Meet Linda Weaver Clarke: An Interview

Book Give-Away!

[Author's Note: Linda is graciously offering the first book of this series to one of my blog readers! An award-winning novel and a semi-finalist for the Reviewers Choice Award, this is the perfect book for this occasion. In order to be selected, make sure your comment or question for Linda is thought-provoking, pithy, or amusing. I will select the comment or question on October 1st.]

Interview with Linda Weaver Clarke:

I am delighted to announce this special interview with author Linda Weaver Clarke! Not only does she provide a look into the research aspect of writing, but she encourages us all to ground our work in the details of life, those experiences unique to us and our circumstances. Thank you, Linda, for taking the time to join us today for this interview.

Give us a brief overview of your journey as writer into the world of publishing. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? How long did it take to finally commit to the dream? How did you eventually get published?

It all started with writing my own ancestors’ biographies. Their experiences were so intriguing that I turned them into a variety of interesting stories for my children to read. After I finished that job, I couldn’t stop writing so I turned to historical fiction. Since my ancestors’ stories were still vivid in my mind, I couldn’t help but add a few of their experiences to my fictional characters. After completing a five-book family saga, I decided to become brave and find a publisher. It took me a year to find one. I was told that was a miracle because it usually takes longer than that for many authors. After signing the contract, I realized my new adventures were just beginning.

David and the Bear Lake Monster is your fourth book, I believe. What was the first tickling inspiration for the plot? How long did it take from first impression to final product?

Each of my stories surround the Roberts’ family but I always like to add a bit of Idaho history. When I found out about the Bear Lake Monster, I did some digging and found that it was the most interesting part of Bear Lake history. In my research, I found that people really believe in this legend. The mystery of the Bear Lake Monster has been an exciting part of Idaho history ever since the early pioneers. Some people claimed to have seen it and gave descriptions of it. The monster’s eyes were flaming red and its ears stuck out from the sides of its skinny head. Its body was long, resembling a gigantic alligator, and it could swim faster than a galloping horse. Of course, it only came out in the evening or at dusk. Throughout the years, no one has ever disproved the Bear Lake Monster. A bunch of scientists tried to discredit the monster and said it was a huge codfish that was shipped in from the East but could not prove this theory.

In 1868, a man by the name of S. M. Johnson was riding his horse alongside the shoreline when he saw an object floating in the water. He figured it must have been a tree until it opened a gigantic mouth and blew water from its mouth and nose. Some time later, a group of twenty people spotted the monster and among these were prominent men of the community. Does the Bear Lake Monster exist? Whatever conclusion is drawn, this Indian legend still lives on and brings a great deal of mystery and excitement to the community.

It only took about three months to write. I already knew what my story was about but just needed some Idaho history. That was when I decided to add the Bear Lake Monster. Does David believe in the monster? Of course not! That’s why he’s bound and determined to prove that it doesn’t exist.

What is the synopsis of the book?

Deep-rooted legends, long family traditions, and a few mysterious events! While visiting the Roberts family, David finds himself entranced with one very special lady and ends up defending her honor several times. Sarah isn’t like the average woman. This beautiful and dainty lady has a disability that no one seems to notice. He finds out that Sarah has gone through more trials than the average person. She teaches him the importance of not dwelling on the past and how to love life. After a few teases, tricks, and mischievous deeds, David begins to overcome his troubles, but will it be too late? Will he lose the one woman he adores? And how about the Bear Lake Monster? Does it really exist?

What aspect of David and the Bear Lake Monster are you the proudest of?

My research! It was a blast. My great grandmother, Sarah Eckersley Robinson, was my inspiration. I wanted to use her experiences for my heroine to bring some reality into my story. As a child, she lost her hearing but she never let her deafness stop her from living life. I took a lot of her experiences from her biography and gave them to my heroine to bring some reality into my story. Once an intruder hid in her bedroom under her bed, thinking he could take advantage of her since she was deaf. He must have thought she was an easy victim but was sadly mistaken. She swatted him out from under her bed with a broom, and all the way out of the house, and down the street for a couple blocks, whacking him as she ran. What a courageous woman! Because of my admiration for my great grandmother, I named my character “Sarah.”

In my research about the “hearing impaired,” and talking to a dear friend who became deaf in her youth, I became educated about the struggles they have to bear. It was a surprise to find out that some struggle with the fear of darkness. I didn’t realize that concentrating on reading lips for long periods of time could be such a strain, resulting in a splitting headache. After all my research, I found that I had even more respect for my great grandmother and her disability. What a courageous woman!

