Pam Garlick participated in the recent Pennwriters event during the Berks Literary Festival last month. We had a wonderful evening of readings and afterwards I interviewed Pam about her writing. Below is what we discussed.

Sue Lange: What are your books about?
Pam Garlick: Most of my novels are inspirational romances, however, I do have some mystery/suspense. My main characters are mostly everyday people who find themselves in difficult situations. In most cases it is their faith in God that helps them through the difficult time. Sometimes they lack faith and another character helps them renew their faith.

SL: When you say inspirational, are you speaking about Christianity?
PG: Yes, they are Christian. However, those written under P.R. Garlick are more secular. There may be murders with a bit more blood. There are some scenes with a little more sexual tension. The language is okay for anyone.

SL: Are there marketing avenues available through the Church?
PG: I am currently working on those. I have my testimony about how God changed my writing. I did not do it intentionally. It was God working in my life. I sent out letters to help market my work, but I found that letters are not the best way to sell myself nor my novels. I will have to do more leg work on this one. My hope is that I will be asked to speak at church events, sharing my testimony and then do a book signing. It remains to be seen how well this will work. Considering the time, I think it is something I will work on during the winter months and schedule for Spring.

SL: Tell me about the publishing experience itself.
PG: Let’s see. I have been writing since I was 12, but most of that wasn’t suitable for publication. I kept going to conferences and two things kept being repeated: write about what you know, and if you want to get published start with non-fiction. It took me a long time to listen to the latter, and that was how I first got published. I wrote for many area newspapers through the years, and some trade publications. Most for the emergency service. During that time I kept writing fiction. One day I had a stressful day at work and it was like the final straw, so I quit. Without a job, I went home and wrote, wrote and wrote. I sent some things to True Romance and the other True’s and finally a story was accepted by True Romance. That was a new beginning. That was 20 years ago and they have published over 200 of my confession stories since. After my father passed away nearly two years ago I decided it was time to blow the dust off some novels I’d written. I rewrote them and decided to go the route of publishing on demand. I might not have done it before he died, but after that I started thinking that life was too short to keep waiting and hoping for months, sometimes years, on end only to find my story wasn’t exactly what a publisher was looking for. If I didn’t believe in myself, who else would? So I did it, and now I’m glad I did. I have met some wonderful people since my novels were published, and anticipate meeting many more.

SL: That’s great advice about writing non-fiction first. It is so much easier to get published writing non-fiction. More people read it and fewer writers write it so there’s much less competition for more of the market share. When you say True Romance, are you talking about a periodical? Is that the name of it, True Romance?
PG: Oh they have a long history. I think they started with True Story back in the 50s; but don’t quote me on that. It could have been earlier or later. They added magazines through the years like: True Romance, True Experience, Modern Romance, True Love, True Confessions and Secrets. When I started writing for them in 1987 or 1988 they were called the Macfadden Women’s Group. They merged or were purchased outright by Sterling Publishing. They merged or something and became Sterling Partnership and then were purchased or taken over by Dorchester Media. Many of the magazines in the group cut down on the size of their stories, and eventually some of the magazines were cut out completely. They did add a line of magazines for African American women, starting with Secrets, then Black Romance, and Jive. I may have some of these facts wrong since I’m trying to go from memory. Once Dorchester took over, I had a hard time keeping up with the editors who changed constantly. I had a good rapport with some who have left. I keep saying I’m going to start submitting stories to them again, but haven’t done it. However there are many Pennwriters who may still be writing for them.

SL: What makes a story a romance? What elements are required?
PG: Interesting question. I always felt it was the relationship between a man and woman that may start out rocky but slowly blossoms into something more. There are obstacles in the way of that relationship turning into full blown love, like different goals, the fact that they dislike one another, background differences, another man or woman in the picture, etc. And love isn’t necessarily romance. So there is also the element of growing passion, and sexual tension. Of course, when I’m writing inspirational romance it pretty much stops there.

SL: Where do you get the kernel of a romance story from?
PG: Wow! I get ideas in many forms. Most from my life and the people around me. Often people tell me things that spark ideas. I used to watch Oprah and get ideas, however, I’m not so short on ideas to do that now. I sometimes have dreams that can spark a really good story. Usually in that case there is a character in the dream or a plot. Not always both together. Sometimes, like with “Into the Flames,” the characters that have evolved in the first novel have provided the seed for future novels that will become part of a series. I’m calling it “Everyday Heros.”

SL: What’s the difference between writing a short story and writing a novel?
PG: For me the difference has been the amount of side stories that I can use, along with more historical information about the characters. Also the amount of scene description.

SL: When you blew off the dust of those novels, did you rewrite them or were they pretty much in final form? What was that process like?
PG: This was part of the changes I stated above. I rewrote them. You see, most of these had fairly explicit love scenes in them. This was something that came about after I attended my one and only Romance Writers group meeting in Philadelphia. I remember my friend who writes Science Fiction went along. At the meeting we were told you can forget being published in the romance genre unless you can write an eleven page love scene. I waited to comment on that until my friend and I left, then I confided, “I’d didn’t know there was a man out there who could last eleven pages, so I had nothing to go on.” My friend replied, “Imagine how difficult it would be for me. Many of my characters have claws. Someone could get hurt in eleven pages of making love.

Back to the other changes in my writing. After looking over the stories I removed most of the love scenes. Some that had actually been eleven pages long. I maintained some of the sexual tension, and also added more about my character’s relationship with the Lord. I had some friends in church ask me how I did it, and I told them I just took out the love scenes and had my characters pray for them. I turned the pastor’s cheeks red on that one. But you see, love scenes can be beautiful if written well, however, they do not have to have sex. It can be implied at times, but isn’t necessary to make the story a good one.

SL: Considering your little anecdote about an eleven-page sex scene, do you find romance novels to be realistic or are they almost fantasy?
PG: To be honest, it’s fantasy. I mean, eleven pages would be exhausting when translated to actual life. Sometimes when I read a novel, I actually find myself skipping the sex scenes in many novels so I can get on to the plot and what is really happening with the characters. Of course, who am I to say? If those books are selling, obviously it is what the readers want.

