The Perils of a Self-Published-Tech-Challenged-Author

                                                          

I’m a good writer. I love writing. I’ve been writing since I was ten, but where my stories are excellent, I suck at the mechanical part of writing. Hence, I rely on my wonderful editor, Patti O’Brien, to remove the extra comma or to make sure the story flows, and that the reader isn’t lost in a swirl of science fiction jibber jabber. Once the editing is done, I send my manuscript to Create Space, the publishing arm of Amazon. I always order the special package that gives me my own team who will format the book for me, assign the ISBN, then after my illustrator, Shelley Szajner, submits the final book cover, publish the book on Amazon and Kindle. All I have to do is promote and sell my books. What could go wrong with such a great system? Find out after the jump.

Format Hall of Horrors

I’m not that great with math. I blame it all on fractions. I was an honor student for all twelve years in Catholic School, but even though I was good at addition, subtraction, multiplication and long division, when it came to fractions, my mind came to a full halt. I think my lack of direction when driving is connected to the same chromosome that controls my stupidity about fractions. The nuns at school could not figure out how I was able to excel in all subjects except math, and after several noted episodes, they’d learned to never send me on an errand that involved me finding my way to the school office. Really, I am that bad at directions and often wonder how I ever found my way through the birth canal.

                                                      

When I began using Create Space, I was overjoyed with the fact that my assigned Create Space team would handle everything. I had writer friends who also used Create Space. Some were successful in formatting their own manuscript without paying for the extra service, but some were not, and it showed in the finished product. I wanted my book to be professional and the price of having your own team was worth every penny. I had already published four books through Create Space. My Roof Oasis Sci-Fi Series was very popular because the books looked just as good as the ones published through traditional publishers.

 Fred and Lucy

I am a psychic/medium who has been seeing the dead since I was a toddler. This gift runs in the family. My mother and father were also able to see the dead. I grew up in South Philly, and worked in my parents’ grocery store. My parents weren’t the easiest to love, and my siblings and I weren’t the easiest to raise. I had begun to post weekly blogs about growing up in the grocery store and the hilarious antics of my father and mother. People loved my weekly blogs called “Life with Fred and Lucy” and soon they were asking when there would be a book. My parents who were both dead, had taken residence in my attic. They were also anxious for this book to be written. So you can imagine my shock when I learned that Create Space was no longer offering the complete author service, especially since this book would have twenty or more black and white photos included within the different chapters. What the hell was I to do?

Conclusion

I kind of lost it when customer service explained that this paid and complete service was no longer available. NO! No! No!  I even explained to the manager that Fred and Lucy would not be happy and would haunt anyone who prevented this book from being published. I may have scared the shit out of the poor guy, but luckily, he stayed on line as I submitted my manuscript. I am not sure if the site will automatically format this book as well as “The Team” did.

                                                           

I’ve tweeted Amazon about my unhappiness with their new rules, but so far, no answer. “Life with Fred and Lucy” is a humorous memoir of growing up in South Philly during the ’50s and ’60s, but it is also a true ghost story. I will keep you all updated on how the book is going.

Luckily, I have a good friend in my writers’ group who is taking on this project. Shelley will be professionally formatting the entire book, photos and all. So if there are any self-published authors out there who are clueless about formatting your book onto Create Space, or need a kick-ass book cover...Shelley is the person to contact. I know that Lucy and Fred are happy that this book is in good hands.
                                                               

Blogging, Coffee, and Growing As a Writer

                                                             

Although the hearts of all the members of the South Jersey Writers’ Group are still heavy over the loss of our Patron Saint of Blogging, Glenn Walker, we continue to meet. Blogfest is a monthly ritual that is held the third Sunday of every month at Treehouse Coffee Shop in Audubon, NJ. Why are we so loyal to working on our blogs? Find out after the jump

Gilbert Speaks on "The Patron Saint of Blogging"

This past Wednesday on December 6^th we lost a literary knight in shining armor. Sir Glenn, a nickname that was lovingly given to Glenn Walker, was a mentor to the members of the South Jersey Writers’ Group, and a friend to anyone who strived to be the best blogger out there in social media land.