In your talks and reflections, you have stressed the importance of creating conflict and emotion in writing: What strategies can you offer my readers on these key ingredients to a great plot?

Emotion is the secret of holding a reader. When you feel the emotion inside, so will your readers. By giving descriptions of emotion, it helps the reader feel part of the story as if he were actually there himself. But remember: Show, don’t tell. If a villain challenged your character and he didn’t have a weapon, how did he feel deep down inside? If he were faced with an angry grizzly bear in the wild, how did he react? These are questions that you must research. Read about other people’s accounts, so you can adequately describe your character’s feelings during a situation.

Here’s an example. When I was writing Jenny’s Dream, I added Old Ephraim, a ten-foot grizzly bear from Idaho history. He was also known as Old Three Toes because of a deformity on one foot. He was a ferocious beast. He wreaked havoc wherever he went, slaughtering sheep and calves, and scaring sheepherders so badly that they actually quit their jobs. With one blow of his paw, he could break the back of a cow. He bit a thirteen-foot log, twelve inches in diameter, into eleven lengths as though they had been chopped. He also bit off a six-inch aspen limb in just one bite, which was nine feet and eleven inches above the ground. I found that he was the smartest bear that ever roamed the Rocky Mountains. No one could catch him. Every bear trap they set was tossed many yards away from where they had put it, and the ones that weren’t tripped had Old Three Toes tracks all around it. He was too smart to be caught. It took one man that could outsmart this bear: Frank Clark from Malad, Idaho! In this story, I included every detail about this bear and his deeds. Since my story is historical fiction and my hero is Gilbert Roberts, I renamed this grizzly “Old Half Paw,” in honor of “Old Three Toes.” Since I have never been in this situation before, I had to do some research. I learned what it was like to be approached by an angry grizzly by reading people’s accounts, including Frank Clark’s. Conflict makes an interesting story and is hard to put down. The reader wants the hero to win.

What writing quirk of yours makes your family smile?

I didn’t know the answer to this question so I called my daughter Alaina and asked her. She said, “In all your stories, you have female independence. They don’t take guff from anyone.” My daughter Serena said, “You tend to base your characters on family members and their personality.”

How has your family background and/or childhood flavored your writing?

My background has flavored my stories a lot. I was raised on a farm, so adding bits and pieces about farm life was easy for me as I wrote about the Roberts’ family. I could see Jenny dancing in the meadow near her parent’s home, feeling free and unfettered from life’s problems. Since I had done it myself as a child, I could picture Jenny doing this, too. Also, having six daughters has really flavored my stories. I tend to add family experiences to my stories. My daughter Felicia wanted to go fishing with us one day so we took her along. After watching her dad catch one fish after another, she became worried and asked her father to let them go because they were suffering and wanted to be with their family. She even asked me, “How would you feel if you couldn’t see your family ever again?” Then she begged, “Please tell daddy to let them go.” The story was so precious that I added it to my book, “Melinda and the Wild West.” Another time Felicia had tied some pans to her feet and was clomping around the house. The noise was unbearable so my husband said, “Seize and desist from all this noise!” She finally took them off but I just had to add it to my book. Yes, a person’s life does tend to flavor your writing.

What advice do you have for published authors who need more exposure or PR assistance?

Interviews on radio stations, TV stations, or even on blogs is great. People get to know you as a person and what you write. Let libraries know that your books are available or even give them a book. That’s important because people will read your books at libraries. If they’re interested enough, they’ll buy them. Getting out in the public’s eyes and giving lectures is very important, too. Thank you, Alex. I really enjoyed this interview.

Thought or Comment for RJ Anderson?

Aching to ask a question about faeries who have lost their powers? Wondering how your work can stand on its own, speaking a powerful message, without getting all preachy? Just wanna say, "hello and I wish you luck," because you're that kind of person? Well, here's your chance. If you have a thought or a comment for RJ Anderson or you just want to give her well wishes (or you just wanna rub the blarney stone, so to speak) give a shout out. Rumor has it that she just might stop by one day this week ;)

Faery Rebel: RJ Anderson Unveils the Writing Life

When I was a little girl, it didn't seem to me that writers were real people. Instead, they were otherworldly beings, touching down in our world just long enough to impart snippets of wisdom and adventure and magic. I wish I could say I've grown out of that world view, but, well, I'd be lying. And when you meet authors who reinforce such beautiful thoughts, how can you nay say them? Meet R.J. Anderson, author of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter, and you will see exactly what I mean.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? How long did it take to finally commit to the dream?

