And it did, in the best possible way.

I loved The Briar Club for so many reasons, but I’ll just list a few. The well-drawn characters who made me care about them, even when I didn’t particularly like their behavior or agree with their choices. The post-WWII setting, with all the drama of the McCarthy era that reminded me of present-day U.S.

And the choice to make Briarwood House one of the characters was an interesting one, bringing to mind Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House. 

The novel brings up so many issues faced by women—racism, homophobia, domestic violence and misogyny, just to name a few—not just in the 1950s but even now. And since each woman has her own backstory and issues, it also delves deeply into the relationships and how friendships can form even when it appears that people involved have nothing in common. These friendships aren’t superficial or social in nature, but deep and intense, yet challenged by the disagreements that are part and parcel of any relationship.

Kate Quinn has done a masterful job of providing readers with fully developed characters, letting us into their minds and hearts. And while this is the first of her books I have read, it definitely won’t be the last.

The Briar Club is a story about love, empathy and encouragement triumphing over fear, self-doubt and social opposition. As each woman faces major life questions, her fellow boarders at Briarwood House serve as sounding boards, providing the kind of support most needed at that time. It’s a story of how friendships can grow and blossom even in the most unlikely circumstances.

For more about Kate Quinn and her work, visit her website.

The post My Thoughts on… The Briar Club by Kate Quinn appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

How It All Began is a kaleidoscope of a novel. As each character shares his or her thoughts in the book, the outer tube turns and a new image of events appears.

It starts with Charlotte, a woman in her late seventies recovering from a broken hip courtesy of a teenage mugger and then travels through the lives of the other characters who are impacted by that single event.

It’s the butterfly effect but told with sly humor that showcases each character’s strengths and failings: daughter Charlotte and husband Gerry, Anton, Jeremy and Stella, Marion and Nigel, Henry and the rest of the characters whose lives become intertwined by the opening event caused by the mugging.

Image from Penelope Lively’s website

One of Lively’s many skills is her ability to create three-dimensional characters with all their foibles and failings. And her technique in wrapping up the novel with a chapter that summarizes how it all ends—or at least, how it all ends for now, is masterful.

Perhaps what I enjoyed most about the novel was the attitude of Charlotte, who reminiscences on her mugger (I prefer to imagine my mugger as a refined soul…No—sod you, mugger, Why didn’t you just ask nicely?) and growing old in general (Old age is not for wimps…The twilight years—that delicate phrase. Twilight my foot—roaring dawn of a new life, more like, the one you didn’t know about.)

Admittedly, I find myself drawn to books about older women as I grow older, and Charlotte is the kind of person I’d like to be around—someone who doesn’t give up but fights every step of the way against the setbacks that are part of the aging process, determined to make the most of every minute.

While How It All Began may be the first of Lively’s books that I’ve read, it won’t be the last. And I look forward to making the acquaintance of each character created by her.

For more about Lively, visit her website.

The post My Thoughts on… How It All Began by Penelope Lively appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

Equally interesting to me was how she came to writing novels, since for years she had been an obstetrician-gynecologist, and how her previous career influenced her work.

Here’s a bit about her background. Rebecca had practiced Obstetrics and Gynecology for two decades before an accident abruptly changed her life. Too young to retire, she wandered around, wondering who she was now and where her life was heading—then she sat down at her typewriter and noticed that stories came to her out of the blue.

Knowing there was more to writing than putting down on paper things that might have happened to other people, she decided to make this her next career. As she did when she launched her life in Medicine, she started at the beginning, studying creative writing in the Stonecoast MFA program. She was fortunate to find mentorship under the many great faculty members, especially authors David Anthony Durham, Dolen Perkins Valdez, and Boman Desai, all of whom helped her understand what she was trying to do and how best to accomplish it.

Her 2014 Master’s thesis, The Book of Seasons, became (after many further drafts) Megge of Bury Down, and the Bury Down series was born: historical fiction steeped in medieval medicine and ancient mysticism.

For more about Rebecca, visit her websites: Rebecca Kightlinger and The Bury Down Chronicles, follow her on Facebook and visit her Amazon author page.

Now on to the interview!

Tell us a little about yourself.

Until April 2010, I could have answered this question with ease. I was an obstetrician-gynecologist who had gone from a generalist in private practice—delivering babies, caring for general OB/GYN issues, and performing pelvic surgery—to a specialist in menopause and midlife health on the clinical faculty of the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

I traveled to South America twice yearly with Remote Area Medical to help Guyana’s Ministry of Health develop a cervical cancer program for the indigenous women of the remote savannah and rainforest villages. The cancer rate was extremely high, and there was little treatment for these women, so I can say that this was the most rewarding work of my career. I wrote peer-reviewed studies and patient education materials, and on the side, I wrote fiction—for my eyes only!

All that changed when my wrist shattered in a fall and never regained sufficient use to resume medical practice.

Too young to retire, I turned to fiction writing. As I wanted to write as a professional, I earned an MFA in creative writing and was fortunate enough to have wonderful mentors at the university of Southern Maine who helped guide me into this writing life.

I now write full time and care for my many pets: dogs, cats, and a Bantam hen. When I’m not doing this, I bake bread, take care of my Victorian farmhouse, and swim. It has taken a full fifteen years and two published novels to be able to say this with confidence, but to answer your question, I am a novelist.

What type of writing do you do?

I write historical fiction novels which, because they are based on mystical practices and reincarnation, are shelved among fantasy literature even though they are set in the real world, in a real historical time, and feel very true to me.

Writing this series involves a great deal of research into the late-thirteenth and early-fourteenth century Cornwall; early medicine, including the care of general health and illnesses, midwifery, and the care of those afflicted with leprosy, which was quite common in those years.

Did your medical career influence your choice of writing, both in genre and focus?

I’m sure my life as a physician influenced my writing about women healers and midwives. I find early medicine fascinating, and I believe that what I learned about rural medicine in Guyana encouraged me to study the practices of the healers in medieval times.

My mom was steeped in the mystical, and she undoubtedly influenced me to follow my interest in all things magical and mystical. She also read us kids the stories of King Arthur and Cornwall, which I always found enchanting.

Why did you choose to write historical fantasy fiction?

