Kathleen discussed how to create a character for a story and her own narrative style. Her most well-known book, “the promise,” was well-read and admired by many people. We spoke about her writing routine and writing tips in this interview. She writes every week. Finding out what your characters are doing is always intriguing. So for every writer, preparation and revising are really necessary. Continue reading to learn why developing characters is important in both fiction and non-fiction writing.
If you ever get a question or stuck somewhere while writing, I highly recommend you to read what Kathleen does. Well, how to create a character for a story, all writers have to keep faith in their writing. However, Kathleen advised to embrace each error you come across is one of the keys to success.
how to create a character for a story | Learn character growth from the author “the promise”
“There is a lot more to this story than its genre would suggest. There are touching, honest love stories set against the uncertainty and horrors of WWII, but there is the deeper pull of relationships of all kinds that really drew me in and held my interest. The author went to great care to flesh out the key players in this drama that ultimately spans decades. What starts as a benign, happy look inside post, World War I subtly begins to take on a wary expectancy as England’s Prime Minister declares war against Germany. Suddenly, the sheltered youth who only knew of wartime horrors second-hand are now faced with the possibility of losing everything their predecessors had worked so hard to recover. Young love and the prospect of family and a future are now put on hold indefinitely. Hearing from the key players in this rich historical drama in their own words is what really hooked me. The insights the author has for each of her characters is truly remarkable. Nothing about this story was pat or standard; everyone in this drama comes across vividly, with their own unique mindsets. Watching as they grow and adjust to the impacts of war is eye-opening and refreshing, and most of all authentic. I think this is a wonderful story and I look forward to reading more by this insightful author.” — Cynthia Hamilton
About Author
Kathleen Harryman is a storyteller and poet living in the historically rich city of York, North Yorkshire, England, with her husband, children and pet dog and cat.
Kathleen first published a suspense thriller in 2015, The Other Side of the Looking Glass. Since then, she has developed a unique writing style which readers have enjoyed and is now a multi-published author of suspense, psychological thrillers, poetry and historical romance.
How to create a character for a story
In 2015, you wrote your first suspense thriller. Tell us your author journey from the beginning to until now.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to write. Stories have always been an integral part of who I am, it just took me a while to find the confidence to write and submit my first novel. Like all important events in life, there are joyous highs and extreme lows. Moments that propel you forward, my first novel, The Other Side of the Looking Glass, did that for me. The book reviews have been lovely, providing me with the confidence and zest to write my second book. The conception for each book is different. My second novel came to me from a single line: What's wrong with being a psychopath... While The Promise is a book that sat inside me for a long time, waiting for the right time to grow.
Research is an integral part of any book, even when writing fantasy, there has to be an element that makes events believable. There have been times when I have even tried some of the escape methods my characters have used, to ensure it is possible. When Darkness Falls is based on the internal dialog of the serial killer, so, it was important that I understood what drove the character to do what she did. There was an immense amount of research on serial killers as well as forensic science and profiling, to keep the book as real as possible.
I've often read that writing is a lonely journey. This makes little sense to me. My head is filled with characters, battling for a chance to be heard. When writing, the story sweeps me away, and time melts. I never see the loneliness, just the visions that flicker in my mind, where the story takes me and what is to come.
From concept, I know the beginning, and the end, everything else is malleable. The ending may change slightly, When Darkness Falls, is one example. I'd always planned the end as I've published it. It was the Epilogue that was the biggest change, and I'm so happy it's there, the book would never have been complete without it.
Self-doubt is a huge part of writing, and there have been many times when I have written a book, and edited, and edited it, that I begin to wonder if it's strong enough. We all make comparisons, it's part of human nature, it is also what opens the door to self-doubt.
By the time I have finished a book, I will have read, and edited it, at least ten times, sometimes more. I need to connect with each story I write, to feel an emotional pull, which I can hopefully pass onto the reader. An author isn't a singular person, it is the story, the characters, and the reader. This connection is important, if the reader doesn't feel the story or become part of it, the story becomes lifeless.
There are no shortcuts in my writing journey. It's about hard work, embracing errors, self-doubt, and always having faith in my writing.
What is the name of your favourite writer of historical romance novel you ever read before you start writing, and what take way from the perspective of beginners (writers)? Read further how to create a character for a story.
The first historical book I read was “The Sunne in Splendour” by Sharon Penman. I'm not sure, if you would class it as a love story, but there were essences of real life romance enfolded within the story. Sharon Penman captured my imagination, changing my perceptions around Richard III and lighting my hunger for historical fiction. For this gift, Sharon Penman will remain my favourite historical author.
For me, The Promise highlighted the difficulties historical authors face. Research isn't based only on surroundings, life, machinery, etc, but also on dress, behaviour and speech. When writing an historical novel, you are entering a world that cannot easily be accessed. I was lucky when I wrote The Promise because I had access to the 1930s and 40s from stories told me by my father and great uncles. There was still a lot of research, even though I was plunged deep into WWII.
Tell us more about your novel, “The Promise” and what triggers you the ideas about making it live.
The Promise is based around stories told me by my family who lived through WWII, it is a story I longed to write, but also one I put off for too long. It was Lucy Marshall, (co-author) who came to me asking if I would write a book with her, that made me write The Promise. Some of the characters are based on Lucy's acting friends.
Like all the books I write, I knew how the story was to begin and end. But the night I met Lucy's friends, as we sat round my kitchen table talking, that's when the characters became real. Character relationships were forged from that night. Circumstances surrounding Tom Amitage and his father came into fruition. My brain works in strange ways, and I could see Tom's darkness and pain, as well as Sergeant Micheals strength and confusion.
Lucy was fantastic. When I told her some of the stories bestowed upon by my family, she would say, 'the hairs on my arms are standing up, Kathleen…' that's when I knew those stories would become part of The Promise.
I cannot tell you how much I cried when writing The Promise, and how much it touched me to write it. The Promise is my way of honouring my grandfather, James Chappell, who never returned from the war. My great uncles have kept his memory alive for me, and The Promise has allowed me to retell some of those stories. Though circumstances have been changed, the integral nature of those stories remain in The Promise. The Promise was a privilege to write, and I owe Lucy so much for asking me to write it with her.
The Promise was also a gift to my dad, Neville Chappell, who died in 2018. He never got to see The Promise published, but I was able to make hime smile and give him the knowledge that James Chappell would live on within The Promise.
What hard work you put in creating the protagonist and the other characters in the “The Promise” and ideas that you would like to share.
The Promise is told from multiple points of views, each character's thoughts, desires, and fears are laid bare as the story unfolds. It was my meeting with Lucy's acting friends that really drove each character's storyline, a lot changed for me that night. The interaction between them was inspirational, I do believe that the best characters are born from watching human interaction. While this isn't always possible when writing psychological thrillers, I can still get a favour of their essence from interviews, etc.
How to create a character for a story?
An important factor for me is allowing character growth, without the character becoming too dominant. Characters, even main characters, shouldn't suppress character growth, or you loose interactions you are going to rely on to knit the story together.
How do you plan your week if you are writing in your busy schedule? Would you like to give some tips to aspiring writers on character growth?
One thing I have learnt is that plans are never ridged, allow for outside factors, and so long as you write something daily, the weekly plan is a success. There are days when I'm not there creatively. However, I still aim to write something. Those are interesting days. When I go back and read what I've written the next day, that is when I notice how the story is evolving. If there is nothing imaginatively coming, I focus on a particular feature, like hair or eye colour, or even a dress, by picturing this in my mind. And writing it down, I find it frees up my headspace, allowing imagination to take over without conscious thought. Get fixated on something, and you lose everything because there is no way of moving past that point.
I hope Kathleen covered pretty much on character growth and many other things. Now it's time to explore more topics. Check out below interviews.
Julie has unique ways of telling the stories, in this interview with i'mBiking Magazine, she talked about her book, “The Poetry Mouse” and for her readers, she read her favourite poem. Moreover, there is good news for writers who love to write about horror and suspense. She talked about how her books ends leaving the readers astonishing, in a twist. Kusma also put her thoughts on difference between thriller and suspense according to her. Thus, she believes, unknown outcomes create a tension in any story. Therefore, learn from her why both, thriller and suspense are correlated to each other.
Her paranormal, supernatural, and horror stories contain simple truths about our human experience, and she shines a light on shadows with weird situations, unexpected themes, and twist endings. She holds a Master of Health Education, a Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness, and a Master in English, Creative Writing, fiction.
No matter what medium art takes; canvas, clay, or words on paper, the message isn’t so much what it means to the artist, but rather what the piece says to the observer. I hope my work speaks to you.
Julie Kusma
Moreover, every writer has his own way of gathering ideas. However, Julie get inspires is something unique.