I started writing my own stories for fun when I was eight, but it wasn't until I was twelve that I really decided I wanted to sit down and write a novel that could actually be published one day. That first book didn't make it much beyond the third chapter or so, but over the next seven years I wrote probably about half a million words of fan fiction and original short stories. I completed my first fantasy/SF novel at nineteen, and it was awful. But writing it—and especially finishing it—was a big step forward for me.

What aspect of Spell Hunter are you the proudest of?

Just the fact that it exists and is actually going to be sold in bookstores is huge for me! But as far as the story itself goes, I think I'm most pleased with the way that certain themes and… I hesitate to say "morals" because that makes it sound preachy, so maybe "ideals" is a better word… came out naturally in the course of revising the manuscript. I didn't want to force anything in there, but on the other hand, I didn't just want to write an exciting story with no depth or substance to it, so it was a relief when I realized that there actually was more going on than just "tough faery action heroine kicks crow butt, saves world, details at eleven".

What do you feel is your best writing strength?

I used to think I knew the answer to that question, and now I really don't! But a number of editors have told me they think my prose style is really strong, flows well and has a literary quality to it. Which is good to hear, because I tend to obsess about the rhythm of every phrase, the way it looks to me on the page, and sometimes have to rewrite a paragraph five or ten times before I'm satisfied. So it's nice to know I'm not totally wasting my time there!

What writing quirk of yours makes your family nuts?

When I'm really focused on writing, I tune out everything around me. So I can have a whole conversation with somebody while I'm staring at the computer, and say "uh-huh" and "yes" and "no" in all the right places, but as soon as they leave the room, I've forgotten everything they just said. Which they find very annoying when they try to talk to me about the same thing later and I just go "Huh?"

Born in Uganda, raised in Ontario, schooled in New Jersey: How have your various environments influenced your writing?

I was too young when we left Uganda to remember any of it, but I grew up hearing about it from my brothers and my parents all my life. So in the book I'm currently working on, when I was trying to decide on a foreign country for my missionary-kid hero to be coming from, I naturally thought of Uganda. Since then I've been doing a lot of research, trying to appreciate the country from the perspective of someone who's grown up there, and the more I learn about it the more I think I'd really love to go there someday!

As for Ontario, I've lived in so many different cities around the province that I've got a really good sense of how each community is different, how each one has its own character and atmosphere and history, its own kinds of stories to tell. I think that's helped me with my world-building as a fantasy author, and also given me a wide range of settings to draw on for contemporary books.

I was only in New Jersey for a year attending Bible school, but while I was there I wrote the first draft of the book that eventually became FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER. The school campus had beautiful wooded grounds that I used to walk around every day, with huge old trees, a big pond, and a river with a bridge over it… all of which inspired me for settings and incidents in Knife's story.

C.S. Lewis is one of your favorite authors. How do you feel he's influenced your writing? Your world view?

Hugely. As a child my father read the Narnia books out loud to me, and that sparked my lifelong love of fantasy. Reading Lewis's essays on writing, particularly "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's To Be Said" and "On Three Ways of Writing for Children", helped me to understand something very important about writing for any audience – that you always have to let the story, the ideas and mental pictures that fire your imagination, come before anything else. You can't start with a message or a moral or even a "point" because if you do, the story will become glib and superficial; as Lewis wrote, "the only moral that is of any value is that which arises inevitably from the whole cast of the author's mind." So when I write stories, I always start with the characters and their situation, and if anything of spiritual or philosophical significance develops naturally out of that, fine; but if it doesn't, well, I'm not going to force it in. Fiction and particularly fantasy can be wonderful for stimulating the imagination and getting the reader to think about the world in a new way, but it is a terrible medium for preaching sermons.

What advice do you have for authors seeking representation?

Firstly I always say: don't give up, no matter how many rejections you get or how frustratingly long the process takes. But at the same time, do take seriously any specific, constructive criticism you might receive, and try to learn from it. A comment like "This isn't the right manuscript for me" or "I'm afraid I'm going to have to pass on this one" isn't going to tell you anything and you'll only drive yourself crazy trying to interpret it. But if you keep getting letters from agents that say things like, "Your story has an interesting concept, but I felt the characters lacked depth," or "I liked the plot, but the heroine's attitude and actions in that situation seemed unrealistic to me," then maybe character is something you need to work on.

Another crucial thing to remember is NEVER BE RUDE TO AN AGENT. Never write back some snippy, defensive letter telling them how wrong they are or how sorry they'll be that they rejected you. In fact the only thing you should ever write back to an agent who's rejected your manuscript is, "Thank you for your time and consideration." That isn't sucking up, that's just good manners, and depending on the quality of your writing it might even inspire the agent to offer you some valuable advice or refer you to another agent who would be a better match for your work. That's how it happened for me!

