You’ll find her blog here: Lane James Reverie
From: Carole
I live in rural Tidewater, Virginia. My husband and I raise Black Angus cattle on our farm. Even though times are tough in the farming industry, we struggle along. Parts of the farm have been in the family for over a hundred years, so it's hard to give up a way of life for us old-timers. Every season brings a new task to accomplish, caring for the land and the animals, preserving it for future generations.
Dabbling with paints has always been a pastime I love. I paint scenes on oyster shells and others that I find on the beach near my home.
For many years I enjoyed teaching tennis to kids of all ages. I had to give it up when age, along with abusing my joints for too many years, made it too painful. A time and place for all things.
After my retirement from tennis, I worked for a while designing menus for local restaurants. This led me to a love of graphic arts. Now, I love designing book covers, and when I have writer’s block, I sometimes hop over to the other computer and play with designs. I would love to expand this avocation, side by side with my love of writing.
I have come to the joys and tribulations of writing late in life. Story-telling has always been a part of me. My youngest son encouraged me to write because he remembered the many stories I told while he was growing up. He suggested I try writing short stories, and at my age, I have many stories to tell. My son began taking me on a trip down memory lane, giving me glimpses of the past. When I felt unsure, he told me that any mother who would insist her kids learn to walk on stilts, then make them and teach them, all to get ready for Halloween, could write. I started my first book the next day. I was hooked by the time Chapter One was finished.
I didn't want to be encumbered with guidelines in the begininng. Boy, was that a mistake. I've learned how to plot and panster, hand in hand. Even though my brain was bursting with scenes and charactes, there was a need to organize them. Lesson learned. Another lesson I am still working on is knowing each character in depth before I begin.
So many thoughts are spinning in my head looking for a place to land, I study the tools of writing every day.
Amazon has made a tidy profit on me along the way with books on writing. Two books I’ve found especially helpful are The First Five Pages and A Dash of Style, both by Noah Lukeman. I like his direct and down-to-earth way of phrasing his teachings.
I must give many thanks to all the folks on the IWW list for their patience and guidance. Without their help, I'm afraid my words might just be a jumble of thoughts that happen to fall on the paper.
I also want to give special thanks to Ginger and Diane for their support over the past year. They’ve read the pages I’ve written and have given much-appreciated feedback. Sometimes they like a character, sometimes not!
Of course, I also want to thank my husband, who is my most ardent supporter. His meals are late (he can’t cook), and he gently reminds me whenever he’s out of socks, but he understands and gives me the freedom to type away!
About Sloan’s Horizon
The story I'm working on now, Sloan’s Horizon, is set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. We travel there often. Since growing up on an island on the Chesapeake Bay here in Virginia, I've always loved the water. Being near it gives me inspiration and feeds my soul.
Sloan's Horizon is a story of how a man's past comes back to haunt him. He struggles with his past while his wife worries that he is withdrawing deeper into himself. She talks him into going to the shore to sort out his feelings, not understanding why she can't help him. While there, he begins to delve into his past in order to find what his future holds. His wife, Linny, by chance develops a friendship with a woman who finds herself without the means to survive. Since Linny can't help her husband, she puts her energy into helping someone else.
The story weaves the lives of very different people into strong and intimate friendships, forming an extended family bond. With the answers to his past, Sloan allows his life to move forward. The title comes from him being able to see beyond the depths of despair toward a new horizon filled with understanding and the missing pieces of the past.
Carole
From Christina
I’d like to thank Carole for sharing her time and her talents today. The beautiful covers shown are both her designs. If you’re interested in having her design your next book’s cover, you can reach her at carolelanejames@gmail.com.
And...please take a moment to visit Carole’s blog, The Lane James Reverie. You’ll find lots of stories you’ll enjoy.
Great interview, and great insight into a gifted writer. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteNice article, Carol. I checked out your blog, too, and love it!
ReplyDeleteBest,
Debi O'Neille