More About Vivian Zabel

We’re back again to take a more in depth look at what Vivian Zabel writes. You can check out some of her books on my little bookshelf to the left. As we noted on Thursday, Vivian has over 15 books she can call her own, well, today we’re going to take see more about Vivian Zabel’s latest book Midnight Hours –


Publisher: 4RV Publishing LLC
http://4rvpublishingllc.com/

Genre: Mystery/suspense/thriller
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797513-3-2
ISBN-10: 0-9797513-3-0
Pages: 228
Starting Price: $27.99

2nd place in the OWFI unpublished manuscript competition, May 2008

Martin Rogers, a homicide lieutenant, positions his power chair at the end of the parallel bars in the therapy room. Over the past months, those bars have become an enemy that cannot be conquered, but which creates agony and despair. He glares at his enemy as they silently wait to conquer him again. An orderly in white stands beside the left side of the bars. Martin fights to overcome the damage caused by a bullet in his back.
After Martin returns from another “wasted” therapy session, the whish of the power chair’s wheels on the carpet and the low hum of the computer create the only sounds in the room as he positions himself at the desk. He closes his eyes before laying his fingers on the keys to type in the code which would connect him to the refuge he so needed. The Internet and the game room give him an escape from constant pain. The woman he met and visits nightly adds to the ability to flee.
Midnight always appears around midnight each night. She tantalizes him, giving him little information about herself; although, she finally tells him her name, Norma Fields. After Martin threatens to cut off the months-long cyber relationship, she offers to send him a picture of herself. She sends an email attachment: a picture of a beautiful woman.
Martin’s interest changes to one that’s professional. An identical copy had been found, folded in the pocket of a paraplegic who had gone over the rail of a hotel room balcony. As soon as he sees the picture, he calls his friends and fellow detectives, Kyle Stone and Frank Thomas.
The three men meet at Martin’s for breakfast and discuss the photo. Kyle mentions that the woman looks familiar. The men decide to find what information they can about the case and about Midnight, Norma Fields.
After Kyle and Frank return to Martin’s house after their shift, the doorbell rings. Kyle answers the door and invites a young woman to join them. Martin gasps as Midnight walks into the room. Kyle introduces Assistant District Attorney Lisa Harris, telling the others, “I told you the picture reminded me of someone.”
Lisa studies the photo and agrees the head and face are hers but not the rest of the body. She joins the investigation.
In the days that follow, the “Midnight team” discover that several men with large accidental death insurance policies, all with Norma Fields as the beneficiary, have “accidentally” died. The search for Midnight intensifies.


And here’s an excellent review to go along with the description –


Reviewed by Brian L Porter

Police detective Martin Rogers is recovering from a shooting, working hard to regain the use of his legs. To fill in the long hours of inactivity, Rogers spends time in an internet chat room, playing cards with a regular group of surfers. That is until the witching hour, when he and the mysterious woman known only as Midnight connect via cyberspace and disappear into their own virtual world. Martin finds himself becoming more and more intrigued and enamoured by the elusive woman, who seems to find him strangely attractive despite his disability. When Midnight refuses to reveal any personal details about herself, despite Martin being openly honest with her, he begins to suspect that the woman he is falling for may not be all that she seems.
Martin confides his concerns to two of his fellow detectives, and soon he and his colleagues are joined by Assistant District Attorney Lisa Harris as a web of previous suspicious deaths of disabled victims emerges, all of whom appear to have been in contact with the mysterious Midnight.
A task force is set up to investigate the murders, and soon Martin, Lisa, and the team are involved in a case so complex, and so baffling, that they begin to feel as though they are chasing a shadow, a clever and resourceful criminal who they describe as being “like fog that disappears in bright light.”
When police dispatcher Denise Woods is attacked and almost killed by the murderer, the police finally believe they are on the trail of Midnight, only to find yet more clouds of mystery as they attempt to penetrate the veil of the elusive killer.
What links Midnight with the name Norma Fields, and is Norma connected to the oddly named Norm Able? What connection does the reportedly dead sailor J.R Olson have with the case?
Vivian Zabel has crafted a beautifully and hauntingly compelling crime drama that leads the reader down one blind alleyway after another as Martin Rogers attempts to unravel the mystery. The tension is wonderfully wracked up as the storyline builds towards its shattering conclusion. Without doubt, this is one for the crime fiction aficionados, a book that cries out to be read, and one which I found very hard to put down once I’d begun. The characters are believable, the underlying romance that builds between Martin and the beautiful Lisa is tenderly and realistically handled, and the fear that things could go disastrously wrong for the heroes of this tale, right up to the end, is so palpable one can almost reach out and touch it.
A great read, tension personified, wonderfully written!

