Avalon Books - Author! Author!


	Read some interviews from past editions:
		Zelda Benjamin April, 2008
		Shirley Marks December, 2007
		Donna Wright December, 2007
		Carolyn Brown August, 2007
		Roni Denholtz June, 2007
		Tara Randel April, 2007
		Sydell Voeller February, 2007
		Sheila Robins December, 2006
		Ann Holt October, 2006
		Cynthia Danielewski July, 2006
		Jane McBride Choate March, 2006
		Kathryn Meyer Griffith January, 2006
		Mel Taylor November, 2005
		Kathleen Fuller September, 2005
		Tracey J. Lyons July, 2005
		Ludima Gus Burton May, 2005
		Holly Jacobs March, 2005
		Sandra D. Bricker January, 2005
		Kathryn Quick November, 2004
		Cheri Jetton September, 2004
		Heather S. Webber July, 2004
		Karl Fieldhouse May, 2004
		Shelley Galloway March, 2004
		Ilsa Mayr January, 2004
		Kathy Carmichael November, 2003
		Dorothy P. O'Neill July, 2003
		Joani Ascher May, 2003
		Patricia DeGroot March, 2003
		Nancy J. Parra January, 2003
		Barbara Meyers November, 2002
		Christine Bush September, 2002
		Jean C. Gordon May, 2002
		Charles E. Friend March, 2002
		Norma Seely January, 2002
		Glen Ebisch November, 2001
		Gina Cresse September, 2001
		John Paxson July, 2001
		Terri Alcock May, 2001
		Clifford Blair March, 2001
		Amanda Harte January, 2001
		Kent Conwell November, 2000
		Carolyn Brown September, 2000
		Annette Mahon July, 2000
		Marjorie McGinley May, 2000
		Jack Lewis March, 2000
		Amanda Harte January, 2000
		Joyce and Jim Lavene November, 1999
	Return to the current Author! Author! interview:
		S.J. Stewart April, 2008


Author! Author!: July, 2002
Click on images to learn more about these books. An Interview with Debby Mayne

At what age did you start writing and why?
	As a child, I enjoyed making up stories and telling them to my friends on the playground. I didn’t start the actual act of writing and putting thoughts on paper until college, when I discovered the joy of creating stories for a prose class required for my major. I think the reason I still enjoy writing fiction is because I can “fix” all the characters’ problems by the end of the story.
Where do you get your ideas?
	My ideas all start with either setting or character. I grew up in a military family, so we traveled quite a bit. I enjoyed being exposed to many different places, which have provided the backdrop for my stories. The characters are all fictional, but they often evolve from a quirk or personality trait in someone I’ve known in the past. My “Love in Clearview” series is set in Small-town, America, and I feature a cast of characters trying to find their place in the community. Gertie Chalmers is a fabulous grandmother figure, inspired by my own grandmother, who tells it like itis. She doesn’t pull any punches, and she lets everyone know what she thinks. She has a deep faith, and she believes in doing the right thing, but she’s not always right. Gertie loves young people, so she does everything she can to make all her granddaughter’s friends happy, which includes quite a bit of matchmaking--even when her efforts garner groans from her targets. A NEW UNDERSTANDING is the fourth book in this series. In my book ALOHA REUNION, that’s due out in December 2002, I have a cast of secondary characters that provides the wisecracking humor I have always enjoyed, along with the tropical setting of Hawaii, where I went to high school.
What are you currently working on?
	I’ve been working on another “Summer Walsh” mystery written under my maiden name, Deborah Tisdale. Summer is an ex-cop from Nashville, who goes to her uncle’s condo in Florida, where she hopes to “find herself” and figure out her next career move. Although she has no desire to return to law enforcement, she’s forced to jump back into it and bail her uncle out of trouble when he’s the prime suspect in the murder mystery CORPSE ON THE COURT. The book I’m currently working on, GRANNY ON THE GREEN, features the same unique set of oddball characters as CORPSE ON THE COURT.
Is there anything that inspires you in your writing?
	First of all, my family has always been very encouraging of my dream of being a successful author. My friends, most of them writers, have helped me work through rough spots in my stories and celebrated my sales. Kathy Carmichael, author of two Avalon romances, listens to my ideas, makes helpful suggestions and often tells me of opportunities to inject humor in my writing. Tara Randel, author of two Avalon romances, is one of the first people to suggest getting together for a celebratory lunch. Ina Coggeshall, author of two Avalon mysteries, offers wisdom and suggestions when I paint myself into a corner with my mysteries. Kimberly Llewellyn, author of two series romances has been listening to me for years, and somehow she’s managed to help keep me firmly planted when I tend to go off on tangents. I also have an online group of friends who have been together for nine years. These women are all writers who are encouraging and inspire me to keep working, even when I feel like quitting.
Do you have advice for other writers?
	First of all, get all your ideas down on paper. Don’t wait until you have the story perfectly formed in your mind. Remember that diamonds start out rough, just like most stories. They can be polished later. Once you have your story written, go over it more than once, looking for character inconsistencies and plot flaws. If you have someone you’re comfortable showing your work to, have them take a look at it. It’s best if this person is not your mother or someone who will praise you no matter what. You need honesty, even if it hurts. If you prefer to edit your own writing, put it off to the side and let it “simmer,” while you move on to something else. Then go back to it with a fresh mind and ruthlessly cut and add whatever your story needs to give it the best chance of making it an interesting read.