Interview with Author David Kubicek

David Kubicek Interview

He slipped off his right shoe and held it like a mallet. One quick slap, and the beetle was a grease spot on the shining metal. He put his shoe on and looked away.
The numbers continued to increase, painfully slow. After the eleventh floor bell jinged, the elevator shuddered, jerked, then clanked. His stomach seemed to be in free fall. An empty, drawn-out clattering deep in the elevator shaft.
“Oh, no…” he whispered. Then louder: “No!”
All movement had stopped. Outside his tiny enclosure something creaked. Every time he rode the elevator he had this nightmare. Now it was real—he was stuck between floors.
He dropped his briefcase and hammered on the door.
“Help!”
Silence, crushing him.

The above is an excerpt from David Kubicek’s ELEVATOR

David’s writing finds it’s way into the gut of fear in his short story ELEVATOR. In his book THE MOANING ROCKS, one story makes any parent cringe and run to make sure their children are still watching cartoons. However, take a trip to his web site and find a family story “Runt of the Litter.”

David’s diverse writing style echoes in his career. Nominated in 1989 for the Pushcart Prize Best of the Small Press, hundreds of freelance articles, and work as writer and photographer for MJB enterprises business journals make a small dent in his resume. Add Kubicek and Associates he has published and edited trade paperbacks including his latest Novel IN HUMAN FORM.



Q. David, I am a huge fan of the thriller, horror genre. I’ve found myself relating to the fears come to life for your introspective characters. Then I read a warm family story ‘Runt of the Litter’ on your web site. I enjoyed it just as much. Give me a peek inside the vivid mind of David Kubicek. How do you decide on a premise?
A. My family and friends might say that peeking inside my mind would be scary. I don’t so much decide on a premise as the premise decides on me. Usually the ideas just come to me as the result of something I read or saw on TV or witnessed first hand or heard about from someone else; my short story collection The Moaning Rocks and Other Stories contains 14 of my stories with commentary on how each came to be written. Because of my lifelong interest in science fiction and horror, my mind tends to gravitate toward the offbeat, but my writing--like my reading--covers a broad range of genres, styles, and moods. My main writing mentors are Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, and John Steinbeck, so my writing style and the subjects I write about are similar to those guys (but especially to Bradbury).

Q. You told me recently that you have a new story coming out ‘A Friend of the Family.’ Can you give us a quick look into the story? Please!

A. “A Friend of the Family” is a novelette, a dystopian story set in a society--long after World War III has destroyed much of civilization--in which Doctors have been outlawed and replaced by Healers who use all of the tried and true witch doctor methods such as bleeding patients and chanting incantations over them. The story focuses on a doctor named Hank who is afraid to give up the practice of medicine entirely (so he can treat his family) but is also afraid to join the Underground, a loose network of medical people, that tries to help people who have lost faith in the Healers. As is usual with my fiction, I focus on the characters rather than the society as a whole. The story revolves around Hank, who risks his freedom and the comfortable life he and his wife have managed to eek out in this bleak society, when he is pressured into treating the brother of a Healer. If the man--who is Head of the Family--recovers, Hank has nothing to fear. But the fellow is very sick, and if he dies, his sister the Healer will be Head of the Family, and Hank and his wife will lose their savings, their home, and their freedom. “A Friend of the Family” was originally published in 1987 in Space and Time magazine. I’ve started the story earlier, revised and polished it (I’m a much better craftsman than I was in 1986, when the story was written). It will come out as an e-book in February 2012 and as a paperback about the same time. The original, published version of “A Friend of the Family” appears in my collection The Moaning Rocks and Other Stories.

Q. You own a publishing business, Kubicek and Associates. Please give us an overview of your business. What makes it work?

A. Kubicek & Associates was the first incarnation of my business, from 1987 to 1990. I published five trade paperback books, two of which I edited: The Pelican in the Desert and Other Stories of the Family Farm (1988), and October Dreams: A Harvest of Horror (which I edited with Jeff Mason) (1989). Two stories from Pelican were nominated for the Pushcart Prize (my own “Ball of Fire” and Marjorie Saiser’s “Settling In”), and a story from October Dreams (“Mr. Sandman,” by Scott D. Yost) was reprinted in Karl Edward Wagner’s anthology The Year’s Best Horror Stories XVIII (DAW Books, 1990). I liked publishing a little bit too much and spent so much time working on the business that I neglected my own writing. During those four years I completed only one short story, “Ball of Fire,” because I needed one of my own stories for Pelican. I shut down the company in 1990 to focus on my own writing. Today I publish only my own work and try to strike a balance between the writing and the business end.

Q. From the biography you sent me, I can tell you are a devoted family man. I want David Kubicek to reveal his deep sense of family to my readers. Please take all the room you wish.