SL: What books do you have out now?
PG: “At the Pineapple Inn,” “Into the Flames,” “Last Run,” and “Parradise Found” under Pam Garlick. I also have “Magnate” under P.R. Garlick.

SL: What is the most effective way you’ve marketed these books?
PG: First I have found I need better shoes and plenty of gasoline. I quickly learned to forget the mail. Then I started by sending out tons of letters to book stores. I started going to them, which means putting on plenty of miles, and have had more success. Second, you need to be willing to give books away for people to read. Most won’t take a chance until they actually read the work. Most of all, though, I have liked the book readings. Okay, one reading, but I l iked it!

To be honest, I’m not doing as well as I’d like. However, by far, the most effective way is word of mouth. This is especially true about “Last Run.” I wrote the novel after seeing a presentation at church about the Christian Motorcyclist’s Association: CMA. First I wrote a short story. When my friends who put on the presentation read it they were so excited. Somehow I decided to expand on it and it turned into a novel. I like to think my friends would have still promoted my work, but also part of it is that I donate a portion of every sale to some kind of charity. In the case of Last Run, I donate to their chapter of the CMA.

SL: What bookstores carry your books?
PG: Several on-line book stores have my books, from Barnes and Nobel and Borders to Amazon. A search on Amazon lists several more. Brick and Mortar stores are a little different. I have to go to each and leave some books for them to review. I have been lax in going back, never sure whether I’ve given them enough time to read the books. My hope is to go back to some later this week and again next week. They can be ordered at Borders. The Borders in Coventry Mall wants me to return to do a books signing so they will have books in stock then. We have to set the date. Also, Trappe Book Store has one of each of my novels. Like I said, I need to go back to them. I learned I have to order a large inventory of books to carry with me, so if they are interested I can sell them to them. Or, put them in their store on consignment. Then I know they have them. If they say, “we’ll order some from the publisher,” there is a good chance they won’t. I don’t like taking chances when it comes to selling my novels.

SL: What has your involvement with Pennwriters been so far?
PG: I have been a member of Pennwriters for between 15 to 20 years. I can’t remember when I actually joined. It was several years before I went to an event. I went to a conference and was so impressed I raised my hand when they said they were looking for someone to serve as an Area Representative for Area Six. I did not fulfill my term due to some health issues that had been ongoing. I have only been to a couple of conferences since. I was a speaker at one, with my topic, “The Three P’s of Getting Published.” I have wanted to go often since then, but there always seems to be a family function that weekend. A long time ago I prioritized my life, God, Husband, Family, then my writing. I try to stick to it and in doing so, sometimes writing takes a back seat.

SL: Pam, it’s been great talking to you. Is there anything else you want to add?
PG: Just that writing is as much a part of me as breathing. There is no turning off my imagination. Occasionally it will take a break on me during periods of high stress, but it always returns with countless characters and plots.

SL: Sounds like you never have to deal with writer’s block! Anyway, thanks, Pam. And good luck with selling the books.

A very good friend of mine, sometime writing partner, and fellow Pennwriter, Liz Clark, stopped by the other day for a chat. I took advantage of the situation and fired up the Dictaphone. Below is the record of the event.

Sue Lange: What do you write?
Liz Clark: I write poetry about animal rescue and events that are meaningful to me. I started writing narrative non-fiction when I bought my farm, a fixer-upper just outside of Bernville, Pennsylvania. I started with a newsletter about the farm and my experiences as a single woman in her 40s trying to buy a distressed property cheap and do all the work herself. As the animals started to accumulate, the stories got more and more far-fetched. I got a fairly good distribution on the newsletter and the readers came back and said,” Can you pull this whole thing together in a book?” That’s what I’m working on right now: Lessons from the Hog House.

SL: What’s it going to be about?
LC: It’s written about the character, Liz, who basically did what I did and bought a fixer-upper farm. Some of it is musings on Berks County, the culture of Berks County and the culture of farming. I have characters like the Ground Hog Hunters who don’t ever actually kill a ground hog, but they talk a good game. The house is haunted; it’s in Charlie Adams “Haunted Houses of Berks County.” That’s been an adventure, trying to deal with ghosts. I’m still not sure if ghosts actually exist but the ones in my house really don’t care whether I believe in them or not. The book is also about a journey. About someone who comes from a very confident, cocky executive background and is basically humbled by the whole practice of trying to live in the country and be part of the country life.

SL: You started writing because you told people about your experiences and they suggested you put a book together?
LC: I always had a love of writing. I wrote a tremendous amount when I was in high school. I sent things off. I got them published which was always a rush. Then I pursued a technical career—in nuclear engineering, project management and organizational development and eventually health care. I didn’t find the time for writing. Once the newsletter started, I would love to sit down every month or every two months and tell people the funny…I embellished it; I’m a bit of a liar, but I’d tell them the adventures of Flower Hill Farm. Flower Hill Farm has been a dream of mine since I was eight years old. The farm up the street where I grew up was the last bastion of country in the middle of rapidly encroaching suburbia. It was called Flower Hill Farm and I always wanted to have a place just like that, where I could act as if I were twelve, jump around in the hay loft, pick berries, ride horses, and have my own petting zoo. That’s what Flower Hill Farm is. That’s part of the story too. It’s a love of the land and a love of this lifestyle.

SL: If you hadn’t bought the farm, would you still be writing?
LC: No. I think if I hadn’t bought the farm, I would be living in a condo with Berber carpeting and beige colors and pursuing a high-power consulting career and continuing my subscription to the Chardonnay of the Month Club. I’ve made a conscious choice to make a trade-off that says I want to work near where I live and I want to live on this farm.

SL: So you made a lifestyle choice and because you made that lifestyle choice, you ended up being in a more contemplative mood? Or were you just bored and needed to write? How did buying the farm turn into writing?
LC: I sit on my front porch and I just have the overwhelming sense of joy. I say wow! I wish everybody could know what goes on here. I also sit sometimes on the floor of the hoghouse which is under constant construction and renovation and I cry because it’s more than I can do. Yet I get back up, I pick up the spackle knife and I keep going. I think the story to me is important and when I start to write, time slips away. I sit down and all of a sudden three hours have gone by. It lets me relive this adventure in writing. I’ve read some of this story to people and they’ve laughed and they’ve cried. They might shake their heads a little bit. I do too.

