Being a Mentor

When I was working, I was blessed to have had several mentors who taught, advised, and guided my career. I’ve always been grateful to them. Larry had also had wonderful mentoring, so we both knew the value of someone to show the way.

Last summer, our daughter’s best friend from high school contacted us. Her high school-aged daughter, Brooke, would start her senior year in the fall. For her senior project, she was required to find a mentor to work with her throughout the year. Since her subject was writing, her mom asked us if we would be her mentors.

 Brooke attends a college preparatory high school located on the campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Larry's alma mater). The requirements are high, and expectations exceed most other public schools.

We began meeting with her during the summer. She described her intention for approaching her project and told us what she expected from us.

During our initial meetings, in addition to answering questions, we loaned her several of our favorite books on writing. As the project progressed, we suggested others. When she completed each of them, we discussed what she had learned and why she had found it valuable.

Early on, we suggested she consider writing a novel during the year, culminating with publication before graduation. We challenged her to start with NaNoWriMo—National Novel Writing Month, during which writers are challenged to write every day in November, completing a book by the end of the month.

In early December, we got together with Brooke and asked about her book. Although she finished the book, she decided she didn’t like the story and didn’t think it was something she wanted to publish. In fact, she never shared it with us. However, she started another book, and we talked quite a bit about what she had learned from the one she wasn’t happy with. We told her nearly every writer we knew had at least one or two early works they would never complete. (I have a couple myself.)

Since I also edit, I discussed the process and my approach. In the spring, a client asked me to help him self-publish his book. With his permission, Brooke spent the day—with the client on the phone—while I uploaded the manuscript and covers (one for the ebook and a second for the print one). She sat next to me, watched each step on the screen, took notes, and asked questions. At the end of the day, she understood the entire self-publishing process.

While we were working with Brooke, Larry completed one of his sci-fi books in the McGregor Chronicles series. We always use beta readers to review each finished book. We asked Brooke to read this one and give us detailed comments. She did, and we appreciated her contributions.

Near the end of the school year, we began discussing the marketing and publicity necessary in order to promote the work. We covered the use of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, website, and blog.  

Throughout the process, Brooke asked thoughtful and considered questions. Many were about identifying and locating a reader base, creating memorable characters and unique plot lines, and writing series books.

We thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her. Her interest and enthusiasm made the whole process a pleasure for us. I certainly hope she felt the same way.

Last week, she prepared and presented a PowerPoint of her project. She told us she got an outstanding grade. Judging from the time and effort she had put in, we weren’t surprised.

In two weeks, we plan to attend her graduation. We’ll feel nearly as proud of her as her folks as we hear her name announced.

Have you ever had the opportunity to be a mentor? Did you enjoy the process? Would you do it again? (We would.)

Meet Christie Shary

Today, I’m happy to introduce Christie Shary, my final co-author of the Aspen Grove romance anthologies. Christie appeared in the first four Aspen Grove books. Welcome, Christie.

1. When did you first start writing?

I have always loved words. I began writing when I was in elementary and secondary school, but much more so after I graduated from college. However, I started reading at a very young age, as we always had the National Collector's Library classics in our home. I remember reading Gone With the Wind when I was about ten, and continued to read all of the great classics after that. I loved the written word and decided if those authors could write great stories, I wanted to learn how to write them, as well.

2. What do you like about story telling?

I love to take my readers on an adventure. I also want them to like, hate, or at least form a relationship with my characters.

3. How do you create your characters? Are they based on real people?

I create my characters partly from people I have met in real life—mainly from people who made an impression on me. I also create them from my imagination. They are generally strong and independent females who want to make an impact upon the world. They are also characters who have had some type of a problem, which has greatly impacted their lives, and one they know they need to get beyond to find true happiness.

4. Where do you get your story ideas?

I always get my story ideas from my real-life experiences. I have been fortunate to live a rather exotic life in many ways, and also a life with some real heartbreak, yet so many wonderful and exciting times. I try to incorporate these experiences into the lives of my characters. My stories are almost always set in unusual and often foreign landscapes. By doing this, I feel I can take the reader on a vicarious journey to a place they have never been. I also delve into many cultural issues within my books. I must admit most of my writings are quite autobiographical. I truly feel that one writes best about what they know the most about.

