Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monday, December 9, 2013
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Third Mystery Book for Children About to be Released
Just in time for Christmas! I'm excited to announce that the second book in the "Mystery at the Lake House" series is about to be released. This one is titled, "The Mermaid's Tale, " and if you ever doubted if mermaids were real, this is the book for you!In the first story, young readers meet Jock Avery and his two new friends Lynna and Chip Woodward who have just moved to his lakeside community. Learning the values of teamwork and trust, the three work together to solve a mystery concerning an ominous sound that 7-year-old Chip thinks is the Lochness Monster!
In the second book, Chip is sure he's seen a mermaid in the lake where 10-year-old Jock and Lynna are sailing their little boats. The only problem is, nobody believes him - not even his friend, Jock! What's a boy to do? Find the mermaid, of course. That's exactly what the three pals set out to do in this tale.Each book has an interview with my 11-year-old son, who helped me to develop characters, plots and the intriguing storyline that helps the characters grow.
The books have special projects for young readers to try, and recipes from the characters' tables that might be treats for readers, too. Throughout the books are threads of an adventure series that Jock enjoys, the plotline often running concurrent with Jock's own adventure.
Also, this book has an interview with a mermaid. The mermaid in the story was fashioned after my dear friend, Mermaid Linden of Mermaids in Motion, and I think readers will enjoy getting to know this fascinating creature who is often summoned to make dreams come true for children through the Make a Wish Foundation and other organizations and venues.
If you're looking for a memorable gift for a young reader, please consider "Monsters Below" and "The Mermaid's Tale". My goal with this series is to encourage young readers to become young writers.
You could be the one to help ignite their passion!
I'm going to have a book launch party on Facebook December 17 and I'd love for you to come, but you should be able to find it sooner at independent stores and online. It will be available in paperback and in e-book format, too! I'll let you know the day it's available! Promise!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
On being a friendie: It's a good thing for authors
As often as possible, I like to be keep company with a number of tremendously talented authors and independent booksellers. It's a synergistic relationship filled with high energy, much like the author salons (or saloons, if you're a Hemingway fan) of days gone by.
That's why I'm proud to be a "Friendie" -- a friend of independent booksellers and authors. Please support your local bookstores and independent authors. Both work hard at bringing special places in which to enjoy well-crafted entertaining educating, and emotion-pulling stories.
Here's a media release from SIBA, the Southern Independent Booksellers Association, that explains more about a fun new program. Take a look -- you won't be disappointed!
That's why I'm proud to be a "Friendie" -- a friend of independent booksellers and authors. Please support your local bookstores and independent authors. Both work hard at bringing special places in which to enjoy well-crafted entertaining educating, and emotion-pulling stories.
Here's a media release from SIBA, the Southern Independent Booksellers Association, that explains more about a fun new program. Take a look -- you won't be disappointed!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
How working remotely works for me
Because I make a living writing from a small town in North Carolina, I'm often asked how and where do I find work. I can tell you it's not coming from N.C. companies at present, though I've tried really hard to land local work. I don't mind commuting to work for the right job. They just haven't presented themselves. I grew up around the Washington, D.C., area and commuted daily from the Annapolis area. That drive makes driving from Mt. Airy to Winston-Salem (or even Greensboro) a walk in the park by comparison.
And since I have bills to pay and a fiction addiction to support, I have to find work somewhere. Fortunately, I've been able to find contract writing opportunities that can be done remotely online.
As an example, I answered a post on Craig's List from a company wanting content written for instructional design courses. The work could be done remotely. Sounds good to me - I have this kind of experience. Two weeks and two courses later (I provided content and programming in Articulate), I have established a great relationship with a client who is adding me as a team member to proposals for ongoing work.
In fact, Craig's List is the place where I found another client, this one who sought someone to ghostwrite blogs for attorneys and CPAs (and cabinet makers plus one of the partners of the social media company). That client is in New York, though that wasn't where I found the posting.
The other source I've had success with is a site called, HireMyMom.com. Since January, I've been working with a progressive community college on a part-time, as-needed basis writing marketing communications stuff. This college regularly hires its employees using this site - and not just marketing folks!
