August 17: Inspiration, Imagination and Invention

The Inspiration, Imagination and Invention show with Simon Rose is a once a month show highlighting books base on or around history.
This week's guest is Dellani Oakes.

Dellani Oakes is a former A.P. English teacher and photo journalist. Now working as a substitute teacher and Mary Kay consultant, she can give skin care & makeup advice, correct grammar, take pictures and write an article while controlling a classroom full of rowdy third graders. Dellani was making up stories before she could read. Her first really cohesive work began when her older sister started school. These stories paved the way for songs and poems in elementary school and short stories in high school and college. A college theatre major, Dellani took play writing. It became her new love. Dellani had to set aside her love of writing when she began working as a teacher. Her creative energies were channeled into writing exams to make her students cry—although this wasn't usually intentional. Unfortunately, between that and motherhood, she didn't have time to write. However, once her youngest son started school in 2001, she was able to write full time. Her first published novel, "Indian Summer", was published in 2008 by Second Wind Publishing. Also from Second Wind, her second novel, "Lone Wolf" makes its debut soon. "Lone Wolf" is the first in her science-fiction series.

July 6th show Inspiration, Imagination and Invention

This month's show is with guest John Wilson and author of over thirty novels and non-fiction books for children, teens and adults, all of which are historically based. His passion for the past and for creating stories has taken him to Roman Germany, Renaissance London, a Civil War prison camp, New Mexico and Arizona in the 1870s. Although his mind leads him throughout history, John's prime interest is in the First and Second World Wars, which are the settings for several of his titles. 

Find out more about John Wilson and his books at johnwilson-author.blogspot.com

Blurb for Written in Blood:

Set in the harsh desert world of Arizona Territory and Mexico during the 1870s, Written in Blood follows young Jim Doolen as he searches for traces of his father who abandoned the family ten years before. As he travels through the scorched landscape, Jim crosses paths with a variety of characters, each of whom adds one more link in a chain of discovery that leads back to a dark, violent past. Jim learns that uncovering the past can also lead to opening up the future.

Your host Simon Rose is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels for middle grade readers. He has also written a number of non-fiction titles for children and offers author in residence programs. 

Inspiration, Imagination and Invention with Simon Rose can be listened to live at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/worldofinknetwork/2011/07/07/inspiration-imagination-and-invention-with-simon-rose, or you can listen to it on demand, at any time you'd like, at the same address or on iTunes. Just search for World of Ink Network and you'll find our shows. 

We'll be taking your calls today towards the end of the show, and if you'd like to call in and ask a question of our guests or host Simon Rose, the phone number is (714) 242-5259.