Voice by Jannie

From Regency lovers to bees and trolls, Jannie creates their voices!

Jean Gill, the author of Arrows Tipped With Honey, book 2 in the Natural Forces series, which I recorded recently, has asked me to tell you a bit about myself. You can watch this interview on video if you prefer. I did add a little more in the video!

VIDEO LINK

Jannie: I’m Jannie Meisberger, a British voice actor and audiobook narrator living happily in the beautiful Pacific Northwest of America.

Jean: Can you give me a brief picture of your personal journey as a Voice Actor (Kind of work you do? When started?  

Jannie: My voice acting journey began 10 years ago, with poetry recordings for LibriVox, a group of worldwide volunteers who record public domain texts, before I moved on to commercial voice work. I started recording audiobooks in 2014. In addition to recording audiobooks, I record on-hold messages and company videos as well as live performance narration of classics like Peter and the Wolf for children’s concerts. 

Jean: You usually record Regency romance and fantasy novels. Why did you choose these very different genres? 

 The majority of the 45 audiobooks I’ve recorded are Regency romance novels.

Jannie: Going to boarding school in Bath, the home of stately Georgian and Regency architecture and culture, was a huge influence not only on the books I read in school, but also much later on the choice of novels I chose to record, which is why the majority of the 45 audiobooks I’ve recorded are Regency romance novels. During a recent visit to Bath I visited the Jane Austen Museum and here’s a photo of me with Mr. Darcy. 

Jean: That's an impressive number of audiobooks and an even more impressive claim to fame. I think many of us would like to spend time with Mr Darcy!

Jannie: Unfortunately I’m not properly attired for the occasion but Mr. Darcy didn’t seem to mind! While at school, I learned to play the piano, love drama and absorb several languages, including Latin, French and German, all great resources to draw upon when I’m researching character voices for audiobooks. 

My journey into the world of fantasy novels began when I was offered a series which included dwarves, pixies, goblins, even a German baroness and many other characters. The series reminded me of the fairy tales I read to my children and how much fun I had voicing all the characters for them. On the wall behind me I have a Family Circus picture -‘I hope you practiced. This book has a lot of funny voices for you to do.’ 

Jean: How do you prepare for recording an audiobook?

We are a team. The author’s words are the stars, and I hope my voice allows listeners to be enthralled by the story. 

Jannie: I always keep in mind that the author has spent many months, even years researching and crafting each book and it takes a leap of faith to trust a narrator to bring just the right voice to the story. We are a team. The author’s words are the stars, and I hope my voice allows listeners to be enthralled by the story. 

As far as the recording process goes, I usually spend 4-8 hours per finished hour of the audiobook. This involves reading the manuscript, listing all the characters and voices for each, as well as making short recordings of each voice for reference, and checking with the author and online resources for pronunciations of names and places before recording and producing the final project. 

Jean: I don't think authors realise how much time the preparation takes!

Jean: For the Natural Forces series you had to create voices for bees, evil mages and shape-shifters. Which character/s did you find most challenging and how did you come up with the voice/s? 

Jannie: Qingzhao’s voice was the most challenging. I first tried out a couple of voices, which didn’t work. I then researched a huge number of photos of elderly Asian women online, before I found a photo of an elderly Mongolian woman that just drew me into Qingzhao’s personality as described by Jean. Finally I took a long walk, with the photo on my IPhone and talked to myself until I found Qingzhao’s voice. 

Jean: For what reasons do you turn books down? 

Jannie: When it’s apparent the author does little or no marketing of his/her book, so probably won’t do much for the audiobook version; the cover art isn’t professional; there are grammatical errors in the excerpt provided. And, I have to be excited about the storyline! 

Jean: Do you network with other Voice Actors? Are there any sites you’d recommend? 

Jannie: I definitely network with other Voice Actors and coaches. The indie (ACX and Others) Audiobook Narrators and Producers Face Book page has a wealth of information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACXNarratorsProducers 

Karen Commins’ Narrators Road Map is also a treasure trove of helpful advice: https://www.narratorsroadmap.com/

Jean: How can an author help the Voice Actor/ Producer of his/her book? 

Jannie: Having a list of characters with their characteristics is so important, as is a pronunciation guide for names and places, especially if the book is a fantasy. Jean also recorded the characters’ names for me, which was a tremendous help. 

Jean: Are there ways in which an author can hinder or even spoil the Voice Actor’s recording of a book? 

Jannie: In a word - Micromanagement! Wanting input about the recording from friends or family before deciding whether to approve or request changes. 

Jean: Tell me about your working day. Do you work to a routine? Do you use a recording studio? Endless cups of coffee or tea? 

Jannie: My husband built me a wonderful recording booth and I usually record for an hour or two early in the morning then go for a walk and have lunch before editing the chapters I’ve recorded. I often drink sips of Throat Coat tea with a dollop of honey as well as water while I’m recording. 

Jean: Who or what has been the greatest help to you as a Voice Actor? 

Jannie: Peer support and encouragement from my fellow Voice Actors as well as excellent instruction from a number of wonderful coaches, both on the creative side of voice acting as well as the technological side has been incredibly helpful. 

Jean: What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome in becoming a Voice Actor? 

Jannie: The technological side of voice acting. That’s why it took me so long to tackle audiobooks. I’m getting more adept technologically but need to learn more.

Jean: If you could pick one character in one of your audiobooks, to spend some time with, who would it be and why? 

Jannie: It would have to be Qingzhao, the ancient beekeeper in Arrows Tipped with Honey. I can imagine enjoying tea and biscuits in her cottage while she sits in her rocker and shares her life story with me. Not only would I learn so much about her life, her children and grandchildren and her tribe as they moved between the natural and manmade worlds, I’d also follow her to the beehives and watch her take care of them. I didn’t know very much about bee-keeping until I recorded Jean’s books so this has been an added bonus.

Jean: Tell me about your latest audiobook and why we should all buy it? 

Jannie: Arrows Tipped With Honey is the second in the Natural Forces Series and has intriguing twists and turns which will keep listeners fully engaged. I was always excited to record the next chapter, to find out what would happen next, and I hope listeners will be just as captivated as they listen to the audiobook.

Jean: What are you working on next? Do you have an ambition? 

Jannie: I’m about to begin recording The World Beyond the Walls, the final book in Jean Gill’s Natural Forces Series, and I am thrilled to journey again with Mielitta, her bees and all the wonderful characters I’ve met along the way. My ambition is to continue recording many more fantasy and Regency period novels for my authors. 

Thank you, Jean, for giving me this opportunity to talk about audiobooks and also for entrusting your wonderful series to my voice. Thanks also to everyone who reads this interview or watches the video. 

Jean: Jannie, I've learned a lot from your interview and love working with you. Many thanks! And to all my readers, you have to listen to Jannie's voice creation for her favourite character, the aged beekeeper Qingzhao. I think it's brilliant!

QINGZHAO

Where can we find you? 

www.voicebyjannie.com where I’ve included links to my audiobooks. 

