Tag: Interview Page 3 of 18

On December 5, 2023

Earlier today, I had a few things to say about the very entertaining debut novel from Amy Maren Rice, Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo, and this summer she participated in a Q&A about writing in Idaho with me. Since I met her earlier this year at the Nampa Library’s local author event, I’ve run into her at a couple of other events in the area. Getting to know her a little bit these last few months is a highlight of the year, I hope you enjoy the the As she provides to me Qs below (as well as the previous batch).

Beverly Cleary and Toni Morrison have both said things like, “write the book you want to read.” The last time we did a Q&A, you suggested you wrote the book you wanted your kids to read. Talk about that thinking process a bit, if you could. How long did it take to get from that decision to having Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo in your hands? Were there some abandoned books along the way?
A long, long time! I started daydreaming about writing Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo almost ten years ago. I’d always wanted to write a book but never felt confident enough in myself to pursue it. The push to write came when my boys (about 9 and 11 at the time) and I had difficulty finding books for their reading levels that were also age appropriate and fun. Something sparked inside me, and I finally felt like I could do it.

Once my brain got the go-ahead I was addicted. I started by jotting down the flood of ideas floating around in my head. Often, my favorites came from exhaustion; when I was too tired to think straight but still had parenting duties that demanded my consciousness. The words began to flow, and I didn’t want to stop. There were some casualties along the way (my kids were fine I swear) but ideas were begrudgingly cut as I found my voice and style.

I had a few goals in mind as I wrote. I wanted to challenge my kids’ vocabulary a bit, but not swamp them with it, so I sprinkled a few less commonly used words in there, like eccentricities and melodious, to get their brains whirring. I purposely made the chapters short, some as brief as two pages, each one a small scene to keep their attention. And I made the two main characters relatable to them. I don’t remember where I heard it, but I’ve always liked the saying, “Because I have a brother, I’ll always have a friend.” The plan was to teach the brothers in my story to value each other’s differences and embrace their built-in friendship. I hoped my boys would see the lesson in that.

I was only ever focused on writing one book. There wasn’t room in my brain for more as I was also currently also keeping myself and three small humans alive.

Students at Hogwarts have just the right pronunciation (“It’s Leviosa, Not Leviosaaa”), Samantha Stephens twitches her nose, and your Fuzzwiggs—ahem, pass gas (I whisper, so my older relatives don’t get the vapors). Where did that choice come from? You mentioned you wrote the book with your pre-teen sons in mind, so I’m sure that played a significant role. But can you remember what led up to that?
At the time, my life was my three young boys. Little boy humor, as you may know, is very … unique. There was never a fart that wasn’t funny, so naturally I had to incorporate that. As this was to be a book for “family eyes only”, it never occurred to me to consider the consequences of having to utter the phrase, “my characters have fart powers” in public, but here we are.
That got an audible laugh from me. 🙂

Were you drawing on particular myths or stories when you came up with the tree and the guardians? (I can’t remember the proper name for either, sorry, feel free to edit/correct me) It feels a little Norse myth-with a twist to me. Or am I off-base there? )
You may find this hard to believe but I was just making it up as I went along! It’s very cool that you get that Norse myth-with a twist vibe, I do have Germanic heritage…ha!

For me, trees have always symbolized life and family. Growing up, my own family was big into genealogy, which is often represented with a tree, the branches stretching out into each family line. I often imagined the roots as nourishing and nurturing, tethering us to our ancestors who watch over us and support us. I think it was because of this sense of family and ancestry that I chose the tree as the home of my portals and the family as guardians.

I love how even the baby gets in on the action (at least to a degree). Is this a reaction on your part to the way that younger siblings/parents are frequently pushed to the side for stories with this age group—or was it more of a “it just seemed fun” kind of thing?
It does seem like parents and siblings are often forgotten about or mentioned only briefly, but I’m always looking for things to be resolved. Who’s watching the baby? Where are the parents? For my story, I wanted there to be a feeling of family. Even though the family is struggling emotionally with a loss and the boys are having difficulty getting along, I tried to show them as being together and being there for each other—even the baby, who provides a source of joy for them in a time of sorrow and transition.

Who are some of the bigger influences you have in your writing—whether or not readers can see them, you know they’re there?
One Christmas (back in my teen years) I received a hardback copy of The Belgariad (books 1-3) by David Eddings. I couldn’t put it down and, consequently, was very sleep deprived that December. I became hooked on epic fantasy and soon discovered Robert Jordan— who introduced me to Trollocs (eek) and the one power, and R.A. Salvator—whose character Drizzit Do’Urden captured my heart in his Dark Elf Trilogy. Later in life, after I became a mother, I found Brandon Mull and Tyler Whitesides who inspired me to write a fantasy book for the younger generation of readers, one I would love for my own kids to experience.

How’s the reception to Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo been? What kind of surprises have you encountered?
it’s been an interesting year for sure. When I started writing, I hoped that I would be brave enough to put it out into the world but was never sure it would happen. When I finally took the leap, it was both exhilarating and terrifying. I’m surprised every time someone has something nice to say about it. The little girl who stopped by my table to tell me about her favorite parts in the book, the lady who shouted across the room as she entered, “I came just to see you!”, and the young man who asked me (very politely) to “hurry up and finish book two” …those where huge surprises. I’ll always have those memories to build me up through life and I’m grateful to have met all of those people.

I’ve had my moments where my anxiety gets the better of me, but my growth has been a surprise too. Every time I’m able to attend a book event and talk to strangers about fart powers is a good day. My hope is that by sharing my anxiety struggles I will be an example of pushing through, working to overcome, and allowing myself to be vulnerable— especially to my sons.

How’s the process in working on your second book compared to the first?
Wow, what a different experience! This is my first “second book” and it’s been interesting to see how I respond to challenges as I write it. I can’t just go back and change the first book to match where my imagination wants to go, so there’s a lot of compromising going on in my brain. Lots of ideas in the save for later pile but also lots of new ideas competing for attention. I’m enjoying the creativity and challenge of it.

It’s also very surreal. I wrote a book. I’m writing a second book. How’s that for dreams coming true!

What’s next for Amy Maren Rice, author?
I find that if I imagine too far ahead, I don’t finish what I’m currently working on. I see all the sparkly things and want to explore them all and can become blind to the carnage of forgotten ideas and projects left in my path. I do know that this will be a six-book series, which I’m looking forward to writing, and currently I’m just basking in the glow of having done something way out of my comfort zone and not perished.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for Fuzzwiggs: The Switcheroo—I’m eager to see what’s next for this family.

A Few Quick Questions

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Taylor R. Gray

On November 28, 2023

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It’s time for the next (and hopefully not last) Q&A I arranged after the Boise Library! Book Faire. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
My name is Taylor Gray and I’m a software engineer turned author. I’ve always had an interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and superheroes since childhood. My urge to write stories first began in high school when my friends and I would pass around a notebook to write our own sci-fi fantasy story. Since then, I had been writing off and on, primarily focusing on my profession. Finally, in 2019, I decided to dedicate the time to sit down and finish my first novel which became the first book in the Trials of Incomplete Heroes series. Every book in that series is entirely self published. In 2022, I finally landed the attention of a publisher and, as of this year, published Mercury Snow.

Trials of Incomplete Heroes is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9J28Z4

Mercury Snow is available on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Mercury-Snow-Taylor-R-Gray/dp/1961093057 or Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mercury-snow-taylor-r-gray/1143603816

I do have a Facebook page for my books here: https://www.facebook.com/TrialsOIH

Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I’m a native Idahoan, born and raised in Boise. In my high school years, I used to hike around the White Cloud mountains and camp at various lakes. The varied landscape of Idaho is fascinating. We have mountains, forests, deserts, lakes, rivers, etc… We just don’t have an Ocean. Why leave when I could have any scenery I wanted in this state already? Also, at heart, I’m a homebody who doesn’t like crowds or travel.

That last sentence sums up my primary reason for sticking around, too. 🙂

Why risk going somewhere you might not like to deal with crowds if you don’t have to. Idaho is a perfectly fine place to be. 🙂

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
In terms of local author groups, no. I am, however, a part of an author group through my publisher and we still meet at least once a month online. In the past, I attempted to join a few Facebook groups which I don’t think exist anymore. I was also going to form an in person group with a few local friends, but none of us ever got around to it. As both a software engineer and an introvert, joining or creating social groups is outside my expertise.