What made you write about the book, “The Poetry Mouse”
The idea for “The Poetry Mouse” emerged in a conversation with my writing partner, Derek R. King. He shared several poems he wrote about hedgerow creatures and the idea of a mouse, Evie, anthropomorphized, took hold of me. I saw her living her ordinary life of doing what others thought best for her, and I realized this story had the potential to speak to children on so many levels. It is a story about authenticity and pursuing our talents and passions.
What was the first thought came to you before you begin to write the book?
For me, my first thought was the visualization of Evie holding her notebook with Derek’s poetry written on each page. I then formulated a storyline and wove Evie’s tale around his poems. At the end of the story, Evie sends her work to a publisher in the city, so there’s a sequel underway.
How many books you have written until now?
Wow, I’ll have to look… I have short stories in three anthologies: one with two stories that won publication in a contest, one with a horror story from a contest, and the third with four horror short stories. I also have two meditation CDs, three solo children’s picture books, two children’s picture books written with Jill Yoder (my amazing editor), three children’s picture books written with Derek R. King, eight more collaborations with Derek, and finally, three horror collections of my own.
So, the short answer is, I currently have 22 published works and 2 CDs. Additionally, three collaborated children’s picture books are slated for publication yet this year, along with another Keepsake book, Our Halloween all in collaboration with Derek, and a solo project of mine, The Crooked Crone & Other Mystifications, all scheduled for 2022 publication.
Does each of the books reveals the suspense at the end? Would you like to share your experience behind writing the suspense?
I do fancy a twist ending. My solo work, which is mainly paranormal or psychological horror, quite typically ends in this manner. I love taking the reader along on a ride and making that sharp turn at the end which reveals the destination is somewhere entirely unexpected. I love that.
For me, writing suspense is about layering your story, and this is accomplished through the writer’s voice and the literary tools and devices employed. Diction, syntax, figurative language, and the tone in which the story is told, offer many layering options for themes and symbolism— all creating the story’s motifs. So, with diction, for example, when writing horror, choosing words that are morose and macabre pull the reader in. All part of setting up the story’s suspense.
How do you distinguish between thriller and suspense?
Thriller is a genre where danger is present from the onset of the story: The thrill of the ride, reading the story. Suspense, although categorized as a genre, is really a technique where the unknown outcomes create a tension, a suspensefulness as the reader anticipates what happens next. Any story can be suspenseful, but not all stories are thrillers.
Are both of them correlated to each other?
Sure, a great thriller is suspenseful, and in a non-genre definition way, suspense is thrilling.
Are you currently writing any book? If yes, would you like to tell us more about it?
I am. This week, I will write the final chapter of The Crooked Crone, which began as a solo short story. I’ve expanded this into a novella by the same name, and it will release yet this year. Other than that, I always have at least a dozen projects going at the same time. Current open projects include two children’s books, a keepsake book— Our Halloween, and the above-mentioned solo project of mine, and dozens more just waiting to materialize. I seem to work best this way, as I can perform various tasks for the different stages of progress as suits my mood on any given day.
How do you get suspense ideas, what are the major sources, and why?
Just depends on, really. Sometimes, nature inspires. Other times, it’s people. The things people say and believe are excellent fodder for stories. For example, I saw an appointment reminder card stuck to a drain pipe with cobwebs, and Derek took a picture of this for me. A creepy horror story began to emerge as I asked myself how long has that been there and why. Additionally, my current stay in Scotland has inspired an entire series of micro fiction pieces titled Scottish Gothic and is available on my website here.
What is your favorite poem you ever wrote?
Probably “A Lover’s Silence.” I love the voice of this piece. It has been recorded for me by Jacqueline Belle and a video to compliment by Daniel Lacho of Guru Art Official. You can listen to this on my YouTube channel at A Lover's Silence or for all of my recordings, visit YouTube.com/c/juliekusmaauthor
But I’d love to share one of my published 50-word micros from my Scottish Gothic collection. This piece, along with a few others, is available to read on my website.
Do you love travel and meeting people?
I would have answered no before, but last year I met my amazing writing partner, Derek R. King. He lives in Scotland and I visited him last December. We have an amazing creative spark and exchange between us that is very easy and enjoyable. I believe this is why we are able to produce so many books in such a short amount of time. I’m currently in Scotland, and have been here since the end of March. I head back to the states in September, but while I’ve been here, I have travelled, met many people, seen a lot, embraced new ways of living and being, as well as created a volume of writing.
Would you like to tell us about your travel experiences that occurred funny, relevant to your writing or any sort of it, and eventually helped you a lot?
I don’t know if I’ve had anything particularly funny, but that’s subjective, right? I find life in generally humorous, so there’s that. However, walking through a grocery store in Scotland is quite entertaining for me. Seriously, no salad dressings to speak of. No pickle relishes. What? Pancakes are freshly made in the USA, not precooked and sold in a package on the bread aisle. And ice, don’t get me started on drinking soda room temperature without ice. Lots of funny stuff regarding food and lifestyle tickle my mind while staying in a foreign country. I highly recommend venturing outside one’s known territory and truly seeing how others live, especially if you’re a writer.
Every writer enjoy book on their weekend and on any occasions. Therefore, reading books teach us every day, and that is a time when most of our learnings occur. Every day is a new and special for us.
However, in case of Jackie, her education actually happened when she joined IBM. In 1972, during her schooling, everywhere was violence, the protesters, and the Vietnam War. Jackie also shared how her mother used to read romantic novels and enjoy her life. Jackie has also written a poem, “Out from the Shadows” accidentally, upon reading, it brings power to the one's selfness.
She believes, marketing is writing and selling an idea. Therefore, she took one more step and started investing more in writing romance as an endeavour to get lost in love stories.
About Jackie Lynaugh
Jackie's passion is writing, and her favourite place is the ocean. Besides, she loves painting landscapes, collecting sunglasses and crave sunshine like there's no tomorrow. She has worked as a marketing manager at IBM, writing technical spec-sheets for computer engineers. Now retired from the corporate world and writing fiction, family saga, and romance full-time. She is currently living in South Carolina.
Tell us when did you find interest suddenly evoked in you for reading or enjoy book, and at what age you got your first book and its name?
The first book I read at a young age was “Gone With the Wind”, by Margaret Mitchell. I read it again in a different mindset at 40 years old. The genre I gravitate to is romance and family saga. I also write in that genre. I don’t write historical romance. I write what I know.
My mother was a romantic bookworm. I watched her get lost in her paperback romance novels growing up. Some of her books, she would tape a brown paper grocery bag over the book cover. I remember the first time I pulled off the brown paper to see what she was hiding on the cover. It was like unwrapping a present. I would read her romance books when she was out of the house. From then on, I dreamed of riding off on a white horse with the shirtless hero my mother was hiding on the cover of the book.
Reading books for enjoyment is a luxury I never had while raising my children and during my corporate career, and as a business owner. Life was too busy to just relax and get lost in a great novel. I know I missed out, and I am making up for lost time reading for pleasure.
Where did you finish your schooling, and what experiences of life counted in your writing career, loving and enjoy book?
I don’t believe we ever finish our schooling. Life lessons happen every day. I dropped out of high school in 1972, went to night school, and later took the General Educational Development Test (GED), which took me nowhere. In the ’70s, racial tension and school dropouts were high, and the Vietnam War and protesters were on every corner. The world was on fire as peace signs, tie-dye t-shirts, and standing up for our rights were the thing. The '70s is a future novel in the making I hope to write someday. Life lessons in a small southern town are on my bucket list for my seventh novel.
Fast-forward to the 90s, I returned to the classroom at Winona State University in Minnesota. Short-lived but productive. In 1994, I began my corporate career with IBM in marketing. This is where my education began. I learned more on the job than I ever learned in a classroom. Later IBM relocated us to North Carolina where I wrote technical spec sheets for computer engineers. The documents were online and sent with the product for the customer to read and learn how to use their new computer and software.
Would you like to tell us when did you write your first poem and read it for us?
I fell in love with poetry in college. In the summer of 1993, I wanted to add credit toward my marketing degree and took a poetry class. It felt beautiful to hear words flow, and Walt Whitman turned me on to poetry. The first poem I wrote was by accident. I was writing notes for my novel, At Her All. The main character Lara Faye Edison is a college student. I was trying to get inside the main character's head. In my past novels, if I wanted to get into character, I would paint with oil on canvas the location's scenery.
Also, I sketched the scene on paper with a pencil and the character’s faces helped my creativity flow. It was like I could talk to the character, and they could talk to me. I am a visual writer. By doing this, the story would flow out of me like turning on a faucet, and the characters came alive. The poem in the novel At Her All is about Lara and her hovering parents.
Poem, “Out from the Shadows” by Jackie Lynaugh
“I wasn’t born to spoil under anyone’s shadow
and rot like an unhatched egg.
I wasn’t born to follow orders.
I wasn’t born for boredom.
I wasn’t born to satisfy someone else’s needs,
to take care of them
or they take care of me
or hide in their arms
or to be taken for granted.