Contact Website: https://www.voicebyjannie.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Jannie-Meisberger-Voice-Actor-551005521642993

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannie-meisberger-43243619/ 

The Indie (ACX and Others) Audiobook Narrators and Producers FB page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ACXNarratorsProducers 

Karen Commins’ Narrators Road Map: https://www.narratorsroadmap.com

Get your copy of 'Arrows Tipped with Honey' HERE

A Greater World :Clare Flynn

Clare's author page on amazon

Since I first met historical novelist Clare Flynn at a conference in Oxford in 2016 and felt an instant cameraderie, her books have become bestsellers. Her fans can't wait for their next voyage in the early 20th century in the company of women who suffer and survive and I have great news for them! But what about the woman behind the books? Clare's life has been as amazing as any of her books and each year I discover more of her secret life. One constant is Clare's love of travel and awareness that she is part of a greater world so this story of love, loss and a voyage into the unknown seems an appropriate focus for the interview!

Welcome to my blog, Clare!

Find out more about the book from amazon.com

Tell me a bit about yourself - where do you live and what do you do when you’re not writing?
Thanks for inviting me, Jean. Home is Eastbourne on the beautiful Sussex coast, surrounded by the South Downs and with views of the grey-green chalky sea from my window. I moved here three years ago after twenty years in London, but lived here in my teens so I knew what I was I was letting myself in for. I love it!
I spent my pre-writing career firstly in Marketing where I worked for big global companies like Proctor & Gamble, then latterly working for myself as a strategy consultant. My work took me all over the world with a wide range of fabulous clients from brewers to broadcasters.
Ah, The Chalky Sea is another title I recognise and now I know the inspiration!

I know you lived in Paris for some time. Where else have you lived and what drew you there? Do you think any of these places influenced you and your writing?
I lived in Paris on the Boulevard St Germain in the late 80s for two years. It sounds romantic but not when you have to drive round for hours trying to find a parking spot after getting home late from work. It was my first experience of living abroad and it wasn’t a happy one – pity as I’d lap it up now– especially my gorgeous little apartment in the heart of the Latin Quarter.

I had a couple of years in Brussels and three in Milan. I adore Italy and speak Italian. The Alien Corn has some flashbacks to the war there. More recently my latest book, which will be published by Canelo in June 2019, has an Italian character and I very much enjoyed writing him.

My other exotic temporary home was Sydney where I worked for six months in 2006/7. I’d been to Australia a few times before and had already started work on my first novel, A Greater World, set in the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains

What made you choose the different settings in your books (including Canada and India)?
Location has a huge influence on my writing. It’s often the trigger point for a story. My second novel, Kurinji Flowers, is set in South India in a fictional hill town, based on Munnar. Unable to sleep in my hotel room one night on holiday there, I lay thinking about who else might have stayed in that room back in the 1930s. By the time dawn was breaking I had mapped out the background to the book and some of the key characters. I found the whole area magical – the endless rolling tea gardens, like a huge piece of corduroy velvet across the landscape, the bright vivid colours of the statues and temples, the flowers, the wildlife, the birdsong, and the visible colonial heritage. My first visit there was to paint so I had to make my character, Ginny, a painter too – albeit a more successful one than I could ever be!
I love your descriptions of place. You have a painter's eye!

What drew you to the early 20th century as a period and how do you do your research?
I read an interview with William Boyd the other day in which he said that he didn’t see the twentieth century as history because his grandmother had lived in the nineteenth century and his great uncle fought in the first war, so it doesn’t feel so far away or alien. He said, “I feel that’s my natural range – say three generations back from my own life and time – it’s not strange.” That exactly reflects my own feelings. I can’t see me writing books set in Tudor England or eighteenth century France.

I do a variety of things as research. Ideally, I visit the location – but my recent trilogy, The Canadians, is set in eastern Canada and I couldn’t get there. Instead I used Google Earth, YouTube, books, websites, maps, films, almanacs, online weather statistics and – best of all – my own private Facebook group consisting of three retired Canadian librarians who answered all my questions, no matter how obscure, and went above and beyond the call of duty to help me.
We are so lucky these days to be able to connect through social media with experts - and, like you, I've found them so generous in response.

You write about strong women who suffer and survive, sometimes hindered by the men in their lives. How do you hope readers will react to your novels?
I hope they will see my characters as living within their own period, not ours. I get very frustrated when someone describes a character as being insufficiently empowered when, in the context of the era she lived in, she was pushing the boundaries as far as they would go. We can’t expect the world of the early twentieth century to match our own. Most married women were not even permitted to work outside the home. My character, Elizabeth, in A Greater World, has never worked in the sense we would – she took in violin pupils when her family fell on hard times and later in the book gets involved in understanding the economics of her husband’s failing coalmine. I had one reviewer very snidely remark that a mere violin teacher couldn’t possibly have done that – which is incredibly patronising. Elizabeth never actually takes over the running of the mine but asks enough questions to figure out what its future might be. So, I suppose I’m saying I’d like readers not to assume women in the past had all the same attitudes and possibilities open to them – while at the same time not patronising women because their lives were more confined than ours may be.
That's a very balanced response to the ongoing debate re women's roles in the past and one that resonates with me as writer of medieval fiction too. 

Who is your ideal reader?
Someone who appreciates a good story, with multi-faceted characters and a liking for travel to interesting places – even if it’s vicarious.

If you could wave a magic wand and change something about your career what would it be?
That I’d started it sooner. But that said, I have no real regrets. I am very happy with what I’ve achieved so far, and I remain excited about the future. I’m also grateful that my professional life gave me the financial footing that helped me have the courage to go full time as a writer.

Congratulations on your incredible performance in Nanowrimo!  https://nanowrimo.org/ In 2018, you completed a draft novel in a month for the third year running. How do you manage this in November but not the rest of the year? And what tips do you have for others in tackling Nanowrimo?
Actually, it was the fourth year! Four of my books were partly written in NanoWriMo. I’m a highly competitive individual as my siblings will testify (but then so are they!) and the pressure of hitting that goal – even though I’m only competing against myself – is a huge motivator. And having done it once it’s easier to do it again. I’m quite a fast writer anyway and I’m lucky that my first drafts are already fairly polished before I get into the rounds of editing. It wasn’t always like this – I think it has come over years of practice. Maybe not always in writing fiction but I have long had the need to express myself in words as a cornerstone of the way I made my living.

My only tips for NaNoWriMo are very simple ones. Firstly, get off to as fast a start as possible so you have some slack to cover any underperforming days. Nothing’s worse than racing to catch up if you’re behind – that’s very demoralising. Secondly, do some planning beforehand so you have a clear idea of where you are going even if, like me, you write by the seat of your pants. I think I’d struggle if I sat down on Day One and had to start from a blank page with no idea of characters, location or inciting incident.

Tell me about your working day. Do you work to a routine? Endless cups of coffee or tea? How does this change during Nanowrimo?
No routine! I try to write every day but I don’t beat myself up if I miss a few days. Yes, gallons of tea and a more limited amount of coffee, then wine at six o’clock! I always break for lunch and rarely spend the entire day writing – there’s so much else to do – not least marketing. In Nanowrimo it’s much the same as long as I hit the target for that day.