That’s a good point—particularly post-COVID, an online group seems like a no-brainer. Is this a critique group, a mutual encouragement time, or something else?
My publisher calls it a “mastermind” group where various other authors under this publisher get together to read segments of what they’re working on. The goal is to provide feedback from the standpoint of a reader such as:

How did this segment make you feel?
What questions did it leave you with?
What narrative or plot loops did it open that need closing in the future?
Did it make sense?

It’s effectively a group to workshop your books.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
The Boise Book Fair was really the first real event of this sort I’ve attended. In terms of other events, I’m in talks with my publisher for some online events at their discretion. In terms of events that I would like to see, it seems as though the online interview/podcast is becoming increasingly more valuable. Having videos on Youtube of recorded zoom or discord interviews of various people seems to be popular these days.

So, did the Library’s Faire live up to expectations? That is, if you had any. Did you learn (from your experience or talking to others) what to do more of or not to do at your next event? In general, what was your experience like?
I didn’t really know what to expect from the Book Fair. Part of me expected more people to show up and more books to be sold. I gathered from others a the event that this was typical of these events where most of the interactions are just to spark interest. Most people will take a card or a flyer, but will rarely walk out with a book at that time. As long as information on my book gets out there, I’ll be satisfied. I vastly oversubscribed on the number of books and cards to bring. However, I now have the supplies for other events. I would also like to have too much of something rather than not enough.

The fact that I have two different pen names, one for my self published series and one for my traditionally published book, also seemed to hamper me. People would walk up to me and want to talk to me about Mercury Snow, then want to talk to my assistant about my self-published books, believing he was T.G. This was not their fault as I separated things out and his chair was directly behind the Trials of Incomplete Heroes section. In the future, I will have to do a better job of making it clear both T. G. and Taylor R. Gray are me.

The other thing I learned was how important it is to have non-cash payment methods. It was only at the last minute I decided to have a Venmo option for payment. Venmo accounted for half of my two total sales. Several other people had card readers which is something I’ll need to invest in if I continue to do these sorts of events. In general, I’d say it was a good experience.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
The vast majority of my audience at this point in time is local to Idaho. I am making sales (numbered in single digits) worldwide including a few from the United Kingdom and even India.

Have you gotten any feedback from the UK or India? Any idea how you’re received overseas (by the ones of readers you have or otherwise)?
One of those sales was from a coworker I work with in my Software Engineering job, so the feedback is biased. Amazon doesn’t give me a clear view of where ratings come from, just that I have ratings. Feedback in general is positive.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
I do think that one of the disadvantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley has to do with finding a decent publisher. Most publishers are in New York or California these days or in large cities. In the online era this isn’t necessarily an issue until you realize you’re competing with celebrities and everyone else in those areas for the publisher’s attention. When you do find a publisher that will talk to you, they often want to insert New York or California ideas/ideals into your story. There’s also fewer people in a place like Idaho when compared to New York or California. I myself enjoy having empty spaces and fewer people and crowds around. However, more people also means more customers.

I do think there are also advantages to being a Treasure Valley writer. We experience most weather patterns and have varied landscapes we’re familiar with to pull from as settings for our own works. There’s also plenty of space to get away to think and write if we need to. Another interesting feature of the Treasure Valley is we have both a decently large city in Boise and extensive farmlands. It’s easy to gain perspective for both rural and urban lifestyles, often within a short walk from each other.

That second paragraph brings up a few things that no one else in this series has mentioned and is a great way to look at it.
Idaho has plenty of advantages for an introvert who doesn’t like crowds like me. If you were to ask me if I’d prefer to live in a city in New York or California so I could have a better publisher, I’d say no. I’ll stay here every time. Even presuming I could make millions in big cities, I’d be miserable there.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
It’s difficult to say. I don’t base my stories in Idaho and I try to write so anyone anywhere can understand and enjoy it. If I were to point to something that is directly inspired by Idaho is probably the varied landscapes within my stories. The main character in Trials of Incomplete Heroes is from a middle sized town surrounded by open fields and forests. Much of the action also takes place in a larger city near a mountain range and a sprawling woodland. It’s also possible my main characters have more of a Midwestern/Idaho attitude and moral compass. As an example, in both Trials of Incomplete Heroes and Mercury Snow, the protagonists don’t swear and they try to be polite and hospitable where possible.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
To be honest, I don’t really read or write through that lens. Most things I enjoy and write are science fiction or fantasy which could feasibly take place anywhere.

However, my uncle, Dale M. Gray, is also an author and an archaeologist who is fairly familiar with Idaho and the surrounding area. He has written two books that may be interesting to your audience.

His first book is about the history of the Cathedral Pines campground in Idaho titled, A Holy Place in Idaho: A Centennial History of Idaho’s First Church Camp. It can be purchased from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578474069

His second book is about his life and various adventures as an archaeologist in the area titled, The Zen of Dale: Tales of a Free-Range Historian. It is also on Amazon and can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVPLD4B7

Cathedral Pines played a big role in my early years, I’m definitely going to pick that up. You should get your uncle to give you a commission.
I’ll be sure to tell him to remember who his favorite nephew is this Christmas. 😉

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!

Be sure to check out the work of T. G. and Taylor R. Gray and see if anything sparks your interest (I’ll be at least dabbling in both ASAP).

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LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Matt Edwards

On November 21, 2023

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We’re back with another Q&A with a Boise-based writer I met at the recent Book Faire. I think (like me) you’re going to appreciate these thoughtful answers.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
My name is Matt Edwards, and I’m a local high school English teacher and author. I write poetry and prose, mostly, and am now starting to figure out how to blend the two. My first two novels, Ways and Truths and Lives (Atmosphere Press, 2021) and Icarus Never Flew ‘Round Here (Atmosphere Press, 2022) are available at most places where books are sold. Please follow me on Instagram (@matt_edwards_author), Twitter/X (@satyrpants), or check out my website https://www.mattedwardsauthor.com.

The “mostly” there intrigues me. Are you trying anything out other than the blending of the two? (I’m not sure what else there might be, but I have to ask)
I think the “mostly” just refers to my inability to define what the attempted blend is. I took a prose poetry class for my master’s last summer that opened up some fun doors. I, and I assume most others, flip a little switch in my brain when deciding to write a story versus a poem. The prose poetry stuff, once I got situated with yet another definition, allowed me to ignore that switch. Just write without worrying whether it’s closer to prose or poetry. So, in my mind, not being able to name it is a good thing.

Are you a native Idahoan? What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
I’ve lived in Boise all my life. I grew up on the south side of town, by the airport. I’ve now lived on the west side of town for most of my adult life. I find it funny how North End culture is still a bit foreign to me, despite my 41 years of living in this city.
My wife is from Florida, so I did bring in one transplant. But I think she’s been a good addition. Check out her art traffic box on the corner of Cole and Ustick. [I will be checking it out next time I’m in the area] Back to the question, though, we stay in Boise because we love running and all the opportunities we have here on the Greenbelt and in the foothills. Beyond that, we love the fact that it’s a safe place to raise our son, although the local politics sometimes scare us.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
I have met lots of local authors since publishing Ways and Truths and Lives, but I have not joined a formal workshop group or anything like that. There’s no particular reason, aside from being busy teaching, parenting, and working on my MFA in creative writing.

The whole “I have a life” reason is a pretty solid one.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I mostly do book signings at local bookstores, including Rediscovered Books, Kuna’s Book Habit, Half Price Books, and Barnes and Noble. Whenever I’m in McCall, I try to do an event at The Barn Owl Books and Gifts as well. Aside from that, I’ve participated in Storyfort that last two years, and I’ve attended events like Author Palooza in Middleton and the Boise Book Faire at the main branch of the Boise Public Library. The only author event I’ve attended outside the Treasure Valley was in Moscow. The Palouse Writers Guild puts on an event up there every June with Book People of Moscow.

I love and miss Book People.

So…Storyfort, I’ve been curious about it. What’s it like? What kind of attendance does it get? What kind of…actually. I know so little about it—just say whatever comes to mind about it.
Storyfort is an odd and ever-changing entity. The first time I got in I was psyched. I was finishing a road trip to the Oregon Coast and blazing down Highway 20 to get home in time. I literally got back into Boise an hour before my reading. It was cool. I was excited. But then maybe 15 people were at Guru Donuts, which is a cool venue, and all my anticipation and effort seemed a little wasted. I was comforted to see other events with much “bigger” authors also attended by small audiences, but it still was a little deflating.