5. Besides the Aspen Grove romance anthologies, of which you are a co-author, what other books or series have you written?

The first book I had published is titled The Blue Mosaic Vase. It is a coming-of-age story set in turn-of-the-century Iran, and tells the story of an impoverished Muslin orphan boy—his trials and tribulations, and how he overcomes all odds stacked against him. It is also a love story, based on the six women who greatly impact his life. (By the way, he doesn't have six wives.) The main character is based on a person I knew very well, thus it is a biographical novel. It was the winner of the EPPIE Award for best single-title mainstream novel.

My second published book is titled Amelia. It was co-authored with my writing group friend, Harvey Mendez. It is a novel based upon the disappearance of the famed flyer, Amelia Earhart, and is set mainly in the South Pacific. It not only contains a great deal of factual information, but it is also a murder mystery, which features young Amelia Adams, a young, mysterious Amerasian woman linked to Amelia Earhart by more than name alone.

My third book is Lucky Dog: The True Story of Little Mexico City Street Dog Who Goes International. It is a heart-warming and multi-cultural page-turner, told by a little yellow homeless mutt we adopted, a dog with more stamps in his passport than most Americans. By the way, Lucky was actually the street dog that my husband and I adopted from the streets, while we were living in Mexico City for four years. This book not only follows his life before and after he finds our forever home, but as he journeys back to California and finally onto to London and Holland. Lucky Dog was a finalist for the EPPIE Award.

The above-books were published several years ago. I am currently working on several others, including a sequel to Lucky Dog titled Saying Goodbye… This book tells the story of the final days of Lucky's life, and may provide great comfort to a reader having to say farewell to a beloved pet.

I am also doing a final edit and rewrite on the novel I wrote more than twenty years ago, Jenny's Homecoming. It is set in the grandeur of the Grand Teton mountain range in Wyoming and is the love story of a part-Native American widowed school teacher and the forest ranger who finally helps to heal her wounds after losing her husband in the Vietnam War. I expect this novel to be published during the upcoming year.

Finally, I have pretty much dedicated the last six years of my life to writing a thousand-page non-fiction book titled Eliza's Legacy. Not only does it tell the story of my mother's life—a little farm girl born in 1909 who lived to be almost 102, but it also tells the pioneer history of my family, dating back to the 1600s in France, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany. Many of my ancestors came to join the Mormon Church. This book not only tells about my family's journey across America by covered wagon and handcart, but it also describes how they helped to settle Utah, their experiences with polygamy, and so many other interesting true stories. It includes actual pioneer diaries and documents, plus excerpts of accounts of the assassination of Joseph Smith and the pioneer exodus from Nauvoo. It is filled with individual stories of heroism and lives lost. I tell my family's love stories, including that of my parents, as well as their part in the building of the transcontinental railroad, in which my great-great grandfather played a role. While I initially wrote this book to be distributed only to family members, I am receiving requests from other sources. Who knows where it will end up? I am now compiling photos for Eliza's Legacy. It should come out late this year.

6. Aspen Grove is based on two Colorado mountain towns. Have you created any other fictitious locations for your books?

The Aspen Grove anthologies include some of my most recent writings. Regarding their fictitious setting of Aspen Grove, it seemed very real to me, as my husband and I lived near Denver, Colorado for several years. I've always loved the mountains, and grew up surrounded by the Rocky Mountains in Utah, so I felt right at home in this setting, even though it was not real. As far as settings for my other books, they are all actual places, often in Third World countries. These books are set in places I know well or have at least visited and learned to love.

7. Did you enjoy writing as part of a group? Why or why not?

I actually did enjoy writing as a group for the most part, mostly because of the other writers I wrote with. We all got along well and respected each other's opinions and writing abilities. On the other hand, I prefer to write alone as I like to have my own artistic license, and I prefer to make my own decisions regarding my work. In addition, I didn't really know very much about romance novels, as I don't read them, so I felt rather inadequate in writing them. However, the main reason that I dropped out of the group was certainly not because I had problems or differences with the other writers, but because I did not have the time to continue writing them as I had so many other ongoing writing projects.