I didn’t really choose it. I didn’t even know until I was well into Megge’s story that it involved mystical practices that would be considered fantasy. Megge just came to me out of the blue one day as I was completing another story and started telling me about her life and showing me where she lived. So, I guess you could say this is all Megge’s doing.

Did you ever think this is what you would be doing now or was it a surprise to you?

It was a total surprise. I never planned to retire from Medicine, and although I loved writing and would have loved to have the time to do all I was already doing and also write a book, I never expected to be able to do so.

You have three books to date in the Bury Down Chronicles: Megge of Bury Down, The Lady of the Cliffs and The Sisters of the Sorrows Cove. Is there an overarching message or theme that unites them?

These three books are one continuing story that will be the first trilogy of the series. The overarching themes are dedication to family and duty, service to others, and finding the courage to overcome such things as anger and the need for retribution against those who have done us wrong—even in previous lives—so that the best parts of our spirit can flourish, unconstrained by old wounds and weaknesses.

Can you give us a thumbnail description of each one of the books: when each was published and what the storyline is?

These books have multiple plots and subplots, but I can give you the major plotlines here.

Book One, Megge of Bury Down, introduces Megge and the women of Bury Down and builds Megge’s world from the ground up. The pace is leisurely in order to steep the reader in the real medieval world, the mystical world Megge is gradually discovering, and the world of the healer—whose roots go back to the dawn of time.

In this book, Megge must accept and vow to protect an ancient grimoire that scares her to death. Her mother and aunts are forbidden to give her any details about the book, so she relies on an elderly confidante to teach her about her family’s past so she can gradually come to understand why she must find the courage to accept this inheritance and take her place as a woman of Bury Down.

When an ancient foe comes to Bury Down demanding that grimoire and its companion book, Megge knows she must act.

Book Two, The Lady of the Cliffs, opens moments after the conclusion of Book One. Because the storyworld has already been built, the story moves faster as Megge and her cousin navigate life bereft of the women who raised and nurtured them. In this portion of the trilogy, Megge travels to the north coast of Cornwall with an elderly woman and a young orphan who has come to Bury Down alone. With their help, Megge faces the past she has been fleeing and learns not only who she once was but also what her spirit was meant to become.

Book Three, The Sisters of The Sorrows Cove, opens as Megge and her young charge, Amice, return from The Sorrows Cove. In the ship carrying them home is a man Megge detests, who is afflicted with leprosy. Amice has her own reasons for wanting Megge to help him, but can Megge put vengeance aside and offer mercy to that man who has caused her family untold anguish?

The novels are set in Cornwall, England. Why did you choose that locale?

I didn’t know where the story was set until Megge had told me a good bit of it. I don’t plan what I am going to write. I close my eyes and listen for the voice of whoever is going to tell me their story.

When Megge first came to me, I saw a little girl wearing heavy woolens and sturdy boots sitting on a boulder atop a grassy hill where sheep were grazing. As she told me her story, she showed me a circular castle near a river that flowed south into a larger body of water. I had to research castles to see if there was one that looked like this one in that century. There was. Restormel Castle, near the Fowey River in Cornwall. I went to Google Earth to see if the terrain was anything like what I was seeing as Megge spoke, and there was.

How many trips have you made to Cornwall to do your research? Do you go there for each of your books?

While I was writing Book One, I felt I had to go to Cornwall to see for myself what the terrain and the climate were like (although the climate now is vastly different than it was in Megge’s day). So, once again, I went to Google Earth to try to find the location of Megge’s home based on what she had revealed to me. I found the area—just outside Liskeard—that looked to me like what Megge was describing: lots of fields and pastureland and with hills that might be described as “slopes.” I booked a week at a B&B called Botelet and went there to explore.

When I arrived, I was taken into a house that looked much like Megge’s, right down to the huge hearth and the drying rack hanging over the table. The hosts told me that Botelet manor was on the William the Conqueror’s Domesday Survey and that another house on the property was there at the time of Megge’s story. Nearby was a grassy slope on which sheep were grazing.

During that visit, I met with Church historian Carole Vivian, who provided me with invaluable information about the Church in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Before we talked about anything else, she said, “If you haven’t included the Church, you have missed the point of medieval life.” Needless to say, a great deal of subsequent research was into the Church and its role in daily life.

Local historian Mary Jones took me on a guided tour of Lostwithiel, where Restormel Castle is located, and many other sites, teaching me about the laws and mores of late-thirteenth century Cornwall. She also held my feet to the fire for accuracy in my early drafts of Megge of Bury Down.

For The Lady of the Cliffs, I went through the same process of finding the exact place I was seeing as Megge narrated. This time, my friends Nancy and Jacqui came along, and we scoured the north coast of Cornwall for a cliff with a cave that was located near a church that would have been there in the late 1200s. It took days, but we found the location at Daymer Bay. Mary Jones met us there, and we all met with the Church warden, who took us through the church, the adjacent tower, and the grounds while telling us the story of the church.

The first half of Book Three, The Sisters of The Sorrows Cove, takes place in that tower, that church, and the cave at the foot of the cliff. The second half takes place in Megge’s environs, so I did not have to travel to Cornwall for that book.

In addition to your on-site visits, where else did you turn to gain background information for your novels?

I turn again and again to scholarly books on Cornwall, the Church, medieval life, and medieval medicine, especially women’s issues and leprosy. Additionally, I scour peer-reviewed research on these topics and double-check everything I intend to include. Each book takes roughly five years to write, and much of that time is devoted to research.

A wonderful reference I now rely on for narrative and dialogue is the Oxford English Dictionary and the Dictionary of Middle English.

What would you say to people, particularly writers, who think it’s sufficient to just rely on Google or AI to get the facts? What are the risks in trying to shortcut research?

These can be a good starting point, but only when they refer the researcher to references that are reliable and that have a list of citations. The risk of relying on Google and AI extensively is that they sometimes make mistakes or are not grounded in scholarly research. You don’t want to get the details wrong—not only because you don’t want to make mistakes but also because one wrong detail can take your story down a track that never could have existed.

I would also advise finding experts in the areas you’re writing about to look over your work and point out inaccuracies and anachronisms, both of which I have inadvertently made despite my best efforts.