The end result is a great mix of work for me that can be done from this out-of-the-way location where I currently live. Now that's what the Internet is all about, in my opinion. I've waited YEARS to be able to work this way!
Do you have a reliable source for finding online work? Share it with your friends. This really works, folks!
And since I have bills to pay and a fiction addiction to support, I have to find work somewhere. Fortunately, I've been able to find contract writing opportunities that can be done remotely online.
As an example, I answered a post on Craig's List from a company wanting content written for instructional design courses. The work could be done remotely. Sounds good to me - I have this kind of experience. Two weeks and two courses later (I provided content and programming in Articulate), I have established a great relationship with a client who is adding me as a team member to proposals for ongoing work.
In fact, Craig's List is the place where I found another client, this one who sought someone to ghostwrite blogs for attorneys and CPAs (and cabinet makers plus one of the partners of the social media company). That client is in New York, though that wasn't where I found the posting.
The other source I've had success with is a site called, HireMyMom.com. Since January, I've been working with a progressive community college on a part-time, as-needed basis writing marketing communications stuff. This college regularly hires its employees using this site - and not just marketing folks!
The end result is a great mix of work for me that can be done from this out-of-the-way location where I currently live. Now that's what the Internet is all about, in my opinion. I've waited YEARS to be able to work this way!
Do you have a reliable source for finding online work? Share it with your friends. This really works, folks!
Monday, September 16, 2013
How to make Harvest Gold disappear
The bathroom remodeling project called for a disappearing act: Harvest Gold (a favorite color in 1979 for appliances and bathroom fixtures like sinks, tubs and toilets ) was hogging the spotlight in this vintage hall bath of ours, and it was time for it to disappear.
Several years ago, in an attempt to disguise the mustard-colored uglies, I painted the bathroom walls turquoise, the vanity a medium shade of blue, and put up the small bit of wallpaper that my mother-in-law had leftover from her last bathroom remodel -- it had a mosaic of brightly colored "tiles" that created an image of fish -- golden fish. The goal was to blend the fixtures into the scenery, making them look like an intentional choice. Complete the decor with shells and sea prints, and I called it done. It didn't work out quite like I thought it would, but we've lived with it for five years that way.
Well, now that the little boy of the house has grown up past the age of reasoning (we hope) and no longer throws his wet washrag up on the "popcorn" ceiling above the bathtub just to see what would happen (what do you think happened?), I decided it was probably time to revisit the idea of a renovation.
Given the budget we have for home remodel projects (i.e., no money, since we already have replaced the roof, fixed major plumbing issues, added a wood-burning stove, installed new energy-efficient windows, installed a new hot water tank, etc.), I had to be sure this "fix" would be the last fix for that bathroom. And since the budget doesn't allow for ripping the Harvest Gold uglies from their spots, I did what every stumped girl does: I called Mom.
My mom is no ordinary mom, just so you know. She's a retired interior designer/decorator whose client list included some of the finest homeowners in upscale neighborhoods throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area. She's worked on beachfront, lakefront, and city-front properties, and has made fairly basic suburbia houses look like it was ready to grace the cover of a well-known shelter magazine. My mom is a self-taught colorist with an eye for details and a flair for making things work when everyone else says, "that can't be done."
When I told her of my conundrum, she said as if waving a magic wand, "Just make it disappear. Hide it in plain sight by painting the walls a lighter shade of yellow. Add a bold accent color. And add black. Every room needs black."
So, last Sunday, I started with the basics: Strip wallpaper. Check. Putty holes. Check. "Cut in" edges. Check.Get one coat on -- not looking too good. Hubby and Son are not liking this color choice so far.
Try to spray on popcorn repair patching. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The nozzle got stuck in the spray position.
Clean up huge mess in the bathroom. Check. (Sigh.) Down on hands and knees scrubbing floor to within an inch of its life. Check. (Why did I think this project would be a quick fix?) Run out of time. Definitely. I'd forgotten how long these projects take. Meanwhile, we've all been sharing the other bathroom, taking turns using the remaining functional shower. That's loads of fun at bath time!
