Interview with Charmaine Hammond

Continuing my fellow author interviews – please delve into Charmaine’s world for a few moments.

 1.     Of the characters you have created or envisioned, which is your favorite & why?

 My writing has been nonfiction; I have so enjoyed writing about our dog Toby, and bringing his character to life through writing. Through the telling of stories (in On Toby’s Terms), and then working with my illustrator for the children’s book Toby The Pet Therapy Dog to show his character through pictures. It has been fun to demonstrate his quirkiness, loyalty, unconditional acceptance, passion for life, and courage through writing his story.  In Toby’s social media (his blogs and facebook), it was an interesting challenge to write from what I think Toby’s perspective would be, if he could talk.

 2.     Do you favor one type of genre or do you dabble in more than one?

I have dabbled in several genres. My first book, On Toby’s Terms (published by Bettie Youngs Books Sept 2010) is a memoir about our dog Toby. This book is being turned into a major motion picture.  I also wrote my first children’s book, Toby The Pet Therapy Dog & His Hospital Friends released August 2011 (published by Bettie Youngs Books), it is the first in a series and book number two Toby Says Be a Buddy Not a Bully will be released this fall.  GPS Your Best Life is a co-authored book (published by Bettie Youngs Books), also schedule for release this fall, this is a personal development book.  I also write ebooks and guides for my corporate clients in the area of team building, communication, conflict resolution and leadership.

3. Have you got a favorite place to write?

Definitely by the water….There is something about water, waves and fresh air that inspires me to write.

4. What inspires your stories?

Many things inspire me. Our dog Toby is at the top of my list followed by music, being in nature, and watching someone’s face as I tell them the story I am about to write.

5. Do you belong to a writing group? If so which one?

When we lived in Sherwood Park I was a member of the Strathcona County Writers guild, I am a member of the Canadian Authors Association, and The Writers Guild of Alberta.  Two years ago I belonged to a wrtiers group through my speakers association (Canadian Association of Professional Speakers), and this group worked to support one another with the writing and book creation process. Although I am not part of a writing group that I work with on my stories. 

6. What age did you start writing stories/poems?

I started writing journals in grade one, which led me to writing poems in junior high and high school. For many years I put writing aside then our dog Toby inspired me to reconnect with writing and I submitted a story for Chicken Soup for the Soul, What I Learned From the Dog which was accepted and published in 2009.

7. Do you have a book published? If so what is it called & where can readers purchase it?

Yes, I have On Toby’s Terms and Toby The Pet Therapy Dog available in Chapters, Indigo, Coles,  Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, Barnes & Noble, and a number of other online book sellers (such as Books a Million) and through our website www.ontobysterms.com.  Our publisher also has our book On Toby’s Terms in the Expresso Books which is in a number of different countries, and will be available in many formats (large print, Braille, other languages).

8. If you could meet one favorite author who would it be and why?

Wow!  A favorite author… I have many. From a personal development perspective, my fave is Jack Canfield. He has been a mentor to me and his Success Principles has really guided me through life in many ways.  From a personal/pleasure reading perspective, I really enjoy Maeve Binchy

9. Where can readers find you and your blog?

www.hammondgroup.biz

www.ontobysterms.com

www.howtosellandmarketyourbook.com

I am also on Facebook (Charmaine Hammond), Twitter (@ontobysterms and @hammondgroupbiz) and Linked In

10. Who is your best supporter/mentor/encourager?

I am blessed to have many mentors. One of my mentors is Jack Canfield. My supporters and champions are my husband Christopher, my parents and sisters, and of course the legacy that our dog Toby left.

Thank you Charmaine for a great interview.

Post Conference Blues…

I always feel slightly deflated once our annual writer’s conference is over – it is a combination of the sudden lack of frantic organization and the anticipation of the event itself. This year we excelled ourselves with extra special presenters including local news anchor, Gord Steinke, Judy Schultz, a local author who was recently awarded the Robert Kroetsch City of Edmonton Book Prize and the Poet Laureate forEdmonton, Anne Marie Sewell. Our other presenters were also well received and most welcome – Lynn Gagne Webb, web designer and Suzanne Burkett, an American author who travelled to Canada especially to attend. With such an eclectic mix the conference catered to all forms of the writing life and everyone benefited from expertise generously given. From the reviews we received it was a great success. Now we have our thinking caps on for next year and what format the event should take and who we should invite.