SL: They shake their heads at what?
LC: How can you buy a property in this kind of condition? It’s not a Winnie the Pooh and Tigger story. It really is a story about the central character. Things are not always going smoothly. The character as myself has been through two bouts of cancer which had to be fit into the ongoing farm project. Part of the message I hope will come out is that you just keep going. You get thrown an impossible task and you often have to be your own cheerleader. Like when my mother first came out and saw the farm. She said, “What are you doing? One person can’t do this. You can’t do this alone.” And I said, “No, one person can’t, but I can fix this hole in this wall today and tomorrow I’ll do something else. No, this whole task is impossible but I’m going to look at what’s in front of me and get it done.”

SL: You made a big change from your previous life when you didn’t live on a farm, before you even considered writing. Was there some incident that had you change your outlook to accommodate this lifestyle change?
LC: Well, I moved from a previous career into health care which I really enjoy. I had gone from a very technical background to one that is a whole lot more people-oriented. It does bring out the softer side of you. But getting the farm was something that didn’t make sense in terms of what a single woman in her 40s ought to do with her life; I had always done what I ought to do. Got a good education, corporate job, nice car, black suit, tinted panty hose, day planner, the whole nine yards. But I had this dream in the background. This other lifestyle should go on. I do jump back and forth between both worlds. I jump into my executive world; I jump into my farm world and they’re very, very different. My farm world is such a creative place and such a free place that it allows me to tell stories.

SL: What makes having a farm creative?
LC: Figuring out how to afford it. (laughs)

SL: Why is a farm expensive?
LC: The joke is the farmer won a million dollars in the lottery and when asked what he was going to do with it, he says “I’m just going to keep farming until it’s all gone.” We never have enough money to do all the things we want to do. I think farmers (I’m happy I can include myself as a “we” in farmers), well, there’s always more work than you can get done in a day and we all have this image of the perfectly put together farm where everything is painted, all the gates work, and there are no weeds in the hayfield and no weeds in the garden. Things like that. The fact that you have land allows you to grow and change with that land and land is not constant. It’s not like a yard. It has requirements. When it’s raining you can’t cut the hay; you make hay when the sun shines. Everything has to stop and everybody has to rearrange themselves to respond to the needs of the farm. If the mare is going to foal, you’re going to be up for the next two weeks. Nature doesn’t run by a schedule so you have to adjust yourself to nature. So if you get up in the morning and you had all these plans for the farm and it’s snowing, you have to so something else.

SL: The opposite then of your technical career?
LC: When I did nuclear plant outages we scheduled the outage to ten-minute intervals and we knew how to run 40,000 man-hours worth of work and get it down to ten-minute intervals. Farming is so far from that. And the other thing is when you’re on your farm, you’re out there in nature. You better play the game her way.

SL: So you mentioned you were writing in high school. What kinds of stuff did you get published?
LC: Essays on patriotism—always good subject matter. I got a few articles on scouting and a few poems. I’ve had two well publicized poems on animal rescue. “For Hanna,” about a dog in a shelter. It’s been out for many years and I’ll still walk into a shelter and see it tacked to their bulletin board. Another, “For Anna” is about the tragedy of horse auctions.

SL: Your book is not fiction so it’s like what you were doing with your essay writing. It’s based on fact so it relates in that way. And now you’re getting some of your poems published. What type of writing do you see yourself doing later on? Will you always be doing both essays and poems?
LC: I get no choice about writing poetry. I’m the sort of poet that wakes up at three in the morning, grabs a piece of paper and writes an entire poem from beginning to end before I can get back to sleep so I guess I don’t get much choice about that. And the writing experience has been great. I had the opportunity to work with another writer, someone else to encourage and inspire me. I wouldn’t have gotten organized around a book without someone telling me how to get started and keeping me on a timeline. Her advice was: start outlining your chapters. Start figuring out what you want to say and set yourself some deadlines with recognition that you have to do content first then you have to go back and edit and re-edit until it weaves itself together into something that looks like a book. I always think about the quote from Stephen King who when approached by someone who said, “Oh, I want to be a writer,” he said, “Well, then, start writing.”

SL: How do you feel about the editing process?
LC: I like it. One of the things that has been helpful for me is the Saturday morning critique group. I can easily fall too much in love with my own writing and I miss things in my text. First of all, reading your work aloud helps in the editing process, but it helps even more to read to a group. Reading only to one person, especially one who likes or loves you, you’re not going to get the same critique as when you’re reading to a group of people who are more supportive strangers. The Saturday morning group is very encouraging which is helpful because it is hard, especially for someone who is not a seasoned writer, to get your stuff out. The poems were easy. I got them out and they got published and I got lovely letters. (The people who hate my poems never take the time to write.) But when it comes to this project, it’s important that it makes sense. I’m so familiar with the material because it is true material, that I forget details and it’s important for people to pull me up short and say “Wait a minute. How could that happen that way?” And I realize, “I forgot to tell you…”

SL: Where are you at in your project then?
LC: I had it finished and just at the agent-finding stage and then decided to make some changes in the approach so now I’m solid on the first half of the book and about 75% complete. There are some critical pieces that I went to put in. I know in my head what I want, I just need to get them on paper now. I expect I’ll finish in the next month.

SL: And then you’re going to look for an agent right?
LC: My first approach is to try and find an agent and get it published. I’ll pursue other approaches, but I would really like to have it published by someone else because I need an assessment as to whether or not it’s the best product it can be. If I self-publish, I won’t get that. It is a labor of love, but it’s not my baby. And I’ve been kind of proud of myself because I have been able to listen to people’s critiques and I’m thirsty for people’s critiques. I’ve been able to hear them and use their input to make major changes. The Saturday morning group members were critiquing the chapter on buying the farmhouse and as the people were talking I got so excited because all kinds of ideas were coming out. I ended up completely revamping the chapter and it’s forty times better than it was when I started.