A. My wife and I will celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary this year. We met at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Cheryl worked as a custodian and I was a temp employee trying to make a little extra cash. I was teamed up with her to ensure the extra work was completed. She was very good at her job and made me feel at ease almost immediately. As we continued to work together we got to know each other, and it didn't take long before I realized that I couldn't wait to get to work to see her. She had an infectious laugh and liked to pull pranks on the other co-workers whenever she could. But mostly what I liked was that we could talk about anything. Within a couple of months we started dating, and one year later we were married. Then in 1994 Cheryl became pregnant with our only child, Sean. When he was born my life changed completely. Every day while they were in the hospital I went to see them as soon as I got up, and every day I arrived earlier than the day before. Although family has always been important to me--which I think comes across in my writing dating back into the 1970s--my marriage and having a child deepened my family bonds. Before Cheryl and Sean, everything I wrote was for a generic audience that was “out there somewhere.” After Cheryl and Sean, everything I wrote was for them. With few exceptions, Cheryl has lots of influence over when I consider a story finished or whether I publish it at all. I cut two stories from The Moaning Rocks because she didn’t like them, and I postponed a short collection of horror fiction because of problems she found with two of the stories. Sometimes after Cheryl reads one of my manuscripts, she says four words that are at the same time encouraging and a thumbs down for the story: “You can do better.” But it’s only a temporary thumbs down, because she expects me to go back to work on the story and “do better.” Sean also was thrilled when I dedicated The Moaning Rocks to him and Cheryl. I dedicated my novel In Human Form to Cheryl because she has always been enthusiastic about it and rescued it when I was going to chuck it into file thirteen, never again to be seen by human eyes. Sean even did a book report on In Human Form for his English class. Today our family also includes an 8-year-old blue-eyed Tom cat named Whiskers (who thinks he owns the place). We have a 12-year-old black Lab mix named Kabella (who is top dog and knows it), and the baby, 4-year-old Scooter, half Lab and half hound dog and subject of my blog post Runt of the Litter (and who is certainly not a runt anymore).

Q. This question is for your wife Cheryl. My husband is often baffled by my attachment to the computer and what comes out of it. How does David’s work, including his business, affect you as a wife, mother, and woman?

A. David is a perfectionist when it comes to his writing. He checks the details to ensure they are precise to give the reader the best read possible. Because we come from different backgrounds, he will ask me to read his stories and give feedback. The feedback can be little things to improve on or suggestions to the characters that can make them more likeable or undesirable. As a wife and a woman, I read all of David's stories. There have been a few occasions when he has asked me to read the entire story several times as he has changed some of the dialog. I have given him the look of "really, again?" As a mother I encourage our son to look to his dad when it comes to finding a book to read. Sean is a sophomore in high school and is required to read one book per quarter and write a book report. David has such a vast knowledge of books that it is easy for him to find one that will pique Sean's interest. Sean is currently reading a series of books that David introduced to him.

Q. David you have one last chance to speak to others writers or people interested in writing. What is the most important characteristic you feel an author needs?

A. Persistence. There’s only one way to fail at anything, and that is to give up. Whether you are self-publishing or seeking an agent and publisher, learn your craft, and never stop learning. I still learn from every book I read, and I’ve been writing for more than 40 years. Never stop trying to find your audience. When marketing your writing, if something isn’t working, try a different approach, and if that doesn’t work, try something else. Thomas Edison tried 10,000 different procedures before he succeeded in inventing the electric light bulb. A reporter once asked him how it felt to fail 9,999 times. He drew himself up in his chair, eyed the reporter with irritation and said: “Young man, I did not fail 9,999 times. I successfully found 9,999 ways that do not work.”


As I read through David’s answers to the questions I posed, I was surprised at how tame he seemingly is as a family man. Sometimes, as David stated, a story or character decides on the author. The Kubicek family seems to have adopted a support system around David’s writing that I believe to be very rare. David is the author, but Cheryl’s critiques, and his son’s involvement as student must make a well-bonded family. I look forward to reading more of David Kubicek’s stories. His upcoming release A FRIEND OF THE FAMILY promises to be intriguing indeed. Who but David Kubicek could make the Physician we seem to hero worship into a post apocalyptic outlaw? If you haven’t yet read David’s work, I suggest moving quickly to Smashwords.com and buying THE MOANING ROCKS, IN HUMAN FORM, and/or ELEVATOR. I have read David’s work and enjoyed each story as it built to a climax and some sort of resolution.

Janet Syas Nitsick interview

Interview with Author Janet Syas Nitsick
A picture of Janet on her web site shows a gentile lady wearing a large brim, straw hat set back on her crown. I found the image fitting for a woman with a slight figure who is the daughter of late Nebraska State Senator George Syas.

I met Janet at the 2011 Beatrice Nebraska Business Expo. She seems every bit the classy lady who loves her state and family above everything except God.

Janet’s book SEASONS OF THE SOUL reveals her versatility as an author. The small tome filled with short stories such as a heart stopper titled ‘The Game of Life’ a fictional account of an alcoholic’s attempt to deal with life and grief.

