Merry and Happy whatever you celebrate....from Writers4Higher

The year's-end holiday in my family revolves around the celebration of Christmas. Wrapping gifts with the involvement of a pet (usually a cat, as the dogs historically only got involved if food was involved), a bit of baking, seeing family and friends, and southern comfort food. Okay, so the traffic makes me a little more nutso than usual, but I do get a kick from the random discussions with complete strangers in the toy aisle. This year, a few of us gathered around a robotic dinosaur that could be "taught to belch and fart." Wow. Sometimes there truly are no words. :)

I am so very fortunate. Period. In all ways. In regards to the Writers4Higher blog, I have been impressed by the posts of my fellow authors and others affiliated with this writers' life. 

The media would have us believe that people are inherently evil, intent on destruction. This blog confirms the opposite: a far greater number of humans are kind, willing to give their time and gifts to uplift, sustain, and inspire. 

I thank you all for that. We are staging our own quiet version of a revolution.

May you have a wonderful holiday, whatever you celebrate. Allow yourself to take a deep breath and enjoy.

See you all in January, with more talented authors and writer-ly folks.

Rhett DeVane
southern fiction author and blogmaster
www.rhettdevane.com 

Writers4Higher features author Jeff Weddle

Hi Jeff. Welcome to Writers4Higher.

First of all...perfect shirt!

1. Tell me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.

I am a native Kentuckian living in Alabama. My family has been here for eleven years and we love it. My day job is teaching in the School of Library and Information Studies at the University of Alabama. I am a pretty average guy. Wife. Son and daughter. Cat. Dog. I practice Tae Kwon Do, as do both of my kids. I also happen to be the son of a writer. My mother, Laura Weddle, has published two short story collections and I’m proud to be following her lead with my new collection from Southern Yellow Pine Publishing, When Giraffes Flew.

The strongest influences on my writing are probably Charles Bukowski, Barry Hannah, Raymond Carver and Richard Brautigan. I have loved short stories since I was old enough to read them and was fortunate enough to take classes from Barry Hannah when I was a graduate student at Ole Miss about twenty-five years ago. Barry taught me a lot about narrative voice and the delicious ways in which humor and simple human tragedy can comingle. While I don’t write every day, I have been a steady writer for many years. This new book is a culmination of my efforts over a long stretch.

2. Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?

When Giraffes Flew is my fourth book. My first, Bohemian New Orleans: The Story of The Outsider and Loujon Press (University Press of Mississippi, 2007) won the Eudora Welty Prize and my others are a poetry collection and a co-authored text on negotiation strategies for librarians. I’ve also published a fair amount of fiction and poetry in little magazines over the years. With Giraffes, I feel like I’m on a roll and am looking at putting together another story collection maybe in a couple of years. I might get ambitious and try my hand at a novel.


3. How do you use your talents/time to help others?

I am a teacher by profession, so I hope I can say that my job is helping others. The fact that I teach in a program that educates future librarians makes me feel like I’m helping not just those that I teach, but also the communities they will help when they find jobs as librarians. I also do volunteer work for the Tuscaloosa City Schools, most recently teaching Tae Kwon Do to elementary school kids. I have also taught classes in Book Arts and Origami for the kids.

To order When Giraffes Flew: http://www.syppublishing.com/when-giraffes-flew/

Do you have a taste for the bizarre, abstract, and peculiar? This eclectic collection of short stories will tantalize your imagination and your sense of propriety.

Here you will find exploding chickens, flying giraffes, and one very ugly monkey. Barbers sick with love and school spirit. A mailman with a vendetta against junk mail. Mayhem. Love gone wrong. Lost souls of all stripes. Join Jeff Weddle—Eudora Welty Prize winning author—for twenty-nine excursions into the dark heart of contemporary American letters. When Giraffes Flew is sure to grab you and not let go.

 A blurb from a reviewer:

"Weddle's stories are dark gems. When cracked open they reveal the pathos of the twisted light that governs the strangeness of the human psyche."

George Eklund, The Island Blade, Poems, and In the Arms of the Fog, Poems in Spanish and English

Where may I find Jeff Weddle?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeff.weddle1

Webpage: http://threestorycaves.wix.com/jeff-weddle

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeddleJeff

Author page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Weddle/e/B001JRZKX0/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Thank you, Jeff.

