found via http://www.zigler.co.uk (my official website). Just go to the page called ‘Victoria’s Page’ on that site and scroll down. Near the bottom of that page you’ll find links to my Smashwords, Goodreads, Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as a link to my blog.

Filicity The Musical Platypus
By Victoria Zigler
Smashwords | Barnes & Noble

Filicity is a platypus who loves music and has only one question on her mind… Why can’t a platypus be musical?

She’s heard the birds singing, she’s heard the music coming from the wonderful musical box with buttons that the humans call an ipod, and she’s heard the instruments of the travelling musicians on their way to the nearby town. All of them sound beautiful to her, and she longs to make music too!

Determined to find a way to be musical, Filicity sets off on a quest to find a way she can make the music she loves so much. After all, there has to be a way for a platypus to be musical too… Doesn’t there?

Words on a Limb would like to thank Victoria for her time.  We wish you much success in with your upcoming releases.