 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Read some interviews from past editions:
|
|
|
 |
Sherry Lynn Ferguson
August, 2008
|
|
|
|
Zelda Benjamin
April, 2008
|
|
|
|
Shirley Marks
December, 2007
|
|
|
|
Donna Wright
December, 2007
|
|
|
|
Carolyn Brown
August, 2007
|
|
|
|
Roni Denholtz
June, 2007
|
|
|
|
Tara Randel
April, 2007
|
|
|
|
Sydell Voeller
February, 2007
|
|
|
|
Sheila Robins
December, 2006
|
|
|
|
Ann Holt
October, 2006
|
|
|
|
Cynthia Danielewski
July, 2006
|
|
|
|
Jane McBride Choate
March, 2006
|
|
|
|
Kathryn Meyer Griffith
January, 2006
|
|
|
|
Mel Taylor
November, 2005
|
|
|
|
Kathleen Fuller
September, 2005
|
|
|
|
Tracey J. Lyons
July, 2005
|
|
|
|
Ludima Gus Burton
May, 2005
|
|
|
|
Holly Jacobs
March, 2005
|
|
|
|
Sandra D. Bricker
January, 2005
|
|
|
|
Kathryn Quick
November, 2004
|
|
|
|
Cheri Jetton
September, 2004
|
|
|
|
Heather S. Webber
July, 2004
|
|
|
|
Karl Fieldhouse
May, 2004
|
|
|
|
Shelley Galloway
March, 2004
|
|
|
|
Ilsa Mayr
January, 2004
|
|
|
|
Kathy Carmichael
November, 2003
|
|
|
|
Dorothy P. O'Neill
July, 2003
|
|
|
|
Joani Ascher
May, 2003
|
|
|
|
Patricia DeGroot
March, 2003
|
|
|
|
Nancy J. Parra
January, 2003
|
|
|
|
Barbara Meyers
November, 2002
|
|
|
|
Christine Bush
September, 2002
|
|
|
|
Debby Mayne
July, 2002
|
|
|
|
Jean C. Gordon
May, 2002
|
|
|
|
Charles E. Friend
March, 2002
|
|
|
|
Norma Seely
January, 2002
|
|
|
|
Glen Ebisch
November, 2001
|
|
|
|
Gina Cresse
September, 2001
|
|
|
|
John Paxson
July, 2001
|
|
|
|
Terri Alcock
May, 2001
|
|
|
|
Amanda Harte
January, 2001
|
|
|
|
Kent Conwell
November, 2000
|
|
|
|
Carolyn Brown
September, 2000
|
|
|
|
Annette Mahon
July, 2000
|
|
|
|
Marjorie McGinley
May, 2000
|
|
|
|
Jack Lewis
March, 2000
|
|
|
|
Amanda Harte
January, 2000
|
|
|
|
Joyce and Jim Lavene
November, 1999
|
|
|
Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
|
|
|
|
Elisabeth Rose
October, 2008
|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Author! Author!: June, 2008
|
 
Click an image to learn more about these books.
|
An Interview with
Shirley (S.J.)
Stewart |
|
|
What can you tell us about your latest book for Avalon?
|
|
My latest book for Avalon, Gambler’s Instinct, is a sequel to Beyond the Verde River (2003). Jake Lockridge is alive and well and on a mission to find his errant brother-in-law Miguel Sandoval. He finds Miguel the day before the young man is scheduled to hang for killing the son of a powerful rancher. It’s left to Jake to break him out of jail, escape a posse, and find the real killer.
|
Are you working on anything else for Avalon?
|
|
I’ve almost finished writing my next book, which is tentatively titled Outlaw Stronghold. It’s about the takeover of a remote ranch for the purpose of creating a safe haven for men on the run from the law.
|
How did you start writing?
|
|
My first book, Vengeance Canyon, was published in 1997. The manuscript won first place in a writing competition so I decided to submit it to Avalon, hoping it would be well-received. I submitted it in March 1996 and it was published in February 1997.
|
Have you ever used real people as characters?
|
|
At times I’ve included actual historical figures in my stories, such as General Crook and President Grant, in order to give the reader a heightened sense of the time period. But these roles are minimal for I hesitate to put words in the mouth of a historical figure that he or she didn’t utter.
|
What inspires you to write?
|
|
The inspiration for my books is the land, itself. I lived in the Southwest for a time and return often. The natural scenery with its beautiful earth-tone colors, along with vast open spaces that stretch from horizon to horizon, conjure up characters and situations that beg to be set down in print.
|
How do you develop your characters?
|
|
My characters develop as the plot unfolds and they interact with other characters and respond to challenges. Sometimes those challenges will change an individual in a substantial way.
|
What's the hardest part of writing?
|
|
For me, the hardest part about writing is distractions. I’ve found there will always be distractions and demands on a writer’s time. This isn’t always a bad thing, either, as there’s more to life than a computer screen. The secret, though, is to return before inspiration fades and the story grows cold.
|
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Or for anyone wanting to submit to Avalon?
|
|
My advice to aspiring writers is to avoid the mistake that I made — and still tend to make. Write the whole book through to the end before you tackle revisions and work to improve what you’ve written. If you need to have the first chapter “perfect” before you move on, you may never get to the end. Also keep a list of the characters’ names handy along with what kind of horses they ride and what kind of weapons they carry. This can prevent loads of confusion and possible mistakes. Last of all, don’t be afraid to submit your work. Follow the guidelines and write an entertaining story and your chances for publication are good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
