Troy Lee Henderson

Troy Lee Henderson was born and raised in Warsaw, Indiana. After earning a degree in fisheries biology from Ball State University in 1986, he moved to Miami, Florida where he has worked on a tropical fish farm since 1987. He has had an interest in writing since grade school, pursuing it mainly as a hobby. He has published several articles along the way and made contributions to various club newsletters. His other interests include gardening, sailing, hiking, and a host of other outdoor activities. He currently resides in Palmetto Bay, Florida with his wife Roxanne, cat Squeaky and leopard tortoise, Willy.

Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write Eathed?
Years ago I watched some program or movie on television in which the premise was all the old fairy tale characters were being forgotten and fading away. This gave me the idea of the last dragon and the last dragon slayer meeting up in their dotage and trying to fight but instead just falling about because of their frailty. The idea stuck with me and the rest of the story grew around it over time.

The story is in a British setting, anywhere specific?
This falls under the category of “write about what you know.” This story is rooted in European folklore and could be set almost anywhere in Europe, but because I’m most familiar with British language and culture, I chose to set it there. Beyond that, I had nowhere specific in mind.

Do you consider young adult or children stories your preference?
Young adults, definitely. With older kids you can write with greater depth and more complexity than with pre-teens.

What is your preferred type of writing?
Folklore based fiction. It’s such an enormous palette. It can run the spectrum from real life on the one hand to magic and mythological beasts on the other. And such stories can span thousands of years of human history.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Constructing that first draft. Revisions often take longer, but it’s that first draft that makes you sweat.

What does audio production bring to your story?
I think most stories are best when heard. It harkens back to the days when all stories were heard, not read or even written down, for that matter. When orated well, a good story is mesmerizing, like staring into a cozy campfire.

Are you planning to write any novels in the future?
I have ideas for three novels, none of which are directly based in folklore, by the way. One of these days I hope to crank one out. It took breaking my foot to slow me down enough to get “Eathed” ready for publication.

What are you currently working on?
Since finishing “Eathed,” I’ve gone back to some earlier stories and started retooling them.


PUBLISHED WORKS
“Shelburn Watershed Lake 1985 Fish Management Report”
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
“A Tankfull of Teeth: Gars in the Home Aquarium”
Freshwater and Marine Aquarium Magazine
Various articles for gardening, kayaking and sailing club newsletters.


AUDIO BOOKS

Release Date: 5-2014, Mind Wings Audio

Release Date: 12-2013, Mind Wings Audio
The Hill Brothers Trilogy, Book 3

Release Date: 12-23-2012, Mind Wings Audio
The Hill Brothers Trilogy, Book 2

Release Date: 12-26-2011, Mind Wings Audio
The Hill Brothers Trilogy, Book 1

Author Terry Rich Hartley on Whisper

1. The story Whisper was your third novella since returning to fiction writing. MP3 download listeners are showing great interest in this particular story. To what do you attribute the surge?
"Whisper seems to have a mystical quality that captivates listeners’ imaginations. Perhaps more importantly it’s a story of redemption. The protagonist, Larry Grady, is deeply blemished; indeed, he is close to incorrigible. Yet, when backed into a corner, Grady chooses altruism over self interest. Most of us like to think we can overcome our own flaws when it really counts, and the novella plays on that theme. I also credit Nick Landrum’s spellbinding reading. He’s an excellent storyteller who could keep any group wide-eyed around a campfire."

2. Your psychological thrillers are unique and also reflect some type of psychological disorder about the character or characters in the story. In Paranoia it was paranoid schizophrenia, in The Ditchrider’s Daughter—it was claustrophobia, and in Whisper it was obsessive compulsive disorder. Whisper, the story of a grifter, read by Nick Landrum, contains some common characters that one would expect in street life, yet the way you presented them and the way they were performed by the narrator gave a fresh perspective to them. There was also a lot of dark humor. The ending for me was not seen exactly as it turned out but I thought it was right. What was your intention for the listener to come away with in Whisper?
"A feeling for the complexity of human personality. Larry Grady’s dominant behavior was sociopathic to the core, but he wasn’t just filling some cosmic role. Using flashbacks, I illustrated powerful forces that shaped his character, from his mother’s drug addiction to the parade of sordid men in his formative years who taught him that human beings are prey to be had. When Grady finally settles down long enough to actually get to know—and admire—other people he sees an entirely different dimension of life. When you hear or read dark humor in this or any of my stories you’re catching a glimpse of me. It’s the way I see life."

3. Was there any particular inspiration for Whisper and/or the characters in the story?
"No one particular thing or event inspired the story. I’ve ventured into the Madison Valley many times and the setting is stunning. So the setting provided the macro dimension for Whisper. The micro dimension came from my own interest in human behavior. Somewhere along the line my brain decided to drop an obsessive-compulsive person into the Madison Valley and let things rip. Regarding the characters, in my life I’ve known saints and sinners, flim-flammers and killers, academics and ditch diggers. Every single one of them had multidimensional personalities, not the black and white you so often see in movies. You could say I have an inventory of human cognitions, emotions, and behaviors stored in memory and I stitch patterns from them to form individual characters."

