Author M.J. Evans on her award winning book, The Stone of Mercy – Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? When people ask me when I started loving horses, I respond that I was born with Manure in my blood. Well…I was also born with ink in my blood! I have always loved to write but I didn’t have time to actually become a published author until my fifth child entered high school.

WAS THERE A TEACHER OR OTHER MENTOR WHO INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING - PLEASE ELABORATE: Other authors are my inspiration! I grew up devouring all the Marguerite Henry horse stories. I also love all the C.S. Lewis books and, of course, J.K. Rowling.

HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? My ideas for stories always come when I am least expecting them. I never sit down and say: “I need to come up with a new story idea!” The idea for “The Centaur Chronicles,” of which “The Stone of Mercy” is the first book, came to me while I was reading the Bible. I read Ephesians 6:14: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.” My brain became overwhelmed with the whole story!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK AND WHY? As an author, I think of myself as an artist with words. Therefore, my favorite line would be any line where I get to beautifully describe a setting or emotions in a way that the reader can understand. Here is one example: “Lit by the silver moon, the rolling hills looked like ocean waves, and the gentle breeze rustling the grasses sounded like whispered secrets.” And one other example: “The shimmering signs of spring did nothing to quell the storm clouds of emotion that were building inside Carling.”

WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY? I don’t want to claim that I am the star, but, in this case, I really am! I am the most like Carling. I doubt myself but am willing to do what needs to be done. I’m also very obedient by nature and always strive to do my best. Carling’s response to the Wizard when he tells her that she is to become the queen is what I would say: “I’m sorry to question you, sir, but how is this to be as I am still but a child? I know not the ways of the world. I have barely left the confines of my own little village. And now I am alone in the world with no one to guide me.”

WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD WINNING BOOK? As they read the series and gather all four of the Stones of Light, I hope they will see the value in developing the four virtues of Mercy, Courage (to do what is right), Integrity and Wisdom.

IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE AND WHY? One critic called me “This generation’s C.S. Lewis.” I couldn’t have been more honored. He teaches valuable, spiritual lessons through his fantasies. I hope I can become as good as he was.

WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? Obviously, the Bible and The Book of Mormon are the greatest books ever written and the greatest person is Jesus Christ. They are my source of peace and strength in an otherwise confusing and challenging world.

HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT / GET PUBLISHED? I have never used an agent but I published “The Mist Trilogy-Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness, and The Rising Mist,” and “North Mystic” through publishers. I did it the traditional way: submit query letters and whatever else they ask for and wait, wait, wait. It is very exciting to be selected for publication by a publisher. I learned so much from them. However, I have since started my own company to publish my books. I hired graphic artists and editors. Creating a book from start to finish is an even more exciting process.

IF A CLOSE FRIEND OR LOVED ONE WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK, WHAT GREATEST PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM? Writing takes about 10% talent and 90% perseverance. You have to spend hours and hours not only writing but studying the craft of writing.

CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? You need to figure out who your audience is and where to find them. My audience is 9 to 14 year-olds, especially those who love horses. So, I go to the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo and the Little Britches National Rodeo and other places where young readers and riders are to be found. I also do a lot of school presentations.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT? My greatest accomplishment is the critical acclaim I have received from award programs such as Literary Classics. Of course, my friends and family love my books because they love me. But when professional critics love your work, you know you are on the right track!

WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS? At the moment, I’m focusing on finishing all four books of “The Centaur Chronicles.” After that, I have another book in my head that I want to finish…but that one may take me until I die!

TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING: I was a cheerleader for two years at Oregon State University!

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH OUR READERS? If you want to be a better writer, read more!

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? “In the Heart of a Mustang,” (2016 Literary Classics Gold Medal winner.) “North Mystic,” “The Mist Trilogy: Behind the Mist, Mists of Darkness, The Rising Mist,” New: “The Stone of Courage-Book 2 of the Centaur Chronicles.”
All of my books have received national awards and may be purchased (and autographed) through my website: www.dancinghorsepress.com. They are also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or independent bookstores.

DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? I am currently revising “The Stone of Integrity-Book 3 of the Centaur Chronicles.” I hope to have it out in early 2018. It is possible that pre-release copies will be available before Christmas. I am very excited about Carling’s third quest. She travels to a hidden island populated by fairies who always wear masks! The Heilodius Herd of Centaurs are becoming more aggressive in their efforts to stop her from completing the Silver Breastplate.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Dorothea Jensen on her award winning book, A Buss from Lafayette

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A WRITER? I grew up in a large family in which word play was valued, and I learned early how to make people laugh. Eventually I developed the capacity to do this on the page, and I was off and running. I also was a voracious reader (mostly in my closet, because our house was always filled with noise and confusion). I especially loved historical fiction, and wanted to write such stories of my own.

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WAS THERE A TEACHER OR OTHER MENTOR WHO INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING - PLEASE ELABORATE: Yes, my high school English teacher, Mrs. Ward. To this day, I hear her voice in my head when I write. She also nominated me for a national award program by the National Council of Teachers of English, and I was one of the winners - the first ever from my very small high school. (I can still picture her RUNNING down the hall to tell me I won. In those days, middle-aged ladies did NOT run, so I knew right away something extraordinary had happened.)

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR AWARD-WINNING BOOK? Twenty years ago, on a Jane Austen tour in the U.K., I met an elderly woman whose great-grandmother had been kissed as a child by Lafayette on his 1824-5 Farewell Tour. That kiss had come down in her family to her, and, of course, I immediately asked her to kiss me, so I can now say I've been kissed by someone who was kissed by someone who was kissed by someone who had been kissed by Lafayette. That piqued my interest in what Lafayette did for us in the American Revolution, and in his Farewell Tour, which brought him - I later realized - right by the house where I live in a small town in New Hampshire. I also had come across a family situation in my own family tree, in the early 1800s, in which a widower married his late wife's sister. I thought that might have been difficult for his children to understand or accept. I put these elements together and the result was A Buss from Lafayette.

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WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LINE FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING BOOK AND WHY?

I reached up, took the rose out of my hair, and gave it to her. “I would like to call her Rose. Caroline Rose. Would that be all right, Mother?” This line brings together all the elements of the story - Lafayette (who gave her the rose, among other things), Clara's love for her late mother (Caroline), and her new understanding and love for her stepmother, Priscilla, whom here she calls "Mother" for the first time ever. (I ALWAYS cry when I read this line!)

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WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS FROM YOUR AWARD-WINNING TITLE DO YOU BELIEVE ARE MOST LIKE YOU AND WHY? Clara, of course, or at least I was like her when I was her age. She loves to make puns, she loves to learn, and she is somewhat tormented by her older brother. In addition, she is a rather late "bloomer," and feels awkward in social situations with her peers. My mother, like Clara's stepmother, also insisted I went to dances. I usually felt like a wallflower and mostly sat outside the gym in the hallway chatting with Officer Monk, the policeman there to 'keep order', or whatever.

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WHAT MESSAGE DO YOU HOPE READERS WILL GLEAN FROM YOUR AWARD- WINNING BOOK? Sometimes things are quite different from what they appear to be on the surface.

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TELL US SOMETHING FUNNY ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER: Visiting a classroom in which the kids could see my author photo taken many years before when my first historical novel for kids, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm was published. One student looked at that photo and said in obvious surprise, "You used to be pretty, Mrs. Jensen!" I replied, "Thank you. . .I think."

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IF YOU COULD BE COMPARED TO A WELL-KNOWN AUTHOR WHO WOULD YOU MOST WANT THIS TO BE AND WHY? Elizabeth George Speare, who wrote The Witch of Blackbird Pond.

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WHAT PERSON HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE? Obviously, meeting and marrying my husband, David, with whom I recently celebrated our 50th anniversary. Not only has he challenged my brain and appreciated my humor, but he has always given me the space to pursue writing.

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HOW DID YOU FIND AN AGENT / GET PUBLISHED? I heard there was a small publisher near my house, so I walked three blocks down the street where I lived, gathered my courage, and gave them a manuscript of my story. It was not the pristine version I was saving to send to NYC, but one with coffee stains etc. It turned out that this place was a"packager" for a major publisher, and ended up publishing three books that I co-wrote with a friend. After that I started writing by myself.