‘Family Boston Trip’ is a true story about Janet and her husband taking a flight with their two autistic sons. Janet boldly opens up about introducing the family to the scenic areas of and around Boston. She also relates how on the flight one son had a temper tantrum and the other a grand-mall seizure on their return flight.

A fable called ‘Squirrel Chatter’ tells of two squirrels playing the summer away until time to prepare for winter. One squirrel prepares while the other makes minimal effort for preparation.

Janet has raised four sons. Two of those sons with different types of autism and other disorders present challengers. However, Janet’s photo album on her web site and her stories reveal a loving family with no question of the importance of all their children.

Go to http://www.janetsyasnitsick.com/JanetsBooks.htm and read enthusiastic reviews of Janet’s spiritually charged book SEASONS OF THE SOUL.

Janet will be releasing a new book soon called Lockets and Lanterns.

Q. Janet, I know it takes a lot of strength to be open about disabilities or any brain disorder. Why have you chosen such a bold approach to speak and travel unapologetically with two autistic sons?

A. Our personal experiences of raising two different autistic sons - one nonverbal and low functioning and the other verbal and high functioning - provides hope for those struggling with children with disabilities as well as educating those unfamiliar or with only peripheral knowledge of the affliction. It also gives people a personal glimpse into our lives but in addition shows the small joys of having these children, such as Brad, our low-functioning, nonverbal son, giving us the television remote so he can watch “Sponge Bob.”

Q. I have mentioned your history as the daughter of a Nebraska State Senator. What is it like growing up in a political environment? Can you relate how that affects your life and career today?

A. My father was a common man. When not in session, dad worked as a Union Pacific machinist. He made more money at the latter but his passion was politics. There are many memories - one was where a gunshot grazed a hole in our picture window. Another was when a number of state senators gathered in our living room to redistrict their legislative boundaries, according to the new census. Dad won many education and conservation awards, including the school bell award (which sits on my computer desk) and a wildlife area named after him, the George Syas Wildlife Management Area in Genoa, Neb.

Because of him, I too am a political animal. Although not involved in any campaigns, I follow political stories from the local to the national.

Q. It is impossible to read your book SEASONS OF THE SOUL without commenting on your deep faith in God. Please tell us
the importance of relating that in a world that tends to shy
away from Christian values.
A. As Christians, we need to be bold about our faith. The celebration is Christmas to honor Christ’s birth not holiday. Every time I purchase an item, my reply to the attendant is “God bless you.”

Q. WVNE 760 am radio in Massachusetts interviewed you about SEASONS OF THE SOUL. KMTV did a feature of your family and your book. SEASONS OF THE SOUL won best of the year book by Christian Story Teller.

As someone still breaking in, how does that feel? Is SEASONS
OF THE SOUL your first published book? That has to be rare.

A. As a former language-arts teacher and journalist, I was schooled in the writing craft, but I always wanted to be an author. Thus, when my book arrived, I could not have been more proud. However, the real glory goes to those, such as my husband and great professors, who edited and ignited my writing career.

Q. You are releasing a new book LOCKETS AND LANTERNS soon. Can I ask for a short summary?

A. Locked in the groom’s heart is a secret which once unlocked exposes his wife to much anguish. LOCKETS AND LANTERNS, a gripping tale of love, loss, and forgiveness, takes readers back to the 1900s when life was simpler, but sustaining love was just as difficult.

LOCKETS AND LANTERNS Excerpt: Red looked at his wife while the early morning sun drifted over their bed. Peace and contentment filled his being. He no longer pined over a lost love. He rubbed his head against the pillow as he pondered their future. He took a deep breath, knowing he did not tell his wife about the family secret.


Janet’s sense of self and family never seems to waver. Reading SEASONS OF THE SOUL brings to light her depth of spirituality. Her talent as an author through a career as a journalist and now a novelist I cannot question.

Janet’s sensitivity to others, her boldness, and grace engaged me the day I met her. She insists on pointing out that her two autistic sons are different. Janet told me she makes the distinction so people know the disorder is not the same and each has their own personality.

Janet’s dogged insistence that each person is different is one reason that I bring the author to the front in these interviews. I believe that knowing the author makes their work more interesting. That is certainly true of Janet Syas Nitsick who walks proudly through her stories true or fiction.

Interview with Author Connie Spittler

Interview with Connie Spittler. Nebraska Author

Connie is an extremely accomplished author, presenter, and friend of nature. Along with her husband Bob, a talented photographer, they have captured stories from the beauty of their environment. I think of how often I have complained about a weed, forgetting the beautiful plant standing tall beside it. Connie and Bob capture the beauty of the earth as it touches their lives. They involve their children who have grown to become professionals in their own fields and remember the training from growing up with parents who taught them to love their world.

The Spittler’s books THE DESERT ETERNAL and THE LEGEND OF BROOK HOLLOW reveal their exciting and picturesque world. I feel privileged that Connie and Bob generously shared them with me.