4. Are any of the stories based on your work as a research psychologist in the past?
"Not directly. However, that work along with journalism and all other experiences of mine add to that inventory I mentioned in the previous answer."

5. Are you working on any manuscripts now? Do you plan to continue writing novellas?
"I just wrapped up a 131,000 word draft for a novel—working title: Blood Pond, Idaho—and I’m busy cropping and tightening it before seeking an agent. It’s a techno-thriller influenced by the works of Michael Chrichton, but obviously told from my own slant, which includes technologically induced mental disorders. As to novellas, oh yeah! I’m about a third the way into a draft tentatively titled Midnight Ride to Forever. Additionally, a sequel to Whisper has been gnawing away at my fevered brain since the day the ink dried. I’d love to hear recordings of both one day. And if that sounds like a shameless self promotion, I’ll plead guilty but at the same time humbly thank everyone who helped make Whisper such a success."

Author Jack Bates on The Butcher's Heir

The very popular 1-Hour Audiobook Harry Landers, Private Investigator Series’ first episode was published in December, 2008. The Butcher’s Heir was the sixth published episode in August, 2010, and since January of this year, it has become extremely popular with MP3 download listeners. To what do you attribute the surge for this particular episode?
"I've had people tell me they thought I was hitting my stride with Landers in this particular story. I think I started to move away from Harry being a pastiche of other better known PI characters. Plus, I practically have him eaten by wild boars. I read once where there has to be a dead body in a detective story otherwise it fails as crime fiction. Mumbly Peg had everything but that, so Harry had to move into a darker world. It's a natural progression."

In The Butcher’s Heir the son of a long missing union president, Lane Shanks, turns to him for help, and private investigator Harry Landers delves into a mystery that spans two decades. The story is reminiscent of the disappearance of Teamster Union Leader Jimmy Hoffa—that is what I thought about when I listened to it. Was that the intent?
"I was a kid growing up in Detroit as the story developed. It's become part of the Detroit folklore. You drive by the restaurant where he was last seen and can't help but think of how many times it was on the evening news or in the papers. Plus, I grew up in a union house and an extended union family so the disappearance was a major topic at family gatherings and during dinner. The story just kind of became the basis for hiring Harry. When I first started writing it, I was calling it The Udjat Eye and tried to draw a correlation between Egyptian myths and the case. It was very heavy handed. I wisely followed my editor's advice and wrote what I knew."

Your story has its own compelling path and findings in solving the case, keeping listeners plugged-in throughout. What was the inspiration for the various characters?
"Characters start to unfold for a writer. Harry investigates problems, so there has to be people there for Harry to question, react off of, follow. Most often, one character will suggest Harry talk to someone else. Other times I know I need for there to be someone at a certain point in the story so I'll work my way to him or her. A friend of mine who has risen to be president of his local union once told me when we were both rank and file that absolute power corrupts. I've seen affairs happen, political infighting, broken friendships. It all helps to create unique and interesting possibilities for fiction."

In this story, Harry experiences physical assault—something in the past he has avoided when possible. I don’t want to spoil the story so I won’t elaborate, but is Harry going to be more physical in solving cases in the future?
"Yes. In fact, in the latest story I've submitted, Meatballs and Murder, he's a lot more physical."

Do you plan to continue writing the Harry Landers, P.I. series?
"Whenever an idea strikes me, I'll try it out as a Harry story. He's three years older than when I first started writing about him so he's developed from the kind of milquetoast slacker into a guy who is discovering the world he's put himself in isn't open and shut."

Carrie Knowles

Carrie Knowles started writing promotional materials and radio spots for WXYZ Radio in Detroit when she was a sophomore in college. After about a year she left the radio promotions and became a feature writer for a new Michigan sports magazine called Competitive Breed. After classes on Friday afternoon, she covered drag car, speed boat and motor cycle races, including interviews. On returning home late Sunday evenings, she’d stay up all night writing articles. On Monday mornings she would hand in her copy then presume her life as a student at Wayne State University.

After graduating from WSU in 1971 she took a job with an ombudsmen column, Contact 10, at the Detroit News. The next spring she moved to Chicago and freelanced. In 1978 she moved with her husband to Raleigh, North Carolina.

During more than 40 years of freelancing Knowles has written hundreds of articles, been a book reviewer for the American Library Association, a restaurant reviewer for the News & Observer, and published dozens of short stories and essays as well as a non-fiction book about Alzheimer’s: The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s (Three Rivers Press, 2000).

Throughout her years of freelancing, her favorite work, by far, has been writing radio spots. Audio books seemed like a natural progression. Knowles says, “Besides, all my characters ever do is talk and occasionally shoot a gun.”

In addition to writing, Knowles teaches an ongoing critique class at her studio--The Free Range Studio and Gallery. She is also an artist and the director of the international music festival: Cross Currents Chamber Music Arts Festival.

Carrie Knowles lives in Raleigh with her husband, Jeff, and their three children.

Is there a back story to the writing of Shoot Me, an actual incident or event perhaps?

We were invited out one night to have dinner with a friend and her husband. The friend’s mother was visiting from Ohio. She was a lovely eighty-something woman who had recently lost her husband. As the evening went on, our friend prompted her mother to tell the story about a robbery. About six months after her husband died, a gang of burglars, who had a rather successful business of stealing antiques from out of state then selling them in New York, broke into her house. She was home at the time.

