{The Bookish Inquisition} An Invitation to Chat

Next Sunday, February 1st, we will be chatting with author Steven Manchester at 2 p.m. Eastern time. See below for information on Steven as well as instructions on how to join the chat.

After returning home from a difficult tour of duty in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, I stepped back behind the walls of a Massachusetts penitentiary where I battled each day as a prison investigator. Needless to say, there was great negativity in my life at that time, and very little opportunity to heal from my wartime demons (or pursue my dreams of being published). I finally decided to return to college to finish my degree in Criminal Justice. During one of the classes, my professor, Barry McKee, detailed police work, but barely touched on other topics. I finally raised his hand and asked, “As the criminal justice system is so vast, what about the courts, probation, parole – corrections?” Barry smiled and told me to see him after class. I thought I’d done it! In his office, Barry explained, “Except from the slanted perspectives of inmates, there’s no real written material out there on corrections, or prisons.” Barry smiled again and then dropped the bomb that would change my life forever. “If you’re so smart,” he said, “why don’t you write it?” It was the last push I needed to get writing. Nine months later, I placed the first draft of 6-5; A Different Shade of Blue (under the pen name, Steven Herberts) on Barry’s desk. From then on, I was hooked. I was a writer.

To read more about Steven Manchester, click here.

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{The Bookish Inquisition} Invitation to Chat

Next Sunday, January 18th, we will be chatting with Lisa McKendrick at 2 p.m. Eastern time. See below for info on Lisa as well as instructions on how to join the chat.

Hi, I'm Lisa McKendrick. l have a novel coming out in February, 2015 with Cedar Fort Press called Letters To My Future Husband. It’s a romantic comedy about a woman whose bossy future daughter commandeers her dreams to tell her who she should marry.  I’m excited to share this story. It took me a year to write it. I wrote early in the morning when the house was quiet, in snatches during the day, and sometimes at night while sitting on the couch next to my husband as he watched TV. It was a fun book to write, and though it’s meant to make you laugh, it also asks important questions about love and forgiveness.

Author's Website - Utterance

Author's Amazon Page

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The Bookish Inquisition: Transcript of Our Chat with Author Jackie Parry

Yesterday, we spoke with OF FOREIGN BUILD author Jackie Parry. The transcript of our chat is below. Enjoy!

LRR_Mandy: Welcome one and all to Literary R&R's meme, THE BOOKISH INQUISITION! We welcome author Jackie Parry to the chat today.

Jackie Parry: Thank you - I appreciate the opportunity and everyone coming along

LRR_Mandy: Jackie - For those that may not be familiar with your story, can you give us a quick background leading up to your first book?

Jackie Parry: Well, the first book was a 'technical book' about living on boats, the second book is far more interesting, it took 15 years to write, so I'll try and be brief! Noel (hubby) and I sailed for 9 years on our 10 metre boat. It is about that story - but much more - basically I lost my fiance, ran away to Australia, met and married Noel and set sail!

Lupe: Ok so my first question is: Why boating? Why not aviation?

Jackie Parry: Good question. I guess because Noel had sailed before and he knew a bit about it - if he had been into planes, it would have been aviation!

LRR_Mandy: Did you have experience with sailing before meeting Noel?

Jackie Parry: No! None, nothing, nada - I didn't know the front end of a boat from the back-end... it all suddenly becomes very real when you set off out to sea! We crashed pretty early too - actually 24 hours after buying our first boat!

Lupe: OH NO!

Jackie Parry: Yes, a gear coupling went and we had no forward or reverse - this is when we were trying to dock on a fast river!

Glen: Did Noel have extended time at Sea?

Jackie Parry: Noel had a fair bit of time, not as much as he wanted - he had sailed to Vanuatu and back (from Australia) and had sailed the east coat.

Jackie: Hi Jackie. I read your book Of Foreign Build. Really enjoyed it. Are you planning any other trips at sea? Or any upcoming books?

Jackie Parry: So pleased you liked the book Jackie. No trips at sea just yet - we are currently living on a Dutch Barge in France - this is our latest escape. I will do another box on my next project.

Noel (hubby) and I did a trek in Australia (on the Bicentennial National Trail). There was just our 5 horses , us two, and a tent... we did a few months. We’d rescued our horses (they were going to be put down). It was an incredible journey... a percentage of proceeds from this book will go to help rescue more horses.

Jackie: That sounds interesting! When are you hoping to release it? Is this another area you didn't have experience in? Why horses!

Jackie Parry: Good question Jackie. It goes to the editor in April - I am editing at the moment, so hopefully May/June time. Horses are my first love, I grew up with them - I simply adore them and I would rescue every horse if I could.

Lupe: I'm sure you've met a lot of interesting characters on your travels and have lots of stories. Has there been anyone that has made a big impact on you and your husband that sticks out in your mind?

Jackie Parry: Thanks Lupe: Just every day people doing extraordinary things.... that is what we really liked about it - we met people of every nationality, the two Cook Island guys that were the care-takers of Suwarrow Island were pretty amazing.