The other gift to me was an anthology called The Story Teller: A Publication of The Society of Southwestern Authors. Connie's award-winning story, A Universal Language, featured in the publication tells how music and surroundings can communicate with not only other humans, but with a beloved pet.

Husband Bob, a phenomenal photographer, captures near impossible pictures of a quality I have seen in National Geographic magazine. Pictorial artist that he is, he prefers to let Connie be the spokesperson.

Note to Connie: Before I start your interview, I must express judgment about you personally. You are a romantic. You do not hide it, but let it free through all of your poetic prose and memoirs. Reading your books has been a personal pleasure, and I got them free. It is great to do interviews.

THE INTERVIEW

Q. Connie, as I read some of the stories from THE DESERT ETERNAL, it was difficult to make out whether Bob took photographs to fit the story, or if you wrote the story about Bob’s photographs. It did not take long for me to realize the two of you are so simpatico, both story and photograph meld as you write and he shoots.
Would you say that is an accurate assessment?

A. There’s a story about which came first the writing or the photos. When Bob and I moved from Omaha to Tucson, AZ, we left our film/AV business behind. In our production company, Bob was videographer/cinematographer and editor. I wrote, produced, and put together the editing drafts. We both did post production (directed announcers, picked music, did sound mixes, supervised cuts, fades, dissolves down to a hundredth of a second at a postproduction house). We worked together on projects through the years, ever since communication classes at Creighton U. After the AZ move, without business demands, we grabbed the opportunity to follow our own creative inclinations. Bob changed from moving to still photographs. I wrote, not for clients, but on subjects I chose. In a new and fascinating location, we happily danced down our own Southwestern paths. A few years later, after a lumpectomy for breast cancer, I lay in bed, groggy on appropriate meds, looking at the cactus and mountains out the bedroom window. A random thought scrolled by. Yes, Bob and I were “doing our own thing,” but actually, we were doing the same thing in individual ways. Once on my feet, I printed copies of my nature essays. Each morning, during the seven-week course of radiation, Bob and I explored his photo archives to see how many things matched. By the end, we found over 100 word/image connections, and created the book, The Desert Eternal. That treasured time together during post surgery, gave us a special, healing experience, a continuation of our like minds. By the last treatment, I carried along our Blurb self-published book to show the wonderful technicians who’d cared for me. They received the first book. Neighbors ordered copies and word of mouth spread. The library purchased several, which led to its selection as one of the Southwest Books of the Year 2008, and it later received a Glyph award from Arizona Publishers. For all these personal memories, I love that book.



Q. Each story is a joy to read, but I must say the story of the quail and your granddaughter in THE DESERT ETERNAL, I found enchanting. I am enthralled with the way each memoir melds your love of nature and family. As an author, I must ask how you honed your writing style. Does the ability to stitch photography, nature, and family together come naturally to you and Bob?

A. As far as nature affecting my writing style, I trace it back to growing up in South Dakota. I remember washing the supper dishes, work I didn’t like. Does any kid like the jobs they’re required to do? However, after a while, I concentrated on the sunset. Hands in soapy water, I gazed out the kitchen window, to watch an ever-changing view of day’s ending on the flat plains. I studied the colors, shapes, weather, different aspects available through one piece of glass, a bird, or nest, storm brewing, snow falling, leaves unfurling on the trees. Now, when I look out the window or take a walk, I concentrate on appreciating the marvels that await.

My other nature memory centers on my escape to our big mulberry tree as a girl. I’d nestle in its comfy trunk crotch, and read, stopping to eavesdrop on birds that flew in to eat ripe berries. I’d reach out to do the same. It was the best reading room I’ve ever had, as I let nature envelope me. Later, married, with kids, our family stopped to appreciate nature, the sunsets, starry nights, and nature’s revolving patterns. When the kids moved away (still in town), we’d get or make calls. “Rainbow to the east,” or “lightning exploding in the west.” It came naturally to both Bob and me, and we encouraged it in our family. As a girl and as an adult, I wrote stories and poems, often related to nature in some way.



Q. The LEGEND OF BROOK HOLLOW tells the story of an idyllic area that the public discovered and used as a park. Later a developer encompassed the land into a private park-like setting for people living in his created neighborhood. Did the residents of the development seem to feel more protected, or did they express much nostalgia for the openness of the park?


A. Most folks like the fact that it’s a somewhat secret place. A couple of elderly residents were unhappy I was writing the book. They feared too many others would find out about it. True, unless you know someone who lives here, you probably haven’t heard about Brook Hollow, and the sign at the entrance clearly states, “Private Property. I found it curious that some residents don’t care for the natural part at all, the trees, wild animals, and ponds. I can’t figure out why they moved to a place so attractive to wildlife. Maybe they moved here for convenience to employment, shopping, the Interstate, etc., but others, like me, are always on the lookout for creatures that live close or pass through, wild turkeys, mink, snapping turtles, beaver, badger, a deer or two, and an illusive fox. Of course, raccoon, opossum, squirrels, rabbits and birds, birds, birds.

