Interview with Heidi Glick

by Jeff Reynolds

Today, my interviewee is from outside the state of Indiana -- just barely. Heidi Glick hails from the Cincinnati area. I discovered her on the large ACFW critique group, and her stories were among my favorite to read (including the one that's the main topic of conversation). We're also co-contributors on the Sleuths and Suspects blog -- me at Heidi's invitation.

Jeff Reynolds:  Heidi, welcome to Hoosier Ink. I know this is an eventful year for you. I believe your second most exciting achievement of 2013 is the release of Dog Tags, your first novel. Please give us a story summary. What inspired it?

Heidi Glick:  The story is about a marine, the woman he loves, and the stalker who is obsessed with her.

At first, Dog Tags started out as a romance novella. I subbed it to a publisher, and it was rejected. But the story wasn't ready for publication. I revamped it as a suspense novel. I wanted a hero with real struggles, and I wanted a villain who would capitalize on the hero's weaknesses. The book's themes include forgiveness, loss, and fear. Because these are common themes that most people deal with, I'm hoping that the book will speak to many readers. In 2011, my father died from ALS, and so I've used that experience to help me write this book as well as another work in progress (Ten Degrees from Normal).

JR:  You might disagree with me, but I believe the real star of your novel is Sparky. Could you tell us about him and his real life counterpart? Is he involved in the marketing of the book? If I remember correctly, he had been interviewed once, correct?

HG:  In the novel, the hero owns a Schipperke named Sparky. In real life, I have a Schipperke named Sparky. He is a rambunctious dog, hence the name. He is involved in the marketing of the book. You are correct. I did interview him once:  http://queencityquill.blogspot.com/2012/09/interview-with-schip.html


JR:  Are you an outliner, a blank pager, or somewhere in between?

HG:  I'm somewhere in between but more of an outliner. I'm a planner by nature, and so I like an outline. When I first started out as a writer, I was more of a blank pager, but as I studied the craft of writing, I found that outlines save me time because I rewrite less when using an outline. Nonetheless, I still like to allow my characters to speak to me, and I like a few surprises.

JR:  I've had the honor of critiquing this and a couple of your other stories in the ACFW's large critique group. Could you share how both the critiques of others on your writing and your critiques on your writing peers have helped your work on Dog Tags?
 
HG:  Singlehandedly, crits have helped me grow the most as a writer. I would not be published were it not for the crits of others. Other writers showed me areas of improvement.

JR:  People compare finishing and releasing a book with childbirth. Which brings me to your most exciting achievement of 2013. Would you like to tell us about that? How does this affect your writing and marketing? What is Sparky's take on this?


HG:  Let's back up a year. In 2012, I signed a contract with a publisher, but even more exciting than that was finding out I was pregnant (after infertility). In Februrary 2013, I gave birth to Aaron Samuel Glick. For more info. on the miracle baby:  I'm leaving my job to spend time at home with my son. He is my priority right now, so writing takes a backseat, which is fine with me. I still jot down ideas and work on writing while he naps, but I am allowing myself time to enjoy being a mother. Sparky whimpers when Aaron cries and likes to rush into the nursery to check on the baby. 

JR:  Okay, enough about the important things in life and back to writing. Am I correct that you have three blogs that you work on? Could you tell us about these, and how do they help you develop as a writer?

HG:  The Ohio State Parks blog is about some of my experiences visiting Ohio State Parks with my dogs. The Queen City Quill is a hodgepodge (posts on writing, authors, book reviews, etc.). Sleuths and Suspects is about mysteries, suspense, romantic suspense, thrillers, and anything related (book reviews, author interviews, and book giveaways).

JR:  I know you've been working on a couple of other stories. Do you work on multiple stories at the same time? How do you prioritize which one to focus on? Is there any "separation anxiety" with the stories you set on the shelf?

HG:  Sometimes I work on multiple stories at once. I prioritize by working on the story that I'd like to submit to a publisher next. So for example, I love working on my "Ten Degrees" novel, but I need to work on the Dog Tags sequel/spin off. I feel separation anxiety from the Ten Degrees characters.

JR:  Thank you for your time. Please share any websites you have, and any other information you'd like us to know.

HG:  I'd be glad to. Here they are:

• http://heidiglickbooks.com
• http://sleuthsandsuspects.blogspot.com
• http://queencityquill.blogspot.com
• http://buckeyebeautyparksofsouthwestohio.blogspot.com
• http://www.facebook.com/authorheidiglick
• https://twitter.com/sheglick
• http://pinterest.com/sheglick/

Also, be sure to check out the trailer for Dog Tags at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRQPwihJMrI

Fantasy, Critiques, and Homeschooling: An Interview with Author Mary Hall

Are any of you thinking that all I do is interview speculative fiction writers? It seems I end up doing those a lot. You may conclude I'm a die-hard sci-fi/fantasy/horror reader. Believe it or not, I'm more into mystery, with suspense right behind. But I see how God can use this style of fiction as a modern day parable.