I wasn’t born to follow ideas of what truth is
or to live according to someone beliefs
or to think along their lines
or to learn their facts.
I was born to think independently
I was born to find my own truth
and make my own rules
and find my own way.
I was born to meet life full throttle.
Walk the Appalachian trails.
To be seduced by an alpha male.
Kissed a thousand times
and loved for a million years.
To meet different faces, travel,
and learn other cultures.
Watch the stars at night.
Take long walks
dance on the beach
be swept off my feet
be taken by storm
to be heartbroken.
Stunned.
Shocked.
Devastated.
Lost
and found again.
I was born to get my hands dirty and
plant a garden and watch it grow.
To get sand between my toes.
Mud on my face.
Sand spurs under my feet.
I was born to jump into the ocean.
Pick up seashells and find starfish.
To go beyond time and space.
To welcome miracles.
To share a wishbone
and make a wish.
To totally lose myself.
I was born to feel everything
and to experience everything.
The bitter taste of sorrow.
The foul taste of hatred.
The sweet taste of love.
I was born to learn how to be grateful.
I was born to know the truth
and learn how to give to I have nothing more.
To work hard and play hard.
To pray.
I was born to learn how to speak the language of love
and unlock my heart.
How to take care of my health.
Learn how to let go of all expectations
and let the future unfold like unwrapping a present.
I was born to learn how it feels to lose everything
except for the things that matter.
I am born to spread my wings
fly towards the sun
burn into ashes
fall to the earth and rise again.
I will be proud of my scars and my wrinkles.
My stories.
My memories.
My wisdom.
My freedom.
I was born to be free
and therefore, time will let me live my
life out from the shadows.”
What circumstances made you to choose career into the field of marketing than going for writing? Could you please share with us in detail?
I’ve been in business for many years, and I was always marketing something. Marketing is writing, elaborating about a product, service, retail, wholesale, or selling an idea. In any trade, you have to write to market. It’s a labor of love.
Writing romance is one of the unlimited endeavors to get lost in a love story. To be invited into another human’s world of romantic thoughts and read stories about falling in love is the greatest triumph for a romance writer. I want the readers to question, cry, laugh, hope, feel emotion, fall in love, and dream you are the one and only. An overall feeling you belong in the story rescues optimism. Romance starts with an invitation into the most beautiful thing, love. Writing about love is personal.
The first manuscript I wrote was about health, and I mailed it to a publisher in New York in 1987. Motivated by the women who exercised at my health salon called Slender You in Winona, Minnesota. As a business owner of an exercise salon, I learned how important it was for women to support women. The manuscript was written to inspire women to exercise, with motivational quotes, and a diary to track success and healthy recipes. Six months later, it was rejected.
I filed the manuscript in the closet for safekeeping. I sold my business in 1989. The computer industry took off, and I knew IBM would change my life. I kept writing stories and frequently drew inspiration from my own experiences in the corporate world and private life. My career ended with a buyout at IBM. I reinvented myself and did something I had dreamed of for years. I took the real estate test and got my license to sell homes in North Carolina. I found success in real estate for 23 years. I am now a retired broker and writing romance and family fiction novels full-time.
I witnessed my son pass away tragically at the age of 45, in 2017. I learned he was also a closet writer, and he loved writing about his hunting and fishing trips. Heartbroken by my son’s death I learned writing was helping me with my grief. It was time to be the author I dreamed of being. In 2018 I wrote romance while working full time and as a caretaker for my mother who died at my home under the care of hospice.
I self-published my first novel, Plantation Hill in October 2020. Never planned to write a series, but I just kept writing. The next novel, Nectar (2021 second series) and then Hart to Hart (2022 third series) in Plantation Hill. The novel Inside Glass Towers was published in May 2021. I began writing Inside Glass Towers when my beloved husband was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer and treated with radiation and chemo at UNC Cancer Center. My latest novel At Her All was published in February 2022 and the story would never be complete without At His All (second series) out in 2023.
Life squeezed every ounce out of me. My books have been my recovery from life’s blistering truths, turbulent trials, inner turmoil, overwhelming grief, and a maze of absolute chaos through the healthcare industry during the pandemic. I am a caretaker's survivor and I came out on the other side stronger and wiser. It was time to come out of the closet, and share my novels with the world.
Today, my husband is cancer free. A comeback story all in itself for a future novel. Since retiring in 2020, I have published five novels in two years. Stories that have been buried in my brain for years came alive. To write and publish you cannot be a wimp.
Do you currently write as a full or part-time, and why?
I write full time. I am currently writing the novel At His All, the second series in At Her All, a bottle of lies. A Her and His (ladies come first) family saga. I have been patiently waiting for this stage in my life to open up and be who I was born to be, a storyteller. I came from a long line of storytellers.
Over the years, I was inspired by all the characters I met while growing up in a small, close-knit agricultural town in Belle Glade, Florida. The Glades motto is, Her Soil is Her Fortune. My grandfather Walter and my father Douglas were both incredible storytellers and role models for my future craft and my desire to write stories.
Which book you have written for the first time? It is fiction real life inspiriting? Moreover, tell us which character is your favourite one from the book and its journey, creating the character making it to live.
My first book is Plantation Hill. A Florida location from 1990-1992. Inspired by a southern family in the citrus business growing oranges. The family lives in an old southern white mansion tucked behind large oak trees with Spanish moss hanging from the trees that looked like an old man's beard. A typical Florida scenery of the old south.
My favorite character is Tee Hart. The readers tell me they fell in love with Blossom Hart, Tee’s daughter. The Hart family goes on different journeys, but with this family, blood is thicker than orange juice. And money grows on trees.
What struggle aspiring writers face? Could you please share your journey with us, when you were being an aspirant, what learnings you got as a first-time writer?
I was born an aspiring author. Two years as a self-published author have been exciting and challenging. If you are not ambitious, curious to learn, and thin-skinned, I’d find another industry to tackle. If you don’t like marketing yourself, social media, technology, and the ever-changing secret world of publishing, it might be a better option to work on your craft and keep writing and keep your day job.
The World Wide Web is still the Wild Wild West. The publishing industry has been like stepping back in time to find the secret code. To me, the most important thing is to entertain the readers.
Author Sheila Patel who is one of the Indians in UK, she has spent years claimed that being a British Indian, seems no culture diversity. The most of the Britishers have acquired many Indian cultures and vice versa.
About Author
Sheila Patel was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK. She is the youngest of 7 children. Born into a traditional Punjabi family, she went on to study Engineering at Leeds Polytechnic and John Moores University. She later obtained an MBA from the University of Liverpool.
After working at British Aerospace for several years, she became interested in working with young people and ran a successful training company in Liverpool city centre for over ten years.
Sheila talked about her book and the cultures of both the country, India and United Kingdom. The culture, especially, how Panjabi frowns upon boozing for the female members. Her book, “The Magic Vodka Wardrobe” shed some lights deep onto the traditions and day to day life in her story lives in UK.
How the ideas of writing about “The Magic Vodka Wardrobe” came from? Was it a real life incident?
At a recent Indian wedding, I noticed the aunties were rather merry. The bar area seemed full of well-dressed men, knocking back whisky and performing various bhangra moves. On closer observation, it was the scruffy Uncle/ cousin/ brother that was lingering around the aunties with glasses of vodka, which he cunningly added to the various soft drinks. There were no objections from the happy wedding guests, actually, it was rather welcomed.
It is no secret that the Punjabi culture frowns upon boozing for the female members of the family. Actually, daughters should be educated, married and very, very sober! I believed the Magic Vodka Wardrobe would be a light-hearted way to shine some light on this subject.
The stories are very tongue-in-cheek and often ridiculous. I thought it would be amusing to write about a secret bar located in the wardrobe of Sharon Singh's bedroom. The bar would be complete with Bachittar the barman, a disco floor and a glitter ball.
The books are about pushing boundaries as a British Asian and dragging the older generation out of the corner shop and into the new world, often by the hem of their sari!
How did you spend your childhood? Most of the writers have a unique thinking, spend years and have a limited time for leisure. Was it a long race for you, or the writing came in sudden after studies?
I grew up in the 70s, in an industrious city in the north of England. There were lots of factories where many Indian people worked. It was a very Asian community with Indian shops, curry houses and temples. Nearly everybody was my auntie or uncle, and I can confidently say that it was a very happy time.
I started writing in my 40s, it seemed like a good time because I had lots of life experience and had been secretly spying on everyone for years. The very first book in the series was written as a gift for my niece, I ended up writing five more.
Has anybody from your blood relatives was into writing, or it's you who developed the nerves of fiction yourself?
I have a very funny family, lots of us have a great sense of humour. I think I am the first one to publish my stories. I will be encouraging others to write their stories in the future, I should ask at the temple on Sunday.
