INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS turns 5 years old in April of 2017. Due to a massive failure with the blog’s previous hosting provider, all blogs prior to February 2015 were lost. However, the administrator has the original assets on file and a calendar of featured content. As a lead-up to the anniversary, features will be released on the fifth of each month that chronicle a period in the blog’s past and some of the highlights still worth noting today. This post is the third in the series. Enjoy!
INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS expanded to take on a wider range of books in 2013. Additionally, in May of 2013, INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS unveiled a sister site called DISCOVER WORDS. The goal was to feature interviews and guest blogs on INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS, and excerpts and other promotions such as sales on DISCOVER WORDS.
Here are samples of some of the books showcased between January and June of 2013.
January: the thing with feathers by Anne Sweazy-Kulju
This is still available on Kindle.
February: THE UNDESIRABLE by S. Ceni
This book is still available on Kindle and in print at Amazon.
Here is a reprint of the interview with the author.
+ What initially got you interested in writing?
Even as a kid, I was such a reader. Naturally, I couldn’t help but become a writer! I even started trying to write a book when I was in the 5th grade.
+ How did you decide to make the move into becoming a published author?
Well, it seemed to make sense for THE UNDESIRABLE. I figured, why not take the plunge now?
+ What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I hope you find this book a fun read! I wanted to write a suspenseful book that would keep readers on the edge of their seats!
+ What do you find most rewarding about writing?
I love creating something that stands out to other people. I hope some readers will feel that way about THE UNDESIRABLE.+ What do you find most challenging about writing?
Sometimes it can be a very lonely task!
+ What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
Perseverance should become your favorite word. There are too many reasons to quit, and you have to rise above them.
+ Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
I love to run long distances, cook, shop for the latest fashions, and travel.
+ What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sara-Celi/252615174437
Twitter: @saragceli
March: CHILD OF MINE by Judy Mollen Walter
This book is still available on Kindle.
Here is a reprint of the March 2013 author interview with Judy Mollen Walter.
What initially got you interested in writing?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a little girl; I can’t really remember a time that I haven’t been interested in writing!
How did you decide to make the move into becoming a published author?
I had been writing novels for about a decade, but none of them worked well enough to be published. But then, I hired a developmental editor, who helped me see where I was having difficulty, and Child of Mine became the first book I felt was good enough to become published.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I hope they will moved and find them thought provoking, and of course, just enjoy them!
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
I love the blank page! I never know what’s going to happen during the first draft, and it’s exciting to find out, to watch the story in my head come to life.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Editing! I really don’t like editing and revising, yet that’s so much of the author’s job.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
Have patience! It takes an average of ten years from the time you start writing to become published. That sounds like a long time, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know if you can do it.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
Child of Mine is about the struggle with infertility; I went through infertility myself, though my main character’s struggle is very different than mine was.
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
I love hearing from my readers! I can be reached by email at judymwalters@gmail.com, on my website at www.judymollenwalters.com, via twitter @judymwalters, or on my author FB page.
April: CHANGING GEARS by Nancy Sathre-Vogel
This is available on Kindle and also in print on Amazon.
May: MAMA’S CHILD by Joan Steinau Lester
This is still available on Kindle and in print on Amazon.
Here is a reprint of Joan Steinau Lester’s interview from May of 2013.
What initially got you interested in writing?
Being a reader. When I was in first grade, my teacher had a lovely ritual: as soon as a child could read, she’d come into class after recess one day and find a shiny brand-new book on her desk, marking this momentous achievement. I still recall the thrill of discovering my crisp book, and the new world that reading opened.
My parents took me weekly then to our small-town library, and I remember being astonished and delighted by the walls of books in the children’s section. When I was old enough to discover Heidi by Johanna Spyri, at eight or nine years old, I realized that these books were created by individual authors; she was the first author’s name I knew.
So I imagine it was that early association of books with pleasure that kindled my desire to write, which teachers encouraged. In high school I entered an American Legion essay contest and won the five dollar first prize, which gave me further encouragement, and in college I majored in English literature, which gave academic license to continue my voracious reading.
How did you decide to make the move into becoming a published author?I finally decided that I had worthwhile ideas and stories to contribute; at the same time I was practicing my craft by writing in a personal journal, as generations of women have done, and found I thoroughly enjoyed even the process of writing. After I first submitted my essays and book reviews to small local publications and they were accepted, I gained the courage to submit to national media. Again: acceptance! When a publisher called asking me to publish an anthology of my essays she’d seen in the press, I was on my way.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?Inspiration, hope, and a conviction they can navigate any challenges in their lives. I also usually want to impart a bit of new information—sliding it in as easily as I can—about some aspect of our social life, like the history of Mother’s Day, for instance. This began as a day in 1870 when Julia Ward Howe, who wrote “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” called women to meet “for a general congress of women…to promote…the great and general interests of peace.” Not a day where women were honored with flowers and brunch for their domestic role. But rather, a day when their sphere was properly considered the world.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?Last night at a bookstore reading for Mama’s Child, a girl who looked about thirteen (sitting with her mom) called out, when I mentioned my teen novel Black, White, Other, “I read that book. I loved it!” That was a thrilling moment.