Brian L Porter
Author, A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper, Avenue of the Dead, Purple Death, and the award-winning The Nemesis Cell.


Next, we are going to take a look at a very short article about internet predators, a very important subject –


Many articles, stories, and media reports have covered children and women who became prey to Internet predators. The problem is serious, and no matter how many warnings are given, the number of victims doesn’t disappear.

The theme of Midnight Hours includes an Internet predator, but the author takes the reader on a twisted path: The predator preys on disabled men. The theme isn’t one that’s normally found in stories dealing with online villains, but it is one that is possible.

The message of the novel is the same as with any story about predators: beware.

Beware of Midnight, because she offers loves and gives a grave to men who fall into her trap.


Here are a few important links of Vivian Zabel’s –


Website: http://viviangilbertzabel.com/

Blogs: http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com/ Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap

http://vzabel.multiply.com/ Vivian’s Site

http://viviansmystery.blogspot.com/ Vivian’s Mysteries

4RV Bookstore
All books http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Store-Books.html

Amazon.com
Prairie Dog Cowboy http://tinyurl.com/5s4uqw
Midnight Hours http://tinyurl.com/5wwgzm

Plus local book stores and Barnes & Noble.com

Thank you for allowing us to take a look at your books, and learn more about you, Vivian, it was a real pleasure!

Meet Vivian Zabel!

This month, I get the pleasure of hosting Vivian Zabel, among the many things that she is, the one that we’re here for today is the fact that she is a superlative and brilliant author. Today, as well as the 3rd, is going to be very full with tons of remarkable information to learn from Vivian. First off, we’re going to learn a little bit more about this author:

Vivian Gilbert was born to Raymond and Dolly Gilbert, July 28, 1943, on Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The base for years was outside the city of San Antonio, but now the city surrounds the base.

With a military father who was transferred around the world, Vivian often changed schools, in fact when she graduated from high school in Limestone, Maine, she had changed schools twenty-two times.

After graduating from high school in 1961, Vivian returned to Oklahoma where she enrolled in Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University, in Bethany, Oklahoma). During the one semester she could afford to attend, Robert Zabel visited his sister, and Vivian and Robert met. They married February 18, 1962 and are still together.

During the next few years, Robert and Vivian had four children, three of whom lived. A story that shows the love and closeness between the couple is found in the short story “Romance Midst Tragedy,” published in Hidden Lies and Other Stories (http://tinyurl.com/8xrz2p).

As she reared her children and was a stay-at-home-mother, with spells of working in the business world, Vivian wrote short stories, poetry, and articles, which were published. Once her children were in school, Vivian returned to college and, in two and a half years, earned her BA with two majors (English and speech).

Vivian attended workshops, clinics, conferences, and classes about writing during her twenty-seven years of teaching. The further education helped her better teach her students and helped her hone her own writing skills. Finally in 2001 she was able to write full time and write longer works, after she retired from teaching.

At present, Vivian has six books to her credit, two co-authored. Her latest books are Prairie Dog Cowboy (written under the name V. Gilbert Zabel) and Midnight Hours (written under the name Vivian Gilbert Zabel).

Her interests besides writing include her family (husband, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren), reading, helping other people publish their books (through 4RV Publishing), and traveling (which she can’t do much any more).

In a short interview with Vivian, I asked her a couple of questions – I should probably show you rather than tell you –

Heather: How long have you been writing?

Vivian: The first written proof of my writing is some poetry from the third grade. I've been writing ever since I can remember, but my first published work was in the 1960s.

Heather: What started you writing for publication?

Vivian: What started me writing for publication? Reading books, stories, articles, and poetry and thinking, "I can write better than this." And I can.

Heather: Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?

Vivian: I write every day, but not necessarily on my current project. I may write newsletters, articles, blog posts, or suggestions on material I'm editing. I "write" in my head many hours a day on my current project, even if I don't put pen to paper or fingers on keyboard for that reason. When the characters and plot explode, no matter what else I may be doing, I write on that book.

Heather: Other than yourself, who is your favorite author?

Vivian: I can't say I'm one of my favorite authors. However, those who are alive and are my favorites include Carolyn Hart, William Bernhardt, Jordan Dane, CJ Lyons, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Anne McCaffrey, Stuart Woods, J.A. Jance, Tess Gerritsen,and most of the 4RV authors.