SL: After you get this published will you continue writing whole books or just stick with your poetry?
LC: Yes, I think this is my first work; my first publishable book. I would love to do a historical novel based on some family history from the early 1900s. My grandmother and her two sisters ran their own business, starting at the age of twelve; took the business over from her father, parlaying that into a mini-empire.

SL: Will it be fiction or will it be another non-fiction type of book about your family?
LC: It will be fiction because I have to fill in a lot of details. So I’m going to use their storyline but it will be fiction. And it will not be funny. I like writing funny stuff, but funny stuff has to be about my life because otherwise I’ll feel like I’m making fun of other people. There’s another thing I’d like to write. I do a lot of career counseling, coaching on the side. I’d like to do some non-fiction around how people get and maintain their employment, happy employment. I’ve given some lectures on that and I do life-coaching and that’s a passion for me.

SL: How long have you been a member of Pennwriters?
LC: Just over a year. I joined at your urging and it’s been wonderful because it has enabled me to label myself as a writer. That was a struggle for me because where I came from was so far from looking at myself as a writer. The first thing I did was go to the conference and learn so much about the publishing industry. How to get your work in front of people and what it really takes to treat your work like professional work. The difference between people who keep that paperback novel in the desk drawer and people who get it onto the bookshelves is the discipline, process, and determination. I think Pennwriters helps close the gap.

SL: What authors do you read?
LC: I like corporate humor, Scott Adams. I read a lot of business non-fiction for my job. For fiction, I like those beach novels, chicklit, Stephen King. Erma Bombeck who was the maven of laughing at everyday events.

SL: I can definitely see Bombeck’s influence.
LC: I do like that kind of humor.

SL: So what are you going to read at the Speckled Hen on Tuesday?
LC: I’m going to read the initial chapter about deciding to buy a farmhouse. The story began during a typical Pennsylvania antique auction. The chapter gives some great insights into Berks county culture and sets up the main character in the story as working through life as a series of experiences that she has to use to achieve her dreams.

SL: Anything else you want to say?
LC: This project has been a real defining moment for me in terms of being able to see myself as a writer. I love to create an emotion in my reader. I’m trying to make them laugh along with me, and be able to relate to my the journey in Lessons from the Hog House. Hopefully, if it’s very, very good, they will learn a few lessons of their own.

I’m sure they will. And I can attest to the fact that it is a very funny book. I can’t wait until it comes out.

For anyone interested, Liz will be appearing at the Reading Reads Speckled Hen event that I’ve been talking up on here on the blog. The date is tomorrow night, October 21, at the Speckled Hen (30 South 4th Street in Reading, PA). We’ll be getting going around 6pm. Other Pennwriters on the bill are Pam Garlick, Carol Haile, and Kathryn Craft. I do hope to see some of you there. Maybe we can talk about doing more of these events.

Watch for Liz’s news at her website: Flower Hill Farm.

Having recently met fellow Pennwriter, Kathryn Craft, on-line, I thought I’d do a little digging and find out a bit about her writing. After hearing about her work and life, I am looking forward to meeting her at our Pennwriters/Reading Reads event on October 21. I do hope you will join us at the Speckled Hen (30 South 4th Street, Reading). Below is a little bit about Kathryn’s personal story and her writing. Enjoy!

Sue Lange: Your book “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky,” features a dancer. Tell me about your dance background.

Kathryn Craft: I came to dance late—when I was 16—but it became an important part of my life in college when Miami University Dance Theatre accepted me and I began to choreograph. Ironically, it was in this wordless medium that I learned I had a voice. I started to translate movement into words in the early 1980s by working as a dance critic for The Morning Call. I remained a critic for 19 years, filling my mind with oodles of creative images and inspiration from the amazing people I interviewed, until the call to honor my inner fiction writer made writing criticism less palatable. That, and I couldn’t take one more Nutcracker.

SL: Are any of the characters or scenes in the book taken from your own experiences?

KC: Only indirectly. My character has body image issues that make her feel as if her body has betrayed her, and while I think many women can relate to that on some level, I actually tapped feelings about my miscarriages for that, since I felt like my body was rejecting a deeply desired outcome. And the speech dance critic Margaret MacArthur gives at the luncheon the dance community gives in her honor was pure fantasy—“Despite what you might fool yourself into believing, I am not, and never have been, against any of you. I am an advocate”—but I would have said every word!

SL: So you’re using writing to make statements you wouldn’t be able to make any other way?

KC: Hmmm…didn’t set out to, but I guess I can’t deny it now! One of my favorite movies (and one of the few cases where I liked the movie better than the book) is Cider House Rules—I love the way it explores all sides of the abortion decision. Likewise, within me there is both artist and critic. In this novel, both sides have their say.

SL: At what point in your life did you decide to start writing?

KC: My public school education in Maryland was writing-intensive and I always enjoyed it. I slid into criticism when the man handling public relations for a performance I was in tried to get it reviewed by The Morning Call and they didn’t have a dance reviewer. Because I had the education (Masters in Health and Physical Education with a Dance Concentration), went to many performances, and always had opinions about them, I applied.

SL: What other background do you have that informs your work?

KC: Writing became a more creative, conscious choice after my first husband’s suicide in 1997. I had a lot to come to grips with and, faced with raising two sons on my own, I needed to do it quickly. Writing helped me do that.

SL: Do you do any non-fiction writing? If so, what?

KC: I am currently writing a memoir about the time of my husband’s suicide. His external action—to choose death after a full-day standoff with a massive police presence at our idyllic country home—provides a strong counterpoint to the inner battle I waged that resulted in the courage to choose life.

SL: Suicide is a very heavy topic. It is part of your fiction and now your memoir as well. Does the subject consume you at times or have you been able to get to a more clinical place with it?

KC: I can be in a clinical place and a deeply emotional place with the topic within moments, yet I would not say it consumes me. It has, however, provided a “ground zero” for my philosophical musings. I now give myself credit for something I used to take for granted—every day, I choose life. This notion is empowering. You see I am, at heart, an optimist. So far I have written about suicide because this brush with it is the most profoundly dramatic thing that has happened to me in my life, but also so I might have a little bit of control over it. While both books gain dramatic tension from this life/death aspect, both are ultimately uplifting works infused with redemption and hope.

