Meet Donna Asastasi, author of 'Spin the Plate'

 

Author Donna Anastasi delivers an off-beat love story in “Spin the Plate,” a newly expanded and reissued ebook available at Amazon and other retailers. In the novel, she deals with child abuse and damaged lives through Jo and Frances. Jo has dealt with her horrifying childhood by building physical strength and careful emotional detachment from human social intercourse. She rescues abused humans and abandoned animals; she uses her strength to fight bullies; she works as a tattoo artist. Frances is a gentle soul who wants nothing from Jo but her heart and he sets out to win it. 

Join me for an interview with Anastasi as part of Walker Author Tours.

Where did you get the idea for the story?

“It came to me one day as I was driving my daily 65 mile commute across the width of New Hampshire. It was like remembering a movie I’d just seen. The main characters, Jo’s flashback and her story just hit me in crashing waves. It was a pretty amazing experience, the first one of that kind I’d ever had.”

What is your greatest writing challenge?

“Child abuse and post-traumatic stress syndrome are such sensitive topics, so I needed to proceed cautiously and strike a balance between realism and not being overly sentimental or dramatic.”

What do you find most rewarding in writing a book?

“The many posts I’ve received from readers on how it’s moved them forward life journey. Plus winning the Living Now gold medal award was a huge honor.”

Tell us about your previous work.

“I wrote two books on animal care – ‘The Complete Guide to Gerbil Care’ and ‘The Complete Guide to Chinchilla Care.’ I just completed another ‘gritty Christian fiction’ work, a short story entitled ‘In God’s Name’ available free from Smashwords.”

What other projects do you have coming up?

“Another small-animal book called ‘Gerbil Agility: Yes, they can.’”

Do you write full time?

“No, I don’t write full time. I’m an interaction designer. I make on-line applications easy to use and improve the user experience. Design is a very interactive process requiring a lot of feedback and revision, plus a thick skin. The focus has to be on improving the end-product and making it right for your audience. These skills help in writing as well.”

What is your writing process like--do you outline first or just start writing, etc.?

“The book was originally a short story that came to me all at once. I wrote it down in about two week. Then I thought, ‘these characters are such interesting people, why not tell the whole story.’ Writing fiction is extremely difficult. So, I had many authors, editors, and avid-readers help me to expand it to a full-length novel, which took four years.”

Do you work with a writing group or mentor? Why or why not? If you do, what do you get out of it?

“My husband has had four books published and has won several playwriting awards – he helped me with the dialogue – plus several friends and relatives helped by writing down their stories which I wrote the characters into. This style of writing, which I term ‘mosaic,’ results in a very realistic portrayal of events because of the details know only to those with first-hand experience.”

What have you done to develop your writing craft?

“Write and rewrite. And then rewrite again. I seek out feedback from a wide variety of people and truly see and treat honest reviews and all feedback as a gift.”

What was the hardest part: writing the book, getting it published, or marketing it? Why?

“Marketing, because that is the area where the author has the least control. There are so many good books in the Contemporary Fiction, Christian, and Romance categories – readers have many choices, and getting the word out has been tough, but that’s why I’m doing things like this. “

What have been your most successful marketing techniques?

“Getting good reviews – especially from Amazon.com, entering contests, offering a free e-book version, doing giveaways and virtual tours.”

Who is your favorite author of all time, and why?

“C.S. Lewis. I like that he can describe very complex ideas simply, that he writes both fiction and non fiction, and writes on the topic of theology. He draws you right in with characters and storyline and is neither sentimental or pessimistic.”

If you could travel to anywhere in the world, where would it be, and with whom?

“I’ve been to Europe twice - once on my honeymoon and once with our children – I’d love to go back. My favorite way to travel is to stay with people who live in the country and have them show me around.”

If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?

“Probably sample everything on the menu from my favorite Chinese restaurant and have it with diet coke. I’d eat it on a paper plate because I always enjoy my meals most when I know I don’ t have to do the dishes afterwards.”

Is your family supportive of what you do?

“Yes – though I’m missed when I go away on my weekend writing jaunts.”

Do you find it hard to share your work with others?