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IF A CLOSE FRIEND OR LOVED ONE WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK, WHAT GREATEST PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE THEM? Just do it.

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR WRITERS ON HOW BEST TO PROMOTE THEIR BOOK? Be yourself online in as many places as possible.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY HONOR? A rave review/A+ book report of my first historical novel for kids, The Riddle of Penncroft Farm, written by my oldest grandson, Stuart, aged 10.

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WHAT ARE YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ASPIRATIONS? I hope to sometime get the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for my historical fiction. (I read all her books in the early 50s, and finished the last one when I was in 3rd grade. My teacher told my mother I had cried all day because there were no more of her stories to read.) I also recently discovered that Laura and I share a 17th century ancestor (along with millions of other people), which, needless to say, delighted me!

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TELL US SOMETHING PEOPLE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT YOU THAT THEY MIGHT FIND INTERESTING: For a number of years, I performed with amateur and professional theater/opera companies. As a contralto/mezzo, I almost always lose the hero to the soprano.

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WHAT (IF ANY) OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED? (All can be found on my Amazon Author Page:  amazon.com/author/dorotheajensen 

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The Riddle of Penncroft Farm

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Tizzy, the Christmas Shelf Elf

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Blizzy, he Worrywart Elf

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Dizzy, the Stowaway Elf

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Frizzy, the S.A.D. Elf

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The Catherine Moorhouse Regency Trilogy (co-authored under the pen name Catherine Moorhouse): Adriana, Louisa, Dorothea

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A Buss from Lafayette Teacher's Guide (coming out soon from BQB Publlshing)

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DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW BOOKS IN THE WORKS? Yes, three...

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HISTORICAL FICTION: A Scalp on the Moon

In 1675, a teenaged boy who has trained his entire life for a career as an actor in Restoration London finds himself accidentally transported to Massachusetts Colony, where he knows the Puritans consider the theater to be a terrible evil. It is a time of great unrest and fear, as the Wampanoag and other Native American tribes are realizing that the English settlers are an unsettling, permanent, and growing presence in their midst. For their part, some of the superstitious colonists insist they keep seeing a scalp on the moon, a portent that something terrible is about to happen. With the outbreak of King Philip’s War this portent proves all too accurate.

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HISTORICAL NON-FICTION:

The American Revolutions: By a Partial, Prejudiced, and Ignorant Historian

I wrote this short non-fiction work long ago and am polishing it for publication. In it, I tell the story of the American Revolutions (yes, the plural is deliberate) As I say in the preface: “In a way, then, it can be said that there were two American Revolutions. The first was the process by which a great number of Americans “turned away” (the literal meaning of revolution, as in “revolve" ) from the mother country, Great Britain, and came around to the idea that America should be an independent nation. The second was the Revolutionary War, that combination of bravery, bloodshed,and blundering which made independence a reality. “

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ILLUSTRATED MODERN CHRISTMAS STORY IN VERSE:

Bizzy, the Know-It-All Elf, Santa’s Izzy Elves #5

In this fifth installment of Santa’s Izzy Elves series, the Izzy Elves and Santa Claus decide to go on vacation. Bizzy, the self-proclaimed internet whiz, finds a place for them all to visit where they can blend in nicely with the rest of the crowd. Or so he thinks!

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LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Author Spotlight - Award Winning Author Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg

 

 

Dr. Sherry L. Meinberg

 

on her award winning title...

The Cockroach Invasion

 

WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU PUBLISHED?

I have published eleven nonfiction books total, so far, all on different subjects: Breadcrumbs for Beginners: Following the Writing Trail; Diabetes ABC; Imperfect Weddings are Best; Recess is Over! No Nonsense Strategies and Tips for Student Teachers and New Teachers; It’s All Thought! The Science, Psychology, and Spirituality of Happiness (Teacher’s Guide); Autism ABC; The Bogeyman: Stalking and its Aftermath; Toxic Attention: Keeping Safe from Stalkers, Abusers, and Intruders; Be the Boss of Your Brain! Take Control of Your Life; Chicken Soup for the Kid’s Soul (Story); Into the Hornet’s Nest: An Incredible Look at Life in an Inner City School.

