Author Interview: James R. Tate

by Sylvia Ney

James R. Tate is an award winning author of fiction, magazine and short story. His debut adult novel, BLOOD BIAS, will be released in March, 2012. You can find him at jamesrtate.com, or his blog, Tate’s Other Side at http://jamesrtate.blogspot.com/ and also on Facebook and Twitter.

1) How did you develop an interest in writing? My wife grew tired of me telling her I could write a better book than the one I was currently reading. She enrolled me in a continuing education writing course at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. I spent six weeks writing beginner garbage and loving every minute of it.

2) Please tell me a little about your blog. I’ve really wanted to write a blog for a while, if for nothing else but to have an avenue to express random thoughts about my passion for writing. I know it’s ‘recommended’ to have a social presence—if not required—in today’s publishing world. The only problem is there’s still only twenty-four hours in the day. My blog is called Tate’s Other Side. It’s a scary place.

3) I see you are working on a MS. Please tell us a little about it. I am working on a new project but also have a completed murder mystery I wrote while I was teaching carpentry at a local prison. I’ve pitched it to agents, publishers, even had it looked at by a professional editor. An excerpt of the book won first place at the novel competition in Houma, LA in 2008. I received a lot of positive feedback but a lot of rejections. I’ve recently decided to self publish it and see where it goes while I work on my latest book. The book is called BLOOD BIAS and should be available in mid march of this year.

4) Is this a hobby or do you plan to make a career from writing? I would love to have a picture window overlooking the Rockies to spend my day writing my latest novel. It would be paradise.

5) What authors do you admire? My favorite author is by far Stephen King. A lot of people don’t like his material, but he’s a brilliant writer. He could write a story about a potato chip and have me engrossed from page one. I also like Robert Crais. He writes a great crime novel. I try to read a lot of different authors to expand my interests. Any great writing fascinates me.

6) Are you part of a critique group or writer's guild? I’ve been a member of the Bayou Writers Group for several years but have trouble attending the meetings on a regular basis because of the distance. I miss it dearly. One of the greatest places for a writer to hang out is around other writers.

7) Have you ever attended a writer's conference? I’ve been to Houma several times and won several awards, and have been to the BWG conference the past two years—both were very fun and informative—but the best one was a Pitch and Shop Conference I attended in New York City a few years back. It was an absolute blast to meet agents and editors in a small setting, and to be in one of the greatest artistic cities in the world. There’s nothing like sitting in Bryant Park, surrounded by great architecture, working on a book pitch.

8) When working on your current MS did you complete an outline first or did you just start writing? Ask my wife, I don’t plan anything. It drives her nuts. I like to let a general idea circulate in the back corners of the mind for a while and then just start writing. When the idea fades, I take a break to expand the story in my brain, then go at it again. It’s more fun for me to do it this way. No notes, no outline, just pure chaos. Oh! And I edit as I go. I know! Seems like a contradiction to my unbridled wildness, but I can’t help it.

9) Strangest dream involving a book, writer, or literary character? I absolutely fell in love with the movie Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson. He gets to hang out in Paris with his literary heroes. I guess it must have stuck on the brain, because I had a dream that I was hanging out with Stephen King. And he didn’t do or say anything weird, just seemed like a regular guy. But I sure was trying to impress him. That’s when you know you’re passionate about something; when it consumes your subconscious.

10) Would you care to share your opening paragraph (hook) with us? One of the toughest things I had to do was whittle my book down to a paragraph, but here goes:

"Small town Chief of Police Reese Glockman tries to stay out of the way of the FBI when a serial killer leaves his mark on his sleepy town, but when Glockman’s daughter is kidnapped by the killer, it becomes personal, and nothing will stand in his way, not even the killer’s mysterious accomplices."

Last Chance for 1000 Words of Love!

Today is the last day to submit your stories to the "1000 Words of Love Contest". Please click the link to learn more.

Sidenote: Don't forget to turn in your interview and a photograph by March 1 to be entered to win a prize. More details to come soon!

Happy writing!