They were surprised to find her. They had never encountered anyone at home before and didn’t quite know what to do with her. In the end, she fought with them and they hit her and knocked her out…but not before she memorized the license plate of the van they were driving. She showed us the seven stitches she had to have in the back of her head where they hit her with the butt of a gun.

She was very proud of being the one who helped break up this successful ring…the police had been trying to catch them for almost four years. It was a great story but what impressed me most was how, in her telling, it was clear that at some point in the incident she let go of her fear of dying. And, in that moment, became more alive than she had been in her grieving over the loss of her husband.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?

I really didn’t decide to be a writer as much as I gradually realized that I didn’t know what else to be. I didn’t know how NOT to write. Not writing just didn’t ever seem to be a viable option.

What is your preferred type of writing?

I write both fiction and non-fiction and have for many years. They are the same to me. Whether you are writing non-fiction or fiction, you are working to reveal the emotional truth of a story.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?

Having the courage day after day to sit down and dig at the emotional truth of a story.

What do you think audio production brings to your story?

I love the sound of words as well as the tradition of story telling. I also like how when you listen to a story being told you have to really listen. My father was blind and spent hours listening to audio books. Sometimes we’d listen to them as well. I loved how you had to concentrate to pull the story together…how you couldn’t cheat and read ahead to the ending and how, if you closed your eyes, you could see the story unfold. It was fun to listen with Dad, to know that we were both “seeing” the same story.

Are you planning to write any novels in the future?

I’m just finishing work on a novel set during the early 1960s about a husband who was a soldier during WWII and silently suffers from PTSD and a wife who cannot find a place for herself within their marriage. It’s a story about failing at marriage and at parenting and how through failure we often find out what is important in life.

What are you currently working on?

I am working on a play about an unforgiving relationship between a Jewish mother-in-law and a Christian daughter-in-law.

PUBLISHED WORKS

BOOKS
Alzheimer’s: The Last Childhood, Research Triangle Publishing, Fuquay Varina, NC, 1997. ISBN 1 884570 67 4. Describes the real life battles family members fight with Alzheimer's.

The Last Childhood: A Family Story of Alzheimer’s (expanded, revised version of Alzheimer’s: The Last Childhood) Three Rivers Press (trade paperback imprint of Random House), New York, New York, 2000.

ANTHOLOGIES
Cardinal: An Anthology of North Carolina Writers, Edited by Richard Krawiec. Jacar Press, Wendell, NC, 1986. A short story: "The Jungfrau.”

At Our Core: Women Writing About Power, Edited by Sandra Haldeman Martz. Papier Mache, Watsonville, CA, 1998. A poem: "The Power."

Through a Child’s Eyes: Poems and Stories about War, edited by Victor Klimoski and Samuel Torvend. Plain View Press, Austin, Texas 2001. Memoir: “A War Journal.”

Long Story Short:Flash Fiction by Sixty-five of North Carolina’s Finest Writers, edited by Marianne Gingher. University of North Carolina Press 2009. A short story: “My Family.”

ESSAYS/ARTICLES
"Reflections On My Fight For The ERA." Southern Exposure, January/February, 1983

"Naturally My Way." Mothers Today, July/August, 1985

"Never A Dark Year, Never A Dull Moment. The Raleigh Little Theater." The Arts Journal, November, 1985.

"Spaces and Places: A Design for the Arts." N.C. Arts, August 1986.

“To Market, To Market," Taste Full Summer 1992.

"The French Kitchen," Taste Full Fall 1992.

"Pot au Feu, French Stew," Taste Full Winter 1992.

"Malted Love," The Independent, March 3, 1993.

"The Only Child," an article about living with Alzheimer’s, The Sun, August, 1993.

"Unplugged: Writers' Rights on the Net," The Independent, March 13, 1996.

"Antiquing in Raleigh," Interludes, inflight magazine for Midway Airlines, September 1996.

"The Fall Colors on the Blue Ridge," Interludes, inflight magazine for Midway Airlines, October 1996.

"Gifts From The Heart," Better Homes and Gardens, December 1997.

“Vessel of Hope,” Duke Medical Perspectives, Spring 2000.

“A Bow to Midlife,” The News and Observer, April 9, 2001.

BOOK REVIEWS
Reviews in poetry, and the social sciences for Booklist, from 6/78 until 2/79.

SHORT STORIES
"Parts." Beyond Baroque, 1973.
"Hunter Falconer." Northern Pleasures, 1982.

"Witness To An Execution." Village Advocate, 1984.

"The Widow Maker." A Carolina Literary Companion, 1985.

"The Black Siamese Twins Meet Queen Victoria." The Sun, March, 1990.

"Swimming Through The Catacombs." NCWN Fiction Syndication 1990 91.

"Selling Fish." First Place, Very Short Fiction, Glimmer Train, November 1998.

“Are You With me?” The News & Observer, September 27, 1998.

“The Hound.” The News & Observer, February 4, 2001.

“My Family.” Long Story Short, 2009.

POETRY
"Bones." Bitterroot International Poetry Quarterly, 1973.

"In Spring Dying Is Absurd." Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, 6/17/1973.