I am still trying to come to terms with his death. I’m not alone. Glenn touched everyone and anyone who wanted to write. He is sorely missed by his friends at SJWG, and his fellow bloggers at the Canadian Pop Culture site: Biff Bam Pop!

Andy Burns, who is the Editor-In-Chief of Biff Bam Pop, wrote a beautiful tribute to Glenn and you can read it here. Glenn Walker was involved in so many projects: Welcome to Hell; Biff Bam Pop; The Gar Podcast; The Make Mine Magic Podcast; but his love was all about pop culture. He was a library of information on almost every comic book out there, and although he loved to review movies and television series, his blog “French Fry Diary” was a big hit with many who considered themselves true connoisseurs of fast foods. Glenn’s short story “Live to Write” is featured in the anthology of speculative fiction, Strange World.

                                                     

Glenn and I first met after I had retired from the Academy of Natural Sciences. My granddaughter, Katrina, was already a member and it was she who introduced me to the members of the South Jersey Writers’ Group and to Glenn. Glenn was responsible for me becoming one of the writers for Biff Bam Pop.

My fondest memories of Glenn were when I began writing the reviews for “The Walking Dead” on BBP. I was a retired grandmother of nine, who was not only tech challenged, but naïve with the mechanics of blogging. Glenn would wait until the early morning hours for me to post my review. As Andy’s second-in-command, Glenn was responsible for editing the post before it could go live.

 

Glenn never lost his patience even after explaining the purpose of tagging multiple times. It became a running joke after a while, but he never gave up on me. I was always eager to get Glenn’s input whenever I wrote a review for Biff Bam Pop even if we often had a different point of view on a specific episode.

Before moving to Florida with his lovely bride, Jennifer, Glenn would hold court at a local coffee shop once a month. He gave freely of his time and experience to anyone who needed help with their blogging. It wasn’t long before we grateful bloggers began calling him “Sir Glenn the Patron Saint of Blogging.”

                                                           

I miss my friend very much, but maybe if the universe is kind, Sir Glenn will find himself in some heavenly coffee shop. Maybe they will serve French fries and milkshakes in that angelic coffee shop. Maybe my friend will be surrounded by other writers and bloggers. I miss you, kiddo.

R.I.P Glenn Walker

Steampunk Granny Interviews Author Gail Priest

                                                            

 

If you’re a writer it can be a lonely journey because to write, you must lock yourself away from the “real” world in order for you to enter the secret recesses of your imagination. If you’re a savvy writer, you belong to a writers’ group. I met Gail Priest at the South Jersey Writers’ Group where we are both active members. Gail was also one of the authors at this year’s Steampunk Granny Authors’ Bonanza. There are so many different sides to this fabulous lady and I wanted to learn more about Gail. Join me now as I put Gail on the hot seat.

                                                          

You are quite the Renaissance woman in that you excel in everything you do. Please tell my readers about the many sides of Gail Priest.

Gail Priest: I have degrees in theatre and counseling psychology. I love teaching and began as an English teacher in 1977.  Eventually I became a guidance counselor. I left public school for a decade to pursue my acting and directing career. Even then, I still taught acting at the Ritz Theatre in Haddon Township, NJ. I also did private coaching with actors. I began writing my first play, Eva’s Piano, when I spent the summer at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts. I followed that with a screenplay, A Thing with Feathers, which I rewrote as a stage play. I went back to teaching theatre as an adjunct at Rowan University. After five years, I decided I wanted to return to full time work in education. I began looking for guidance counseling positions, but ended up spending my final public school years as a theatre arts teacher in a high school performing arts program. It was the most gratifying work because I used all my skills as a teacher, counselor, coach, and writer with those students. Now I’m back at the Rowan Theatre and Dance Department as an adjunct. It’s perfect because I still have time to write and promote my books.

                                                          

Where did you get the inspiration for your Annie Crow Knoll Series?