Last year I had a reading with two other writers, Tomas Baiza, who is a Boise resident, and James Palazzolo, who is from Arizona. We were at the history museum in the big event hall they have. A cool space for sure, but a little big for our audience. I think we had more people in there than what it looked like. We also followed Ani DeFranco, so the room cleared out pretty bad after her.

As far as what type of audience it is, I’d say there aren’t any book equivalents of all the music junkies that attend the rest of the festival. No one is coming downtown for Storyfort, so you end up with a lot of fellow writers, friends and families, and a few curious strangers.

I’ve sold two books in two years at my events. Luckily, last year they had a signing on Saturday morning at Rediscovered Books that was well attended enough to sell a few more. All in all, Storyfort is a great idea, but I don’t think it’s changed the trajectory for any writer yet. But that’s not the fault of the festival or the organizers. It’s simply a reflection of our culture and their dwindling interest in authors and their silly books.

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
I can’t claim to fully know or understand my audience, but for smalltime local authors, your audience always starts with your friends and family. In that way, it reminds me of selling pies during the Christmas season as a kid to help fund my soccer team’s next out-of-town tournament. You have to work for every ounce of publicity you get, and then still, most people aren’t really moved by the news of “yet another author.” So, it’s a tough racket, for sure.

Beyond people close to me, the folks I’ve sold to at events have really been quite varied. I’ve had a 13-year-old (son of someone in my running group) say it was the best thing he’d read in a long time, I’ve had plenty of great conversations and sells with retirees, and I’ve had a bit of everything in between.

Do you have ideas about expanding that audience? Or are you just going to keep plugging away doing what you’ve been doing?
I don’t know if there is a lot else to do. You have to keep putting yourself out there, going to events, signing at bookstores, etc. It’s kind of like dating in that way. People aren’t going to find out about you unless go out and make yourself available. Beyond that, you have to keep submitting to contests/publications to gain more respect and the eyes of different audiences. The masses don’t tend to react to publications, but it helps give you more street-cred and maybe some more opportunities for future publications.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
This is a great question, particularly because I think most are truly ignorant of aspects of the literary culture in Boise. On the surface, Boise, especially as you get closer to downtown and the North End, appears to be a relatively artsy community. There are enough well-to-do people with the time and energy to commit to doing things like buying paintings and reading great books. Just check out a first Thursday sometime and you’ll feel this communal interest in beautiful things. Add to that the fact that we now call a Pulitzer Prize winner one of our own, we have solid literary establishments like The Cabin, and cherished local bookstores like Rediscovered Books, and the foundation for a strong literary community is there.

Then you start trying to sell your own books. And that’s when you realize how small the literary community is, and by that, I mean supporters, compared to the amount of truly talented writers in the area. There are simply not that many institutions and opportunities out there for emerging authors. And by that, I mean authors good enough to get published but not quite “good enough” for you to have heard of them. It’s very similar the music industry’s problem of there being way more talented bands out there than there are spaces available in the market.

On top of that, even if you are inclined to support local authors, you might not find out who they are unless you really, really assert yourself, and most simply don’t have that kind of energy for it. For example, there are lots of great writers working at Boise State, but most university writing happens within the university culture of getting published in literary journals, a place where average people rarely embark.

I could go on and on, but there are still writers in our area who are very established, compared to me, and have been living in Boise for decades, and yet I am just now finding out about them. And I consider myself someone who’s trying to be plugged in. It’s just much harder than people think.

This is a better articulation of what I’ve been going through lately than I’m capable of. I’m working on it—and trying to network outside of my circles, but it’s hard. Any tips for me/others as we look for local authors? What’s worked for you? (assuming you’re not just stumbling along blindly like most of us)
As a writer, you just have to get comfortable with pestering people. You have to realize that lots of people don’t return emails and ignore stuff like that. Most of the time, if I keep trying to contact people, I eventually get a decent response. The trick is staying patient and polite in all your follow-up emails.

If you’re looking for more people like me, keep attending all the events you see advertised like the Boise Book Faire. I’ve met a lot of the same people at those types of events, but there’s always a few new ones. Also, check out the newsletters and social media accounts for Rediscovered Books and our Barnes and Noble. They have instore signings all the time. That’s an easy place to find out who local authors, of varying abilities and tastes, are.

My first novel, Ways and Truths and Lives, is, I think, Boise through and through. First, it takes place in a fictionalized Boise. I changed the names of everything because the main character is not really living in reality, blinded by the lingering effects of a myopic worldview, but any longtime Boise resident will pretty much decode all the places described, or so I have been told by my readers. On top of the simple aspect of setting, the themes and dilemmas faced by James should resonate with anyone who was raised in a religious household, left said religion, but have realized that certain elements of that worldview are harder to shake than one would assume. Sometimes it takes a decade or two to see it clearly. Most adults in Boise seem to fit this profile.

My second novel, Icarus Never Flew ‘Round Here, is very regionally specific as well. It takes place in the Oregon High Desert on a stretch of Highway 20 between Burns and Bend, Oregon. It’s not really supposed to pay homage to the people who live there, exactly, of which there are few, but it is supposed to honor the hard working, rural people of the Idaho, Oregon, and the West in general, who often get overlooked in literature. When they are included in literature they are often used as a prop or something kitschy. My main character Dale may not end up being all that flattering, but his weaknesses are not born out some country bumpkin ignorance. He’s supposed to represent us all.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
I have yet to come across that book, but I will surely tell you when I find it. Although, I hope mine become answers to that question for others.

That got an audible chuckle from me—one of the better answers to this question that I’ve received (even if it doesn’t add to my TBR stack).

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!

Okay, folks, go check out his website and see if anything sparks your interest–and maybe you’ll find your literary embodiment of Idaho while you’re at it.

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LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About Writing in Idaho with Merri Halma

On November 14, 2023

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I mentioned recently that I attended a Book Faire (with the extra “e” so you know it was classy) at the Boise Public Library! and met some new authors—most of them will be appearing here in the coming weeks to talk about their perspective on being a writer in the area (maybe all of them well, the jury’s still out). First off is Merri Halma—who was lightning-quick in responding to me both about the invitation to participate and with her responses. If you’re looking for your next YA Fantasy read, you should get to know her for sure.

Before we get into things, why don’t you give the reader a brief introduction to you and your work.
I’m author Merri Halma, author of the YA fantasy with metaphysical visionary elements series the Indigo Travlers (so far there are four books, the fifth is with two editors). They are about teens with gifts, who travel to other worlds with their magical, mystical animals assisting them with their problems, and they each learn more about who they are and how they fit into their world back home. I also have a paranormal/romance for adults. Amazon Author page, I’m on Facebook, Instagram, Ko-fi, Bookbub and LinkedIn. Though I haven’t updated the last three sites for several months. My books are also available at local stores: Green Avenue Books & Publishing in Meridian, Earth Brite Mineral, Rock, & Gem Shop in Meridian & Rubaiyat in Caldwell, Idaho.

What brought you to Idaho in the first place? (answer whichever question applies) What is it about Idaho that keeps you here?
am originally from Washington State. My husband visited Idaho with the company he was working with twenty-four years ago. He liked it and wanted to move. I agreed. I miss Washington and would like to move back, though I don’t have family or close friends there. I’ve made some friends here. Most of them are writers, editors and belong to some of the same fan groups I follow. Not all understand my love of Doctor Who, Ghost and Moody Blues nor follow the same authors I do (Brandon Sanderson, Neil Gaiman, are a few). I also try to be active in the metaphysical community, though that has changed over the years. My husband doesn’t want to move back to Washington.

Are you tied into some sort of local author/bookish group/culture? If so, tell us about it and how it helps you as an author. If you’re not, is there a reason for it?
A friend of mine and I started the Treasure Valley Authors, and it helps to keep me active by running the meetings. We do one large community festival together, the Nampa Festival of the Arts where we all sell our books and support each other. One or two of the fantasy authors and I also do comic cons together, or some other local fantasy related festival once or twice a year. Recently, I joined the Green Avenue Fantasy Book club. We chose a monthly book, read it or listen the audio and then meet to discuss it. This month, we’re reading Legends and Lattes. I enjoyed it. Next week, I will be attending an Authors Read book club in Star. I was invited a few months ago.

