Writers4Higher Welcomes Cameron J. Quinn

Writers4Higher features

Cameron J Quinn

Hi, Cameron. Welcome to the Writers4Higher family!

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

    I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire. You know the play "Our Town"? It's based on the place I grew up. Seriously. And a lot of the people there are more interested in making sure your historic home is painted the proper shade of white and keeping out drive-throughs than getting to know their neighbors.     

    It was a happy place to grow up (mostly). Whether it was because of the lack of McDonald's or in spite of it, I'll let you decide. As my dad warred with his neighbor, the town zoning board member, about whether or not he could run a scrap metal yard out of his house I was playing in the woods, making up stories, and playing with my three older siblings. This place inspired a lot of my writing. It is truly a beautiful and magical place to grow up with big fields, enormous pines, and mountains on the horizon where ever you turn.    

    My mom is the reason I love reading and books. And the reason I started writing. She used to write these stories for children about a little frog. I literally remember nothing about the frog. I remember sitting in the living room by the computer completely captivated by this story and the woman who'd created it. She was my mother. I've been obsessed with stories ever since. Writing my first series of books in first grade. And attempting a few novels in high school. I always received good feedback for my short stories but I wanted to write a book.     

    When I met V.S. Holmes (Author of the Reforged Series and The Nel Bently Books) and we became close I never imagined we'd end up where we are.    

    After high school, I got married and followed my husband to Camp Le Jeune North Carolina where he was a machine gunner in the Marines. V went to college in Canada, we kept in touch but it was mostly out of sight out of mind. Then, after I had my first child, she reached out to me. "Remember that book I was writing? I finished it" I'd also been working on my book so I offered to exchange first chapters. When I got the email I was incredibly excited. When I finished reading it I was horrified. She'd written these beautiful passages and a compelling story and I'd just sent her a bunch of drivel! She inspired me to keep going and keep honing my craft. And never called me out on the crap I sent her. (Her next chapter was not so polished so I felt better about sending her pieces).    

    Fast forward a few years, I have three kids, have published 7 books (a serial The Starsboro Chronicles), V has published 5 and we own and operate a publishing company.     

    My books are all based on myths and legends. Two things I am absolutely fascinated with. (Except the one that's inspired by serial killers. I wanted to be in the FBI prior to having kids).

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

    On the open ocean. My husband and I have a had a rough go of it. Not that I have a problem with that, adversity helps you grow, but when we decided to shift our focus from living in a house to buying a boat, life's possibilities truly opened up. Traveling with three kids is expensive and well... horrible. But, if we live on a boat, it costs about $25k a year and we get to go where ever the wind takes us.     

    But, you need ways to make passive income. That's where online business and books come into the equation. I write because I love to, but if I can finance the majority of our living expenses with the press and my books, as I write from the trampoline of our Catamaran (they are pretty expensive don't be thinking you can get a Cat for $25K lol that's living and travel expenses) then I will be living the life.

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

    I love marketing. Especially book marketing because it's truly easy to get behind the product. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked to sell something that's really not worth it. You feel gross and just want to run and hide in a dark corner somewhere. Books are different. Working with an author and their books is like working with a puzzle. You need to take their personality and preferences and figure out how to best showcase their talent and their work. Sometimes it's a battle. All authors say they want to sell books but most authors are also scared. Scared that their book isn't worth reading, or scared of rejection and bad reviews. It's sad when they let that fear control them. I had the opposite problem with my first book. I just wanted to get it out there and I didn't understand how editors worked. I thought they were the typo police. The editor I hired for that, left a ton of typos and I had to hire another. And she helped me with the story a bit and I thought all was well but I was rarely seeing sell through. So after a lot of contemplation, I pulled it. And I put it through The Story Grid. And that made all the difference. But I'm not the norm. If you had a structural edit from a true professional, you revised and you went through the steps, your book is worth reading. So swallow your fear, read the one-star reviews of your favorite books, and let's do this thing.     

    I also have a podcast (The Amphibian Press Podcast) where I help readers find authors and vice versa through author interviews and books reviews.  And I have a blog for authors to help them navigate today's publishing challenges.     

