A Chat With Charm O'Ryan

When did you begin writing?

In high school. I wrote numerous articles for our school newspaper and became co-editor my junior and senior years. I started seriously writing (novel length) when my youngest son went to kindergarten. He was the baby of my four children and I figured I could finally squeeze a few quiet ‘me’ moments into a day with no children around to ask a zillion questions and demand numerous mommy tasks. In a nutshell? This boils down to twenty years ago.

Why do you write?

I have always loved to read, write, and create things. Again, back in the good-old-days of high school, I discovered the passionate world of romance novels through an aunt who loved them and would pass them my way when she was finished. Knights in shining armor, pirates, highwaymen … oh, these dark, mysterious, and always handsome heroes claimed my heart and set my imagination soaring into unbelievable heights. From that moment on, I set a goal to, one day, write my very own romance novel.

What have you written?

I’ve written a variety of different things throughout my life: five romance novels (I am currently working on a sixth); poems, several articles, and a children’s story. I even attempted a screenplay of my first novel, but gave that up after the first scene. With a screenplay, the rule is that if a camera can’t see it and a microphone can’t pick it up, a writer can’t put it in. I love showing my characters’ thoughts and inner feelings. To not be able to do so drove me absolutely nuts!

Which of the novels you’ve written are your favorite and why?

This is a tough question, as I’ve liked them all for different reasons. My first novel, With My Last Breath, was probably the most exciting for the simple reason that it was my first. I wrote it in six months, unaware there were ‘rules’ to writing romance.

My second novel, The Resurrection of Lord Drayton’s Heart, was another dark, yet lighthearted, paranormal historical. And I knew the rules this time … a milestone to be sure! (smile) I had more fun bringing a pushy ghost wife back from the grave to help her handsome husband get over her heath by insisting he find another to love; with her help, of course.

My third novel, a contemporary, The Author and The Cover Model, is the novel I probably had the most fun writing. It’s a parody on the romance genre that enters the world I love … the world of writing romance. I put a lot of my own frustrations, hopes, dreams, and fantasies into this story where the romance reader learns the ins and outs of the genre they love as much as I do.

My fourth entitled, The Table, is the novel of my heart. Though it’s a paranormal time-travel, it is also a fact-based work of fiction based on my family. My mother’s, aunt’s and uncle’s memories are written throughout the pages. I wrote the story to tell the world about a horrendous tragedy that befell my great aunt in 1939. The men who attacked, and murdered, her were never brought to justice and I felt that by telling her story, somehow, someway, it might bring her heavenly soul an earthly peace.

And the last completed manuscript, my fifth, is Lillian of the Valley. This novel ended up being a contemporary murder mystery, something I can assure you, I did not set out to write! It, too, has a lot of lighthearted moments, and was really quite enjoyable to write. It involves a preacher’s daughter and the new owner of a legal house of ill repute set in Nevada, 2014.

I am currently working on my sixth novel, but will keep the title and the premise to myself, as its story is still unfolding.

Who are your favorite authors?

This, too, is a tough question. There are so many wonderful writers out there. Needless to say, Linda Sandifer, Karen Finnigan, and Sherry Roseberry (Blue Sage members) are in the top ten of favorite published romance authors! Some of my old time favorites throughout my life are: Kathleen Woodiwiss, the ‘old’ Jude Deveraux, Johanna Lindsey, and Rosemary Rogers. I also liked Karen Robards, Julie Garwood … man, but the list is endless!

Other than romance, what is your favorite genre to read?

Believe it or not, it is non-fiction. I truly believe ignorance is mankind’s greatest fault. When I talk about things, whether it is politics, religion, medical, whatever, I want to know what I’m talking about. I never believe everything I read, or hear, without researching it first. My favorite non-fiction book of all time is the bible. I try to read it every night before I go to bed, knowing full well any talent I possess is a gift from my precious trio above. Even though I write sensual ‘steamy’ romance, each of my books have an inspirational thread running through them. To some, this combination may sound odd. But to me, it’s beautiful and makes perfect sense.

What is your obligation to your readers?

To touch their hearts with both laughter and tears, and to take them on a memorable journey that they’ve never been on before.

What is your obligation to yourself as a writer?

To be the best storyteller I can be and, to realize I am not the greatest writer in the world, but I’m also not the worst. I tend to be hard on myself as a writer, and I need to lighten up and enjoy the works I create without being so darn critical of them.

Who is your favorite hero?

As far as men who’ve walked this earth, Jesus is my all-time hero. My husband, grandfathers, my stepfather, my real father, my brother, my ‘kissing’ cousin, President Bush, President Reagan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Charleton Heston, King David, and Mel Gibson can be added to that too. As far as fictitious heroes? Why, all of mine, of course! (smile)

Who is your favorite heroine?

My beautiful mama, my grandmothers, my aunt, my cousins, my friends, my daughters and, my precious granddaughters. Again, all of mine win out in the fictitious heroine category.