What has been the hardest thing for you to overcome in becoming a published author? What or who has helped you most in the process?
I wasted a lot of time before deciding to self-publish. I had an agent and lost months waiting for her to sell the book, which she didn’t. She wasn’t enamoured of my second book so I decided I’d nothing to lose by giving Self-Publishing a go. And by then I had some self-belief. What I never expected to happen was that it would open a whole new world of friendship and support. Nor did I expect to be so successful – especially as I write Historical with a romantic element (not straight romance) and was warned it was hard to crack. I think I took well to Self-Publishing as I was used to running my own business and hence having control. I see it as more entrepreneurial than being trad published. Although now I am enjoying having a foot in both camps.

My fellow authors have helped me the most. I have been amazed at the friendship, generosity and massive support of other writers such as you, Jean.
Right back at you! I feel the same as you re Self-Publishing (and time wasted with traditional publishers) and the support of fellow-writers is generous - and practical! - beyond belief. 

If you could pick one character in one of your books, to spend some time with, who would it be and why?
Hector from Kurinji Flowers would be great fun. The drinks would flow, the conversation would be challenging and entertaining. Just as long as we don’t end up fancying the same men!
Haha! Always a friendship spoiler :)

Tell me about your latest book and why we should all buy it?
My first book, A Greater World is now also my next book! I signed a contract with Canelo for them to relaunch it and for me to write a follow up. I’ve just finished the follow up (yay!). A Greater World is available NOW! The follow up, The Storms Between Us, comes out in June 2019. And why should you read it? I have no idea – unless you like losing out on your beauty sleep! One reader described it as Wuthering Heights meets Australia meets Titanic! Another said, “There is so much going on in this story - everything from rape, death, murder, marriage, divorce, drug taking and every human emotion from loss to joy to reconciliation.”

What’s next for Clare Flynn?
By the time you’re reading this I will be away on a four-month cruise around the world calling at numerous exotic destinations from French Polynesia to Japan. I’m not putting myself under any pressure to write while I’m away as it’s a holiday – but I know while we are at sea, I will probably end up at some point hiding away in my cabin or under a sunshade, bashing away at my laptop! I’ll be back in May in time for the publication of The Storms Between Them.

Happy Launch Day, Clare, for your book and your cruise ship!

You can connect with Clare via
her website
her publisher's website
her blog
twitter
instagram
facebook
goodreads
youtube

While Clare is on her cruise, discovering a greater world, why not check out her books?

Buy from amazon.com

Buy from amazon.co.uk

Buy from amazon.ca

Buy from amazon.com.au

Buy from kobo

A Greater World

She crossed the world to marry a stranger.
   When Elizabeth Morton's father asks her to travel to the other side of the world to marry a man she's never met, she is stunned. It's 1920 and a woman has rights. But her choices are removed when she is raped by her brother-in-law and thrown out of her own home by her sister.
   When Michael Winterbourne wakes with a hangover after his engagement celebrations, he is about to be the cause of a terrible tragedy that will destroy his family, turn his life upside down and catapult him into leaving England.
   Elizabeth, born into a prosperous family, and Michael, a miner, come from different worlds. They would never have met but the SS Historic, bound for Sydney, is a ship with only one class.
Falling in love should have been the end to all their troubles. But fate and the mysterious Jack Kidd make sure it's only the beginning.


Photo credits: Clare Flynn and Canelo 

The loveable assassin - Glen Barrera

I admit to being intrigued by Glen Barrera, the man behind the assassin who can't dance, a man who routinely shoots people and blows them up. (Glen will smile at the deliberate ambiguity - he's a writer who notices nuances.) So who is he exactly?

Glen, a former partner in a real estate appraisal company, who still takes appraisal assignments from time to time, now writes. Over the years he's edited a company newsletter, written short stories (one a contest winner) and poetry. It wasn't until he divorced a few years ago, however, that he finally found time to take a writing course while working on his first novel. The Assassin Who Couldn't Dance and a follow-up novel, A Capable and Wide Revenge (now available), were tutored by Michael Mirolla, a published Canadian writer. He is now working on a third novel with the working title, Sweet Peach. Glen grew up in Chicago, with college at Western Illinois University, College of DuPage and the University of Illinois, Chicago. He studied Isshinryu Karate for fourteen years, sailed for seven years out of Burnham Harbor, practices Tai Chi and plays classical guitar. A Chicago boy at heart, he now lives in a western suburb.

Contact Glen by email 
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Welcome to the blog, Glen

You say you started writing classes after your divorce. Was the personal change a catalyst in looking at your professional future? Had you always wanted to write?
I believe the idea to write was an extension of the countless books I’d read, an “I can do that” mentality, whether for better or worse in actuality. My first novel was written in the 1980s, on an Underwood typewriter (yeah, carbon copy), with no recourse other than a full re-type if I screwed up after fifty pages and needed to correct a plot-point back at page twenty-five (I think I still have the rejection slips). With a wife, two children and a demanding career, however, writing had to take a back seat to life. I was still writing, but in a technical environment. But even before the divorce, I knew I wanted to write fiction again. Writing classes, then, were a natural progression, to get me back into the rhythm and structure of the story. So no, there were no ambitions to write as a professional – I simply wanted to write.      
I often wonder whether I could have written at all if I'd had to hand-write or type a manuscript - redrafting and edits would have been a nightmare!

I know that you care deeply about work being well-written and well-edited. What have you gained from writing classes? Would you recommend them? Do you still go?
Writing classes were the best prelude to writing fiction that I could imagine. I signed up with an internet class from Canada, twenty lessons, coached by a published Canadian writer. The later part of the lessons took me through most of my first novel. It wasn’t a “gravy” adventure with accolades galore for my brilliant writing. Instead, my tutor, serious about the craft of writing, had no problem in correcting my errant ways with countless raps on my knuckles with his five pound cyber ruler. It stings. 

After two years, with very sore knuckles and a humbled opinion of my genius, I learned. So yes, I recommend writing classes. Taped to my desk is a quote (from Quality of Course): “Nice writing isn’t enough. It isn’t enough to have smooth and pretty language. You have to surprise the reader frequently, you can’t just be nice all the time. Provoke the reader. Astonish the reader. Writing that has no surprises is as bland as oatmeal…” Now, rather than classes, I meet every week with a very talented writers’ group of seven, all working on novels. I can bring in my weeks’ worth of writing, six copies, and have everyone read, correct and comment. I still get rapped on the knuckles occasionally, only this time verbally. 