"Without Rhyme." Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, 5/28/1974.

"Small Songs #1.” Chicago Tribune Sunday Magazine, 12/29/1974.

"The Dream Machine." Wee Wisdom, 1974.

"Dance Movements." (4 poems) Mati, 1976.

"My Name Is Dance." Salome, 1976.

"City.” New Earth Review, 1979.

"Winter Dialogue." The Poet, Autumn 1980.

"Putting My Hands Into The Fire." Windhover, 1981.

"White Anglo Saxon Protestant Work Ethnic Mother/Country Guilt." Windhover, 1981.

"They Were Rubies." Hyperion, 1980.

"Family Album." Hyperion, 1980.

"Things Grow Here That I Do Not Know." Hyperion, 1980.

"Southern Gardens." Hyperion,1980.

"Motherhood Innocence." Jump River Review, 1981.

"We Live To Sleep, Sleep To Wake." Jump River Review, 1981.

"Caught In Your Arms, Your Laugh." Jump River Review, 1981.

"Unmade For Days." Jump River Review, 1981.

"Seasons Pass." Jump River Review, 1981.

"Playing The Past In Present Tense." Voices International,1981.

"Ovulation Overtures." Women, A Journal Of Liberation, 7:3.

"On Naming," and, "The Pelican." Durham: A Living Anthology, 1987.

"Take Us To Heaven Jo nathan." The Carolina Quarterly, 1998.

"The Power." At Our Core: Women Writing About Power, Papier¬Mache Press,1998.

FOOD/LIFESTYLE COLUMNS
5/85 to 11/86: Monthly special food feature for the News and Observer writing cooking and travel related food articles.

5/87 to 12/89: Food Editor of The Leader, writing monthly restaurant reviews and a weekly dining column as well as special feature work.

8/89 to 3/90: Regional Correspondent, Southpoint Magazine, restaurant and entertainment reviews.

1/93 to 8/95: Dining critic for News and Observer.

AUDIO BOOKS


Published: 4-2011, Mind Wings Audio

Victoria S. Johnson

Victoria S. Johnson enjoys writing short stories, novels and poems, as well as reading them. She takes pleasure in road trips, and seeing the beauty of the country. Victoria also spends time assisting the elderly and handicapped people in her community.

Was there any particular inspiration for Ninety Days?
I actually did go on an interview with my right arm in a cast. During the interviewing process, one of the places I went to, had a full size bronze cast, of a foal in the lobby. I've never forgotten it, and it worked well with the story line.

Do you prefer writing romance stories?
Yes, I have been reading or trying to write romance novels for quite some time. I also enjoy murder mysteries, westerns, and audio-biographies.

What do you think makes a good story?
Making the characters believable, showing not only their good points, but also their faults, and idiosyncrasies. Also, when possible put in some historical facts about the time period, or particular city or place. I think it helps the reader to visualize how things were when your writing about the past. One of my favorite authors Ann Perry, does a marvelous job of bringing the sights and sounds of 18th century London to life.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
I have to admit, that punctuation is something that I need to be constantly correcting.

What does audio production bring to your story?
It gives a actual voice to the characters, brings the listener closer to the story line, and enhances the plot.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
After reading The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck. She opened up the mystery of far away China, as well as the people who lived there. I still have the book, and read it about every five years.

Are you working on any stories or other literary works at the present?
Yes. I am working on a short story called Mama Lu's trunk, written in the time period of the early 1900's. And a romance suspense novel called Brandi Wine, written in the 1850's. I also have a nice compilation of poems that I've been writing since 1970.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I am an avid walker. I also enjoy hiking around Arches, and Canyonlands.

Published: 2-2010, Mind Wings Audio

Terry Rich Hartley

Dr. Terry Rich Hartley is a former research psychologist, psychology professor, and journalist who has recently returned to his first love of fiction writing.
In the early 1980s he sold seven science fiction stories and worked as a writer and copy editor for the Twin Falls, Idaho, Times-News. He then went to The Glens Falls, New York, Post-Star, where he earned two first-place awards for his satirical column and a third one for business/finance editing by the New York State Associated Press Association.
Among Hartley’s academic achievements are a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Skidmore College, a doctorate in social psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a postdoctoral fellowship in biological psychology from the University of Oklahoma School of Medicine.
In the 1990s Hartley was a research psychologist at the Behavioral Sciences Labs in Oklahoma City and, from 2000-2005, an adjunct assistant professor in the Boise State University Dept. of Psychology.
He’s an avid outdoorsman who currently lives in Idaho’s Hagerman Valley along the Snake River with his wife and their Labrador retriever.

Was there any particular inspiration for Paranoia on River Road? Yes, the story came about as a convergence of my own experiences in Idaho’s Snake River Canyon, my interest in psychology, and my tendency toward free association, where I’m always asking, “what if,” and then letting my mind fill in the blanks. I also was inspired by Stephen King’s novella, “Secret Window, Secret Garden,” in which he masterfully created a character suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. What emerged in “Paranoia on River Road” was a story revolving around a schizophrenic man who was failing miserably to hide from his past.

