Q&A with Hannah Lesniak

Good e'en, Beardies!

Once upon a time, in kingdom called Commerce, there lived a young and idealistic Lady Knight of Knowledge beset with many trials.  As the young knight sought to rescue a much-loved Young Adult library collection from the jaws of the Dragon of Neglect, she was in desperate need of help, and help arrived in the form of a young Page of Knowledge named Hannah.  Together Knight and Page fought a valiant fight, slew the Dragon of Neglect, and won the respect of their subjects.  In time, the Page went to a far-off country to endure an Ordeal, and returning triumphant from this test, was promoted to the position of Squire of Knowledge, and awarded the accolade of membership into The Fellowship of The Bearded Scribe for her bravery, wisdom, and honor...
...Or something like that.

All fairy tales have a basis in truth, and you may have guessed by now that the aforementioned Lady Knight of Knowledge was me. The Page (now Squire) of Knowledge was my dear friend and colleague, Hannah Lesniak, the newest member of The Fellowship of The Bearded Scribe.  Hannah and I see each other at work nearly every day, but getting this interview was harder than it should have been, because, as always when we're together, hijinks and tea ensued.  Because I am a good Lady Knight of Knowledge, though, and Hannah is my faithful Squire, we did at some point manage to have a good conversation.  Read on, Beardies—an adventure awaits!

Interview with Alainna Sarver

Bonjour Beardies,

I am excited to bring you the first of two interview posts to introduce our two new Guest Scribes.  The first, Alainna Sarver, is a fellow Alma College alumnus and bibliophile.  The second, Hannah Lesniak, is Elizabeth's colleague and friend; her interview and introduction post, presented by Elizabeth, will follow soon.

Alainna has been a Beardie for several months now, but it was her Goodreads updates that prompted me to invite her to the blog.  With every post, it seemed, was a new book she was currently reading, and so, with a quick message via Facebook, the invitation was submitted.  She was hesitant at first, doubting her writing talents, but I convinced her that I would help every step of the way.  Also, upon reading her bio, I have no doubt in my mind that she was downplaying her writing ability.

New Guest Scribe: Kelsey J. Mills

Good Morning, Beardies,

As many of you who follow the blog on Twitter already know, it is no secret that I have been seeking new talent to add to my already wonderful and dedicated team of reviewers. Because of their dedication and support, and perhaps without them even realizing it, I have found yet another talented writer to join The Bearded Scribe Team.

Introducing Sara Cleveland: The Bearded Scribe's Newest Guest Scribe.

Ev'ning Beardies, 

Many apologies for my latest gap without a post--or at least a productive one :)

I will forewarn, however, that my posts will not be every day as they were for a good stretch, but will be spaced out to maybe every two or three days.  I am currently in the process of splitting my once "finished" manuscript of The Son of Drynntorm, hoping to reduce the word count as well as strengthen the plot in the process.

With that out of the way, on with the show...

I casually mentioned our newest Guest Scribe during a birthday shout-out, but--as y'all know--a casual introduction is not my style :)

Sara Cleveland and I go back many years, and like Elizabeth, she and I met my freshman year at Alma.  Actually, the three of us are quite the trio, if I do say so myself.  For as long as I've known Sara, I've known one thing above all else.  She's a bibliophile, and just as I spent my youth with my nose in a book, she has spent most of her life with hers in one as well.  As a matter of fact, whenever I would go visit her (which was daily, as her dorm room was in the adjacent "sister quad" of the unforgettable 3rd North Bruske), she would either be at her desk typing on her computer, or on her bed anxiously flipping the crisp pages of her latest literary endeavor.

Sara is not only an avid reader, but she is well-read, too.  A History major with English and Secondary Education minors, Sara spent just as much time reading for class as she did for pleasure--though I am almost positive some of the class readings were just as pleasurable :)

Please stay tuned for Sara's guest posts on The Bearded Scribe, especially her Book Spotlights in the genre of--but not limited to--Paranormal Romance.

To read more about Sara, please visit her Bio page.

Happy Scribing, 

Meet Nicole Galloway-Miller!

When I posted a thread searching for guest reviewers for The Bearded Scribe (on a site from which I have since decided to delete my profile), I originally received no response. That is, until about two weeks (or so) ago.

Once I received the response, I decided to do a little homework.  I read through Nicole's blog, browsing her many reviews and decided that she would be a good fit for The Bearded Scribe.  After a few emails back and forth, everything was set into place.  When I asked Nicole to write up a short biographical blurb, this is what was presented to me.