    And last (for now) I'm working with a local high school to create a workshop for students so they can see the benefits of being a writer. It's not true anymore that you can't make a living from your writing. So, I teach them different exercises and then at the end, we compile and anthology and I publish it. This is the first year but I'm hopeful about the prospects.

Would you like to find Cameron?

Check out the links to this talented author:

Cameron Quinn's Website

Cameron's Links

Amphibian Authors Podcast

Be sure to visit the Writers4Higher Market! We have gear for the writer in you.

The Writers4Higher Market

Rhett DeVane

Fiction with a Southern Twist

Writers4Higher blog

Rhett's Website

Writers4Higher features author Diane Sawyer

Hi, Diane. Welcome to Writers4Higher.

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

Diane grew up in Greenport, a small resort town on the eastern tip of Long Island. She graduated from SUNY at Albany, Seton Hall University, and Fordham University, where she received a Ph.D. She married her college sweetheart, Robert. They lived in Tallman, New York, near New York City, and raised a son and daughter. She taught French, Latin, and English, and for several years was the Coordinator of a K-12 district-wide English as a Second Language Program.

Tired of shoveling snow and raking leaves, Diane and her husband made a big change in their lives. Fond of beaches and dramatic sunsets, they moved to St. Petersburg, Florida. No more snow, but plenty of leaves. She split her time working as an Educational Consultant and writing, but as soon as her first novel was published, she turned to writing full-time, and her long-time dream became a reality. Her short stories have won awards; her novels have been published internationally. She is a frequent guest speaker at writing groups and workshops.

The Tell-Tale Treasure is Diane’s first novel for SYP, Southern Yellow Pine Publishing. Others will soon follow. Her five previous novels—The Montauk Mystery, The Montauk Steps, The Tomoka Mystery, The Cinderella Murders, and The Treasures of Montauk Cove—were published originally in hardcover by Avalon, then in paperback by World Wide Mysteries, and recently in hardcover, paperback, and e-book by Thomas & Mercer, the mystery division of Amazon. She writes a newsletter/blog to family, friends she grew up with, neighbors, fitness friends, volunteer friends, writing friends, and people she meets as she travels the world seeking adventures that often make their way into her stories.

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

I can’t even begin to predict where my writing will take me.  A story begins forming when I learn something new and different (such as the haunting sound of a musical instrument called an erhu, sometimes called a Chinese fiddle or Chinese violin), then I research the topic to learn much more, and, most interesting of all, I create characters who will live that story and possibly help solve the mystery that is taking place. At that point, the hard work begins: writing and rewriting, discussing my critiquing partners’ advice and, of course, monitoring the characters, who, in every novel I write, seem to vie for a bigger role. That’s when I have to ask myself: who is in control?  Is it me or is it the characters?

For a long time, I reached into my past for memories of Long Island, where I grew up. I branched out to the New Jersey shore after I saw a painting entitled The Woman by the Sea, and created a story. Two years ago, I traveled to Guatemala on an adventure trip, where my group climbed high pyramids, swam deep rivers, learned how to shoot a blowgun, and journeyed through the jungle and onto a balsa raft to travel down an Amazon tributary. I recorded everything and turned it into an adventure story that should be in print next year. I didn’t know what I was writing until I got home and put it all together. So, I don’t know where my writing will take me—and that’s the biggest adventure of all! 

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

Volunteerism plays a very important part in my life. Currently, I volunteer as a Friend (and Secretary) of the South Community Library in St. Petersburg. We organize all the donated books, sell them once a month at a very popular books sale, and with the funds we buy summer programs that take place at the library for the children of all ages. The programs are educational and fun. Most popular this past summer was the “Ranger” who arrived with boxes of every size (with air holes), housing animals that he discussed. The favorite was the amazingly long, bright yellow python.

I also teach creative writing to the Teenage Book Club at the library once a month. I am a docent at the Dali Museum, where I give tours in English and French.