Were there surprises along the way when you were researching and writing the books? Any unexpected tidbits of knowledge that shifted the story or gave it additional depth?

Oh, yes. Every day, when I sit down to write, I wonder what’s going to happen or who is going to show up to take the story in a different direction. One thing that often surprises me is when a character talks about something I know little to nothing about, and when I write down what I’m seeing or what they’re saying, I wonder if anything about it is right. Then I research it, and there it is, just like they described it. And many times, their observations about it add additional depth to the scene.

Let’s talk about your writing process. Are you a plotter, a pantser or some combination of both?

I’m a pantser who later becomes a plotter.

When I sit down to write, I never know what is going to happen, so I just write the scene as it is narrated and as I see it come about. I file the scenes in a Word document in chronological order and in folders for each character that appears in it. Only when I’ve figured out what the story is about and who is narrating do I go back through all the scenes and figure out how to tell the story. That’s when I become a plotter.

Book Three was complicated because several of the characters thought it was their story. They each told it as they saw it, and they wanted to narrate it. I settled on Megge and Amice as narrators since they each had close ties to the two antagonists.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I have my mom’s old secretary desk in my library. It’s small and crowded, but it is cozy in there and my reference materials—and my pets—are close at hand.

Is writing your full-time career? Part-time career?  

This is my full-time work. I work at some aspect of it every day and invest in it as both a career and a business.

What stimulates your creativity or serves as a writing inspiration?

Thinking about the characters always inspires me to check in and see where the story is going.

Conversely, what creates a major writer’s block for you?

I never have writer’s block, but I get anxious when I think I have to rely on my own creativity to come up with the next scene. I think about what “should” happen next, and I try to figure it all out, but when I sit down to write it, I realize it’s all wrong.

So I go back to what I know works: closing my eyes and asking, “Who’s got the story?”

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?

The story coming to me as I sit at my computer. All the characters step into the story fully formed, with likes, dislikes, quirks, and a story to tell. They almost always already have names. Tinker, for instance, just came into the story as Tinker, and I learned about him gradually. I can still see him, though, as he first appeared in the story: a pretty boy shrouded in menace.

The least?

Promoting the books. I grew up being told never to self-promote, even though that term didn’t yet exist. It was seen as bragging, and I never got the hang of it.

What triggers the story idea: a character, a setting, plot or dialogue?

As I mentioned above, the characters bring me their stories. I know that sounds weird, but that’s how it happens. If I had to sit down and make up a story, it would be pretty lame, I’m afraid.

Is your book traditionally published or did you choose to go the self-publish route? If the latter, why did you make that decision?

Book One, Megge of Bury Down, was originally traditionally published. But when Book Two was ready, I was not comfortable going that route for several reasons, and I don’t want to sound critical or unappreciative of my former publisher, so I’ll just say traditional publishing wasn’t a good fit for me.

So, I paid for reversion of my rights and opened a publishing house called Rowan Moon LLC. I did this because I saw publishing a book as a professional endeavor and didn’t want to just upload a manuscript somewhere.

I found remarkable professionals to work with: Vinnie Kinsella, an editor who knows exactly what questions will enable me to see where a scene is going astray; Tamian Wood, a cover artist/book designer who, remarkably, shares my vision for each book and for the series; Kim Hitchins, an ebook formatter who is a consummate pro; and Jan Cramer. an award-wining British voiceover artist to produce the audiobook.

Tamian won an award for the cover of MEGGE, and Jan Cramer won the IBPA Book Award for Best Audiobook for MEGGE.

It is a great team, and they have been with me through all three books.

What is the next project you have in the works?

Book Four, the start of the next trilogy, is already going pretty well. Megge started it a little earlier than I expected, but I’ll just keep going and see where she’s headed with it.

The series is leading toward a couple of huge historical events that Megge will help the people of her village navigate, so we’ll see how she leads up to them.

What marketing strategies have you used to promote your book?

I’ve hired a publicity company, used social media (The Bury Down Chronicles has its own Facebook page), attended book signings, and entered the books in writing competitions. They have done very well (that’s bragging, I know), winning awards including Best Supernatural Paranormal Fiction (Chanticleer International Book Awards, for MEGGE and LADY), the CIBA Chaucer award for LADY, the IBPA Best Fiction Audiobook Award (for MEGGE), Best Cover Design (MEGGE) and second place in the IBPA Bill Fisher Award for Best First Book for MEGGE.

Are there aspects of the writing or publishing business that you have found particularly challenging or difficult? What do you find the hardest part about the “writing business”?

I still haven’t found the right approach to getting the books in front of the readers who would most enjoy them.

Conversely, have there been aspects or experiences that surprised or touched you or that you thoroughly enjoyed?

In publishing the books, I love the creative aspects: knowing that these are my books and no one is going to force me to take out a character or a scene that I know will be pivotal down the road; being able to imagine the book covers and work with a true artist who can bring them to life; and knowing that these books will be part of my legacy.

Do you belong to any writing organizations or groups? Yes. I belong to Pennwriters and to IBPA, the Independent Book Publishers Association. I also keep the University of Southern Maine’s Stonecoast MFA program on my radar.

If so, what have you found most beneficial about having those relationships?

I learn from all the writers and publishers who are part of each group.

What’s the worst advice anyone gave you about being a writer?

That you have to write a certain number of words every day.

It sounds good and probably works for the people who want to produce a book in a certain amount of time, but I find that these stories need to steep, and that I need time to dream.

I don’t wait for inspiration to come from some muse—I have more than enough inspiration—but I do think that the pressure to produce, for example, 1000 words a day can sometimes be detrimental to my process. I work every day at some aspect of writing or publishing, but I bristle against the gun-to-my-head dictum to write n number of words every day.

What’s the best?

That you have to work every day. This is a profession, and a profession requires nurturing all aspects of the work. Research and study consume a lot of time as does designing the books themselves and running the business.

How do you define success as a writer?

“Becoming a bestselling author” would be a good definition, but it’s not mine because I don’t know how that would feel or if it would be as satisfying as it seems it might.

