Charlotte Author . . . CHERIS HODGES . . . An Old School Mix Q & A . . .

Cheris Hodges

Joseph-Beth (Charlotte, NC)

Fall 2006

from Lori's Picture Collection

The following is an interview I snagged with the talented and driven, yet humble and extremely nice Cheris Hodges. Ms. Hodges is a journalist and and author who hails from Bennettsville, South Carolina, but who currently works and resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I don't mind admitting that I'm a bit envious and in total awe of Cheris' ability to churn out one novel after another. She's written and published an impressive eight titles since 2001, the most recent, Let's Get It On (Kensington/Dafina) tumbled onto the shelves a couple of weeks ago.

Tell us about your latest novel. My latest novel, Let's Get It On, is a story that I had a lot of fun writing because I got to talk football! In this novel, fictional Wide Receiver Maurice Goings is on top of the world. His team just won the Super Bowl and he's about to get married in a lavish wedding. But his bride jilts him at the altar. Maurice and his brother James take his honeymoon at a singles resort and while he's there, Maurice runs into Kenya Taylor, the woman whos heart he broke nearly a decade ago.

Kenya doesn't want anything to do with him, but she knows that she's going to have to face him because after her vacation is over, she's moving to Charlotte, the same city Maurice lives in.

Sparks fly between the two, but is Kenya willing to give Maurice a second chance?

I know you've written and published a number of novels--eight to be exact. How are you able to be so prolific while maintaining a day job that also requires you to write? About 20 cups of coffee a day. (LOL) I love to write. I think it's just in my blood. Sometimes I'd rather be writing than hanging out with friends or going out and enjoying a lot of the nightlife in Charlotte. When I start a story, I connect with the characters and I have to finish it. I also love journalism. I used to think I was going to be a real life version of Lois Lane, but there is no Superman to save me, so I have to keep myself out of trouble.

Have you ever considered writing outside of the romance genre? If so, what other type of writing might you consider in the future?I would love to write a mystery. I've started on a few and I have a few mainstream fiction projects that I've worked on as well. My first book, Searching For Paradise, wasn't a romance and I'd like to revisit those characters.

What has been the most difficult or challenging aspect of maintaining a career as an author? With the price of gas, sky high, getting to book signings is a problem. I'd love to go all over the world and to every store that has a Cheris Hodges book, but I can't.

Who do you read? Or, do you even have time to read? I love Phillip Margolin. He writes legal thrillers. Brenda Jackson is another of my favorites. I have to make time to read because the more you read, the better writer you become.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you think new writers/authors make? I think the biggest mistake we make is, we think once the book is on the shelves, the work is over. It's just beginning when your book is in stores among thousands of others.

What one/single picece of writing and/or marketing advice has helped you the most? Never give up. I got a lot of no's before I heard one yes. I took all of that rejection in stride and promised myself that I would do everything I could to sell books.

Are you working on anything new? If so, are you at liberty to share? My next book, More Than He Can Handle, will be out in February. Here's what the back cover says:

HE'S ONE MISTAKE SHE PLANS TO FORGET

As maid-of-honor to a friend who's gone Bridezilla, Winfred "Freddie" Barker is dealing with minute-to-minute drama from her crazy-extravagant wedding. So when the ceremony is over and the reception starts heating up, Freddie blows off steam with a little champagne--and a lot of the best man, Cleveland Alexander. It was definitely going to be just a one-night fling, 'cause no woman in her right mind would fall for that man's arrogant, self-centered self, no matter how caramel-fine he is . . .

SHE'S THE ONE WOMAN HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

As a hard-core bachelor, Cleveland Alexander was strictly all about beddin' and forgettin'. And the only reason he let Ms. Winfred Barker call his bluff was to put her stuck-up attitude in check. But once he sees how complicated and caring she really is, he'll do anything to help solve her problems--and convince her that the love between this is a lifetime of real . . .

I have to thank one of my readers and friends, Louise Brown for inspiring me to write about Cleveland Alexander. His brother, Darren, was a character in my novel, The Business of Love.

Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about you? If I could have anything in the world, it would be a 1967 Mustang Fastback, baby blue.

Thanks Cheris for taking time out of your busy schedule in order to answer a few questions in the Old School Mix. As hard as you work, something tells me you may be closer to that baby blue Mustang than you think (smile).