Nicole Galloway-Miller has been making up stories since she was born in 1981 at a small hospital in Freeport, Illinois. Her mother, Debra Galloway, fondly recalls that Nicole would “read” picture books with a nonsensical language before she could even speak her first words. After the birth of her brother Brad, the family of four moved to Erie, Pennsylvania to be close to family.

Her love of stories stayed with her throughout her life. At 12-years-old, Nicole wrote her first short story, on wide-ruled notebook paper, in turquoise pen, and dotted every i with a heart. Her favorite toy was a black, manual Underwood typewriter in an avocado plastic case. While her peers played house, she pretended to be a professor--using a green chalkboard on wheels and a tattered leather briefcase given to her by her father. Several years later, she moved on to an electric typewriter. She claims the soothing hum cures writer’s block. She always professed that when she grew up she would get several PhDs in areas of writing and literature and work as a professor sharing her obsessive love of the written word.

Nicole obtained a Bachelor's in English Composition from Theil College, a Liberal Arts School in Greenville, Pennsylvania. 

Her husband of four years, Jim Miller--who she lovingly refers to as Bo--was introduced to her by a colleague at The Bedford Gazette shortly after she graduated from Theil. He is her constant cheerleader and biggest fan. He commented that he is pleased with her success and is happy she now spends less money on books. He also added, "For her, every day a new book comes is Christmas."

Within a couple of weeks after their marriage, she shared her career goals with Bo and he promised to support her. He researched Master’s programs for her and they decided together that she should apply to a MFA in Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University, located an hour drive from Bedford in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

After being accepted in December 2011, Nicole started the low-residency program and now attends seminars on campus twice a year, in January and June. The remainder of her coursework is independent study. Since she is independently driven and free to choose her reading, researching, and writing assignments, the program is a perfect fit.

Her website, which she started in January 2012 and has over 730 followers as of June 2012, was a requirement for her 'Genres in Reading' course, which discussed Monsters in Popular Fiction. 

“It has always been a dream of mine to get free books in the mail, so I could review them. The incredible success of my blog Reading: My Thoughts on Writing is a dream come true,” Nicole said. 

“I’ve never worked so hard in my life,” Nicole commented. “I love hard work and my writing has improved exponentially in the past six months. I always knew I could write better and now I am.”

Nicole is excited to be a guest blogger for The Bearded Scribe and loves communicating with her blog followers and fans.  In addition to being a guest blogger for The Bearded Scribe, however, she writes newsletter content for Spectacle Publishing Media Group and reviews dark fantasy and horror novels on her blog for Angry Robot Books.

For more information about Nicole, check out her blog, Reading: My Thoughts on Writing or feel free to email her. You can also friend her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Nicole posts links to everything she writes on Facebook and Twitter and prides herself for providing links to quality information about writing, blogging and Autism. She explains she is “grateful” to be autistic and wants parents and children know that people on the spectrum often have successful careers that relate to their special interest.

“I see possibilities and believe that no dream or goal is impossible as long as a person is dedicated and focused on reaching it,” she said.

Nicole cannot wait to meet the followers of The Bearded Scribe. She loves connecting with new people and thinks they will be a valuable asset in her professional network.

“I’m not sure why I’m writing a dark fantasy. It is simply what my brain creates. I often need advice about the speculative fiction genre and people to help me brainstorm. If you have anything you want to share, please contact me."

Nicole's first review on The Sixth Seed by Lee Allen Howard will appear next Sunday.  Stay tuned.

Happy Scribing,

Yet Another Guest Blogger: Introducing Elizabeth!

Greetings Beardies,

Yesterday I did an Author Spotlight on Court Ellyn as a way to introduce her to you all--I figured it fitting, as she will be doing the occasional guest post on The Bearded Scribe.

Today I have yet another introduction to make...  Beardies:  Meet Elizabeth Norton, a fellow Beardie and a great friend of mine from my time spent at Alma College.

Like Court, Elizabeth has jumped at the opportunity to be a Guest Blogger on The Bearded Scribe, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have not only one, but two great minds joining my ranks.  Perhaps we'll take over the world!

Elizabeth and I have been friends since our first encounter at Alma--a voice class of only four students--and our  friendship only grew as the years passed and each of our friends became mutually connected through Choir and other organizations on campus.

{On a side note: I must also add that this shy, nerdy (that's a compliment, folks, just in case you were worried) young woman has a voice that will knock your socks off!}

Elizabeth has been an avid follower of The Bearded Scribe, commenting on many-a-post (providing me with some great feedback and mind-stirring insight), but it wasn't until a certain comment that she had posted when I stupidly remembered that she was a librarian.  A librarian!  What better asset to a blog about books (mostly) than a librarian?!?

