Thank
you, Linda Broday (insert link), for inviting me to come along on this Author
Blog Tour!
Everyone
hop on board and travel with us!
1.
What
am I working on?
I am knee-deep
in the final edits of my second Creative Non-Fiction novel, “The Convict and the
Rose.” This story is a sequel to my first book, “Flowers and Stone.” It begins
at Leavenworth Penitentiary with Luke Stone, one of the main characters,
arriving for a lengthy stay. He is bitter, angry and rebellious about being
convicted of a crime he did not commit. The other main character, Darlina
Flowers, left alone without the man who holds her heart, flounders at the task
of trying to live without Luke. Throughout this story, we see tremendous growth
in both characters as they face what would appear to be insurmountable
obstacles...From literal shackles and chains to drugs and a guru.
.
Along with each book I write, I release a music CD of authentic and original music. “Forty Foot High” is the CD that accompanies “The Convict and the Rose.” It is a compilation of music that was recorded in a makeshift studio inside Leavenworth Penitentiary. The title song is the only track not recorded in prison. All of the songs on this CD were written by Rick Sikes. The title song is performed by Jamie Richards, who is a talented singer/songwriter in his own right. (Check out the samples on my web-page
1.
How
does my work differ from others of its genre?
My work differs from other Creative
Non-fiction stories in that they contain characters and dialog written in fiction
form. Because the stories are very personal, it was the only way I could
separate myself enough to actually write them. Even though they are true
stories, they are entertaining and contain all of the elements of fiction
writing. The fact that I produce music to accompany each book is also unique
and something I absolutely love doing!
2.
Why
do I write what I do?
The main
characters of my stories are Rick Sikes (my late husband aka Luke Stone) and
myself (aka Darlina Flowers). Our story is unique and for years, we were told
by many people who came to know us that someone should write it. When Rick
passed away in 2009, I began to think along those lines and searched for
someone to do just that. I awoke one morning to the realization that the only
person who could write it was me since I was the one who lived it. So, I took
classes, studied everything I could find from sentence structure to formatting.
The story is a series of three books and since I’m about to release the second
one, I have one more to go. Once the three books and music CDs are completed, I
will write a screenplay for a movie.
I love writing
and will never stop!
3
How
does your writing process work?
Since my stories are true, I don’t have
to make up anything. However, for the second book, I had to do lots of research
through archives of letters, newspaper and magazine articles and even contacted
a prison official for some information, as I was not physically locked up with
Rick.
All of that being said, once I am
finished with “our” story, I would like to try my hand at fiction writing.
Up Friday, March 28th is
Kristen Smith!
Kristen Smith at http://www.wanderlushh.com is an American
girl living and teaching abroad. Words and travel are her passion.
Kenny L. Mitchell, Author of the Loves
Me Not trilogy will be blogging during the week of April 6th at http://www.writerscafe.org/kmitch672004/writing/
Charlotte Ann Moore, author of
“Preserved for a Purpose,” will follow. She has been elevating
audiences one set of ears at a time as a motivational speaker. www.charlotteannmoore.com