Annual events also occupy much of my time: The Great American Teach-In where I teach 6 classes of creative writing in one day, once a year: First Night (New Year’s Eve Celebration) where my husband and I serve as information people and sell tickets to our popular event for all ages. Over the years,  I have also volunteered at Bayfront Hospital, The Fine Arts Museum, and the Florida International Museum.

Readers can connect with me at my Amazon Page: 

amazon.com/author/dianewsawyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monica.sawyer.50?fref=ts

Website: www.dianewsawyer.com

My books are available from my publisher:

Southern Yellow Pine (SYP) Publishing: www.syppublishing.com

              Also, online at these vendors:

              www.amazon.com  and   www.barnes&noble.com

Best to you and your writing, Diane!

Rhett DeVane, blogmaster

Southern Fiction Author

www.rhettdevane.com

Writers4Higher features author Rick Burnham

Hi Rick. Welcome to the Writers4Higher family!

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

I am originally from Jasper, Fla., a small town about an hour or so east of Tallahassee. That is where my heart is, and that is where a few of the fictional towns from my book are located.

The Air Force took me away from all that – at least for 22 years. But I was able to see the world, and visit places that I would almost certainly have missed otherwise. Korea. Panama. Portugal. Washington, DC.

Education came a little later than most. I have a couple of undergraduate degrees: Psychology from Saint Leo, and English from Valdosta State. I absolutely enjoy the classroom. Just a little weird like that, I guess.

I also enjoy writing, obviously. My first attempt, “Lute Casey, Redneck Vampire,” is a curious little cross between Stephen King and Jeff Foxworthy and was more fun to write than I care to admit. The second took a more serious turn. “Moon Over Berlin” follows my father’s trek through WWII, with a nice little fictional jaunt thrown in for fun. It was my intent to get it into his hands while he was still here, and I was very happy to achieve that.

The plot of my third and current book, “Hank: The Storyteller’s Story” is a bit more involved than the first two. At its core, I guess, “Hank” is a love story, though it is more about the bonds of family and friendship than romance. Sorry, no “50 Shades” this time around.

I currently live in Cairo, Ga. with my wife Stephanie, and work at the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. I have been there for two-and-a-half years.

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

My job at the Department of Elder Affairs gives me the opportunity to meet and talk with a great number of elders living in the state of Florida. I mention that because I believe our elders to be a tremendous source of inspiration. They are an absolute treat to talk to, and their stories and experiences are a veritable treasure trove of material. If there has been one theme with my books, it has been “old folks talking.” I intend to explore that path a bit more thoroughly.

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

A couple of ways. Through the newspaper of the Department of Elder Affairs (The Elder Update), I am able to tell the stories of a few of our citizens here in the state. I enjoy doing it, and if my work brings an enhanced sense of pride and satisfaction for the people I write about, along with those who read my stories, then I have done my job.

Also, I have been blessed with a very (very) vivid imagination, and if the stories I put down on paper offer any respite at all from world events for my readers, then all the better.

Readers can connect with Rick at:

suwanneerivernole@gmail.com

Thank you, Rick. 

We wish you the very best!

Rhett DeVane, author and blogmaster

www.rhettdevane.com

Writers4Higher features author Terry Lewis

Welcome to Writers4Higher

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.

This issue, Writers4Higher features

Terry Lewis

Hi, Terry. Welcome to the Writers4Higher family!

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

I grew up in Perry, Fla., a small town about 50 miles south of Tallahassee. My mother was a school teacher and my father had his own tile and carpet business. As a kid, one of my favorite tv shows was Perry Mason, and I thought Atticus Finch was a true hero. Not too surprising, then, that I eventually decided to pursue a career in the law—that and I had no real talent for anything else. I very much enjoyed my time as a lawyer, but I love my work as a judge. I’ve been doing this for nearly 30 years and it is something I look forward to every day.

Probably no surprise, either, that when I decided to take a stab at writing, it was a legal thriller. I credit Scott Turow with the inspiration to start. His Presumed Innocent was terrific, with an authenticity I found lacking in other novels. Could I do something like that? I didn’t know but I decided to give it a try.  