Thank you, Rebecca! You've been awesome, and now I'm more excited than ever to get my hands on Spell Hunter!

I enjoyed doing this interview -- thank you for coming up with such great questions!

Meet Knife, a Faery Rebel

And here is the promised excerpt from Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson. Her ability to combine vivid language with strong characters has sucked this reader into an exquisite world where faeries have lost their magic. Read, enjoy, salivate for the release date!

Although not released until April 28th, you can pre-order now from Amazon. (Don't forget: if you pre-order, you save money!)

(And friends in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, you can purchase now under the title Knife, though it has a different cover.)

***
Still clutching Paul's shirt, she gave one last kick--and felt herself shoot upward, shattering the pond's surface. She flung her head back and gulped air, then scissored her legs, propelling herself and the limp body in her grip toward the shore.

Her feet touched bottom almost at once. She stood up and dragged Paul through the shallows to the edge of the pool. His face was spattered with mud, eyes closed and mouth hanging open. Pulling him as far as she could up the shore, she wrenched him onto his side and began to pound his back. He lay motionless as she thumped him, and she feared that she had reached him too late. Then suddenly he coughed, and water gushed from his mouth.

She waited until he had stopped coughing before rolling him over again. His eyes remained closed, but when she laid a hand on his chest she could feel his breathing, ragged at first, but growing deeper. She slapped his cheeks. "Paul. Paul! Can you hear me?"

He did not respond. With her smallest finger she wiped the slime from his lashes, looking for some glimmer of consciousness beneath those lids. "Paul, please--"

His cheeks puffed out in a last, weak cough; he stirred, and opened his eyes.

"Aaaah!"

Alarmed, Knife let go of him and leaped back. Only then did she realize what had made him cry out, and she stared at her filth-spattered hands in disbelief.

"You," croaked Paul. "You're--"

"I'm big," said Knife blankly.

***
EXCERPT from pgs. 138-139 of FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (c) R.J. Anderson 2009

Must-Read Author: R. J. Anderson

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, one and all -- and may the luck o' the Irish be with ye & yourn.

The luck is with me as well: In this latest follow-up to the infamous Hated Book Give-Away where I choose three new, up-and-coming writers to read and savor, I must say that R.J. Anderson has been a delight to work with. She is genuine to the bone, kind and clever and so down-to-earth. You are going to love her.

I will be posting an excerpt from her new book Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter tomorrow, so check back and see for yourself that this is a must-read book. Don't forget that you can pre-order from Amazon (title release date is April 28!)

Five Book Buying Secrets Revealed

What makes you pick up a book? Out of all the spines lining a shelf, what draws you to one over another?

Tell me you never do this: browsing through towers of books, whether in a bookstore or a library, a cover catches your eye. It's intriguing. Captivating. Maybe even inspirational. You know it houses a rollicking adventure with a kick-butt heroine. You can feel it. Your palms itch. You judge the book by its cover, glance around surreptitiously, then slip it into your stack of planned purchases. You buy it.

Actually, I'm kinda hoping you do buy books that way. Then I'd feel comforted in the knowledge that I keep dang fine company. Because, honestly, judging a book by its cover is one of the main ways I buy books.

Buying Books: People buy books for many reasons. I'm aware of that. But book lovers, people like you and me, who can't get enough of the written word, who breathe deep in the dank mustiness of used book stores, who caress the frayed edges of an old hardcover book, we buy books for different reasons. For sensual reasons. For possessive reasons. For lustful reasons.

I buy books...

1. because of the cover art: you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can sure be enticed by it. This is so unfortunate for authors, because they often have little say over the cover art.

2. because of the title: if the title is a catchy one, I'll pick up the book and read the back. Titles may not convince me to purchase a book, but they help me choose the ones to peruse more closely.

3. because the author is compared to one I already know and love: ever see those nifty little lists librarians put together? If you like XYZ, you'll love 123. I don't always trust these lists, but I definitely give them a glance over.

4. because of a friend's recommendation: For example, D. M. McReynolds just suggested that I pick up Dragon in Chains by Daniel Fox. That book totally went to the top of my radar because of his recommendation, and I'll be hunting it down soon via library or Amazon.