You say you've been away from writing for quite some time. Was it difficult for you to get back on track with writing fiction?It was brutal. Years of writing grants and research papers had locked me into a stiff, formal style of communication. Additionally, I’d grown accustomed to justifying every written statement with supporting evidence. Somewhere in the midst of starts and stumbles on “Paranoia,” I had to stop and ask myself what I like in fiction. To be entertained, that’s what! And to be entertained honestly. Events in the story have to seem like they could actually happen within the universe of the tale being told. In other words, they have to stimulate my willingness to suspend disbelief. That self Q&A broke the ice and allowed me to actually enjoy the creative process of fiction writing again, something I hadn’t done since the 1980s.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Creating realistic characters. Readers don’t want stick figures wandering across the pages, they want to feel what the characters feel. Or, at the very least, cheer them or jeer them for their qualities and imperfections. The process of characterization tends to start rather laboriously for me, and then the fictional people gain lives of their own. The most gratifying part of the process is when they actually help write the story. If I could just teach them to use the keyboard . . .

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?At the tender age of nineteen when I was reading Robert Ruark novels. Many years passed before I made some honest attempts to learn the craft. I was in my early thirties when I sold some science fiction stories, then began working for newspapers so I could continue writing and eating at the same time.

What is your preferred genre of writing?Psychological mystery. From my view, that provides considerable leeway in which I can exploit anything from mental pathology to the mildly paranormal, or even horror.

What do you think makes a good story?Fear. Fear creates tension. What writer doesn’t strive to create tension? What reader isn’t captivated by it? I’m not talking strictly about horror or something earth shaking. This can be fear of anything that can be lost: love, power, honor, youth, wealth, esteem, and so on. Of course, fear of death is the biggy that every human being with a developed cerebral cortex possesses. Ergo, death—or the threat of it—is good in fiction.

What does audio production bring to your story?In a way it brings the entire concept of storytelling full circle. Homo Sapiens, the storyteller, spun out verbal yarns long before written (chiseled?) ones enthralled people. Radio dramas were popular before Howdy Doodie ever put his mug in front of a camera, and today busy people can enjoy audio versions of stories even while driving. As with print, I like the fact that people can form their personalized visions of my characters. Unlike print, they can do that even if they’re visually impaired or maybe just too busy to sit down and read. Thank goodness someone had the foresight to create a market for the combined efforts of writers and voice experts.

Are you working on any stories or other literary works at the present?Indeed. I have written a second audio, “The Ditchrider’s Daughter,” and have a shorter story, “Whisper,” in the submission process to print media. I have another short story or novelette—not sure of the length—formed mentally and will start on it very soon. A full-length novel is also running around “up there,” but I want it more completely gelled before putting a word to paper.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?I’m a voracious reader, and I like to do just about anything outdoors: landscaping, hiking, fly fishing, and doing comically amateurish nature photography. I also spend an inordinate amount of time spoiling my Labrador retriever, Sampson.

See special interview on Whisper's rise in popularity.

Fiction Publications:

"Armageddon Yellowstone: Hell Unleashed," novel, published 1/26/2012
“Last Old Man in Casanaland,” short story, quarter-finalist, Writers of the Future Contest, 1985
“Ten Points Toward Blastoff,” short story published in Pandora, 1985
“Shark Destiny,” short story published in Far Frontiers, 1985
“A Christmas Hazing,” short story published in Christmas Magic, 1984
“Alternative Realities,” short story published in Christmas Magic, 1984
“An Orchid for Lisa,” short story published in Orion’s Child, 1984; eBook available online
“Brain Twisters,” short story published in Pandora, 1983


Published: 4-2013, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 2-2012, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 11-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 5-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 2-2010, Mind Wings Audio

Non-fiction Publications and Honors:
Dozens of scientific journal articles and free-lanced pieces too numerous to list.
"Tyrants of Self-Concept: Ruling the Rullers," published: 2/16/2012
1987: First Place, Columns, NY State Associated Press Association
1987: First Place, Business/Finance Editing, NY State Associated Press Association
1988: First Place, Columns, NY State Associated Press Association

D. B. Clifton

D.B. Clifton is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, retired and currently living just across the Ohio River in Covington, KY. He attended Northern Kentucky University where two of his short stories appeared in Collage, the university’s literary review. Recently his work has appeared in the anthology, Not From Around Here, Are You?

Was there any particular inspiration for The Last Watcher?
I initially intended to write a typical Twilight Zone/Poe-esque thriller; something I’d never done before. Along the way, it morphed into something a little different.

The setting of the story is in Bulgaria, did you spend some time there or have friends or family there?
A few years ago I visited Bulgaria’s neighbor, Turkey, and was captivated by Istanbul--which I mention in the story. But I thought that Eastern Europe lent itself more to the nature of the story, so I tried to incorporate both by using the link between Bulgaria’s capitol city, Sofia, and the great Byzantine church of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

The story ends with the tone of another event about to happen. Do you plan to write another or maybe several episodes regarding the last watcher, Brother Philotheos?
I’ve considered that, and have a couple of ideas percolating. I do intend to give it a try.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
I sort of grew into it. In first grade, our teacher always made sure to have a little time at the end of the day when she could read to us from Bullfinch’s Mythology. I was weaned on Hercules, Theseus, and Odysseus. I even began with the oral tradition like Homer, and made up stories to tell my friends. Writing came as a natural next step.