Rhett DeVane

southern fiction author and blogmaster

www.rhettdevane.com

The purpose of the Writers4Higher blog: to feature authors in a new light, a fresh look at the way writers use their talents and life energies to uplift humankind. Writers4Higher doesn’t promote religious or political views. Authors are asked to answer three simple questions: simple, yet complex.

A Writer's Come Undone--Some Words of Wisdom from a Survivor.

A Writer's Come Undone

A come undone.

If you're from the Deep South, you've heard the slang. If not, stick with me and I will drag you into the light.

Unraveled. Hit the wall. Stumped your toe on the block. 

Come undone.

If you write, you will have at least one come undone during your career. If I call it a career instead of a hobby, I force myself to take it seriously and hunker down to the work.

I do love an analogy, so here goes.

Compare a come undone to a plateau in a weight-loss diet. You've bumped along nicely for a bit, started to view the bathroom scales as a tool instead of a fiend. You've walked every day and avoided the bakery aisle. Then, it happens. You skid onto the plateau. 

Days pass without so much as an ounce slipping away. If you eat one more salad, you threaten to run naked, screaming, to Georgia. (Insert the state line nearest to you here. Mine is Georgia, and thankfully, not too far to run. If I was a runner. Which I am not.)

You rage. Consider giving up and wolfing down the cheesecake bars in the back of the freezer--left over from some long ago occasion, but why quibble.

You don't. You hang in there. Finally, the scale shows meager success. 

Until you hit yet another plateau.

A literary come undone follows the same spastic samba. I clip through the rough first draft, thinking myself somewhat clever. Days pass, months. 

One day, I sit down to the laptop and come undone.

Why am I doing this? Is it a huge waste of time?

I consider pitching the laptop to the curb, watching it arc high, then crash. Brush off my hands and go inside and, I dunno, take up dental floss crochet or clean the baseboards.

But I don't.

I persist. Write pure crap I wouldn't read to a rabid raccoon. Work through it. And guess what? My writing improves. A novel emerges on the other side (in this case, Secondhand Sister.) It is my favorite child, to date.

I did not major in creative writing. I grew up at the feet of master storytellers. Everything I've learned has been by trial and error, heavy on the error. Critique groups, beta readers, trusted author friends and editors: all have helped me limp my way along. 

None of us perform this art in a vacuum, though it seems very lonely at times.

And we all will stall at some point. If not, we're not digging in hard.

Breathe. Embrace your come undone. It will pass. The writer that emerges on the other side will gain a seasoned patina she, or he, didn't have before.

One more thing: come undones and chocolate mix well, for me. Find your crutch and lean on it. For a beat or two.

Then get back to that manuscript.

It's only a come undone, honey.

Rhett DeVane

Southern Fiction Author

www.rhettdevane.com

Writers4Higher features author Zelle Andrews

Hi, Zelle. Welcome to Writers4Higher!

Tell me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.

I was born and raised in Tallahassee, Florida, and married my high school sweetheart. We lived briefly in Mountain Home, Idaho, on the Air Force Base. Our children, Sarah and Dylan, were born there. The thought of our children growing up and not knowing our families, except through phone calls, pulled us back home. Shortly after my daughter was born I tossed around the idea of writing a novel, but life got in the way and raising my children took priority. It wasn’t until twenty plus years later that I was sitting at work one day and the bug bit me again. I kept my notes and writing to myself for a while. I didn’t even tell my husband, until one day while we were cleaning the kitchen he ran across a scrap piece of paper that I had written the beginning of chapter one on. I whispered in embarrassment that I was writing a story. He was more excited about it than I was and has been supportive all the way. It took three years to write my debut novel “Paisley Memories”. It is about a young teenager who is raising a child with Down syndrome by herself. With only her wits, and a little bit of money, she lives like a gypsy with her daughter, Paisley. She comes to the realization that she either needs to put roots down and raise her daughter the best she can, or find a family who can give her daughter much more stability than she thinks she can provide. My daughter also has Down syndrome and was the inspiration for my story.

Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?

I hope that my writing endeavors take me everywhere! I plan on a sequel to “Paisley Memories”, which takes place in Panacea, Florida. But I also have other story ideas. One story takes place in Massachusetts. I’m excited about the prospect of traveling north. That is what makes this career amazing. You have an opportunity to meet interesting people, learn about different cultures, and travel locally or abroad depending on the setting of your story. I also see it as a career to completely become consumed with when I retire from the state. Only my creative ideas will show where it will take me.