These books are not thrillers or loaded with the big events most bestsellers offer. They are contemplative, sensory, and intended to be immersive. Readers won’t be on the edge of their seats during a lot of the story, so I think becoming a bestselling author is a longshot. But if someone comes to love the characters and sees something of their own plight in these tales, then I will have succeeded.

What makes you feel successful as a writer?  

The satisfaction of watching Megge’s story come to life beneath my fingertips.

The post Author Interview with Rebecca Kightlinger appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

And in An Unlikely Friendship: Finding Carl, author and U.S. Army veteran John A. Trotogott does just that—only his story is for grownups.

Part fact, part fiction, An Unlikely Friendship begins in 1966, when the Vietnam War was raging and Project 100,000 supplied, as he puts it, “cannon fodder for the military by offering a one-way ticket to Vietnam.”

Photo Credit: Melissa Channell

While attending the U.S. Army Maintenance School at Fort Eustis, VA, Trotogott met Carl, a young poorly-educated man. A bond between the two was formed, and Trotogott took it upon himself to help improve Carl’s literacy skills while enjoying listening to his student’s tales of growing up in the hills of Kentucky.

But as so often happens in life, the two men gradually lost touch when Trotogott was posted to Germany. And for the rest of the book, fact is left behind and fiction takes its place, with Trotogott writing a story about what could have happened, what might have happened, had he and Carl reunited.

While the longed-for reunion never took place in real life, An Unlikely Story serves as a reminder of the unexpected impact we can have on people who cross our path, even if only for a short while, as well as the importance of expressing our gratitude for what we received from those chance encounters.

An Unlikely Story is a journey into the “what-if” space, where possibilities exist and hope is kept alive throughout the years.

For more about Trotogott, visit his Amazon Author Page.

The post My Thoughts on… An Unlikely Friendship: Finding Carl by John A. Trotogott appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

The writer must capture the reader’s attention with relevant facts, emotional nuances, character descriptions and setting details while always keeping in mind that space and time are limited.

When I received a copy of Crosscurrents by Gerry Wilson, I expected to read them over a period of a few days. After all, how long could it take to finish this slim volume of eleven stories?

Longer than I anticipated, as it turned out. Each story required me to take a pause, consider and reflect on the experiences and emotions of the character. For example, “Sparrow, Sparrow” is about three women—a mother and two daughters—and the havoc love, or its illusion, can wreak on a person. “The Taste of Salt” is a journey through illness and what it does to a body, a spirit, a relationship, and how healing can come, in spite of it all.

If I had a favorite—and really, how can one choose among so many heartbreakingly hopeful pieces?—it would be “Mating.” Just when I was certain that I knew how the story would end, the author surprised me. Even better, the character surprised me. The choice Gail made was not the one I expected and yet, when it came, it was so exactly the only one that it could have been that I was more than satisfied with the outcome.

Read Crosscurrents and determine for yourself which story speaks to you, breaks your heart, fills your spirit with joy, undoes your tightly tied preconceptions about life and love and forces you to reassess your expectations and reexamine your own prejudices.

The stories in this collection illustrate that the ship of life rarely travels smoothly. Instead, events occur that run counter to the flow, taking every bit of energy and determination to keep afloat.

Sometimes the shore can be reached, sometimes not. Sometimes, the boat can be steered in the right direction, sometimes it capsizes. The outcome depends on the strength of the captain, the integrity of the vessel and the power of the crosscurrent.

For more about Wilson, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to her interview on Living the Writing Life here.

The post My Thoughts on… Crosscurrents by Gerry Wilson appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

The truth is, I fell into the novel. I was absorbed by the novel. I was inexorably drawn into the lives of sisters Mattie and Nora, and Mattie’s daughter Beanie as they dealt with the reality of the death of Ingrid Olssen—the world-renowned painter and mother and grandmother of the three—and all the memories of their past that influenced their present, for good or ill.

And when I reached the conclusion—one, I might add, that was perfect and fitting—I found myself unable to let go of Mattie, Nora and Beanie, as though they were real people. I cared about them—a testament to the ability of Capes to create complete and whole characters.

The novel is told in first person from the perspective of Mattie, the elder of the two daughters. Woven into the story are excerpts from interviews for a book about Olssen being written by another character, Richard, who is also the love interest of Mattie.

One of the many conundrums in the story is Mattie’s feelings for Richard and her feelings for Gus, Beanie’s father. Whom does Mattie really love? The man who will be sharing with the public those details from her mother’s past, including aspects of Olssen’s relationships with her daughters and the impact she had on them?

Or Gus, the father of Mattie’s beloved teenage daughter and a man who is still very much a part of Mattie and Beanie’s lives, even though Mattie has done her best to keep their relationship on a platonic, co-parenting level?

As for Nora, an artist in her own right, she is struggling with her own addiction and self-destructive tendencies. Her desire to make a name for herself separate from her mother is at odds with her fear that, with her mother’s death, her own creativity might be lost as well.

As I read the novel and followed the choices Mattie and Nora made, and the outcome of those choices, I was struck by the honesty yet tenderness with which Capes depicts their actions as well as reactions to each other. Family relationships can be complicated, and as the two sisters grew into adulthood, the differences in their two personalities became apparent. Yet both are equally shaped by their mother’s eccentricities and addictions.

The dynamics between the two sisters are influenced by their past. Mattie is unable to forgive herself for leaving her younger sister behind years earlier to protect her infant daughter from the emotional wreckage that was their family home. Nora resents Mattie’s choice but perhaps also has the sense that, had she been more loveable, more worthy, Mattie wouldn’t have left her.

As for Beanie, who is loved by both women, she is struggling with her own sense of identity and the emotions she feels for her mother and aunt. While Beanie may have been the reason for Mattie leaving her sister behind, she may now play a pivotal role in bringing them together as the three embark on a journey to satisfy the final command of the late yet still very much present Ingrid Olssen.

Daughters is about a journey—the literal trip that Mattie, Nora and Beanie take from England to the United States, bearing with them Ingrid Olssen’s ashes. But it’s also about the emotional expedition Mattie and Nora take into their past, and how they evaluate and extrapolate those events as a way of making sense of who they are and what choices they can make for the road ahead.