What is your preferred genre of writing?
I’m drawn to literary fiction. I trust the reader to be able to see through the various depths of a good story.

What do you think makes a good story?
Well developed characters, of course, a compelling source of conflict, and a realistic arena in which to fight it out. And the main character or characters must change in some significant way, whether for good or ill.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Rewrites. Not that I have trouble doing them. I have trouble stopping. I constantly go over my work, and will agonize over a turn of phrase or individual word almost forever. I’m getting better at finally holding up my hands and saying, Okay, that’s it.

What does audio production bring to your story?
It did make me think more about the staging, and especially the pacing of the story. After Mind Wings Audio accepted The Last Watcher for production, I turned a slightly different ear to the revisions I made on the path toward the final product.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I’m an avid reader with very eclectic tastes. But I do like to get out, especially into the wilderness. I hike, and enjoy rock climbing whenever I can find someone to go with me. I’m also a political news junky, and lately that keeps me very occupied.

Other Published Works:

ANGEL OF THE WAL-MART BIG-N-TALL - Short story - Not From Around Here, Are You? - Oct., 2008

REVELATION 20:13 - Short story - Collage - May, 1982

YOUNG METHUSELAH - Short story - Collage - May, 1981

In the last few years, I have completed two literary novels, as yet unpublished, and recently won 1st prize in the local Kenton County Library’s Halloween writing competition with my short story, SAFETY IN NUMBERS.

Fiction Publications [Available as Audiobooks & eBooks]


Published: 11-2010, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 10-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 5-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 12-2009, Mind Wings Audio

Wayne Zurl

Wayne Zurl was born in New York and worked for twenty years with the Suffolk County Police Department on Long Island where he gained investigative and supervisory experience. For thirteen of those years, he served as a section commander.

During the Vietnam War, Zurl served on active duty with the U.S. Army and later went into the Reserves.

He graduated from Uniondale High School in New York and Empire State College at the State University at Stony Brook, New York. Thanks to the G.I. bill he later studied everything from sociology and public administration to celestial navigation.

After retiring from the police service, he and his wife, Barbara, moved to Tennessee where he volunteered at The Fort Loudoun State Historic Area and dealt with publicity for their living history program.

The volunteer position inspired him to study more and write about the French and Indian War era of colonial history. Over two dozen of his articles have been published in magazines.

In 2006, Wayne Zurl began writing his Sam Jenkins Crime Stories. Jenkins is an ex-New York police officer now employed as the chief in Prospect, a fictional small East Tennessee city. Zurl says Jenkins and he share similar experiences, probably sound the same, and both enjoy good Italian food.

He is currently a member of The Next Big Writer, an on-line workshop.

You’ve stated that Chief Sam Jenkins’ crime cases are based on incidents that occurred during your employment with the Suffolk County, New York Police Department. Does Jenkins’ role in the story reflect you when you worked for the Suffolk County PD?In most cases, yes. These stories are not autobiographical, but I’ve taken cases from New York and transplanted them into Tennessee. Many times I embellish them so they’re more readable. Real police work isn’t always as exciting as we make our stories. Occasionally, I’ll take an aspect of Tennessee life or a recent incident and weave those into a story, too. Sometimes I composite several incidents into one fictional case. I think if you write about your own cases, you can recall and recount the emotions you had at the time. That adds a touch of authenticity.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
Three years ago I decided I’d try fiction as a creative outlet. It seemed a lot easier to store a bunch of novels and stories than oil paintings or model airplanes. As part of my job, I always had to write something, certainly in the police department and even in the Army. When your written word may be the only part of you a senior officer sees, it’s important to make your reports look good and create a favorable impression. I’ve always tried to do that.

What is your preferred genre of writing?
Remembering the maxim of ‘write what you know,’ I think I should stick with police or detective stories, but I think I’d like to try a western sometime. Most of my stories take place in the 21st century, but at times I can’t help myself and I make something sound like an old-fashioned hard-boiled detective piece.

What do you think makes a good story?
About fifty years ago I read a theory that there are only eleven basic plots which can be written. I try to make an interesting plot based on actual incidents and other elements needed for a good story. But I think character development is the most important thing in any story. If a character lacks that certain something that grabs a reader and makes them care, either love them or hate them--depending on their role, the best plot in the world won’t make them like your book or story.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Sometimes I get caught up remembering a police incident I really liked and I want to write about it. I have to think up a good way to convert an actual incident into something readable. Also, I had to get over my habit of writing fiction like a report. Reports must say everything; everything isn’t necessary in fiction. I like the ‘arrive late, leave early’ way of presenting fictional scenes. In a police report you’d get crucified for doing that.

What does audio production bring to your story?
When I write, I try to envision a character. I can’t formulate their actions or their speech without seeing them – as you can in a film. I write with a lot of dialogue. It’s important each individual has their own voice or dialogue sounds phony. The professional actors who read the audio books do a fine job of giving each character a unique voice. I’m amazed how well they can do that. They make a story come alive.