SL: Will you stay in the dance world?

KC: I love writing about creative people but I don’t foresee them all being dancers.

SL: So what other topics do you write about?

KC: Since 2006 I’ve been doing a lot of writing about other people’s writing. That’s when I started www.writing-partner.com, a manuscript evaluation and editing business. After years of critiquing manuscripts for fellow writers for free, I discovered a natural aptitude for analyzing where stories go wrong and how to address fixing them. Not all writers have the ability or inclination to look at another’s work deeply enough to find the multiple sources of a problem that might manifest, say, as “boring.” So rather than continuing to squelch the inner critic that is clearly a part of my makeup, I decided to honor it. The work is a perfect amalgam of my interests, experience and aptitudes—and still gives me a reason to churn out those 15-page papers I wrote back in school.

SL: Why would someone use your services as opposed to going to a workshop?

KC: The evaluation I write is like taking an entire workshop on your project alone. As writers we are constantly submitting work into the ether—did anyone read it? What did they think? If we get any feedback at all it tends to be either a form rejection or, if we are lucky enough to be published, a pat comment from a family member like, “Very nice. Enjoyed it.” But a writer wants to know, What did you like, specifically? I wrote 100,000 words here—can you only come up with four? I honor my clients’ work by analyzing what works and what doesn’t in great detail.

SL: What type of clients do you get? What experience level? Have they been receptive to your critiques?

KC: I have critiqued a great span of projects, from first stabs at short story writing to novel rewrites for people who already have MFA’s. I’m currently helping a man translate his memoir, already published in Ukrainian and Russian, into English. I am thrilled to say that authors who are self-publishing have hired me, because I care about the standards of all literature found on our country’s bookstore shelves. Many of my clients use my service to put an extra spit-shine on work being submitted to agents and editors, because let’s face it—in today’s publishing climate, you need all the help you can get. In response to my feedback I have witnessed everything from simple gains in authorial confidence to major “Aha!” moments to changes in subsequent projects that are so glorious I cut straight to writing a blurb. I love the relationships I’ve formed with my clients; most keep in touch and many submit new work because each piece contains its own challenges. Each manila envelope I open feels like Christmas; editing can be almost as fun as my own writing.

SL: What genres do you critique? Fiction, non-fiction?

KC: I do both fiction and nonfiction. My own interests are diverse and I read widely, but I would not take money to critique something I would have no interest in reading (gratuitous horror, for instance). I’m up front about that—if your book isn’t a fit, I’ll tell you. It’s only fair that an author presume some interest on the part of the person who picks up the book.

SL: How long have you been a member of Pennwriters?

KC: About six years now, I believe. Former Pennwriters president Peggy Adamczyk, a fellow member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, recommended it to me.

SL: How do you see Pennwriters helping you with your writing goals?

KC: While GLVWG meets many of my needs, Pennwriters extends my network to the state level. I am a huge believer in the power of working together to meet individual goals and have devoted many volunteer hours to bringing writers together.

SL: What are you doing for Reading Reads, the Berks Literary Festival?

KC: I will be reading a backstory scene from my novel THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY where my protagonist, Penelope Sparrow, first realizes—at age 14—that her body is betraying her by taking on the characteristics of a woman. This excerpt won first place in the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference 2008 Novel Theme & Plot Contest.

SL: Are you still in the Philly area? If so, is there a literary scene there? Tell us about it, if there is.

KC: I only set the novel in Philadelphia to create a pressure cooker of activity in time and space. If there is one thing that has driven me nuts in my 26 years of living in rural Berks County, it is the amount of time I must spend in the car to get anywhere! Philadelphia is only about 75 minutes from me, though, and I recently joined the board of the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference, which has been serving that community for 60 years now.

SL: Any other thing you’d like to talk about?

KC: I just got back from hosting my first Writing Partner Retreat for Women at our newly rebuilt summer home in northern New York. I’ve been “retreating” myself lately—I’ve found it too difficult to transport my sensibilities back and forth in time to generate material for this memoir using only a few hours a day. I’ve been more successful with devoting larger blocks of time to it as you would at a retreat. It occurred to me that other women might need such a getaway as well, and the retreat seemed a natural manifestation of my interest in bringing writers together. There were five of us, writing by day and sharing readings with popcorn in front of the fire at night. We took breaks for yoga, hiking, and paddling on the lake. It was a blast and I hope to continue hosting them twice a year up there.

SL: How can people contact you if they are interested in participating a future retreat?

KC: Three ways: At my website you can sign up for my free quarterly newsletter with self-editing tips, “Nibs,” that will have details; you can check for updates at my blog, http://healingthroughwriting.blogspot.com; if you want to be put on a mailing list for retreats without the newsletter, contact me at kathryn (at)writing-partner (dot) com.

Kathryn, thanks for taking the time to talk about what you’ve got going on and your writing. I’m enjoying reading The Girl Who Fell From the Sky. Can’t wait to hear you read it.

Thanks, Sue!

For the readers: Stop by the Speckled Hen on Tuesday, October 21 to hear Kathryn read. We’ll be starting promptly at 6pm. Five of us Pennwriters (Carol Haile, Liz Clarke, Pam Garlick, Kathryn, and I) will be reading. A limited menu will be available and the bar will be open. Speckled Hen is a cozy little old-style tavern complete with log construction. Yes, a car did run into it a few weeks ago. The front of the restaurant was pretty well demolished but they’ve got a temporary wall in place and the atmosphere has not changed a bit. It’s a slight bit tighter, but still warm and inviting. Come and join your fellow members and visit this historic building. We’re hoping to organize more events such as this one in the future and it will be helpful to know who all we have in our area.

Looking for a new poetry project?  Visit Postal Poetry and learn how you can submit your postcard poem as a individual or collaboartive work.

Editors Dana Guthrie Martin and Dave Bonta created Postal Poetry as a new grassroots art project.  Be sure to take some time to peruse the current select works and introduce yourself to some new artists.

This week Pennwriters will launch a new fundraising auction at eBay offering goods and services for writers.  Bidding opens Wednesday, October 1st and closes Friday, October 10th.