Heather: Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you usually get rid of it?

Vivian: I don't have writer's block. I may need to work on a transition from one scene to another, but that is a matter of figuring out the best way to write it. I usually walk away from the computer and let the plot wander through my mind until the right method pops up.

Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?

Vivian: Read, read, read, and read some more. Read the genres you're want to write, but also read other genres. Learn how to write and learn correct grammar and mechanics. I've studied, and even taught, writing for most of my life, and I'm still learning and improving.NEVER think what you write is perfect just because you wrote it. Listen to other people who know, who are experts, who can help you improve. Nothing is more frustrating than to have a writer who has a wonderful concept refuse to listen is her/his editors. Hey, I listen to mine, and my work goes through at least six. Some of those edit each of my manuscripts three times or more.Remember, no one is perfect. Some just work harder to come closer to perfection than other are willing.

Heather: How do you invent your characters?

Vivian: When I get an idea for a book or story, I "daydream" the idea, and the characters evolve. They become so real to me I could answer any question someone might ask about them.Did you know that Lisa always wanted to be a cute little blond when she was a child?Also, I notice characteristics of people that would go well in a protagonist or in an antagonist. I definitely use characteristics of people who are mean, hateful, cruel in villains.

Heather: I know a few authors who keep records (almost like police records) of height, weight, background, etc. of their characters, do you keep tabs on your characters, and if so, what do you usually make note of?

Vivian: I keep note cards on my characters. I include physical descriptions, likes and dislikes, education, interests, hobbies. I outline each one as completely as possible.

Heather: Some authors say that they feel as though his or her characters are real, do you feel this way, and what do you think about this?

Vivian: Oh, my, yes, my characters are "real." I'm half in love with Martin from Midnight Hours. I am in love with Buddy from Prairie Dog Cowboy, because I based Buddy on my husband. Kile, the man in my work in progress, is a hunk, and he makes a great hero.I can relate with my female characters, too. I don't allow them to be "poor, little, helpless" ninnies. I want them to have traits that I wish I had, or good ones I do have. The female protagonist in my work in progress, Amber, has a tendency to want to snap at people, but she smothers those reactions because she owns and manages a conference center. Part of her believability is she is human enough to want to react negatively but smart enough not to do so.All my characters are not perfect. They have weaknesses as people do.


Now we’re going to take a look at Vivian Zabel’s Prairie Dog Cowboy, a description, a review, and a short article, scroll down farther and take a look –

Genre: middle grade/ young adult / historical fiction
Publisher: 4RV Publishing
http://4rvpublishingllc.com/
Hardback, 180 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-9797513-5-6
ISBN-10: 0-9797513-5-7

Time passes so quickly and history is getting rewritten all the time. So much of our heritage is lost with those changes. It is refreshing to see a slice of reality portraying the daily life of 1899 Oklahoma in V. Gilbert Zabel's latest literary work, "Prairie Dog Cowboy".

Buddy Roberts is but a small boy at the start of the story. It isn’t clear right away why his mother is set against the child. Although he has an older brother, he's tending to the cattle at the age of five, all alone with only his dog to keep him company. Buddy is a mindful child, doing what needs to be done, even at such a young age, hoping some day to grow up to be a cowboy. Instead of him and Patch doing the work on foot, he dreams of herding cattle on horseback someday.

Neighbor rancher Caleb Hyman is impressed with Buddy. He wonders, too, why the child works hard while his older brother, Jake, is doted on and spoiled. But, Caleb can see the man that Buddy will become, encourages him, and teaches him to rope. Once Buddy can rope a prairie dog, Caleb promises he'll give the boy a job on his ranch. Not an easy thing to do, but Buddy works hard to reach his appointed goal.

Through the years, Buddy becomes a part of Caleb's family, a friend of Caleb's twin sons, and the unknowing object of affection for their younger sister, Katie. Life begins to take a turn for the better as he approaches manhood. An ironic twist at the end brings the cycle of life in full circle.


Prairie Dog Cowboy by V. Gilbert Zabel

Time passes so quickly and history is getting rewritten all the time. So much of our heritage is lost with those changes. It is refreshing to see a slice of reality portraying the daily life of 1899 Oklahoma in V. Gilbert Zabel's latest literary work, "Prairie Dog Cowboy".