Keaghan Kane Takes Second in State Shakespeare Contest

by Keaghan Kane

Not everyone who claims the title of “writer” is well-read. I’ve always been horrified by the number who declare their disdain for all things classical—Dickens and Shakespeare being the foremost on this lengthy list.

I have harbored a deep love for Shakespeare’s works for the past several years, ever since I first truly met the Bard through school-assigned reading of Much Ado About Nothing.

This year, I had the chance to participate—as I did last year—in a Shakespeare recitation competition, put on by ESU-US. Each competitor must memorize and dramatize 20 lines or less of a Shakespearian monologue, along with one of his sonnets.

I chose to perform Katherina’s monologue from the final scene of The Taming of the Shrew, followed by Sonnet 90. At the local competition—which was judged by three judges, including Ms. Sherry Perkins—I did my best to convey Katherina’s fiery character. Apparently, I did suitably well, for I gained first place and a chance to advance to the state level.

The state level competition was held at Tulane University in New Orleans. This time, I found myself performing in a real theatre, complete with stage and lights. The trick to the ESU-US competition is that you are not allowed any props or costuming—it is just you, on the stage, trying to convince the audience that you are a character and that there are others around you.

With a storming presence and loud voice (affected slightly by my dry throat and nerves,) I put on my performance of Katherina. I was one of 15 competitors at the state level, but when I seated myself after my presentation, I knew I had done my utmost.

I gained second place in the state for my performance. Pleased and content, I left the university with my family amidst the congratulations and compliments of my fellow competitors and the judges.

To my fellow writers, I say this: don’t be afraid to stretch your reading tastes. There are so many classical authors who were masters in their craft. Yes, Dickens might be a little long-winded, Hugo a bit philosophical, Shakespeare a bit complex in his humor. Yet a little effort to understand and appreciate their work will enhance your own craft so very much.

After all, every learner—every apprentice—must have a master, or they will never truly learn their craft.

To learn more about this competition:  http://www.esuus.org/programs_shakespeare_competition.htm

Author Interview: Sherry Perkins

by Sylvia Ney

Sherry Perkins, BWG president, has published more than 75 articles, poems, and fiction pieces. She keeps a regular blog here.

1) How did you develop an interest in writing? As a teenager, going through the weird stuff we all go through, I found writing down my thoughts, feelings, insecurities, and other things helped. Coming from a big family, five children in all, there wasn’t much personal space. Writing helped me create my personal space. My friends at school encouraged me and liked my stuff (Naturally, what are friends for?). Once, a friend asked me to write her a book. I did it longhand in a five-subject notebook. She still has it. I’d love to read it because I don’t remember what I wrote.


2) What genres do you write? Diversity is my thing. As long as I’m creating something, I don’t have a preference. I’ve written articles, newsletters, poetry, fiction, and flash fiction. I’ve made brochures and flyers. I’ve completed a plantation photo book, a children’s book, and a biography on my great-grandpa, which aren’t published, yet. Although I’m proud of every piece I write, even the unpublished ones, the most challenging has been my four screenplays.

3) What authors do you admire? I admire different things from different authors. I admire the way Nicholas Sparks writes romance; the way Rick Bragg makes me feel - he took parts of my life and wrote about it; the way Sam Shepard uses small words and small sentences, then opens the sky with razor sharp description. The way James Lee Burke pulls me in from page one makes me admire his writing as well. The soft appeal and regret of Emily Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” makes me dream of Heathcliff. Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee make my list too. Each wrote only one book and “Gone With the Wind” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are considered literature, not just novels. Lastly, my favorite writer is Laura Ingalls Wilder.

4) What music, places, people inspire you? Inspiration is everywhere. The soul-wrenching fiddle sounds of Bluegrass music pulls me into a world of simplicity, longing, and respect. The edginess of hard rock makes me want to shout my stuff from the rooftops so everyone can hear. Seeing people on the sidewalk wave at passers-by stirs something else. A conversation with a co-worker has turned into a piece. Although inspiration comes from many places, it also seems to come out of nowhere.