Goods and services to be auctioned include the following:

Manuscript review by Tim Esaias, multipublished and award winning writer. Tim is a satirist, poet and writer of short fiction, living in Pittsburgh. His poetry has been translated into Spanish, Swedish, and Chinese; and his fiction has appeared in thirteen languages. He is adjunct faculty at Seton Hill University in the Writing Popular Fiction M.A. program.

Non-fiction book proposal review by Mary Joe Rulnick, author of The Frantic Women’s Guide to Feeding Family and Friends: Recipes, Shopping Lists and Tips for Every Dinner of the Year (Grand Central Publishing, formerly Warner Books). She also co-authored The Frantic Women’s Guide to Life: A Year’s Worth of Hints, Tips, and Tricks. She is a Parenting Publications of America award-winning writer and has written extensively about home, family and women’s issues across the United State and Canada. She is a regular feature writer for Pittsburgh Parent Magazine and Family Digest Magazine.

Copyedit of the initial three chapters of a manuscript by Ayleen Stellhorn, a former book and magazine editor and currently a professional freelance copyeditor and proofreader for nonfiction craft and hobby publishers. Ayleen also copyedits educational reports for ETS and is a lay editor for the Littlestown Area School District. She holds a degree in journalism and uses CMS, APA, and AP styles in her work.

Basket of Joyce Carol Oates autographed books including: Naughty Cherie; Sexy; The Grave Digger’s Daughter; Freaky Green Eyes; Wild Nights, Big Mouth & Ugly Girl; After the Wreck I Picked Myself Up, Spread My Wings, and Flew Away.

Join us and support Pennwriters!

Pennwriters is a non-profit organization supporting writers at all levels.  Proceeds of the auction will be used to provide more offerings to the Pennwriters community.  For more details about the auction items, and for links to the auctions (when available), visit the Pennwriters website.

You are a writer with something to share: Pennwriters members are invited to submit articles for the upcoming issue of The Penn Writer newsletter on the theme Improving Your Dialogue and Description.

Pennwriters members can send submissions to Newsletter Editor Lori Morris.  Submission deadline is October 1, 2008.

To learn more, visit the Pennwriters website, or contact me with any questions.

A few weeks ago Carol Haile and I did lunch at Austin’s in Shillington. I took the opportunity to talk to her about her calligraphy, children’s books, and the upcoming month-long Berks Literary Festival known as Reading Reads. We had a great time and I learned a bit about a corner of the publishing industry I am unfamiliar with. Carol is an energetic and articulate writer. Her work is a joy to behold. I’m glad to have met her and even more glad to be doing a reading with her on October 21 at the Speckled Hen in Reading. Take a look at our conversation below and stop by on the 21st to listen to Carol’s animated presentation.

Sue Lange: Tell me how your calligraphy led to your getting published.
Carol Haile: Freiman Stoltzfus saw my my calligraphy, loved it, and started carrying it in ‘Illustrations’, his art gallery in Intercourse, PA. Interestingly, Freiman had been born into an old-order Amish family, and while very young his parents recognized his talent and encouraged its development. Freiman’s father Gideon, a high-ranking Bishop in the church, decided the family should leave the Order specifically to give Freiman and his five siblings the ability to pursue professions of a non-agrarian nature. The family paid a high price for this decision, and Freiman claims the two years of shunning (the family’s punishment for leaving the church) were the most painful years of his life.

Freiman had illustrated ‘A is for Amish’ and, when I met him, he was completing work on ‘A Dreamer’s Heart’. I purchased and treasure several original watercolors from ‘A Dreamer’s Heart’ and have purchased many of his other works. One such piece was a commission he did for us called “An Amish Woman on her Wedding Morning.” We proudly presented it to our son and daughter-in-law on their wedding day.

Freiman and I started creating special collaborations for his gallery’s annual Christmas show. I would ink music or scripture, then Freiman would ornament my work with scenes of Amish life. One piece was particularly well-received, our collaboration of ‘The Three Wise Men’ which featured three large watercolors: one of an older Amish man, the second of a middle-aged Amish man, the third of a young Amish man. Each man was carrying a typical Amish Christmas gift: a quilt, a Bible box, an orange. I inked “…for we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Freiman and I watched people respond in awe to this collaboration, and we decided on the spot to do the entire Christmas story as a 60-page book of art. We would stop, for the moment, doing individual framed pieces. It proved to be a refreshing change for us both.

Our respective responsibilities were quickly determined. I would do the calligraphy and illumination just as the old monks and scribes did scripture in the 15th Century. All the words would be taken from the King James version of the Bible — the original, recognizable poetry of the first Christmas. We’d set the story in the Amish Community of which Freiman was so familiar.

I had no idea “The Christmas Story” would be immediately successful. Its debut propelled me into a world of dizzying, well-attended book signings. Published in August 2001, we had been in negotiations with Borders in New York City to schedule a major metropolitan signing. Everything was in place, and we were awaiting a confirmed date for our event. Freiman and I secretly laughed to think perhaps Borders would send a limo down from Manhattan to pick us up.

Borders, however, was in the World Trade Center, and there I was, waiting for the phone call to settle the date for the signing…..on September 11. I called Freeman that fateful afternoon and asked, “Are you aware of what happened today in New York City?” Because of his Amish upbringing, he had no television or radio, but he did have a phone. He answered, “No, what’s the matter?” I said, “Freiman, I don’t think we’ll be having a book signing any time soon in New York City.”

In spite of this unfortunate beginning, “The Christmas Story” sells extremely well even without the national exposure Borders promised. We printed 7,000 first edition copies, and we’re now down to a few hundred. We’ll reprint soon.

S.L.: Tell me about your second book.
C.H.: Anne Beiler, founder of Aunt Anne’s Pretzels, noticed Freiman’s sensitive artwork. Her offices are in Gap (Lancaster Co.) and she, having been born Amish as well, always wanted to do a book of her life growing up in Lancaster County. Freiman immediately signed a lucrative contract with her, and, at the same time, he had an opportunity to go to Venice for a year. He assured me, “Carol, when I come back, we will do another book together.”