Hector is an endearing character (for an assassin :) ) How did you come up with the idea of 'the assassin who couldn't dance' (and of course a great title for the book. Did you know straight away that Hector would be such a key character?
The idea for Hector came about through my belief that a good person isn’t always good – and a bad person isn’t always bad. I had been reading any and all thrillers I could find at the time, and the plots became boringly consistent: the “good” guys always against the “bad” middle-eastern terrorists. I decided to bend the rule. I knew Hector would be a key character. From seven years old until the age of twenty-three, along with classroom studies he’d been taught to kill. His target being the U.S. Army officers responsible for the deaths of his father and brother. He didn’t have a choice. But with little social interaction during those years - friends never made and family hardly known - he is emotionally vulnerable as he sets out on his quest of vengeance. He asks himself at one point in the story: If his family had moved to the States sixteen years before, would he have a girlfriend now? Would he have learned how to dance? It was such an innocent query, so like the character, I decided to use it in the title.  

'A Capable and Wide Revenge' is another interesting title. How did you come up with this one?
It’s been a long time since I’ve read the complete works of Shakespeare, so I can’t say I remembered the line from Othello. But the quote I used (from Dictionary of Quotations by Bergen Evens), which reflected exactly what I had in mind, read: “Till that a capable and wide revenge swallow them up.” Shakespeare: Othello III.iii 

amazon link

Your thrillers detail special ops and Middle East politics. How do you get your background information? Or should I call it 'intel' :) ?
Most of the background information came from books, the internet, and two Marine vets with experience in Iraq. I probably went through four or five books relating to the Gulf War. The internet also offered a wealth of information. In the second book  A Capable and Wide Revenge  I used an armored Humvee, mounted with a 50 cal. machine gun. Not only were pictures plentiful for research, but videos of the Humvee with the machine gun in action came along as a nice bonus. Articles pertaining to political structure in Baghdad, street views, neighborhoods and militant groups were there for the taking. I’ll confess, I’ve taken many liberties with the truth in the course of my novels, but then again, I don’t feel I was too far from the actuality.  

Events in your novels seem to me to be mirrored in events that hit the news. Have you had a moment where you switched on the TV and there it was - your fictional story come to life?
Yes. The first book took place in 2006, the second in 2009. The destabilization and turmoil in Iraq, and its effects, were a given even as I wrote. With approximately one million (+) U.S. dollars funneled into Iraq each day, corruption was rife and militant groups controlled areas police were loath to enter. The U.S. pulled the last of its troops in December 2011, leaving a vacuum to be filled – and it was, as is apparent today. The geopolitical nature of the area would rule out a direct correlation to the Vietnam fiasco, but as a student of military history I’d have to quote Santayana: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Do you worry that your books might attract attention from terrorists or militant groups?
Not really. For the most part I try to be somewhat vague. In Capable and Wide, I noted actual names for the militant groups in and around Baghdad at the time, but the names I eventually used for my “bad guy” groups – Sword of the Righteous Lions and Green Shields of Allah – were made up, using bits and pieces of the others. I can’t get into too much trouble with that…I think (he said, looking over his shoulder).

What do you hope readers will get from reading your books?
My original theme was the relationship of family and friends within conflict, that they will support each other no matter the odds. But I found myself writing another theme as well – that is, everyone is searching for someone special to love, and when that love is found you don’t want to let it go. In The Assassin, Lucy and Hector/Morgan and Gil were looking for that love. In Capable and Wide, it was Wes Easterly, Darien and Colin, and even twelve-year-old Ashi who needed that special belonging. I guess I’ve always rooted for the underdog, faced-off against the bully that life, and people, can sometimes be.  

What are your future projects?
I’m currently working on a book titled, Sweet Peach. The first line of her introduction to the story is: Sweet Peach (yeah, momma was slugging beers right through the midwife’s delivery) stumbled out of her battered Honda Civic. 

The story takes place in Tennessee. Hector, Gil and Morgan, and the others will be back. It’s a bit different from the previous books that used Iraq as a backdrop. I’m currently working on some “bad guys” as worthy adversaries, of the drug-running, cartel type. This time they’re from Mexico. 

What are your own favourite books?Strangely, as I write fiction, many of my top picks are non-fiction. I’ve read The Outline of History by H.G. Wells (originally written in 1920, revised in 1976) three times. Not just for its historical significance, but for its literary elegance. H.G. is a great writer! In contrast, I finally read Gibbon’s History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire three years ago. It was written (first volume) in 1776. The history is good for the period, imbued with the bias and prejudice of the time, but the writing tends to be stifled, flat, and exciting as year-old fruitcake (all the footnotes are in Latin, and even with my two years of study, plus copious notes taken from Google translation, I could only pick up about 60%). Of course, Tolkien is still a favorite. I re-read him every year or two. I’m currently reading a lot of Indie publications, and have found some very good writers. But as I read so many, I can’t recall the title of the book I read last week, or who wrote it. I could give a list of authors I like, but I’d likely leave someone out. 

What about the private Glen Barrera? What are your favourite activities apart from writing and reading? Can you dance?
Ha! Yes, I can dance fairly well. I also play classical and blues guitar (although, I don’t pick up my guitars as much as I used to). I sailed on Lake Michigan for a few years on a Rhodes 22 and a Seaward 26. Unfortunately, we had to sell the boat when my ex and I divorced. I still practice Karate kata (formalized movements like Tai Chi, but faster and with full force) and Tai Chi. I was in Florida this past November, staying with my sister who works with horses as a trainer/dressage teacher/coach. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a horse, let alone one showing at a dressage-trained level. It was a very interesting experience, with riding nuances to boggle the mind. A new endeavor perhaps? 

Which question do you wish somebody would ask in interview?
Can you sing?
And the answer is?
Yes. I was a member of the Bogan (my Chicago High School) Boys Choir. Except, our “choir” relied on one of us getting dad’s car, getting an older guy to buy beer for the four or five of us, and then cruise around singing songs on the car radio (okay, and trying to pick up girls). 

The Assassin Who Couldn't Dance

The Story

Blue-eyed Hector Munoz (his present name) is fluent in five languages, can kill a man a hundred different ways and yet, at twenty-three had learned almost nothing about life and love. His father and brother were brutally murdered by corrupt U.S. military officers when he was seven. The teacher, a close friend of his father, took control of the boy’s life, as well as the future debt to be paid. Now, after years of rigorous training, the assassin is judged ready. But is he?

The plan to draw out the officers has been set into motion. Hector has only to illegally cross the border from Mexico and retrieve keys to safe deposit boxes containing eight-million dollars and incriminating documents before the officers can respond. It shouldn’t be a problem. But then Hector’s plan didn’t include Mexican bandits; ruthless mercenaries also after the keys and led by a sadistic cowboy; or a sleazy Chicago mob figure. Things get more complicated for him when a third party joins the search for the keys, the crazed leader of a militia group with a secret room in his basement reserved for “guests” – and then falling in love with an escaped guest, Lucy. Hector also didn’t realize that the mercenaries’ target, an ex-Force Recon team holding the keys and the last four men to see his father alive, were far from old and rusty.

In the race for the keys, Hector must confront the emotional emptiness in his life that he wasn’t allowed to experience in his quest for vengeance. With time running out, he is forced to make a choice: follow the assassination plan or ally with the surviving recon team, their families, and Lucy before they are eliminated; and, maybe discover who he really is.