5) Are you a part of a critique group or writers’ guild? Being a member of Bayou Writers’ Group has opened many doors for me, and given me more courage than I thought I had. Sharing my passion with others is fulfilling and encouraging. To be among talented writers and poets challenges my writing skills. Although we each have our own niches, we lift each other up. The support the group provides is genuine. We each want the other to succeed. It’s a wonderful thing to share that feeling.

6) What is your writing process like? Since I work full time, sadly my writing suffers. It fits between working, grocery shopping, dentist or eye doctor appointments, and the errands of life. I write every chance I get after supper and sometimes up to bed time. I’m an early riser, so I write about an hour each morning before I get ready for work. I’m always working on something; new stories, old stories, newsletter pieces, poetry, loglines and synopses for my scripts. In between all that, I’m transcribing my uncle’s novel which is written out on lots of legal tablets.

7) What are you reading now? Just started “All Over but the Shoutin’” by Rick Bragg. I cannot put this book down. Recently, I finished “Day Out of Days” by Sam Shepard and “Escape from Andersonville” by Gene Hackman and Daniel Lenihan.

8) Favorite book from childhood? As a kid, hands down it was “Where the Wild Things Are.” Because it is my favorite childhood book, I have no desire to see the movie. As a teenager, my favorite was “The Outsiders” by Susan Hinton. She wrote that when she was 17 years old. No wonder it resonates with young people.

9) Have you ever attended a writing conference? I’ve attended the last two which were hosted by Bayou Writers’ Group in Lake Charles. They are such fantastic events to not only hear excellent and important information, but to network, meet people, and pitch your stories. I encourage all writers to attend a conference. You never know who you’ll meet or what you’ll learn. If you’re serious about writing, a conference is a must just like your dictionary and thesaurus.

10) Have you submitted anything yet? What started out as getting published in my local newspaper has grown into being published over eighty times. I’m fortunate that my articles and photography appear in magazines, newsletters, blogs, in two E-book anthologies, on a producer’s website, in the Reminiscent Writings at the Calcasieu Parish Historical & Genealogical Library, and in brochures. I’ve comprised three marketing flyers and wrote two book reviews on Amazon.com. I’ve even pitched my screenplays to producers. Although I’ve received excellent feedback, none have sold – yet! Although my list of published pieces is long, my list of unpublished pieces is longer.

Author Interview: Beth Savoie

by Sylvia Ney

Beth Savoie is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Lake Charles, LA. She is the author of many short stories, poems, and partial novels. To date she hasn’t had anything officially published but her work is out there for consideration. She recently started her own blog spot, Creating Wordlenik at http://www.creatingwordlenik.blogspot.com/ and is an active member of the Bayou Writer’s Group in Lake Charles. In order to fit in all her reading and writing as well as work at the Children’s Clinic she has established a “sleep and housework optional” policy at her house.

1) What styles do your write? I like stories that take normal events and pair them with unusual characters. Right now I’m working on a short story about a day at the Acadiana Zoo told through the eyes of a squirrel. It came from a writing assignment. We were supposed to write a character observing or being observed. I thought about places you can watch others and the zoo story is what came out. As far as genre and style, I’m not really locked into one since I’m still in my backpacking through Europe stage as a writer.

2) Best thing you’ve read online recently? Living the Creative Writing Lifestyle by Melissa Donovan. It’s at her website www.writingforward.com For me it was what I needed to think about why I’m writing. The website is one worth checking out.

3) Speaking of online, tell me about your own online endeavors. My blog’s name isCreating Wordlenik. What is wordlenik you ask? I have no idea. I’m still in the process of creating it. The journey of wordlenik can be found at www.creatingwordlenik.blogspot.com I do have a Facebook page, but honestly, the only place I post to is Graeme McDowell’s fan page. I suppose I should do better with this if I want to promote myself to more than golf groupies.

4) If you could be one author for a day who would it be? No doubt - Neil Gaiman. I could say I created the Lord of Dreams. I want to live in his world and live life the way he imagines it. How cool would that be? But I like being a girl too much to be Neil Gaiman forever.