I wanted to seize the momentum, however, and that meant doing another book very soon. So I took it upon myself to write one. I started working with an editor, my cousin Sam Keiser, a recently retired Kutztown University English professor. Before Freiman left for Venice, I asked him if he would be able illustrate my book “A Dream Vacation” (a whimsical story about the pandas traveling on Noah’s Ark) from Venice. Sam told me the story was ready to be illustrated, and I was anxious to get it to press. Freiman replied honestly, “I don’t like to do animals.” Whimsy was never Freiman’s strong suit, and I knew instinctively that he wasn’t cut out to be the illustrator for my story. I needed to find another illustrator.

Robert Miller was a watercolor artist I admired and was, like myself, a vendor at the Kutztown Folk Festival. I had accumulated a rather large collection of his amazing Noah’s Ark artwork. When I was writing my story, I would sometimes study Bob’s artwork and feed off its energy. I asked Bob to read “A Dream Vacation,” and he immediately told me that since he was looking for a challenge, he’d illustrate the story, which he did — brilliantly.

S.L.: Talk about “The Princess Tree” a bit.
C.H.: “The Princess Tree” is my third book, but the first I illustrated myself. I’d always done quite a bit of artwork in conjunction with my calligraphy and illumination, but I never thought of myself as an artist. Never. Also, “Princess” was my story written specifically for my grand daughter, Colleen. If she had never met me, this was all I wanted her to know about me. It’s about the values I hold most dear.

S.L.: When you started this book, did you want to start with a lesson or did you just have a story in your head?
C.H.: I had a story in my head. My Irish husband and I had gone to Ireland on vacation. We saw a ‘fairy mound’ outside Dublin which was very peculiar I thought — the rocks, the moss, the strange way the trees were growing. I’ve always been curious about the mythology of Ireland, and I thought: why do the elves and fairies do this and do that…? So I constructed a story that answered all my questions. The story evolved.

At the same time I was writing the story, my cousin Ken was ill and in the Reading Hospital for several months. I visited him almost daily, and as I watched the nurses tend him, I could see my fairy mound (the little animal hospital in the middle of the forest) morph into a similar Holy Place where angels (nurses) tend their ailing patients with great love and joy. My story took on even greater significance to me and, I felt, this story Must be told.

However, my first illustrator dropped out of the project because his wife became ill, and I was heartbroken. He wasn’t really into my story, didn’t see it as I did, but I wasn’t too concerned because he was a good artist. I was naïve.

I asked another gentleman to illustrate “Princess Tree.” He was thrilled and worked very hard to please me, but his elves and fairies looked like the winged models shown on the pages of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. I lost weeks of sleep and finally said ‘No, Stop this project!’ If my name is going to be on 5,000 of anything, it has to be the very best it can be.

The elves and fairies in my story are innocent, childlike, and simple. They gather up baby birds that have fallen from their nests and sleep in flower cups. Nothing more. Since I understood my story better than anyone I decided to TRY to do the illustrations myself. What was the worst that could happen? If I couldn’t do the artwork, I’d have to find an illustrator…..which was exactly where I was at the moment anyway.

I approached the illustrations as I approach my calligraphy. I would paint lots of interesting borders, and study/absorb the incredible work of William Morris, a Victorian artisan/calligrapher whose work I admire very much. As both author AND illustrator, I quickly discovered I could put many things in my children’s book that makes it totally MY book. ‘Fitzpatrick’ is an old family name (hence Mayor Fitzpatrick). My granddaughter’s name is, of course, Colleen. My daughter-in-law’s name is Marjorie. My son’s name, David, isn’t Celtic-sounding enough, so I told Dave his name in the book is ‘Connor’. David didn’t mind, and Marjorie liked the change just fine.

Freddie & Flossie Flamingo (characters in my latest book “Elephant Overboard!) are the nicknames of my editor and his wife, Sam & Ann Keiser. Flamingoes are everywhere decorating their house, and it’s quite a fun thing to have characters named after people you know. I’ve used several editors in my life, and Sam’s the best. The greatest gift he gives me is when he scratches “Show me, don’t tell me!” in the margins of my manuscripts. He encourages my best writing to emerge forcefully.

I am also quite fortunate to be able to use Tony Corcetto, the retired owner of Tony Corcetto, Inc. (an advertising agency) as my art editor. I have no formal art training, so I appreciate his review of my artwork very much. What finally proved to me I could indeed handle the artwork for “The Princess Tree,” however, was a very private moment during the painting of one small illustration where Colleen is standing alone on a bridge. The enormity of her recent visit with the fairies in the Fairy Mound is weighing heavily on her heart.

I had worried about this particular image for weeks before attempting it. And as I painted Colleen on that bridge, I suddenly saw that less was more. After painting for only a few moments, I backed off, put my brush down, and walked away. The watercolor was quickly done, and after only a few brief brush strokes I said Enough. Enough. Don’t do more. I mean, as an artist, when are you done? But I knew that to paint more (more background, darker water…) would ruin the mood I had successfully established. In that moment, I realized, yes, Carol, I think you know how to pull it off.

S.L.: Let’s talk about Reading Reads. You’re on the committee for The Greater Reading Literary Festival. What do you get out of working for a volunteer organization that has a very small budget?
C.H.: An author asked me how to go about selling his book. I told him, “I’m going to be a vendor at the Centre Avenue Arts and Antiques show next week. It’s in a beautiful park and I’ll sell my calligraphy and my books. My art editor, Tony, who sits at the table next to me, will bring his photography. Maybe there’s space for you to have a table. Call Mike Lauter and, if there’s room, he’ll set you up and you can sell your books.” I like giving out information like that. Most authors think there are only two places you can sell books, at Borders or Barnes & Noble. Not true.

At one of the Reading Reads meetings, a new gal, Jennifer, represented Berks Bards. She wanted to do something special for the Literary Festival with poetry for children, another event for the middle aged, and something unique for seniors. She was planning to call the Berks County Office of the Aged, but, from my own experience, I knew she’d get nowhere with that. So I said, “No, call the Highlands.” As soon as I got home, I contacted Shirley Kolodziej (the activities director at the Highlands, a lovely retirement community), and gave Shirley the heads-up that an energetic gal, Jennifer, would be contacting her. At the next meeting Jennifer said, “Oh Carol, thank you so much for the information about The Highlands. We’ve already set up an interesting poetry event for seniors, and Shirley is wonderful to work with!”