This month, I'm interviewing Mary Hall, author of Amberly, the beginning of the Crestmere Series. I  got acquainted with Mary in ACFW's large critique group, and had the honor of reading parts of this story.

Jeff Reynolds: Congratulations on getting Amberly published. Can you give us a brief tease about the story, and how did you get inspired?

Mary Hall: 

 Snatched by coldblooded enemies as a declaration of war, Eleanor Williamston finds herself caught in a deadly snare, miles from home and lost in the wilderness. Her heart is drawn to the handsome guardsman who rescues her, but is torn when Captain Marsten challenges her political ideals. Just when she begins to make peace with her own desires, the captain reveals something that makes her choice even more difficult.

There’s something Ellie’s keeping from Marsten as well, which will threaten all he holds dear. Together they must journey through the spectacular and treacherous Aspian mountains, evading enemy pursuit and wrestling through the challenges of wilderness and budding love, only to run headlong into more trouble when they least expect it.

The story behind Amberly and the rest of the upcoming Crestmere Series has been brewing and taking shape in my mind for many years. Hours and hours spent enjoying stories with my daughters while homeschooling have given us appreciation for good story elements and structure, and now we all love to write!

JR: When writing, are you more structured (plotter) or blank pager (seat of the pants)?

MH: I’m chuckling, because I’ve been surprised to find I’m much more a blank pager than I thought I would be. After reworking dozens of scene-by-scene plot plans, I’ve learned to start with nothing more than a general story idea and just start typing. The story flows onto the page over the course of a few months, and I feel like I’m watching a movie!

Then I spend the next bunch of months revamping, revising, and polishing. 

JR: I had the honor of critiquing parts of Amberly on the large ACFW Scribes group, and the rule is two crits for each submission. How has reading and critting various authors of different styles helped your writing? And how did their critiques help your writing?

MH: I love stories! Well-written stories, that is. And I’ve found I love helping others shape and perfect their tales as much as I love crafting my own. The beauty of critique groups is that each writer’s unique eye and style adds richness to the writings of the others. We need other writers to catch the errors we miss while typing late at night, to tell us when the picture in our mind hasn’t quite made it through the words into their mind, to share something new they’ve learned at a conference or through their latest perusal of the Chicago Manual of Style, or just to tell us when our sparkly, twisty plot turns either lost them at the crossroads or (horrors!) put them to sleep. I’ve had suspense writers help me ramp up the tension in my stories, and I’ve helped them improve the descriptions and romance in theirs. When I look back at some of the writing I did before joining critique groups, I just laugh! It’s amazing what a difference every critique makes.

JR: How do you work the faith element and a little politics as well into your story? Related -- with some fantasy in the story, is it kind of an allegory, or just a different world?

MH: Amberly is written in “a world that might have been,” in a setting similar to late eighteenth century England, but where a pair of twin Christian kings rule the land. Born in the forest so the firstborn would not be favored, the brothers learned early to trust only one another. Now they reign together, and the challenges they and their people face stir my imagination to ask hard questions about how God really desires His people to relate to one another and govern themselves. Amberly is not an allegory, but I believe our Lord gives us the gift of storytelling to stir our hearts with Biblical truth in ways that traditional teaching can’t. When I look at the parables Jesus used—or the story Nathan used to bring King David to his knees over his sin—I’m awed by the incredible power that stories have to move our spirits and change our hearts. My prayer is that everyone who reads any of my writing will be drawn into a deeper appreciation of God’s grace and a greater desire to live in joyful humility.

JR: What other writing have you done, and what are you currently working on?

MH: Other than professional writing, research and editing, I’ve done revision writing for Sonlight homeschool curriculum, written articles for Home Educating Family magazine (http://www.hedua.com/blog/author/maryhall/), and published a short story called Healer in Fables For Japan, an anthology of Japanese-style folktales to benefit tsunami victims (http://www.fables4japan.com/2011/08/meet-contributors-mary-elizabeth-hall.html).

Currently, I’m writing the sequel to Amberly, the second book of a planned series called Crestmere. Come visit my website and blog at http://maryelizabethhall.com/ to be swept away into a world of fun ideas, recipes, crafts—and conversation about our loving, magnificent God!

JR: What's it like marketing your book, and how do you balance promoting the published book while working on your next project?

MH: For the writing portion of my life, I’m pounding out the first draft of Book Two, working with my publisher to market Amberly, setting up speaking engagements and expanding my web presence, critiquing other writers’ works, continually studying the crafts of writing and speaking, and reading across a broad variety of genres to broaden my writing ability. I do this mainly while my youngest daughter is at kindergarten. The rest of my typical day is spent partly homeschooling her and my high school aged daughter, and doing all the other things a busy Christian mom does for her family, her church, and her community. I continually remind myself that our Lord gives us exactly as many hours as we need to do what He wants us to do, and I rely on His wisdom and strength to keep priorities in order and fulfill His will.

And from time to time I go out with my hubby or friends to laugh and eat chocolate! 

JR: Thank you very much for your time.

MH: Thanks so much, Jeff, for your encouraging words and critiques, and for the opportunity to share what’s happening in the world of Amberly!