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WHEN DID YOU FIRST KNOW YOU WANTED TO BE A WRITER?

When I was in the third grade, I would write stories at night, and my teacher would let me read them to the class the next morning. I loved sharing the adventures of the twins, Tizzy and Izzy. (I was shocked, in later years, to find that people actually had those names!). Unfortunately, I was an exceptional reader, and compared my beginner writings with those of adult professional authors. There was no comparison. So, at the tender age of seven, I decided that I couldn’t write. And I didn’t write, for another forty years. (I wasted all that time, when I could have been practicing!)

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AS A CHILD, WHAT DID YOU ASPIRE TO BE?

Since I thought I could never be a writer, in the fifth grade, I decided to become an archaeologist. I even founded an Archaeology Club. My friends and I would meet at separate houses each month, and share books, articles, maps, and things we’d learned. And we had refreshments. I maintained a large scrapbook of our interests. My favorite motivating book was, The Complete Book of Marvels, by Richard Haliburton. It was fascinating! I held on to this dream, until around the 7th grade, when I found out that there was no running water at the digs. I was shaken to the core! Realizing that I wouldn’t be able to take bubble baths, I moved on to other interests. (My younger brother, however, also read the book, and caught the same history bug. And when he became older, he made 51 trips down into Aztec and Mayan territories, as an amateur archaeologist. (He had a large family, and businesses to run, so his passion became a hobby, instead of a career. He did, in fact, give many speeches about the topic and his adventures. One day, when he was visiting me from Oregon, he came across my old Archaeology scrapbook, and went nuts! He took that, and my beat-up copy of Haliburton’s book, and I never saw them again.

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HOW DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR TITLE?

The Cockroach Invasion says it all! The incident actually happened in my third grade classroom, years ago, and every time I thought of it, I laughed. So I decided to share the fun, and write about the invasion of kajillions of cockroaches that erupted out of Room 8’s classroom sink. 

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TELL US SOMETHING INTERESTING ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A WRITER.

The book publisher wanted each of the 21 small sketches on a separate disk, so I placed the disks in a tall black plastic canister, which didn’t allow marker ink to be seen. And the lid had a complicated handle on the top, so there was no way to add my name, or the title of the book. I couldn’t see how the publisher would be able to identify the title. So, I placed three realistic-looking cockroach stickers on the lid, thinking he could easily figure it out. I then took the canister to the Mail Service, so it could be carefully packed. When I got to the front of the line, I pushed the canister across the counter, and the owner freaked. Shouting, “You’ve got cockroaches!”, he waved his arms, back and forth, repeating himself as he backed up. His young female assistant, made gulping sounds, looking somewhat like a gasping fish, as she backed up alongside her boss. They both smacked into the wall behind them, and couldn’t go any further. They appeared to be terrified! During their histrionics, I was saying, “No, no, no, no,” while flapping my arms, trying to reason with them. Finally, when all else failed, I just started laughing. Because this was an unexpected response, they both calmed down, as I turned to address the long line people behind me, who were watching the nonsense with saucer-sized eyes. I simply explained, “I wrote a book about cockroaches,” as I shrugged my shoulders. Everyone was agog.

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  I left to drive to a local restaurant, where five friends were giving me a birthday lunch that day. I was so excited to tell them all about the fuss. I was laughing as I told the story. They, in turn, were horrified. All displayed prune faces. They looked like they had swallowed vinegar. After tackling serious subjects, for so many years, they couldn’t believe that I was going to write about cockroaches. They thought I had taken leave of my senses, and were not supportive in any way, shape, form, or fashion. Oh, well. They couldn’t deter me in the least, because I thought the story was funny, with great teaching possibilities.

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  The kicker was that almost a year later, I went back to the Mail Service, and gave the owner a printed copy of The Cockroach Invasion. We laughed about the incident together. Then he excitedly told me that when he took a step inside his shop that morning, there was a dead cockroach on the floor. He remembered me, and thought it might be a sign. And then, suddenly, I marched through the door!

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WHICH AUTHOR HAS MOST GREATLY INFLUENCED YOUR WRITING STYLE?