5) So Neil Gaiman is an author you admire? Of course. He and Michael Crichton are right up there next to the angels. But the authors I really admire are those who write even when nobody’s looking. Those who don’t give up even when it seems there’s not a market. I admire authors who don’t forget what it’s like to struggle with the words and phrases and are willing to share their victories and defeats. I think most of all I admire those authors who have the guts to look the naysayers in the eye and say, “Yeah, I’m a writer.”

6) What food inspires you in your writing? Chicken Nuggets. Think about it. Don’t you wish you were the guy who invented chicken nuggets? You’d be the hero of children everywhere. I want to tell the story that’s chicken nuggets. And coffee. But I don’t know if coffee counts because it’s a staple in a writer’s toolbox, right? Is coffee even a food?

7) Strangest dream involving an author, book, or literary character? One night Michael Crichton, Shirley Manson (lead singer for Garbage), Philip Landry (a friend), and I went to Ozzfest in a blue Mercedes Cabriolet. The strange part? We didn’t even talk about books or writing. We just enjoyed driving along with the top down listening to the music. I woke up before we actually made it to Ozzfest.

8) Have you ever planted a book on your coffee table to impress someone? I’d have to do a lot of cleaning to be able to plant a book on my coffee table.

9) What are you reading now? The Retribution by Val McDermid, Star Wars Republic Commando, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, The Sandman Preludes and Nocturnes, and The Slaves Who Defeated Napoleon.

10) Is this a hobby or do you plan to make a career in writing? If a career is what you do to pay the bills I guess I have to see how it goes for writing. I used to say writing was my hobby and being a nurse practitioner was my job. But my muse will not be denied. So now I feel as if I have two jobs. I love them equally. I plan to always write even if all it gets me is a paper cut from opening the rejection letter. There are jobs and there are careers. And then there are those things you do because you can’t imagine doing anything else. I’m fortunate to have two things like that: writing and healing. How many people can say that?

1000 Words of Love Contest

They say love is priceless. Here is your chance to prove (or disprove) it in 1,000 words or less. We cannot offer payment at this time, but the winning story (in 1,000 words or less and with a theme of love) will be printed in a future post on this blog.

This makes a great writing exercise and provides another listing on your resume'.

Submission Guidelines:

1.) Must have paid your 2012 BWG membership dues.

2.) We are open to most genres as long as the main focus of the story is based on love. You may submit fiction or nonfiction. Ex. Love of family, love of reading, romance, unrequited love, Why I hate Valentines etc.

3.) Please, NO erotica, graphic language or scenes; No gratuitous sex scenes or shock-effect vulgarity. Nothing "X" rated. Any stories with these qualities will be disqualified. We reserve the right to edit (with your final approval) before posting the winning story.

4.) Send as a Word Document or RTF attachment – if neither of these is possible, you may submit in the body of the email.

5.) This must be an original story and previously unpublished. You will retain the rights to your story.

6.) Must be 1,000 words or less.

7.) Send submission to writinginwonderland@gmail.com with the subject line “1000 Words of Love Contest".

8.) Include your title and byline/writing as name below title.

9.) Include a short (2-4 sentences) biography, written in the third person, following your story. This will run with your story (if selected for publication). You may include your personal web or blog address if you wish.

10.) Please send only ONE submission. Subsequent submissions will be discarded. Be sure you are finished with your story before you submit it.

11.) We will send a short reply to let you know we have successfully received your story. If you don't receive a reply within 24 hours of submitting, please try again.

12.) We will NOT offer individual feedback or critiques on your submissions at this time.

The contest runs from today until February 13, 2012. We will accept any entries that are dated February 13. We will announce the winner by February 15, and publish the winning piece as soon as the author is happy with any necessary edits. If you have any questions, please leave them in a comment below or send them to the email address above.

Good luck and Happy Writing!

Sidenote: For a second chance to win, you may submit the same story to the contest: http://www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com/

Sidenote 2: If you answer and return your interview questions with a photograph by March 1, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win: prize(s) to be announced.

