To Lift Their Spirits
Critical Mick knows as little about Romance novels as he does about poetry. Linda Weaver Clarke, author of Melinda and the Wild West provides instruction on the challenges of that genre, tips on promotion, and on pistol shooting. Email interview, Nov. '06.
Critical Mick: Unruly biography time... tell me four things about who you are, three of which are true and one of which is a complete fabrication.
Linda Weaver Clarke : I am a mother of 6 daughters and have 4 grandchildren. I have sung in concerts for the past 18 years, singing jazz, classical, Irish songs, and Spanish songs. I chose to go back to college in my late 40s, and after 4 long years, I graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music and theatre and received the Outstanding Non-Traditional Student Award for the College of Performing Arts. After graduation, I decided to do a few brave things such as sending one of my novels to a publisher. Besides that, I am a fantastic shot with the pistol (a 45 colt) and can shoot a pop can at the distance of 100 yards.
CM: Which one of the four was just a bit of wish fulfilment? Or is it more fun if readers have to guess?
LWC: Do you give up already? I hate to admit that I am not an excellent shot with the pistol but can only shoot a pop can at 15 yards. I have fun shooting with my husband and try to get better each time we go target shooting.
CM: You have produced a CD, Romantic Love Songs of Sigmund Romberg and Victor Herbert.
LWC: I love the songs of Victor Herbert and Sigmund Romberg. They are the songs that Jennette McDonald and Nelson Eddy made famous. In fact, Victor Herbert was originally from Ireland. He was a great composer and cellist, and came to America in 1886. He wrote the songs for Naughty Marietta, Babes in Toyland, and many more. They are beloved songs of the past.
CM: I liked the Irish references in Melinda And The Wild West, by the way. Thomas Moore is huge over here in musical circles.
LWC: The Thomas Moore story really touched me when I learned about it and I felt a need to put it in my story, something to connect Melinda and Gilbert in the end.
CM: Have you always been writing, always dreaming of publishing a novel? Or is Melinda And The Wild West an extension of your interest in Romance?
LWC: I have always enjoyed writing, but have never written something like this before. It sort-of began as an extension of a project I was doing. One day I decided to take the facts of our ancestors and put them into fun and interesting stories for my children to read. A couple examples of my great grandparents are on my web site. You can check out Short Story # 3 - "Leave or Perish" and Short Story # 4 - "The Adventures of Peter Wilson Conover." After I finished that project (11 stories, to be exact), I couldn't stop writing. So I began writing fiction. And yes, romance is a very interesting subject to me. It's something that is important in our lives: unconditional love, acceptance, and companionship.
CM: Tell me about the first story you ever wrote.
LWC: The first story I ever wrote was a historical/fiction love story, using the experiences of my great grandmother who was deaf at the age of one. It was so much fun to write because I was able to make my character come alive. She seemed to live and breathe as I wrote about her experiences. It was as if she were my best friend. In fact, I revised and improved the story, making a short short out of it and put it on my web site as short story # 1.
CM: How was your first novel written? (Take that any way you like- written from a carefully-prepared outline? Written over the course of eighteen long years? Written at the cold kitchen table with Bach booming through the headphones every morning at 4 AM?)
LWC: I wrote my first story with a "carefully-prepared outline." That way I can see what direction I am going. That's pretty much the procedure for each story I've written but it's not laid in concrete. If I choose to, I'll change something that doesn't seem important anymore.
CM: Other interviewees have shared their experiences with publishers like iUniverse and VirtualBookworm. Would you like to share your experiences with your publisher, American Book Publishing?
LWC: American Book Publishing has been wonderful. They care about their authors and help in any way possible. I was assigned an editor immediately and within 9 months we went through 3 edits to improve the content and check for any mistakes within my book. It was an education in itself and a great experience. I was impressed with ABP when I found that in their contracts they will not publish defamation of other races, religions, or people. I don't believe in slandering others for gain, so that impressed me a lot.
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CM: Tell me about the story behind the story of the cover.