The following is a list of Cheris' other titles: Searching for Paradise (2001); Revelations (2003); Cautious Heart (2004, reissued in 2008); A Love of Her Own (2005); Second Chances At Love (2006); The Business of Love (2006); Just Can't Get Enough (2007) and Let's Get It On (August 2008).

If you' like to read more about Cheris or read excerpts of her work, visit her web site: http://www.cherishodges.com/

DEBUT AUTHOR . . . IN THE SPOTLIGHT . . .

"Debut author Lori Johnson spent the first seventeen years of her life as a "military brat." Even though she has lived in a total of eight different cites/communities in the U.S. and one abroad (Wiesbaden Germany) . . .

(click here to read the rest of the article)

Recently, I was honored when the kind ladies of The Page Turners Book Club (representing Bridgeport/New Haven/Hartford ) invited me to be their very first spotlight author. After a brief introduction, I took a shot at answering four different questions, among them: "What is the biggest misconception about your work?" If you like to read my response, I invite you to click on the highlighted link above.

I learned about The Page Turners Book Club while visiting author Shelia Goss's blog. If you've never visited Shelia's blog, I strongly encourage you to do so. Her current post, deals with recent cancellation of the "Girlfriends" series. Over the past week or so, Shelia's written a nice recap of the recent Grammy Awards and invited folks to join her in listing some of their favorite slow jams. Shelia is also quite generous when it comes to sharing her obviously extensive collection of beef-cake pics (if you're looking for a peek, go to the end of the link *LOL*). Hey, just because a sister is happily married (I'm talking about myself, here), doesn't mean she's on some sort of visual lockdown (smile).

Anyway, Shelia is the author of several books. Two of them, My Invisible Husband (2007) and Roses are Thorns, Violets are True (2008) have been Page Turners Book Club "book" of the month" selections.

If you know of any interesting book clubs in your area, or belong to one, please feel free to mention them here. Also, any comments or questions about the spotlight piece are welcome.

PART II: A FEW THINGS THAT KINDA OF GREW ON ME IN 2007 . . . (Literature)

Pearl Cleage's I Wish I Had A Red Dress

Make no mistake, I was reading this author's work long before she received the Oprah Winfrey stamp of approval and subsequently found herself being catapulted onto an even larger stage and before an even bigger audience.

Yeah, I probably first took note of Pearl Cleage's work via the essays/articles she used to write for Essence Magazine. Years ago, when I worked at the Memphis/Shelby County Public Library, had access to books galore, plus the free time necessary to read them, I devoured a couple of Ms. Cleage's books--Mad At Miles: A Black Woman's Guide To The Truth and Deals With The Devil And Other Reasons To Riot among them. I was drawn to and shared sister Pearl's, down-home, common sense, "Black womanist" perspective and approach to life. Of course, I later read and loved What Looks Like Crazy On An Ordinary Day well before Opie's people, the critics and all the other folks in the know "discovered" it.

So, I figured it would be more of the same when I first picked up I Wish I Had A Red Dress, which originally came out in 2001. I'm not exactly sure when I purchased the book , but it was years ago and at a library book sale, if I'm not mistaken. I do recall rushing home with it and diving right in, fully anticipating and expecting the thought-provoking enjoyment her work had brought me on every other occasion.

On that first attempt, I think I might have read all of 3 chapters, a total of 10 pages before I tossed the book, scratched my head and said, "Well, I don't know, Ms. Pearl. I am not feeling this at all. What's up with the Sewing Circle or rather Circus? Isn't that something tired, old ladies do? And, no, you did not start Chapter Two with an, umm, Good Lord, a 'self-pleasuring' sence? What the heck was that all about?!" (LOL)

Ever so often in the years afterward, I'd pluck the book from the shelves, flip through it and put it back. But something about that cover (the one with woman in a swirling red dress) and that title kept calling me back. So near the end of last year, I grabbed the book again and said, "I'll be dag if I don't at least get to Chapter 4." Lo and behold, I don't know what happened, but I couldn't put the durn thing down.

I fell in love with the book, the characters and all of the words of wisdom Ms. Pearl so expertly and strategically scattered throughout the story. After I finished reading, I went back with a pencil and just started underlining passages, among them, the one that's become my own personal mantra, particularly when I start to doubt or question myself, is: "What would a free woman do?" Don't you absolutely, positively love that?!!