How have I missed that at the Festival of the Arts? I’ll keep an eye out for you! Talk to us a bit about the Treasure Valley Authors—what does the group do other than host a spot that I have missed?
The Treasure Valley Authors is a combination of social group and a place for authors to come together every other month to talk about their books, events, and, in theory, assist each other to troubleshoot our stumbling blocks for our books, promotions, etc.

The Treasure Valley Authors usually has a 20 x 20 or larger booth at the Nampa Festival of the Arts every year. It is strictly for the authors who attend our meetings and are active in our Facebook group. This past year (2023), we had roughly six or seven of us. Next year, I hope we will have eight or more.

What kind of events in the area do you attend—either to sell/promote your books or to network with authors? Are there any outside of this area that you hit regularly and wish we had something like it here?
I attend the Treasure Valley Authors in person meetings every other month to network and discuss either our next events, or see where each person’s writings are at where their needs are. I try to attend the Idaho Creative Authors Networks Coffee (ICAN) Chats when they have them to network. I also like to attend their conferences and writing retreats because it is a great way to meet with authors of a wide range of genres and the leaders of the ICAN offer good ways to assist each author with their problem areas. For selling, I attend the Border Town Comic-Con in Ontario, Oregon that usually takes place in March every year, In 2024, I will be with three other fantasy authors (Treasure Valley Fantasy Authors) at Gem State Comic-Con at the Expo Idaho in April, I also hope we do the Beltane with the Idaho Renaissance Faire people, Nampa Festival of the Arts, Renaissance Faire and the Boise Festival of the Comic-Arts with the Boise Library. My son and I attended a conference in Latah, Utah in 2019 that was a literary conference for fantasy writers, authors, readers, and podcasters. We watched Brandon Sanderson and his friend record one of their Intentional Blank Pages podcasts where they interviewed an author. I did my first workshop for readers and artists on the importance of journaling and writing for mental health. Attendees cosplayed their favorite characters from books. I included art, too. I would love for a conference similar to this come to the Boise/Treasure Valley area.

A conference like that sounds great—add me to the list of those wanting one around here!

What’s the breakdown of your audience—do you have a strong local base, or are your readers from other parts of the world?
My audience is middle readers to young adults. On one hand, I’ve saturated the Treasure Valley area, and yet there are still people and readers that don’t know my work. I have a very narrow base because I’m aiming my readers to those who feel different and are searching for where they belong. I would love to have more readers from across the nation and in other countries read my work. My next book will be published through Green Avenue Books & Publishing in Meridian, so I hope it will reach other countries and states. I also hope to republish all of my books with Green Avenue, too.

How do you expect (hope?) that Green Avenue will expand your reach? Do you have any other ideas for that? Getting exposure is the biggest hurdle for so many, and I love to hear what strategies people come up with (or how’re they’re stumbling along blindly)
I hope Green Avenue Books & Publishing will assist me to expand my distribution through their reach. They use Ingram Sparks, so there is a possibility to reach across the nation and hopefully to other countries and get it translated into other languages. I hope Green Avenue Publishing will also give more of a team to polish and improve my writing. They have a set number or arc readers, too.

Promotion is the hardest part of self-publishing.One has to have a talent for graphic drawing, creating the marketing phrases and knowledge of how to use the ads to draw attention. I’ve been at this for ten years, or more, and I still haven’t gotten the pattern down well. If an author has the financial ability, I suggest they hire professionals to assist them.

Having Green Avenue assisting me, though, will free up my time to focus on learning more of the promotions, I hope. I still hope to get the hang of using Canva and other sites like that to create signs, ads, and so on. I also hope to start a YouTube channel.

Do you think there are particular challenges or advantages to being a writer in the Treasure Valley? (possibly both)
The challenges for me is finding a critique partner that understands my work. One of my books, Lynx on Fire, has a scene where Lynx, a werecat shapeshifter, meets his inner cub and is directed to hug him, and accept him with all his scars and hurts. This speaks to each person having a hurt inner child. The critique partner I had at the time couldn’t handle the idea of the inner child and it scared and repulsed her. I mix psychology and fantasy, perhaps it is more arm chair psychology, but it works. Another partner I had couldn’t handle the fires Lynx had to walk through to discover his true body image. Again, he had to accept his true body with all the visible scars from his cubhood. The other challenge is that traditional published authors don’t accept those authors that publish their own works. They say there has to be a special quality, and if a self-published author doesn’t meet their standard, then they won’t work with them or even socialize with them. The advantages are there is some acceptance and support among those who self-publish and are niche writers, like I am.

Do you bring Idaho (or some sort of Idaho-sensibility, assuming one exists) to your work? Whether or not anyone else sees it, can you look at some aspect of your writing and think “That’s Idaho” or “I would do ____ differently if I was a Kentuckian or from Illinois?”
I usually have my main characters living in Nampa and name factories or places Nampa residents would know, like the Sugar Factory that has the iconic smell of burnt peanut butter or Lake Lowell. If I was living in Kentucky, I’d mention the local places, too. I’d likely have the characters living in Smith’s Grove, where my mom grew up and my characters would explore the Mammoth Caves and go shopping in Bowling Green or Elizabethtown.

One final question, is there a book (or two…or 18, if you get really carried away), that embodies Idaho/the Idaho spirit to you to recommend to my readers?
I think most of my books say something about the Idaho spirit, because I do use the local schools, Columbia High School, East Valley Middle School and the next book I renamed the green house on Greenhurst Road to Ashwarth’s Nursery and Landscaping, so it’s owned by my main character’s father. But my main character are also from Washington State, so they talk about Outlook, Sunnyside, and surrounding areas I knew growing up.

I haven’t read many books that take place in Idaho. But I have read Patricia Briggs, who lives in Arizona and has a book series based in the Tri Cities, Washington State, called the Alpha and Omega Series. I love her books because she mentions towns, streets and parks, like the parks along the Columbia River that I used to go visit and sit by to journal and daydream when I lived back in Sunnyside. Mrs. Briggs used to live in that area, I think. One of my high school friends told me about the series several years ago. He has met her and gotten her to sign some of his books.

Stephen King, who was raised in Maine, often sets his books in his hometown, or neighboring cities. It makes sense for an author to do that.

I need to read some Michael Collins Brent books, because he is a local horror writer who has made a good name for himself. I’ve read Anthony Doer’s work, but he seldom sets his books in Idaho. I haven’t read his most recent books, though.

Thanks for your time and participation! Hope you enjoyed it!
Thank you for stopping by my table during the Boise Library! Bookfest and inviting me to take part in your interview.

Okay, folks, go click on one or all of the links above—particularly Merri Halma’s Amazon Author page and see if anything sparks your interest!

Literary Locals logo

A Few Quick Questions With…JCM Berne

On November 7, 2023

In A Few Quick Questions With..., Fantasy, Fiction, JCM Berne, The Hybrid Helix

It’s Publication Day for Partial Function by JCM Berne and what better way to commemorate it than with a Q&A with the author his own bad self?

Give us a quick origin story—how old were you when you caught the Writing Bug? What made you decide “I’m going to get serious about it now” (whenever that happened to be)? etc.
I wrote what we’d call fanfic (I had never heard the term) in elementary school, but I didn’t try to write an actual story until just after dropping out of grad school. I was inspired by RA Salvatore – The Cleric Quintet – and I wanted to write fantasy stories about dwarves. Something about his dwarves really struck a chord in my imagination. This was around 1998.

I wrote a couple of novels, went nowhere with them, and tried again in 2006. Self-publishing as we know it didn’t really exist back then, so I basically gave up. In 2019 I got the bug again – I had a little bit of time, and Invincible gave me the same writing itch that I’d gotten from Salvatore – and I wrote Wistful Ascending in one big burst, promising myself that I’d put it on Amazon even if it sucked. Which I did! (for the record, he ended up putting it on Amazon without it sucking)

What came first—the desire to take a break from The Hybrid Helix or this story? How important was it for you to take this break?
I didn’t exactly want to take a break. I wanted to write something more marketable – HH is a very tough sell, commercially (it’s a superhero story that doesn’t include superhero conventions like an origin story or supervillains, and it’s VERY hard to describe – count the reviews that say, “this isn’t what I expected!” – it’s a lot of reviews.) A lot of my target readers are much more into fantasy. And I really, really wanted to do better in SPFBO, which is totally an ego thing and not rational in any sense. AND I wanted something with less pressure. Every HH book gets harder, because I have to keep in mind the series-level story and the book-level story simultaneously. With a standalone I can drop all of that pressure.