5. because of the buzz: I'm not even really sure why I typed this last one. I suppose it's because I'll occasionally look at a best-seller list or listen in on what's hot or glance at a publicity poster or read a book review. But not all that often, really. To be frank, I'm not that interested in what others have to say about a particular book. And if a book takes the world by storm, I usually don't read it. So, I haven't read The Da Vinci Code or any of the Harry Potter books or The Notebook. (Eeek -- I know, sacrilege!)

How about you? Why do you buy books? And what makes you initially pick up a book? follow through and purchase it?

And the Winner is...

One of the most delightful oddities of life is that magic happens when you least expect it.

It all started when I decided to throw joy out into the universe with no expectation of anything in return. I had read three decidedly crappy novels, felt my feathers ruffled with the precious time spent between those pages, and decided to make the entire farce into a game. I held a contest, mailed those books out to the (un)lucky winners, and started searching for three new replacement authors to grace my shelves, to introduce to my blog readers, to take into my classroom.

What I found was Cindy Pon. And new blog friends. And the synergy crafted from the writerly electrons tossed into the blogosphere by all you who entered. What a magical weekend -- and I'm still visiting your blogs and still getting to know all of you -- and I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Thank you for celebrating Cindy Pon (her up-coming book, the Silver Phoenix, and all of her adventures in Chinese paint brush, feasting, and travels) with me and for giving her such a warm welcome.

And finally, the part you've all been waiting for, the part where the winner of Pon's ARC is announced. Well, actually, Cindy already announced it. I'm just re-announcing here because it's so much fun! Choosing at random, Cindy drew the name out of the proverbial hat this morning. Without further ado, I present you Llehn.

Llehn: please contact me so that I can send you your book!

Oh, and about that magic? Try your hand at tossing joy into the universe. It has a way of splashing the hand that tosses it.

Pre-Order New Books

Have you had a chance to check out the three new young adult titles I've listed as must-buy? Why not? What have you been waiting for? Oh, I know: January tumbled by and now February is seducing us with glimmerings of sunlight and the occasional tweetering robin admist the chill winds and sudden flurries. I totally understand. But do consider slipping over to the authors' sites and seeing what they have to offer. You'll be pleased.

And, today, after my long hiatus involving delightful smoochings and rompings with my little nephew who's visiting from New Mexico (my apologies for being AWOL with no previous explanation), I jumped onto Amazon and pre-ordered all three books.

I challenge you to do the same!

1. Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon
2. Wings by Aprilynne Pike
3. Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson

Too, if you pre-order, you pay less! And in this uncertain economic time, that's certainly a silver lining... Well, go on, then. :)

Must-Buy New Authors

The long and eagerly awaited moment is upon us: Step Three of the great Hated Book Give-Away commences in 3...2...1...!

After diligent searching and thoughtful meditating, I am pleased to present the following Must-Buy new authors. Upon reflection, I decided to focus on Young Adult fantasy writers this time around, since that's the area I'm personally invested in atm. Explore their blogs, leave encouraging comments, and buy their books. Yes, I know, you have to either pre-order their books or wait until they come out this spring. My advice? Pre-order. Then you'll be surprise with a lovely gift when it arrives in your mailbox.



1. Cindy Pon, author of Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia, a YA Asian fantasy. Available in April 2009, you can pre-order now.


2. Aprilynne Pike, author of Wings. Release date is May 5, 2009, but do pre-order.



3. And finally, R. J. Anderson, author of Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter. Release date is April 2009, as well, and, yes, you can still pre-order.



Happy Reading! And check back soon for more info on these Must-Read new authors' books, blogs, and bio's. Do let me know if you've scouted out any new authors -- in fact, post them on your blog and let us all know. There are lots of aspiring and published writers wanting to read and support the latest, newest authors out there. I know, because you've commented or emailed me, telling me so.

New Author -- First Book

The Third Step of the Annual Hated Book Give-Away is, by far, the best. Just to recap, you've had the chance to win three books, you've (hopefully) chosen three books off of your shelves and passed them on -- via blog or to charity or on to a friend -- and now you get to enjoy the first book of three new authors.

Here's my disclaimer: I do not have a dog in this fight. I have never met these authors, nor have I read their books, nor do I know anything about them that I haven't found for myself on the web.

My goal was simple: offer up three brand new authors for fellow writers to read and support. I advertised that concept on this blog. And you know what? Not one single new writer offered his or her services to me. So, I did what any adventurous Year of the Dragon grrl would do: I went hunting.

And, boy, do I have a treat for you! All three of the First Book Authors have intriguing blogs, books, and personal bio's. That's all I can tell you at this point. But you'll have a chance to meet them this next week, a chance to get to know about their writing lives, and, of course, a chance to order or pre-order their books.