Gail Priest: My husband and I began renting a little cottage in a summer cottage community called Evergreen Knoll on the Chesapeake Bay in 2000. That setting inspired the Annie Crow Knoll stories. Evergreen Knoll became Annie Crow Knoll. The characters are fictitious, but the setting is based on this real and most beautiful place on the water. I’m sitting on the porch of Cockatiel Cottage right now as I answer these questions. I look out at this view, and I feel like I must be the luckiest woman in the world.

Tell us a little bit about the books and especially the newest addition, Moonrise.

Gail Priest: The series is a family saga that takes place on the Chesapeake Bay with themes of the healing powers of nature, art, and friendship.

Annie Crow Knoll: Sunrise begins during the civil rights time period on the Easter Shore of Maryland. Annie is a strong-minded girl, who battles with her secretive mother to uncover the truth about her grandmother’s suicide.  At nineteen, Annie goes against social convention and trusts and relies on Bo, her family’s African American friend and her surrogate father, as she struggles to save the fourteen summer rental cottages left to her by her parents. When the family legacy of depression emerges in her early adulthood, and Annie faces estrangement from her husband and young son, she has the chance to embrace love and acceptance from someone who has been there all along.

                                                           

 

Annie Crow Knoll becomes a place where people come to restore their spirits, heal their pain, and reclaim their lives. This is emphasized in the second novel, Annie Crow Knoll: Sunset. 

Nate Bidwell blamed his mother Annie for his parents' divorce.  Buried hurts and resentments between mother and son make Nate reluctant to risk his heart when his childhood friend Beth Ann offers him her own. Instead, he allows himself to fall in love with the fragile and dependent June, and Annie's opposition to their marriage reignites years of unresolved conflict with her only child. Nate swears that he will never return to Annie Crow Knoll, his family home on the Chesapeake Bay. He and June move to Manhattan where he opens his dream restaurant and tirelessly works to build his career as a chef. When near-tragedy strikes their lives, though, Nate is forced to return to the one place he hopes may save his wife: Anne Crow Knoll.

In Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise, Annie Crow Knoll continues to be a place to grieve loss, accept change, and rebuild a life worth living.

Annie’s granddaughters, Breezy and Jemma, are world-class cyclists until violence at a race leaves Breezy with permanent physical disabilities and kills the man she loved. With her Olympic dream shattered, guilt and shame threaten to destroy her future happiness. Her sister Jemma escapes with only minor injuries, but the psychological damage she experiences shakes her self-worth, her Olympic potential, and her capacity to accept love. 

The young women return to their childhood home on the Chesapeake Bay to heal and reclaim their lives, and with their parents and grandparents, struggle to make sense of life after this tragic and irrational incident. 

Annie Crow Knoll: Moonrise is a story about the power to reinvent life after surviving loss and trauma. (This novel can be read as a stand alone.)

 

                                                         

You also wrote a play, Eva’s Piano. Could you tell us about more about the play? What do you enjoy more writing books or plays?

Gail Priest: Eva’s Piano revolves around middle-aged siblings whose mother has just died. As Joy go through her childhood home in preparation to sell it, family secrets begin to weaken her already tenuous relationship with her brother.  Complicating matters is a handsome, but much younger, neighbor who is falling for Joy and making romantic advances by encouraging her to act our scenes he’s written in an original play. The lines between memory, fantasy, and reality become blurred.

I don’t honestly have much of a preference between writing plays or novels, except a play is shorter and is all dialogue, which is my strong suit.  It seems that the characters decide whether their story is going to be told on stage, on screen, or in a book.

Where do you do your best writing?

Gail Priest: I prefer to be near nature. At home, I have an office that overlooks our back yard with bird feeders. We get lots of birds, and we have rabbits and chipmunks. When I’m able to be at the cottage, I prefer to work on the front porch where I can best enjoy the view of the water.

 

                                                            

What are you working on now?

Gail Priest: I’m busy marketing Moonrise. It takes a lot of time and effort. I am in the very beginning stage of mulling over my next story. I’ve worked on an outline and some character backgrounds. I’m looking forward to actually beginning the writing process.

As an author, how important is it to blog?

Gail Priest: I think it’s very helpful for building a platform and following. I’m miserable at blogging. I only do it sporadically, and it’s something that will require more of a commitment from me. I admire writers like you, Marie, who blog consistently. It takes real discipline.