How do you use your talents/time to help others?

I am part of two critique groups. We bounce ideas off each other through emails, in addition to monthly meetings. We critique the material that we are working on and share ideas. As a writer you can easily get discouraged and think that your story isn’t going anywhere. We inspire and keep each other on track. I am also starting a Free Little Library house in Crawfordville, Florida, near a local walking park. It is a means to promote literacy throughout the community. If you want a book, take one. If you have one to share, leave one. It is a great way for the community to share their books with each other if they aren’t able to afford to purchase them, but love to read. My husband will be putting his handyman skills to work very soon. Wish me luck!

Order Paisley Memories on Amazon

Where to find Zelle Andrews:

Twitter - @maryleigh1967

Facebook – www.facebook.com/ZelleAndrews

Thank you for sharing with us, Zelle. Best of luck with your library and your writing!

Rhett DeVane

Southern fiction author and blogmaster

Visit Rhett DeVane's website

Writers4Higher spotlights Margaret Murphree of Bookish Gifts

It’s that time again. Holiday season. Time to think about giving to your friends and family. Besides books from your favorite authors, how about gifting fun literary stuff?

Have I got the place for you….

Margaret Murphree joins the Writers4Higher family, providing unique gifts for the literary folks on your list. If you are like me, you will add to your own wishlist.

Hi Margaret. Tell us about  yourself and Bookish Gifts.

I have been a “research hound” for as long as I can remember. There is nothing more energizing for me than “the hunt” for information. I got my library degree and found my dream job working on the Reference Desk of the State Library of Florida in Tallahassee in the early 1990s. Want to know statistics on endangered wildlife in Florida? Found it!  Want articles on the history of cheese? Got it!  Want to know the names of Santa’s Reindeer? Got that too! (Yes, Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn is one of my favorite movies!)

Along my librarian journey, I developed a love of notebooks – all shapes and sizes and styles. Pens too! A couple of years ago, I experimented with making notebooks myself and opened a small shop on Etsy, an online retail source for handmade craft items.  

When my boss suggested I sell my notebooks at an upcoming state library conference, I jumped at the chance!  As I prepared for that event, my love of the hunt kicked in and I found more and more items that I knew librarians – and writers- would love!  Notebooks? Sure! But also bookish jewelry, candles, scarves & ties, greeting cards and oodles of fun, bookish & writerly stuff!

Since that first toe in the water, I have had a sales booth at writers’ conferences, book festivals and, of course, library conferences.  By the time you read this article, I will have retired and be headed to the Miami Book Fair having the time of my life!

http://bookishgifts.com

Find me here:

http://bookishgifts.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookishgifts.shop

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bookish_gifts

Instagram: https://instagram.com/bookish_gifts

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/bookishgifts

And here: mmurphree@gmail.com

Thanks Margaret. You are truly one of “our people.”

Rhett DeVane

Author and blogmaster

www.rhettdevane.com

Writers4Higher features Dr. Maureen O'Neil

Hi, Dr. O'Neil. Welcome to Writers4Higher!

1.  Tell me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.

     Who is the Little Green Guide?

The inspiration for this book was my Little Green Guide, my grandson, John Riley. John Riley loves to spend time outdoors. He is happiest when he is running and playing in nature. His natural curiosity about things makes him an eager learner. When I wrote this book he was 2 ½ years old. He never ceases to amaze me with what he remembers and asks about when we play outside.  He is also very excited to share his discoveries with anyone who will listen.

That is the very definition of a Little Green Guide:  a little one who loves being out in nature and sharing the magic of it with others and helping to insure that it will be there for the next generation to enjoy. My intent is writing this book was to instill both a love of the outdoors and a love of sharing what they learn about nature with others.

 

I hold a doctorate in Education and Human Development from Boston University. I am an Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and a Certified Green Guide. I enjoy exploring nature with my grandson John Riley.

2.  Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?

I hope to do a series of books about “The Little Green Guide.” The next book I hope to write is “The Little Green Guide Goes to the Beach.”

3.  How do you use your talents/time to help others?

I took a “Green Guide” course through Tallahassee Community College last fall semester and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I learned about the many benefits of getting outdoors, including less stress, more fun and an appreciation of the environment. I now want to share that love of nature with others and help insure that nature’s beauty will be there for the next generation to enjoy.