Basically, the story centers around a young widowed and lonely social worker, who serves as a guide and a mentor to a group of lost and/or struggling, teenage girls and their babies. When the widow, Joyce Mitchell, is introduced by her best friend, who just so happens to be a minister, to a tall, dark stranger named Nate Anderson, of course sparks start flying all over the place. But before Joyce and Nate can properly hook up and do their own private little thing, they have to help the young ladies of Joyce's 'Sewing Circus' work out their issues with self-esteem, bad baby daddies and the like. At the same time, Joyce also has to work out her own unresolved issues with trust and grief. Some of my favorite characters in the book were "The Smitherman Twins" who reminded me of the loveable, old sisters from "Having Our Say."

Anyway, some of the other passsages I underlined in my copy of I Wish I Had A Red Dress include:

1) ". . . I don't think a group of people can survive if the women don't even have enough sense to raise their children."

2) "I'm a big fan of stating your intentions up front and clearly as possible. Saves a lot of confusion and wasted time later . . ."

3) "I think that for some men, using the word "free" and "woman" so close together seems such an obvious oxymoron that they assume it must be the setup for a funny story."

4) "The advantage of faith in moments of crisis and transition is that when the rest of us find ourselves swimming in guilt, fear, confusion and second-guessing, the true believer simply goes with the flow."

5) "If I could pick, I'd probably choose this one all over again, even though being black and female in a place that doesn't bring a whole lot of love to either group is probably not the most luxe life I could come up with."

6) "Is 'her p*$$y curves to my d!#k' really a compliment? And how can he tell, since it's a known fact that a vagina can snugly accommodate everything from a junior tampon to a baby's head . . ."

7) "Sister believes that the beginning of wisdom is to call all things by their proper names, so she's a fiend for the conscious use of language."

There were others, of course, but seven is always a good place to stop (smile). In any case, I recommend you pick up a copy of the book and see if you aren't moved to underline a few of your own favorite passages.

So again, to those of you who feel like sharing, have you ever had a similar experience with a book? You started out not being able to 'get into it,' but something happened. Time, perhaps? Your own personal growth? Life experiences? And blam! You picked up that very same book, months, even years later and you couldn't put it down? Tell us about it.

AN OLD SCHOOL MIX Q & A WITH . . . SHELIA LIPSEY . . .

Shelia Lipsey is the author of Into Each Life (Jan. 2007) and SinSatiable (Aug. 2007). Both novels are part of Kensington's "Urban Christian" imprint.

Ms. Lipsey is someone I've never actually met in person. I think I first encountered her name via my visits to Blogging In Black. Upon discovering her ties to my hometown (Memphis) and her involvement in a church my parents have long attended (Cummings Street Missionary Baptist), I contacted her by email. She not only reponded, but was nice enough to provide me with her replies to the following Q & A.

1) What exactly is Urban Christian? In my opinion, Urban Christian is the kind of story-telling that doesn't dress up the sins of our people. . . Urban Chrisitian stays true to the word of God, but we tell about the real people, the real things that happen in their lives. We tell how God can bring the ugliness, most vile problem and situation in a person's life and turn it around.

2) Describe your approach to writing. Do you start with a character? An event? A situation? My approach to writing is quite simple. God gives me a title, I enter it into the mounting titles he's already given me and I save them . . . God places on my mind which one he wants me to write about. I have no idea what the story will be about, how it will end, who the characters are, basically nothing whatsoever about what I'm going to write. But I've learned not to worry . . . because when my hands touch the keyboard, the Holy Spirit begins to flow and the thought, situations, plots and characters come to life. I scream, shout, sing and sometimes faint when I find out the things they do (for real).

3) Do you maintain a writing schedule? Lately, I have to admit that I have been trying to maintain a writing schedule. But it really doesn't work well for me because I spend more time editing, proofing, typesetting and assisting other potential clients . . .which is why I always try to stay one book ahead of my publisher. For instance, when I signed a second contract with Urban Books, I had already finished the book that is required for the first book in the new book deal.

4) Are there any books on the craft of writing that you've found particularly useful? Books on punctuation, grammar usage and sentence structure are excellent books to keep in your library.

5) Do you have an agent? No, I don't have an agent. I followed the submission guidelines of the publisher which is always important and necessary to do. In a few months my phone rang and bingo, bango, I was offered a two book deal. Look at God!