As an author, do you find that belonging to a writers’ group is helpful?

Gail Priest: Yes, I have found the writing groups I belong to are very helpful. The South Jersey Writers’ Group is how I met you, for which I am very grateful. SJWG has a supportive membership. It’s been a positive experience for me. I also belong to the Eastern Shore Writers’ Association and the Chesapeake Bay Writers. There are several on-line writers’ groups I belong to as well. The networking made in these groups is essential, especially for independent authors. Writing is a rather isolated activity. Connecting with other writers, being able to ask questions, and having a chance to help one another all contribute to keeping the home fires burning.

How do you promote your books? Is it book signings, ads or social media?

                                                             

Gail Priest: I do it all. I’m learning every day how to do it better. I read a lot of blogs and articles on promotion. With each book, I’m gaining ground, but it’s not for the thin skinned or weak hearted. I came up with a statement that helps me. “I am productive without attachment.” Although I can get discouraged, if I keep that statement in mind, I am able to stay on task, no matter the results.

 

                                                            

What advice can you give to a young person who is thinking of writing as a career?

Gail Priest: Read, go to plays, and see films. Take writing classes. Keep yourself open to inspiration from unexpected places. Stay open to opportunities. Surround yourself with supportive, positive people. Let go of the ones who put you down. Stop the negative self-talk. Consciously attract what you want. Take a break when you need one.

Thank you, Gail, for taking this time to share with my followers. If readers are interested in ordering Gail Priest's books, you can find them here, here and here.

Steampunk Granny Interviews Author Michael Stern

                                                              

I recently hosted a Steampunk Granny Authors’ Bonanza at the Treehouse in Audubon New Jersey. Most of the authors belong to the South Jersey Writers’ Group, but some of the writers were friends that I had previously interviewed. At the event, I was introduced to Michael Stern, a published author and husband of author LC Bennett Stern. I had previously interviewed Linda for my blog and you can check it out here. I guess great talent runs in this family and I was excited to learn more about Michael’s books. So, join me now as I chat with Michael Stern.

Michael, tell my readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired you to write.

Michael Stern: I’ve always enjoyed stories, fact and fiction, written, televised and verbal. And I believe that everyone has a story to tell. After a long and varied business career, I have had the wonderful opportunity to join the family of writers to offer my stories to the universal collection of creativity. And hopefully provide some other storyteller with the motivation to try their hand.

Quick bio—easy. I’m a native of Garden City, New York, a graduate of Cornell University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. I live with my family including a fellow writer, L.C. Bennett Stern, know to me as Linda, or Wifey, in Riverton, New Jersey. In my career, I’ve had many experiences, some of which really happened. I was executive director of a humane society, sold mortgages, operated a medical laboratory, drove a cab in New York City, and sold Good Humor Ice Cream.
                                                                  

                                                                                        

Linda told me for years that I should write something. The opportunity came in a sad way. Seven years ago, my father passed away. Originally, I intended to write anecdotal memories for my family. When I began to go through his papers, waiting for me there was my story to tell. Dad lived to almost 98 years old, and with almost a century to talk about, and with so many important events he experienced and shared, I began to fashion the story of his generation. Born in the early years of the 20^th Century, struggling through the Depression, fighting the war, the generation that returned built the most impressive democratic movement and the most dynamic nation in the world. He lived long, as a participant, not a spectator, and is one of the many unsung and unnamed heroes to whom we owe so much.

What genre do you prefer to write; History or Science Fiction?

Michael Stern: I have studied history since I was a kid. Even my science fiction is stocked with history. But writing about history, whether fiction or non, keeps my attention. It’s my hope that history lovers will find my efforts worthy.

Where do you get your inspiration for your books?

Michael Stern: Inspiration comes from living. All around us, stories call out to be written. Even a garage door, or a chain link fence have stories awaiting a writer to give them voice. At the same time, when my brain is in gear, words find a way, so I guess my inspiration is floating out there somewhere. Reading helps too. A single word can set off a story. That’s why I know everyone can tell a story. For example, a friend responded to a comment I made on Facebook about aging, and she responded with “I’m right behind you.” I wrote a short story for Halloween with that line.