The Book, “The Magic Vodka Wardrobe” why not in one go? Are there series of the same book edition to come in future? Is there any specific reason you would like to tell the readers?
There are six books in this series. The reason they are written as a series is because they are set in the present day so include on- going world events. Mrs Singh takes great delight in reading her daily newspaper and sharing the news with everyone. She enjoys anything relating to the Royal family, the Prime Minister and Greta Thunberg. She likes to display their portraits on the wall and bless them daily with incense and garlands.
The series also covers the more traditional events in everyday life such as Diwali, weddings, Christmas and Baisaki.
How much time do you give to your writing every day also tell us, is it part-time or full time?
I started writing as a hobby and only write part-time. If I have a good storyline, I like to jot it down for future reference. If I see something funny, I write it down. I enjoy the whole 'writers' experience and have made many 'book' friends along the way.
Have you written any other short story? If yes, tell us more about its characters and about the protagonist.
During the lockdown, I published the 'Pandemic Diaries'. These are written in the style of a diary and include daily entries by Aunt Sheila. Some of her thoughts are on masks, vaccines, panic buying, boxsets and the Government. Again, written in the form of satire, to highlight a very serious world event that affected so many.
How different lives of Punjabi family in UK than those live in India. Would you like to share in details about the Indian food, tradition and other things well maintained, or you have adopted the culture of UK?
Although I have lived here my whole life and have adopted the British culture, it is still wonderful to visit family and take part in many of the festivities and ceremonies the Punjabi culture has to offer. I do enjoy a traditional Indian wedding, although after three days of bhangra it can be quite exhausting.
I wonder if you know that 'curry' is the number one food in Britain, so it is interesting how over the years the British have also adopted many Indian cultures.
When we see the life closely, we can opt to stay back and fight or leave it forever. Preparing for the worst is always a better option than leaving the situation. Therefore, it is an experience that save us. The connecting dots of Bill from his real life experiences in his book, Baghdaddy teach us different surviving modules. Therefore, everyone should be aware of and those who are the witness to the Cold War, they may be living again in life through his book.
The experiences make the man perfect. The childhood of Bill was horrible that one never expect to have. He couldn't read when he was a kid. However, he won the award for his debut book. Explore more about Bill and his writing career in the interview below.
Bill Riley is an award-winning author of memoir and fantasy. He is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who has worked with intelligence agencies and special operations professionals around the world. Because of his background, his stories require U.S. Intelligence Community approval before publishing and—he is obligated to say—the fantastic events depicted in his fantasy books did not actually happen, and the world was never truly in danger.
Bill lives in Eagle, Idaho, USA, with his wife and two sons. You can find him online at billrileyauthor.com, and on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter @billrileyauthor.
What was your inspiration and purpose behind writing your memoir, Baghdaddy?
I witnessed the effects of Saddam’s rape of Kuwait and his failure to honor the terms of his surrender. Later, I was stationed in Iraq and experienced the unique challenges of trying to rebuild that country while some of its people were trying to kill me. My father tried to prepare me for the worst that life could throw at me. He taught me hard lessons that often hurt, and I resented them. After he passed away, I tried to put things into perspective. I realized that there wasn’t a lot of difference between the skills I needed to survive my childhood, be a father, and go to war. I met amazing people along the way, and connecting those dots brought me to Baghdaddy.
Baghdaddy: How Saddam Hussein Taught Me to Be a Better Father
My father once said, “One definition of adult is surviving your childhood,” and I never forgot it. I think Baghdaddy is successful because it’s a story of family, friendship, and love at its gritty core. Baghdaddy was a story I had to tell. It captured my father’s death and how I came to put what I learned growing up into perspective during my missions in Kuwait, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and in my life.
I’d say the purpose of Baghdaddy was twofold. The first, to share my experience with being a dyslexic kid in an abusive home who couldn’t read. And how I clawed my way out, grew with the help of friends, and not only had an intense military career, but in the end made a family for myself. That I could only dream about when I was a boy. Ironically, this kid who couldn’t read won awards for the first book he wrote. I’m proud of that. The second purpose behind Baghdaddy, was to give readers a look behind the scenes of a war most people only knew through television and a chance to meet amazing people who made a difference in our beautiful, sometimes terrifying, world.
Could you please share details about your intelligence activities during the Cold War and through your military career?
I wasn’t a special operator or in clandestine services. I didn’t have the passion for the first or the stomach for the second, and my non-disclosure agreements significantly limit the stories I can tell.
I can say that I have supported nearly every US special operations unit and intelligence agency and several friendly foreign governments, and that the CIA let me tell the story of two clandestine service officers on two of our missions. I’m grateful to the CIA for that. Furthermore, I loved them both. One like a father, the other saved my life and I very nearly married her. They were mentors and dear friends. They are no longer with us in the world, and Baghdaddy is the only place they still exist beyond the hearts of those who knew them.
I relate a few important intelligence collection and counter IED missions in Baghdaddy, and I can say that professional spies are exceptional people.
They are hand-picked, cultivated, forged, used, and, if they survive ops and politics, they are curated until either they’ve got nothing left to give or they become the next generation of curators. Some come from military backgrounds, others from academia; a few still come straight off the street, but one hallmark they all have in common is they’re unparalleled at building trust that they betray.
I can also say with confidence that if you took the hard classes at an elite school, work advanced IT at a top company. Work as a scientist or defense contractor in defense research, are successful in biotech, genetics, or any other highly profitable. Proprietary field, or if you’re at the decision level of government—you’ve probably already met a spy. Don’t believe me? Then they did their job right.
Do those intelligence and military experiences really help you in writing?
Yes. The decades of discipline formed supporting intelligence and military missions, both as a military member and later as a civilian, definitely help with my writing. I could argue that writing is the discipline of getting one’s imagination on the page, so others can experience it. My background has given me the skills to turn ideas into books by breaking down complex operations into achievable tasks on a deadline. Writing and publishing a novel is an act of perseverance.
Many talented writers give up along the way because writing is the deliberate sacrifice of your hard-earned time to share your dreams. But if you don’t finish your story, you won’t get read. For me, that sacrifice is worth it. I want to be heard. And I promise you, your sacrifice to be heard will turn into an investment in yourself. Writing is a self-determined, self-employed apprenticeship. No one can make you write your story. It’s a voyage of discovery.
Especially at first, we all share the same exhilaration and exasperation as we learn to write and tell our stories because we’re building an airplane as we’re flying it.
I’ll give you an example of how my background helped me write my new fantasy novel, Ashur’s Tears. Everyone has secrets. The difference is that a big part of my work meant I had to carry secrets that weren’t mine to tell. They still aren’t. I was an intelligence analyst who later specialized in communications, strategy, and cyberspace operations. I agreed to safeguard missions, sources, and people from any harm that might come from any disclosure of something classified.
I gave my boys enough truth to cover my absences, but not being there still disappointed them. The problem is: Kids start to sense there’s more to the story—especially when keeping secrets meant I was away from home for extended periods of time. That father/son tension is reflected in Ashur’s Tears. Secrets are tearing the Cypher family apart. Toby and his dad argue over it. Katie ignores it. Both strategies fail.
What was your inspiration behind writing your new fantasy book, Ashur’s Tears, and why?
I’ll start with why? When I was a boy, writers like Tolkien and L’Engle, Heinlein and Silverberg, filled my head with wondrous adventures that took me worlds away from my troubles. As a man, I’ve seen war first-hand, travelled to exotic lands and operated within different cultures. . . Often in secret places. Now that I’ve told my story, more than anything, I want to give readers the escape the authors of my childhood gave to me.
I spent years in Iraq helping to return sovereign control back to the Iraqi people and in combat. Several missions took me through the ancient Mesopotamian ruins that still punctuate the desert and dot the hill tops south of Baghdad. And there I was, standing atop the great ziggurat of Ur and the day was over. Below me, the Iraqi city of Nasiriya was hazy and distorted by smoke and sand hanging in the air.
Then the sun set like a goldfish swimming down a fuchsia river. Afterward, city lights flickered, and the ziggurat radiated an orange glow until the moon was a bluish sickle above my head. We were still doing cultural support missions to help protect national treasures after widespread museum lootings, and I happened to cross paths with a legit Iraqi archeologist. This was rare because the only “archaeologists” who worked at night back then were grave robbers. We drank tea at his camp. His English was way better than my Arabic. He told me stories about the ziggurat, the Sumerians, and the moon goddess Nanna. That night left an impression on me that served as my starting point for the Cypher series mythos.
But the idea for Ashur’s Tears started with the goddess Tansy, and my inspiration for her started with a cat I rescued from a tree on a thoroughbred horse farm in Florida. I named her Smudge because she had a gray marked nose on her otherwise caramel and white face. When I found her, she was a little thing that bolted into a petite predator pound for pound, fiercer than a lion. One day, she was sitting on the paddock fence, minding her business, grooming herself.