Buddy Roberts is but a small boy at the start of the story. It isn’t clear right away why his mother is set against the child. Although he has an older brother, he's tending to the cattle at the age of five, all alone with only his dog to keep him company. Buddy is a mindful child, doing what needs to be done, even at such a young age, hoping some day to grow up to be a cowboy. Instead of him and Patch doing the work on foot, he dreams of herding cattle on horseback someday.

Neighbor rancher Caleb Hyman is impressed with Buddy. He wonders, too, why the child works hard while his older brother, Jake, is doted on and spoiled. But, Caleb can see the man that Buddy will become, encourages him, and teaches him to rope. Once Buddy can rope a prairie dog, Caleb promises he'll give the boy a job on his ranch. Not an easy thing to do, but Buddy works hard to reach his appointed goal.

Through the years, Buddy becomes a part of Caleb's family, a friend of Caleb's twin sons, and the unknowing object of affection for their younger sister, Katie. Life begins to take a turn for the better as he approaches manhood.

"Prairie Dog Cowboy" is a testament of a time when life was hard, but people weren't afraid of hard work. The day-to-day occurrences represented are an accurate telling of the time, history that should not be lost. Teens and young adults can learn much from this story and I, for one, am thankful that Ms. Zabel has documented this slice of American history.

Reviewed by Jena' Galifany
Author, Editor, Reviewer
http://jenagalifany.bravehost.com/


Setting for the Hyman Ranch in Prairie Dog Cowboy

The seemingly flat, barren land stretches as far as the eye can see in modern northwestern Oklahoma, just as it did over a hundred years ago. Although paved roads and highways now crisscross the landscape, people who travel through often miss the hidden beauty found in river floodplains and unexpected gullies blooming with life.
Ranches and homesteads, many of which have existed for over one hundred years, dot the miles between Hardesty on Oklahoma Highway 3 and Hooker on U.S. 54. Often the land changed owners over the years; however, a few places have remained in the possession of descendents of the original family. One such historical place is the Mayer Ranch, located between Hardesty and Hooker.
The Oklahoma Historical Society declared the Mayer Ranch eligible for the Oklahoma Centennial Ranch Award in 1990. Dallas Mayer, wife of fourth generation rancher James K. Mayer, accumulated the necessary documentation for the ranch to be recognized. Some of the information in her documents makes interesting reading for those who like western history and history of what is now the Oklahoma Panhandle.
Jim Beasley (James Sergeant Beasley), as a teenaged drover, passed through No Man’s Land on cattle drives from Texas to the railway at Dodge City, Kansas. The drivers and cattle often camped along the Beaver River, where grass grew to the edge of the deep, narrow waterway. He and friend Walter Danilson planned to return and stay as soon as they could. Jim knew someday he would settle where he watched wild mustangs browse along the river side. A few drives, and he and Walter returned and didn’t leave. The plans of two friends began a saga that ended in an Oklahoma landmark.
What is now the Mayer Ranch home place became the setting for the Hyman Ranch in Prairie Dog Cowboy. Information about the real ranch and the real homestead set as the setting for the Roberts farm are discussed in the “Learn More” section at the back of the book.


Thank you all for reading, do remember to come back on Saturday to take a look at Vivian Zabel’s latest book, plus an article on Internet Predators.

More About Anita

Last Tuesday we took a look at Anita Yasuda, but today we’re going to take a more in depth look at Anita’s books, and what’s going on in her neck of the woods. First, here is a description of Anita’s book Explore The Solar System!

Looking up at the sun in the sky it’s hard to imagine that it’s just another one of those stars we see at night. In fact, the whole solar system, the grouping of planets and other bodies revolving around the sun, is pretty amazing. And hard to understand. After all, the world feels huge, how can kids comprehend the sheer size of outer space?

Explore the Solar System! introduces kids ages 6–9 to the planets, moons, and other celestial bodies that surround our star, the sun, as well as the universe beyond. Combining a hands-on element with history and science, kids investigate solar eclipses, phases of the moon, Jupiter’s rings, and what astronauts wear. Who named the stars? What is the Milky Way? Why is there night? While discovering the answers to these questions and more, kids will have lots of fun with activities that range from creating an origami model of the solar system to playing a race-to-the-moon board game. Projects are easy-to-follow, require minimal adult supervision, and use primarily common household products and recycled supplies. By combining a hands-on element with riddles, jokes, fun facts, and comic cartoons, kids Explore the Solar System!, and have a blast along the way.