Daughters is a marvelous, heartbreaking story of childhood trauma, mental health issues, love, loss and longing. And it’s a novel of joy and happiness and familial connections that can bind people together even when life events threaten that link.

Daughters isn’t just a novel about three women: Mattie, Nora and Beanie. It’s also a way for us to think about the people we love, to understand the way our recollections of childhood experiences have informed our adulthood, and the power of love to heal old wounds and strengthen damaged hearts.

For more about Capes, follow her on X and Instagram.

The post My Thoughts on…Daughters by Kirsty Capes appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

That’s how short story and poet Doug Stoiber and I got connected. Although we both went to the same high school, Ursuline High of green-and-gold fame, we didn’t know each other.

But when the information about my latest novel appeared in our alumni magazine, he reached out via email and told me about his work. One thing led to another, and voila! He is here on the blog answering my interview questions.

But before we get into the Q&A part, here’s a bit about Doug. Doug writes poetry and short fiction and is a member of the Mossy Creek Writers in East Tennessee. Ten of his short stories and sixteen of his poems have been selected for publication in literary journals, poetry and fiction anthologies, and on literary websites. And while he doesn’t have a website yet, he assures me he’s working on it!

Now on to the interview!

How long have you been writing fiction?  

Though I have enjoyed writing my whole life, I began writing with purpose two and a half years ago.

Why do you like to write fiction, and short fiction in particular—what does writing fiction bring into your life?

The idea that I can give my imagination free rein is energizing to me. Creativity in identifying characters and their conflicts, unrestricted by facts about actual people and events, makes me feel like I am creating something that has never existed before.

What type of short fiction do you write: micro fiction (under 100), flash fiction (under 1000), short story (1000 to 7500), novellas?

Most of my fiction – short stories and vignettes – clocks in at between 1000 – 3000 words. I have written stories as short as 300 words.

Do you have a specific genre that you prefer?

Believe it or not, although my fiction and poetry often tend toward the dark side, I take special pleasure in writing humorous pieces.

Where have you been published?

My published short fiction includes:

• “The Friends of Daniel Cabot” in The Rabbit Hole Volume VII: Not From Here anthology
• “Woowo” at The Literary Heist June 21, 2024
• “Sustenance and Verse” in Bewildering Stories January, issue 1074
• “Racist” appears at CafeLit January 13 2025
• “Brotherhood of Cool” in Down in the Dirt Magazine’ Sisyphus anthology in March 2025 
• “You Really Like Me” May 2025 in Jokes Review Magazine Metamodern 
• “The Tale of the Peddler’s Exchange”, The Wise Owl June 2025 
• “A Day is the Life” in Infinity Wanderers Issue #13 June 2025
• “Mother’s Day” in Cafe Lit June 2, 2025 

Upcoming works include “Book Deal” that will appear in Fine Lines in July 2025 and ‘Interior Monologue of a Former Adult” that will appear in Life in Limbo Issue II, Summer 2025.

I have also had sixteen of my poems published online and in print at several magazines and journals.

Do you have a theme you return to time and again?

As I am retired and entering into the autumn years of life, many of my pieces examine aging, often from a darker point of view.

What are you working on now?

Every month, I have a short story prompt and a poetry prompt from my two writing groups, Deadlines for Writers and Mossy Creek Writers. I have had amazing success getting many of these monthly stories published.

In addition, I have a full-length novel, an epic poem, and a nonfiction book on golf on my desktop, yammering at me for more attention and – someday – completion.

What triggers your story ideas: a character, a setting, plot or dialogue?

A surprising number of my stories that have earned publication sprung from prompts in my two writing groups. Not every prompt strikes a spark for me, but I am very proud of some of the stories and poems that have resulted. I greatly enjoy writing dialogue. Three or four of my pieces contain nothing but dialog.

You also write poetry. Is your process different when writing a poem versus a short story?

Absolutely. And I’m glad you asked me this question. Writing poems for me is like figuring out how to put together a puzzle. I’m a bit of a traditionalist and most of my poems are built around meter and rhyme. But I just finished a free verse poem of which I am quite proud.

Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?

“Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.”- Henry van Dyke

Do you have a favorite writing space or a place you go to for inspiration?

My writing/music room upstairs in my house has a lovely view of The Great Smokies through a south-facing window. When I get stuck in my writing, I can pick up a guitar or ukulele and take a musical break.

Do you have a personal favorite among short story writers? Is there a specific short story that made such an impression on you that you have never forgotten it?

“Gift of the Magi” and “The Ransom of Red Chief” by O. Henry are just such stories. I enjoy Shirley Jackson; “The Lottery” hit me with a wallop the first time I read it.

Who are three of your favorite short story writers, living or dead?

Henry, P.G. Wodehouse, and Anton Chekov. If you let me name four, I’ll include Joyce Carol Oates.

What is the worst advice you have received about writing? The best?

Worst: “Maybe you could just dumb down this story a little for our readers”.

Best: Begin with the end in mind.

What advice do you have for those who are struggling to find a home for their fiction or who receive far more rejections than acceptances?

Submit, submit, submit. I spend at least as much time each month sending out my work to editors as I do actually writing. Keep concise records of your submissions and the responses they receive. And get used to rejections. Actually, some of the “no’s I have received have been quite valuable.

In sales, you have to hear “no” twenty times before you hear a “yes”. So, you’re getting closer to success with every rejection letter. Check out literary magazines and journals and identify the ones that publish work in your sweet spot.

Do you belong to any writing organizations or writing groups? If so, how has that helped you creatively?

As mentioned above, I submit a story and a poem each month addressing the prompts from Deadlines for Writers. I also meet live with Mossy Creek Writers each month, where we take on prompts in session as well as a themed prompt according to month and season. Both groups have helped me craft stories of which I am very proud.

The post Short Takes: Interviews with Short Story Writers with Doug Stoiber appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

Photo by Crawford Jolly on Unsplash

A few days ago, I finished my first full draft of my fourth novel, TRANSFORMING TESSA. You might think that I celebrated in some typical author fashion: champagne, a dinner out, or some other such way.

Not exactly. Actually, by the time I wrote the final scene, I was just exhausted, unsure if the entire story worked and questioning everything that took place within it.