Are you working on any stories or other literary works at the present?
I’ve just finished the sixth novel length Sam Jenkins story and had it critiqued by other authors from an on-line writer’s workshop. Everyone seemed to like it enough that I’ve been encouraged to send queries to agents or publisher. I haven’t had any luck selling my first novel to a conventional publisher yet, so I may try the last one first. After that I have a western partially planned out, or if I’m struck by some great idea or inspiration, I’ll work on that.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I’ve always liked to travel, from the time the Army sent me around the world to the trip we have planned for next week. Photography goes well with travel; I do a lot of that. I also read a lot of general fiction and some non-fiction about Colonial American history, specifically the French and Indian Wars.

Wayne Zurl - Published Works:
Non-fiction magazine Early American history articles with Muzzleloader magazine, Smoke & Fire News, and The Leathercrafter’s Journal
Former staff writer with Buckskinner magazine -- wrote feature called Cooperstown, regarding fiction of James Fenimore Cooper; and other articles

Zurl's first novel-length Sam Jenkins book, A New Prospect, published January 2011 by Black Rose Writing. Learn More at http://www.waynezurlbooks.net/

Author Interviews/Reviews:
The Daily Times on Bullets Off-Broadway
Blog Talk Radio
Jessie Ferguson of Swamp Lily Review


Audiobooks/eBooks::

Published: 6-2014, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 6-2014, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 4-2014, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 12-2013, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 6-2013, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 4-2013, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 2-2013, Mind Wings Audio

Published: 12-2012, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 8-2012, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 1-2012, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 9-2011, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 6-2011, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 2-2011, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 12-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 9-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 7-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 4-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 11-2009, Mind Wings Audio

Tarrin Webb

Tarrin Webb is a graduate of the Long Ridge Writer’s Group in Connecticut and has a B.S. degree in Mass Communications. She is a member of the Gopher Prairie Writer’s Group in Sauk Centre, MN. She lives in Litchfield, MN with her husband, cats and Opie, her Yorkshire Terrier.

Was there any particular inspiration for Shortcuts?
Two Januarys ago, my twenty-year-old niece was stranded on a dark, secluded road just like Gail. Instead of a flat tire, however, her car just went dead, and the area was a cell phone-dead zone for her cell carrier, too. My niece had worked someone else’s shift at a nursing home. She ran to the nearest house to use their phone in ten below zero weather.

In the story, Gail seems to have a strong opinion regarding the behavior of blonds versus brunettes. Can you expand on the reasoning of this perspective?
Any attitude about the behavior of blonds versus brunettes is purely unconscious on Gail’s part, and mine as the author. Tina just happens to be a blond waitress Gail works with, and Gail just happens to be a brunette. Actually, I think, there’s more of a commentary about how some men still treat hard working, blue collar waitresses like Tina and Gail. Fortunately, Gail listens to her better nature, and her manager’s orders not to fraternize with him, and doesn’t give Phil her co-worker’s phone number.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
I was ten when I decided to become a writer someday. However, I’m a bit of a late bloomer to the world of writing. It’s only been in the past five years that I’ve carved out enough time to indulge my writing passion.

What is your preferred genre of writing?
I love writing mysteries or fantasies or combining the two genres into urban fantasy-type mysteries. I like these genres because the story moves along on action as well as the inner lives of its characters.

What do you think makes a good story?
I think good stories need solid plots, good characters, and a plot twist at the end. I try to make my characters real people who get entangled in unusual circumstances and then have to use their ingenuity to find a way out of the problem.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?
Starting a new story is always challenging, but the most challenging part for me is the marketing process. By nature, I’m not a salesperson.

What does audio production bring to your story?
Having Shortcuts audio produced is like my story went to college and came home a really cool, adult! It’s the same story, but now it has a unique life all of its own.

Are you working on any stories or other literary works at the present?
I’m working on a few other suspense stories as well as an urban fantasy/mystery novel.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I care for 16 cats and my Yorkshire terrier, Opie. I also enjoy traveling with my husband. I’m a long time member of the Gopher Prairie Writers Group in Sauk Centre, MN and the Creative Five Writing/Artists Group in Brainerd, MN. I’m a graduate of the Long Ridge Writer’s Group, and I’m now taking a second course in writing the novel. Naturally, I read whenever I get the chance, usually too long into the night.

Tarrin Webb - Published Works:

Freelance writer for several local newspapers.

Tek-Nically Speaking, a monthly, company newsletter

Poets & Writers magazine grant to teach a short story fiction workshop in the local community education program.

Christmas Minstrels, a short story for teens published in Listen magazine.

Published: 11-2009, Mind Wings Audio

L. A. Wilson, Jr.

L. A. Wilson, Jr. was born in Norfolk, VA and grew up on the coastal plains of North Carolina. He is a graduate of North Carolina Central University and Meharry Medical College and currently lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife and children. He is a member of The Mystery Writers of America and his works have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, Night Terrors, The Edge and Detective Mystery Stories.

Was there any particular inspiration for Darktown Strutters? Darktown Strutters is one of a series of short stories featuring Travis "Memphis Red" Redman. Its inspiration was bound to the migration of African Americans from the rural south to northern urban streets during the forties and in particular the thousands of fair-skinned African Americans, like Memphis Red, who sought a route to the American dream through their racial ambiguity.