S.L.: So what you’re getting out of all of this is the chance to connect people.
C.H.: Oh yes! I’m sharing my knowledge, my contacts, and helping people organize fun events for the Literary Festival.

S.L.: What about publishing. How’s the money in publishing?
C.H.: I publish my own books simply because Freiman and I shared the printing expenses for “The Christmas Story” and then Bob Miller and I shared expenses for “A Dream Vacation.” We each have our own markets and do our own shows, so our books were simply larger printing projects.

When it came time to print “The Princess Tree,” I didn’t have a partner so I underwrote the whole thing myself. Same for my fourth book, “Elephant Overboard!” I frankly wouldn’t know how to go about approaching a publisher at this point, and I doubt I would want to share my profits now that I’m used to handling all of it myself. Firenze Press is the name of my publishing company. Some people get confused by this information and assume I have a printing press in my basement!

Do you know Chet Williamson, author of the “Pennsylvania Dutch Night Before Christmas”? He and I did a book signing together, and he was outselling me three books to one. But he was complaining. He had sold his rights to a publisher and told me, “I’m lucky if I get forty cents for each book I sell today. I signed a standard publishing contract, and my publisher schedules my book signings. I’ll be in violation of my contract if I don’t show up. I haven’t had a weekend off all year.”

That day, I went home with a nice profit, but he was lucky to have cleared gas money. When kids ask me if there’s any money in writing, I tell them, “Yes, I do very well. But I am the publisher of my books and have assumed all the risk of printing and marketing. Mr. Williamson has sold his rights to a publisher. Although he has written a best seller and has sold 60,000 copies, he earns forty cents per book. You do the math. Could you support a family on that?”

S.L.: What about events. What will you be participating in during Reading Reads?
C.H.: I have been invited to read my stories during the Humane Society’s Furry Friday evening on Oct. 10. On Oct. 18, I will participate in the Author Extravaganza at Borders. Oct. 21, The Speckled Hen! And on Oct. 25, I will be one of the storytellers (plus do some artwork for the children) at the Book Warehouse (VF Complex).

S.L.: How can authors get involved in Reading Reads?
C.H.: I encourage authors to be aggressive about scheduling book signings and other events, workshops, etc. (be creative!) during the month of October in Berks County. Let me know the who, what, when, where and I’ll submit the information for inclusion in our calendar of events. Check out the website for info on what the festival is about. http://www.readingreads.com/

S.L.: What all have you been doing with Pennwriters?
C.H.: Pennwriters is an amazing organization. As soon as I joined, I was immediately contacted by energetic people offering me opportunities to connect with other writers as well as new opportunities to sell my books…..one was at the Saucon Valley Farmer’s Market which is where I met you, Sue!

S.L.: Yeah, that was fun. Anything else you want to add about your writing or your writerly experiences?
C.H.: My goodness, No! I’m exhausted! lol

S.L.: Carol, thanks for having lunch with me and sharing some valuable insights on publishing, marketing, and following your own inner voice when writing. Let’s do it again some time!

Carol’s Bibliography:
The Christmas Story, ISBN 0-9711236-0-8, $27.95
A Dream Vacation, ISBN 0-9724699-0-7, $19.95
The Princess Vacation, ISBN 0-9711236-1-6, $19.95
Elephant Overboard, ISBN 978-0-9711236-3-2, $19.95

All books available www.caroljhaile.com and www.amazon.com

Flame Tree, Santa Barbara 2008

Attention writers (and blogging writers): take a side step from your usual writing routine and flex your writing muscles to tell us a tree story.  Regardless of whether you are a published author, an aspiring-to-be-published author, or a simple lover of the writing craft, blogging is an excellent way to promote your work.

The Festival of the Trees is a monthly blog carnival featuring trees and forests which has been published every month for over two years at a variety of host blogs.  The Festival of the Trees 28 will be hosted at Arboreality  on October 1, and I would like to share a little “art and arboreality”.

Many of us have specific, personal stories about a tree or forest from our lives. Blogging is a great medium for short story-telling, so that’s what I encourage this month: photoblog, videoblog, break out the crayons, sing a song, write a poem, whatever moves you: tell us a story about a tree or forest from your life. Or make one up. Or do something even cooler. (And then send me the link.)

Submission deadline is Saturday, September 27, 2008.  Submit your blog posts to me via email at jadeblackwater [at] brainripples [dot] com, or use the blog carnival submission form.

If you are a writer without a blog, you are welcome to email me your submission and I can include it with my post.

Happy writing, and spread the word: please feel welcome to invite others to participate!

To volunteer to host an upcoming issue, visit The Festival of the Trees coordinating blog.

Attention Pennwriters: the latest issue of The Penn Writer newsletter is now available online at the new Pennwriters website.

The September-October 2008 issue features articles on the theme of “getting and staying motivated.”  Visit the new Pennwriters website today: 1) create your account, 2) log on, and 3) download the newsletter as a .pdf.

Pennwriters members are encouraged to submit articles for each bimonthly newsletter.  The next newsletter’s theme is Improving Your Dialog and Description.  Send your articles to our Newsletter Editor Lori Morris.

Happy Reading & Writing!

For a long time now fantasy has been outselling science fiction. Fantasy fans are legion while the ranks of Trekkies dwindle. Fans of sf seem to prefer movies and tv to fiction. Has it always been like this? Why are more people turned on by magic, mysticism, superstition, and the accoutrements of the past rather than the possibilities of the future? Perhaps it’s the potential for interaction with the genre that attracts fans. While science fiction cons have always been a place for fans to dress up as their favorite Clingon or other extra-terrestrial, involving yourself in tarot, wicca, or other aspects of fantasy can actually become part of your lifestyle. The clothes aren’t nearly as outlandish as a space suit.

Is it possible that steampunk will so the same thing for science fiction?

If you’re a science fiction writer, you might want to jump on the band wagon while it’s still rolling.

Sue (scusteister) Lange