Yesterday, like a girl possessed, I continued the project:
This evening, after work, I'll paint the ceiling patch white. I'll also put another coat on the shelf unit. Son chose a nice black and silver shower curtain, and is starting to feel less hostile toward the yellow color (Hubby's smart enough not to comment at this point. He knows I'll hand him the paint brush and walk away if he does.)
By midweek, I'll hang new towel bars and officially call it done. Oh, how I love that word.
Thanks, Mom!
I started this blog thinking of how I was able to compare hiding bathroom fixtures in plain sight with how I place clues in a mystery -- like the one I'm working on now, the second in the Mystery at the Lake House series for children; but I'm not going to do that. I think you can see how it might turn out. And I'll let you know when that project is done, too.
Several years ago, in an attempt to disguise the mustard-colored uglies, I painted the bathroom walls turquoise, the vanity a medium shade of blue, and put up the small bit of wallpaper that my mother-in-law had leftover from her last bathroom remodel -- it had a mosaic of brightly colored "tiles" that created an image of fish -- golden fish. The goal was to blend the fixtures into the scenery, making them look like an intentional choice. Complete the decor with shells and sea prints, and I called it done. It didn't work out quite like I thought it would, but we've lived with it for five years that way.
Well, now that the little boy of the house has grown up past the age of reasoning (we hope) and no longer throws his wet washrag up on the "popcorn" ceiling above the bathtub just to see what would happen (what do you think happened?), I decided it was probably time to revisit the idea of a renovation.
Given the budget we have for home remodel projects (i.e., no money, since we already have replaced the roof, fixed major plumbing issues, added a wood-burning stove, installed new energy-efficient windows, installed a new hot water tank, etc.), I had to be sure this "fix" would be the last fix for that bathroom. And since the budget doesn't allow for ripping the Harvest Gold uglies from their spots, I did what every stumped girl does: I called Mom.
My mom is no ordinary mom, just so you know. She's a retired interior designer/decorator whose client list included some of the finest homeowners in upscale neighborhoods throughout Maryland, Washington, D.C., and the Raleigh/Chapel Hill area. She's worked on beachfront, lakefront, and city-front properties, and has made fairly basic suburbia houses look like it was ready to grace the cover of a well-known shelter magazine. My mom is a self-taught colorist with an eye for details and a flair for making things work when everyone else says, "that can't be done."
When I told her of my conundrum, she said as if waving a magic wand, "Just make it disappear. Hide it in plain sight by painting the walls a lighter shade of yellow. Add a bold accent color. And add black. Every room needs black."
So, last Sunday, I started with the basics: Strip wallpaper. Check. Putty holes. Check. "Cut in" edges. Check.Get one coat on -- not looking too good. Hubby and Son are not liking this color choice so far.
Try to spray on popcorn repair patching. Wrong, wrong, wrong. The nozzle got stuck in the spray position.
Clean up huge mess in the bathroom. Check. (Sigh.) Down on hands and knees scrubbing floor to within an inch of its life. Check. (Why did I think this project would be a quick fix?) Run out of time. Definitely. I'd forgotten how long these projects take. Meanwhile, we've all been sharing the other bathroom, taking turns using the remaining functional shower. That's loads of fun at bath time!
Yesterday, like a girl possessed, I continued the project:
- Finish second coat. Check.
- Try a putty-like popcorn patch -- works perfectly, is easy, and isn't messy! Big CHECK!
- Paint three light coats of black paint on a narrow shelf unit to increase storage (and to add the touch of black that every room should have). Check. (More coats still needed.) Half a check mark.
- Put mirrors back up. This is starting to look good! Check!
This evening, after work, I'll paint the ceiling patch white. I'll also put another coat on the shelf unit. Son chose a nice black and silver shower curtain, and is starting to feel less hostile toward the yellow color (Hubby's smart enough not to comment at this point. He knows I'll hand him the paint brush and walk away if he does.)