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The Assassin Who Couldn't Dance 

My Review

Loyalty between friends in all-action special ops thriller
I was worried the book might be too violent for my taste but Glen Barrera's judgement stayed within what worked for me as part of a fast-paced all-action story. The opening scene is as violent as the book gets so that sets the tone - and gets you straight into the twists of the plot and some of the key players. If the guerilla warfare and killing can be gutsy, the romance is the opposite - tender and implicit.

What I think sets this at the top of its genre is the portrayal of loyalty and trust in the midst of warfare. We see traditional military values (and weapons) in the midst of criminal chaos and outright warfare and we care about this band of brothers. I want a new term to replace 'band of brothers' because what the author does really well is to include women as equals in that band. The links of loyalty and trust unite the whole group, with romances being more like special friendships within the overall bonds. Crime novels often show the bond between detective partners but this is the first book I've read which really shows group friendship in extreme duress. Imagine the Famous Five in the army, having adventures in which people are killed.

'The Assassin' and 'A Wide and Capable Revenge' give you no time to draw breath but across the two books the reader gets to know the characters more. The language is suitably muscular and when there is a little description, it always fits the scene and the characters - I'd enjoy more of that but then, I guess I'm reading out of my usual genre and I'm not used to all that gunfire!

Coming Soon! Twisted Tales

Glen and I will be keeping each other company in this collection of short stories from Readers' Circle of Avenue Park. The Burglar by Glen Barrera is about a burglar's chance meeting with a large unfriendly dog. My story The 13th Sign also features a dog of sorts... Perhaps Twisted Tails may be more appropriate. I'll keep you posted re publication as it looks like great holiday reading.

Go East Young Man: William Burton McCormick

A two-time Derringer Award finalist, William Burton McCormick's fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine and others. William has lived in seven countries including more than two years spent in Latvia, the setting of  Blue Amber. His first novel, Lenin's Harem, about the birth and death of the first Latvian independence, was recently deemed historically accurate enough to included in Latvia's War Museum's permanent library in Riga, a rare honor for a foreign writer of historical fiction. 

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He is a member of the Crime Writers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Historical Novel Society, and International Thriller Writers. He earned an MA in Novel Writing from the University of Manchester, studied Russian language and history at Moscow State University and was elected a Hawthornden Writing Fellow in Scotland in 2013. He was also Highly Commended for the Yeovil Literary Prize in 2010.

Welcome, Bill!
Thank you for having me, Jean. Great to be here.

 How did a boy from Maryland end up in Latvia? There has to be a story! Oh, yes, there's a story. In fact several.  But the shortest and simplest one is that I was living in Washington D.C., and planning on writing a thriller set in Eastern Europe. I didn't yet have a specific country as a setting for the novel, so I went to the Latvian Museum in Rockville, Maryland and bought some books on Latvia and its history. I was surprised at what I learned, fascinated and terrified about what had happened there and in the other Baltic States.  Later, after getting accepted in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Manchester, I managed to visit Latvia. At that point, I knew I'd have to live there if I was going to do any serious research for writing purposes.  So, I moved to Riga, fell in love with the city, and the rest is history.

What is it about Eastern Europe that inspires your writing? Many things. The cultural differences, the amazing history, the shadow of Soviets and the various politics of the individual governments, the tension between East and West, beautiful landscapes, beautiful architecture, ugly Soviet architecture, fascinating twists of history, the mix of societies within Eastern Europe (Ukrainian culture is very different than, say, Georgian culture), the changes in a post-Soviet world (if Mr. Putin will allow it), the continuing of religious faith underground during Soviet times, wonderful little nooks and crannies of places I discover walking around everyday.    On that last point, Mark Twain said real places are never on maps. He was right. Go there, see the details.

Your short stories have been  very successful: published in top mystery magazines and you’re a Derringer Award finalist, twice.  Are short stories your favourite genre? I certainly love short stories. Poe is one of my influences, and he believed the short story was a greater art form than the novel because intense emotion can only be maintained in a reader for a very short time.  When this is achieved, Poe thought, the story must end as soon as possible. That said, I love novels, and how a longer narrative evolves chapter to chapter.  I enjoy the intricate plotting of a novel.  So, I'd say they're about equal with me.

Which elements do you think makes the ideal short story? I don't think you can say there are universal and necessary elements to a short story, because as soon as you set those rules someone will break them in a brilliant way.  Obviously, as a general guideline, a short story should start as much as possible 'in the action" because of its necessary brevity.  Though that rule could be applied to novels as well, couldn't it? Most novels are too long by half.

Do you stick to the rule that there must be a twist at the end?I love twist endings but they're challenging to do. More times than not the reader can see it coming, and, if so, then the twist isn't really a twist is it? There are lots of beautiful short stories without a twist, especially literary ones. How many twist endings does say James Joyce have?  That said, especially in the mystery or thriller genres, a twist ending is usually expected. I sometimes start with the twist and build backwards from there.

What are the greatest challenges in working within a limited word-count? I imagine every word must do exactly that - count!Having a limited word count is indeed challenging, but in a way it really tightens up your writing. You don't have the luxury of going on and on. It is why I increasingly find myself drawn to flash fiction. Trying to tell a whole story in less than 1000 or 500 words is really a great exercise for writers. You agonize over every adjective, restructure your sentences for brevity, and eliminate anything remotely extraneous.     You find out how to imply things you'd otherwise waste space explaining.  I think writing three or four flash fiction pieces is a good warm up for a longer short-story or even for writing the chapters of your novel. Less is more. In fact, of all the fiction I've written, my parents' favorite seems to be a 300 word short-short for Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. It's a complete story with intro, plot, twist and resolution in space only about twice as long as this question and answer.

Does the method of developing character differ? Do you stick to a small cast?
You certainly don't have the space to develop characters, so, for me, I absolutely have to stick to a small cast. It's also so difficult in a short story to switch points of view. I've done it, others do it, but a lot of creative writing types will tell you that it's better to keep the view to one character in a short story.

Have you ever started writing a short story and thought, this has the potential to be a novel?
No. In fact, I've often had the opposite experience where I decide while writing a novel that the plot would be better served as a short story or novella.

Let’s talk about your new book, the novella Blue Amber. By the way, I love the jacket ;) and it’s an intriguing title. Why did you choose Blue Amber?
Yes, that jacket is just brilliant, isn't it? Clearly made by a simply fabulous artist who will probably wish to remain humbly nameless despite her stunning talent? Or does she? ;) Blushing and moving on quickly…
    As for Blue Amber, well, without giving away the plot, I wanted the character of Fricis to find something very valuable on that beach, and a rare form of amber seemed logical. Originally I considered "red amber", as I liked how "red" hinted at the revolutionary connection in the story, but as many types of amber have a reddish hue they aren't too valuable. Blue amber is extremely rare in the Baltic Sea (it is more common in South America), and I liked how "blue" connected with water or sea, which plays a big part in the story, so I settled on that.