6) List some of your favorite writers. Carl Weber, J. California Cooper, Lacricia A. Peters, Vanessa Davis Griggs, Jacquelin Thomas, Victoria Murray, Tiffiny Warren and Alisha Yvonne. Also, I can't leave out my fellow outstanding writers and friends in Christ: The Urban Christian Authors are out of this world! I'm humbled to be part of this God-inspired imprint.

7) Which writers (living or dead) have had the biggest impact on how you write? I must honestly say I believe I have developed my own style, my own voice given to me by God All Mighty. Therefore, it is like no others and I thank God for that.

8) What do you regard as your biggest mistake, thus far, as it pertains to writing? Not starting early enough. I wish I had started in my early teens or twenties.

9) Why do you write? God placed the desire in my heart and deep within my spirit. After He saw that I didn't have sense enough to realize my gift, he orchestrated events in my life that weren't so pleasant, but they did the job and awoke me to my true gift.

10) What's been most effective for you publicity-wise? I'd like to know the answer to that myself. All I can say is that I use bookmarks, flyers, posters. I contact stores, people I know, churches, family and friends to help promote my books. I also take advantage of my publisher who helps arrange various events. And I do online advertising through places like Sormag, Mosaic and AALBC and I tell everyone I run across that I've written a book.

11) What are some of the mistakes new authors are apt to make when it comes to marketing and publicity? Not realizing the importance of it. Sometimes they're (so busy) glorifying the fact that they're an author, they don't understand now the real job starts, which is getting someone to buy your book.

12) Is there anything in particular you'd like to share about yourself or your work? I'd like to beg, please, pretty please with sugar on top, ask you and anyone else out there to purchase copies of Into Each Life and Sinsatiable. They are sold nationwide, even at Wal-mart. Now if you can't find it at Wal-mart, you can go online at Amazon.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, the Borders Stores, Waldenbooks, African American bookstores . . . In essence, there is no excuse for you, your buddies, friends, ex-friends . . . and anyone you pass on the street not to have at least ten or twelve copies of Into Each Life and Sinsatiable in their hands.

For more information about Shelia Lipsey and her novels visit her website at http://www.shelialipsey.com/

ALICE FAYE DUNCAN . . . THE MEMPHIS QUEEN OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE . . .

When it comes to adult fiction, I have a hard time narrowing my list of favorite authors to just one. But if asked to name MY FAVORITE CHILDREN'S AUTHOR, without hesitation, I can say, there is only one, ALICE FAYE DUNCAN.

It seems like I've been knowing Alice Faye forever. Our paths first crossed in Memphis, back in the early 90's. Not only were we both members of a writing workshop, led by another Memphis born scribe, Arthur Flowers, we also worked for the same employer, the Memphis/Shelby County Library.

I count myself as one of the proud eyewitnesses of Alice's skillful leap from the ranks of the unpublished to the published. If I'm not mistaken, she was the first of our (now, long defunct) writing group to accomplish the feat in the form of a hardcover title.

In the years since, Alice has published a total of five children's books and earned a number of honors and accolades in the process. Through it all, she has somehow managed to remain both gracious and humble, and as one of the Bluff City's literary shining stars, has largely used her time in the spotlight to illuminate the lives of common, "everyday" folk.

For me, the titles of her books alone--Willie Jerome, Miss Viola and Uncle Ed Lee (my personal favorite) and Honey, Baby, Sugar Child, to name a few--reflect a soulful and loving embrace of all that is uniquely Southern and Black. Whether the topic be civil rights, jazz, love and friendship, parenthood and/or faith Alice Faye has a special knack for "giving us (common folks) back to ourselves" is what I like to say. The poetic language of her work renders it an experience that, by right, ought be shared and read aloud.

Anyone interested in starting a collection of children's books, taking a trip down memory lane or just making a young child smile would be well advised to check out some, if not all, of Alice's titles. What follows is a list of her books and her well-deserved awards. If you're interested in learning more about Alice Faye Duncan or contacting her, visit her website at www.alicefayeduncan.com/

BOOKS(Alice Faye Duncan)

1995 - The National Civil Rights Museum Celebrates Everyday People (BridgeWater Books) 1995 - Willie Jerome (Macmillan) 1999 - Miss Viola and Uncle Lee (Atheneum) 2005 - Honey Baby Sugar Child (Simon & Schuster) 2005 - Christmas Soup (with Phyllis Dooley) (Zonderkids)