 With the dust settled somewhat I can focus on my current WIP and catch up on prompts, posts and blogs that took a back seat in the whirlwind of conference activities. My finger tips were actually itching to type and it feels so good to return my thoughts to the art of writing and my literary life.

 In my absence there were several new followers to this blog and I would like to thank and welcome you all.

 When you are taken away from your words – how does it make you feel? Do you see it as a test of your commitment?

The Abyss…

It can certainly feel like we are plunging into an abyss when our words, for whatever reason abandon us. They may disappear for a moment or for longer but take heart in knowing they will return – much like a whisper across our minds that we grasp with all our might and put ink to page. Have you any tricks you can share for writers block?

When your muse finally returned, what was it’s greeting? Did you stumble upon a character’s motivation? A story line took another route? That scene you were struggling with finally came into being?

I try a word or picture prompt that is totally unrelated to my current work and the switch in thinking has a magic effect. The struggle ceases and my creativity takes over rejoycing in its freedom once again. I compare it to a re-boot of a computer – clearing the old data and making space for new thoughts. When I finish this break away task I find my fresh perspective makes all the difference to my current WIP.

Why not try a prompt – there are many sites on the web to choose from but one of my favorites is www.wfscsherwoodpark.com.

Followers…

A quick and sincere thank you to my followers – all 23 of you! It may not seem a great deal to some who have dozens of followers but for me it is the connections I feel with you all that is important.

Happy writing!

Re-visiting an old manuscript…

I am in the process of revising, editing and improving what was my very first venture into writing a novel length manuscript. It was the result of a NaNoWriMo challenge and if you read older posts you will see how that went!

Returning to a story and its characters is like visiting old friends you have not seen for years. There is catching up to do, as I for one, had forgotten some of the scenes I had written in my frantic state but also picking up where you left off. As this work was my initial venture into writing I can look at it with learned eyes and see its faults. So now I am enjoying my characters voices once again and making the story so much better. With renewed purpose I am optimistic I can enhance the manuscript sufficiently to submit it to a few publishing houses this year (or next!). My hope is to see Life in Slake Patch out in the world for all to enjoy.

Have you returned to a manuscript? How did you enjoy it? What were your thoughts? Did you plunge into perfecting it?

 

Versatile Blogger Award…

Hello Versatile Bloggers and Readers! I have been given another award nominated by a versatile blogger –  nizamhappieboyz.

There are some rules involved:

1. Thank the award-giver and link back to them in your post.
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Pass this award along to 8 blogs you enjoy reading
4. Contact your chosen bloggers to let them know about the award.

7 things About Me :

1. I am in the midst of revising my first manuscript – which relates to a future world run by women.
2. My YA fantasy is currently with several readers for their excellent feedback.
3. I hope to publish an e-book this year.
4. My writers circle members give me great encouragement and support – www.wfscsherwoodpark.com
5. I recently bought Bridge Over Troubled Water – a blast from the past.
6. My new job allows me a full 30 minutes to walk during the day – I love it.
7. My children’s book is available at www.dreamwritepublishing.ca

Chosen 8 Versatile Bloggers goes to…

            Sog’s Blog                   sogsblog.com

            Al Boudreau                alboudreau.wordpress.com

            LapDog Dairies           lapdogdiaries.wordpress.com

            Wildhorse                    wildhorse33.wordpress.com

            Write To Done                        writetodone.com

            The Publishing Virgin  publishingvirgin.wordpress.com

            T R Shaw                    trshaw.wordpress.com

            Melissa                        miskadoodlewrites.wordpress.com

            Thank you to Muhammad Syanizam for nominating me -

            http://nizamhappieboyz.wordpress.com

Please pass this award on to your favorites!

Guest Interview…Lisa de Nikolits

I have had the great pleasure of meeting my next guest author. She is the most delightfully funny and engaging person. It is my pleasure to introduce you to Lisa de Nikolits…

  1. Of the characters you have created or envisioned, which is your favorite & why?

That’s one of the most difficult questions I’ve ever had to answer! I love my nameless protagonist in The Hungry Mirror because she breaks my heart. I love Benny (from West of Wawa) because she makes me laugh and she makes me happy with how she develops. There’s a character in my new novel that I love, Helen. In my earlier drafts of the novel, Helen is murdered but I decided I liked her too much for her to die. I like Melusine (another character in a totally new work.) I have no idea where Melusine came from but she’s so formed, so admirable, so strong and I love her. But I’m not answering your question, am I?

So, my favourite…uh… can I get back to you on that?!