Sounds like an awesome way for kids to learn about the solar system, I know as a kid I had quite an interest in the solar system and I really would have appreciated this book, and now I think my little brother would love this book. At this point I believe that Anita has written something for everyone. Now, here’s some reviews followed by helpful links of Explore the Solar System!

"Explore the Solar System! is chock-full of fun and detailed facts and activities about planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Experiment and learn!--Jim Bell, lead camera scientist for the Mars rover Spirit and Opportunity and Professor of Astronomy, Cornell University

"Full of great information, lively illustrations, and activities, well suited for upper elementary and middle school students."--David Hagan, Science Museum of Virginia


Amazon Canada Link
http://www.amazon.ca/Explore-Solar-System-Activities-Experiments/dp/1934670367


Amazon America Link
http://www.amazon.com/Explore-Solar-System-Activities-Experiments/dp/1934670367/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_1


Barnes

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Explore-the-Solar-System/Anita-Yasuda/e/9781934670361/?itm=1


Chapters Canada
http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Explore-Solar-System-Great-Projects-Anita-Yasuda-Bryan-Stone/9781934670361-item.html?ref=Search+Books%3a+%2527anita+yasuda%2527

YouTube Book Trailer for Explore The Solar System

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrU7boiCJYM

Character Wednesday11

Today, we're going to take a look at Sal, the owner of that 50s diner that Celia loves so much. We're finally going to see how Sal got to owning that diner. You'll have to read on to see what she's all about, but first, I would like to point out a new feature that I added to my blog, down at the bottom of the screen. If you scroll all the way down to the bottom you can see it, my new Halloween Count Down Widget! I love Halloween so adding the widget spreads the creepy cheer around. I've also added more books to my book shelf, so go and take a peek at those.

Sally May O'Hare was born in Idaho, she's never revealed where in Idaho. She grew up like any other kid her age, she was in the Girl Scouts, but she was a tom boy at heart. At the age of 18 she married her childhood sweetheart Abraham Gennuis. At the age of 20 she gave birth to two twin girls, Marianne and Violet, and then moved to Monroe, Utah. Within the next few years Abraham joined the army, and within 6 years of his joining he was killed. Four years later Sally married George Barker and with George she had Justin. For the most part she stayed home raising her children, after Justin got married to Claire, Sally searched for something to do with her life, and she found it when an old diner was for sale downtown. She turned the diner into a place that everyone went to regularly, and Justin became a chef at her restaurant.

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And basically, that's all. You can basically guess the rest, Justin and Claire had a kid, Sally continued working at the diner, etc. Nothing really significant.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you again tomorrow for a look at Anita Yasuda's books!

Meet Anita Yasuda

Today I have the honor of interviewing a wonderful and very talented author, one whom I am very pleased to be hosting this month. I bring you – Anita Yasuda!

Anita Yasuda is a qualified Montessori and ECE teacher who has lived and worked in many countries. A member of SCBWI, she completed her Honors degree at the University of Toronto.

Anita writes nonfiction for both adults and children. Her work has been featured in Calgary's Child, Kahani, Highlights, and Stories for Children. She is also the author of 10 books, with several more due to be published soon.

When I first heard that Anita has 10 published books, I was truly amazed, it is quite an accomplishment! As you can see on my bookshelf to the left I have added Anita’s books to my bookshelf, you might have to click the little arrow at the bottom of the shelf to see them all. Anyways! Here’s a small little interview for all of you –


Heather: So, Anita, tell me, what encouraged you to write a book about the solar system?

Anita: When I was very young my parents woke me up one autumn evening and quickly ushered me outdoors. What was the emergency? Why the aurora borealis of course. Blue and green flashes of light danced through the sky. They seemed to be directly over my house. From that point on I was hooked on space. What were the stars called? How far away were the planets? Would we ever land on the moon again? I suppose I have never stopped looking up and wondering.


Heather: I love the aurora borealis, never seen one outside of pictures though. So, it sounds like you know quite a bit about the solar system, but what is the coolest thing you know?

Anita: The coolest thing is how we humans interact with the solar system. Spacewalking is one of the most difficult and dangerous things man does to further his knowledge of the solar system. Before an astronaut can rocket off, years of physical and academic training is required. A few weeks after making my version of the astronaut tool belt one astronaut actually lost hers on a space walk, proving that there is never a dull moment in space. For days there was coverage of this astronaut watching helplessly as her belt floated off. That belt is now one of the more than 8,000 artificial objects orbiting Earth.