We had a stallion with excellent bloodlines, just back from the track, kicking and throwing a fit in a field. He was dark, 16-hands big, and meaner than a smacked hornet. Until his tantrum was over, no other horses were allowed with him in the paddock because he would hurt them. He noticed a Smudge on the fence pole, galloped straight at her, then turned at the last second, and spun back around, snapping his teeth. When she didn’t even flinch, he reared up and came down on top of her.
And Smudge sank a paw-full of claws into his nose. The big horse froze, and my nine-pound cat held that thousand-pound horse in abeyance, until she finished grooming. Then she hissed, and when she unsheathed her claws from his nose, that racehorse jumped back, fled, and never came within ten yards of Smudge again. Seeing her grace in action — and unflappable disdain for anything or anyone who wasn’t me — inspired the cat-goddess Tansy. The rest of the story grew around her.
In your opinion, how much research does one need to write a memoir?
People are curious about what happened behind the scenes of interesting events. It could be something as simple as overcoming a difficult moment because powerful, relatable moments make for a good memoir. Or, it could be as complex as an all-access pass to an event that changed the world. For both, readers want to be in the moment, and feel the highs and lows of what happened and why. Often, as the reader and author are both trying to make sense of it all. They go along for the ride together, and if they can learn something they didn’t know or visit a place they’ve never been—they will take away those life lessons as if they were their own.
Research, for me, is important because reviewing the facts and timelines and settings is always valuable as we humans tend to remember things out of order and differently than they may have occurred. Framing those recollections with facts is useful. A memoir is ultimately your story of what you saw, heard, and felt, and that should drive your story forward. There is no perfect memory of an emotional situation. Just ask any police officer gathering the facts in the aftermath of an accident. The stories of witnesses will vary widely. But how that accident or tragedy impacted YOU is real, and more human for its imperfection and emotion. Those are important stories to share. I’ve kept journals since I was a boy. They helped me capture key moments of my life and helped me make sense of what I was feeling and why.
I reviewed them and researched the world events going on around me for the timeframe of my book Baghdaddy and that was extremely valuable for both reliving childhood memories, accurately depicting wartime and political moments, and for reframing my experiences from a more distanced, and hopefully, mature perspective to scaffold the story for my readers. I might not have been aware of something as a child or in the moment of a firefight, but research helps provide facts and details to help put those moments in context and in perspective for my readers. Don’t forget the amount and type of research required is determined by the story you’re telling. A grandmother teaching her adopted granddaughter how to bake and bond as they get to know each other and to show how those moments affected them both may require research in recipes, events, and different timeframes, whereas a behind-the-scenes story about launching a political campaign in a corrupt government will require extensive evidence for both authenticity and protection from litigation.
Why did you choose hybrid publishing? What is it, and why not go the traditional publishing route?
Hybrid publishing is a form of independent publishing that lies somewhere between self-publishing and traditional publishing. You pay for services like editing, covers, and production. But your book can be more widely and directly distributed to stores and receive greater marketing, media, and event opportunities like traditional publishing. My publisher, Brown Books, has extensive experience publishing military books. In fact, many of the professional books I used during my military career were published by them, and I didn’t realize it until I met their President at a writer’s conference. So, I knew they produced high-quality books.
I liked that I got to keep all rights to my work, and my royalty payout is much higher than a traditional publishing house. I also get to leverage tradition publishing expertise and can work with editors and experts that would be difficult to reach if I self-published. Prior to contracting with Brown Books, I did have two agents, who after reading Baghdaddy, wanted to sign me. They were people I really wanted to work with, and their client lists left me starstruck. The sticking point was both wanted me to break Baghdaddy into two books. One a hard life story, and the other a more pumped-up military mission story that would be inspired by true events rather than a memoir. Honestly, I had worked hard for that moment, and I would have made good money upfront when they placed those books.
They even offered to fly me out to New York City to sign the contract, but Baghdaddy tells a story that would have been lost by disentangling its threads, and books are about risk management for agents. Agents don’t get paid until they place your book, and these are agencies that represent popular culture icons, presidents, and legendary writers. I could take the deal, or we couldn’t work together. I wasn’t tall enough, yet, for the ride that would let me do it my way. Their principals sent super nice notes. One day, I’d like to work with them, but Baghdaddy wasn’t the right book to make that happen. So, I went with Brown Books and Baghdaddy went on to win a lot of awards, and hopefully, it will get another printing next year.
Later a different agent read my new book Ashur’s Tears. He said he wanted it, but after four months of hearing nothing, Brown Books offered me a deal. They wanted to expand their juvenile titles, and they liked my new book. It was still hybrid publishing, but they kicked in a big marketing push and a few perks. I liked working with them, and since this was my first fantasy book, I knew I would need a development edit to reach a different, younger audience. After Ashur’s Tears started production. I did finally get a call back from the agent to discuss signing with them, but by then, I was well into my contract with Brown Books. And once a series is independently published, no agent will sign you unless you have a breakout hit, or you have a different story not attached to your series to bring to market. Then the process starts over. Ashur’s Tears released this week. It’s already on a few summer-reading lists, and my book tour kicks off in July.
What are the cons of hybrid publishing, an author should know?
The two biggest downsides to hybrid publishing are the upfront cost and the fact that you will have at least a small print run of books sitting in a warehouse. I had the benefit of a successful previous career and a good platform, and for being recognized in my field, and that translated into enough speaking gigs to make it worthwhile. As an author, if you’re with a good hybrid publisher you can get the very best author services money can buy, but you pay for it. It’s not a good fit for everyone. It’s a business and your return on investment is up to you and the market. Which can be a frightening thing. While a self-published author, on a tight budget, may only need to sell dozens of books to break even, a hybrid author may need to sell a few thousand copies. That’s a big commitment. You get all the control as a hybrid author, but you absorb all the risk, and even most traditionally published books don’t sell through. Check out all the coverless books in the dumpster behind a bookstore at the end of every quarter. Those were the books that didn’t sell. For most authors, print-on-demand offers the most advantages with little to no upfront cost and no print run risk. For me, it worked out, and I now have two hybrid published books, one self-published book, and additional income from ghostwriting. Follow the path that’s best for your book and you.
What is your strategy of promoting your books? Do you believe word-of-mouth publicity after reading the book is best?
My publisher has a catalogue they pitch to book buyers around the country and a small team that manages international rights. Usually, meetings start the season prior to book release to socialize what will be available. Press kits and advanced reader copies start to go out about four-six months in advance of book launch. With press releases and more Press Kits going out about a month in advance of launch.
If you’re trying to pitch articles to magazines that have a theme complementary to your story and want them to come out around the time of your book launch, the lead time could be more than a year. My social media follows my life as a writer, and I’ll do art and cover reveals the month leading up to my book release. For Ashur’s Tears, I did a big prelaunch conference event to meet librarians and sign advance reader copies in advance of their summer programs. Before and after release, I’ll do a few Amazon and social media ads to see what works and figure out how I want to continue supporting the book. Also, after launch I’ll do as many book events as I can and now, I’m starting to schedule events from Fall to the end of the year.
Is word of mouth the best advertising? I think so. No one is going to buy the next book in your series and sell your story to their friends harder than someone who loves your book, but that ties into reviews and book events and building your mailing list of fans to keep growing your reader base. And there’s a learning curve to figure out what works for your personality and what works for the types of stories you’re telling. For Baghdaddy, I spoke on war and conflict and different military and intelligence operations at museums and veteran’s groups. For Ashur’s Tears, I’m working school festivals this year. This is new for me, but I must get my new book in front of as many parents and kids who will love it as I can. So, I have to go where my audience, or their parents, are.
If you’re starting out or working to grow your audience, I recommend making friends with other writers, participate in writers conferences and see what other local authors and writers are doing to spread the word. Stress comes from fear of the unknown and knowing there are about a thousand things we should be doing to write and sell our books, but not knowing where to put our time, effort, and resources. No one can do everything, but anyone can try new things that might interest them and see what works.
What is your daily target of writing? Are there any strict routines you follow?
I get most distracted when working out first drafts. I do plot and outline, but my stories usually change along the way. Revisions and edits are easier for me to schedule, but I need to take my laptop somewhere quiet, where I can hear my thoughts and live in my imagination without distraction. I try to spend six hours a day on writing, editing, and marketing tasks. I find that if I wake up early, get coffee, and head straight to my office, I can usually write for a couple of hours before everyone else wakes up. When that happens, I move on to editing or the business side of writing. There’s always something that needs to be done.
My friends swear by writing sprints for first drafts, and I see the value, but I’m more of a walker than a sprinter. Until I build up my writer endurance, I find the more I schedule time to write, the more I get done. I can rewrite and edit for much longer amounts of time once the main story is on the page, but getting it out is like trying to get a toddler into clothes they don’t want to wear.