LWC: ABP assigned me a book cover designer, but my husband is a graphics designer and he wanted to create my cover for me. So, I told him exactly what I wanted and he created it. The photo is Paris Canyon in Idaho, where the story takes place. I told him that Bear Lake Valley was filled with bears in the 1800s and asked if he could place a bear in the photo. So he did. I loved it.
Ed. Note: For an exclusive sidebar on the magic of photo editing, see Critical Mick: Behind the Scenes, at right.
CM: Melinda And The Wild West is the first instalment of a family saga. What challenges face the writer of family sagas?
LWC: Well…when I began my research of the Bear Lake Valley, I found too much intriguing history to put in one book so I expanded it into a 4-part family saga: the outlaws and rustlers, Old Ephraim—the 10 foot grizzly, the Bear Lake Monster, etc. Besides, Melinda was such an interesting person to me that I felt she needed to "live on" in 3 more novels.
CM: Though I agree with Kiki, host of The Kissy Bits, that most stories have an element of romance to them... I'm a bloke! Rom-crime novels 24/7 and Death in the Desert aside, I'm completely lost in the capital-R Romance section of the library. What can you tell me about the Romance genre and the challenges of writing in it?
LWC: The most challenging to me is making sure the story and the romance are believable. I want my stories to touch someone's heart and uplift them. It's important to me to write a romantic story without sexual content. I have come upon many people who have told me that they have to go to the "young adult" section in the library to read a good clean love story. As a rule, women need a bit of romance in their lives. It seems to lift their spirits, helps them to remember their priorities in life such as their husband. Many times we tend to take our spouse for granted because of the many chores in the home, the children we have to help with homework, sick babies in the night and no sleep, being over-worked, and the many responsibilities we have in everyday life. Many times, it takes a love story to wake a person up and remind him or her of the romance they once had many years ago.
CM: (Have you seen these book covers, by the way? The temptation to write unruly reviews of some of these fictitious Romance titles is almost irresistible....)
LWC: Hilarious covers! Romance book covers are so unreal and not even close to reality. I never read that kind of stuff. The words "romance novel" usually connotes sexual experiences within the book, which I steer away from. I like the historical love stories or mystery/adventure love stories, ones that I can learn from, feel the tenderness of romance, and be entertained at the same time. That's the one reason I prefer calling my book a "love story" instead of a romance.
CM: OK, so in Romance I am a fool. History, however, really catches my interest. One of the joys of Melinda And The Wild West was being a part of the events that shaped America's development. I had never heard of the Colorado ice palace- they created that, in 1896-! Anyway: What can you tell me about the Historical Fiction genre and the challenges of writing in it?
LWC: Research, research, research!!! When one chooses to write on the historical side, then there's plenty of research to be done. It's the fun part of writing. I had to research the time period, the area the story takes place, and any non-fictional characters. What did the Colorado Ice Palace look like, did they use pencils in school in 1896, was Butch Cassidy a charming person or otherwise, what were the symptoms of hypothermia, what was it like to be confronted by a grizzly? These are questions that I had to consider before writing. I had to do a lot of research and found out what a frightening experience it really was to have a grizzly charge at you. One Mountain Man's account said that he shook for half an hour after shooting the grizzly. I sort-of borrowed his emotions and put them into my own words.
CM: Speaking of actual events- what elements in Melinda And The Wild West were drawn on your own experiences? The scene where eight-year old Jenny, for instance, tied the black pans to her feet and went out stomping. That has to be real! There's delightful character in that.
LWC: My little girl, Felicia, was an active child. She did so many things that made us laugh. One of them was to tie some heavy cooking pans to her feet and go stomping through the house. Another time we took her fishing with us and when she saw the fish wiggling around in the bucket, she began to cry and beg for the fish's life. She plead, "Please let it go. It wants to be with its family." I couldn't resist putting both of those experiences in my book, simply because it was so natural for a young person to do.
CM: What have you learned in writing the first novel that you will use in the series' next three titles?
LWC: I learned so much from my editor about description. She reminded me of the importance of description and to not be too brief. Descriptions help the reader to feel as if he were actually there, experiencing the event himself, feeling the freezing cold weather, seeing the snarling grizzly just yards away.