In addition to hearing such enthusiasm from readers, I enjoy the actual process of crafting sentences and paragraphs—finding just the right word to convey my meaning.
What do you find most challenging about writing?Sometimes the physical act becomes difficult, sitting for long hours until my head feels as though it will explode.
Other times, when I’ve worked and reworked an essay or book chapter, I become so enmeshed in it that I lose perspective and need others’ reactions to gain it; and/or I step away for awhile.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?Have confidence that you have something significant to say. There is no other voice like yours, no-one else has the exact experience you have, or unique perspective; be persistent until you find your right place in the world of published writers. And also: read, read, read fine literature. Good writing will inspire you with the endless possibilities for marvelous metaphors.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?I love to sing, hike, and garden. These are all activities which use other parts of my brain and body, so are wonderful counterbalances to the “sitting at my computer” part of my days.
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?Check out my website, www.JoanLester.com, where there is lots of information, plus a “Contact me” page. I’d love to hear from you.
June: CHAPERONES by Megan Karasch
This is still available on Kindle and also in print on Amazon.
Take a look at this reprint of the June 2013 interview with author Megan Karasch.
What initially got you interested in writing?
I’ve loved writing since the dawn of when I could hold a pen. In grammar school, I wrote a story about how my accidentally leaving the dishwasher door open saved my family from a robber and I remember how much fun it was to write a story to get back at my parents for badgering me about the dishwasher door. Because of that, I’ve always sought jobs that had me writing – even law, although I enjoy creative writing more. I wrote for an entertainment news show and articles for a Los Angeles e-zine. Now I write novels and TV scripts and I don’t spend a day without working on one or the other.
How did you decide to make the move into becoming a published author?
After I wrote my first book, I participated in the query-go-round with agents. The feedback I received was positive, even from many of those agents who wouldn’t agree to take the plunge with me, and it led me to believe my inclination to be a published author wasn’t delusional. My friends and colleagues whose opinions I valued, and who I believed wouldn’t find it funny to let me publish a terrible book, supported my efforts. Finally, I believed in my story, I wanted to share it with more than the ten people who proofed it and I wanted to make a name for myself. There’s little I find more comforting than someone else laughing at something I wrote; and I believed my book had the ability to make that happen. I felt that if I had waited for agents to dictate my future, I might have been selling my book and applying for my AARP card simultaneously. So, I put it out there. And the same goes for my second book.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
First and foremost, I hope they’re entertained. I want my readers to be taken away from whatever is difficult and challenging in their lives and brought to a world they can enjoy. As a child of a psychiatrist, I also hope that I’ve learned a little something about human behavior and inserted at least a modicum of that insight into my books that people find amusing or helpful. But, frankly, I’m satisfied if someone reads what I wrote and says, “that was fun!” Regarding Chaperones, specifically, I hope that reading it will inspire people to do something they’re afraid of doing or to travel to the fantastic country of England or somewhere else where they can see places and meet people who are different than what or who they’re accustomed to.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
That I get to either relive a world that I was once a part of or be a part of a new world that I created, whichever I’ve chosen to do. Apart from that, I get tremendous satisfaction and enjoyment from evoking emotions from my readers, no matter what they are.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
I worry a lot about readers’ reactions, even in my first few drafts. This not only slows my process down, but it can also ruin my story because I’m not necessarily writing to best serve it. It’s impossible to write for a reader’s reaction because it varies tremendously. Every book gets one-star and five-star ratings. Art is subjective. Despite that, I spend a lot of time looking at my jokes or dialogue and wondering just how many people will find it funny or interesting and then I either revise it a million times to suit this phantom audience I imagined or I over-explain something, which stops the flow of the story. Therefore, I’m trying to work on just writing the story I want to tell and worrying about reaction later.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
It feels a little odd to be giving advice at this point in my writing career, but if I’ve learned anything in the past few years, it’s this: don’t let negativity discourage you, make it motivate you. Listen to the criticism, let it encourage you to work harder but don’t rely on it as an absolute gauge of talent or potential. If you use it as a motivator rather than an obstacle, you’ll prove the critics wrong eventually. And if you don’t, at least you had fun trying. Writing should be fun. When it stops being fun, it probably stops being good.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
Well, here’s a little about me. When I’m not writing, I read, play drums, try new restaurants, watch every awful and fantastic sit-com I can get my hands on, watch ice hockey, and spend time with my boyfriend trying to get our cat to do something other than sleep. Oh, and I practice law.
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
You can read more about my work on my website megankarasch.com, facebook.com/authormegankarasch and twitter @mjkarasch. For questions, I can also be reached at talesfrommyharddrive@gmail.com. Thank you very much for the opportunity to do this interview. I’ve enjoyed it and I hope you all enjoy Chaperones!
Join us again next month on the 5th to find out the highlights of June to December 2013 as the countdown continues to INFINITE HOUSE OF BOOKS and its 5th anniversary in April 2017!