And since it came in at around 87,000 words (longer than the previous three), wondering exactly how much “fat” my beta readers and editors would recommend I trim.

This is pretty much the same way I felt at this stage with my first three Midlife Moxie novels—REINVENTING RITA, FINDING FRAN and MOVING MAGGIE. While I began each book with a sense of excitement, looking forward to the journey I’d be taking with my main character as well as meeting all the other people who would become part of her life, by the time I reached the end of the first draft (as well as the other subsequent revisions), I was wondering what happened to that story that I had envisioned, the one I thought was so wonderful that I couldn’t wait to bring it to readers and reviewers.

The only thing that saved me from chucking each one of them into my digital trash can was that I didn’t think it was that bad and besides, now that I had spent all the time and effort and money (editors don’t come cheap but they’re worth every penny), I might as well publish the darned thing!

(Speaking of time and effort, I looked back to see when I started writing TRANSFORMING TESSA and how long it took to finish the first full draft. I started writing the story July 24, 2024, and finished May 26, 2025, which totals ten months, and there will be many more weeks as I go through the revisions.)

I recently gave a talk to a group of writers, some of whom were working on their first book, and one of them wanted to know more about my process. I gave my standard and truthful answer: up at 4 AM, start writing at 5, continue for about two hours and then spend the rest of the day working on copywriting projects for my clients and handling book marketing tasks. Seven days a week, that’s what I do, with the occasional time off for out-of-office activities like book signings or yardwork.

But what I didn’t talk about was the emotional side of the process. So, here’s a brief overview. I wake up, already thinking about what I want to write in the scene I’m working on. After my first cup of coffee, I power up the laptop, open the manuscript, and use the Read-Aloud function to listen to the previous few pages just to get myself in the book.

And then… Well, then I am either feeling on a roll, so I proceed to work on that chapter, or I wonder what in the heck I was thinking when I wrote the previous scene, and where was I supposed to go from there, and how many times had I described what the character was feeling, and did I already mention something earlier in the story that set up the next scene or do I have to go back and interject that?

I would like to say that the first reaction is far more common than the second, but the truth is it’s not. I am always afraid that I didn’t do as well as I wanted to when describing the characters or formulating the plot or creating the conflict that I will hopefully resolve by the end of the story.

So why do I put myself through this? Why am I even thinking about the next book when I’ve barely recovered from writing this one?

Certainly not for fame or fortune. At my writer’s group, another writer who was working on her first book asked if I had broken even on any of my first three novels (all of which I had indie-published through BookBaby). I wish I could have told her that I had, that I had earned so much from book sales that the money had to be delivered via the Brinks truck, but sadly, I could not.

Another truth in being an author is that writing the book is only one part of the entire process, and this holds true whether you are traditionally published or you “pay to play” (self-pub your book).

There are revisions that need to be made, editors that need to be paid, marketing (pre- and post-pub) that needs to be done, marketing materials (signs, bookmarks, giveaways) that need to be ordered, submissions to reviewers and competitions that need to be undertaken, book signings and speeches that need to be scheduled, and probably a host of other things that we authors do that is all part of the big picture.

Being an author is the same as running a business. Your book is your widget. But making that widget (regardless of how unique you think it is) is just the beginning.

Now you need to do everything you can to tell your market that the widget exists and that it is the best widget that anyone had ever designed and that they absolutely have to buy it or their life will not be complete.

Now at this point, you are probably wondering why on earth we do it. I can’t speak for the rest of the authors out there, but only for myself. I write fiction (novels and short stories) because I can’t not do it. I can’t stop myself from making up stories. I can’t get those characters to stop talking to me, telling me about their lives, presenting me with circumstances they are dealing with or challenges they are trying to overcome.

And because I ultimately get a lot of joy out of the process of bringing it all to life.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

If I get great reviews, wonderful. If I win an award, terrific. If a deposit goes into my bank account from sales, lovely. But all of the above represent bonuses that come from writing, the icing on the cake, if you will.

The real reason I write is because that is what I am supposed to be doing, what I have been doing since I was a kid playing “let’s pretend” and making up stories.

And sometimes, like now, when I am exhausted from my latest literary endeavors, I need to remind myself of that, so I can do it again.

Want to know more about my writing life? Check out my website. Or follow me on X, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms. Or sign up for my newsletters. Or listen to my Living the Writing Life podcast or watch my videos on my YouTube channel, Books by Nancy Christie.

Or maybe just read my novels and short stories, which, in the end, are more about me than anything else.

The post The End—Or Is It? appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

Now that she is in the final stages of publishing her next novel, Vengeful, I wanted to bring her onto the blog to talk about her experience as a novelist.

But before we get into the interview, here’s a little about Rosemary. Rosemary says she writes the type of books she loves to read – intrigue and suspense mixed with a pinch of romance and a clever plot twist or two.

Her professional experience runs the gamut from Human Resources and training to accounting and banking, with publishing being her most recent endeavor. Aside from the seven years she lived in southern California, she has always called the northeast corner of Ohio her home. When not working on her next novel, Rosemary can be found discussing the latest in literary fare with her book club, researching her ancestry, or volunteering in her community.

You can find out more about Rosemary by visiting her website or following her on Facebook, Instagram and X/Twitter.

Now on to the interview!

Tell us a little about yourself. What type of writing do you do?

When I first started writing, I stayed on the safe side and wrote a sweet piece about a middle-aged woman reconnecting with her quaint hometown. While the story was interesting, it lacked a certain something that I couldn’t put my finger on. That’s when I glanced at the stack of books on my “To Be Read” shelf and realized what that something was—the element of suspense contained in all the novels I enjoy reading.

So, I put my first novel aside and began writing the story that eventually became my first published novel, Gullible. I’d found my niche! It’s true what the experts say—write the type of stories you enjoy reading.

Is there a type of writing or a genre that you’d like to explore that you haven’t yet?

I’ve thought about trying something lighthearted, perhaps a Rom-Com. That could be a fun project to consider.

What is your latest book?

My latest book, Vengeful, is the sequel to Gullible and the second installment in my Femme Fatale series. Vengeful picks up where Gullible left off with the main character, reformed con artist Siena Ricci, being pulled back into her illicit life—for what she promises herself is one last time—when she’s blackmailed by one of her former marks. Vengeful is set to be released in Summer/Fall 2025.