8. The Aspen Grove romances are collections of novellas. Do you like writing that length? Why or why not?

No, I'm not a real fan of the novella. I don't feel a novella offers the opportunities to really delve into the characters in depth, nor into the setting, both of which I feel to be of utmost importance in my writing. Also, I am a person of words and descriptions, and the novella format does not give me the opportunity to develop these fully.

9. Of everything that you have written, what is your favorite book to date?

I have really enjoyed writing all of my books. Each one is very close to my heart. And I believe each one of them serves a particular purpose. However, if I had to choose one book, I suppose it would have to be Lucky Dog. I loved that little dog so much, and he was such an important part of my life. In addition, it is a book I believe can be read and enjoyed by anyone. For it is true, simple, funny, sad, informative and entertaining, all at the same time. I think that is what makes it such a good read.

A former English teacher, Christie Shary is a graduate of the University of Utah, with minors in English and Middle Eastern studies. She has had short stories and poetry published, as well as several novels, which include The Blue Mosaic Vase, Amelia, and Lucky Dog, She was also co-author of four of the Aspen Grove romance anthologies, of which Snowflake Secrets, the first, was her favorite. She has been married to Tom for almost fifty years and has two grown sons, and a part-time grand-dog named Ripley. Her passions include reading, writing, skiing, camping, gardening, and traveling around the world, having visited more than seventy countries. Although from Utah and Southern California, she has resided in Mexico City, London, England, and Amsterdam, Holland, but is now retired and lives in Dana Point, California, where she continues to write and travel extensively.

Meet Sherry Derr-Wille

This week, meet Sherry Derr-Wille, another of my co-authors of the Aspen Grove romance anthologies. Sherry participated in all six books in the series. We met at a conference in 2006. She lives in Wisconsin. I live in California. I read a couple of her books, so I knew she would fit with the kinds of stories I wanted to tell in the anthologies. She was the first person I asked to be a part of the project. Thank goodness, she said yes. I hope you enjoy getting to know a little about her.

When did you first start writing?

I was a sophomore in high school in the fall of '61, and the teacher said if we got an A on the first test, we could sit in the room and write for a year. I was never told to stop the assignment, and forty years later, I found out I was the only one who liked the it. OOPS, it was a little too late as I'd already signed seventeen contracts. You might say I became an overnight success after forty years of writing.

What do you like about storytelling?

I just love to bring characters and stories to life. As I go back and read previous books I've written, I am amazed that these are really my works.

Where do you get your story ideas?

Some just come to me, some are things I've seen or heard about, and others begin as dreams. Each one is different.

How do you create your characters?

To be truthful, my characters create themselves. What I have in mind when I start, usually changes as their personalities come to light. Are they based on real people? Some are and some are a combination of many people. No matter which they are all visible in my mind.

Besides the Aspen Grove romance anthologies, of which you are a co-author, what other books or series have you written?

The Becky Series, The Birdsinger Series, The Quade Series, Those Gals From Minter Wisconsin Series, The Double M Series, The Rhonda Pohs Series, The Secrets Series, The Outlaw Series, Summer’s Child, Donegal’s Mistress, Port of Fear, Transplanted Love, When Their World Died..., Never Too Late for Love, Never a Bridesmaid, Family Secrets, The Tour, RX Love, Mockingbird, Mistaken Identity, Montana Rose, A Father's Love, and Blue Eagle Feather. I think I have all of the Sherry Derr-Wille books, but if I've missed a couple, I apologize.

Aspen Grove is based on two Colorado mountain towns.

Have you created any other fictitious locations for your books? Most of my towns are fictional. The most famous is Minter, WI based on Milton and Janesville, WI. I've also created fictional worlds when I'm writing fantasy.

Did you enjoy writing as part of a group? Why or why not?