 2. Do you favor one type of genre or do you dabble in more than one?

 I dabble! My first novel is a work of feminist fiction, written in the first person with a lot of internal narrative. The protagonist is nameless; she’s everywoman trapped in the world of dieters, eating-disordered sufferers with issues with body-image. My second novel is also a coming-of-age tale about a young woman but that one’s written as a travel story; Benny, the protagonist travels across Canada by bus and her encounters are much less internal narrative – her emotional journey is told by the people she meets and the things that happen to her. My third novel, a work-in-progress, is a murder/mystery set in Namibia, with a cast of nearly twenty characters, with a mix of dialogue and internal narrative. I also write short stories. I recently completed an entirely new novel, A Glittering Chaos, which tells the tale of a middle-aged German couple whose lives derail rather spectacularly after a series of triggering events. I do write poetry.

 3. Have you got a favorite place to write?

I move around the house! In summer I write in the sunroom or on the back deck. Sometimes I write in the living room. Sometimes I write in bed. I do all my edits in my study, at my desk. But my MacBook Pro laptop, named Princess Uber Isis, is used to travelling!

 4. What inspires your stories?

There isn’t anything that doesn’t inspire my writing! I get ideas from things that happen in real life, from things I imagine, people I see, conversations I overhear. I also have faith in the creative gods – I open my mind to the endless possibilities of creativity and I’ve never been disappointed. I open my mind and my heart, and I invite stories to find life through my mind and hands and they come to me.

5.  Do you belong to a writing group? If so which one?

 I don’t belong to a writer’s group – I’ve attended workshops that I’ve found to be wonderfully helpful but I like to write by myself. One of the things I like best about writing is that it’s a solitary occupation which suits me. I’ve never really liked team sports of any kind; I prefer karate, horse-riding and yoga to any kind of team event and it’s the same with my writing. I love having dinner with my writer friends; we brainstorm and chat and inspire each other and I always leave feeling renewed and energized.

 6. What age did you start writing stories/poems?

 I don’t recall a time when I didn’t write. Or imagine myself as a writer. I had insomnia very badly as a young child and my Mom taught me to read very early on. So words have always been my friend, when everyone else was asleep. Books and words are holidays, friends, therapy and entertainment – pretty much a staple of my life.

 7. Do you have a book published? If so what is it called & where can readers purchase it?

 West of Wawa is available in-store in Indigo and Coles stores across Canada.

The book is also available on Amazon.ca – http://amzn.to/xY4d0B

Also available at Indigo.ca – http://amzn.to/w62lEB

 Here’s a reading of West of Wawa on YouTube:

http://bit.ly/u5eyG2

 And here’s a book trailer of West of Wawa, also on YouTube:

http://bit.ly/qXrJLn

 8. If you could meet one favorite author who would it be and why?

 Annie Proulx. I would love to hear anything and everything she’d have to say. I just know my writing would improve in leaps and bounds if I were to spend even ten minutes with her.

 9. Where can readers find you and your blog?

I’m really easy to find! Find me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
I also have a website with reviews and comments about my books, with news on works-in-progress and pictures of events I’ve attended, as well as up-coming events.

I post a different quote on Twitter every day, a piece of writing that inspires me. I love researching my quotes, I find the exercise very helpful for my writing.

 I’d love it if you’d visit my site: www.lisadenikolitswriter.com or contact me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I love getting connected with writers.

 10. Who is your best supporter/mentor/encourager?

Without doubt, Luciana Ricciutelli, publisher and editor at Inanna, is my best supporter, my mentor and my encourager. She has had faith in my writing since the start and it’s thanks to her that I have two published novels and a third as a work-in-progress. Luciana has supported me by helping my writing grow, she has encouraged me to develop as a writer and she has supported me by entering me for awards (we won a Gold Ippy for The Hungry Mirror) and in getting our books reviewed and publicized. I also have another great supporter/mentor and encourager with my husband, Bradford Dunlop who is a wonderful photographer and creator with his fine-art photography (he’s won a bunch of awards and I’m so proud of him). He is incredibly supportive of me; he listens to me for hours when I ramble on about my writing at inopportune moments, he cleans the kitchen when I need to write, he doesn’t complain when I disappear into my study for days on end. He is an avid-reader and I respect his opinions of my writing and his input is invaluable. I run a lot of my character development past him and he’s a great judge what has potential or not.

Thank you Mandy for having me as a guest on your blog!