So I decided to start from a killer pitch, instead of the weirdness that is Wistful Ascending, and write a straight fantasy (instead of superhero/sci-fi) with a straightforward narrative and see what happened. And I failed, because of course I did. I should have made Akina an Elven Ranger and set the story in a setting that could pass for an amateur D&D campaign. But I love fisticuffs and dinosaurs more than I love archery, and I had the worldbuilding basically done (it’s the same universe as HH, broadly speaking), and I didn’t want to take six extra months to do it.

Another aspect of doing something new was trying to write something cheaper. The HH books – with the cover artist, narrator, and editor I’m committed to – are huge money pits. I wanted the chance to release something that wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg. And I failed again, though Partial Function cost me a lot less than a HH book, it didn’t end up being anywhere near as bare-bones as I intended.

I’ve heard authors say that they learn something while writing each book. What did Partial Function teach you that The Hybrid Helix hasn’t? How was the experience different in this new world?
I learned that, once again, my sense for what other people will enjoy is not very good. I had very little confidence in this book. I mean, I knew I loved it, and I knew it did what I wanted it to do from a craft perspective, but I didn’t really think other people would like it. And so far, the reception has been really positive. People aren’t hung up on the weird stuff in the book as much as I thought.

It’s a nice feeling, but also disturbing, because it’s good to have people like your art, but it’s also a bummer to know I’m not good at judging my audience. I suppose I might as well just go on writing what I love and hoping.

You’ve described yourself as a “kitchen sink writer,” I used more words to describe it, and greatly prefer your pared-down version—what do you mean by that? Is that just who you are, or did you make decision along the way to become one? (I never expected to ask a nature vs. nurture question)
I have a lot of interests, in fiction and outside it, and I like to throw stuff from all of that into my books. Infinity bagua is actually a really interesting martial arts idea – bagua is a real martial art in which training is focused on walking in circles (I’m oversimplifying), and infinity walks are a real training tool used by some very serious coaches, so combining them isn’t actually as random and silly as it sounds. I’ve read a lot of manga and American comics and watched a LOT of martial arts movies, so I threw a lot of pieces from them into this.

It was never really a decision. If I try to write something more straightforward, without a lot of weird things thrown in – if I had tried to make this “Taken, but set in Shannara” – I get bored. This isn’t my day job: if the writing gets boring, I’ll quit. I have no idea what would change if this WERE my day job and I really had to write something commercial, but that’s a question for another lifetime.

I want to ask a couple of questions about Partial Function characters. I have a handful about Zhu, but…I can’t think of a way to ask them without spoiling something. So, what would you want a prospective reader to know about her? (basically, say whatever you want about Zhu)
I included Zhu because I was too lazy to draw a map. In fantasy novels, travel is a big thing – you have to have a map, measure distances, calculate the average distance a wagon can travel over rough terrain in a day, etc. etc. etc. I had no enthusiasm for that. So I gave everybody teleportation magic and let them hop around to my heart’s content.

Once I put Zhu on the team, she had to do more than just be a human taxi. She’s a teenager, so I made her snarky, because the day I write a non-snarky teenager is the day they can pull the plug on my life support. It’s low hanging fruit, basically. But I didn’t want to make her too obnoxious, or rebellious for its own sake, because those traits annoy me, so I tempered that out a bit.

The other piece of it is allowing us to see a little bit of Akina-as-a-mom. That part was mostly accidental, but I felt like it raised the stakes to see that side of her. I’ve seen the “I’ve got to rescue my kids because I was a negligent parent and it’s my way to work out my guilt” trope in other stories and I hate it. Akina was a good mom, in her own opinion, and she wanted her girls back because she loved them. Full stop.

After that, Zhu just became fun. Once I have a character’s voice in my head, it’s joy to give them their own dialogue, their own jokes, with their own timing and approach. Good jokes are character-specific (I learned that from Howard Tayler).

I talked a little bit about Remy in my original post about the book, and you told me he was important to you. Can you unpack that a bit?
I love all the main characters, but I feel like Remy is the least sexy. Sort of. People are desperate for action moms in fantasy – it’s something I’ve heard repeated – and people love competent younger characters coming into their own. And come on, everybody loves animal companions, especially when they’re adorable. But big guys who are good at fighting aren’t in short supply.

To me, Remy was important because of what he wasn’t, in some ways. He loves Akina with zero romantic or sexual intent, and vice versa. They’re genuine friends, and he’ll do anything for her, exactly the same way he’d have done anything for Petrik. And I like that kind of relationship. I feel like the expectation is that we find out halfway through that he would have had some spark for Akina and been pining after her for years, and I just wanted to pull the plug on that. He doesn’t want to have sex with Akina, at all, period. He just loves her, and she loves him, and that’s that.

Who are some of the bigger influences you have in your writing—this book and others—whether or not readers can see them, you know they’re there?
I’m 52 and I’ve been a compulsive consumer of media for about 42 of those years, so there’s an awful lot.

For writing style I have to say some RA Salvatore (who I forget to mention as often as I should) and Jim Butcher. But I was writing like this before Storm Front was published, so maybe that’s not quite right. Maybe my influences were more Glen Cook (PI Garrett Cook, not Black Company Cook, in terms of style) and Steven Brust.

I also take a lot from comics, too many to remember. Brubaker, Starlin, Chaykin . . . I wouldn’t know where to stop. Ellis. Moench. I had a bad habit when I was younger of buying comics and not paying attention to the creative team, so I didn’t even know who was influencing me, but they were.

And for this book in particular, I use a lot of movie influences. Taken, John Wick, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Jurassic Park! And a lot of anime and manga. Those influences are big in HH, but maybe even bigger in Partial Function. I never wanted to see Wistful Ascending adapted to film (I mean, I wouldn’t say no, but it was never a thing I cared about) but I’d LOVE to see a series made of PF.

What’s next for JCM Berne, author? I’ve seen some things you’ve posted on social media sites, but I can’t tell how serious you’re being—and either way, I’m very intrigued.
I have a bad habit of getting excited about something, planning it, writing a chapter, then realizing the voice doesn’t work for me. Well, that’s not the bad habit, but posting about it on twitter IS. My progression fantasy about tiny dragons is a solid idea but I just didn’t enjoy writing it as much as I thought.
Right now I have three ongoing project. I’m going to continue the Hybrid Helix, because I haven’t even gotten to the point yet. I have no idea how long that will be, but I can’t imagine fitting the story I want to tell into ten or fewer books. 12? 17? We’ll see.
I wrote Partial Function as a standalone, and I didn’t deliberately throw anything in there that was meant to seed a sequel (unlike Wistful Ascending, which I wrote from the start as the entry point to a series). The story is over, and any sequel has to have a new story. I didn’t really have a good idea for that sequel until a couple of weeks ago, but now I think I have one. I might write that in December, or the next HH, I haven’t decided yet.
The third project is The Grimdwarf, a story about an immortal, cursed Dwarf who keeps trying to die in battle. It’s sort of an homage to Gotrek and Felix, except Felix is a woman and they have a dog. I’m playing with the structure, writing it almost like a manga. Some chapters are standalones, some are tied together into arcs, but I’m not building it into novel-length pieces – some arcs might be novel-length, but some might be much shorter, and I’m allowing that deliberately.
I have no idea what to do with this. It’s a story I love, personally, but I don’t know if other people will want to read it. Lots of punching, lots of banter, some worldbuilding, a touch of pathos. I might just give it away (say, a chapter a week) to patreon patrons or people who get my newsletter or just toss it onto Royal Road and say, “here you go!” A lot depends on reception. I will see how much I can get done this month – sort of a fake NanoWriMo (since it’s not really a novel) – and maybe get some alpha/beta readers to tell me if I should trunk it or not.

Thanks for your time—and thanks for Partial Function—I had such a blast with this and hope it finds the audience it deserves!
Thank you so much, HC! Positive critical reception is a huge part of why I’m still writing. I’m very glad you gave this book a chance.

Partial Function is out NOW—go grab yourself a copy.

A Few Quick Questions

LITERARY LOCALS: A Q&A About IdaHope Christian Writers

On October 20, 2023

Literary Locals logo
In this series of Q&As, I keep running into mentions of the group IdaHope, a Christian Writers association in the area. Today, we’re chatting with ICW Secretary, Lisa Hess, and President, Hilarey Johnson (who has been here before) about the group.