Can you give us a short synopsis of your books?

Michael Stern: Thus far, I’ve written and published four books. The first, REFLECTIONS ON A GENEROUS GENERATION, is mentioned above. By the end of September, I expect to have the fourth book of my Quantum Touch series available. The series tells the adventures of Fritz Russell, a high school history teacher, whose classroom door enters a time travel portal to the past, as well as a tunnel in present time.
                                                               

In the first book, STORM PORTAL, he discovers the portal, meets Robert E. Lee the day after Appomattox, and to assure the principal that nothing unusual was happening, they walk together into the Oval Office and meet the president. Setting off alarms in government security, the president recognizes the potential value of the portal. As Fritz attempts to unravel the portal’s mystery, the nation’s security apparatus gears up to protect the president and the country.
                                                               

Book two, SAND STORM, establishes the value of the portal under fire, as the president asks Fritz to help eliminate a rogue Middle Eastern country’s nuclear weapons program.
                                                              

SHADOW STORM, the third book, a hidden enemy casts an ominous grip on world affairs. As violence escalates and Fritz becomes a target, the portal may be the only way to end the danger, identify the source, and bring peace back to the globe. The next book, STORM UNLEASHED, ends the waiting, as a conspiracy is unmasked, but not before constant violence erupts, while the president and Fritz work together to fight back.

Do you and your wife ever consider co-authoring a book?

Michael Stern: At this time, Linda and I haven’t discussed the possibility of co-authoring a book, but YA Never Know.

What are you working on now?

Michael Stern: My current work in progress is twofold:  the final book of the series, book six. With the fourth book about to release, the fifth is written, has been through the first edit and rewrite, with more to come, and the last one is about halfway written. I am also writing a book called Sarah and the Dragons. Sarah is rescued from a storm by two dragons, and the real storm begins when they take her home.

I would like to encourage those who are reluctant to try a paragraph, then a page, then another. You might like what you see. But be careful, the bite is contagious and chronic.

                                                              

I appreciate the opportunity to talk with your readers, and should anyone have a question, please ask away. My email address is sternmike52@gmail.com. I am a regular Facebooker and my author page is https://www.facebook.com/cabinfevercommunications My Amazon author page link is  https://www.amazon.com/Michael-R.-Stern/e/B008OP4DVU

 

It was a true pleasure to learn about your books, Michael, and I will definitely have you as a guest for Granny’s next Authors’ Bonanza in early December.

Candles, Books, Tea, and Frogs...Oh My!

                                                          

We like to celebrate life in grandiose ways, but it is the smaller celebrations that bring us so much joy. This weekend was a true celebration and it was because I spent it with friends and family. My neighbor and adopted niece, Isabella, who I have been babysitting and teaching since she was three months old, has just turned seven.
                                                                  

 

I’ve been reading to Isa since she was three months old. She is now entering second grade and is reading at a fourth/fifth grade level. Her younger brother is following in her footsteps. He enjoys having me read to him.

Books are the fastest gateway to universal knowledge. When you read to a child, then teach them to read, you allow them to use their minds. This is the most powerful gift to give to a child! Knowledge gives a person the gift of discernment. When we teach a child to read, they gain the ability to find the truth hidden within the lies. Happy Birthday, Isa.

Speaking of books

This weekend was the Authors’ Bonanza that I hosted at the Treehouse in Audubon New Jersey. We have many talented people in the South Jersey Writers’ Group and many of them had recently published a new book. I also had friends at the event that were not part of the writers’ group, but were also published authors.
                                                             

Check out this link to learn more about the authors. It was a success in spite of the ungodly heat and, I plan on doing another Authors’ Bonanza in early December.

Tea Party

Many of you know about my psychic abilities and my love of ghost investigations. I have many friends with this special gift. We call ourselves the “Golden Seers.” We ladies are on a journey to learn more about the Universal Collective and to tap into the spiritual realm.
                                                          

I hosted a Tea Party for my friends and it was fabulous. The afternoon was filled with topics on Angel Card Readings, spirits and, secret gardens.