By midweek, I'll hang new towel bars and officially call it done. Oh, how I love that word.
Thanks, Mom!
I started this blog thinking of how I was able to compare hiding bathroom fixtures in plain sight with how I place clues in a mystery -- like the one I'm working on now, the second in the Mystery at the Lake House series for children; but I'm not going to do that. I think you can see how it might turn out. And I'll let you know when that project is done, too.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
IndieBRAG Award: Wharton's novel Leaving Lukens merits investment of readers' time and money
I'm pleased to share this interview about Leaving Lukens' BRAG Medallion award. Exciting!!
A message from indieBRAG:
We are delighted that Stephanie has chosen to interview Laura Wharton who is the author of Leaving Lukens, one of our medallion honorees at www.bragmedallion.com. To be awarded a B.R.A.G. MedallionTM, a book must receive unanimous approval by a group of our readers. It is a daunting hurdle and it serves to reaffirm that a book such as Leaving Lukens merits the investment of a reader’s time and money.
Laura: Leaving Lukens is the story of 17-year-old Ella who faces leaving the only home she’s ever known: Lukens, a small fishing village on an isolated peninsula across the river from Oriental, North Carolina. Impacted by the economy, the threat of war, and the loss of a school teacher who was rowed across the river daily to teach the few remaining children in Lukens, the townspeople are dismantling their homes and floating them across the river on barges to larger communities of Oriental and Beaufort – moving away to find work in New Bern with its growing shipyard which is hiring to build minesweepers in support of the war or to the nearby military base of Cherry Point. Ella’s convinced she can stay on by herself, but spying a Nazi patrol raft surprises her one evening. She quickly learns that the war is very real and very near. A visiting sailor who has come to Lukens under the guise of helping his aunt and uncle dismantle their home and relocate to New Bern befriends Ella and shows her that sometimes looking isn’t exactly seeing what’s truly in front of her. As you might guess, he may not be all he appears to be.
The book has been hailed as a work of suspenseful mystery, and has landed me on the North Carolina Literary Trail, for which I am honored. The lovely cover was done by designer Dawn Mitchell at g4ginteractive. (
http://www.g4ginteractive.com/
).
Stephanie: Is this your first published novel or are there others? If so, what are the titles and genre they are written in?
Laura: Leaving Lukens is my second novel. The first was The Pirate’s Bastard, which was nominated for the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction. It too is a historical adventure – a bit of a pirate story – set in colonial North Carolina. Like Leaving Lukens, it can be read by teens (YA) and adults.
I’ve also written two children’s mysteries. One is Mystery at the Phoenix Festival. The other, which is the first in the Mystery at the Lake House, is titled, Monsters Below. I wrote both books with the input from children, and we had so much fun with the projects. The second book in the Mystery at the Lake House series is titled, The Mermaid’s Tale and is in outline stage at this point. Both are suitable for readers age’s six to 12.
Stephanie: What inspired you to write Leaving Lukens and was there any research involved?
Laura: I read a small calendar listing of an event held yearly for descendants’ of Lukens (yes, it was once a real village. The only thing that remains of it is a cemetery, which does figure into the storyline of Leaving Lukens). I researched all I could about Lukens, the time period including the music and foods, the way New Bern was at the time, USOs, military history, and especially German U-boat activities during the Battle of the Atlantic. Fortunately, I’m a research nut, and I love history – so this was as much fun as writing the story.
Stephanie: How long did it take to write your story and were there any challenges?
Laura: It took me six months to research and write the book. It was far easier to research than my first novel because back then, the internet wasn’t what it is today. (That one took me six years to write, and another six years to find a publisher for its release.) I truly enjoy going to New Bern and Oriental, and I was inspired at a conference I attended in New Bern hosted by the North Carolina Maritime History Council. By walking the streets of New Bern, the story truly came together in my head.
The challenge, as always, is making time to write. I love the researching and writing process, and once I start a project, I easily get lost in my characters. It’s hard to extract myself from “their world” to go make dinner, tend to my family, do chores, or do my other work as a remote marketing specialist for a community college, but that’s what many writers do: we juggle.