Jackie: It sounds like you will never settle down to another office job! Are there any places you really want to go back to that you visited in Of Foreign Build?

Jackie Parry: I could never - ever go in an office again - ever... oh so many Jackie... Suwarrow was mind-bending - an atoll in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you can only get there by boat - no roads..no airport, no shops... but we went there on our second boat - (another story) - On Mariah (Of Foreign Build book) Borneo - it was amazing, we played with the Orangutans!

And the Cook Islands - wow!

Kathy: Any places you would NOT return to?

Jackie Parry: Oooh, Egypt probably- that is a 'once is enough' place -interesting - but not again thanks!

Jackie: Another boat and so another book in the future? Cook Islands as tourists know it?

Jackie Parry: Thanks Jackie - Yes more books in the future... :-) and no, not as the tourists know it - we sailed up on a boat and had to figure out the local shops - checking into countries is very different on a recreational boat, than a plane (or commercial ship) - so we really got to see the real people and how the live... fascinating - and just beautiful, helpful people - all over the world!

Lupe: I'm sure you have tried many different types of cultural cuisine. Is there any that you can remember thinking to yourself "oh my goodness. that was NOT a good idea!" ?

Jackie Parry: Yes, Lupe.... Goat in Egypt! That is not a good idea and a Groper fish with Cicatere (can't spell it) in it - made us very ill! (That was in the Bahamas)

Kathy: What made you decide to write about your experience?

Jackie Parry: Kathy - to start with it just happened. I have loved writing all my life. I kept a diary and started writing articles for magazines about our adventures. So I had a lot of material already.... I worked on it for almost 15 years (on and off) and thought it may help people - I lost Martin my fiance when I was 26 and ran away to Australia. I felt like my life had ended - I wanted it to end.... but then I met Noel (very quickly!) - Noel had had a bit of a hard time too - he had the idea of buying a boat and sailing around the world and it sounded good to me!

Kathy: Sounds like you've had some very interesting life experiences!

LRR_Mandy: Are there ever days that you and Noel wish you didn't live on a boat/barge? That you had a permanent residence on land somewhere?

Jackie Parry: Yes Mandy! Some days it is really tough - we are renovating at the moment (you can see pics on www.jackieparry.com - going to update the renovation pics soon) - the hardest thing though is being away from friends and family and when Noel and I do an adventure we are 'all in' so we have 'started again' many times - new house or boat, new clothes, tools etc....

Jackie: How hard was it to part with your first boat? She must have developed in to more than a floating room by that time?

Jackie Parry: Jackie - yes - we were very attached to Mariah, we loved her - she had taken care of us in some very rough and scary weather... we never thought we'd sell her. But it was time to earn some money and to be honest, we wanted to stop moving for a while - that' didn't last long though, 2 years later we bought another boat and sailed across the Pacific again... we know the owners of Mariah and keep in touch, he sends us pictures of her!

Jackie: I guessed she would become personal. I had wondered what happened to her. Do you still have the next boat?

Jackie Parry: Jackie - no, we sold our second boat two - we spent two years crossing the Pacific (on a more southerly route Pitcairn and Easter Island etc) - it was a tough journey - but then we had to earn money - I had become a commercial skipper by then and a teacher - so I was teaching maritime.... hard work but good money - we saved... then did the horse trekking, then came to France.... exhausting eh?

Glen: On magazine articles during the journey - did you have the contacts before you left? Or did you query along the way?

Jackie Parry: Good question Glen, I didn't have the contacts, I found them along the way. It is very tough (but so is writing a book) - the important thing to do is know the magazine and download their writer's guidelines, and if your work is not published, don't take offence, it is very competitive, you just need patience and to keep trying!

Lupe: When you come back stateside, do you ever have frantic catching up to do with pop culture and major events? Do you isolate yourselves from that while you are gone?

Jackie Parry: Oh yes, Lupe, we are so far behind with everything - we are from a different era - Noel's daughter thinks it is hysterical when I say we watched suchandsuch movie and she says "that has been out 7 years!" - We rarely delve into the news either - it is so depressing - after returning from our sailing adventures, we watched the news and ended up in tears....

Lupe: When you are out sailing, I imagine you must send letters and postcards back home?

Jackie Parry: Lupe, we did, on Mariah it started out as postcards and letters....my mum kept them all and put them on a wall with a big map of the world.... with our route on it - if was fabulous. Now it is internet - but I tried to keep the letter thing going - nothing like a personal letter that you actually physically open!

Jackie: Has it been a role reversal. Noel taught you about sailing and life on the sea. Your next book is about something you said you did. Horses. Did you have to teach Noel?