When I am not working or writing, I like to stay active, playing tennis and basketball. I know what you’re thinking--this guy’s too old for basketball. Perhaps, but I will do it till I can’t do it anymore. Having been side-lined for a while with a broken foot, I have a glimpse of what that might look like. I’ll just have to make that adjustment. I guess more time for learning the guitar.

My wife, Fran, is my best friend. We have been together since college and we now share our house with our sweet dog, Pepper. Our daughter and son-in-law live close by, which allows us to spoil our only grandchild, Ian, as much as we want.

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

What was once a challenge, a one-time project, has become a sustained effort to develop as a writer and to produce the best work I can. At some point I think I will try my hand at some creative non-fiction—probably after I retire from my day job.

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

I have been involved in many civic organizations over the years as officer or board member, such as YMCA and Rotary, which have offered me many opportunities for community service, e.g., Habitat for Humanity builds, back-packing for Second Harvest and Kids Voting Project. A great deal of my volunteer time is spent in educational activities with students, lawyers and judges—probably the best use of the knowledge and skills I have learned along the way. Had I not gone into the law, I probably would have been a teacher. I have been heavily involved with judicial education for many years as faculty and administration. I am currently the dean of Florida’s College of Advanced Judicial Studies. I teach as an adjunct at FSU’s law school, make presentations at CLE courses and at local schools, and preside over moot court and mock trial competitions for high schools and law schools.

    

Would you like to find Terry?

Visit Terry's website for information about his books:

 www.terrylewis.com

Be sure to visit the Writers4Higher Market! We have gear for the writer in you.

The Writers4Higher Market

Rhett DeVane

Fiction with a Southern Twist

Writers4Higher blog

Rhett's Website

Rhett's funny Southern Blog

Writers4Higher features author Deborah A. Allen

Hi, Deborah. Welcome to Writers4Higher.

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

I think I came into this world with my imagination fully in gear.  Upon arrival, I found two great sources of inspiration.  My parents were both born story-tellers, though they’d deny it.  Mom spun tales of fantasy and realism, cleverly intertwined, to entertain me.  Dad was a natural raconteur.  His fact-based stories and narrations kept us all on the edges of our seats, even though we’d heard the tales a hundred times.

As a youngster, I attended a “STEM” school (before anyone called it STEM) and unbelievably, this math ignoramus and science neophyte landed in the classrooms of many teachers who were gifted, not in science and math, but in the written word.  I think it was fate.

My books grew out of this background.  Most of my writing is realistic, with an occasional twist of fantasy.  I write from my own experiences, my own dreams, and my own imagination.  I write for both kids and adults because, at heart, we are interchangeable.

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

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter because, to be trite, the journey is the thing.  I’m simply enjoying the exploration and discovery part.  (On second thought, maybe the STEM thing did kick in.)  If I get brave, I would like to explore different genres, but I have lots of stories already stacked in my virtual “to-do” basket.  Sometimes, I even think about quitting and just becoming a reader.  So far, that hasn’t worked out.

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

I taught elementary school for nearly a quarter century and my favorite time of the school day was when I got to (yes, got to) read aloud to the kids.  As one of my education professors once said, “I loved teaching literature.  I figured they’d get math from some other teacher.”  If given a choice, I would have read aloud to those kids all day.  (Okay, some days I suppose I almost did.)  I like to think that my enthusiasm for a good story hooked at least some of them into a love of reading and the development of their own imaginations.  If I only reached one, that’s not such a bad legacy.

Would you like to find Deborah Allen?

Deborah's website

Moon Trail website

Deborah's author page on Facebook

Moon Trail on Facebook

Thank you, Deborah. I wish you the very best!

Rhett DeVane

southern fiction author and blogmaster

Rhett's Website

Writers4Higher features Rocky Porch Moore

Welcome to Writers4Higher

This issue, Writers4Higher features

Rocky Porch Moore

Hi, Rocky. Welcome to the Writers4Higher family!