It was in this dumbfounded realization that I extended the same invitation to Elizabeth as I also extended to the readers of LegendFire... and, well, she accepted.  Graciously, I might add.

As I did with Court, I decided to post a quick interview to introduce Elizabeth to all of you... so here it goes...

***

The Bearded Scribe: Please tell me a little more about your education, degree, and your position as a librarian and how it has influenced your love of books and writing.

Elizabeth: I hold a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. My concentration was School Library Media, but I changed to Youth and Teen Services and public libraries when I found out you had to have a teaching certificate to work in a school library. I actually chose Library Science because I love too many kinds of literature to specialize in one, and youth and teen services more specifically because youth librarians are fun and teen librarians...well, teen librarians are rock stars. I'm not a rock star, but if I stay in the field long enough, maybe I will be someday.


I've been in my current position, Teen Librarian at Commerce Township Community Library in Commerce Township, Michigan, for five years--and I love it. I buy all the books for the teen collections (grades 6-12), which gives me a lot of exposure to all areas of YA literature, movies, and music. I also do programs for grades 6-12, which means I get paid to play a lot and eat loads of pizza. It's so much fun and so rewarding. When I connect a teen to a book that suddenly makes them a lifetime reader, I know I'm doing what I was put on Earth to do. Hooking them on one of my favorites is always a bonus, too. World domination, one book at a time.

The Bearded Scribe: On what projects, if any, are you currently working?

Elizabeth: I've been reviewing teen books and professional resources for a library journal called Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) for the last year.


I actually started following your blog hoping for an impetus to go back to more creative writing, and it's worked. A notebook full of scribbles is slowly becoming a short story that I'm hoping will turn into either a collection of short stories or a novel. It doesn't have a title, because my titles always come last; and it's literally been in a desk drawer for four years, but the characters are glad to have me back. They're waking me up at all hours. Your blog is an impetus for creativity and a cause of insomnia. Are you sorry? ;)

The Bearded Scribe: Yes, very sorry for the insomnia, not for the creative spark I've incited :)
                                   What is/are your favorite book(s)?

Elizabeth: Don't you know this question is a librarian's personal brand of cruel and unusual punishment? I'll try to keep it to three, not counting series. Here goes:


Lisa Mantchev's Theater Illuminata Trilogy (Eyes Like Stars, Perchance To Dream, and So Silver Bright) is fantasy brain candy, especially if you have a literature/theater background. It's about a girl who grew up in a magical theater where every character of every play ever written is alive behind the curtain, born to play their parts. The main character doesn't know her parents, but her surrogate family consists of a batch of Shakespeare's fairies, a pirate, and Ophelia from Hamlet, among others.


Croak by Gina Damico is a recent favorite. As a YA librarian, I've read a lot of paranormal fiction since Twilight (which I didn't like), so it takes a lot to impress me with a paranormal story. This one about a sixteen-year-old Grim Reaper named Lex was impressive for its originality and sense of humor. I cannot wait for the sequel.


Derek Landy's Skulduggery Pleasant series is the only series I've ever paid to import from overseas, so it deserves a mention. Landy's world-building is superb, and who can resist a wise-cracking skeleton detective? If you're an audiobooks fan, check out the audio of the first book (Skulduggery Pleasant) read by Rupert Degas. It's fabulous!


And one more, because steampunk is my latest obsession and it gets ignored too often. Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan Trilogy is a gem. It's a steampunk alternate history that centers around the son of Archduke Franz Ferdinand at the start of World War I. It's another case of superb world-building, and Westerfeld sets up his entire third book in one sentence. It's mind-blowing.


There are, of course, a million more, but I'll stop there... For now.

The Bearded Scribe: Which book sucked you into the Fantasy genre?

Elizabeth: It's hard to say. I played on the fringes of fantasy for a long time, but Harry Potter was a game-changer for me. I got sucked in anew, though, by the work of Laini Taylor. Daughter of Smoke and Bone has such beautiful descriptive language. Deep in my heart, I'm a word nerd, and descriptive writing will get me every time.

The Bearded Scribe: Is there anything else you would like to share with The Bearded Scribe readers?

Elizabeth: I am really, really honored to be here.

The Bearded Scribe: Well, Thank You, Elizabeth.  I am truly honored to have you as a new addition to the blog, and I am greatly looking forward to your reviews (and other posts, should the opportunity call for it)--I can only imagine, as a librarian, how well attuned to the written word you must be.