Jackie Parry: Great question Jackie - absolutely. When I started sailing, I didn't know a thing - I felt so daunted. I was in a strange country, with a new husband, no friends.... and then a nautical word where I couldn't understand what anyone was talking about! Noel knows a little about horses but not as much as me - and it was interesting to see him go through what I did. That said, I really felt all the responsibility of the horse trekking - we rescued five scatty, scared horses that were going to be put down and somehow we turned them into, what I call "war" horses - they were amazing - brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it - sadly Noel and I ourselves weren't as good as the trail riding as the boys - the book will make you laugh - we were pretty hopeless! And as the better rider I wasn't supposed to fall off!

I was going to teach Noel, but he had a natural ability with the horses....

Kathy: You mentioned you are at sea now ... where at?

Jackie Parry: Kathy, We are actually in SW France on the canals. We bought a 1920's Dutch barge 7 months ago - we are currently renovating it. We did part of the French canals on our sailboat Mariah (Of Foreign Build) 14 years ago! and we always thought it would be great to come back - we made it... we miss sailing from time to time, but I don't miss the night-watches!

Glen: How did you handle money? Would you use credit cards? Have money wired to the larger ports?

Jackie Parry: Glen - great question - this is such fun! We used our bank in the UK and in Australia and just withdrew money from cash machines.... we learned that if you are with a big names bank they are usually affiliated with many other banks around the world - so you avoid some charges.... that helped. Also, we always carried a fair bit of American Dollars - everyone accepts American dollars - but you have to keep the 'clean' ones for some countries!

We also bartered at some countries - in the Marquesas, the women went mad over perfume, I had a small bit left in a bottle and they gave us a beautiful wooden bowl in exchange... also pens and pencils for fruit, from kids (I think they nicked the fruit though!)

LRR_Mandy: What are "clean" dollars?

Jackie Parry: Mandy - clean money is basically, flat, smooth money, no tears and no grubby bits - some countries, the officials only want new looking notes!

Lupe: I was looking at your pictures...Those photos are amazing...is photography another area you are going to explore as well? Will we see a book about that?

Jackie Parry: Lupe, thanks for asking that - I have a collection of pictures on FineArt America/UK - either site (I think!) - under my name and/or Noel and Jackie's Journeys (which is also our FB page).... all our pictures aren't up there yet - am working on it - but there are quite a few - if anyone likes any, come through me - I may be able to get you a better deal! My photography improved as writing for magazines, photos are a big part - still learning though!

Thanks for the lovely compliment Lupe on the photography...

Glen: Have to ask- after being at sea a few days, how long would it take to regain your land-legs :-)

Lupe: Or vice versa-How long before you don't feel sea sick!!

Jackie: As the conditions change do you still get seasick. Or does your body adjust enough that no matter what is thrown at you your body is fine? Meaning after you have been at sea for awhile.

Jackie Parry: A few days Glen! It was worse when you got in the shower and closed your eyes, quite often you'd almost fall over. It was a very weird sensation.... Gaining your sea-legs took 3 days - the first three days at sea was always hard.... both Noel and I got sea-sick!

Ha Lupe - answered that one - 3 days pretty much - but if we started to cork-screw (as we did in the Red Sea (horrid, horrid journey)) - then I will always get sick.... great diet!

Jackie, we generally settled down after 3 days and could cope with most things - but if we were in a storm (a few - yikes! ) then it depended on the motion - if we were going with it - it was okay - the boat just went over the following seas - but if we were going into it and the seas got big, the boat could get a horrid cork-screw motion - that would set me off every time - our first off-shore trip - to Fiji - was a failure, we ended up in a huge storm (one other boat was lost) - and had to turn back - I could hardly keep water down - very dangerous - we really confused customs though as we checked out and check back in - they didnt' know what to do with us (that was after 2 weeks at sea in horrid conditions!)

Jackie: That's interesting - I did wonder if seasickness would pass completely.

Jackie Parry: Jackie - Sea-sickness is such a strange thing - my mum gets sick if we sit on a lake... I do think you get used to it though!

Jackie: Any countries you have not visited that you hope to get to?

Jackie Parry: I'd love to get to South Africa one day. We got to Eritrea and that was amazing.... just the most beautiful, kind people who have suffered so much - you must read about the coffee ceremony! I'd like to see the safari animals - I think they are incredible.

LRR_Mandy: Do your children ever join you and Noel on your excursions?

Jackie Parry: Mandy, Noel has two kids - well, grown ups - actually Noel is a gramps - he is 15 years older than me (but fitter than me!) - his kids have been on board a few times- Melanie came out to see us in Tahiti, which was great - girl time ! and no talking about engines for a while! Leon has been on a few times - no major trips though - the boat was small, only 10 metres with two pointy ends (canoe stern) so not much room!

Lupe: Are there any places that you've been to enough times that the locals pretty much know you and your boats??

Jackie Parry: Lupe..... ooooh, I don't think so. Noel and I like moving.... we like new places. On Mariah as we were sailing around the world, they were all new places, on the next boat, we did the Pacific again (bought the boat in San Francisco and sailed back to Australia) and we did a more southerly route .... on the east coast of Australia we went into some same ports - didn't really get to know anyone (except in our home port) - but we were always made welcome - in Australia (well everywhere, especially in Australia as we know the marine police (we were both rescue skippers and worked with the police)). Does that make sense?

