Sheila's Guests and Reviews

Author Mary Russel is interviewing Angela from Flower Child today at http://maryrussel.blogspot.com/2011/10/interview-with-angela-from-sheila.html . Meanwhile, Mary's dear friend and character, Flickertail, has kindly agreed to let me interview him here. Flickertail stars in some wonderful children's stories filled with mystery, whimsy and word-play--don't forget to look for excerpts on Mary's blog. And, in case you're wondering, Flickertail's a llama. So, hello Flickertail --you've got to tell us, how did you get your name? I have a white tail, while the rest of me is mostly a reddish brown. When I run, my tail flicks and it’s the most outstanding part of me. And your friend Paint? Where did Paint's name come from? She’s a Painted Horse. Where did Paint come from? How did you meet? Paint lives in Texas. We met online through Mary, my owner and Norma, Paint’s owner. They had established an internet friendship on Gather....

The Flower Child blog tour is stopping at Mary Russel's blog today http://maryrussel.blogspot.com/2011/10/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html . answering a question on what genres I write in. I hope you'll wander over there and learn where Flower Child fits in. Meanwhile Elizabeth, from Mary Russel's novel Rudolph, A child's love story, has agreed to join me here for an interview. I hope you'll enjoy meeting her as much as I have. How old are you Elizabeth? I'd be 63 now if Mary hadn't killed me off in my late 40s . Can you tell my readers what you look like--what you see when you look in a mirror? In my mirror, a fat, gray haired woman. In my mind, I see a woman who has discovered that I am a survivor, a woman who has seen enough of life to be able to feel for others. Do you have lots of friends? No, I have a few very close friends. What do people say about you--to your face? My closest friend says I am talented and she admi...

I just got a Stylish Blogger Award from Jean Henry Mead ( mysterious writer and murderous muse )! I'm not sure what I did to deserve it, but I must admit, it's a very stylish award, received with thanks. Apparently I have to list seven things about myself on my blog, then pass the award on to a friend... So, seven things??? I recently released a book of poetry called Mongrel Christian Mathematician . The title does kind of describe me, and author Mary Russel reviewed it on her blog recently. Lulu's offering downloads of my Easter ebook at 75% off the regular price, just for Lent (oh, and Lent starts today). I guess that tells you I ought to be doing something for Lent. This year, I'm trying to give up snacking to stay awake and take up walking instead (a much more prayer-inspiring, though frequently wet, way of not falling asleep). I just finished my first-pass through editing my first real novel--assuming you think being accepted for publication makes a novel ...

Mary Russel, author of Flickertail and Paint, Barnyward Sleuths , was born in 1948 and grew up in the U.S. in various foster homes and in an orphanage. She found her escape in books and is now a children's author and mystery writer. It is her hope that she can provide present and future generations of readers with the same enjoyment and excitement that she finds in books. Today, Mary's sharing some of her experiences in writing with readers of my blog. I'm delighted to have this chance to interview her (the first time I've interviewed an author), and I hope you'll enjoy reading her answers as much as I have. I'm sure Mary will visit here during the day, so if you have questions to pose, just put them in the comments. Meanwhile, if you visit Mary's blog at http://maryrussel.blogspot.com , you'll find me being interviewed there, and eager to hear from you too. Me: What did you dream of becoming when you grew up? Mary: Besides dreaming of being a writer, I...

When I was small I wanted to be a trapeze artiste and work in a circus. I knew the word was "artiste" with an "e" because "artist-ess" was too hard to say. (I liked logic, even then, and, of course, I knew there was always a different word for the feminine form.) Pretty soon I also learned that my physical talents really didn't lean towards PE, not even in school, never mind circuses. So I decided to be an "authoress" instead. I still have my first two novels tucked away in a box under the bed, written on scraps of note-books tied up with string. Somewhere between dreaming novels and becoming a mathematician, the powers that be lost the "ess"es from their words. (Were there ever mathematicianesses, I wonder, like giantesses writing with giant Greek letters?) Of course, I didn't stop dreaming (and reading) books. I didn't stop writing them either since once I became a mother (feminine in its own right) my dear first-born son ...

Mary Russel, author of Flickertail and Paint, Barnyward Sleuths , is interviewing me on her blog - http://maryrussel.blogspot.com - on Thursday 17th June, and I'll be interviewing her here on my blog. We're both new authors with lots of books in the works, and I'm sure you'll enjoy reading Mary's answers to various questions about her writing life. Mary was born in 1948 and grew up in the U.S. in various foster homes and in an orphanage. She found her escape in books and is now a children's author and mystery writer. It is her hope that she can provide present and future generations of readers with the same enjoyment and excitement that she finds in books. She has a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and enjoys reading, writing, cooking, crafts, and spending time with her husband and two very spoiled dogs. (There's a gorgeous picture of Cookie reading Flickertail and Paint on her blog, http://maryrussel.blogspot.com . You should really go and look.) Mary...