What is the next project you have in the works?

My current project is book #3 of the Femme Fatale series, which has a working title of Reckless. We’ll see Siena Ricci return full-time to her life of crime that will lead her, with a few unexpected twists and turns, into even more gut-wrenching situations. I’m still developing the plot, so stay tuned for more developments.

Where do you do most of your writing?

Wherever I can find a quiet space with no interruptions! In today’s world of constant communication that’s easier said than done, right? But seriously, I write mostly in my dining room which I’ve converted into my “writing cave.” Sometimes, for a change of venue, I’ll spend an afternoon ironing out my plot in the back corner of a cozy coffee shop.

When I really need to get away from everything, I take my laptop to our local public library.

How many books have you published thus far?

I have two published novels—Gullible, which was released in June 2023 and Vengeful, which will be released in Summer/Fall 2025.

Why did you choose to write romantic suspense novels? What drew you to that genre?

I have always loved books and movies about thieves and conmen/women. Think Charade, The Pink Panther, Matchstick Men, Catch Me If You Can. I enjoy the deceitful ploys, the unsuspecting characters, the intricate plot twists, and best of all that moment when you shout out, “What? No way!” And, while the “trick” is the meat of the novel, it always helps to spice up the story with a bit of sultry romance.

How long did it take you to write your first book? Was it easier or harder than you expected?

I spent about two years writing Gullible, but at the time I was still working full-time in banking so the hours I could devote to writing were limited. And I found that writing my first novel was neither easier nor harder than expected; I’d call the process challenging. Just like practicing the piano every day makes you a better pianist, the more you write the more polished the end piece will be. Personally, I love that challenge

What marketing strategies have you used to promote your book?

Of course, a strong social media presence is necessary to reach people all over the world. I’ve actually sold books in the UK and Australia! In addition, I’ve been interviewed on radio and on podcasts, I’ve done virtual book tours, and I’ve been a guest on lots of blogs. I also hand out my bookmarkers to just about anyone who makes eye contact with me, especially when I travel both domestically and internationally. There are lots of readers on those cruise ships!

How have you built your author platform? What methods have worked particularly well for you to grow your fan base?

I find that networking works best. I’ve appeared as a guest speaker at several organizations in my area, for example, rotary clubs, garden clubs, and women’s church groups. Oftentimes, members of those organizations will recommend Gullible to their book clubs as an upcoming read-of-the-month and they’ll then invite me to participate in their group discussion, which has turned out to be one of my favorite aspects about being an author. Best yet, each of those book clubs has already invited me back for a discussion of Vengeful when it’s released.

Do you belong to any writing organizations or groups? If so, what have you found most beneficial about having those relationships?

I belong to two writers’ critique groups. Sharing our works-in-progress has taught me many valuable lessons that have led to me becoming a stronger writer. I also enjoy offering suggestions to the other first-time writers in the groups and helping them to develop their skills.

Is writing your full-time career? Part-time career?

A few years ago, I retired from the corporate world. Since then, writing has become my full-time career.

What stimulates your creativity or serves as a writing inspiration? Conversely, what creates a major writer’s block for you?

Reading other authors, analyzing their individual styles, and how they developed their plots always gets me in the writing mood. I suffer from writer’s block when I’m not sure where I want the story to go. This may go on for several days, even weeks. During those times, I concentrate on other things, go for long walks, and sleep on it. Eventually, my brain concocts a solution.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? The least?

Let’s start with what I enjoy the least—getting my next story started, a fairly common issue among writers from what I understand. Once I get going, though, watch out (she says with a chuckle)!

My favorite part of writing is the editing process. After the entire manuscript is complete, I love going back through each chapter and tightening things up—finding more expressive words, strengthening the dialogue, perhaps rearranging a scene to make it more intriguing.

Are there aspects of the writing or publishing business that you have found particularly challenging or difficult? What do you find the hardest part about the “writing business”?

The publicity portion of the business is the hardest part for me. I’m naturally an introvert, so putting myself out there and promoting myself is oftentimes uncomfortable. There are times when I shy away from a promotional opportunity for that very reason.

Conversely, have there been aspects or experiences that surprised or touched you or that you thoroughly enjoyed?

The biggest surprise, and what has touched me the most, are the number of readers who have given my book rave reviews and complimented me as an author! In my wildest dreams, I would never have expected that sort of response from my audience.

Adding to that, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed participating in numerous book club discussions of Gullible. I’ve taken to heart the literary critiques and insights of these well-read women, and I give them credit for encouraging me to hone my writing skills.

What’s the worst advice anyone gave you about being a writer? What’s the best?

Worst advice: Publishing is too competitive, so don’t even try.

Best advice: You’re the author. If you’re working with an editor who wants you to change certain aspects of your story that you don’t feel comfortable making, stand up for yourself and say, “No, I’m not willing to alter my work and here’s why.”

How do you define success as a writer? What makes you feel successful as a writer?

I’ll answer that question by stating what I don’t define as success—fame and money! When I set out on this endeavor, I had no delusions about making millions of dollars from my book sales and I surely didn’t expect to become the next Nora Roberts.

I write because storytelling is in my blood. I love creating unique characters, throwing them into suspenseful situations, and inventing conflicts for them to resolve. So, for me, success is measured by the satisfaction I derive from completing a well-crafted novel and then sharing that story with anyone who might enjoy reading it.

The post Author Interview with Rosemary Kubli appeared first on Focus on Fiction.

And now it’s come full circle, with me having the privilege to return the favor by having Áine, who is also a writer with a day job, on my blog, talking about her latest book, Trespassers and Other Stories.

In this post, she shares information about herself, her writing journey and the influence her Irish background has had on the kinds of stories she writes.

For more about Ann, visit her website and follow her on Instagram, Threads, BlueSky and Facebook.

Now on to the interview!

Tell us a little about yourself. What type of writing do you do?

I’m a fiction and non-fiction writer from Ireland now living north of Boston. Since my second novel was published in 2011, I had abandoned fiction to write and publish nonfiction. Then, our 2020 COVID lockdown sent me back to fiction, and I even dabbled in poetry. Also, since my teenage years, I’ve been keeping a personal journal.