Heather: That is cool! There are many planets that are all completely different from each other; do you have a favorite?

Anita: I’d like to say the planet that hasn’t yet been discovered but as a resident of a planet, I’ll say Earth. Observing Earth from space, satellites provide us with essential information on our water, land and atmosphere. Just thinking about Earth as the only known planet to harbor life makes our planet special. We haven’t yet discovered everything about Earth or even mapped the ocean floor. This means there are some cool adventures waiting for us just outside the door. So let’s get moving!

Heather: *packs up suitcase* Okay, I’m ready! *laughs* But first, I must ask, what was your favorite activity? Why?

Anita: I enjoy crafting and creating projects with anything I can pull out of my recycling bin. Watching my homemade Mars Rover take shape from a cereal box, juice cans, and wire hangers made me feel as proud as if I had created the original. My daughter and niece, loved making the astronaut suits from old painter suits, embellished with markers, glitter and glow in the dark glue. They were such a hit that the girls wore them for Halloween.

Heather: *takes a step out the door* Arts and Crafts are always my favorite subject, why do you think kids will be interested in reading about the solar system?

Anita: It’s exciting to think about a trip to the planets in our galaxy, exploring the surface of Mars, soaring above Earth in the Space Shuttle, and discovering new planets. How thrilling to imagine yourself working on the International Space Station or being part of a permanent space colony. Wow! For this adventure all a child needs to do is turn a page and get ready for an amazing journey.

Heather: *pulls out map searches for nearest mass of water* It is exciting to think about a trip to our galaxy, and it’s one dream that seems so out of our world which actually can become a true dream, I think it’s awesome. What was your favorite part of writing this book and learning about the solar system?

Anita: I loved learning about space firsts, the men and women who have made space exploration a reality. Also how the Mars rover just kept on exploring years after it was supposed to have finished its mission. It was interesting to read about the importance of international collaboration between space agencies. Without this cooperation, the International Space Station (ISS) would not exist. Thanks to this huge international effort the station is a reality. It was so cool to learn how astronauts eat, exercise, sleep, work and deal with challenges in space. In a short period of time we have moved from Neil Armstrong’s ‘one small step’ to making living in space a reality.

Heather: *heads off for nearest mass of water* How will the activities in the book help kids learn about the solar system?

Anita: As a former Montessori teacher I know how children love to explore and learn using their hands. Children are able to internalize projects, activities and experiments in this book by using all their senses. This interactive book is bound to stimulate more questions about the solar system.

Heather: *Arrives at large mass of water* How long have you been writing for?Anita: Writing and reading are passions I have had since childhood. I honestly don’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing down story ideas. For years I taught preschool and would write before and after school. I’ve been writing professionally for ten years. To date I’ve had ten books published and many magazine articles for both adults and children.
Heather: *pulls out piece of paper* What was it that got you writing for publication?
Anita: After the birth of my daughter I decided that the time in my life had come to just try and get published. Maybe I realized that I wasn’t going to achieve my writing goals if my manuscripts simply lingered in a drawer.
Heather: *begins drawing map of bottom of large water mass* Do you have a set time when you write, or just whenever you get the urge?
Anita: That’s a good question. I write everyday and find mornings the most productive. It’s important for me to set aside a block of time when I don’t answer the phone, check emails, run errands, etc. But I still find there aren’t enough hours in the day!Heather: *finishes drawing map of bottom of large water mass* Other than yourself, who is your favorite author?
Anita: It’s hard to choose just one favorite author or book. My home looks like a library. I guess it helps that my daughter is a library helper as she has done wonders organizing our collection. I am an avid reader of nonfiction biographies for children. I Iove Kathleen Krull’s “…and what the neighbors thought” series, Jackie Briggs Martin’s Snowflake Bentley, and M.T Anderson’s Strange Mr. Satie.Heather: *turns around and heads back home* Have you ever had writer's block, and if so how do you usually get rid of it?
Anita: When I cannot find a way to explain in ‘child-friendly’ terms a concept or event, I take a break from my computer screen. Listening to music, walking the dog and even gardening are helpful in clearing my mind. Heather: What do you recommend to aspiring authors?Anita: I think aspiring authors should read as much as they can in the genre in which they are wishing to write for. They should know what is being published and why. Taking classes and belonging to a critique group are also helpful.


Great tips, Anita, I’m sure they’ll help someone in his or her journey to become a great author like yourself.