Lupe: Yep!

Jackie Parry: Lupe - that's good! My mind can wander!

Kathy: What "comfort of home" do you miss the most when you're on the boat?

Jackie Parry: Kathy, when we were on Mariah (which is what the book was about) - a fridge and running hot water - we had neither - had a gas stove so we could cook and boil water - but at sea we had to conserve water, so it was salt water showers, with one cup of fresh to rinse off - very refreshing. Whenever we got out to sea I always wanted a roast chicken and ice-cream and if we had bad weather Noel wanted to hug a tree. I guess a full-on shower too - we always had to be so careful with water - aside from that, we had lots of comforts, lots of book - comfy beds and the whole world as our back room!

Kathy: Sounds great except for the shower part! ;)

Jackie: Do you stay in touch with any of the people you met while at sea?

Jackie Parry: Jackie, oh yes, we do stay in touch with many people and still do. We have friends all over the world, every nation. Some are still sailing some are not, some are no longer with us... when you are out there in the cruising world you have such a short time to get to know people, so you make friends really quickly,,,, sometimes you go to the same next country, sometimes you don't - sometimes they just turn up somewhere where you didn't expect to see them - we have some wonderful friendships - all kindred spirits! Some of them infact, helped us find this boat.... Friends in Holland we sailed with (they were on a smaller boat...) they loaned us their camper van in Europe!

Glen: What's the next adventure?

Jackie Parry: Glen - we are on the next adventure. We bought this boat 6 months ago, We will renovate it and explore next year and do some boat handling-training... the next book and the one after that and learning French - thereafter - hmmmm - we have a bit of land back in Aus and I want to fill it with horses (scares my husband silly!) - I would love to revisit the trekking again... I want to make a success of it second time around and save more horses (did I mention I love horses!) - oh, and we are wondering whether to sail back to Australia, when we make that decision - hoping to find someone who wants a boat delivery done - this old tub wouldn't handle seas!

Glen: I know your mentioned it, but when is the next book coming out?

Jackie Parry: Next book May/June this year..... a bit shorter than Of Foreign Build - the first set of details are on our website www.jackieparry.com - under books - at the moment it is called A Standard Journey - as the horses were Standard breeds - there are some amazing pics of them - the book is incredibly packed with adventures - it will wear you out!

Glen: Will look for it!

Lupe: Well I can't wait to see more pics of the places you go!

LRR_Mandy: Ditto!

Jackie Parry: Thanks Lupe, Mandy, please stay in touch and let me know what you'd like to see more of - always on FB on Noel and Jackie's Journeys and/or Jackie Parry and stop at the website....

LRR_Mandy: Jackie - Thank you so much for joining us today! We will definitely stay in touch. Perhaps we can have another author chat with you when your new book comes out?

Jackie Parry: Thanks Mandy - it was brilliant - I thoroughly enjoyed it and am so thrilled and thankful to everyone that came up - there were some brilliant questions - they all were!

Absolutely Mandy - would love to! Want to get the word out and help rescue more horses! :-)

LRR_Mandy: Well, looks like we've reached the end. Thank you to everyone who joined us today. Safe travels to Jackie and Noel! We look forward to our next chat together. Have a great Sunday everyone!

Kathy: Thanks Jackie!

Glen: Bye

Lupe: Thanks Jackie!!

Jackie Parry: Thank you - thanks everyone a real pleasure talking to you all! :-) Bye!

{The Bookish Inquisition} Author Chat Invite: Jackie Parry

Our next author chat will take place next Sunday, January 4th, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. We will be chatting with Jackie Parry, Of Foreign Build author.

After suffering an emotionally-brutal bereavement and against her counsellor’s advice, Jackie ran away. Suddenly within a new culture, with a new husband, and no friends, she was living in the obscure world of cruising with zero knowledge of boats.

Crashing within the first twenty-four hours, Jackie realised life would never be the same again; a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self doubts, she became fearful of her new world.

The first off-shore voyage took Jackie into a ferocious storm, which battered her physically and mentally. Amid the raging seas, Jackie shed the fear she’d been harbouring.

Soon she was blissfully voyaging around the world, but she still carried the mixed emotions of losing one man, while falling head over heels in love with another.

Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone fuelled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher.

Most importantly, Jackie found herself.

To Join the Chat:

1.) Go to www.chatstep.com
2.) Type in the room name (LRRTBI)
3.) Choose and type in your own nickname
4.) Type in the password (TBI0104)
5.) Click the "Join" button

*Reminder: The room will not be open until 30 minutes before the chat is to begin.

{The Bookish Inquisition} Transcript and Invitation

Yesterday, we chatted with THE COTTAGE PARK PUZZLE author Richard Siddoway. If you missed it, we've provided you with a transcript of our conversation below. We want to thank all of you who attended. Below the transcript is an invite to our next author chat on January 4th.

Richard Siddoway Chat Transcript:

LRR: Hi, Richard! Nice to see you. =)

Richard: Nice to be here.