Stephanie: What is your current writing project?
Laura: I’m currently developing characters and researching for an adult story tentatively titled, In Julia’s Garden. It is a mixture of suspenseful contemporary and historical fiction, and it’s a lot of fun. Like Leaving Lukens and The Pirate’s Bastard, it will be a work of “faction” – a mix of fact and fiction. The historical setting is based on a real antebellum mansion and garden located in Columbia, South Carolina, and the contemporary part is set in downtown Winston-Salem. My plan is to develop into a series, but we’ll see what the characters have to say about that idea.
Stephanie: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Laura: Keep at it. If you believe in your story, then write it, refine it, and keep pushing it out of the nest that is your brain. Only you can give it wings!
Stephanie: How did you discover indieBRAG?
Laura: Another author whom I greatly admire showcased her BRAG medallion on Facebook. I looked into it then, and submitted Leaving Lukens for consideration. I’m delighted my book was chosen as an honoree.
Stephanie: How often do you write and what do you do to get in the mindset of writing?
Laura: Ideally, I write daily for two very early-morning hours. Some days offer more time. To get into the mindset is easy if time allows – I typically review what I’ve written the day before, and it just flows from there.
Stephanie: What are you currently reading and what do you plan on reading next?
Laura: I’m reading a nonfiction by Richard Zacks, The Pirate Hunter about Captain Kidd. I have a notion to write a “sequel” to The Pirate’s Bastard one day. Next book to start reading is my reference book on gardening, which I’ll refer to often as I develop the setting for In Julia’s Garden. I also enjoy adventures by Ted Bell, and Ian Fleming, and mysteries by Jane Tesh.
Stephanie: What is your favorite literary genre?
Laura: I enjoy adventures and mysteries most of all, but a solid non-fiction like Operation Mincemeat or The Map is often a great backup for research and pleasure reading.
Stephanie :Laura, thank you! It was a pleasure chatting with you!
Laura: Thank you for the interview!
Author Links & Picture
http://www.LauraWhartonBooks.com
http://www.LauraWharton.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/LauraSWharton
https://www.amazon.com/author/laurawharton
A message from indieBRAG:
We are delighted that Stephanie has chosen to interview Laura Wharton who is the author of Leaving Lukens, one of our medallion honorees at www.bragmedallion.com. To be awarded a B.R.A.G. MedallionTM, a book must receive unanimous approval by a group of our readers. It is a daunting hurdle and it serves to reaffirm that a book such as Leaving Lukens merits the investment of a reader’s time and money.
Interview with Author Laura Wharton
Stephanie: Hello Laura! Thank you for chatting with me today about your book and congrats on winning the BRAG Medallion. I noticed your story (Leaving Lukens) is set in 1942 and it’s a mystery. Please tell me a little about it and who designed your book cover.Laura: Leaving Lukens is the story of 17-year-old Ella who faces leaving the only home she’s ever known: Lukens, a small fishing village on an isolated peninsula across the river from Oriental, North Carolina. Impacted by the economy, the threat of war, and the loss of a school teacher who was rowed across the river daily to teach the few remaining children in Lukens, the townspeople are dismantling their homes and floating them across the river on barges to larger communities of Oriental and Beaufort – moving away to find work in New Bern with its growing shipyard which is hiring to build minesweepers in support of the war or to the nearby military base of Cherry Point. Ella’s convinced she can stay on by herself, but spying a Nazi patrol raft surprises her one evening. She quickly learns that the war is very real and very near. A visiting sailor who has come to Lukens under the guise of helping his aunt and uncle dismantle their home and relocate to New Bern befriends Ella and shows her that sometimes looking isn’t exactly seeing what’s truly in front of her. As you might guess, he may not be all he appears to be.
The book has been hailed as a work of suspenseful mystery, and has landed me on the North Carolina Literary Trail, for which I am honored. The lovely cover was done by designer Dawn Mitchell at g4ginteractive. (
http://www.g4ginteractive.com/
).
