Contrary Cats--Author Interview--Sean Cleary

So there I was, minding my own business, playing Candy Crush on Facebook fleshing out the plot in my current work-in-progress, when I received a message from another of my co-writers on Contrary Cats. I was overjoyed to hear from him. Apparently, there are other people besides myself who hardly ever read the 'Other' message folder. Without further ado, here is another interview!

Sean Cleary is a science nerd, who was lucky to be taught programming by undergraduates at MIT while still in high school. He received a BSEE from Northeastern U in Boston, studied programming (Computer Science) at Wichita State U, and several Los Angeles Colleges, and received a BSCS from West Coast U in LA. Sean has had 20+ years of combining Electrical Engineering and Programming in Firmware and test stand creation.Sean began playing D&D 6 months after the first books were published and introduced the game to Wichita KS.

1. How long have you been a writer?

I started to write several years ago, maybe 2007. My first story was a dragon based story for my eldest. It had prophesy vs prophesy and thus it died. But it was fun. Contrary Cats contains my first published work, and when I get paid I will be a paid published writer. That is a goal point. 

2. What is your favorite genre to write and/or read.

SF/F. But I have read romance, mystery, engineering technical books, and others. I enjoy reading Mystic and self help also.
I love filking, (Filk is science fiction and fantasy folk style songs as well as anything sung by a filk singer). SCA, (SCA is the Society for Creative Anachronisms, the people trying to bring back the middle ages as they should have been. You are in one of their kingdoms and likely do not know it). role play games, and the furries. 
I have sung Kipling's poems, as well as Martha Keller, and Robert Service. 
My favorite living writers are Pratchett, Bujold, MCA Hogarth, Eric Flint.


3. Where did you get the idea for your story, Empathy Day?

I have forgotten, but I can reconstruct a bit--There is a group of people that like anthropomorphic animals. This group is called the Furries. Within that group there are many different sub interests. There is a subgroup of animals eating animals. That is called 'vore. This story is in reaction to some of the assumptions of that subgroup. 

I have a teacher/reader, Pat. She was an middle school English teacher, she has retired. She was helping me learn to write. And she toned down the gore. 

So the first idea was that the dog would be eaten by the cat. The suicide beam came slightly later. I think most of the story came in one session, with the next 30+ revisions via Pat and me corresponding. 

4. What are you working on now?

It is another reaction to the Vore crowd. But it started out as a way to mourn a couple of people. I learned of their deaths in Feb 2013. And wrote a drippingly sad short story. And when I got done, what I knew about the story at the bottom did not match the top. And I wanted some hope. So I rewrote it. It is now over the 50K limit and so is a novel. I am still getting editorial comments from Pat. We are still improving it. 
Core: One BFF must kill the other in a population Lottery based dystopia. I am forbidding myself to directly make puns or to blatantly use Catholic ideas in a religion that is pantheonic. I still have fun.  

Sean doesn't have a website yet, but I'll be sure to keep you posted when he gets one set up.

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Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

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Contrary Cats--Author Interview with...Me!

So after all that scrambling to find the other contributors to Contrary Cats, I could not reach anyone else. But I do hope you enjoyed the past three interviews! I love to meet other writers and get to know a little bit about them, don't you?

Since I gave Melodie Caragill, Gerry Huntman, and Carla Sarett the interview questions, I thought I would answer them also. So today's post is by me! I am the author of the story, Inseparable.

Denise Stanley is a graduate of The Institute for Children's Literature. Her children's stories appeared on the now-defunct Smories.com and in the anthology, 31 More Nights of Halloween. Denise also dabbles in adult fiction and poetry and is currently attempting to write a publishable novel.

How long have you been a writer?

I never knew how someone went about becoming a published author. For years and years, all of my stories and poems clanked around in my head. I didn't start writing until 2008, when I enrolled in ICL. I wish I had started a long time ago.

What is your favorite genre to write and/or read?

I read anything and everything, but the genre depends upon my mood. Some days it's hard for me to get involved in a fantasy world, and other days I soak it all up.  I've even read zombie stories that I surprisingly enjoyed. I usually read two books in different genres (one paperback and one e-book) at the same time.

As far as writing goes, I cannot write horror. I like to read it, but can't write it for the life of me. I enjoy trying out a little bit of everything, but I still haven't found that one genre that I'm passionate about.

Where did you get the idea for your story?

I talk to my cats as if they're people. Don't we all? One particularly stressful day, I was talking to my cat Cashmere, and I thought that if anyone heard me they would think I was off my rocker. Then, I wondered, 'What if a character had a conversation with a cat and what if the cat answered her?' and Inseparable was born.

What are you working on now?

Right now I'm working on the first draft of my second attempt at a novel. In between trying to pull the plot out of my head, I'm writing and submitting flash fiction and poetry.


Thanks to all of you for sticking around for my interview! If you'd like to get to know me better, you can find me socializing (and procrastinating) on:

Facebook and Twitter

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Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

Lulu

Amazon

Contrary Cats--Author Interview with Carla Sarett

Today's guest is fellow contributor, Carla Sarett. Carla is the author of the story, Chopin for Igor.