CM: I believe that you were surprised to learn that a writer's work goes on long after typing THE END.
LWC: That's right. I didn't know that I had to do so much promoting of my book. But it really makes sense. If an author doesn't go out and plug his book, then how is the public going to know about it?
CM: I understand that you have recently returned from a book tour, wherein you delivered a series of workshops-? Such presentations have been a big success for Gerard F. Bianco, author of The Deal Master. Any tales from the trenches?
LWC: I teach the importance of putting one's family history into stories. It's a blast! I've found people that are very interested in the subject. Most are elderly people and that makes it fun. The elderly are people we should look up to because they have gone through much more than we have and we could learn a lot from them. At one of my lectures, I actually met the great grandson of Elza Lay, Butch Cassidy's sidekick. He came to my lecture, bought a book, and we talked afterward. It was incredible!
CM: What's your opinion on the new technologies like Internet communities, podcasting, blogging, webzines, Printing on Demand?
LWC: I have been interviewed on a few podcasts, one of them is on Women Power-radio. As for webzines, I write articles for several, such as the American Chronicle, which establishes a web presence on the internet. The articles range from "Equal Partners in Marriage," to the dangers of "Labelling students," to "A Guide to closer Families." A man from India wrote and asked if he could use my article in a magazine for their fellow teachers. Another person wrote and asked if she could use the guide to closer families in a family magazine. So, my web presence is growing. Because of this, I rank high on the google search. In other words, this technology is important to get your name out.
Ed. Note: To read some of Linda Weaver Clarke's articles visit American Chronicle's website.
CM: What project are you working on now?
LWC: I'm writing an adventure series. I love adventure books, probably because I long for adventure in my life. Who knows? It's about a middle-aged woman who is an Investigative Reporter for the Dixie Chronicle in St. George, Utah. Of course, she's a stubborn and determined woman who aims to get her story, no matter what the danger.
CM: OK, Linda! Prove you're a real writer! How many cats do you have? (Seems every author I interview has at least one kitty.)
LWC: Sorry, Mick. I don't have any cats. My daughter has a cute little dog, though, but I've warned her that when she leaves, so does the cute little dog.
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Critical Mick: Behind the Scenes
The making of the Melinda and the Wild West review's Hot & Spicy Wild West photo
A rugged cowpoke pauses in the wild land that he'll tame, just long enough for a camera to capture the determination writ as large in his eye as the soaring Rocky mountains. Or does he? Though visitors might accept the review's stunning illustration without question, this photo was not the result of a visit to Texas, Idaho or Montana, but to a different frontier- the frontier of technology.
Join me, Wally Mammoth, for the next heap of column inches as I show you criticalmick.com, "behind the scenes."
Inspiration
Webmaster Mick Halpin remembers his moment of inspiration: "Having too much uninterrupted text on a web page looks just awful! My recent review for George Stimpson's A Book About A Thousand Things serves as a good example. I'm trying to talk [Hemingway artist] M.G. into donating an original illustration for that one. Without it, the page is like, dull, man! Visually speaking. That's borderline acceptable for a tribute to a sixty-year-old trivia book, but a title on the Wild West needs excitement. So I just figured, you know, how about a cowboy?"
At those words, "how about a cowboy?" the criticalmick.com team sprang into action. In a fast food laden brainstorming session, more ideas were tabled than wontons. Both focus group and studio executives soon agreed, and storyboards were drawn up for the winning concept.
Location
The next step was to identify a suitable location. Professional trailblazers and geologic experts were called in to find just the right backdrop- a technique that is today in widespread use by the film industry. Readers may be amazed to learn that the Scottish battlefields of Braveheart were actually Irish, the Himalayan heights of Batman Begins were filmed in Iceland, and that the New York City of Ving Raymes' Kojak is, in truth, Canada.
After months of painstaking location scouting and several million dollars, the perfect scene was selected. Though Melinda and the Wild West is set in the Bear Lake Valley of Idaho, the mountains which illustrate the end result can be found in the Huachuca range of Arizona. Francine Biere, author of Death in the Desert, identified the perfect location and emailed Mick's headquarters in Dublin. Given the natural beauty of this region, the Arizona location was swiftly greenlighted. Filming of principal photography began almost at once.