LRR: How has your Sunday been? Ready for Christmas?

Richard: We're almost ready. We're leaving this afternoon for a short trip to Las Vegas to see our youngest daughter and then continue on to Mesa, AZ to visit our oldest son.

LRR: Oh, wow. That sounds like fun. You have 8 children, correct? Do the other 6 live at home?

Richard: We have four who live in Utah and four who live out of state. So, we see four of them quite often, but miss the others. We have 26 grandchildren and wish we were able to see all of them more often.

LRR: Oh my goodness! That's a huge family!!! I bet when everyone's together it's a lot of fun. =) Did you begin writing when your children were small?

Richard: I've written ever since I was a teen, and had a few things published under a pseudonym. The first thing published under my name wasn't until 1992, when I was 52 years old.

LRR: Did you write the same type of stories as a teen?

Richard: Sort of. The first thing I wrote back about 1957, was about a cashless society where everything was purchased using a card and a biometric scan of your fingerprint.

LRR: Very futuristic for that time period, but almost a reality now. What prompted your interest in writing?

Richard: When I was a senior at the University of Utah, I needed a class to fill my schedule and took one in creative writing from Dr. Brewster Geilsand, who was one of D.H. Lawrence's friends. He encouraged me a great deal.

LRR: What was the one piece of advice he gave you that you still use to this day?

Richard: He said, "Make your characters real."

LRR: And are your characters based on people you know?

Richard: Yes. In fact this new book that will be released next month deals with an autistic child. I have a severely autistic grandson who exhibits all the behaviors that Corky does in the book.

LRR: How does your family feel knowing that you use them as references and inspiration in your story?

Richard: They're OK as long as I disguise them. Often I change the sex of the person and, of course, the names change.

LRR: How long did it take you to write THE COTTAGE PARK PUZZLE?

Richard: It took about a year. You make a good point though. I probably should have explained that mercurial behavior better. All of the people who read the book before publication were familiar with autistic behavior and it didn't seem to bother them at all.

(LRR Note: His answer above was partly in response to a question and a couple comments I made that I promised I would not provide in the transcript because it presented a spoiler.)

LRR: Do you always use the same people to preview your work before it's published?

Richard: No. I have some people who ask to read everything, but I usually try to find someone who has some familiarity with the topic. For example, when I wrote "The Christmas Wish," Senator Orrin Hatch and his wife, Elaine, had asked to read it and provided a nice endorsement.

LRR: I saw THE CHRISTMAS WISH was made into a CBS movie. Did you have any say-so in how it was made?

Richard: Very little. Beth Polson bought the rights to make the movie and became the producer. She hired the cast, the screen writer, and the director. I did get to go to Burbank and meet Debbie Reynolds, Neil Patrick Harris, and Naomi Watts during the filming, but that was about all.

LRR: How did you find your first publisher? Did you have an agent?

Richard: This is a longer story than you may want to hear, but I'll try to do a summary. My first wife died from cancer at 45 and left me with six children. Everybody knew somebody I need to meet. One of the women I took out to dinner was a wonderful woman named Sherri Dew. She is the CEO of Deseret Book. During our dinner conversation I mentioned that I had once submitted a manuscript to Random House and after 18 months they sent a rejection letter. She assured me that if I submitted something to Deseret Book, I'd hear back within six weeks. A couple of years later I submitted "Twelve Tales of Christmas" to her. Eighteen months later I received a rejection letter. I submitted it to Bookcraft, and eighteen months later they published the book.

LRR: Oh, wow. I'm sorry to hear about your first wife.

Richard: It's not something I wish on anyone. However, my wife, Janice, and I have been married now for 25 years.

LRR: What is your goal you want to achieve with your novels?

Richard: I always try to write something that is clean and has a message. One of the authors who critiqued Cottage Park said, "You always have a savior in your books." I hope that's true.

LRR: I did appreciate the cleanliness of COTTAGE PARK. So often, nowadays, novels have a tendency to be vulgar.

Richard: I'm not sure what led us down that road. So much of what is published today seems to need a shock value.

LRR: Agreed - I believe society has become immune and desensitized to what would have shocked us 20 or 30 years ago so people/newsmen/etc try to find new stories with increased shock value. Sad, really. I'd like to see a 180 turn and people focusing on positive events.

Richard: I suppose bleed leads, but I'm confident most people are really good people at heart. When I read the language used in many of today's popular novels, that language doesn't reflect what I hear from my friends and neighbors.

LRR: You have very different neighbors than I do, then. =) Is there a message you'd like to send to your readers?

Richard: Thank you for supporting those of us who have the guts to put our pen to the paper (figuratively), and try to entertain.

LRR: Is there anything you'd like to mention that I've not asked you about?

Richard: There is one message I hope comes through in Cottage Park. Our society hasn't developed ways to deal with people who are different. Whether it's autism, Down syndrome, skin color, religious affiliation, or whatever we need to learn to be more inclusive and loving in our relationships with each other.