Is there a type of writing or a genre that you’d like to explore that you haven’t yet?

I’m really curious about ekphrastic poetry.

What is your latest book?

Trespassers and Other Stories, published by Sea Crow Press, a woman-owned independent publisher headquartered on Cape Cod. It’s a collection of contemporary fiction set in greater Boston, Cape Cod and my native Ireland. Some stories even zig-zag back and forth between the two countries!

What inspired the theme of the collection?

A few winters ago, I was doing a spot of house cleaning and came across some literary journals with some of my standalone stories published in them.  The stories were outdated  (one fictional character used a flip phone!), but I noticed a recurring theme. Those published stories—and the half-finished stories in my laptop–were all about place and displacement.

All of my characters, who range in age from 16 to 76, were grappling with that issue of finding themselves in a misfit or uncomfortable place.

For a long time, it seemed that short stories and short fiction collections were less popular or in demand than novels. Do you think that literary form is having a “second coming” among readers?

Yes, I think so. As a school kid in Ireland, our state-mandated school curricula included a lot of short stories (in three languages!), and I still remembering loving the tales of French author Guy de Maupassant. So I was pretty used to reading and enjoying these shorter forms.

Then, suddenly, short fiction seemed to go out of favor. I wonder if the rise of Netflix and micro-fiction and non-fiction has contributed to this swing back toward 21^st-century short fiction? I also heard a study that, nowadays, we have shorter reader attention spans, so we like shorter stories.

How has your Irish background influenced the kinds of stories—novels and short fiction—that you write?

I was raised in a storytelling culture and household where there was a huge appetite for oral stories. Nobody would ever dream of interrupting you or doing that hand-swirling thing that says you should hurry up to get toward the end.

Also, as a long-tenured immigrant in America, I shouldn’t have been surprised that my stories are often about issues of home, place, displacement and history.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read your book?

For my readers, I think I want the same thing that drew all of us to reading in the first place: that joy of being transported to a different place, to meet different characters, to be given a viewfinder into a life that either mirrors or is very different from ours.

What is the next project you have in the works?

I have a draft of a YA novel that’s very transatlantic (surprise!) in its settings and theme. I’m also working on a hybrid non-fiction piece about growing up on an isolated farm that has some historical significance. More than a memoir, in this work, I’m looking at how history informs who we are now, today.

Is writing your full-time career? Part-time career?

It’s part time. I write for an hour or two each morning before logging into my day job in non-profit communications. This works well for me, and I find myself more productive and creative when I have a daily schedule. The paycheck helps, too (smile)!

Do you ever get “stuck” when writing—have trouble beginning a project or getting through it? If so, how do you handle those “work-in-progress” ruts?

Oh, yes. I often get “stuck.” I handle it in a few ways: (a) going for a long walk, (b) journaling about the story and why I think I’m stuck, what are my fears here?, (c) I switch to another work in progress-preferably in a different genre and (d) I sometimes night-dream my solution, and wake up with a creative device or tactic that will unlock that stalled manuscript again.

What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most? The least?

I really like editing. I’m old fashioned and print up a hard-cover draft and often take it to a coffee shop. This new setting gives me a new perspective and helps me to switch from writer to reader mode. I really like editing and brainstorming for clarity, time switches and new ideas.

Are there aspects of the writing or publishing business that you have found particularly challenging or difficult? What do you find the hardest part about the “writing business”?

Hmmm … I think, for me, the pitching and submission part are challenging—both from a time perspective and the actual process itself. I don’t belong to a peer-review writers group, so I always worry that I lack the editorial distance to determine when a shorter piece is ready to be submitted to a publisher.

Rather than writing to a trend, I want my work to have a deeper meaning for me and the reader. So that eliminates the chance to write and submit “timely” or “popular” or “money-making” pieces. I want my work to get selected on its own merit.

Conversely, have there been aspects or experiences that surprised or touched you or that you thoroughly enjoyed?

I’ve been really lucky in that almost all of the literary and small-press editors I’ve worked with have been professional and supportive and committed to putting good work out there. Of course, it’s also really rewarding when you get a note from a grateful reader.

Schools, libraries and bookstores have been subjected to bans on certain types of books or books that explore certain topics. What is the danger in that for children and for society as a whole?

There’s a huge danger here. Just this morning, as I worked on that hybrid non-fiction piece, I realized that, by my 19^th birthday, I had already read four books that had been banned or shunned in three different countries—all for so-called “moral” reasons.

So the question is: Would we be the same adults we are today if we had not had access to books that introduced us to a set of life experiences, people, geographies and lives that were antithetical from our own?

In a larger and more dangerous sense, if we restrict what children can and cannot read, aren’t we dividing ourselves even more than we are now divided? Aren’t we creating yet more silos than we already have?

You offer wellness-writing workshops. When did you start them and are they strictly for writers or can non-writers benefit?

I started them when I was invited to work with a non-profit cancer recovery group in my area. Before this, I had attended conferences and taken classes and studied the clinical research in this area. In my day job, I had also worked in behavioral health, so I was highly aware of both the benefits and the boundaries therein.

In one multi-media project that I was invited to write for, I said that “writing has been a rescue mission to find and save myself.” So I love sharing that skill, that “rescue mission.” The notes I’ve received after those workshops have been a huge, huge reward.

What’s the worst advice anyone gave you about being a writer? What’s the best?

Worst:  Years ago, when I was looking at American graduate-school programs, someone asked me: “Don’t you think this is a luxury? Wouldn’t you be better getting yourself a decent job?

Best: From my former Dublin professor and Nobel laureate, the late and great Séamus Heaney who once wrote or said, “Just do your own work.” I always remember that. We’re not competing with anyone or writing to a fad or trend. We just need to keep showing up at that writing table and “doing our own work.”

How do you define success as a writer? What makes you feel successful as a writer?

Another great question and one I’ve been asking myself a lot lately. Again, I think success is when you have really connected with a reader or a writing student.  Or, through a fictional or non-fiction piece, when someone tells you that you inspired them to look at an aspect of life differently.

The post Author Interview with Áine Greaney appeared first on Focus on Fiction.