Casting
Now that location was decided, the next task was to select an actor to portray the project's rugged cowboy. Announcements filled industry magazines. Cell phones of sleazy casting agents the world over rang. For the record criticalmick.com must state that all rumors concerning the involvement of Clint Eastwood, Peter Falk and Macaulley Culkin are untrue. No legal proceedings involving any of these talented, upstanding actors are currently in litigation.
The Casting department narrowed the field to four bright hopefuls. Below, publicly available for the first time, is a rare snapshot of these eager finalists. Click to open a larger image in a new browser window!
Though all four proved themselves to be fine, promising actors, the judges were ultimately unanimous in their estimation of which candidate would best portray the nineteenth-century rancher.
Lights! Camera!
While the rumor mill spun that decision into one of the hottest secrets in cyberspace, Mick made critical choices in terms of camera, film, lighting. Artists know that this choice of media makes all the difference in setting the tone of a picture- subtleties that separate a runaway success from an utter disgrace.
"I decided to run with the camera built into my mobile phone," told Mick, influenced by the guerrilla filmmaking tradition. Was it the combination of 1.3 megapixel high technology with immeasurable street cred? The end result would ultimately have an immediacy, as if the picture was snapped by an awestruck eyewitness and distributed via blog or bit torrent. Mick, shrugging as if this craft were too easy to merit explanation, consistently declined to elaborate further.
Action!
After great anticipation- showtime! The end result was captured in a swift, single exposure shot. Against a backdrop of Francine Biere's Arizona desert, the role of the rugged rancher was filled by a now-famous bottle of Whoop Ass brand hot sauce. "Just like a gunshot!" commented Wally Mammoth. The edgy American-born actor, famous for his ability to stick to voice over work no matter how freakin' terrible the script, was fortunate enough to be on set that climactic day. "The whole deal took, what, fifteen seconds? Bang! Wrap. Though it was filming that got wrapped. Not some sidewalk putz wrapped in a bodybag."
Disaster
But not everything proceeded that smoothly. Post-production work began immediately, with editors and imaging experts scrambling to meet criticalmick.com's deadline. Scores of witty alt-text captions were debated, but only one short phrase could be associated with the illustration. Three vice presidents and scores of assistants were fired during the vicious power struggles that followed. The team which together had accomplished so much was tearing itself apart.
Only at the last minute did one young intern notice that the image's master copy had inadvertently been rendered into watercolor. Disaster! In a move controversial to this day, a caption compromise- "Even Critical Mick's hot sauce shoulda been a cowboy"- was decided, and all re-unified efforts thrown in to reversing the blurry damage. The question on everyone's mind: was this too little, too late?
You Decide.
Visit Critical Mick's unruly review of Linda Weaver Clarke's Melinda and the Wild West and- now that you know what drama unfolded "behind the scenes"- judge for yourself.
For criticalmick.com, I'm Wally Mammoth.
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CM: Seriously- roll call time. What family members (cats included) would you like to thank for their support?
LWC: My husband, George, who cooked delicious meals when I couldn't stop writing. My children, who encouraged me to go back to college and then write my stories, (starting with the youngest): Felicia, Serena, Alaina, Diana, Kristina, & Angela.
CM: What's on your nightstand at the moment?
LWC: The phone and my scriptures. The two most important objects of communication.
CM: What authors- Romance, Historical, and otherwise- do you admire? Who really gets it right, in your opinion?
LWC: Louis L'amour writes great westerns. William Goldman's The Princess Bride really had me laughing. Gerald Lund writes great historical fiction. And Betsy Brannon Green writes great mysteries with a touch of romance.
CM: Anything I have not mentioned that you would like to bring up?
LWC: Don't give up on a dream. It's never too late to start. Dreams can come true at age 50: Go for your goal, never give up! Thanks for the interview, Mick. I really appreciate it.
CM: Many thanks, Linda!
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Linda Weaver Clarke's homestead on the world wide web: http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/.
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