Since the book just came out, not much feedback yet, although one neighbor couple came to the door to report that now they feel they’re living in Shangri La. “I get to be Ronald Coleman,” the husband said. An email from the family of a woman who’d had a stroke and just returned from the special care said, “She is so enjoying the photographs and the stories that we read to her.” I used literary quotes throughout as photo captions, and a neighbor called me yesterday to find out how I found words of the famous that matched the pictures so precisely. I confessed that I Googled literary quotes, then added the subject matter” which made it less about my extensive liberal arts background, and more about my computer that could blink out wisdom from Chinese philosophers, African, or Indian proverbs. Wary of copyrights, I selected only authors from olden times. Hurrah for technology.



Q. As I looked at the photographs of Brook Hollows wildlife, plants, and ponds, I felt I was sneaking a peek into a kind of sanctuary. You have walked Brook Hollow communing with all of its wonders. How does that make you feel?

A. We moved back to Nebraska about a year and a half ago. We lived on an acre of lush desert in Tucson, AZ. It spoiled us. In that development, rules forbade residents from changing the natural desert on their property. No additions to the landscape without permission and then, only from the list of Sonoran desert plants. This meant residents lived surrounded by a setting developed by nature through the years. We did have walled back yards, because coyotes, javelina, tarantulas, all kinds of lizards and snakes roamed the neighborhood. Does it sound terrible? It was great. The creatures did not hurt us, and we did not hurt them. By walking out the door, we entered this other world. I feel the same way about Brook Hollow. We chose our home because of the habitat with animals and water. Last night, three huge wild turkeys roosted high in the leafless elm tree outside our deck. Such experiences ground us and lead me gently to philosophical thoughts and then, essays. As I said in the book, we can’t decide if we’re walking through The Wind in the Willows or in the tiniest, tiniest of ways, emulating Henry David Thoreau.



Q. Your award-winning memoir A Universal Language published in The Story Teller: A Publication of the Society of Southwestern Authors reminded me of my Shelty, Duchess who died a few years ago. She was my companion for over ten years, and we developed a kind of communication between us. Have you had other such reactions from pet lovers? Do you think you may someday be able to publish that in a collection of memoirs by you?

A. I’ve heard from lots of pet lovers. The story about my sick cat ended up in Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers. Once, someone read that story, wrote a small pamphlet about their special pet, and sent me a copy. I appreciated that beautiful gesture.

I read my cat story at an AZ Humane Society fundraiser. A little girl thanked me, and then left. In five minutes, she sneaked back. “I love our cat. Would you read your story to me again?” Moreover, I did. Her wide-eyed attentions all the way through made me wonder if anyone in her family ever read aloud to her. Before I could talk to her afterward, she’d disappeared.

Our present cat, Marbles, arrived from a faraway street, picked up by my granddaughter’s friend. A fantastic animal, she curls up on my desk when I’m working. One of her quirks is to push all my stray pencils to the floor. I hope that’s not an editorial comment on my writing, or maybe she’s telling me to pick up the darn pencil and write. Will there ever be a book of my memoir pieces? I’d love to do it, but I need more stories. Wait, the message from my cat comes through. Get to work.

(I like to ask the people I interview to add anything they feel relevant about their writing. I cannot think of everything, so I let them help. It is their interview.)

One of my best writing experiences involved the acceptance of a piece about lint. Some of my essays began as holiday letters. After our move, most Christmas notes from Arizona friends described people I didn’t know, folks who’d visited, fellow trip takers, relatives and names that held no meaning to me. As a change of pace, I wrote philosophical letters to celebrate the season. Some folks copied them and sent them to other people. One lawyer sent them to 46 other attorneys in his office. Someone in California sent one to a British editor-friend working in Spain, who asked me to submit an essay for her anthology in progress with Editorial Kairos, entitled The Art of Living, A Practical Guide to Being Alive. One day, an email arrived about the book, “I thought the authors I’ve chosen might be interested in hearing the names of the other writers in the book” She sent the list and I almost fell out of my desk chair. The Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Desmond Tutu, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jean S. Bolen, Sir Richard Branson, and there it was, my name included. Kairos distributed the book internationally with English and Spanish versions. Before this, an essay highpoint was publication in a nature book called What Wildness is This. From U of Texas Press that included Barbara Kingsolver and Terry Tempest Williams. The Spanish book, however, was global and humbling. Afterward, I wondered briefly if I should quit writing. I’d never be able to match the names of that company of famous people. Nevertheless, of course, I keep at it. Our words do not depend on the proximity of neighboring authors, no matter how well known. Still, it was a thrill and I love thinking about it, especially on days when I get a rejection letter.