Carla Sarett has worked in academia, TV, film and market research -- and in 2010, added fiction writing to the mix.  Her stories have been published in Crack the Spine, Loch Raven Review, The Linnet’s Wings, Eric’s Hysterics, Red Fez, Rose Red Review and other magazines. She has two story collections available through online retailers:  Strange Courtships:  Nine Romantic Stories and Crazy Lovebirds:  Five Super-Short Stories.  In addition,  Her stories are included in the anthologies, Love Hurts!, 13 Bites, as well as Contrary Cats.  Her essay, “Sam’s Will,” published in Blue Lyra Review, received a nomination for Best American Essay 2013.

Hi Carla! Welcome to A Room to Write.

How long have you been a writer?

I never wanted to be a writer, so it came as a shock to me when I started-- life’s a strange busines, isn’t it?. About a year after my mother death, I attempted to keep a journal and what emerged was fiction-- that was in 2010.  I’m a big believer in testing the waters, so I submitted to literary magazines soon thereafter -- and fortunately, encountered receptive editors.        

What is your favorite genre to write and/or read.

I love all kinds of literature--from Dickens to Alice Munro-- and anything that falls, more or less, into the literary fiction camp intrigues me.  I enjoy women writers in particular.  Right now, I’m absorbed by the English writer, Barbara Comyns, because she weaves dark, even bitter, humor into her stories, the scary, wonderful short fiction of Daphne du Maurier, and the downright amazing short fiction of  Mavis Gallant.  As for my own short fiction, I am eclectic -- I’ve dabbled in the surreal and romantic (e.g., Strange Courtships: Nine Romantic Stories) as well as humor (my flash fiction collection, Crazy Lovebirds: Five Super-Short Stories.)  

Where did you get the idea for your story?

This one came to me in a dream: I woke up and wrote it. Like all of my stories, this one has kernels of personal history and fact, blended with pure fiction. My family was a cat family -- and we had a few magical cats whose comings and goings were unpredictable. I can’t separate my childhood from those cats.  And over the years, I’ve heard other tales of owners (“cat people”) and their cats -- and somehow, those all came together in “Chopin for Igor.”  When I heard that there was to be “cat” anthology, I knew that it was the right venue for this peculiar story.   

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a romantic comedy/novel that is based on the heroine from “Career Girl” (published in the anthology, Love Hurts!), “Skinny Girl” (published in Red Fez), and “Bonny Lass” (in Strange Courtships.)  It’s different taking her on a longer journey (than I am allowed in a short story) -- I’m hoping that readers like the results.   I’m also hoping to return to the memoir I’m developing about my grandparents (the first part was published in Blue Lyra Review this year.)

Thanks for visiting with us today, Carla. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work.

If you'd like to get to know more about Carla, visit her websites. 

Carla’s blog:  http://carlasarett.blogspot.com

Carla’s Amazon Page:

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Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

Lulu

Amazon

Contrary Cats--Interview with Gerry Huntman

Today, I'm happy to introduce another fellow contributor to the anthology, Contrary Cats. 

Gerry Huntman is the author of the story, Pretty Kitty.

Gerry Huntman is a writer based in Melbourne, Australia, living with his wife and young daughter. He is also a speculative and children's fiction publisher, managing two small publishing companies: IFWG Publishing and IFWG Publishing Australia. Just to add to his workload, he is also the publisher of a speculative fiction ezine, SQ Mag.

Gerry has published a story on average one per month since January 2010. He writes roughly equally among the three accepted genres of speculative fiction, and most sub-genres. However, most of his storied tend toward the dark. Recent acceptances include Aurealis Magazine, Stupefying Stories, Lovecraft eZine, BLEED charity anthology, and Night Terrors III pro anthology. He will be publishing a young teen fantasy novel in April 2014 (Cohesion Publishing).

Hi, Gerry. Welcome!

How long have you been a writer?

I think there's been quite a bit of discussion in the writing community, of late, regarding what constitutes a writer/author. Some would say that a person has to make x dollars, or y sales - which I have some sympathy for; while others might say that eligibility for membership of the various peak bodies (such as the SFWA, HWA), and there will also be those who believe that it is a state of mind - you are a writer if you love writing, creating, plotting, with the intention for growth in respectability in the community. I started writing seriously in 2008 and started submitting short fiction seriously from early 2010. In that time I have pretty much achieved the several definitions of being a writer. Regarding the last, more fluid, definition, I have been heavily involved in the roleplaying design community for near on 30 years, creating story lines, characters etc, so you could say I was a writer for that long, or perhaps, had an elongated apprenticeship.

What is your favorite genre to write and/or read?

Up to a few years ago, I would have answered fantasy (dark and more mainstream). But I have changed. I enjoy writing dark stories to an extent that I have become a convert to many types and sub genres of horror. My answer now is horror (although don't get me started on my belief that horror is not a genre, but a style). :)

Where did you get the idea for your story?