“No, I love people to read what I write. Though I like to wait until I’ve completed a full draft of my work before I have anyone review it. Once I’ve done this initial writing, it is exciting for me to see how other people can make it better and take it places I hadn’t imagined.”

What is your opinion on people who post bad reviews?

“Good or bad I consider every thoughtfully written review as a gift. Michy Devon wrote an insightful three star review of my book that shaped a re-write. I acknowledged and thanked her at the end of the novel.”

Are you an independent writer, or are you represented by an agent? How does this work out for you, especially if you have done it both ways?

“I’ve never had agent representation, yet, but have gone down all the publishing routes. Traditional publisher, Indie/small press, and self-publish. There are pros and cons to each. The traditional publisher gives you a wider distribution, but less control over content and revision. The indie publisher has limited distribution and in my case a limited time period for “ownership” of the book rights which then reverted back to me. With self publishing you have some distribution, as well, Create Space and Smashwords channels are starting to rival what the indie publishers offer. But you have to be able to figure out lots of things on your own (or hire someone), e.g., book cover layout and design and formatting the ebook content.”

Tell us a little about yourself as a person. Hobbies? Pets? Family?

“I love all things small and furry. My favorite thing in the world is to take a road trip with my gerbils and then show them off and educate the public. I just supported the World of Pets Expo in MD and did a gerbil agility training exhibit. It was a big hit; one little boy hung out at my booth for hours until I finally had him join me inside and set up jumps for the gerbils. We got one to do 11 obstacles in a row.”

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into Anastasi’s life. We’ll have an excerpt from the book on March 20 as the next part of Walker Author Tours!

 

Clea Simon Proves Intriguing with 'Parrots Prove Deadly'

Clea Simon relates to animals; that's clear when one reads "Parrots Prove Deadly." As a result, her protagonist Pru Marlowe relates to them as well. Actually, Marlowe does more than relate to them. She hears them psychically and can, on occasion, carry on quite detailed if somewhat erratic silent conversations with them.

Marlowe's skill can lead to complicated situations, such as when an old woman's African gray parrot starts squawking some deadly sounding statements after the woman dies. The poor bird needs a new home, but he isn;t likely to get one with his current vocabulary. Marlowe, an animal behaviorist, gets the call to rehabilitate the bird and finds herself in the middle of a possible conspiracy.

Read more of my review of "Parrots Prove Deadly" here.

A wealth of reading awaits in 'Harvest of Rubies' by Tessa Afshar

Author Tessa Afshar whisks readers into the Persian Empire a generation after the lifetime of Esther to weave a story of intrigue and romance. “Harvest of Rubies” takes us into the royal court alongside Sarah, a young Jewish woman who possesses great skill as a scribe. Her cousin Nehemiah (yes, the wall-building Nehemiah) helps her to find a position as Senior Scribe to Damaspia, the queen of Persia and wife of Artaxerxes. Sarah serves the queen but finds herself far beyond the depth of her social skills as she moves among the Persian nobility.

Read more of this review here.

Milt Toby brings the world of horses to the world at large

Meet author Milt Toby, the storyteller behind Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky and other stories of the best examples of equine excellence. His disarming style and clear descriptions lead to books about horses that you don't have to be a horse expert to enjoy.

 

Tell us about your book.

Noor is the best Thoroughbred no one remembers.  He was owned by Charles S. Howard, who is most famous as Seabiscuit’s owner, but in 1950 Noor was as good as any horse, anywhere.  He defeated Citation four times in California that year, set three world records in the process, and would have been Horse of the Year if the voting had taken place after the Hollywood Gold Cup rather than before the race. Noor died after a mediocre career at stud, and he was buried in an unmarked grave on a Northern California farm.  No one gave the horse another thought until a few years ago, when commercial development threatened the farm.   

An avid race fan named Charlotte Farmer wanted Noor’s memory preserved and she spearheaded a campaign to locate the horse’s grave, exhume the remains, and ship them to Kentucky for reburial.  Noor now lies at Old Friends, a Thoroughbred retirement farm a few miles from my house.  Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky is Noor’s story, and Charlotte’s.