In the early phase of writing, a good day of writing for me is three good pages. In the later phases, I can revise 1-2 chapters or more a day. When I was in combat zones, my goal was one page over the course of a day. I’d think about what I wanted to write the night before. I’d set aside fifteen minutes to write during breakfast. I’d print it if I could and revise the page over lunch. Over dinner while catching up with other people, I’d make the changes. Incoming rocket and mortar fire would give me other things to think about, but when I was confident the attacks were over, I would look forward to thinking about what happened next in my story.
So do what works for you. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but carve out writing time for yourself where and when you can. Fence it off. Guard and defend it. Otherwise, that time will go to everything else, your frustration will grow, and your story will stagnate. Writing doesn’t have to be all day every day. Our lives are complicated, and we have other commitments, things to do, and needs. But be honest with yourself and the moments you know you can write, draw a well-marked line of death around yourself. Revel in the moment you made for yourself and write.
Was it difficult transitioning from adult non-fiction to upper middle grade/tween fantasy?
From a creative perspective, my transition to upper middle grade fantasy wasn’t all that hard. While memoir is tied to real events, fiction is more flexible and offers ways to explore the unreal. Figuring out my approach to this audience was the challenge. Many adults love tween and middle-reader stories and will like this series, but Ashur’s Tears is written primarily for 12-15-year-old readers whose lives are in a state of change. The physical changes are intense. They’re transitioning from grade school and again to high school. Everything in their lives is becoming different, including them. Tween readers have a lot going on.
As I edited Ashur’s Tears, I found myself refocusing my imagery and revisiting my word choices in ways that would be meaningful for both adults and a younger audience. Those changes helped me show Toby, Katie, and Tansy’s journey through their upended world in a way younger readers could relate to and enjoy. That part was challenging, but so worth it.
What was your approach to bringing the different character arcs in Ashur’s Tears together?
In Ashur’s Tears, Toby is driven by logic and science. Katie starts out lonely. She feels things so intensely it hurts. Katie feels like she’s different and missing something, but she doesn’t know what. She intuitively understands things Toby doesn’t, like when she observes that he trusts the system too much, but Katie doesn’t know the hole she’s trying to fill in her life is magic. Not until she meets Tansy. Toby and Katie are driven by who they are and how they approach their ever-changing world. Like all of us, they are works in progress as they discover their missing pieces and grow. Along the way they each have epic fails and hero moments, but they must learn to trust each other, come together, and become the family they need to survive.
My dear friend Lucy once told me, “A scar you learn to never get again is progress. It means you got to live another day. It’s proof you’ve grown.” Things hurt. If we survive and learn from them, we grow. I think that approach, more than anything else, is how I brought Toby, Katie, and Tansy’s different paths together at the end.
What would you like for your readers to take away from this interview?
There is enough room in the world for both technology and magic. If you never give up, you have the power to change yourself, your fate, and maybe the world.
True Stories About Honesty: Kevin Miller talked about how and what took him to craft his debut true crime novel, “Heart of Steel” to live. Indeed, it was a success of his hard work and dedication.
Available on Amazon
Air Force veteran and Award-Winning Best-Selling Author, Kevin D. Miller woke up one day to learn his last name wasn't the name he used his entire life. His name wasn't the All-American Miller, but the very Polish Puchalski. Some old newspaper articles he stumbled across revealed a deep family secret and a tragedy that occurred in a farm in rural Ohio in 1920. This sent him on a search for the truth.
Have you written any fiction yet as your book, “Heart of Steel” based on a true story? If not, do you have any upcoming projects for fiction lovers?
My second novel, White Skies Black Mingo, was released in November 2021 by Headline Books and was inspired by my great, great-grandparents. She was Native American, and he was the son of Irish immigrants and a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. The book has won nine major book awards that include, Winner of the Regional Fiction Category at the 2021 Next-Generation Indie Book Awards and Gold from the 2021 Mom's Choice Awards. The book is Historical Fiction and follows the life of a young Native American girl who faces extreme hardships but discovers a forbidden love. All of my books can be found on my website at: www.AuthorKevinMiller.com.
My third novel, Eyes of Morpheus, is Visionary Fiction and was just released this month by Headline Books, Inc. It is a FINALIST in the International Book Awards for 2022. It is the story of a neuroscientist who invents a cryogenics process that actually works. She is later diagnosed with a fatal form of cancer and must decide to fight the cancer or enter herself in the very program she created. Eighty-seven years into the future, she will learn the consequences of her decision.
To write “Heart of Steel”, how many days you took to gather ideas and craft it. Most of the writers said, writing non-fiction takes numerous efforts, is it true?
In writing Heart of Steel, I spent a lot of time researching the facts of the case and the history of my grandfather's life. It took me three years to complete my research and publish the book.
Tell us more about the book on whose life it has written?
Heart of Steel is set in 1920 rural, Ohio and is based on the true life story of my grandfather, Stanley William Miller. When he was thirteen years old, he awoke to discover his father murdered in his own bed and his mother bound and gagged. It was said that their farmhouse was robbed by three men, but the story later breaks down and shocking, dark family secrets are revealed. My grandfather was taken to an orphanage along with his four siblings, and he later escaped and hopped a train to Chicago, where he found work in a steel mill and as a bootlegger as a young boy. He saved his money with the idea who would return to Warren, Ohio, and rescue his siblings.
The book was optioned by GKg Productions in Hollywood to become a motion picture. It was also optioned to become a true-crime TV docu-series.
In any non-fiction story, does the writer try to get justice to the victim, being the writer in charge? What is your view on this?
In my opinion, when writing a non-fiction true-crime story, the writer should tell the story honestly and include all the facts of the case. Heart of Steel is written in the style of a novel instead of a documentary to give the reader a cinematic experience as the protagonist. The reader lives the story through the eyes of the thirteen-year-old protagonist.
What was the first crime story you have ever written, and was it fiction or non-fiction?
The first crime story I have written is Heart of Steel: Based on a True Story and available on Amazon. The story is based on real events and the real life of Stanley William Miller.
Please tell us how many crime storybooks you have read and written. Enlist your favourite books and writers.
Heart of Steel is the only crime story I have written so far. I plan on writing more crime stories in the future. I enjoy books by David Baldacci, Dan Brown, Michael Crichton. Absolute Power is an excellent book by David Baldacci. Origin was well done by Dan Brown.
What are the names of your motivational authors and one of the favourite quotes charge you every time to write more.
My favorite authors include Michael Crichton, David Baldacci, and Blake Crouch. My favorite quote is “Story trumps structure.” by Donald Maass. It means that a great story told is more important than the structure and prose. Without a good story, there is no story.
Getting a time for writing for a working professional is quite difficult. However, in this busy life, one must need someone to care, love and support in writing. Therefore, none another but the life partner is the best. Read what Joel shared on writing, including what support he gets from his love and life.
Behind every successful man, there is a woman
Fact
Joel Shulkin
About Joel Shulkin
Being a full-time physician hasn't stopped Joel from writing. Far from it, the complexity of his patients, prior service with the United States Air Force, a Master's in Public Health. And involvement in organized medicine in the middle of an ever-changing healthcare system all provide raw material for his stories.
Joel's short work has appeared in various print and online journals, and he's won several awards, including Best Medical Fiction from SEAK and an Honorable Mention from Writer's Digest Thriller Suspense Competition. ADVERSE EFFECTS is his debut novel.
Joel lives in Florida with his wife and twin daughters. He is represented by Lynnette Novak of the Seymour Agency.
It is true that experiences teach us, and they are our first teachers in the life. When did you decide that you must write about the “Adverse Effect”? Was there any life-threatening incident in your medical practice?
Fortunately, I've never been in a situation at work where my personal safety was threatened or I was afraid for my life. The idea of adverse effects of an experimental drug, however, originated from an uncomfortable experience (see below) and my training in psychotropic medications. I also was pursuing my Master's in Public Health at the time that I started writing the book, including courses on ethics and global human rights. That's when I learned that human trial conducted overseas often lack the institutional review oversight required here in the U.S., opening the door to maltreatment of subjects and the potential for pushing through unsafe drugs for approval. This book was a way of exploring the hazards of the current practice.
You being a full-time physician (MD), how do you find time for writing? To write a book, one need empty mind and calm environment. Therefore, you must be meeting many people in clinic every day, how do you manage time and place for writing?
It's not easy, especially now that I also have to keep up with marketing things like social media posts, interviews (!), and so planning for book launch. But typically I wake up at 5 am daily and write for an hour in my little home office before everyone else awakens. I aim for at least 500 words per day--sometimes it's a lot more, and sometimes it's only a handful of sentences. Or I might use that time for editing. Even 500 words a day over 6 months comes out to 90,000 words, which is a pretty good amount for a thriller.
Share to us what was the moment made you write this book and why? Please tell us a story behind the inspiration.