***

When Elizabeth isn't walking the shelves at her library, you can find her sailing--one of her other passions--though, undoubtedly, with a book not too far away.  :)  You can check out her part-time blog (unrelated to writing but still just as cool)--The Captain's Table--a blog about cooking and sailing.

Happy Scribing,

Author Spotlight: Court Ellyn (complete with interview)

Welcome back Beardies,

(I hope you don’t mind the new, catchy title I’ve decided to give to all you readers)

Tonight I have a special treat to share with all of you: another Author Spotlight, complete with an included Interview! I hope it is as much of a treat for you to read as it was for me to do! It was an incredible opportunity and privilege, and something for which I can’t say “Thank You” enough.

Just a few days ago, I told all of you about a great new website I had discovered called LegendFire. I can’t stress enough to all of you how much I LOVE this community. The Members (and Administrators) are so friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable about writing, critiquing, and what it means to be a proper community.

Even though it has only been a few days since I first became a member myself, I’ve became rather swept away by one person in particular. Her immediate kindness and welcoming aura struck me, and when I posted a thread about trying to find potential “Guest” Authors for The Bearded Scribe to do reviews on books and other such topics, she immediately jumped on the opportunity.

After talking a little more with Court Ellyn, I discovered that not only is she totally awesome and someone with whom I share a lot in common, but she is also a published writer! I thought what better way to introduce her to The Bearded Scribe than to do an Author Spotlight. She even accepted my humble request to do an interview!

So here it is, in all of its glory :-D

***

The Bearded Scribe: I have already spotlighted the LegendFire website on my blog, but I am curious--how did the website originate/what is its history?

 Court Ellyn: LegendFire started out as Arcane Artistry, way back in 2003. Dustin Tigner was its creator, and the community went through a couple of incarnations, more or less successful, before it became LegendFire in 2008. Dustin changed the structure to be less dictatorial, more member-run, and I think this is why LF is succeeding so well.

The Bearded Scribe: When did you become a member and how did you end up as one of the site's administrator?

Court Ellyn: Let’s see, I joined LF back in April of 2009. I had been an active member of a different online critique community and became frustrated with some of the rule-oriented writers there (one finally told me that I couldn't write a story a certain way), so when one of my husband’s coworkers mentioned a place called LegendFire, I gave it a shot. I loved the place immediately. It was smaller and more intimate-feeling.


I was a member for only two months when Dustin said it was time for him to move on and he was putting the site up for auction. If no one bought it, he was going to shut it down. I was devastated. I slept on it for a night or two, then woke up one morning with the conviction that I could do this. I was so excited, but the starting bid was too much for me to afford. I logged in to the site and posted for help. Five of us stepped forward and pooled our money and became the new admins of LF. The others have slowly gone off to do their own thing, but I'm still here. It’s one of the most rewarding things I could be doing with my time.

The Bearded Scribe: What do you hope to see in the future for the LegendFire site?

Court Ellyn: I hope LF will continue to grow, of course, and remain—for what many has become—a haven for their creativity. A place where writers feel like they belong. A place for forum orphans, those writers who feel like they’ve been marginalized or alienated at other sites. LF is these things already, but for word to spread, for our reputation to grow across the internet, that’s what I hope for. And I think it’s happening, slowly but surely.

The Bearded Scribe: You have two blogs--Wordweaver (your writing blog) and Found, and Unapologetic (your faith-based blog)--could you tell the readers at The Bearded Scribe a little more about each of your blogs?

Court Ellyn: Right. Wordweaver is the place where I journal about my writing journey. Mostly, I use it to advertise my writing successes and discuss my frustrations, and also to network with other writers and learn about the publishing industry.


Found, and Unapologetic is my new baby. A step that has taken a lot of courage on my part, because, let’s face it, the world does not welcome open expressions of love for Jesus. That particular blog, then, is where I will journal about my explorations of my faith and hopefully, through my real-life stories, encourage others who may also question and struggle at times.

The Bearded Scribe: At what age did you begin writing?

Court Ellyn: Ha, I think I was fourteen. Maybe fifteen? I had always “pretended” though, with my sister and three close cousins. We would dress up in wild prom dresses that we found at garage sales and “pretend,” making up elaborate stories. When they decided they were too old to pretend anymore, I had a choice. I could go into acting, or write. I was too shy to act.

The Bearded Scribe: What is your favorite book? Your favorite fantasy/speculative fiction book?