How would you describe the main character? He's a man who has been unlawfully imprisoned, who is going to be executed for his views, and simply wants to survive to help his people and his wife. I think that even with the historical and relatively exotic setting of Latvia, every reader can engage with such a character. He's universal. At least, I hope so.

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The story had me hooked and every detail feels real. Was it based on real events?
Sort of. The character of Fricis is based upon a real revolutionary, and he did escape from prison.  No one knows how, so I had creative license to do what I wanted. Also, the murder of revolutionaries during fabricated escape attempts was a real thing.

Was it your intention to write a story with a message or a moral? No. But if it was my intention to include a moral I wouldn't tell you! J I believe authors should remain silent and let the readers take what they wish from any story.

Your work shows an insider’s knowledge of eastern European politics. Do you have a clear allegiance yourself? Are you concerned about being controversial in your books and attracting unwanted attention? Well, I only owe allegiance to my homeland, the good ole USA (and maybe the Fallowfield part of Manchester), but I have fallen in love with Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine. And what is happening in Ukraine now tears me up.    As for controversy or attention, I couldn't care less.  I write what I write.

How did you come to be a writer? I've always been a storyteller. At some point, I just decided to start setting all these stories down. Nothing more sophisticated than that, really.Who gave you your first encouragement as a writer? When I applied to the MA Program at the University of Manchester, I was required to have a telephone interview with novelist Suzannah Dunn, who was then the course's director.  She had read three chapters of a novel I'd submitted with the application. In those three chapters I alternated first and second person points of view between two characters, apparently a risky move. She told me she thought this style was really interesting and really bold, and let me into the program. Such encouragement from a very successful historical novelist was a huge boon to my confidence as a writer.

If you were trying to describe your writing to someone who hasn’t read anything by you before, what would you say? People tell me my writing style is "cinematic," whatever that means in practice.    I'd say my writing is usually historical fiction, usually set in Eastern Europe, either with a lot of humor, mystery, action,  or politics, though there are a lot of exceptions to all of these.

Do you find yourself returning to any recurring themes within your writing and, if so, are you any closer to finding an answer? No answers. I'm not so intellectual. My crusade against "theme-ism" is about as successful as Don Quixote's crusade against windmills.  

I would love to read your novel Lenin’s Harem but it’s out of print at the moment. Can you give us an update on when it might be available?
Lenin's Harem sold very well, but went out of print only because of a dispute with the original publisher, Knox Robinson Publishing. The good news is we have just been awarded a default judgment against them for nonpayment on an advance for the translations rights sale.  In my opinion, Knox Robinson Publishing has not been cooperative or in anyway helpful in resolving this issue.
    The good news is I am very close to signing another agreement with a new publisher to put Lenin's Harem back in print. I would expect it by mid-summer.

What do you think is the greatest advantage of self-publishing? Well, Blue Amber is the first story I've self-published, so I'm a novice at this. But, I'd say, that compete creative control is the obvious answer.  The artist can give the world his or her vision unaltered or unimpeded by any publisher, producer, editor or agent. That's not always a good thing, but it is the most honest one.

Is there anything you feel self-published authors may miss out on? Well, though it somewhat counters what I just said, a strong editor.  Some self-published work, though by no means all of it, could use a good pruning.    Obviously, also the promotion or distribution a traditional publisher provides would help, though in fairness few publishers do much of the former unless you're a proven seller.

What are you working on at the moment? I've got a lot of irons in the fire. Two thrillers, one set in modern Riga, another set in 19th century Odessa (and a full-length sequel to my Derringer-nominated story The Antiquary's Wife).     Also, I am editing a war novel I wrote set in Russia, Latvia and the East End of London.  The opening of it was commended for the Yeovil Literary Prize a few years ago, I just need the time to edit it and polish up the narrative.  I've been saying that for years, though.Some authors have one particular person in mind when they write. Do you have a muse – or perhaps an imaginary ideal reader? I have a friend in Ukraine, who is my muse! She is certainly an influence on my writing.  But, speaking generally, I try not to have an imaginary reader in mind when writing something. I do try to play the audience ("like violin" as Hitchcock would say), and imagine what they're thinking. You have to do this if you're going to guide them through your story. But a specific imaginary reader or demographic is a fool's game I think. Yes, I'm aware of the "know your audience" rule, but I think if you write for everyone, you end up writing for no one.  I trust my instincts. If I like what I've written, I'm pretty sure there are other misfits out there like me who will enjoy it too.It's kind of like the song "Little Room" by the White Stripes.  I've never heard the creative process and its aftermath summed up so succinctly and accurately.  If you don't know it, have a listen.  I'll wait. No, that’s new to me - nice choice!

Have you ever found that a book you were reading was influencing your writing style? I've never consciously noticed this when I've been reading a book for pleasure. I'm sure my literary influences are all mixed in there when I write, and I can sometimes see them, but not so much with a new book I'm reading at the time I'm writing something else.   It takes awhile to filter down, I guess.   I have, at times, decided to write a specific scene or in a specific style and gone back and referenced how others have done it. For example, when I was going to show a large party scene on a Baltic-German manor, I referenced how Margaret Mitchell depicted the American South's equivalent at the opening of Gone with the Wind.  When, I wanted subtle horror in my story, I read a host of M.R. James stories to see how it was done.

Some writers need silence, others like the buzz of a coffee shop, the rumble of a train or their favourite music. Which type are you? I work best at a library. (For example, I'm typing up this answer at the Latvian NationalLibrary in Riga, a simply stunning place, have a look)
    When I'm in foreign countries, I like to get out, and I often write in coffee shops too, but only as long as nobody close to me is speaking English. If I can't understand the language, then it just becomes ambient noise, and I can get work done. But if a few people having an English language conversation sit down, it pulls my attention to them and I have to move.  I'm sure I've flashed a lot of dirty looks to my countrymen over the years for killing my creativity around the world.  Sorry guys.    In America or Britain, I don't have this problem since the English language doesn't stick out from the background noise. There I can write nearly anyplace. I've finished short stories in some astonishingly loud places, including concert halls and casino sports-books. Music doesn't bother me as long as I like the songs.    The one thing I can't do is to write while on something moving.  Planes, trains, and buses are a no go. And I have to get far away from the internet or television, I'm an addict.

What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?
First person (and second person) are much easier, but often you've got to do it in third person for the needs of the plot/style/twist/conflict, etc.

Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day? I think all authors have scraps sitting around. But I've got two complete novels’ worth of material, some of it quite good on a few hard drives. It always amounts to how to use your time. And, unfortunately, editing and sifting through old stuff is not as fun for me as writing new stories.  I guess it comes down to my being a storyteller more than a writer. Once I've set the story down, I want to be on to the next thing.

What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? My favorite is the sheer creativity. Lying in bed half awake with new ideas floating into your mind, then getting up and making those things a reality, something you can share with others. And when you get that perfectly balance story, it’s a wonderful thing.    My least favorite aspect would be crashing hard drives. Tell me about it!

What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Do it because you love writing, storytelling or the beauty of prose on the page/screen. Or perhaps because you have something to say about the world in which we live.    Don't do it for money, fame or because a guy who looks like Salman Rushdie got to date supermodels.

