Avalon Books - Author! Author!


	Read some interviews from past editions:
		CJ Love August, 2009
		V.S. Meszaros April, 2009
		Nikki Poppen February, 2009
		Sue Gibson December, 2008
		Elisabeth Rose October, 2008
		Sherry Lynn Ferguson August, 2008
		S.J. Stewart June, 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
		Clifford Blair March, 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:
		Loretta C. Rogers October, 2009


Author! Author!: June, 2009
Click an image to learn more about these books. An Interview with DeAnn Smallwood


How long have you been writing and how long did it take to get published?
	I can’t remember not writing. When a child, I wrote stories in my head, but I was in my teens before I put them to paper. It took longer for me to get published because it’s difficult to publish your writing when it stays in a box hidden in the closet. After I got nerve enough to send my books out to publishers it took several years to get published. I would send out a book, get a reject, and not send it back out for several months.
Have you ever used real people as characters?
	Yes. The novel I just finished uses my granddaughter as the character. I found this much more difficult than using a fictional character.
How do you name your characters?
	Their names just seem to pop in my head. I wouldn’t name a character unless the name felt right. The names are the characters.
Where do you get ideas for plots?
	I wish I knew. I have so many ideas that I have to keep track of them on my computer. I get an idea and then write a few paragraphs or chapters, put down some ideas, then file it away for later. I’ve got several novels started just waiting for time to complete them.
How did you start writing?
	I started writing because I couldn’t stand not to. I was compelled to put these plots, ideas and characters on paper. They just have to come to life. I love it.
What inspires you to write?
	The joy I get from having people read what I write. I can’t describe what absolute pleasure it is to have someone tell you they have read your book and like it. I make a nuisance of myself asking them, “How did you like this part or how do you like that character?” I can live for weeks on their input. When I finish one book, I’ve already started the next one in my mind. Its like I know when it is time to finish and time to start another.
What’s the hardest part of writing?
	Finding time. Leaving my book, my characters, and their lives to go back to the real world. My goal is to be able to wake up and write, write all day, and go to bed only when too tired to write any more. Then wake up the next day and do it over again. There are so many wonderful people and stories living up there in my head just waiting to get on paper.
How do you develop your characters?
	I don’t do outlines. I probably should, but my characters seem to take on a life of their own. They honestly develop themselves. I think they are so real to me; it’s easy to bring them to life on paper. I know how I want them to look, talk, and act. The rest, as I tell everyone, just seems to flow out of my fingers. Sometimes I write something, read it and wonder where in the heck that came from.
What can you tell us about your latest book for Avalon?
	My latest book, SAPPHIRE BLUE is coming out in June. It’s a historical romance based in a Yogo Sapphire mining camp. The Judith Valley and Pig Eye Gulch really do exist. The Yogo Sapphire mine has closed making Yogo Sapphires even more valuable. Meghan O’Reiley is mysterious and sought-after because of her healing abilities. She uses homemade remedies taught by her grandmother. Otherwise, Meghan is regarded with superstition and unease. Meghan meets and falls in love with Conner Hendrickson owner of the Sapphire mine. They come from two different worlds and Meghan feels her attraction to Conner can never blossom into a lifelong love. He is privileged, high society, London money. She is from a rough-hewn Montana mining town. Against all odds, love does conquer all. Like all my books, SAPPHIRE BLUE is what I call a “good read.” I want my books to leave the reader with a smile on their face, and warmth in their heart. I think my first book, MONTANA STAR and now SAPPHIRE BLUE does just that.
Are you working on anything else for Avalon?
	Yes. I have just completed another book and will be sending it to Avalon as soon as I complete some more editing. It’s another historical romance set in Wyoming along the Powder River. The character is based on my granddaughter, Heather. The male character is a figment of my imagination, but what an imagination. He’s a man among men. Heather is independent, fiery, and trying to fit in a man’s world. This is my favorite book so far and I look forward to sharing it.
Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Or for anyone wanting to submit to Avalon?
	Don’t let your writing sit in a closet. Avalon has been a bright light at the end of a tunnel for me. The editors are fantastic. I owe Avalon so much. They are there to assist me in any way needed to make my writing a success. I’ll never forget their words of encouragement and the first phone call telling me they wanted to publish my book. If you love writing, you won’t be able to stop regardless of rejects. Keep writing. Keep trying because someday a publisher like Avalon will come along.
When do you find time to write?
	I write early in the morning before work. If I’m not to mind tired, I write after work. I write weekends and sometimes in my sleep. Thankfully, I have an understanding and supportive husband. I always have paper or my computer near by. I feel naked without something to write on.
What are you working on now?
	I’m editing my last book finished about a week ago. However, I’ve started another historical romance. It’s about a naïve, strong willed, eastern woman that joins a wagon train headed west. She tells a few “white lies” to get a spot on the train. These small untruths certainly don’t endear her to the handsome wagon master.
What do you do for fun - other than writing?
	I read. I read about a book every day or two. Mostly fiction. I love to read and use it as an escape mechanism. I also dearly love and enjoy my two Yorkies. We recently lost our eighteen year old Yorkie, Zach and with broken hearts found another, a little sweetie, two pounds worth, named Stormy. Still, the love of my life is my Jesse, my Yorkie daughter. She’s five pounds of love, comfort, and understanding. She sleeps on my desk while I’m writing. My hand often rests on her silky tummy while I’m thinking through a situation I’ve gotten my character in. Jesse and Stormy, two little girls that fill my days with fun.