Cheryl Rainfield's Blog, page 104

Today I'm talking with the lovely Beth Fehlbaum about her writing, her books, and more. Beth is the author of Hope in Patience and Courage in Patience.

Why do you write?

I can't remember ever NOT writing. It's a natural way for me to process my life.

I understand! I do that, too.


What do you love about writing? (Or about the publishing business, or both.)

I love being able to take what's in my head, allow it to flow down my arm, and come out through my fingertips. I love the way the process helps me step outside of myself and the way it frees me when what I'm writing about is difficult to cope with, such as sexual abuse.

That's a really good use of writing.


What don't you like about the publishing business? (Or about writing.)

I dislike it when I don't have as much time to write as I'd like, because of this pesky thing called my day job. It's frustrating when there is so much story-weaving running through my mind and I need hours and hours and days and days to fall into the story one hundred percent, but I can't because of other obligations. Writing is such an intense experience for me, it's not practical for me to pick it up here and there and set it down again. I suppose I could commit myself to an hour a day, but it doesn't appeal to me to do that. I'd rather do it 100%, and it's worked out so far for me to do research and plotting during the school year (I'm a teacher), and write full time during the summer and on holidays.

What would you want in your ideal writing studio? What does your writing space look like now?

My ideal writing studio—the best place I've ever written—is my front porch. I live in East Texas, so our summers are usually quite hot and steamy. A couple years ago, we had a very mild summer, and I set at a desk built by a good friend and wrote outside. I loved it; the hummingbirds buzzed right over my head as they went to their feeders, and the squirrels and raccoons were going up and down the tree across the yard from me. It was like I was part of their world and they didn't mind me being there a bit. We have ceiling fans on our covered porch, and the buzz they created the perfect "white noise" for writing. Last summer was beastly hot, humid, and the mosquitos were atrocious, so I didn't last an hour outside. Now, the desk is inside against a wall in my den. I'll end up writing there or at my kitchen table this summer, unless I luck out and am able to move outside again!

That sounds lovely, your porch on a mild summer.


Where do you write most often?

Recently I've been writing at my desk in our den. There's an antique stained-glass window hanging on the wall right above the desk.

What do you think is the most important thing (or things) that makes a good book work?

Story and voice.





What is your favorite type of book to read?

I read a lot of non-fiction; I am on somewhat of a spiritual journey and I explore where I "am" by reading what other people say about who God is/is not. I also read a lot of whatever I'm researching at the time; for example, my current work-in-progress has plot points that include the Civil War, teen dating, running track, and racism, so I've been reading a lot of material that is helping develop the plot. I'm very much a natural student and I take lots of notes when I read.

What are some of your favorite YA books? How about picture books?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chris Crutcher's books – ALL OF THEM– and I'm a huge Jennifer Brown fan (Hate List, Bitter End)! I love the picture book Don't Laugh At Me.

How much of yourself or your own experiences and emotions do you put in your books?

I drew on my experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and as a teacher to write the Patience books: Courage in Patience and Hope In Patience. The protagonist, Ashley Nicole Asher, was sexually abused from the age of 9 to 15, and she has PTSD. I was sexually abused from the age of 8 to 14, and verbally and emotionally abused much longer than that. Like Ashley, I have PTSD.

I'm so sorry you went through that, Beth. I know how painful that is.


What is your favorite book that you wrote? Why?

I love both of my books; asking me to choose one is like asking me to choose which of my children I love more. I look at my books and they are distinct individuals, yet they are also like photo albums of my recovery journey. When I wrote Courage in Patience, I never intended to publish it. I had been writing poems and short stories as a way of processing my own rage and grief. I shared them with my therapist and one day he suggested that I try writing a novel. That ended up being Courage in Patience, which documents what happened to Ashley when she was young and her first tenuous steps into not only recovering from what happened to her, but also discovering who she is. Hope in Patience continues Ashley's story. When I wrote Hope in Patience, I was struggling with the notion of acceptance of the situation with my own mom. I am now at work on the third Patience book, as-yet untitled but it will probably end up being called Truth in Patience. I'm not ready to give anything away about its plot yet.





What do you want to tell readers?