To order The Little Green Guide: 

 http://www.kendallhunt.com/little_green_guide/

Nature is a child’s greatest playground. It is free, it is available twenty-four hours a day and it is right outside your window. Sadly, playing outdoors is becoming a lost art! A recent survey found that half of the adults polled had played outside at least seven times a week when growing up, while only 23 percent of their children do that now.

Children love being out in nature and sharing the magic of it with others, while helping to insure that it will be there for the next generation to enjoy.

The Little Green Guide is a valuable story and activities manual that encourages teachers, parents, and family to get outside with their preschoolers (little green guides) to explore nature and have fun!

Not only will spending more time outdoors provide children with life-long benefits, parents and teachers will reap many rewards themselves! Bonds will be strengthened, all will learn more about nature, and be pleasantly surprised how some outdoor time can improve one’s mood (as well as blood pressure)!

The Little Green Guide includes easy-to-understand lesson plans that can be adapted to any preschool setting as most classrooms have children at a number of different developmental stages. In addition, the activities can be used verbatim or may be customized to fit individual needs. Teachers and parents are encouraged to use their imagination as much as the children use theirs!

Thank you for telling us about your writing, Dr. O'Neil!

Rhett DeVane

blogmaster and southern fiction author

Visit Rhett DeVane's website

Writers4Higher features author Dixie Ann Black

Hi Dixie. 

Welcome to Writers4Higher

1. Tell me about yourself. Your book(s), your life, your inspiration.

During my youth my mother always teased me by saying, "If someone would just pay you to talk, you'd be rich!" If Mom meant it as a subtle nudge for me to stop talking so much the hint was lost on me. I have always felt that I have so much worth saying! :) Looking back on my childhood I now realize that it was due to the lack of a ready, listening audience that I took to writing. At the age of 10 I wrote my first poem thus consumating my love affair with the written word. Many writers cite books that have sparked or influenced their writing. For me it is the other way around. I write to share the sweet renderings of a world we rush through often forgetting to listen to its wooing. I pen the secrets of my own soul and hold it up as a mirror for the broken, the lost and the hopeful. I write also to record the beauty of the ordinary, always seeking to uncover the wonder of Now. It was years after I had written many poems and short stories that I came to realize there were many others who had gone before me and that my writings belong to a genre called "Inspirational". When I speak it is from this place. I am convinced that listening and speaking from the heart creates a conduit for Truth that will prove to be life for the listener. 

It is in this manner that my first book, "Just Chasing the Sun" came to be. This collection of poems and short stories were all birthed from the crucible of my own life experiences or observations. They are the feelings and stories we all experience on some level, the telling of which creates a resonance in the hearer. 

Who I am is a result of this resonance. It is my inspiration. I experience my own life in all of its madness and joy. I reinterpret it through deep listening and find that my story creates a resonance of healing for those who hear.  I remember my elders creating this same resonance through their stories as we sat by the fireside in Jamaica. I am from a family of story tellers. But times have changed, so my stories are recorded in a book and I speak to groups outside of my immediate family. This, I believe, makes me an author, a poet and a public speaker. 

2. Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?

I see myself speaking to groups all around the world, sharing with them through my poetry and stories. I travel extensively and find that there is always a deep connection to Spirit regardless of race, religion or creed. This is the stream that feeds me and all who will take the time to slow down and listen. As I listen I continue to write and will continue to publish. Book two is coming soon!

3. How do you use your talents/time to help others?

The purpose of my book and my life is to help others. I have been sharing both formally and informally with listeners for over 20 years. I share with a variety of people on a one on one basis daily. I also speak to women's groups, church groups and healing circles when invited. Readers have shared with me that they use my poems as part of meditations. When someone tells me that they enjoyed a story I wrote or that a poem has touched them I am always struck by the realization that it was worth all the pain and struggle I went through just to bring nourishment to one person.

Order "Just Chasing the Sun"

Where to find Dixie Ann Black:

Website: www.DixieAnnBlack.com

Email: DixieAnnBlack@gmail.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/dixieann.black.5

Twitter: @DixieAnnBlack

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Chasing-Sun-Dixie-Black/dp/0983366675/ref

Thank you, Dixie!

Rhett DeVane

Southern fiction author and blogmaster

Visit Rhett DeVane's Website