LRR: I agree. We (as a society) could do better in how we deal with those different from us. Do you have any suggestions on how someone like myself (who has no experience in dealing with these types of situations) could do better?

Richard: Study. When I was in the Utah legislature I was asked to run a bill to secure funding for schools to handle autistic students. I knew nothing about autism and spent hours researching the autism spectrum. Little did I know that I'd have an autistic grandson five years later, who could benefit from these programs.

LRR: How did you get into politics? Was that your major in college?

Richard: No, I was a biology major in secondary education. I was asked by a number of people to run because they were unhappy with our current representative. In the county convention I said there were three things that bothered me about politics. One was that you could buy a vote if you had enough money; second once you got in you felt entitled to stay for life; and third that we didn't vote for people, we voted against people. I vowed to accept no donation over $25, serve three terms maximum, and never say a negative word about my opponent. i won the race and served my 3 terms.

LRR: That's amazing! Would you ever go back?

Richard: I'm not sure I could be elected. I'm a moderate Republican and live in Tea Party haven.

LRR: Ah, understood. Well, I thank you for your time today, Richard. It's been enlightening and I wish you much success in your future. =)

Richard: Thank you, Mandy. I appreciate your time and your critique.

LRR: My pleasure. Have a wonderful holiday!

Richard: Merry Christmas

The Bookish Inquisition, 1/4/16: Jackie Parry

Originally from the UK, Jackie is now an adopted Australian. She grew up with horses in the UK until her world was shattered*. Disillusioned with life she ran away to Australia and met and married Noel. They decided to buy a boat and set sail. So within her first year living in a foreign land she was getting used to a foreign husband and a foreign life on board!

*They’ll be more information in their next book ‘Of Foreign Build’

After suffering an emotionally-brutal bereavement and against her counsellor’s advice, Jackie ran away. Suddenly within a new culture, with a new husband, and no friends, she was living in the obscure world of cruising with zero knowledge of boats.

Crashing within the first twenty-four hours, Jackie realised life would never be the same again; a floating home with no fridge or hot water, and with a dinghy instead of a car. Suffering self doubts, she became fearful of her new world.

The first off-shore voyage took Jackie into a ferocious storm, which battered her physically and mentally. Amid the raging seas, Jackie shed the fear she’d been harbouring.

Soon she was blissfully voyaging around the world, but she still carried the mixed emotions of losing one man, while falling head over heels in love with another.

Not only did Jackie deal successfully with the challenges of her new existence, she also battled with the testosterone fuelled nautical world to become both a professional captain and a qualified maritime teacher.

Most importantly, Jackie found herself.

Instructions for joining the Inquisition:

1.) Go to www.chatstep.com
2.) Type in the room name (LRRTBI)
3.) Choose and type in your own nickname
4.) Type in the password (TBI0104)
5.) Click the "Join" button

The Bookish Inquisition: An Invitation to Join Us

As you may know, The Bookish Inquisition is our fun name for an author interview. Our very first Inquisition was spent chatting with Christine Nolfi, author of the Liberty series.

Our next Inquisition will take place on Sunday, December 7th, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. There was some confusion concerning the time during the first Inquisition so please make sure you set your clocks for Eastern time. We want to make this an enjoyable, fun experience for everyone.

Each Inquisition will last approximately one to two hours; it's just dependent upon how well the chat is proceeding. You, the public, are more than welcome to join us. We hold the chat in a private online chatroom using the Chatstep website. Instructions on how to get into the room are below, along with some info about the author we'll be chatting with. Please keep in mind that the room will not be open until 1:30 p.m. Eastern time on Sunday, December 7th.

Instructions for joining the Inquisition:

1.) Go to www.chatstep.com
2.) Type in the room name (LRRTBI)
3.) Choose and type in your own nickname
4.) Type in the password (TBI1207)
5.) Click the "Join" button

About Richard Siddoway:

Richard M. Siddoway was born in Salt Lake City and raised in Bountiful, Utah. He and his wife Janice have eight children. He has been an educator for over forty years and for a time was the principal of the Electronic High School for the Utah State Department of Education. Richard was also a member of the Utah House of Representatives.

In 1998, The Christmas Wish was adapted into a CBS movie. Siddoway has also written several other books with Christmas themes such as Twelve Tales of Christmas, Christmas of the Cherry Snow, and The Christmas Quest. He has also written other books such as Degrees of Glory, Mom and Other Great Women I Have Known, Habits of the Heart and The Hut in The Tree in The Woods.

From 1996 to 2005 Siddoway served as president of the Bountiful Utah Val Verda Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Prior to his call as a stake president Siddoway had served as a bishop in the LDS Church.

Richard's latest novel, The Cottage Park Puzzle, will release January 13, 2015.

Description:

When two teenagers are found beaten in the quiet town of Cottage Park and another boy is standing over them holding a baseball bat, it seems like a simple task to convict the perpetrator. There s just one problem: he s autistic. This poignant tale of one town s journey to forgiveness and love will stay with you long after you ve finished reading.