It’ll come up below, but before I start with Lisa and Hilarey, I want to direct your attention to their Fall Gathering coming up on October 28, “Your Story Matters.” It looks like a good opportunity to spend 4 hours with people focused on writing and storytelling. If you’re local (or semi-local), look into it, will you?

IdaHope Christian Writers logo
I know we’re supposed to be talking about the organization. But you’re both writers–kick things off by telling people about your own writing.
Hilarey: I write fiction and nonfiction, I also ghostwrite and narrate. I published a coming-of-age literary fiction series which would appeal to readers with a faith background. Titles: Sovereign Ground | Heart of Petra | Sworn to the Desert. I also have a historical fantasy set in Idaho. Dance of the Crane and it is a retelling of the Count of Monte Cristo.

Lisa: My tagline is “Writing Relationships” because I don’t read just one genre, and there is no way I could ever stick to writing one genre—but people fascinate me. I’m sort of obsessed with the inner workings of relationships, and also, I’m an introvert. So relationships can be very difficult and downright puzzling to me. My favorite reads are probably what the industry calls “up-market” fiction—novels with the plot and movement of genre fiction, but some of the deeper, internal struggles and big life questions of literary fiction. People struggling to know and love each other, to pursue meaning and hope and redemption–that’s what I enjoy reading, so that’s what I try to write. You can see some of my short stories in a compilation called Passageways, and my first full-length novel, a coming-of-age mystery called Ghost of Gold Creek, was released in 2018. I worked in-person with the public all through lockdown and the years after, most recently at Boise Main Library, and that took all I had to give those years. But now, I’m excited about an adventure/romance in the final editing stages, and a half-done political thriller romance on deck…so I’m all over the place! And of course, so excited and pleased about the opportunity to be involved in this re-launch of ICW.
I do actually have a copy of Passageways waiting to be read. I’d planned on having it done by the end of July, so…any day now 🙂
Hilarey: You are such a fast reader, it will be any day. [snort. If only]

Lisa: Wonderful! Four different authors contributed to that collection, so there is a lot of variation in style and subject in Passageways. Hopefully, something for everyone.

Let’s move on to ICW. Elevator-pitch style, what is IdaHope Christian Writers? (Readers can access the longer, official, version here)

Hilarey: Idahope Christian Writers is a group for people of Christian faith, in Idaho, who want to write or be part of storytelling. This can include poetry, creative nonfiction, memoirs, devotions, spoken word, songwriting, children’s books, graphic designers…and every genre of fiction.

Lisa: Yes! I would just add that this version of ICW is created to provide community, education and encouragement for creatives involved in writing or publishing—not saying networking/promotion doesn’t happen, but that’s not our mission. Also, we are a completely volunteer-run nonprofit. 100% of donations, conference and member fees go to provide those three things: community, education and encouragement…aaaand here’s the 815^th floor in our elevator ride.

Could you flesh that out a bit? What kind of education? Articles on your site, speakers at your meetings/conferences? Anything else? What kinds of topics might one look for? How do you encourage one another?

Hilarey: I think we did a good job on the elevator pitch if you’re asking more questions! We have three types of weekly blog posts. Monday has a writing devotional to kick the week off. It’s called Meditation Monday and we’ve hosted a few local pastors. Writerly Wednesday has a craft post. One of our regular contributors is Peter Leavell. And Fiction Friday has a fiction or creative nonfiction post. Members can submit posts to be published on our blog and we’ve had fiction from Robin Lee Hatcher and Lisa Phillips.

Our monthly meetings are just getting started. We began with Sandy Jones from Christian Living Magazine. She shared “Why we need to be published to get published.” (This is one of the reasons we feature members on our blog.) Last month we had member Barb Sulfridge share “Why authors need to be speakers.” And I’m very excited about November’s speaker…you! With your experience interviewing local authors, I am excited to hear “How not to be a boring author interview.”

I am excited to have The Creative Space as our monthly meeting place. It is so conducive to community. Because, ultimately, our focus is on building in person connections.

Lisa: And don’t forget our Weekly Write-ins. These meetings are member favorites–a chance to meet in a smaller, more informal group for critique, brainstorming–so important and motivational when you have a work in progress. We hope to have a number of these kinds of groups meeting around the Treasure Valley in the future. We currently have two active groups, and the details about those are on our website.

We also have an active, members-only FB page where members frequently seek and receive advice and support from each other. We have a bookstore on the website, where members can promote their latest releases, and hope to have a “seeking/offering” job site service soon, for editors, graphic artists, audio-book artists, etc. that will be free to members to access and list.

As I understand it, like so many things, your organization’s activities got derailed in 2020. What did things look like things for you before? Were you able to do much at all between then and your re-launch?

Lisa: Right. ICW has been around in the Treasure Valley for more than a decade. A few years back, folks at ICW took a year’s sabbatical to reassess for the coming decade and plan for IdaHope’s Ten Year Anniversary celebration. A number of us began meeting regularly together to pray and plan…then COVID intervened. Our one-year sabbatical turned into an almost four-year sabbatical, kept breathing with our interaction on the ICW FB page, as we added new friends and waited for the right time to relaunch. That time was tragic and horrible, beyond what any of us could have imagined. But there is also the creative’s little secret: lockdown gave many of us time to rest, reassess, and renew our commitments to our purpose and callings. Most of all, we came to realize how much we need each other. Having almost four years to think and dream together about what we wanted ICW to look like going forward wasn’t a waste. The ideas generated during that time buoy and inspire the new ICW launch in both small and great ways.
Nice silver lining.

I’m sure a lot of this is to be determined (at least the details) as you get up and running–but tell us about your re-launch and what kinds of things IdaHope will be doing in the next few months?

Hilarey: We started informal meetups for people to gather regularly and encourage or critique each other. The local libraries have been wonderful hosts. We are hoping to set connection opportunities up all over the valley, in churches or coffee shops, so writers can find their people.

Our main goal is to meet monthly— have a snack, worship, learn something useful from a speaker and then spend time nurturing friendships with other people who hear fictional voices in their head.

We also plan to have an annual small conference in the fall, like the one coming up at Trinity Fellowship Church on October 30. Each year we will also have a larger conference, likely, in the spring. That might take a few years to grow to our vision.

Lisa: We also hope to lean into the diversity of our ICW members, and expand on that diversity in the future. Most of us are Jesus followers, and ICW was created to be a safe place for Christian creatives, who often aren’t understood or encouraged, even among their own faith communities. But I imagine our members represent a dozen or more denominations and faith groups, and just as many genres of writing. We hope that the variety of backgrounds and viewpoints continues to grow. We tend to focus on our commonalities, rather than our differences, which is helpful, in what can be a very divided world.

Can each of you give us a few particular ways that IdaHope has benefited you/your writing? (this feels like a job interview question, sorry!)

Hilarey: Idahope first connected me to my critique partners. I formed a small group with people I connected with personally. Even as our (writing) career paths have taken us in different directions, we remain friends. It also connected me to training and connections through writing conferences. Idahope is why I became an author instead of someone who writes.

Lisa: I stumbled into an ICW conference not long after moving to Boise twelve years ago. I had a couple drafts of Ghost of Gold Creek, I loved the characters, setting and ideas, but I knew it could be better—I also knew I didn’t know how to get it there. That conference was the first time I’d sat around with a bunch of other fiction writers, and it was a revelation. There I was, surrounded by fifty or so other writers who talked like it was perfectly normal to go through phases where you spend more time listening to the voices in your head than the person sitting next to you, that it was okay when the characters in your novel became more real to you than real life—I wasn’t the only one, not by a long shot, and it was so comforting. And motivating, that I could actually get that novel to a place that I would be proud to share it…and then, of course, all those great benefits that Hilarey mentioned about writing in community. There are a number of those same people still involved with ICW. Many have become very successful published authors, but one thing hasn’t changed—they have mentors hearts, every one of them.

That sounds great! Building on all this, why should someone in the area look into IdaHope?

Hilarey: Someone should look into Idahope if they are ready to work on the craft and pursue their dream.

Lisa: Nicely, said, Hil. That’s a great paraphrase of the first sentence of our mission statement. The second sentence is, “We strive to foster a community for creatives who will contribute to a faith-filled, nurturing environment.” That environment is important to our members. So you’re coming to a place where you will be nurtured, mentored and encouraged, but you’re also coming to learn how to do that for others.

I can’t let anyone get away from a Q&A here without a few book recommendations–tell me about some (at least 2 each) of your favorite writings produced by IdaHope members.