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

I am a 46 year old English teacher who’s been married to the same fellow for almost 25 years, has 4 kids, a farm, and a passel of animals. On the surface, that sounds pretty mundane, like I’m in good need of  ticking off a few items on the proverbial bucket list.  Hardly! The way I see it, why worry about a one-shot list when you have the whole bucket? 

I am a firm believer in looking ahead. I’ve always found inherent sadness in folks who talk of the best days of their lives as if they are delivering a history lecture. My best days are yet to come! Oh, I don’t have a problem with savoring the moment, and I definitely have an affinity for the past, but that’s not where my spirit dwells. 

In Clemenceau’s Daughters, Little Debbie Ballard isn’t afforded such luxury. The story traces the intricate ways in which family ties can bind the past to the present. I wanted to take the beginning of a family line and tangle it with the end of the family line to show that blood, love, and greed can be passed along just as surely as a strong jawline. The primary setting of the story is my childhood home, which lends itself to some mighty flighty conclusion-jumping.

I read voraciously and not nearly enough. Right now, I’m splitting my reading time between the Dalai Lama’s The Universe in a Single Atom and a domestic terrorism military thriller. I’m just as likely to be reading Dickens as Didion. Contemporary writers who inspire me include John Irving, Sena Jeter Naslund, and Mark Childress.  My literary soul, though, belongs to another century. In fact, I have children named for Jane Austen, Joseph Addison, and Mary Shelley. That sounds pretty high-falutin’ until I throw in the child named for a famous college football coach. 

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

I see my writing taking me home, both in a literal and figurative sense. The two things that make me feel the most “me” are running and writing. I can be a wife, a mom, a teacher, a cook…and I’m pretty darn good at all of these, but it’s working plots that thrills my heart of hearts. When I run, I find clarity. When I write, I find home. It’s not a place, like an address, and it’s not an emotion, like love or nostalgia. It’s a state of being that can be quite uncomfortable at times. This is why I think I link running and writing so closely together.  Both are painful; both are dependent on process; and both are utterly exhilarating.

With 4 children and a teaching career, I’ve squeezed in writing  between ball practices, dryer cycles, and grading research papers for many a year. I built a little red writing cottage out back on our family farm with the proceeds from penning curriculum materials and a children’s book, all the while dreaming of turning myself loose on fiction. Well, I’ve gotten a mighty fine taste of it with Clemenceau’s Daughters and, at the risk of sounding hokey, I feel like I’ve come home.

So, where do I see my writing taking me in the future? Right out my back door and into a whole new world!

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

I married into a family of educators.  My husband is currently a high school principal and I teach high school English.  We strive to motivate young people to be their best and to invest in their community. Our civic involvement reaches well beyond the classroom. We regularly support youth athletics, arts, and academic endeavors as well as serve at various civic events. We are the kind of people who roll up our sleeves and subtly help get the job done.

I was recently elected by the membership of our church to serve on the vestry, an honor, and regularly serve in a variety of roles during worship services. 

Really, as a teacher, I’m a professional helper. My goal is to be a positive influence on every student I encounter. I am a leader among my professional peers and constantly pursue excellence in myself and in those I teach. 

Would you like to find Rocky?

Check out the links to this talented author:

Clemenceau's Daughter on Amazon

Clemeceau's Daughters on Southern Yellow Pine Publishing

Rocky Porch Moore's website  

  

Rocky Porch Moore on Facebook  

  

Rocky Porch Moore on Pinterest

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.

  

Be sure to visit the Writers4Higher Market! We have gear for the writer in you.

The Writers4Higher Market

Rhett DeVane

Fiction with a Southern Twist

Writers4Higher blog

Rhett's Website

Rhett's funny Southern Blog

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 features editor Gina Edwards, founder of AROUND THE WRITER'S TABLE

Hi Gina. Welcome to Writers4Higher!

1.   Tell me about yourself, your business, and the connection with the writing world.

Since Mrs. Stephens taught me to diagram complex sentences in seventh and eighth grade and Ms. McCabe had us read Fahrenheit 451 in high school, I have been fascinated with the written word. But after I read J.D. Salinger’s Franny and Zooey and Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, well, that was it! I was hooked—word nerd, for life.