Where can we find out more about you and buy your book?

My website is www.miltonctoby.com, where readers can find biographical information, read excerpts from my most recent books about Noor and Dancer’s Image, and order signed copies.

What steps have you taken to succeed at your craft?

I read; I try and write something every day, which sometimes means looking for writing opportunities beyond an ongoing project; I attend as many writing conferences as I can; I try and arrange speaking opportunities, either about my books or about the business of writing, whenever possible; I joined Toastmasters to sharpen my speaking and presentation skills.

Did your writing career come from just a need to express yourself or a particular experience you had?

Many writers say they write because they can’t imagine not writing, that they are driven to the task.  I’m not wired that way.  I write because I’m curious about things, which leads to research (often a lot of it), which leads to a desire to share what I’ve learned with other people.  I enjoy the process, but if I knew that no one would read what I was writing, I’d stop writing.  Nothing is more satisfying than having a reader say to you: “I never knew that before.”  Well, maybe winning a national award or two is at least as good.   

Do movies inspire you and if so, which ones?

Not really, although I do like movies as entertainment and as a break from other work.

What audience do you prefer writing to, and why?

The quick answer is anybody who’s willing to put down hard cash to buy my books.

The real answer is more complicated.  Since I write non-fiction about horse racing, my core audience is people who are familiar with the sport and who want to learn more about a horse or an event that they already know something about.  Writing about horses for readers who are horse people is easier in one sense, because you don’t have to explain everything.  My real goal, though, is to write about horses and racing in a way that will attract both avid horse enthusiasts and readers who have little interest in the subject.  That’s why Laura Hillenbrand’s Seabiscuit was so successful.  It’s as much about the people and the era as about the horse.  I tried to break free from the “horse book” genre with Dancer’s Image and Noor, and I think I was successful at that,  up to a point.

What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

At the moment, I’m reading a mix of fiction and non-fiction.  I also like books on tape when I’m driving.  I’ve been listening to David McCullough’s The Path between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914, with John Sanford’s Virgil Flowers novel Mad River on deck.

I’ve been most successful at selling non-fiction, so that’s what I’m spending most of time writing.  I enjoy the research, I’m pretty good at it, and I like the challenge of crafting a story from facts, without the freedom to make things up.  Having said that, I’ve got a couple of completed novels sitting on the shelf and I’d like to find a home for them.

What is your opinion on indie publishers versus self-publishing?

I’ve never really considered self-publishing as a viable option.  Not that I’m knocking writers who take that route to publication.  I have several friends who swear by self-publishing and wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m glad it’s working for them, but self-publishing is not a business model that interests me.  Writing a good book is difficult enough without having to learn an entirely new set of skills to become a publisher.  I’ve been lucky enough to work with established publishers for all of my books—Eclipse Press initially, The History Press more recently.

How did you get started on your writing career?

I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Animal Science and I needed a job.  I contacted several newspapers and asked if they were interested in hiring a reporter with no journalism experience or training.  As luck would have it, a small newspaper in Aiken, South Carolina, decided to take a chance.  Aiken is an important winter training center for Thoroughbreds, and the editor told me that it would be easier to teach a person with horse experience (me) about writing than it would be to teach a writer about the horse industry. 

Have you ever had a moment that you felt like quitting writing? Why?

Almost every day.  Writing—if you try to do it well, anyway—is very difficult.  Sports writer Red Smith (or maybe novelist Paul Gallico, there‘s some question about that) said that writing is easy.  “You simply sit down at the typewriter, open your veins, and bleed.”  I feel like that a lot.  For me, a book project typically takes at least a year or more, and staying interested in an idea for that long can be a struggle.

Do you think that the future is ebook or print?

It probably sounds as if I’m trying to evade the question, but I think both (along with who knows what other new technology) will be around for a long time. 

I like ebooks for all the reasons everyone gives: I can hear a good review on NPR, download the book, and start reading in seconds; my Kindle is far easier to carry around than a stack of books; they’re generally cheaper; and ebook technology has allowed a huge number of writers into the game. 

But I love print books because they’re what I grew up reading.  And my Kindle never will be able to duplicate the feel of a real book.