Court Ellyn: This is a tough one. My favorite books for poetry of language would be The Last Unicorn or Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea books. For action and character development, either Melanie Rawn’s Dragon Princeseries or GRRM’s A Song of Ice and Fire. I know you asked for one book, but I just can’t help it.

The Bearded Scribe: For me, it was Bridge to Terabithia... was there a particular book that hooked you into the fantasy genre?

Court Ellyn: It was movies more than books. When I was little, I wasn’t allowed to read fantasy, which was very much a double standard in our house, b/c I grew up watching every Walt Disney fantasy under the sun, as well as the animated Lord of the Rings by Rankin and Bass. Then George Lucas’s Willow came along and I was sunk. No turning back after that. So I didn’t start reading the fantasy genre until my senior year of High School when I went behind my mother’s back and bought a book because it had a gorgeous black dragon on the cover. Terrible book, nice art.

The Bearded Scribe: You have two published works--The Mists of Blackfen Bog, which is already available, and Blood of the Falcon, which is due out this spring--could you tell the readers at The Bearded Scribe a little more about each of your works?

Court Ellyn: Mists is a novella set in the world of Tanerra. It’s about a disillusioned priestess who is called upon to save the villagers living deep in a haunted bog. The story centers around the priestess’s struggles with her faith. If the saying is to write what you know, I may not know much about ghosts or bogs, but I do know about spiritual struggles. You bet I do, and I'll bet most readers do, too.

Blood of the Falcon is my very special baby. I’ve been working on it, off and on, for twelve years now. It’s epic in every sense of the word. Big world, big armies, big magic, big scope in years, big word count. It was first inspired by Rawn’s Dragon Prince novels, way back when I got another of those excited “I can do this” feelings. It has since been reshaped by my infatuation with GRRM. So I think fans of epic fantasy will feel right at home.

The Bearded Scribe: Both of these titles are self-published, correct?

Court Ellyn: Yes. Mists was actually first published traditionally, by the online magazine Silver Blade. It ran for the summer and fall of 2009 as a their featured serial, which was flattering and exciting. Rather than try to sell a novella a second time, I decided to publish it myself, as it was meant to be read, in one volume, for the reader’s convenience.


I tried for years to sell Blood of the Falcon to editors and agents, but it was a no-go. Too many similarities to other books on the market, a little behind the current fads, perhaps. Had I written the book 30 years ago, when Tolkien’s work was taking off in the U.S. I would have had less trouble. But now I’m glad an editor didn’t get ahold of it and change it up to suit them, you know what I mean? Falcons has become a personal project for me that I need to finish before I can move on to more salable work.

The Bearded Scribe: What would you say are the pros of self-publishing?

Court Ellyn: Full control of the project. Text, cover art, layout, venue is all left to the writer’s preference.

The Bearded Scribe: What would you say are the cons, if any?

Court Ellyn: Marketing. To get their names out there, self-published writers have to become marketers as well as artists, a one-stop shop. Not easy since most of us tend to be introverts or dreamers or whatever you want to call it. I have not excelled at this facet of the game yet, but I’m learning. What I’m learning does not appeal to me in the slightest. But once the networking takes off, with folks like you, things start moving in the right direction.

The Bearded Scribe: Are you currently working on any new projects?

Court Ellyn: LOL – Er, yes and no. Falcons and its sequels have been taking up most of my time for the past eighteen months, and it appears that the project will go on for some time, even after the release of Book One. There is, however, an upcoming release of one of my short stories. “A Mournful Rustling” should appear in Explorers: Beyond the Horizon, an anthology by Dead Robots’ Society, sometime in May.

The Bearded Scribe: Do you only write in the Fantasy genre?

Court Ellyn: Mostly, yes. Even the one non-fantasy story I wrote for a Halloween anthology had some fantastical elements in the end. I mean, it’s Halloween, some fantasy is permissible, right?

The Bearded Scribe: Is there anything that you would like to share with The Bearded Scribe's readers that I did not ask you?

Court Ellyn: To readers: support your self-published authors. We’re trying to live out our dreams and need all the support we can get. To writers: You’ve chosen a tough vocation, but nothing worth spending your life doing is easy. Keep writing, keep submitting.

***

Well, Beardies, there you have it. Please check out all of the links I have embedded within the interview with Court for more information on this amazing woman and her work!  To learn even more about her, visit her website, follow her on Facebook or Twitter, or check out LegendFire or either of the blogs listed above.  To purchase any of her works, simply click on the book cover images above.

And keep checking back here to see future posts on The Bearded Scribe, written by Court herself!

Happy Scribing,