Stephanie: Is this your first published novel or are there others? If so, what are the titles and genre they are written in?
Laura: Leaving Lukens is my second novel. The first was The Pirate’s Bastard, which was nominated for the Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Fiction. It too is a historical adventure – a bit of a pirate story – set in colonial North Carolina. Like Leaving Lukens, it can be read by teens (YA) and adults.
I’ve also written two children’s mysteries. One is Mystery at the Phoenix Festival. The other, which is the first in the Mystery at the Lake House, is titled, Monsters Below. I wrote both books with the input from children, and we had so much fun with the projects. The second book in the Mystery at the Lake House series is titled, The Mermaid’s Tale and is in outline stage at this point. Both are suitable for readers age’s six to 12.
Stephanie: What inspired you to write Leaving Lukens and was there any research involved?
Laura: I read a small calendar listing of an event held yearly for descendants’ of Lukens (yes, it was once a real village. The only thing that remains of it is a cemetery, which does figure into the storyline of Leaving Lukens). I researched all I could about Lukens, the time period including the music and foods, the way New Bern was at the time, USOs, military history, and especially German U-boat activities during the Battle of the Atlantic. Fortunately, I’m a research nut, and I love history – so this was as much fun as writing the story.
Stephanie: How long did it take to write your story and were there any challenges?
Laura: It took me six months to research and write the book. It was far easier to research than my first novel because back then, the internet wasn’t what it is today. (That one took me six years to write, and another six years to find a publisher for its release.) I truly enjoy going to New Bern and Oriental, and I was inspired at a conference I attended in New Bern hosted by the North Carolina Maritime History Council. By walking the streets of New Bern, the story truly came together in my head.
The challenge, as always, is making time to write. I love the researching and writing process, and once I start a project, I easily get lost in my characters. It’s hard to extract myself from “their world” to go make dinner, tend to my family, do chores, or do my other work as a remote marketing specialist for a community college, but that’s what many writers do: we juggle.
Stephanie: What is your current writing project?
Laura: I’m currently developing characters and researching for an adult story tentatively titled, In Julia’s Garden. It is a mixture of suspenseful contemporary and historical fiction, and it’s a lot of fun. Like Leaving Lukens and The Pirate’s Bastard, it will be a work of “faction” – a mix of fact and fiction. The historical setting is based on a real antebellum mansion and garden located in Columbia, South Carolina, and the contemporary part is set in downtown Winston-Salem. My plan is to develop into a series, but we’ll see what the characters have to say about that idea.
Stephanie: What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Laura: Keep at it. If you believe in your story, then write it, refine it, and keep pushing it out of the nest that is your brain. Only you can give it wings!
Stephanie: How did you discover indieBRAG?
Laura: Another author whom I greatly admire showcased her BRAG medallion on Facebook. I looked into it then, and submitted Leaving Lukens for consideration. I’m delighted my book was chosen as an honoree.
Stephanie: How often do you write and what do you do to get in the mindset of writing?
Laura: Ideally, I write daily for two very early-morning hours. Some days offer more time. To get into the mindset is easy if time allows – I typically review what I’ve written the day before, and it just flows from there.
Stephanie: What are you currently reading and what do you plan on reading next?
Laura: I’m reading a nonfiction by Richard Zacks, The Pirate Hunter about Captain Kidd. I have a notion to write a “sequel” to The Pirate’s Bastard one day. Next book to start reading is my reference book on gardening, which I’ll refer to often as I develop the setting for In Julia’s Garden. I also enjoy adventures by Ted Bell, and Ian Fleming, and mysteries by Jane Tesh.
Stephanie: What is your favorite literary genre?
Laura: I enjoy adventures and mysteries most of all, but a solid non-fiction like Operation Mincemeat or The Map is often a great backup for research and pleasure reading.
Stephanie :Laura, thank you! It was a pleasure chatting with you!
Laura: Thank you for the interview!
Author Links & Picture
http://www.LauraWhartonBooks.com
http://www.LauraWharton.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/LauraSWharton
https://www.amazon.com/author/laurawharton
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