Hilarey: There are so many published authors in Idahope I recommend! The books which are extra special to me, though, are ones where I participated in brainstorming. So, I got to see the author’s eyes light up all the way to an end product that I couldn’t have imagined.

You should get Husband Auditions from Angela Ruth Strong–she started Idahope years ago just before she published Love Finds You in Sun Valley. She got the idea for the story from a 1950s magazine article about how to catch a husband. Things like “cry softly in the corner, so he approaches you.” Strong decided a modern girl should video post her attempt to work through the list and see how men react to the prompts.

My favorite from Heather Woodhaven is The Secret Life of Book Club. It’s about a book club that decides to start going on adventures instead of reading about others living their lives. We went on several adventures as a group while she was plotting that. It made brainstorming hilarious. Other than that, you will find Romantic Suspense novels on her website–some I’ve narrated.

Kristine McCord has a Christmas romance with a sexy santa called The Santa Society. Think of a suspenseful version of The Santa Clause. She wrote that in a matter of weeks–it just poured out of her. It reads just as fast.

From Lisa Phillips, she writes so fast I cannot count her books, but I will never forget when she had the idea for a secret witness protection town, called Sanctuary, hidden in the hills of Idaho. It was for people who were too high profile to live in the real world. So they were all thrown together. WITSEC Town was one of her first series, but it’s still a bestseller. I also enjoyed her supernatural thrillers she wrote under the pen name JL Terra.

Lisa: Great picks, Hilarey! This is hard, it’s like picking out my favorite children. I can’t do it. But just for a little parity, I’d like to give a shout-out to our male authors. For example, Peter Leavell’s Gideon’s Call is a civil war historical fiction that has won a number of awards. Paul Regnier, like myself, doesn’t stick to one genre, but writes books from speculative fiction, to fantasy to cozy mysteries. His latest is Bard Tidings.

Those look like some great picks! Thanks!!

Thanks, Lisa and Hilarey, for your time and willingness to put up with my questions. Idaho-ish people, you should absolutely look into ICW and check out their Fall Gathering.

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A Few Quick Questions With…Herman Steuernagel

On September 8, 2023

For this next part of the tour, I have a quick Q&A with the author, Herman Steuernagel. I had to come up with these questions before starting the book, which is a different approach for me. I think it came out not-terribly-awkward. Either way, I enjoyed reading the answers and hope you will, too.

The words that got me to take a second look at the description for this book were “space pirates,” and I bet I’m not alone. Do you have theories (or just speak for yourself) about why pirates in general, or space pirates in particular, grab our imaginations the way they do?
I think there’s a rebellious part of all of us that sees pirates as these carefree individuals who decided to live outside of society’s expectations of us. There’s something in us that looks at it as a life of adventure, outside of the constraints of the day to day.

Space pirates, I think, is just an extrapolation of that, and definitely in Eclipse I’ve tried to make that comparison.
One our main characters, Mikka, left that life of piracy behind in order to become a responsible adult in her world. And I think in many ways many of us can relate to that experience. We grow up and suddenly we realize there are bills to pay and family to take care of, and part of us wishes that we could return to that life of adventure that we dreamed of growing up.

One of the side characters, Abigail Monroe, is almost a caricature of a sea pirate in a space setting. She provides a bit of comic relief in what would otherwise be a dark world. She very much represents that sense of
[The remainder of his answer was lost in cyberspace, sadly. Just think of this as an enticement to read the book. What does she represent?]

Looking over your website, it looks like you’ve designed three unique worlds at this point in your career. In general, and with this book specifically, what’s your approach to worldbuilding? Do you sit down and figure it all out ahead of time (setting, technology, culture(s), etc.?) or do you just make up most/all of it on the fly as you come across the need while writing?
There’s a bit of both actually. For Eclipse and the Fractured Orbit in particular, a lot of it was decided in advance. The world is set a couple hundred years in the future, I wanted the technology to be mostly feasible with the knowledge we have now. There are a couple of things that are a little more fantastical, such as artificial gravity and force fields that are currently outside of our capabilities, but it is far enough in the future that somehow we figured it out.

So with that in mind, I now have some constraints on what is feasible in this universe. We’re not traveling to different systems and galaxies, because we don’t have faster-than-light travel. The worlds in our system are not completely terraformed because we have no technological way to do that, so our colonies exist in pockets or bubbles.

Other things are constrained a bit to reality, so it’s more research than creation – like what exists on different moons and asteroids on our solar system. These types of things get passing mentions in Eclipse, but they’re talked about a bit more in future books.

Other things like how the Empire maintains its control on these colonies, there’s a bit more “on the fly” that happens within the drafting process. And then it’s just a matter of keeping track of everything so that it stays consistent. For that I have a combination of Trello boards, spreadsheets and documents where I keep this information stored.

For you, at the end of the day—creating believable characters, worldbuilding, or the story—what’s harder? What’s more rewarding? What do your readers tend to react to the most?
Ultimately characters are who the readers are going to relate to. It try to create my characters with realistic ambitions, needs and flaws. It’s that emotional journey that will draw a reader into the story and keep them invested in the plot. Pulling that off is definitely the most important and rewarding part of the process.

That said, building the world is a lot of fun, because, especially in a sci-fi or fantasy setting, you get to play a bit more. This is where you get to think about the “what if” questions. What if we colonized the moon, Mars? What if we had to abandon Earth in order to save it? What if corporate elites took advantage of that?

No matter how many books you have under your belt, as I understand, each novel/series tends to be a different experience than the one(s) before. What was the part what was the biggest surprise about the process of writing Eclipse? Either, “I can’t believe X is so easy!” or “If I had known Y was going to be so hard, I’d have skipped this and watched more TV”?
I got to the end of the first draft of Eclipse and realized the part one of the characters had to play in the story. Which sounds like a funny thing, but there was one side character who I realized had a bigger role to play, especially in the books going forward, so I had to go back and work that into the rest of the plot. It was definitely an “ah-ha!” moment at the end of the book for me that I wasn’t expecting.

The book has been out a few months now, is there a particular supporting character that your readers have responded to in a way you didn’t expect? Talk about them a little bit and how the reaction is different. What’s the key, for you, in writing a great supporting character, and how did that (if you can manage this without an essay) work with this particular character?
The side character that gets talked about the most is Abigail Monroe. This was kind of by design.

We meet Abigail in the Prologue of Eclipse, and it’s really the only chance we get to see her point of view. This is continued in the prologues of the sequels, but we’re kind of seeing a glimpse into her mind, and then we get to watch how other characters interact with her in the following narrative.

Abigail came to me as this female version of Jack Sparrow, who was really just your typical movie pirate. A lot of people love her, because she’s off the wall, erratic, and you really don’t know where she stands, if she’s a hero or a villain, and it’s really going to take the length of the series before we know for sure what she’s all about. But because there’s this familiarity about her, and what we’ve come to expect from a humorous type of pirate, I think readers are able to find something they can relate to in this otherwise dark and dystopian setting.

Readers either love her or hate her. She’s a lot of fun to write because she’s so enigmatic and erratic, but she also has a particular speech tic that some readers found over the top. Which is maybe a fair criticism, so it does get toned down a little bit in the following books. But even though she’s not a POV character, we also do get to see a bit of her character arc develop over the course of the series, and I think by the end people are going to have a very different opinion of Abigail and what’s driving her.

A supporting character reflects the main character, they highlight a main character’s strengths and/or weaknesses and that can take shape in either an antithesis to them, as a single part of their personality traits, or as a mirror. But it’s also important for a side character to have their own life to them as well. They need goals, needs and desires in order to make them realistic and believable. They also need flaws. And I think that the reception to Abigail has indicated that she does have all of these things. People love her because of her eccentricities, but they don’t like her flaws.

However, she does have a very important role to play in the story and Abigail is also very much an exaggerated mirror of Mikka in a lot of ways.

Thanks for your time and participation! I’m looking forward to seeing what Eclipse has to offer!
Thank you so much for including me! I hope you enjoy the book!

My thanks to Escapist Book Tours for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials (including the novel) they provided. The opinions expressed by me are honest and my own.

A Few Quick Questions With…Rebecca Carey Lyles

On September 6, 2023

Rebecca Carey Lyles keeps popping up here this year—she’s participated in the Q&A about Writing in Idaho and in the series about Self-Publishing, now she’s here to talk about her latest book, Shaow Ranch (which I posted about earlier) and more. Hope you enjoy!