{The Bookish Inquisition} Transcript of Our Chat with Christine Nolfi

Thank you to everyone, especially to author Christine Nolfi, who helped make our very first Bookish Inquisition a huge success!!! If you weren't able to join us, never fear! We have a transcript of yesterday's conversation below. Enjoy!

LitRR Mandy

Hi, Christine! Thank you for being willing to do this!

Christine

I'm shivering in anticipation ... I hope my replies are witty. :-) Can't believe I've reached 85K followers on Twitter. How did that happen?

LitRR Mandy

That's amazing! You're an awesome person and writer. It was bound to happen.

Christine

Thank you.

LitRR Mandy

Absolutely! So, being from Ohio, I have to ask - Where did you live there?

Christine

I lived in Newbury, outside Chagrin Falls on the far east side of Cleveland. 12 acre farm -- great place to raise kids.

LitRR Mandy

Sounds amazing - were you born there?

Christine

Yes, I was born in Cleveland. Have lived around the country: Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Virginia, etc. I've also lived in Utah and now South Carolina.

LitRR Mandy

So, being born in Cleveland, you know there's a town just outside named Independence. Is that where you based Liberty, Ohio on?

Christine

The Liberty Series is loosely based on Chardon, Ohio. I chose the name "Liberty" because I wanted to make a statement about the U.S. family.

Trish

I was wondering how characters are developed - are they based upon famous characters, friends, etc.?

Christine

I'm never sure how to answer that question. My characters form through an odd process - I begin writing first person essays, as if I'm the character. This is a bit like the process actors use when preparing for a role. I don't develop a plot until after the characters are formed. This is the difference between mass market and closer-to-literary fiction (if you're wondering).

Trish

Interesting! I always assumed plot first, then characters.

Christine

Plot does come first in commercial fiction -- romance, suspense, etc. I think readers feel my characters are real because I go through a rigorous development process.

LitRR Mandy

I would think it's easier to to build a plot once the characters are developed. You know their nuances and moods.

Christine

It is easier to develop a plot after characters: if you know the people you're writing about, it's easier to find the natural conflicts they'd encounter.

Trish

I was wondering how many more books there will be in the Liberty Series? Or are you thinking about something different to write next?

Christine

I'm beginning a new series; won't write the 5th book in the Liberty Series until next year. My new project is outside women's fiction. It will be more spiritual in content. The series will be set in my new hometown of Charleston, South Carolina. I'm thinking about publishing in shorter segments. This will allow readers to give feedback as the series progresses.

LitRR Mandy

Like a chapter-by-chapter?

Christine

More like every 15,000 words. Several chapters.

Trish

So readers can suggest or give thoughts on the story line?

Christine

Yes, they can. I met Hugh Howey in April at Pubsmart and he made some comments that really struck me: publishing is now fluid, and we can publish in shorter segments. Listen to reader feedback then proceed.

Trish

Might be good for us binge readers! :-)

Christine

Binge readers will love this format! After I release the first 5 sections, I'll bundle them together in a traditional ebook. I'll release the first 2 sections free.

Trish

Free? Like that!

Christine

Free is the best way to experiment with a new project. Plus releasing short sections first, before developing the paperback version, is cost-effective for an author.

LitRR Mandy

How so?

Christine

Art and editing for the paperback version is expensive. For each book I've produced, I've invested around $1,000. Of course, many authors don't pay for editing or a graphic artist. But I feel both are necessary.

LitRR Mandy

Editing is absolutely necessary. It's a slight pet-peeve of mine when authors don't edit.

Christine

Many authors starting out can't afford to pay a professional editor. I think it's wiser to save some money before releasing a first book to ensure you have the funds for a professional edit. It's impossible to build a loyal leadership if your books aren't of the highest quality -- meaning you need an editor. Many writers jump into independent publishing without a real sense of the demands of a publishing career -- the expenses in particular.

LitRR Mandy

I think most feel they need to get their story out there and rush to do it. Which is sad, because sometimes their work could be great if they'd take the extra time to invest some money.

LuDo

I agree with Mandy. But I can also see where the excitement of just writing your own book and wanting others to enjoy it also would make authors jump at the chance for self-publishing.

Christine

Not just the money investment -- many new writers need to join a critique group. I understand the excitement element. However, you only get one chance at a debut novel. If it's awful, readers turn away.

Deborah

I know that I enjoy reading debut novels. It's great to find new talent!

Christine

I had a rule when I released my debut: if the reviews weren't good, I'd quit.

LitRR Mandy

Where would one find a critique group, Christine? I didn't know such a thing existed.

LuDo

Do you join critique groups for your own pieces or to help others?

Christine

The best critique groups I've seen are managed by Romance Writers of America. Every city in the U.S. has at least one RWA critique group in operation. You don't have to write romance to join RWA -- for years I was an associate member. I think anyone serious about becoming a career novelist should begin in a critique group. I believe Mystery Writers of America also features local critique groups. Best way to learn the mechanics of storytelling. I no longer work in a critique group but would love to teach a college course on Novelist 101.