HONORS (Alice Faye Duncan) 1995 - Reading Rainbow Award (Willie Jerome) 1996 - Best Book in Social Studies for Children (Everyday People) 1996 - Gold Medal in Nonfiction for Children, National Association of Parenting Publications 2006 - NAACP Image Award Nomination (Honey Baby Sugar Child)

DWIGHT FRYER: A LEGEND IN THE MAKING . . . PART II

Dwight Fryer

Memphis, 2005

from

Lori's Pic Collection

The following is the second half of a two-part Q & A with Dwight Fryer, NAACP Image Award nominee and author of The Legend of Quito Road.

Q: Before you were published, I understand that you attended a number of different writing conferences and workshops. Why? And could you name a few?

A: Actually, that's been one of the things I think that has been foundational to the level of success I've achieved, so far. I always sought out venues where I could learn about my writing craft . . . Where I could learn how to handle myself as a writer and what I should be doing every day . . ."

The first conference I attended was the Memphis Black Writers's Conference. I also went to the Oxford Conference For The Book. It's an hour drive from Memphis (Oxford, Mississippi) . . . and it's a very literary conference. From there I attended the Hurston/Wright Writers Week as well as the Iowa Summer Writing Festival, where I took a week long advanced writing class. By the time I went to those two, I had completed the book and rewritten it several times . . . I kept going to those type of conferences. Even after I received my book deal, I went to Napa Valley Writers' Conference in St. Helena, California.

Q: Tell me about your involvement with the Memphis Romance Writers of America.

A: When I started writing, I was looking for venues to learn how to write and I joined a romance writers' group here in Memphis, Tennessee called the River City Romance Writers. Once a month, I'd go out to Germantown Library (in the suburbs of Memphis) with 10 or 15 little ladies. We'd sit around and talk about writing and teach each other about craft. I learned so much from them. They were wonderful to me. They were writing romance and I was writing this decadent tale about a 13-year old boy . . . "

Q: Are there any books on the craft of writing that you've found particularly useful?

A: I found a great deal of help in a book called, Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon. I also truly enjoyed and grew greatly from a book called The First Five Words by Noah Lukeman. There was another book that was just written in beautiful language called Writing Down The Bones (Natalie Goldberg ) and it was just a wonderful expose about life as a writer and how it is important to take your craft seriously, but not too seriously to the point that you become so critical that you won't write.

On the business side of writing, two of the books that were most instrumental to me were The Idiots Guide To Getting Published. I used to fall asleep with it at night. I bet I read that book completely, probably, ten times. I also read Jeff Herman's book, How To Write A Winning Book Proposal. Both of those books helped me tremendously in learning how to approach a publishing professional and what to expect and what not to expect.

Q: Who are some of the writers you admire?

A: I really admire John Edgar Wideman . . . Reading some of his writings helped me love books even more. I also really admire two people I met at the Hurston/Wright Writers' Week, Dr. Jeffrey Allen, the novelist who wrote Rails Under My Back and Mat Johnson, who won the Hurston/Wright Literary Award for his novel, Hunting In Harlem.

My former next door neighbor was Rosalyn McMillan (author of The Flip Side Of Eternity and Knowing, among others) and she helped me a good bit over the years by giving me literary tips on how to structure my book and what to look out for in doing business with the publishing world. I admire Marita Golden (author of After and Don't Play In The Sun, among others) who started the Hurston/Wright Foundation . . . and is a great writer. I received a lot of encouragement from her at the Hurston/Wright Writers' Week of 2004.

Q: What's the best advice you received as a new writer and that you'd like to pass along? A: One thing I heard Michael Garret, a novelist who taught continuing ed writing classes at the University of Memphis say was, writer's write, whether you're published, whether you've ever sold anything, whether you have an agent or don't have an agent, writers write. If you are a writer, identify yourself as a writer and even if no one else believes in you, you are a writer.

Writers are most creative when they think of reasons not to write. So, you have to write regardless of what's going on in your life. When my child died, I wrote. When I was on chemo, I wrote. On days I was too blue to notice that the sun was shining outside, I wrote.

* * *

If you have any questions you'd like to ask Dwight Fryer, feel free to leave them in the OSM's comments section and (for a limited period of time) I'll pass them onto him. Also, if you're interested in learning more about the author and his work, visit his website HERE.