Through Ashley Asher, I want to tell readers, "You are not alone." No matter what you're dealing with, millions of other people have walked the same path and survival is truly possible. Don't give up.

Where can readers find you online?

I have a website; I am also on Facebook; and I'm on Twitter: @bethfehlbaum.

I love hearing from readers, and my e-mail address is [email protected] . I do free Skype chats and I enjoy visiting readers in person, too!

What are you working on now? Or what's your next book that we can look for?

Tentatively titled Truth in Patience, the third book in the Patience series (possibly the last, if I decide Ashley's story is finished!)—I am determined to have the first full draft complete by summer's end, and if I'm really lucky, I'd like to have the manuscript submitted to my (our!) fabulous publisher, Evelyn Fazio of WestSide Books, by October.

Thanks so much, Cheryl, for graciously giving me this interview!

You're very welcome, Beth! It was lovely to chat with you.

About BETH FEHLBAUM, Author.

Born in Dallas, TX, Beth Fehlbaum has never left the Lone Star State. A special place for her, Fehlbaum has authored two young adult novels set in Texas.

Fehlbaum graduated in English from the University of Texas at Arlington and received her masters in Elementary Education from Texas A&M. The author has always had a passion for teaching, social justice and insisting upon authenticity in the classroom, much like one of the characters in her newest teen novel Hope in Patience (October 27, 2010, WestSide Books). Fehlbaum was inspired to write Hope in Patience, which tells the story of a young teens road to recovery after being sexually abused, from her own personal life experiences.

Aside from her career as a writer, Fehlbaum enjoys teaching 5th grade students in a bilingual education program in East Texas.

Fehlbaum married her high school sweetheart, and together they have three daughters in college. Her favorite place in the world is her own front porch, where she writes books at a table built by a good friend.

More at http://www.bethfehlbaumya.com/aboutme.htm

Hira H, USA. prize = signed copy of Scars.

Marynellie F, Puerto Rico. prize = signed copy of Scars.

Patricia L, USA. prize = signed copy of Scars.

Chelsea R. prize = $10 Amazon gift card.

Thank you everyone who entered! And don't forget there's still another contest going on that you can enter.

And emailed. I will post winners names and prizes when I hear back from everyone.

Thank you everyone for entering the contest!

Didn't win? You still have many chances to win at my bigger contest, until June 15.

If you're wondering how winners are picked–I go through all the comments carefully, and write out the names for each of the entries on pieces of paper (one name for each entry, with multiple entries carefully added), mix them all up for a while (to be fair) in a big bowl, then choose them with my eyes closed, so it's fair.

It's October 28th! Ooooh, I'm so excited! (beaming)

It's kind of thrilling to hear the release date, to know when Hunted will be here. When I'll be able to hold it, leaf through it, read it again, and when it will start to reach others!

(You can read more about my YA paranormal fantasy HUNTED here.)

Alexandria, VA, according to Amazon. Check out the link for other stats and top read US cities.

I write about what I put into my fiction & why on Where Fantasy and Reality Collide today. I talk about drawing on my own experiences to make both realistic fiction and fantasy stronger. I hope you'll check it out, maybe leave a comment.

Then check out my interview on Lena Coakley's blog. You'll read about some of the things I've done to promote Scars, my thoughts on book trailers, and more.

Enter to win 1 of 3 signed copies of SCARS, and 1 $10 Amazon.com gift certificate!

Contest open worldwide. Contest runs May 25-May 31st.

To enter:

Leave a comment on this post = 1 entry

Tweet, blog, or post about my second, bigger contest = 1 entry

Tweet about Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself = 1 entry PER tweet

Post a link & short comment about Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself on your blog, site, FaceBook, etc = 2 entries per post

If you tweet or blog about this contest or Reasons Not To Hurt Yourself, please leave a comment here.

If you did one of each of those, you'd have 5 entries to the contest.

In SCARS, 15-year-old Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself–before it's too late.