As a reader, which writers or books are your favourites? Is there a genre you are drawn towards? In terms of full-length literary fiction Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is still the greatest novel I've ever read (even though he completely contrasts all I said about "less-is-more" in a book.) John Steinbeck is close behind. Of Mice and Men, Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, the list goes on.    For full-length genre fiction, I would say that Alistair MacLean's Guns of Navarone and its sequel Force Ten from Navarone got me writing as a kid and Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon and Arthur Conan Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles returned me to writing as an adult. I also like James Ellroy, particularly Black Dahila and L.A. Confidential, (really the whole L.A. Quartet is excellent), and Shirley Jackson, Bram Stoker, Ian Fleming, Brian Dailey and Alan Dean Foster.For short stories, as I mentioned Poe is a favorite, as well as Steinbeck, Melville, and Conan Doyle (all again), Anton Chekhov, M.R. James, H.P. Lovecraft, Ludmilla Petrushevskaya, Doug Allyn, Bill Byson, Jack London and Mark Twain.    I was an Ancient Studies major as an undergraduate and fell in love with the classics particularly Homer, Sophocles, and Euripides.  I sometimes listen to the Iliad (Robert Fagles translation) on audio-book when I do household chores.    And I read a lot of nonfiction of all eras and locales.  In fact, my nonfiction reading probably inspires my writing much more than other fiction authors do. I certainly read it more often. Killer Angels, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, A Brief History of Time, Ken Burn's The Civil War, Hitler and Stalin Parallel Lives, The Rise of Teddy Roosevelt, With Dance Shoes in the Siberian Snows, the list of good nonfiction books is near endless for me.  So many books to read, so little time.    I guess the genres are obvious from the list above, but I'd say literary, horror, and detective/thriller, with the occasional science-fiction and war thrown in. And, of course, again: nonfiction, nonfiction, nonfiction.

Are there any authors whose work you champion?
There are a lot of fantastic authors whose work I'd recommend: Karen Charlton, Jenny Milchman, B.A.Morton, John Floyd, Sarah Schofield, Shirley Bozic, Erik Amaya, Ken Pelham, Frances Kay, CMT Stibbe, J.G. Harlond, Kristin Gleeson, Karen Maitland, Ray Philpott, Jon Land, Lucretia Grindle, Bill Bowen, Ronald Sharp, Martyn Bedford, Michael Sears, the excellent authors of the Prometheus Saga and of course (saving the best for last) Jean Gill. Flattery gets you everywhere :)

What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies? I like to go places, often on foot, and see the world. Then I get back on the internet and read about what I've just seen. This usually inspires writing or going to see even more places. It's a cycle of sorts.    I'm also a huge classic film buff (Hitchcock and Kurosawa especially). Other hobbies include rambling incessantly about music, astronomy, or history, museums, storyteller's theater, whitewater rafting and swimming (often suddenly and surprisingly swimming during the whitewater rafting).    I'm a big fan of the Miami Dolphins and San Antonio Spurs.Really useful tips for writers, Bill, and thank you so much for joining me. Let me know when Lenin’s Harem is in print again. I should warn readers, this is a political thriller not concerned with hundreds of women in skimpy clothing…

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My Review of Blue Amber

Exceptional thriller: a precision-cut gemFrom the moment the sleigh stops in frozen wasteland, the suspense never lets up as Latvian political prisoner Fricis tries to cheat the death coming for him via Russian guards. If I hadn't been caught up in the sheer adrenalin of the escape bid, I'd have lingered over the quality of the writing. Instead, I was gripped by the story, wanting Fricis to come out alive but never knowing what the outcome would be. I've read plenty of thrillers and adventure stories but few which are so convincing.    William Burton McCormick took me to the Baltic Sea, its politics and its savage beauty, where `if the tides were right, with a bit of swimming here and there, a man could walk near five miles out to sea with little difficulty, never getting his beard wet, often with his knees above the lapping waves.' I came out of the adventure a little dazed but so pleased to have discovered an author to add to my must-read list. This short story packed a much bigger punch than its word count and I can't wait to see whether the quality is sustained over a full-length novel.
 

They called her 'Pony' - a free spirit

Welcome to author Kristin Gleeson, who is going to talk about her controversial biography of Anahareo, an Algonquin/Mohawk girl who grew up in a small Ontario town during WW1 and became famous for her marriage and conservation partnership with the man known as Grey Owl.

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Originally from Philadelphia, Kristin  lives in Ireland, in the West Cork Gaeltacht, where she teaches art classes, plays harp, sings in an Irish choir and runs two book clubs for the village library. She holds a Masters in Library Science and a Ph.D. in history, and for a time was an administrator of a national denominational archives, library and museum in America.

Kristin's website

Kristin ’s multi-talents include services to other authors and I can highly recommend the partnership she has formed with two other published writers; these are people I trust.  Check out Famelton Writing Services - their prices and services are clearly stated.

Kristin Gleeson is better known for her historical novel ‘Selkie Dreams’ so it makes a change for her to be interviewed about 'Anahareo', which was published the same year as 'Selkie Dreans', 2012, but with a different publisher, Fireship Press.

Welcome to my blog, Kristin.

Your book sparked off all kinds of questions! What made you write about Anahareo? Many people will be saying ‘Who is she?’

I was brought to the story oddly enough by seeing the film 'Grey Owl' (with Pierce Brosnan) one Christmas at my mother-in-law's in Cornwall.   My husband Dave and I talked about it afterwards and he pointed out that Anahareo was the story that should be told and I should tell it. 

How did you go about the research? You must be really pleased that the family love the book but did that give constraints on what you could write? Did you have enough material?

My Ph.D. focussed on women's history and I also have a lot of experience documenting and writing about Native American experiences.  Then began a five year journey trying to get to the sources and tease them out.   It isn't always easy working with Native Americans/First Nations because many have  a great distrust of outsiders of course and since Anahareo had short shrift in the past (and Grey Owl) they were naturally suspicious of me and my motives at first.  It took a great deal of time to build trust.   Also, I am living in Ireland and though I took trips to Canada, when I was there I was always working against the clock at an archives or with a family member who would dole out the material a little at a time. I had bad luck with the national archives because they brought the wrong boxes from across the river which meant that instead of 3 days examining the material I only had 2.   I was also financing it myself since, not being Canadian or Irish, I had no chance of getting grants to support the work.   So I didn't examine every piece of evidence.  That is for others, because now the papers are safely deposited in the Glenbow Museum.  My goal was to get her story out there, not put in the minute details.  

How amazing that you took the project on after seeing the film - I'd imagined you must have had a request from the family or some such personal connection. The practicalities of research are fascinating too.

Anahareo has been described as ‘the great woman behind the great man’. Is that how you see her?