Speaking of gardens

Rita, Blanch and I were already Pros at making garden ornaments. We'd been gathering items from various yard sales and thrift shops. After a leisurely lunch, the Golden Seers began a new garden project. My basement was a flurry of glue guns, beads and glassware. Luckily, I did not glue myself to any of the projects. Here is one of the completed items created by my daughter.
                                                              

Speaking of gardens part 2

I was born and raised in South Philly. We did not have gardens in our back yard, nor did we have a pond. Our yard was nothing more than brick and cement as witnessed in this photo with my mother and brother.
                                                                

After moving to Audubon New Jersey, I made it my life goal to plant as many trees and pollinator attracting plants as possible. My husband is worried that I’m trying to create my own rainforest. I am! This year, our pond has been the pivotal point of the garden. We have guests. Frogs! One of the frogs is huge and has earned the name, KONG.
                                                                 

                                                        
Did you know that bullfrogs can live a long time? Did you know that they can get big enough to eat birds? We have 16 fish in our pond, 3 large frogs; Kong, Hopper, and Tiny. We have migrating birds stopping at our feeders and, we have lots of hawks.

We, as a species, are destroying too many natural habitats, but although the rest of the world appears to be circling the drain, my home will always be a refuge for wildlife.
                                                          

How about you? What are you doing to protect the birds and the bees? Send me a photo of your garden.

Looking for Ghosts and Linking Apps

                                                             

Last night a fellow ghost investigator and I joined the owners of “On Angels’ Wings” Marti Haines and Marcia Balint Moore for an investigation at the Historical Selma Mansion. I had been to this mansion one time before with another investigative group called Keystone Spirit Seekers. The mansion is extremely active and the spirits, for the most part, willing to interact with the living. In the earlier investigation, I was able to connect with a young boy named Robert and you can read all about this adventure here.
                                                               

Last night, the spirits were in a playful mood, but not as engaging as I had hoped. The equipment confirmed that they were indeed there, but they would hop to the other room as soon as we checked the area. Remember that your personality is the same when you’re dead as when you were alive and, if you’re a practical joker…you’ll be one as a ghost.

Later that night, Marti and Scott had observed a shadow figure rushing down the stairway towards the basement. They weren’t sure exactly what they were dealing with so they asked Rita and I to take a break outside while they investigated. All was good, but the spirit was a bit grumpy…I don’t blame him because it was stifling in the house. Unfortunately, little Robert was not in a chatting mood, but I’m not worried. I’ll be back there again. On a side note, the Historical Society needs donations to bring the Selma Mansion back to its original beauty. Here is the link to help out.

Speaking of Links

I belong to the South Jersey Writers’ Group and one of the many benefits is our monthly meeting for Bloggers. At this meeting, people who blog regularly and people setting up a blog for the first time share information that will help them with their sites. Officiating over these meetings is Glenn Walker aka Saint Glenn.

                                                            

We call him Saint Glenn because there are a few of us bloggers that are totally tech challenged. Glenn would patiently work with each and every one of us until he either blacked out from exhaustion after we asked the same questions over and over and over, or we actually got it right. Unfortunately for us, Glenn and his lovely bride, Jen, are moving to Florida. This is great news for them…a tragedy for us….but there is a light at the end of the tunnel…

Queen Victoria

Victoria Marie Lees, who is a member of the writers group, has stepped into Glenn’s shoes. Victoria is the perfect choice as Glenn’s replacement because she is so very personable and willing to help her fellow bloggers. You can read her work here and here.
                                                            

                                      Erika on the left & Victoria on the right             

Ema Timar aka Erika Berger is now known as Ema the Great and you can read her work here. Ema is not only proficient in technical knowledge, but the perfect sidekick for our new queen of blogging. Ema has helped me with a very big problem…

                                                           

                                         Marie           Erika                  Victoria

I was unable to add links to my posts on WordPress. Since I write for a popular pop culture site, this was a big inconvenience. The good news is that Ema the Great showed me a well-guarded secret that only the most trusted warriors are privy too. I can now add links with no stress or hair pulling. Thank you Ema and thank you Queen Victoria. Saint Glenn has been notified that he will find us at his door in sunny Florida if we ever need his saintly advice.