LitRR Mandy

Ooohh ... If it was an online class, I'd like to participate!

Christine

That's a great idea. I should run an online class on storytelling mechanics.

Deborah

You absolutely should! I always wanted to write. I just don't know how to start.

LuDo

Oh that would be fun, I think! Would you encourage people to try things like NaNoWriMo?

Christine

I think NaNoWriMo is fabulous. Learning to turn off your internal editor and let the ideas flow out is a critical facet of storytelling craft.

Deborah

I was told to just write down thoughts and put them into a format later. Christine, do you think that would work?

Christine

Yes -- begin by writing down thoughts. Let the ideas flow. Afterward, go through and edit.

LuDo

Do you ever do plot outlines?

Christine

I do outline the plot after becoming well acquainted with the main characters. All of my novels are populated by a large cast. Part of my process, I suppose.

Kathy

How did you find publications that accept work from unknown writers?

Christine

Kathy, back then (the 1970s) a new writer could submit just about anywhere. 9/11 changed publishing: editors feared bombs in packages, and many would no longer accept unsolicited submissions. Meaning a writer needed to submit through a literary agent.

Kathy

Gotcha. So do you work with an agent? And if so, what is the process like?

LuDo

How do you find a "respectable" agent?

Christine

Agentquery.com is a great site for finding a lit agent. I worked with two lit agents over 3 years. New York editors loved my novels. They simply weren't sure where to place them in a bookstore. My books blend elements from romance, literary, mystery and comedy.

Kathy, working with an agent: you send a query letter with a short sample of your work.

LuDo

How long does your writing process last? Like from idea to publication?

Christine

LuDo, that's a great question. I've published 6 novels and written many others ... there is no "one process" for developing a novel. Each work is different. Some books come together in a matter of months; some, like The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, took several years to reach completion.

LuDo

Why do you think some take longer than others? Plot lines? Characters? Time?

Christine

I think it's the subject matter presented in the novel. If I'm writing something light and comedic, like Treasure Me, much of the book is comprised of dialogue, which is easier to write. The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge is a literary work dealing with sexual abuse. It took much longer because I wanted to ensure I was writing realistically from the point of view of a small child.

LitRR Mandy

How did you balance being a writer with being a mom?

Christine

Looking back, I think the universe poised me to leap into publishing. My marriage fell apart, and I was confronted with the question, "What do I want to do with the rest of my life?" And I knew I wanted to write novels. So I began getting up at 5 AM and writing for several hours before the kids left for school. Finding balance: I wrote around my children's schedules. And I worked out at the gym to ensure I'd have the stamina for novel-writing and single parenting of four kids. It wasn't easy!

Kathy

Woah ... Good for you! What books are on your current 'must read' list?

Christine

I just finished The Bone Clocks because it's also a more spiritual fiction. But my series will be more ... optimistic? I should hope so! I also recently read The Signature of All Things. My favorite read for 2014.

Kathy

What is your biggest struggle as a writer?

Christine

My biggest struggle at this juncture is organization. With 6 books published, I need to spend more time on the business aspect. And I'd rather write all the time.

Stein

What did you do between adopting your kids and starting to write full time?

Christine

This is the timeline: I owned a PR firm until age 37 when I adopted my kids. Then my marriage fell apart at age 44 and I began writing full-time.

Stein

Did you give up the PR for your kids and/or writing?

Christine

I knew I couldn't continue in PR after adopting 4 special needs kids. We spent years at the Cleveland Clinic (my kids had been abandoned in the jungle).

LitRR Mandy

Well, everyone, if there aren't anymore questions for Christine we'll go ahead and close this out.

Christine

Mandy, thanks for having me. Thanks, ladies, for joining!

LitRR Mandy

Thanks to everyone for joining us today!

If you're an author, publisher, or book-related person and you want to participate in The Bookish Inquisition, please send us an email with short bio, and any necessary links, to thebookishinquisition@gmail.com.

The Bookish Inquisition with Christine Nolfi

We're trying out a new meme here at Literary R&R: The Bookish Inquisition. This is going to be a situation where we invite an author into an online chatroom to discuss their work(s) with all of us ... and all of you!

This Sunday, 9/14, at 3 p.m. Eastern time, we will be chatting with Christine Nolfi, author of the Liberty series and stand-alone novels The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge, The Dream You Make and Reviews Sell Books. She's also a contributor in the cookbook Cooking with Our Characters.

Christine Nolfi

If you're interested in joining us this Sunday, here's how:

• You will need to go to the ChatStep website.
• The room name will be The Bookish Inquisition
• Choose your own nickname
• The password will be LitRR12
• Click the 'Join' button

The room will not be set up until Sunday, 9/14, at 2:45 p.m. If you try to log into the room before then, it will not be there. Please wait until after 2:45 p.m. EST on Sunday, 9/14, before logging in.

We cannot wait to see everyone this Sunday!