My works appear in over a dozen anthologies and I count it a blessing when I hear from readers. A letter from California said, “Someone gave me your book. Alone in my backyard, I read your nature essays aloud to the plants. The words bring me close to the earth and calm me. Thanks.” I visualized the plants listening to my words and smiled. Yea, a new audience.

At a bookstore, a sparse group gathered as I read my story in Chicken Soup for the Grandparents’ Soul. I packed up afterwards, a glum and disappointed author. Then, an old woman approached. “Would you autograph this copy for our neighbor boy to give to his grandparents? His mother deserted him and his dad’s in jail. His grandparents are adopting him and the book’s a surprise for his Nana and Popi. I confess I blinked away a tear as I signed that book. As authors, we send our words into the unknown, and it’s gratifying to know about the homes they find.


When I wrote the interview questions to explore Connie’s world, I had no idea how expanded her world had become. I’m gratified she willingly shared her life, loves, and career with us. Connie your career as an essayist and speaker will continue. Your fingers are, like many authors, the kind that will itch with anticipation when you are near a keyboard. You and Bob are gifts that keep giving back to the earth by calling our attention to it.

Dear readers you may wish to know that Connie has also done writing workshops for women at the University of Arizona Writing Works Center. Therefore, we add educator to her resume. Connie also reveals to me another area of her career that may have slipped past this interview

“I forgot to mention the "Wise Women Video Series,” four videotapes, later DVD's, from interviews with women over 50 who'd contributed in unusual ways to their community, neighborhood, family. They selected the series to be in Harvard University's Library on the History of Women in America. I was surprised when Medical Schools and Nursing Schools ordered the tapes. The schools used them as examples of positive aging and showed them to students after they finished studies on heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Actually several of the women in the tapes had medical problems, but rose above them with messages of hope and continued service.”

I for one am encouraged by Connie’s story. If she had not offered up the last bit of information, I would have missed the gratification of being a woman over 50 who hopes that I have and will contribute to my community and family. It nice to see the efforts of anybody appreciated publicly. I cannot think of anything more I can add to this interview. So dear readers go to a library, bookstore, or Internet and look for Connie and Bob Spittler’s book titles THE DESERT ETERNAL, The LEGEND OF BROOK HOLLOW, and the anthologies that contain her work. You will not be disappointed.

New dot com Web Site

I have an exciting announcement this morning. I am opening up my own dot com web site. It is currently under construction and will be up when I get that all figured out.

Wordsprings will continue for interviews of other authors. The interviews are a labor of love and interest in my fellow authors. I will continue to strive to put the writer up front and their books as a product of who they are.

Please continue to enjoy Wordsprings. A link to my dot com will be added when I have it up and running.

Thank you dear readers.

Interview with Author G. K. Fralin by G. M. Stevens

Interview With Author G. K. Fralin

A rich, red background greets you when you visit G. K. (Glenda) Fralin’s blog at wordspring.blogspot.com. The background is as warm and inviting as her passion for writing. Her site includes short film clips about her book THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN, as well as videos of a poem she’s written, The Monster’s Dinner. Since 2006, Glenda has been sharing her poetry, thoughts and writing adventure with those who drop by, but her love for writing began as a child.

Glenda is a member of the Nebraska Writers Guild and is a fine interviewer in her own right. Originally from Kansas, which I’ve learned gives her the right to say “ain’t”, Glenda is a Nebraska writer who pays it forward – an important thing to do in any endeavor we take. It is most obvious to me by her work and her blog, that Glenda is a Christian, which you’ll see by the first paragraph on her blog or in her full profile. I admire her faith and zest for life.

* * *
Gina: I was intrigued when Kristopher Miller’s review of your book, Book Review THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN, compared your book to C. S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. Did Lewis’s novel influence your work at all, and do you agree with Miller?

G. K. Fralin: How do I respond to this question? I’m glad he compared it to the spirit of C. S. Lewis. I don’t know that I will ever reach the level of skill C. S. Lewis possessed to grasp the imagination in fantasy. Lewis was like an architect with a story. The lands of Narnia and its character’s make for his epic chronicles.

I wish I could say I studied his writing, but I have only read a portion. I do love his style. Reading the full series of chronicles is a goal of mine.

My parents subscribed to Reader’s Digest Condensed Books. Their condensed version of GREEN MANSIONS by William H. Hudson introduced me to the world of grown up fantasy. GULLIVER’S TRAVELS by Jonathan Swift with the Lilliputians also helped me move beyond the childhood fantasies of Mother Goose.

I can agree with Kristopher that like C. S. Lewis, I try to set out Biblical teachings in fantasy to engage the mind of the reader instead of preaching.


Gina: I read the first chapter and loved the setting, which seemed almost heaven-like to me. Was this your intent?