I used to ride the bus to work when I lived in Boston, and there was a time when the entire bus was empty, until one man wearing old clothes boarded and decided to sit directly behind me. It was uncomfortable, but I could imagine how frightening it might be for a woman in that situation, especially if the man started talking to her. When I got home and told my wife about it, we came up with the idea of a woman who recovered from amnesia, but starts to question if her memories are real. That experience became an early scene in ADVERSE EFFECTS, when a homeless man sits behind Dr. Cristina Silva and says, “I know who you are. Who you really are.”
How do you schedule your day in the busy lifestyle? Tell us more about your family and friends who have helped you in the writing process.
As mentioned, I typically do my writing in the early morning, as I help get the kids off to school, feed and walk the dog, etc. My wife is very understanding and supportive of my writing career, however, and she was actually my first reader and editor until we had kids, and provided wonderful insight into how women think (helping to make sure Cristina acted like a woman, not a woman written by a man)--and, seeing as she is from central Brazil, ensuring that my references to Brazil and use of Portuguese in the book were accurate. Now that we have kids, she doesn't have the time to read my work, but when I need extra time set aside for editing, proofreading, or meeting a deadline, she keeps the kids busy to give me the time I need. I'm also fortunate to have become friends with several authors who share an agent with me, and we read and critique each other's manuscripts.
Do you have any other writing projects ahead? If yes, are they only limited to medical thriller stories, or non-fiction based on true story?
All of my current projects are thrillers--mostly medical thrillers but one is a sci-fi/superhero thriller, while another is a psychological thriller. I was going to co-write a non-fiction book at one point in the past (before I finished ADVERSE EFFECTS), but the agreement fell through.
Tell us more about the book, adverse effects and the characteristics of the protagonist.
ADVERSE EFFECTS is about psychiatrist Dr. Cristina Silva, who is studying the effects of an experimental memory-restoring drug on her patients. But when two of her patients commit suicide, she fears the drug is at fault--especially since she's taking the same drug. Then she begins experiencing unfamiliar flashbacks. When a stranger tells her she's not who she thinks she is, and she experiences nightmares and waking visions, she begins to wonder if she's losing her mind, or if the life she's recovered is the illusion. Determined to help her patients and friends even as she struggles to keep a grasp on reality, Cristina sets off on a search for answers that spans two continents, even if the answers--or the adverse effects of the drug--may destroy her.
It is a great account of a duo, a mother, and a daughter fighting for freedom, life, and justice.
However, writing on this account, Gibbs faced many difficulties emotionally as well as technically. Therefore, she did not give up her writing as well as caring and loving her daughter. The story tells us about her daughter from the beginning to present day about cerebral palsy patient (It is a group of disorder that affect a person's physical ability in terms of movement and balancing).
From all of that, one thing about the book, “My Rachel” to keep you inspiring and resilience not only both, mother and daughter but also readers. In this conversation, she talked everything about life, freedom, expectations, passion, love and coping up while writing the book.
You have written a memoir about a mother’s love. Could you please tell us about the book, “My Rachel”?
Author S. J. Gibbs
Gibbs: This book is based on real life events and is a raw and authentic account of a true fight for life and justice. It is a memoir about the love I have as a mother for my daughter, Rachel, who is diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy, a condition that makes her incapable of voluntary movement or speech.
It tells of her incredible story, one she is unable to tell for herself, from the beginning of her life, to the present day, spanning a period of more than thirty years.
It conveys the special bond between us, in an open and honest manner. The book explores the true meaning and impact on everyday life of caring for a daughter with severe cerebral palsy. It highlights all the different emotions experienced including anger, grief and confusion, but also the hopes and fears, courage, inspiration, and resilience of both mother and daughter. Perhaps most importantly of all, it portrays Rachel’s passion for life and her mischievous sense of fun. Rachel’s story is one that deserves to be told, not least because it examines how the justice system works in cases of medical negligence.
What was your motive behind writing books and why you wanted to become an author?
Gibbs: My passion as a teenager was always reading, and I loved writing short stories for pleasure. I never considered becoming an author and, when I reached adulthood, my career took a completely different route, although reading always remained my passion. As life moved on and Rachel was born, and I watched how this complex life of ours unfolded, I knew in my heart that one day I wanted to tell her story. Eventually, I sat down and began to write about this special and extraordinary life.
Tell us more about your family, education, and turning point where you thought to pursue in writing.
Gibbs: I am married with three daughters, two stepsons, a granddaughter, and a Labrador dog, Haribo. Rachel is my eldest daughter, and lives at home with me and my husband, in a village in the West Midlands of England. All our other children are grown-up and independent and are spread out all over the world in Brussels, London, and Nottingham in England. My youngest lives in Melbourne, Australia.
I left school aged fifteen and opened my first business, a record shop selling second-hand records. The turning point where I decided to pursue my writing came as I was struggling to continue writing “My Rachel.” I had written seven chapters, but I was finding the emotional side of telling Rachel’s story too difficult. Following on from a discussion in my local pub with an author, Michael Andrews, and with his encouragement, I joined a local writer’s group of which he was a member.
Through this small group, I met J.M.McKenzie who had a medical background and, as such, a real understanding of my situation and some of the technical aspects of the story. After some discussion, we decided that the best way forward for me to complete “My Rachel” was for her to be a co-author. Meanwhile, through the writer’s group, I found an absolute love and passion for writing fiction. I completed a comprehensive creative writing course, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and it certainly helped to improve my writing skills.
How many books have you written yet, and which one is closest to you?
Gibbs: I have been involved with the writer’s group since 2015, and each month we set a prompt for writing a short story. From these exercises, my first published piece of writing was born when we published an anthology of these home works. By now, we had set up a small publishing company, JAMS Publishing, initially to enable us to draw on each other’s strengths and skills for the purpose of self-publishing. This first anthology, “Words Don’t Come Easy” now has three other books in the series, “Words Don’t Come Two Easy”, “Words Don’t Come Threely” and “Words Don’t Come Fourth”. Michael Andrews suggested that I should publish a fictional short story in order to learn first-hand how it felt to actually produce my own book and hold a physical copy in my hand.
The experience was wonderful, but I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t a novel length. The short story is “Fighting a Battle with Himself”. Hence, I began to write my debut fiction novel, “The Cutting Edge”, a story about a young girl who strives to overcome adversity. Meanwhile, a friend approached me with an idea for a book he had wanted to write about healing and asked if I would co-author it with him. It is since published as “The Secrets To Healing with Clear Quartz Crystals”.
My second novel is a story of a complex protagonist who has a reaction to a trauma, creating a highly unreliable narrative. It is entitled, “A Parallel Persona”. My third novel, “A Santorini Escape” is a romance set in Santorini and written from a male perspective. It is due to be released shortly. Of all my books, “My Rachel” will always have a special place in my heart due to the nature and emotion of the content. But holding my first fiction novel “The Cutting Edge”, in my hand was a very special moment.
How much time you took writing and editing “My Rachel”. As well as how many edits you have given to this novel and why?
Gibbs: The process of writing “My Rachel” spanned a period of fifteen years. This was mainly due to my emotional involvement, which delayed it for so long. Once J.M.McKenzie took up the mantle, the book was finished within a year. The editing side of the book was the first experience I’d had of this procedure. Both myself and J.M.McKenzie self-edited and then we employed a professional editor to complete the process.
What is the difference between writing fiction, non-fiction and memoir? Please tell us with an example.
Gibbs: For me, there is a huge difference between all three. Fiction enables the author to escape into a world entirely free of restrictions, a narrative which takes the characters wherever they fancy. I find writing fiction to be a place where I can explore many ideas, and truly love the freedom of this style of writing. For example, in “The Cutting Edge” the protagonist, Rochelle, faces one hurdle after another but overcomes them all with strength and determination.
Writing non-fiction, such as “The Secrets to Healing with Clear Quartz Crystals” gives less freedom to the author and I found that more research and fact checking were necessary. Memoirs like “My Rachel” can be very emotive to write, as I discovered. Also, the author is relying on their memory of events, and it can be a difficult process if you want to convey the story in a way that’s truthful and honest.
Where do you want to see yourself as an author in the next 10 years, and what you need to prepare yourself for that?
Gibbs: I hope to continue writing fiction novels, as this is where my true passion lies, and I feel that each novel I write is an improvement on the previous one. I quote, “Practice makes perfect.”
Gillie talked about her interest, story behind her book and the most important thing is enjoy yourself being a writer. Read why her thought about writing is intriguing.
About Gillie Bowen
Gillie Bowen was born in Nakuru in Kenya and have travelled the world extensively over the years. She is a retired British journalist, now living with her husband in the Loire Valley in France. Gillie loves to write, cook, to entertain and to travel.
In her book, “Beneath African Skies” She has brilliantly explored the young people's challenges lived in 1820. She believed writing saga fiction, inspired by true events, required a family who can provide deep information about the subject. On other hand, an internet help for more information.