I really can't exactly remember when the kernel of the idea of 'Pretty Kitty' started. It is often an amalgam of a few stimuli. I think in this case I simply pondered what would an animal spirit be like, and what would be the conditions to make it happen. My story really does spend most of its time exploring that angle.

What are you working on now?

I am currently in the process of editing a few accepted pieces, including my young teen novel, 'Guardian of the Sky Realms', with a wonderful small press called Cohesion Publishing. I always have a short story in the works - in my head or in draft form - and I also contribute short fiction to a writing challenge group that has been in operation since 2008. I just finished a Weird Western (a great deal of fun).

Thanks for stopping by A Room to Write today. Good luck with your writing!


If you'd like to learn more about Gerry, you can visit him here:

Blog: gerryhuntman.livejournal.com

IFWG Publishing: www.ifwgpublishing.com

IFWG Pub Australia: www.ifwgaustralia.com

SQ Mag: www.sqmag.com

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Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

Lulu

Amazon

Contrary Cats--Interview with Melodie Corrigall

Some of you may have read one of my previous posts, Anthology Angst. 
Let me tell you, it was no small task finding and contacting the other authors involved with this project. Even when I did find them on Facebook or on their websites, most of them never answered my invitation. BUT there were a few gracious people who were happy to sit down and chat.

Here is the first in a week-long series of interviews with my fellow contributors to Contrary Cats:

My first guest is Melodie Corrigall, author of the story, Slicker-down.

Melodie Corrigall is a Canadian writer fortunate to have family and friends who have encouraged her creative efforts.  She appreciates the work of print and E-Zine publishers and editors, most of whom work for little or no money, for their dedicated efforts to keep short fiction available to readers and give writers, like herself, an opportunity to share their stories.

Hi, Melodie! Welcome to A Room to Write. 

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing stories from childhood but school, work, family and life got in the way of focusing on my fiction. Since retirement, I have had more time to write for pleasure and to hone my skills.

What is your favorite genre to read?

I am a theatre buff and like to see plays performed (hence enjoy dialogue) and to read novels and short stories, especially short comic pieces. 

What is your favorite genre to write?

Depending on the day, I like to meet the challenge of writing what a friend called “harrowing pieces” or if I am in a more whimsical mood to capture comic moments and possibilities.

Where did you get the inspiration for your story?

The story came from considering how a person might escape unwanted phone calls and how cats, naughty or nice, usually end up landing on their feet.

What are you working on now?

At present, I have a number of stories in the hopper: some serious and some whimsical.

Thanks so much for visiting today. Good luck in your writing, and I hope to read more of your work soon.

If you'd like to know more about Melodie, visit her website: http://www.melodiecorrigall.com/

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Would you like a copy of Contrary Cats? 

You can purchase one here:

Lulu

Amazon

Anthology Angst

A few years ago, I wrote a short story. The story was one of those "what if" ideas that popped into my head and wouldn't leave. I had no particular market in mind. Every so often, I would pull out that story and revise and submit. Eventually it found a home as part of an anthology with a small publisher.

In December 2013, the book was finally completed and offered through Lulu.com. I was so excited! I ordered a single copy for my personal bookshelf. When it arrived in the mail, I performed all of my book rituals--I ran my hand across the glossy cover, I brought the book up to my nose and inhaled the wonderful scent of paper and ink, I gently fanned the pages a bit to check out the black typeset on the cream colored pages, then, I closed the book and hid it between two other books in my to-be-read pile.

That's right. I said I hid it. Why? Well, I don't know. I knew what my story was about. I knew I proofread my work before it went to print, but I didn't know the other authors. I didn't know the other stories. I break out into a cold sweat when someone reads my work. What if people hate it? I know, I know. I had put it out there for the world to see. That's the chance I chose to take.Suddenly I felt shy and unsure of myself.

I've heard people say that being a writer is a lot like parenting. Our stories are like our children. Having one of those stories in an anthology is like a parent bringing their child to their first day of school. All the parents stand around, holding onto their child's hand, knowing they should let go because it's time for them to leave the shelter of our homes, get out into the world, and hopefully become a source of pride. But we also fear whether our child will be accepted. We don't want them to be criticized. 

As writers and parents, we can only hope we did the best job we could, forming and nurturing our offspring. I know I need to own this thing. I need to grab that book out of its hiding place, do some marketing and tell the world all about it. 

It's pretty cool really. I was part of this project that brought 14 writers together. Our stories, just like our children, may be individuals, but in an anthology, they meld together into a group with a common purpose. I am a part of this book of stories, in all its glory and even with its flaws. 

On the first day of school, once the children are coaxed into their classroom, the parents stand around, feeling awkward. So I decided that I'll be that one parent who invites the others over for a cup of coffee and some conversation.

I hope they come. We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, check out our collaboration: Contrary Cats (my baby is on page 55)