I have spent over 30 years in the corporate world, managing publications and editing newsletters and magazines; advertising, marketing, and conference materials; technical and scientific reports; and most every other form of written communication, but about 20 years ago, I started writing fiction. Then I began helping other authors edit their work and that eventually developed into my editing business.

I offer editing services under the umbrella name of AROUND THE WRITER’S TABLE, but AWT is much more than just editing. It is my dream-come-true effort to do everything in my power to support authors. It’s still growing and finding its own personality, but the aim is to create an extensive support network for authors, helping them find the resources, training, and connections they need to get their words out into the world.

2.   How do you work with authors?

I consider myself a “teaching” editor and am committed to helping my clients hone their craft and make every manuscript better. Since I am a copy editor, I have a line-by-line focus, checking for spelling errors, typos, punctuation problems and awkward grammar, clarity and sense, appropriate word choice, consistency, and redundancies. But I do more than make corrections. For every project, I provide suggestions and written comments, and I pose questions to help guide the author’s final manuscript decisions.

My goal is always to assist an author in the improvement of their craft, thereby making their future work better as well. It really is a privilege to be able to do this work and to see how writers improve and develop from manuscript to manuscript. Soon, I’ll be starting a program to receive my certification for creativity coaching, so I’ll be able to support writers through other phases of their writing efforts as well. I take a long-term approach with my clients and hope to work with them throughout their writing careers.  The relationship I create with each of “my” authors is a true partnership, one in which we both have an opportunity to become better at what we do and better people as well.

As a natural coincidence of the work I do, I often get all sorts of questions about publishing. I see a lot of writers who are frustrated and don’t know where to turn for help. So that’s really how AROUND THE WRITER’S TABLE came about. While our copy editing services are offered in-house, we are also developing a full list of associates who can assist writers with all other aspects of writing and publishing that we don’t offer, such as book cover design and graphic art, developmental editing, publicity, book trailers, and all the other support services writers need. We want to be able to refer writers to kind-spirited, talented people who have the authors’ best interests at heart and can be part of a support team to take them where they want to go with their writing careers.

Authors often ask us about training and ongoing education, too. Over the next year, AWT will begin offering workshops, seminars, and eventually retreats. Our website will get an overhaul, and will include extensive book lists, links to helpful resources, and several series of online lessons from me as well as other publishing industry professionals. We’ll be setting up writing support groups, as well, that will be tied into private Facebook groups.

My visions for AWT are huge and sometimes feel overwhelming, but this is my lifelong dream and commitment. We’re building slowly but deliberately and I’d like to ask your readers if they have worked with any service or individual that has supported them in their writing and that they think other authors would like to know about, please send us the information. Let’s help each other by sharing. Also tell me about any workshops or conferences you loved attending. Send us your announcements about book launches and signings, releases, upcoming workshops, and other writerly events, too. I promise to help get the word out. You can email them to info@aroundthewriterstable.com.

3.   Do you write as well as contribute through your business? Please share!

I was fortunate to have my short story, “For What Nate Did,” win the Cody Harris Allen award from Florida State many years ago, and that is the basis for the novel I’m currently working. Dancing at The Orange Peel is a Vietnam-era family saga that apparently fits into the “New Southern Gothic” genre. I was thrilled to learn recently of this fit because I’ve always been such a fan of Southern Gothic writers, such as Flannery O’Connor, Carson McCullers, Dorothy Allison, and, of course, Harper Lee.

I’m still a good way from finished with my book and it will have to be edited (by someone else, of course! Even editors need editors). But I’d love to have it out next year. The support I have received from other authors while I’ve been working on the book has been phenomenal. Because of my connections in the writing community, I get to hang out, work with, and receive inspiration from some of the most awesome writers and creative people! To pay it back and forward, I want to do everything, I mean, everything I can to support them and other authors.

Links and Contact Information:

www.AroundtheWritersTable.com

gina@aroundthewriterstable.com

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LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/editorginahoganedwards