Author Interview: Jess Ferguson

by Sylvia Ney

Jessica (Jess) Ferguson is co-owner/co-editor of Swamp Lily Review, A Journal of Louisiana Literature & Arts and writes for Southern Writers Magazine. She is the author of The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes, writing as Jessica Travis. She is the founder of the East Texas Writers Association in her hometown of Longview, Texas, and a past president of Bayou Writers’ Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Jess has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines.


1) Please tell me a little about your blog. I started blogging secretly in January 2007 when my husband was in Scotland for a year. I used blogging as a journal, to help me write and to help me fast. In March, I mentioned a couple of my favorite blog sites and was stunned when three comments showed up on my blog from the authors of those sites. Obviously, they had set Google alerts for their names. That was my first lesson in staying nice and complimentary when blogging. I'm always surprised at some of the things I read on blogs. The writing and publishing world is small. We should always be careful what we write on Facebook, Twitter and our blogs. I named my blog Praise, Prayers and Observations because I believe it covers all I want to do and say: praise other writers, pray for other writers and observe the writing and publishing life around me.

2) What authors do you admire? Actually, I admire any writer who finishes a book again, again and again. And by that I mean one who finishes a book and actually rewrites and revises it. Elizabeth Berg and Stephen King are favorite authors because of their quirky, beautiful, wonderful insight into the human condition, but I have four very favorite books: Banner with a Strange Device (594 pages) and Sea Coast of Bohemia (665 pages) by Arona McHugh, Celebrity (561 pages) by Tommy Thompson, and Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn (756 pages). I give the number of pages because I also greatly admire anyone who can write a book that has more than 60,000 words.

3) What music, places, people inspire you? Boston inspires me. The books by Arona McHugh are set there so it's easy for me to visualize myself walking across Harvard Yard with her characters, soaking up the university atmosphere. We spent time in Boston one summer; I looked for McHugh and her characters on every street corner and in every bookstore. Unfortunately, she's passed away now so I'll never have the opportunity to meet or email her. As for music ... guffaw if you like, but country music inspires me because it tells a story and sometimes while driving, I find myself plotting stories from the songs I'm listening to. People? My husband and daughter. They're always my inspiration. I get ideas from them. They encourage me. They make me laugh and think.

4) What do you do when you have writer's block? Soak it up and let it destroy me. Look for the reason behind it. Usually, writer's block is caused from a lack of interest in what I'm working on, or being horribly wounded by someone.

5) When working on your current MS did you complete an outline first or did you just start writing?
I usually write the first two or three chapters before I start outlining. I don't know that I'm very successful in doing it that way. I made several attempts at writing my Silhouette Romance before I sat down and outlined it. First it was a mystery and after outlining, it became a romantic comedy and sold. This was over the course of several years. There's a lot to be said for careful planning.

6) What is your writing process like? I'm not as structured as I used to be. When I wrote The Groom Wore Blue Suede Shoes, I got up at 5:00 a.m. every morning with my hard-working husband and wrote until time to get my daughter ready for school. These days, with kids grown, I've lost my focus. I can sit down and write any time of the day if I know where I'm going with the story. The most I've written in one day is 20 pages. I'd love to be able to turn out 20 pages a day every day, but that takes a lot out of a writer. The last two novels I wrote and completed were SOTP (seat of the pants) novels that had a tremendous amount of revision because I did no planning.

7) Do you have an editor or agent? I've had several agents over the years. I've been extremely disappointed in all of them--for a number of reasons. Writing and publishing is a rough business. Fair, unfair, screwy, exciting, fun, confusing ... and it can wring you inside out several times a week. An agent may or may not make a difference in your writing career. The thing to remember is they're just people doing a job. They don't know everything. Don't be intimidated by them. Don't hesitate to ask for copies of your rejections. Don't be scared to ask them questions and get the answers you want.

Since I'm a staff writer for Southern Writers Magazine, I have a magazine editor who gives me assignments and wonderful encouragement.

8) Book you’ve planted on a coffee table to impress someone? I have two books on my coffee table right now: Marilyn, August 1953 - the lost LOOK photos by John Vachon and fragments - poems, intimate notes, letters by Marilyn Monroe. Impressed?
Okay, I also have the 2012 copy of Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market.