Do you have any advice for beginning writers?

Never give up! Perseverance is the key to finishing a novel, realizing your dreams, and living your life as a writer to the fullest of its potential. Believe me when I say us old-time writers need to live by this advice, too, as it is easy to get discouraged during any phase of the novel-writing career.

What was your easiest book to write?

The Author and The Cover Model. The words and scenes flowed like a steady stream from my fingertips to the keyboard.

Which was the hardest?

Hands down, Lillian of the Valley. I wrote my hero and heroine into such a conflict, it took me years to figure out how to get them out!

What is the hardest part of the creative process for you?

Finding the time to write. Even though my children are grown now, with four grandchildren nearby and parents aging and in need of more attention, life just seems to get busier and busier.

Do you write by an outline?

Absolutely not. During all my school years, I absolutely hated writing outlines!

If not, what is your method?

I think up the title, and the title creates my story. After I have the title, I then have an inkling of what I want to have happen in the story … some people call this a plot. (smile) I choose my main characters next and, with the plot in mind, I develop their inner and outer conflict. After that, my characters write the story themselves.

Do you have set hours in the day to write?

When the kids were little, I’d write the moment they left the house until an hour before they came home, at which time I’d bust through the house and clean up. I did this about four days a week, adding some in the wee hours of the morning if need be. Now, I find myself less organized and struggle to find that precious time. My heart wants to write every day; my reality refuses.

Writing is tough. What makes you keep coming back?

Honestly, I don’t really know the answer to this question. I tend to believe it all goes back to an initial desire to ‘create’. Add in my love to write. But there are times, I think I must just be plain insane to return to such a time-consuming, momentous task that can be downright brutal when it comes to trying to publish the final product with the big publishing houses. Reviews are often right there in the brutality department too. Yet, though I’ve been greatly tempted to quit, even taken several years off, I simply can’t seem to do so.

Tell us a little about your venture into the self-publishing market.

In 2004, when it wasn’t as popular as it is today, I self-published my novel, The Author and The Cover Model, doing so as a favor to a friend in my writers’ group, who wanted to become the liaison between an author and a self-publishing company, and wanted to practice on me first. So, I thought what the hell? Surprisingly, it was a blast! I learned a lot, especially patience. I thoroughly enjoyed having complete control over my entire novel, including the cover. And now I hear it’s becoming more affordable to do so.

Would you do so again?

I’ve actually self-published The Table available now on Amazon. I was a fun and rewarding experience too. And having the encouragement of my Blue Sage Writers of Idaho helped tremendously. Whether new or seasoned writers, we all need that once in a while, and it is appreciated more than anyone could ever know.

--Charm O'Ryan is currently co-chairman of the Blue Sage Writers of Idaho.

A Chat With Author Will Edwinson

Will Edwinson is the author of three novels, and one novella, two of which have been published. He is an award winning novelist winning a first place award in state competition for his book, Buddy…His Trials and Treasures, and a second place in national competition.

Greetings, and welcome to the Blue Sage blog. On your website you're billed as Will Edwinson—Storyteller. Tell us how you came to be a storyteller.

Although I harbored the desire for many years to be a writer, I came to writing rather late in life because I lacked the confidence that I had the necessary skills. It wasn’t until I reached my mid-fifties that I decided to take the plunge. I figured if I was ever going to do it, I’d better get started. I knew I needed help, and after a little searching, I found a Writer’s Digest correspondence short story writing course and signed up for it. I completed the course and received my certificate. I was now a bona fide writer—or so I thought.

Up until that time, I had not been very interested in reading novels. Most of my reading consisted of trade publications related to my profession. One of the recommendations from the Writers Digest course was to read as many short stories and novels as possible. The theory was, I think, that the more one reads of a certain venue, the more skill one will pick up through osmosis. So I began to read.

Then what happened?

I proceeded to write my first novel, which is still gathering dust on the shelf, by the way. It’s a story about an errant preacher who was more of a con artist than a man of the cloth. That one took me about three years to finish, because as I began to read more novels, I realized I was still a pretty bad writer. I realized that writing a short story and writing a novel were not the same. That first novel draft was pretty discombobulated and had little continuity. As a result, I found myself moving whole chapters around in the story from one place to another.

But I persisted, and after several rewrites, I finally decided the book was ready. Then began my search for an agent. This all took place way back in the early 1990s, and my experience with agents has not been all that favorable, either. After a lengthy search and a basket full of rejection slips, I finally found one willing to take me on as a client. He died three weeks after we signed the contract. After another lengthy search I found another one willing accept this new unknown writer. Shortly after we came to an agreement, I learned that agent had just been indicted for some kind of fraud. So much for that agent/client relationship. After that, I decided to try the self-publishing route. I was tired of that novel, so I put it on the shelf and started my second.

Wow, that’s quite a tale in and of itself. Tell us about the second novel. Is that the one you self-published?