The theme for this year's NAACP Image Awards Show is "Youth Create Change." If you'd like to see if Dwight wins this year's award for Outstanding Literary Work From A Debut Author, the show will air live on Friday, March 2, 2007, 8:00-10:00 ET on the Fox network.

DWIGHT FRYER: A LEGEND IN THE MAKING . . . PART I

On first glance, Dwight Fryer reminds you of the smart, but mischievous kid who sat behind you in class. You know, the one with the big grin and the twinkle in the eyes, who, as soon as you weren't looking, reached over and tugged on your ponytail or else playfully thumped you upside the head? But when you turned to confront him, he shrugged and issued you one of those, "What? Who me?" looks.

Make no mistake though, Fryer is man who is all about business, especially when it comes to the art and craft of writing. His first book, The Legend of Quito Road, recently earned him an NAACP Image Award nomination in the category of "Outstanding Literary Works From A Debut Author."

Dwight and I are both writers with strong ties to the South and specifically, Memphis, Tennessee, where Dwight and his family still currently reside. We first met there in 2005 after being introduced, via the internet, by a mutual friend and fellow scribe (big shout-out to Sharon J.). But while I was born in the Big M Town and consider myself a product of it's grittier, more urban terrain, Dwight actually hails from Grand Junction, a small rural town in west Tennessee.

In my opinion, Dwight's unique ability to tap into his southern, Black rural roots are what give his work that special "umpf" quality and helps distinguish him from the "same ole same" of today's Urban Lit crowd. In the short time that I've known Dwight, I've come to admire his drive, his tenacity, his dedication to craft and his willingness to share what he's learned with others.

If you're interested in learning more about Dwight Fryer, author of The Legend of Quito Road and 2007 NAACP Image Award nominee, I invite you to start with the following Q & A.

Q: Your book, The Legend of Quito Road, what's it about? A: The book is a story about a 13-year-old country boy named Son Erby whose religious daddy showed him how to make moonshine. It's a southern tale set in the 1930's, at the height of the depression and near the end of prohibition. The main theme of the book is that "the worst things wrong with most of us were planted by those who loved us best."

Q: Is there really a Quito Road? If so, where is it? A: Yes, it's in south Tipton County, about 30 minutes northwest of Memphis. When I started writing this book, I was living up near that area.

Q: How long did it take you to write The Legend of Quito Road? A: I wrote the first words to this book on a Sunday afternoon in late July in 1998. I was at a writing class in a Barnes & Noble in Wichita Kansas. It took me 4 and 1/2 years. I finished it at Christmas in 2002; it was my Christmas gift to myself.

Q: Wow, 4 years is a long time! Did you ever consider giving up? A: I considered giving up a whole lot of times. Number one thing, writing a novel and pushing through just to complete it is an enormous task. I laugh a lot of times because I'm glad I didn't know how much work it was when I started it, because I'm afraid I wouldn't have . . .

Also, I had so many unique things happen to me after I started writing this book. I began writing the book in July of 1998. In August, I accepted a call to the Ministry. In September, I lost my job and two days later found out I had colon cancer and needed radical surgery and chemotherapy.

So, through all of that and even 2 years later when my youngest child died suddenly of meningitis, I kept writing this novel.

Q: Your perserverance in the face of so much is both humbling and truly amazing. Even now, I know you wear a lot of different hats--author, minister, motivational speaker and manger for a global transportation company. Being that you're also a husband and father, I assume, you have some semblance of a life away from work (smile). How do you find time to write? A: I'm an old guy and I don't need much sleep. So, I'm in bed most nights by 9:00-9:30 and I'm up the next morning by 4:30. I write for a couple of hours before I get ready for work. On Saturday mornings, I get up about 6:00 am and I write. So, if it's important to you, you'll fit it in. And you don't need that much time if you know how to structure yourself . . . All you have have to do is think, 'what am I going to write today?' and look at that part of your outline and write it.

Q: Since you brought up being "an old guy" (your words, not mine *smile*)what's your take on being an older writer? A: Your life experiences, to me, kind of begin to come together between 35 and 50. For me, life is really coming together as I approach 50. When I first started thinking about this book, 16 years ago, I was in my early 30's. This would have been a very different book from a much angrier young man had I written it then.

STAY TUNED FOR PART II OF THE OSM'S Q & A WITH DWIGHT FRYER