G. K. Fralin: Hidden is deceptively peaceful. There is that initial impression of finding a jewel of a town buried on the back road off Nebraska’s I-80. Be careful of what you trust. Have you ever visited a resort whose brochure promised luxurious lodging, and tours of historic sites including photos of how they deliver on their promise? Then when you’ve been there more than five minutes, you get a big let down. That is the first chapter of Hidden.

Would heaven have one old street? Will Catch and his barbed remarks be as cute when Sheridan catches him off guard? Oh, ho ho be ye careful of that one.


Gina: How did you come up with the name of the town, Hidden?


G. K. Fralin: I was trying to figure out a place forSheridan to be trapped. The idea of a town tucked away from the eyes and knowledge of the world implies Hidden. It fit my ‘what if’ premise. I simply could not think of a more appropriate name than Hidden. The citizen’s of Hidden prefer similarly direct names. They seem obsessed with name meanings.


Gina: How long did it take you to write the book and when did you start writing it?

G. K. Fralin: Now that is a story in itself. THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN began years ago as an interactive story with my daughter Nina at bedtime. It bears many of the same elements. The name of that story was The Lunis Flower and the main character was Lucinda.

I rewrote it as an 8000 word grown up version and it turned in a different direction. Nina is now in her late twenties, but the story still contains elements of her influence.

I was having trouble in the new version connecting with my main character in a way that my readers could relate to her.

What I ended up doing was writing a life for Sheridan that became an unpublished novel length story of its own. That set a background for her and developed her personality and life events. THE SEARCH: LIVING BEDOUIN is mentioned in THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN. I haven’t published THE SEARCH: LIVING BEDOUIN.


Gina: What genre would you say THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN, is?

G. K. Fralin: THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN is a Christian fantasy full of adventure, suspense, and mystery.

Gina: Tell me about the sketch for the poem The Monster’s Dinner (which is adorable. I’m thinking I’d entertain more if I could lay out dust and decorate with cobwebs!)

G. K. Fralin: I’ll warn you, this story is not for the faint of heart.

I wrote The Monster’s Dinner several years ago. When I wanted to publish it, I wanted a picture to go with it.

When I decided on a sketch, I asked my daughter Angie to draw it. She thought I was nuts. Angela’s talent for painting, design and photography took a huge hit when she was cutting the zip tie off of a toy for her son. The knife she was using slipped and her left eye permanently injured. The doctors did surgery, but the cornea is still scared. The accident would have knocked me off my feet. She is one resilient woman. I can’t help but be in awe of her ability to bounce back and take life on.

She learned how to drive by using intuition and memory to gauge depth and distance. She started working on clothing for her doll collection again. However, she resolved that she was not going to have the chance to draw or paint again. She covers the bad eye just to read.

I didn’t ask her as a therapeutic exercise, I hoped it would be, but I really wanted her to do it. Questions hit me like, am I pushing too hard for something she has accepted is gone? Was I going to ask her to break her heart all over again?

Her husband James, bless him, is the perfect match for her. He took the time to stand by and let her know when something wasn’t looking right, and he encouraged her. I’d asked for it to be childlike because of the poem. The detail and elements she put in that sketch made it the perfect search and find for kids and adults.

She has since done other projects including the drawing of the Lunis Flower on the cover of my book The Search: Lunis Flower of Hidden.

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In closing, I hope you will all stop by Glenda's rich red blogsite. From that point, you can find out where to buy her book and even read the first chapter of her novel, THE SEARCH: LUNIS FLOWER OF HIDDEN. Thank you Glenda for the great responses.

Interview with author G. M. Stevens.

Interview with Gina Barlean AKA G. M. Stevens
By G. K. Fralin


G. M. Stevens is a shocking double personality. What, did I just accuse the writer I am interviewing of being psychotic? No, I do not think so. Authors have the ability to have multiple personalities they can portray on paper. G. M. Stevens the author eclipses Gina’s sweet nature in her stories. However, on her blog Gina Barlean opens up unashamedly portraying her love of cooking, travel, being a farm wife, and having a family.


Gina may well be that sweet innocent woman of the plains. However, G. M. Stevens breaks free from the bonds of a simple life and into a world of crime, the darkness of an overbearing religious family patron, then breaking back into the humorous side of life with a story about a man named Barney Pfeiffer.


Q. Gina from what I have related to the reader so far, do you feel I have portrayed you with any accuracy?

A. You are very close, I think. I do live a simple life on a farm, near a small, rural community. I'm fairly typical and blend in quite nicely with the locals - but little do they know.... mwahahahaha.

Although I love teaching Bible stories to a Confirmation class at my church, and I always volunteer to work the canteen at the blood drives, I also love to read Stephen King and watch horror movies. Like the characters I try to create, I like most people have layers of personality that make me who I am. One can't run around acting out the horror movies we watch now, can we? I don't though, write what I consider horror. I like a deep topic and a good moral at the end with some of my writing and I enjoy using dramatic situations to achieve that. The book I hope to publish within the next six months is such a story. The tentative title is CASTING STONES: SAVING JAMES RAVEN. This dramatic, single title work should leave the reader pondering things for a day or two, if not longer.


