Please share your bio with us and anything else you would
like readers to know.
After a long career in sales, marketing, advertising and
real estate, I retired to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I am a graduate of
Franklin and Marshall College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
I served in the U.S. Navy, actively for two years and four years in the
Reserves.
I live with my wife, Christie, and our two dogs, Buddy and
River, one cat named Oyster and many photos of foster dogs. My wife and I
fostered about 50 dogs during a span of 5 years volunteering with the Animal
Welfare League in the Northern Neck of Virginia. Together, we have three
children and four grandchildren.
What are some of
the things that have influenced/inspired
your writing?
Our grandchildren have been a great influence because of
their love of books…whether being read to or looking at the books on their own.
Our dogs inspired me to start writing due to their antics and their own stories
that needed to be told. The fostering of dogs has been a love of ours not only
for saving a dog’s life but for the joy it brings to the one who adopts the
pet. Finally, since I wanted to convey a message about caring for lost pets to
children of a young age, what better way than a picture book.
Tell us
briefly about your recently published book and what you feel is the most
important topic/sub-message you share.
It is an engaging story about a lost puppy, Mr.
Pupples, and how Mom and her dog, Sir Buddy, look for and find him. It
demonstrates Mom’s love of animals not only because of rescuing the puppy but
her involvement with fostering dogs. The key message I hope the children will
take from the story is the importance of caring for animals. The sub-message is
the introduction to fostering of dogs, and that it plants a seed of at least
awareness, if not involvement.
It has been
my experience, some things come quite easily (like creating the setting) and
other things aren’t so easy (like deciding on a title). What comes easily to
you and what do you find more difficult?
The title turned out to be easy because the story revolves
around our two dogs. The writing of the story was over a number of weeks as
thoughts came to me and, other than writer’s block, it flowed pretty well.
Since this is my first book I had not given much thought to the tense it should
be written in…present. I had originally written it in the past tense thus
relating a story that had already occurred rather than letting the story unfold
thus holding a child’s attention by he/she not knowing the outcome.
Please describe to us your relationship between you and your editor. What makes an author/editor relationship a success?
I have nothing but praise for my editor for she saw the
potential in my manuscript but knew it needed work. At first, I thought she had
wounded my “child” or maybe, more honestly, wounded me. I then realized her
input made the story a better read. I believe the level of trust an author has
in an editor is the most important element in the author/editor relationship
followed closely by the author’s willingness to be open to the editor’s input.
If an author is willing to take a leap of faith at the beginning of the
relationship, it will only get stronger over time.
When they
write your obituary, what do you hope they will say about your books and
writing? What do you hope they will say about you?
That I was an Author who wrote engaging children’s stories
that not only entertain but also have a message…something of value that a child
can learn. That by making a small, yet positive, contribution to their life I
felt a great sense of accomplishment.
As for me as an individual, I guess I would like it to say
that I loved the Lord and did my best to live by His word, that I loved my
family and friends, especially spending time with them, that I had integrity,
and was honest, trustworthy, loyal, funny and happy.
Have you ever
suffered from writer’s block? If yes, how did you ‘cure’ it?
Yes, when I am trying to finish a thought or
complete something I had written previously and nothing is coming forth to
rescue me. It is so frustrating. Sometimes I can push through it and the words
flow but I have found the best tact is to leave it alone for a while…just let
it rest. It works like magic!
Who or what inspires your characters and/or plots?
Our two dogs inspired the characters. Their
personalities, antics and for this book, that they are both foster dogs. The
plot was inspired by what my wife and I have witnessed in reference to
stray/lost dogs and cruelty to dogs, and the rescue efforts, including
fostering, that involves so many people.
What happens before
sitting down to write? (Explain your creative process.)
I may spend time with our dogs or make French press coffee or eat chocolate (nothing less than 75% cacao) or do all three! These are some of the things I love to do to remove myself from everyday life, to clear my head. At other times, I will have a thought or several thoughts that need to be written down before they dissipate like a puff of smoke. In all honestly, it is whatever works to get the story on paper.
What advice
would you give to a new writer?
Don’t give up! Don’t put your partially written book back in
the drawer or in that file folder you have had for years. Make a commitment to
yourself that this is important and set aside the time. Think about the feeling
of accomplishment you will have when you have your book in your hands for the
first time or see your book on the shelf of your local book store or on Amazon.
It’s powerful and rewarding!
Use this space to tell us more about your book’s characters. Anything you want your readers to know. Include information on where to find your book(s), any blogs you may have, or how a reader can learn more about you and/or your book(s).
How I wrote about the characters pretty much mirrors the
personalities of our dogs. For example, Buddy, Sir Buddy, is very formal when
he sits, almost at attention. On the other hand, River, Mr. Pupples, could not
be any sloppier. In fact, I don’t know how he achieves the positions he does.
Buddy’s behavior is almost exemplary
while River is a wee bit of a loose cannon. They certainly made it easy to
create two distinct characters. As for Mom, well, she is my wife Christie and
is a perfect reflection of Christie’s compassion and love for animals,
especially dogs.
For those who would like additional information please go to
my website: www.twodogstales.com or
my Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/twodogstales.