I read a book a day (when I’m not writing, that is). And I always have two to six books going at a time. I read most anything and everything (except for horror, graphic medical and grisly autopsy scenes, or porn). As such, I’ve read tons of authors, and glean info from them all, even if it’s just, “Yikes! Don’t do this!” I wrote a book called Breadcrumbs for Beginners: Following the Writing Trail, which quotes scores of wonderful well-known authors.

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WHAT BOOK HAS HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE?

How can one book stand out among thousands upon thousands? Many have meant so much to me that I have bought them for others. But, in terms of long-term impact, I will go back to The Complete Book of Marvels, by Richard Haliburton.

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WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST LITERARY ACCOMPLISHMENT?

According to the FBI, I have the dubious honor of being the longest-stalked person in the nation (over 50 years). The bulk of my experiences happened before the word stalking was coined or understood, so no one knew what I was talking about. As such, I set about to raise awareness. I helped as many victims as possible, on a one-to-one basis, until the numbers became too great. So I wrote The Bogeyman: Stalking and its Aftermath (2003) which chronicles my personal experiences up to that point, as well as a companion How-To: Toxic Attention: Keeping Safe From Stalkers, Abusers, and Intruders (2003). I was interviewed on numerous radio, television, and cable stations. I spoke at many conferences, conventions, and organizations. I received a ton of press, but it was a half-page article in the Los Angeles Times, by Jill Stewart, that really got things rolling. Former students from all around California, began calling. They couldn’t believe that I was being stalked, when they were in my third grade classes, and were irate.

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Many movie producers sent me letters, imploring me to sign their contracts. So many, in fact, that I had to hire a media lawyer to sift through them, and find the best representation. I then signed with the William Morris Agency, for a year. As we were finally going into production, the O.J. trial began, and that was the end of that. Everyone in the world knew who Marcia Clark and Christopher Darden were, and, sadly, no one knew me. So I was kicked to the curb (understandable from a business standpoint), and they both signed contracts.

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Years later, one morning in 2011, I received a phone call from a man I didn’t know, and thinking it was at my stalker’s behest, I hung up on him. He called again later, and I hung up on him. When he called a third time in the afternoon, I gave him a big lecture, which he waited out. He then explained that he was a TV producer in New York, and wanted to film my book, for the Investigation Discovery Channel (ID). I was thrilled, thinking he was talking about my latest book. Our conversation was confusing, until I finally blurted out, “What book are you talking about?” Imagine my surprise! So, The Bogeyman became the Premier episode (12/12/12) of the Stalking: Someone’s Watching series. I’ve been told that it is their most popular rerun, and I can always tell when it is shown, because more copies are sold. (Not many people can say that they hung up on a producer!)

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A side story: On October 4, 2014, I hung up on yet another man. He called back, wanting to talk to my husband. When he got on the phone, my husband paled. The caller was his long-lost son (that the family hadn’t heard from in 32 years)! He and his wife had been watching my TV show rerun (in Texas), in which both my husband and I were interviewed. The two discussed the situation, and decided to make contact. How exciting is that?! We immediately informed the rest of the family! 

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CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY TIPS FOR ASPIRING AUTHORS?

Perseverance is the best trait you can have. No matter what set-backs befall you, keep on truckin’. Move forward. Don’t take no for an answer. Let nothing deter you from your goal. Find a way to accomplish what you want. Stay positive. 

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CAN YOU OFFER ANY ADVICE ON HOW TO PROMOTE BOOKS?

Promotion is not my area of expertise. I suggest using all the free publicity you can find, before you start spending money on publicity. My latest book, The Cockroach Invasion, has nothing to do with Halloween, but it is a scary subject for most people, and the cover of the book is scary to many, so I saturated my publicity in October. I had a Book Signing, lengthy articles in two newspapers and one magazine, and ads in four newspapers. At the same time, it won six awards, so it was listed on six different websites. 

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT BOOK.

On the last page of The Cockroach Invasion (p.116), readers are invited to choose the next adventure, featuring Room 8 third graders. There are seven titles. All revolve around science and/or mysteries in some way (ants, worms, snails, experiments, trees, footprints, volcanoes), and are incidents that actually happened in my classroom over the years. If there is not enough interest shown, however, I will return to writing adult nonfiction.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org