Q. G. M. Stevens sent me a chapter of a story in progress about a man who sees himself as the hand of God over a family cringing in fear of his violent teachings. I must say, I wanted to shoot the guy from the beginning, and I am not violent. How did you come up with this character?

A. Something that has been in the news for a while is the picketing by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka Kansas. Their leader Fred Phelps is certainly the type of person who looms heavily in my concerns for how people can negatively perceive Christians. The character in the book I am working on is the epitome of how not to see all Christians. I've also had family members who have border-lined on this type of zealous, judgmental example. Hypocrisy is at the heart of the "moral to the story" that I am trying to achieve. I want the reader to hate that character. He is one of the stories villains.

Q. I want to ask one more question about the voices of THE BARTON FAMILY. You give a voice to each character in the book. Each character intrigued me. As an author myself, I must ask how you keep these voices separated?


A. I am an aspiring author. I started seriously writing in 2009 and I'm on a mission to learn the craft. I'm still in the process. Of course, I don't think I'll ever be done learning, but I make huge strides every day. There is so much more to writing than I would have ever expected. Writing the story is the easy part by far. Marketing, creating a platform, learning how to submit, being involved with writing groups and critique groups... the list goes on and on. Yet, the most important thing to me at this point, is learning the proper skills to honor the art of writing itself. One thing I'm learning through a critique partner I've found, is how to avoid "head hopping". I so love to be the omniscient observer and slide in and out of every character's thoughts. I'm doing my level best to resolve this bad writing habit. I am hoping by the time I publish any of my books, I will have them fine tuned and easy to read. I love to read old books, not necessarily classics, but more just things written in the past. I was just reading some short stories by Flannery O'Connor. I love her wording and style. I also love that narrative style and yes, her work kind of head-hops. I suppose it's all of these things that lead me to write this way, yet, I realize today's readers, particularly genre readers, prefer point of view to be clearer.

Q. Your crime novel DEAD BLOW meets sledgehammer to head. My minds eye immediately saw a shed with walls splattered with blood and a menacing figure standing in the darkest corner with a giant sledgehammer. I felt chills and that was from the synopsis. Do you have a shed on your farm that inspired this story? Where does the peaceful Gina go when G. M. Stevens crawls into your mind to relate to these violent fiends?

A. Ha. Well, maybe the fiend-creating GM Stevens keeps Gina so peaceful. Yes, I have this exact shed on our farm. It's funny because when I was writing this murder scene I wasn't sure what farm tool I wanted to use as the murder weapon. I wandered out to my husband's machine shed in which he also has a machine shop. It didn't take me long to find a Dead Blow sledge hammer leaning beside a table, just begging to be written about. I'll enclose the picture I took of it. Then I proceeded to handle the hammer and feel what it would be like to swing it. It was a good experiment and helped me write the murder scene and ultimately title the book. I also spent time talking to my husband about how the hammer is made and used and why it's different than a regular hammer.


Q. Your biography lists other accomplishments from you life. Careers, family, and many other factors influence many authors. You have owned and run a photography studio, been the Director of the David City Chamber of Commerce, and most recently you joined and participated in the events of the Nebraska Writer’s Guild. What drives you as a person and a writer?


A. I think above all else, I'm a curious person. I am a creative soul I suppose. I've been a painter, a singer, a jewelry maker. I sew, crochet, cook, garden... and who knows what will drive me next. I pursue the things that interest me, and let's face it... the world is a very interesting place!


I hope you'll all be watching for me. You can follow me on twitter. Look for @thegmstevens. I have a blog called thegmstevens.wordpress.com, and website, gmstevens.com. I have an author page on Face Book too. I currently belong to the Nebraska Writers Guild and a new founded group in Seward, Nebraska called The Local Muse. I hope to publish both DEAD BLOW and CASTING STONES: SAVING JAMES RAVEN, by the spring of 2012. CASTING STONES may very well end up becoming a series.


I'm also working on a mother/daughter mystery series, which I think will prove I can let my silly side out. This will be a quirky jaunt with fun characters. The main character is Cyd Cherise DeGraffe, the bumbling middle-aged gal whose daughter has to get her out of all the trouble she finds. (Maybe that's the real me after all!)



Welcome readers, to the school of writing that all authors join from the first snippet of a poem or story. Gina, aka G. M. Stevens chose to add a new career to her repertoire of successes. She chose to write. I look forward to reading her books and encourage you to be looking for them soon.

I found it refreshing to interview an individual coming into the world of words from a fresh point of view. The mistakes we make in the beginning can become the builders that help our characters evolve. Constructive criticism will always help a writer grow.

G. M. Stevens is breaking out in a big way. She seems to be unafraid of a challenge. She encourages me, as an author, to jump into the deep water of ‘what if’ without reservation.

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