Yes, and that was quite an experience also. Had I known what I was in for at the beginning, I question whether I would have gone that route. It was in the days when self-publishing was likened to the red-headed step kid. Self-published authors, and their books, were given little respect. But I decided I was going to do it right, if I could. I purchased and read several “how-to” books on the art of self-publishing.

This was in the days of the old DOS computers; the days before Windows 95 and other menu driven programs came on the scene. I was using a Leading Edge computer which contained its own word processor program, and unlike Microsoft Word, and Word-Perfect, it was not totally compatible with the standard type-setting programs of that era. I had to find a type-setter that could convert my Leading Edge manuscript to one that was compatible with the printers’ systems.

Having jumped that hurdle, the next step was the ISBN numbers and the bar codes. Bookstores would not carry books that didn’t have those. I had to locate the sources, and purchase those before I could proceed with the actual printing of the book. And there was also the matter of finding someone to design a respectable looking cover. I got lucky. The type-setter I used was also able to do the cover for me. There was also registering the book with the copyright office, the Library of Congress, and a string of other tasks that don’t come readily to mind at this point. So after all that, and the expenditure of a few thousand dollars, the book was ready for the printer.

But the story doesn’t end there. Next came the task of setting up a publishing company. After all, we couldn’t risk having this project look like an amateur self-published project, could we? This meant coming up with a professional looking name, an imprint, and registering them as a dba with the state.

It sounds daunting.

Yes, but there’s more to the story. The book finally came off the presses, and 2,000 copies were neatly stacked in my garage. Now it was time to line up a distributor or wholesaler who would handle the book. You see, if you wanted to get your book into chain operated bookstores like Waldenbooks, Borders, Barnes & Noble, B-Dalton, etc., it had to be available through the wholesalers that they normally did business with. They would not order directly from the publishers. I finally succeeded in securing the Western division of Baker & Taylor in Washington State to handle my book.

But having said all that, I did manage to overcome all the hurdles and it sold a respectable enough number of copies to recoup my initial expenditures. It never made my name a household word, nor did it fatten my bank account, but it was a good learning experience. Self-publishing has advanced to the point that it’s much easier for an author today to self-publish. Especially since e-books have arrived on the scene.

Considering the experience you just described, would you self-publish again?

Yes, I think so, but I would do it a bit different this time. As I mentioned, e-books have come on the scene since I did my first book, so I would definitely do an e-book version. For the print version, I would go the way I did with my second book, Buddy…His Trials and Treasures. For that book, I found a POD publisher (Wheatmark) who did all the leg work for me, offered editorial service, cover design, secured the wholesalers, provided the bar codes, ISBN numbers and got the book on amazon.com for me; and for less cash outlay than going the full self-publishing route, because since, it’s POD, I didn’t have money tied up in a pallet full of books sitting in my garage. The book from this publisher looks like it came from one of the big boys in New York as it sits on the shelf. It’s the closest thing to traditional publishing you can get. Another advantage to going this route is a print copy can be on the shelf in as little as 90 days, whereas going through a traditional publisher, if you’re able to find one who will publish your book, takes 18 to 24 months.

Tell us about this book.

It’s a compilation of short story adventures in the life of a young boy growing up in rural America during the 1940s. It’s similar I suppose to Jean Shepherd’s book, In God We Trust, from which the movie A Christmas Story was adapted.

Buddy might be described by some as reminiscent of a twentieth century Tom Sawyer, in that he quite often finds himself in hot water for which he must pay the consequences. Unlike Tom, however, Buddy’s misdeeds are without much forethought. They happen because Buddy is…well…he’s just Buddy.

What’s on the horizon; any new books planned?

I have a couple of things in the hopper currently. First, I’m stepping up my efforts for marketing my second published book Buddy…His Trials and Treasures. I’m contemplating bringing it out in an e-book. I also have two other books I’m thinking of self-publishing. One of those is a revised and updated version with a new title OPERATION ACHILLES—A Shadow Revolution, of the first book I self-published. The other one is a fictional biography of Louisa Houston Earp. Louisa (pronounced with a long i) was the granddaughter of Sam Houston and was married in real life for a short time to Morgan Earp before he was assassinated in Tombstone, Arizona in 1882.

She turned out to be one of the most favorite of all the characters I have created. She was a trained concert pianist who played classical music in Western honky-tonk saloons and won the crusty cowboys over to actually liking it. She was also a crack shot with her modified .38 pistol, and showed no hesitancy toward using it when needed.

Where can we keep up with you and learn more about you, and what you are doing? And where can we find your book?

You can find my website at www.willedwinson.com. All of my current blog posts are located there, as well as a free download of my book. The print version of my book is available at www.amazon.com

Thanks for taking the time to chat with us. We will be looking forward to seeing more of your work in the future.

You’re welcome, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to appear on the Blue Sage Blog. I hope all you Blue Sage members have a good and successful year with your writing.