We’ve gone over your writer’s bio before, but I wanted to follow up on a couple of things. First, could you talk about your path to publication and what sparked your desire to write in the first place?
My path to publication was a long and winding road, ha. Like most authors, my desire to write began with reading. An amazing gift from our Creator, reading opens doors in our minds and in our lives. The thrill of holding that first Dick and Jane book in my hands in first grade remains with me to this day.

After reading multiple books in multiple genres and graduating from college with a degree unrelated to journalism or creative writing, I attended a six-week writing class. And got the writing bug.

From there, I enrolled in a how-to-write correspondence course and started writing articles and short stories. Some were terrible and some were published. Then I tackled books, both fiction and nonfiction. With the help of writing teachers, seminars and conferences, how-to books and magazines, and writing groups in Wyoming, Arizona and Idaho, I learned the craft.

But I haven’t stopped educating myself. I listen to writing-related podcasts and read articles, blogs, etc. on how to become a better writer, editor and marketer. I also rely on critique partners, beta readers and proofreaders to help me produce a quality product. Editing other authors’ work has enabled me to spot and address my own writing weaknesses.

Authors have dozens of ideas percolating at once (if not more), what was it about the idea that became Shadow Ranch that made you decide it was the one you wanted to focus on for a few months? Can you remember what nugget started that book? You discuss some of this in your podcast episode, “What Lurks in the Shadow Ranch Shadows” and I encourage people to give that a listen.
I don’t remember what I said on that podcast. Maybe I’m the one who should listen to it, ha. But as I recall my thought process, two things triggered the Shadow Ranch idea. First, I read Wife No. 19 by Ann Eliza Young (1844-1917). She married into a famous polygamous family at a young age and wrote about her personal experiences plus what she observed in other similarly trapped women, including her mother. Those women suffered incredible hardship and abuse, whether physical, emotional, mental, spiritual or financial. Usually, all of the above.

At the same time, friends were telling me about the Sister Wives television series. I haven’t watched the series, but to think a dysfunctional family’s illicit alliance has been glamorized for all the world to see is terribly sad. My personal opinion is that the adults and children in such “families” need our sympathy, not our adulation.

And that’s why I wrote Shadow Ranch. I wanted to show the emotional trauma “sister” wives experience as well as the control needed to ensure they continue to cooperate with the male-centric lifestyle. (It’s called brainwashing.) Today’s polygamists have all the problems their predecessors had way back when and possibly more. Yet, they continue to believe and teach that plural marriage ensures they’ll reach the “celestial kingdom” following death.

Talk to me about the research you did for this—I’d imagine it’d cover contemporary polygamy cults, some sort of trauma research—maybe some domestic abuse research? Possibly even research into some of the industries the compound used to fund themselves? How much time and effort does that part of the writing process does that take?
As I alluded to above, plenty of information is available online in news articles and documentaries. Books written by individuals who escaped polygamy and by authors who study plural marriage are also available. I just did a count and found 10 related books on my cult shelf, and more are out there. I’ve also researched narcissism and domestic abuse as well as cult mentality. Here are a couple of sites: https://psychcentral.com/ & https://www.icsahome.com/home.

Some say child labor and/or forced labor have enabled contractors in certain parts of the West to underbid competitors. Also, insiders say our taxes support thousands of polygamous women who don’t have marriage certificates for their unlawful unions. They receive food stamps, welfare payments, medical assistance, and other governmental benefits for themselves and their many children.

Regarding domestic abuse…all a person has to do is google “Warren Jeffs,” the imprisoned FLDS leader who’s still revered by thousands of followers. If you have the stomach for it, here’s a “true crime” report regarding his conviction. https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/what-evidence-led-to-flds-leader-warren-jeffs-conviction.

Truth is, I spend way too much time doing research for my stories. Rabbit trails, you know… In all seriousness, I can’t say how many hours research demands, but it probably consumes at least 25% of my writing time.

How difficult is it to write a convincing character like Brewster? And do you have to do something to get out of that frame of mind once you’re done for the day to keep him from taking up residence in your consciousness? How about one/all of the wives?
I hate to admit it, but writing nasty characters comes fairly easily for me. Brewster is an example of unrestrained selfishness. Our basic natures are selfish, mine included. Although my job is to portray a villain’s self-focused behavior, I must restrain my own tendency. Brewster is totally about satisfying his narcissistic self, however possible. If he has to turn on the charm to do so, no problem. His bottom line is not the other person’s well-being; instead, he uses others for his own self-perceived well-being. And, no, he doesn’t haunt my dreams, thank God!

To be honest, after being married almost 50 years, I cannot imagine having another so-called wife or wives in our lives. Maybe another woman could be tasked with changing diapers, cleaning toilets and pulling weeds. 😊 But it wouldn’t be worth the jealousy, the arguments, the broken hearts and hurt feelings. Or knowing my husband was regularly sleeping with other women—or favoring a certain one, maybe a younger one, which happens.

Although I try not to emotionally plumb the depths of polygamous women’s despair, I can imagine myself in their shoes and think how I would feel. Yet, nothing about plural marriage appeals to me. I cannot picture anyone finding happiness or fulfillment in that lifestyle. As a result, I want to warn others away from the fake glamor, intrigue and supposed pathway to heaven touted by groups like the FLDS.

A scripture verse in Ephesians says, “Have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” I trust that’s what I’m doing in all my books, exposing the darkness and warning people away from evil.

In our correspondence, you said Shadow Ranch “kind of a crazy one to start with.” (I probably should’ve asked for a sane one to start with). Why do you say that? How does this differ from a more typical Rebecca Carey Lyles book? (assuming such exists)
Ha, I’m not sure I have a “sane” series! 😊 My first series, The Kate Neilson Series, addresses human trafficking, and the second series, Prisoners of Hope, tackles religious cults. People I talk with at book events seem to be somewhat familiar with trafficking and religious cults. But not many know about modern-day polygamy. Americans tend to think plural marriage was outlawed over a hundred years ago, which it was, and assume it’s no longer practiced.

Online numbers, on the other hand, suggest our country has 30,000-50,000 polygamous families and somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 individuals involved in those family groups.

This is one of those novels that comes with Discussion Questions at the end—is this typical for you? What’s behind your decision to include them? These are written by Pat Watkins—what can you tell us about her? Does it feel a little strange to read someone distilling your work into some talking points?
Pat Watkins, a retired educator, is amazing—and so are her questions! She “gets” my books better than I do, ha. I could never do what she does with the discussion questions, and I appreciate her willingness to compile them for my books. She came up with the idea to include questions for book clubs. I haven’t received feedback, but I trust the questions stimulate good discussion.

To answer your question about Pat distilling my stories into talking points, I’m fascinated to learn what she gleans from my writing. Every reader has a different take on a story because we have different backgrounds, world views and life experiences. Yet, she comes up with universal questions that any reader or group of readers can ponder.

What is it about storytelling/writing that keeps it fresh for you? Is this a compulsion to keep going, or is it more pleasure? Along those lines, are there genres you are still hoping to try, or are you sticking in the lanes you’ve picked? Are there genres you don’t see ever trying?
A couple things keep storytelling/writing fresh for me (other than the notion a true writer supposedly can’t not write). First, I do a lot of research. Learning about other people groups, historical background, contemporary cultures, locations, flora and fauna, etc. fascinates me.

Also, unlike many authors, I prefer to rewrite a rough draft rather than drag the initial draft out of my head. Maybe that’s why I’m an editor as well as an author. I enjoy fixing awkward or confusing sentences, paragraphs and storylines.

Will I write in other genres? Although I set my novels in the West, I’ll probably never write a true shoot-em-up western. And I doubt I’ll ever pen a murder mystery or fantasy or science fiction, but you never know. A few years back, three other Treasure Valley authors and I compiled a short-story collection titled Passageways. A couple of my stories in that book have fantastical elements to them. So, I can never say never. 😊

What’s next for Rebecca Carey Lyles, author?
The second book in the Children of the Light Series, Crimson Arches, is finished but in super rough form right now. If all goes well, it should be available before the end of the year. The third book in the series (no name yet) is percolating in my brain…

A reminder to readers re. all my books: No matter how grim the subject matter, every story has a happy ending. 😊

Thanks for your time—both now and before—I really appreciate what you’re bringing to this little corner of cyberspace.
Thank you! I always enjoy our visits, HC! 😊

A Few Quick Questions

A Few Quick Questions With…Hilarey Johnson

On August 24, 2023