Gilbert Interviews Author, Ewart Rouse

                                                               

                                                             

I love being a member of the South Jersey Writers’ Group. Our group provides opportunities and inspiration for all members to reach their goals. Everyone has a story to tell and if you check out our blog, you will learn how many of the members got started down that road to publication. Our group is blessed with many talented people and I was happy to have this chance to interview Ewart Rouse on his books and on his love of Cricket.

                                                              

Ewart Rouse is the author of the Sticky Wicket Trilogy: Watkins at Bat, Sticky Wicket Trilogy Vol.1; Watkins Fights Back, Sticky Wicket Trilogy, Vol. ll; Watkins’ Finest Inning, Sticky Wicket Trilogy Vol. lll; Watkins’ Overseas Tour. All the books are about a game I don’t know that much about, but Ewart Rouse was graceful enough to explain.

Gilbert: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your days as a reporter in Trinidad and here in the states. Did you always want to be a reporter?

Ewart Rouse:  I grew up in Trinidad back when it was under British rule. Because there were few local authors at the time, we studied primarily British and American literature in school. I decided I wanted to be a reporter after it struck me that many of my favorite authors — including Dickens, Steinbeck, and Hemingway –— were journalists.                                                        

There are no journalism schools on the island. Fortunately, the Guardian, the major daily newspaper, ran a training program for would-be journalists who, if they cut mustard, were offered jobs. I applied and was accepted into the program. After three months of following the beat reporters around, attending formal classes that they taught in the newspaper’s library, and covering stories, I made the cut. I was given the court beat, and soon was covering politics, the top beat, at a time of great political upheaval with the island seeking its independence from Britain.

                                                           

With that background, I landed a reporting job with the Associated Press in New York when I migrated to the United States in the 1970s. After brief stints in the wire service’s bureaus in Newark, Atlantic City and Washington (the Watergate scandal that led to Nixon’s resignation and Gerald Ford’s swearing in as President was brewing then), I joined the staff at the Philadelphia Inquirer. I worked at the Inky for three decades, primarily as a business writer, retiring as a suburban editor in the paper’s Cherry Hill bureau a few years ago. While at the Inquirer, I also taught newswriting as an adjunct journalism professor at Arcadia, Temple, Rutgers and Rowan Universities.

Gilbert: Ewart, your books are about cricket and the men who play this game. Would you explain the dynamics of the game and what attracted you to it? How long have you been playing? Can women play, too?

Ewart Rouse: First, a little history: my series of “Sticky Wicket” novels originally were published by LMH Publishing. I acquired the rights back to the books and now have republished them, with new covers and material, through CreateSpace. Each volume is part of the same story, but can stand on its own.

                                                            

Now, they aren’t sports books, but rather novels about immigrants from countries where cricket is the national sport — India, Pakistan, the West Indies islands, England, etcetera — who yearn to play the game of their youth in their adopted land. It’s a humorous look at a supposedly “gentleman’s” game, a game considered the granddaddy of American baseball. I take an almost over-the-top approach to the challenges the men face, not least of which are wives who think it’s time the men grew up and spent more time with their families, as well as Little League and soccer moms who don’t take too kindly to these strangers in white uniforms, chattering in myriad languages and with funny accents, who have taken over their playgrounds — “hijacked,” as they tell it — to play a “foreign” game that nobody understands, a game that lasts the entire day, freezing out their kids.

As one angry Little League official demands of Watkins during a confrontational meeting, “You people are in America now. Why don’t you play an American sport?”

That quote tells you it’s a story about a clash of cultures, and that something’s gotta give.

What attracted me to the game? Because it is a national sport in Trinidad, it was natural for me to pick up a cricket bat when I was old enough to lift it, as natural as an American kid would swing a baseball bat at that age.

And yes, women do play the game, at all levels, including international tournaments.