Kendra, fifteen, hasn't felt safe since she began to recall devastating memories of childhood sexual abuse, especially because she still can't remember the most important detail– her abuser's identity. Frightened, Kendra believes someone is always watching and following her, leaving menacing messages only she understands. If she lets her guard down even for a minute, it could cost Kendra her life. To relieve the pressure, Kendra cuts; aside from her brilliantly expressive artwork, it's her only way of coping. Since her own mother is too self-absorbed to hear her cries for help, Kendra finds support in others instead: from her therapist and her art teacher, from Sandy, the close family friend who encourages her artwork, and from Meghan, the classmate who's becoming a friend and maybe more. But the truth about Kendra's abuse is just waiting to explode, with startling unforeseen consequences. Scars is the unforgettable story of one girl's frightening path to the truth.

Today I have a treat for you–an interview with YA author Michael Harmon–author of SKATE, LAST EXIT TO NORMAL, BRUTAL, THE CHAMBER OF FIVE, A KID FROM SOUTHIE, and UNDER THE BRIDGE.

Author Michael Harmon and his dog Hank

Q: Why do you write?

A: I'd have to sell pencils at the airport if I didn't, but there's a passion and love for writing that pencil selling doesn't give me.

Q: I hear you.


What do you love about writing?

A: I love writing because it is absolute freedom.

Q: What don't you like about the publishing business? (Or about writing.)

A: What I occasionally have difficulty with about the business side of writing is that the essential premise of money is necessarily contrary to the foundation of the freedom writing gives me. I do, however, find that the compromises I need to make for the sake of our society's sometimes odd boundaries and political systems are miniscule compared to the blessing of reaching my readers in a positive way. I will add that most publishers do a fantastic job of juggling the ethos of expression with the realities of business. With the occasional controversies surrounding the first three novels I have on the shelves, my agent and publisher have been incredibly stalwart, courageous and supportive of my principles, which sometimes go against the business ethic of making money. They have my absolute respect, and I return their loyalty with trust.

Q: What would you want in your ideal writing studio? What does your writing space look like now?

A: I've no desire for a writing studio. It would remind me of an office, and I'm not an office kind of person. My writing space looks like a queen-sized bed with my English Mastiff, Hank, snoring next to me as I grind out chapters on my laptop.

Q: (laughing) I'm not an office kind of person, either. Writing with your dog beside you sounds lovely.


Where do you write most often?

A: On my bed.

Q: What do you think is the most important thing (or things) that makes a good book work?

A: Truth. Every horrible passage I've ever vomited out can be traced to me not being true to the story, characters, and my craft.

Q: I like what you said, Michael; I think truth woven into fiction makes it powerful.


What is your favorite type of book to read?

A: Anything that bleeds honesty, and anything that makes me forget I'm reading by making me feel it. Cormac McCarthy's THE ROAD did that to me.

Q: I love that in books, too.


What are some of your favorite YA books? How about picture books?

A: I've only read three YA books in my life. I'm weird that way. Does Maxim count as a picture book?

Q: Ahem. No. (smiling)


How much of yourself or your own experiences and emotions do you put in your books?

A: I put my entire being into every novel I write, though I never portray specific circumstances….just the emotions and perspectives I think are universal to being human. I believe that a writer who fears their feelings, whether they be moral, immoral, angelic, or evil, will find it difficult to portray their characters as honest and real.

Q: I agree, Michael. I think the most powerful fiction has our emotional experience in it.


What is your favorite book that you wrote? Why?

A: I've written twenty-four novels, so it's hard to pin a definition on 'favorite'. My favorite, symbolically, is the first I ever completed, unpublished, and will never be published because the writing sucks. But it's what hooked me.

Q: Wow! You are a really prolific writer. And I get what you're saying; my first book is my favorite, too.


What do you want to tell readers?

A: Buy my books. They make great doorstops. I do enjoy speaking with students about motivation, success, and how to use mistakes as stepping stones on the path to value in this world.

Q: Where can readers find you online?

A: booksbyharmon.com

Chamber of Five

Q: What are you working on now? Or what's your next book that we can look for?

A: A Kid From Southie, The Chamber Of Five, and Under The Bridge should be hitting the shelves from now until next fall, I've just submitted a new novel, and I'm currently working on two YA novels. Since I have some time on my hands, I'm also writing an adult contemporary novel.

Thank you, Michael, for a great interview! I really enjoyed your answers.

Folks, I hope you'll check out Michael's site.

Check out my audio recording for my author name pronunciation at TeachingBooks.net! You'll find out how I got my last name. I'm honored that they asked me. (beaming)