I think Anahareo can stand in her own right.  Though she did inspire Grey Owl, she was also a woman whose own singular outlook and manner challenged the stereotypes society held about Native Americans. She didn’t wear a fringed buckskin dress or have her hair in long braids.  She was stylish with her bobbed hair and would on occasion wear makeup.  She never wore a dress, though.   She wore breeches and lace up boots and still managed to look a million dollars.  Few women would dare to wear that in those times, and fewer First Nations women.  She also was a prospector, could survive on her own in the bush and could paddle a canoe as well as any man.  She was campaigning for animal rights in her fifties, sixties and seventies, long after Grey Owl was dead.

  

What’s your take on Grey Owl? Many people saw him as a con-man when they found out, after his death, that Archie was really British, with no First Nation heritage at all.

I think Grey Owl truly believed that the best way to get his message out was to allow everyone to think he was First Nations.  He recognized that people, especially the British, would be more likely hear the message of the danger of the disappearing wilderness if it came from a First Nations man who they saw as close to nature.  He was under that spell to a degree, too (unlike Anahareo) and felt a great empathy for the issues First Nations people faced. 

Anahareo did finally gain recognition. She was invited to join the Order of Nature in 1979 by the International League for Animal Rights, an honour previously only given to Albert Schweitzer and in 1983 she was given Canada’s highest award, the Order of Canada. Why do you think these awards were given at this time?

Anahareo was awarded the medal of honour because of the guilt I think they felt for belatedly recognizing her contribution and Grey Owl's.   She campaigned hard in the 1960s and 70s for animal rights and for environmental issues.  Though I mentioned some of her appearances in detail, I didn't have the time to gather information for every appearance and felt that if I put it all in it would slow down the narrative. 

What came over to me was how hard Anahareo had to fight just to stay alive. Your book gave a new meaning to the term ‘pioneering spirit’ and I had no idea so many women prospected for gold (including Anahareo) But I found the poverty and alcoholism depressing.

It is a depressing story and the whole First Nations and Native American story is depressing.  I could go on and on why.  They are no more prone to alcoholism and drug addiction than anyone else, it is just that they face extreme poverty and its attendant health care issues, as well as unemployment, cultural restrictions and racism and many many more subtle obstacles.  The average life span of a Native American on the reservation is 45 for men and 48 for women.  With nowhere to go, nothing to do, why would you care if alcohol is bad, or eats your money, damages your kids?  I'll stop now!

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Your novel ‘Selkie Dreams’ portrays a 19th century love affair between a feisty Irish girl and an Alaskan Native American man who embodies the culture. What draws you to write about that cross-cultural enrichment?

I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures and family seem to embody that cross cultural link with  links now to Thailand, Cuba, South America, Native Americans and the Jewish culture in my family.  I was tame and married a Cornishman and lived in the UK and now I live in Ireland, picking up on my own heritage. 

With regard to writing more generally, you have an exciting new venture in Famelton Writing Services. What are you offering writers?

I am really excited about being asked to join my two colleagues in offering consulting services to various writers.  We know from our own experience how tough it can be to break into the publishing world and we would like to help writers achieve.  Whether it’s someone who would like to have an experienced person review their manuscript to ensure that it’s has the important elements to make a good novel or non-fiction work or they just need someone to go through and help them polish it, we want to ensure their final manuscript is as perfect as possible.

Famelton Writing Services

What are your top tips for writers?

It may sound like a cliché but my very top tip for writers is to read as much as possible in the genre/type of novel/non-fiction work you feel drawn to write.  You’d be amazed at how much you can absorb that way in terms of good writing.

Do you seek outside input on your own writing? Is there one piece of advice that you feel has improved your work?

I think it’s so important to get a few different pairs of eyes on your writing. It’s amazing what you can’t see in your own work that you can see in others'.  But it can also assure you that you are on the right track too.   As for one piece of advice— other than repeat read, read, read—is to write, write, write.    Long ago I was told that ensuring there is a clear goal in the work—whether it is non fiction or fiction, is key to a successful narrative.  Your main character should have a clear goal in a novel and the non-fiction book should as well. 

You have two traditional publishers at the moment, Fireship Press for ‘Anahareo’ and Knox Robinson Publishing for ‘Selkie Dreams’; what are your views on traditional v self-publishing?

I think there is room for both in the market, though it’s changing so rapidly it’s difficult to make a reading.   Self publishing is becoming more difficult for those good writers who want to rise and become noticed.  I don’t think the cream rises to the top that easily.  There are just too many indies out there all trying to market their books, good or not.  Traditional publishing is fighting its own battles against Amazon and others who undercut the market with heavy discounts so that whether you are traditionally published or self published the author must promote virtually on their own.  That takes a lot of time.

Thanks, Kristin!

Thanks for such considered reading of the biography on ‘Anahareo’.  I feel sometimes like it doesn't get the attention it deserves.

Like Anahareo herself!

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MY REVIEW of 'ANAHAREO'

When I was a little girl, crazy about animals, I had a Puffin edition of Grey Owl's book 'Pilgrims of the Wild' and I loved the story of wilderness, beavers and conservation. Later, I found out that Grey Owl was really Archie from England and his story became even more interesting. Knowing a fair bit about Grey Owl, I was curious about another aspect to his story as represented by this biography of Anahareo. I think this was the wrong attitude and I'll read it again - as Anahareo's story.

This is one of the dilemmas, not just in the book but in Anahareo's life; her husband was famous. Kristin Gleeson judges well how much to indulge our curiosity about Grey Owl while always focusing on Anahareo as the main character. The tempestuous marriage in log-cabin isolation through bleak Canadian winters was the backdrop to a revolution in thinking about animal welfare. Both Anahareo and Grey Owl were trappers, and the detail of trapping turned my stomach - as happened to Anahareo herself. She influenced her husband, and he influenced the world, to seriously consider the scarcity of animals such as beavers and start conservation projects. From prey to pets, the couple's beloved beavers became a symbol of changed attitudes. It’s one of the paradoxes about books on conservation that they inevitably detail animal cruelty/environmental disasters – horrible reading. That transition from trapper to animal lover is tough on the reader’s imagination, if you love animals, but it is real history.

Ironically, I never quite invested in Anahareo as a character in her own right, because I started with too much knowledge of Grey Owl and lost a little interest when he died - my fault, not the author's. I would have liked to know more about what exactly she did that won her the praise and medal towards the end of her life. The hardest thing about the book for me was that I found Anahareo’s life deeply depressing. I was expecting a pioneering spirit – and there was some of that (the rebel, bucking stereotypes) – but what came over to me was the poverty, loneliness, prejudice, alcoholism, loss of her children – and I was cut up by her and Grey Owl’s ignorance about animals (realistic, I know) and loss of the animals too, as they learned animal care by painful trial and error. Anahareo's life was hard.

I have had to rethink my naive, sentimental view of what 'pioneering spirit' actually means, especially for a woman who fought racial as well as gender prejudice in the early 20th century. I am in awe of Anahareo's physical endurance and survival skills. She was a beautiful young woman who dressed and worked like a man. She was capable of travelling alone for months by canoe and trek (carrying her canoe)to look for work - and she found it. Her father nicknamed her 'Pony' because she always needed to run free. 

A thought-provoking book; reading it will make your own life look different.

amazon book link