                                                             

Gilbert: Is the character Watkins based on you, or someone you knew?

Ewart Rouse: That’s one of the first questions I’m usually asked. Watkins and the other characters are composites of people I know ­— men who are so obsessed with the game they are willing to jeopardize their marriages to play it, and women who have given their husbands an ultimatum: put down that cricket bat and attend religious services with me on weekends or the marriage is over.

It’s a scenario with which athletes and spouses in any sport, and readers of any genre, can identify.

Gilbert: Can you explain to the readers what exactly a “sticky wicket” is?

Ewart Rouse: As I explained on my website — www.ewartrouse.com — the expression is akin to “being in a pickle.” For example, try explaining to your boss what you were doing at the casino, where you were spotted, after you had called in sick from work.

In cricket parlance, a “sticky wicket” refers to the condition of the playing surface of the game — the 66-feet-long by 10-feet wide strip in the middle of the field. When it is adversely affected by moisture, the surface — called “the wicket” or “pitch” — is likely to cause the bounced ball to behave in an unpredictable manner. It might pop up, go right, go left, or creep like a rat toward the batsman.

Even the most talented of batsmen – the ones with the sharpest of eyes and quickest of reflexes – can be surprised by such a delivery, end up playing the wrong stroke, and getting out.

 

The novels’ “sticky wicket” titles refers to “the pickle” in which protagonist Freddie Watkins finds himself as he battles the wives and the establishment.

                                                         

 

Gilbert: Do you feel that cricket is becoming more popular in the states as more people learn about the game and how it’s played?

 Ewart Rouse Back in the mid-1980s, there were seven established clubs in the Philadelphia-South Jersey area. Today, with the influx of immigrants from cricketing countries, (New Jersey reportedly is among the most popular destination in the United States for immigrants from around the world), there are dozens of clubs in several leagues. Nationwide, there are now hundreds of clubs.

It has remained a largely immigrant sport, but there is a concerted effort by the United States Cricket Association to get Americans to take up the sport, just as they have soccer, once considered a “foreign” game. That effort includes getting schools to follow New York City’s example and make cricket part of the schools’ sports curriculums.

Gilbert: Can you tell us about the Lifetime Achievement Award that you received and the proclamation given to you by the Mayor of Camden.

Ewart Rouse:  The South Jersey Caribbean Cultural Organization holds an annual “heritage day” festival on the Camden waterfront, with lots of music and vendors selling ethnic foods and things Caribbean. The mayor of Camden issues proclamations recognizing the day and the recipients of various awards. In 2013, I was presented with a lifetime achievement award in recognition of my years as a journalist, teacher and my activism on behalf of the cricket community. It was quite an honor.

                                                        

Gilbert: You have four books out in your Sticky Wicket Series. Can we expect a fifth one?

Ewart Rouse: Following the mantra “write what you know,” I’m going from the cricket field to the newsroom, from humor to thriller. My next protagonist is a crusading journalist who becomes the story after he loses his moral compass and becomes involved in a number of potentially career-ending, headline-grabbing incidents.

Gilbert: What advice would you give to young people who are curious about trying their hands playing cricket.

Ewart Rouse: There’s plenty of info on this website:  USA Cricket Association http://usaca.org/

Gilbert: What advice would you give to young people who are interested in becoming writers?

Ewart Rouse: Take notes about interesting quirky people, their idiosyncrasies, their pithy quotes and vignettes. They might recognize themselves in your stories and threaten to do bad things to you if portrayed in an unflattering light. When that happens, you have your sequel.

Also read anything you get your hands on, from books and newspapers (before they go the way of the dinosaur) to labels on paint. Each contains nuggets of information that the mind will retrieve for just the right spot in your next project. Embellish them, take them to the extreme and, who knows, maybe you end up with a bestseller. Some might call you a dreamer but, hey, as the saying goes, you can’t have a dream come through if you don’t have a dream.

Gilbert: Thank you, Ewart Rouse for this interview. Too those of you out there who are interested in learning more about the game of Cricket and the men and women who love the game, pick up the Sticky Wicket Books.

The books are now on Kindle check for them here, here, here and here