Do you prefer historical settings for your stories or is Darktown Strutters unique?
I like historical settings, but I really like contemporary mysteries that have obscure links to some distant historical event that can provide an unexpected twist to the plot.

Do you have any ties from the past to New York City during the setting of this story?
I actually have no personal ties to New York City, but it is a fabulous city with a rich history that can make for fascinating fiction for those of us with big imaginations.

When did you first decide you wanted to be a writer?
I began writing as an eleven year old. I sent countless stories, handwritten on notebook paper, to Boy's Life and The Saturday Evening Post that undoubtedly ended up in File 13 since the editors never responded. I actually began to seriously pursue writing about seventeen years ago, a little late in life, but still timely enough to enjoy some pleasant rewards.

What is your preferred type of writing?
I am a dedicated short story enthusiast. I prefer mysteries. I am a great lover of murder and mayhem although I have occasionally strayed into the world of science fiction. When I have done so, mystery and crime have been the basis of the plot.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you?Editing, rewriting, revising. It never ends. I've never written a story that I didn't feel a need to improve, even after selling it. At some point, I generally decide that such a level of compulsiveness is crazy and just throw in the towel.

What does audio production bring to your story?
Audio production brings the story alive in a manner that's different from reading. Clearly, it is an interpretation of a given work, but it is as valid as a television or movie production. I grew up during the era of great radio dramas which combined the listener's imagination with the actor's interpretation, producing a similar fascinating entertainment vehicle.

Are you working on any stories or possibly a book at the present?
I'm always working on stories. I've got a couple of hundred short stories, some of which I'll tweak periodically. Some will eventually find their way to a publisher, and others will live their lives only on my flash drive. I haven't recently felt the inspiration to begin a novel. I did generate enough uninterrupted zeal a few years ago to create a novella which is currently being considered by a publisher.


RECOGNITIONS AND PUBLICATIONS
The 2012 Shamus Award Nominations (Private Eye Writers of America) for Best PI Short Story includes: "Dancer in a Storm" by L. A. Wilson, Jr. (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Jan/Feb 2011 Issue) -- A Memphis Red Story.

EATERS, short story published in 1994 by The University of Southwest Louisiana Press and won honorable mention at the 1994 Deep South Writers Conference.

METAMORPHOSIS, a novel, semifinalist at the 1995 William Faulkner awards.

JAZREEN, a short story. Semifinalist in the 1996 American Literary Review short fiction contest, published November 1997 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

THE ALPHA FACTOR, a novella, semifinalist in the 1997 Faulkner awards.

JOSIAH'S RUN, short story, semifinalist in 1998 Faulkner awards.

THE COLD ROOM, short story, published in April 1999 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

THE DARKEST HEART, short story, published January 1999 in the Edge, Tales of Suspense, Issue #3.

MCKENNA'S LAST STAND, short story, published June 2001 in Night Terrors.

BLOOD ON THE WATER, short story, published July/August 2001 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

JACKS, short story, published September 2002 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

THE LESSER EVIL, short story, published July/August 2003 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

THE ROAD TO MEMPHIS, short story, published January/February 2004 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

HEART OF THE MATTER, short story, published April 2004 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

RUNNERS ON THE CORNERS, short story, published May 2004 in Detective Mystery Stories.

BLEEDING HEARTS, short story, published October 2004 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

DAUPHIN ISLAND, short story, published January/February 2007 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

GERMAN JOHNSON AND THE LOST HORIZON, short story, published July/August 2007 in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.




Published: 4-2012, Mind Wings Audio



Published: 7-2011, Mind Wings Audio



Published: 10-2010, Mind Wings Audio


Published: 8-2009, Mind Wings Audio

Elsie Schmied Knoke

Elsie Schmied Knoke is a retired RN, originally from Wisconsin and now lives in Oak Ridge, Tennessee with her husband, Cal. She’s written book reviews and currently writes short stories and essays, with many published in anthologies, magazines and newspapers.

The story Homeless, does not state what city Myrtle and the others are located. Was this story meant to be symbolic of the plight for so many in our society today?
Yes, although I did use some background from cities I know.

What is your preferred genre of writing?
Now it’s nonfiction but I still do some fiction.

What is the most challenging part of the writing process for you? Rewriting.

What does audio production bring to your story?
It brings it to life.

Are you planning to write any novels in the future?
No. I have some unpublished that have no home.

What are you currently working on?
Two essays and contest entries, plus writing up our most recent trip.


Published works by Elsie Schmied Knoke:

Books:
“Apple Blossom Time” 1997
“Organizing for Care”, 1982
“Maintaining Cost Effectiveness”, 1979

Short Stories:
"The Rainbow," Chicken Soup for the Soul, True Love; 12/2009
“Maternity Night”
“The Old Woman Who Lived In a Shoe”
“Hope Ann’s Christmas”
“Merry Christmas, SNF”
“The Snowstorm”
“Be Careful Around Mary Alice”
“The Dumb Idea”
“The Spider”

Nonfiction:
“Black Stockings” published in Chicken Soup For The Nurses’ Soul and two other anthologies, plus many others, too numerous to list.

Weekly Book Reviews for The Oak Ridger from 1989-1994

Numerous poems


Published: 5-2009, Mind Wings Audio