I do, and I don't. I love the challenge of writing as a group, but to be truthful, I'm a solitary author. I've had fun with the Aspen Grove anthologies and have learned a lot from my writing partners.

The Aspen Grove romances are collections of novellas. Do you like writing at that length? Why or why not?

It depends on the day. There are stories that unfold in the shorter version and others that need 30,000-70,000 more words to come to fruition.

       

Of everything you have written, what is your favorite book to date?

That's a loaded question. It's like asking who is your favorite child/grandchild/great grandchild. In a pinch I guess I would say Summer’s Child, Donegal’s Mistress, Mistaken Identity, and The Outlaw Series, but to be truthful, I love them all.

Sherry Derr-Wille is a country girl at heart but gave that lifestyle up when she married her high school sweetheart, Bob Wille, 52 years ago. After living in the small town of Milton, WI for over 30 years, they moved to the big city of Janesville, WI [population 60,000]. Together they have three children, nine grandchildren, and four and a half great grandchildren. Sherry is the author of seventy-six books in the genre of romance, family epics, murder mysteries, and naughty books. Books number 77 and 78 are The Return of the Ancients, a work of science fiction, and Sky Eyes, a Native American story.

Meet Luanna Rugh

Today, I interview Luanna Rugh, another of my co-authors for the Aspen Grove romance anthologies. Luanna’s first published book was Snowflake Secrets, the first of the series. She has appeared in all of the Aspen Grove books. Welcome, Luanna.

When did you first start writing?

In 2002, I joined my husband in writing our autobiography, Promises Kept: How One Couple’s Love Survived Vietnam. (He had been working on it for over twenty years.) I went kicking and screaming all the way, until I found out I really liked writing.

What do you like about storytelling?

The more I write, the more I enjoy telling stories, especially if an animal is one of the characters.

Where do you get your story ideas?

The characters seem to seep into the creative part of my brain and begin to write the story themselves.

How do you create your characters? Are they based on real people?

I never write about real people. I don’t like invading other people’s lives. My characters manufacture themselves. Sometimes I need to give some direction, but most of them do their own thing. Descriptions, personalities, how they feel about the other characters manage to come together to make it all work.

Besides the Aspen Grove romance anthologies, of which you are a co-author, what other books or series have you written?

I co-authored Promises Kept: How One Couple’s Love Survived Vietnam, our memoir, with my husband. I just published my first solo book, Love from the Sea. It is the first in a series to be called “Love, Left Coast Style.”

Aspen Grove is based on two Colorado mountain towns. Have you created any other fictitious locations for your books?

I like to write about places I know, have lived, or have visited. Again, my characters decide where they want to live. 

Did you enjoy writing as part of a group? Why or why not?

I enjoyed working with others, especially when the four stories are somehow intertwined. I liked trying to figure how the pieces of four different stories come together.

The Aspen Grove romances are collections of novellas. Do you like writing at that length? Why or why not?

I guess I never gave much thought about the length of anything published or stories I’m writing. Only when I wrote in The Aspen Grove series was I concerned about word count.

Of everything you have written, what is your favorite book to date?

That’s easy. It will always be Promises Kept: How One Couple’s Love Survived Vietnam, our autobiography.

Luanna Rugh was born and raised on a dairy in Central California. She always loved animals, cats and dogs, cows and horses, not to mention the many wild critters living in the area. At ten, she decided she wanted to become a high school biology teacher. Her family moved to Southern California where Luanna followed her path in college until the summer of 1966 when she met the love of her life, Len Rugh. They were married on February of 1967. A year and a half later, Len was drafted and sent to Vietnam where he was critically wounded. When Len returned, she finished school and earned two teaching credentials. At age fifty-seven, she discovered she could write. She co-authored the first of six books in the Aspen Grove romance anthology series: "Snowflake Secrets," "Seasons of Love," "Directions of Love," "An Aspen Grove Christmas," "The Art of Love," and "…And a Silver Sixpence in Her Shoe." She and Len published their memoir, "Promises Kept: How One Couple’s Love Survived Vietnam." "Love From the Sea" is her first solo work. She hopes you enjoy reading it as much as she loved writing it.