Where have you had the most success in selling your work?

The Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning and the local farmer’s market initiated a program a couple of years ago called “Home Grown Authors.”  Every Saturday during the spring and summer, a two local authors share a table at the farmer’s market in downtown Lexington, Kentucky.  One of the best days I’ve had selling at an event was the day I shared a table with a well-known author of cookbooks.  She brought a spread of dishes the likes of which you wouldn’t expect to see outside a first-class restaurant, and people were lined up for a block.  A few of those people wandered over to my side of the table and bought books.  Never underestimate the power of food!

Tina Whittle offers ideas for gift-giving books

Author Tina Whittle is making a list and checking it twice...

Tina Whittle (far left) moderates panel at Left Coast Crime conference

I forgive Whittle for being Georgian (sorry, Tina. I couldn't resist), since she writes such wonderful mysteries. In her upcoming blog, she's taking some of the mystery out of giving books as gifts. Her Book Happy Blog Hop will provide a variety of suggestions for  books. Check them out for great ideas. While you're there, you can subscribe to her blog, too.

Don't forget Whittle's own Tai Randolph mysteries, "The Dangerous Edge of Things" and "Darker Than Any Shadow." And you'll find reviews of many great books in a number of genres right here!

And now a word from our sponsor, ME! My story, "Little Miss Sasquatch," begins on page 244 of "Not Your Mother's Book on Being a Stupid Kid." The book is available in both print and electronic form, and (IMHO) makes a great Christmas gift for anyone who enjoys hilarious adventures. I thought I was a stupid kid, but I'm discovering as I read that I'm not the only one out there! Somehow we all survived, so I guess stupidity isn't a terminal condition. Even better, the book is part of a riotous series of books on a number of subjects.

By the way, the publishers are looking for stories for other anthologies, so check out the topics and tell them your story!

Come into the world of horse racing with 'Noor' by Milton Toby

  Race horse owner Charles Howard didn’t stop racing horses with his famous Seabiscuit. Among the residents of his stable, one could find other racing royalty. The story of one of those horses comes out of the shadows in “Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky” by Milton C. Toby.

 

Noor (short for Kohinoor, named after the supposedly cursed diamond) proved to be an impressive purchase for Howard, defeating two Triple Crown winners in his career (Citation and Assault) in the course of his many wins. Toby takes us through the horse’s career in the mid-20^th century, sharing his victories and trials as Noor struggles in the press for the respect he has earned on the track. 

This is not just book about a horse. It tells about the inside politics of racing and how a great horse can miss the stature he deserves because he is a West Coast horse and not the media darling. Noor’s death in 1974 received almost no press outside of racing periodicals.

The second part of the book deals with what happened to Noor in the 21^st century and how he captured the heart and imagination of a woman who would not let Noor’s final resting place fall into obscurity because real estate development. Charlotte Farmer’s campaign to secure a dignified and accessible grave for the valiant horse is a story of courage and dedication. 

Toby has written an engaging book. He knows racing, and has been writing about it for decades with books such as "Dancer's Image" and "Ruffian." His gift for storytelling brings the reader into the world of thoroughbreds and the people who own them. He explains the terminology and activities in such a way that a racing enthusiast will appreciate the story and a story lover will enjoy the racing. Yet this is not a textbook. Toby doesn’t lecture about racing; he just doesn’t assume that everyone knows every aspect. He provides a context that lets readers understand what’s happening and appreciate the significance.

The book works on several levels. It is an exciting book about racing, of course. But within the pages, readers will come to understand more about Charles Howard as a human being, about horse personalities, and about a woman with a dream and an iron will who is as great a champion as the horse she strove to honor. 

The little publicized story of Noor and of his place in racing history deserves a film as big as Seabiscuit’s. Charlotte Farmer makes an endearing heroine as she finds a home for Noor’s remains. This book is a winner!

“Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky”

Written by Milton C. Toby

Published by The History Press

ISBN-10: 1609495616

ISBN-13: 978-1609495619

Disclosure: This review is based on a review copy of the book provided by Walked Author Tours. No constraints were placed upon the review. All opinions are my own.