How did you find the story about your book, “Beneath African Skies”
Beneath African Skies is a true story about my ancestors who left England in 1820, as part of a British scheme, to emigrate and become settlers in Southern Africa. I was always aware of Hougham Hudson’s story, but I became more interested as I investigated more about the Hudson family. Hougham Hudson was my great-great-grandfather and my mother Molly was born on his grandson’s farm in 1919.
What are the genres you love to write. However, “Beneath African Skies” what message you wanted to send to your readers writing this fiction?
I love to write historical fiction, based on true stories. Beneath African Skies is fiction based on a true story. As well as my mother’s memories and my own research, my uncle, George Hudson, self-published his life story before he died and that was a very useful source of information, too. I wanted to get across to my readers what brave young people the 1820 settlers were, and the challenges they faced over the years.
Therefore, writing thriller, how much struggle one required? What is your strategy to get onto collect the evidences for pursuing the ideas?
Beneath African Skies is not a thriller, but more of a family saga based on a true story. I research all my books very thoroughly, using the family information I already have, and exploring the internet for more.
How many other books you have written, are they based on real life inspired? Tell us more about your favourite writers and their books.
I wrote the sequel to Beneath African Skies several years after it was published. Entitled Breaking African Ties, it takes the reader from the end of the Second World War to Kenyan Independence. My family lived through these times and their lives are well documented. I wrote Breaking African Ties after a number of my readers said: ‘And then what happened?’ Always interested in genealogy, I turned my attention to the Bowen family and research showed that my husband’s great-great-aunt, Emily, had emigrated from London to Australia in 1882, leaving her five-year-old daughter, Lilian, behind. That fascinated me. Why would any woman travel to the other side of the world, leaving her daughter behind? The Lost Seed of the Pomegranate is Emily’s story, and I loved researching and writing it. I was next to discover, through my genealogy research, that I too had a famous aunt on my side of the family. My seventh great-aunt, born in 1728, was a brave young woman who saved hundreds of sailors’ lives by going out with the rescue boats from her hometown in Kent, England. She went on to design the forerunner of today’s lifeboat, and to this day, the RNLI in England name a lifeboat after her. The Mary White was first published in October 2020. The sequel White on Wight is the story of her nephew, Thomas White, who went on to become the biggest shipbuilder on the Isle of Wight. It will be published this month.
I have also written a modern-day, romantic drama trilogy, The Ville Rose series, which is a family saga, covering three generations of an English/French family. It is based in Toulouse and London. Favourite writers? Ian McEwan is a favourite British writer. I have read most of his books and have recently finished ‘The Chldrens Act’, which I found very moving. McEwan writes about people and their emotions. His genre varies. I love historical novels and I like Marius Gabriel’s writings. I particularly enjoyed ‘Goodnight Vienna’ which is based on a true story during the German occupation of Austria at the beginning of World War 2.
What is your daily target of writing? Number of pages, words, or finishing a particular scene and settings?
I don’t have targets. I like to write in the early morning before my family is awake. I write as much as the mood takes me, but I usually try to finish a scene before I stop for the day. I usually write or edit every day of my life.
Do you write a plot first or decides your characters before you start putting them on Papers?
On the whole, I write by the seat-of-my-pants, but I always have a basic plot before I start a book. I draw a graph, to remind myself of where the story is going, and when things happen. I keep a checklist of all the characters as they come into the story and the page number on which they first appear. I find this very useful when I need to refer back to a Character.
Would you like to say something in your voice to your readers about writing and crafting?
Writing is an addiction to most authors and if you have a craving to put your story into words, then do it! It doesn’t matter how well you write; you will improve as you develop your craft. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself. If you find it a trial, then writing is not for you.
The thoughts of Melisa on complex relationships are well conceived in her book, “The complexities of love”.
In this interview, she talked about her hard work behind the debut book and characters. Read more about her strategic thoughts of writing and finding inspiration to write the book.
Melisa Quigley was born and raised in Victoria, Australia. She has an Associate Degree in Professional Writing and Editing from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Her work has been published in anthologies in America, Australia, India, and the Philippines. The Complexities of Love, young adult coming-of-age romance, is her debut novel.
How did you get the word complexities out of love?
Melisa Quigley: Love is complex because when we love someone or are in a relationship, we need to look closer at the person we are with or want to be with and develop an understanding of them and their world. For example, when we are young, we learn about ourselves by looking at our world: mother, father, brother, sister etc and how we relate to each person in our family.
When we go to school, we develop relationships that can be complex because other children may be from different socio-economic backgrounds and have different beliefs and values than what we are used to. Everyone wants to be loved and accepted and will either conform through denial, self-doubt or because they feel insecure. This is where relationships become complex.
Tell me why and how your character holds it so close to the title?
Melisa Quigley: Mark is a closet gay and hopes his family will never find out. Being gay in the 60s, and 70s and decades before that was considered bad. Mark is insecure and walks through life as a teenager with his guard up. He doesn’t show his authentic self because he’s frightened about what everyone will think of him. Being gay and looking for someone else who is gay add to the complexity of dating and love.
His life is complex because when he goes out with Laura, he finds it hard to reciprocate her love because he’s gay. He doesn’t tell her he’s gay. Instead, he acts like a straight male so no one will know he is gay.
There are deep scars and wounding from Mark’s childhood with things that happen within his family nucleus. I won’t spoil it for you here. You’ll have to read the book to find out. Shame and guilt add to the complex nature of being gay and not willing to come out. Mark doesn’t know what he’s looking for because he didn’t see what he was trying to create when he was growing up. He had his parents – a male and a female, to guide him. Females and males pursued him along the way, and it’s how he deals with each situation that shows the complexity of each relationship.
What are your views on love and hate, and, are both needed in a relationship?
Melisa Quigley: Everyone has a right to love and be loved. It doesn’t matter who they are or their background. Love and hate are both emotions that can be experienced when someone is in a relationship. Hate is generally caused through jealousy or betrayal. A person can become angry and/or fearful because they don’t feel loved enough by their partner.
If a person is brought up in a family where the parents are always arguing, a child can grow up finding comfort in a love hate relationship because in their eyes it is a way to express love. Experience has taught them that causing pain will bring their relationship closer. What they don’t realize is there are other ways for a relationship to work effectively. People like this need to learn to let go of what they gain from the conflict, e.g., always being right and work towards communicating openly and effectively. Love is needed in a relationship, not hate. If you’re in a relationship where there is a lot of hatred it conjures up feelings of being unworthy or unlovable and no one wants to feel like that.
Tell us more about the book “The complexities of love” and what research you did before it went live?
Melisa Quigley: The Complexities of Love is not only about Mark being a closet gay male in the 60s and 70s. It’s about family bonds and what happens to Mark and his family. I have three gay male relatives from whom I gleaned information. I also read gay novels and watched gay movies, as well as documentaries about being gay during that time. It was their vulnerability that stayed with me the most.
How did you find the character, “Mark” for your book?
Melisa Quigley: I didn’t find Mark, he found me through inspiration.
Is his character inspired by real life or all fictional?
Melisa Quigley: I’ve been writing in a diary since I was twelve, and I’ve fictionalised most of the events that took place in the book, but some are based on real life. For example, I used to date someone who wanted to be a chef. His name wasn’t Mark, but the person I dated used to tell me what happened in his class, what they made, and sometimes he would bring home things for me to taste test.
What is your strategy of finding a new character.
Melisa Quigley: I don’t have a strategy. The characters find me when I’m asleep or gardening.
Do you start writing fiction plot picking up real life character?
Melisa Quigley: I’m a pantser, not a plotter. My next novel is loosely based on a real-life character/person I used to know. She kept coming to me in a dream and wanted me to tell her story from someone else’s point of view.
Share some moments of writing when you were a child
Melisa Quigley: From the age of five, I used to write letters to family, friends, and relatives. I love looking at people’s handwriting, the colour ink they use and the curve/straightness of each letter. Unfortunately, letter writing is a lost form of art these days. My parents said I should work for Australia Post because I used to go out to the letterbox to see if there was any mail for me. I became a member of The Guild League of Friendship in 1977 and used to write to three girls in different parts of America. I still write to one girl who lives in Minnesota.
I used to love writing and receiving an excellent stamp with a kookaburra on it when I was in primary school. I was one of the first children to go from writing with pencil to pen. It was so exciting.
As well as, day to day life of a writer, what is the best strategy of time management as being a housewife?
Melisa Quigley: I don’t have a strategy; I call it a juggling act. Every day is different. I work part-time on Monday and Friday. In-between washing, ironing, cooking, cleaning, and gardening I read and write. Reading is just as important as writing.
How many books do you have on your shelves, and what are your favourite and the most influential writers in your life?
Melisa Quigley: I have over sixty books in my bookcase. I like to read a book and donate it to charity. It’s my way of paying it forward so someone else who can’t afford to buy it new can get it at a cheaper price.
