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Welcome to
News From Dead Mule Swamp Blog Tour 2012
An Interview with Joan H. Young
Joan H. Young author of, News From Dead Mule Swamp, stopped by the blog today. Welcome to I Love My Authors Joan, it is Awesome to have you here. Come on in folks, sit down, and enjoy the Interview..
(Anastasia Raven Mysteries #1)
News From Dead Mule Swamp
Anastasia Raven is running from the pain of a failed marriage, and hopes to hide from the world in an old farmhouse she has purchased at the edge of Dead Mule Swamp. When a hundred-year-old newspaper she finds inside a wall is stolen by Cliff Sorenson, and then Cliff disappears, Ana is convinced that the paper holds the key to the mystery. But what old news could be important enough to put Cliff in danger?Buy Links
Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sharkbytes
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8UBU0
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/sharkbytes
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001K8UBU0
Meet Joan H. Young
Joan H. Young has been writing stories about the outdoors since the age of 7, when "The Adventures of Skippy the Field Mouse" made its debut. The work survives, but is best left in the box with crayon drawings of squirrels and pressed leaves.
"The Family Christmas," a seasonal poem made it as far as the local newspaper when she was 12, proving that the serious child was already harboring an evil sense of humor.
As an adult, Joan has made a career of proving that she can bumble through life without ever deciding what to be when she grows up. She began with a degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis on theater. Realizing that drama, for her, was like whiskey to an alcoholic, she left a possible career in stage management for a driven man and 10,000 teenagers. (What was she thinking?) A few years later the couple had legally adopted one of the teens, and two younger children, but were still feeding most of the stray 10,000 teenagers as well. No time there for writing anything except grocery lists, and a journal of the wild ride!
In 1986, still longing for a career in sciences, she went back to school, taking higher math and chemistry in hopes of being accepted into the University of Michigan graduate program. From 1992-1995 she lived in Ann Arbor, and did receive a Masters in Environmental Engineering, cleverly getting U of M to pay for it too! Meanwhile, the writing bug still squirmed, and Joan worked hard at collecting rejection slips from a nice series of reputable magazines and publishers. Also during this time slot she began hiking the North Country Trail (NCT), the longest foot path in the United States.
Now armed with an "advanced degree" she returned home and attempted to establish a reputation as a wetland specialist. Well, she was one, but she wasn't very good at marketing herself, and when offered a job as a web site manager, that became the next career. Essays about her hikes on the NCT demanded to be written, and friends urged her to publish.
In 2005, /North Country Cache/ made its debut for the 25th Anniversary of the North Country Trail. Since then, more and more of her time has been spent writing. If only more and more money came from that endeavor, it could be called a career!
Recently, she has begun writing more fiction, including several award-winning short stories soon to be published by Twin Trinity Media, and the Anastasia Raven mystery series.
Young has enjoyed the out-of-doors her entire life. Highlights of her outdoor adventures include Girl Scouting, which provided yearly training in camp skills, the opportunity to engage in a 10-day canoe trip, and numerous short backpacking excursions. She was selected to attend the 1965 Senior Scout Roundup in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an international event to which 10,000 girls were invited. She has ridden a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986, and on August 3, 2010 became the first woman to complete the North Country National Scenic Trail on foot. Her mileage totaled 4395 miles.
When did you start writing?
I have been reading since I was two and writing stories at least from the age of seven. I still have a copy of “The Adventures of Skippy the Field Mouse.” It’s not exactly literature, but there is some suspense when Skippy meets the Cat.
What inspired you to do it?
At this point I can only guess, but I’ve often had an urge after reading a story to write something similar.
What projects have you done?
I like creating all kinds of projects with words. My longest book is a collection of essays about hiking the North Country National Scenic Trail (called North Country Cache). I’ve created a number of multi-media presentations on a variety of topics including botany and hiking. I’ve written a number of short religious dramas. I write an outdoor column for two news sources, and have created two puzzle books. Recently, my focus has turned to fiction with several short stories, and now I’m writing the Anastasia Raven mystery series. (News from Dead Mule Swamp and The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp).
Any new projects coming up?
The third story in that series is Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp, which will be available June 1.
What are your habits when you sit down to create? Do you have to be in a certain room? outside?
Most of the story creation is done in my head before I begin writing. Actually, I think well in the car. Driving is somewhat mindless, and I have the time to string together plots without distractions. When it comes to the writing, I just need to flesh out the story with details.
How do you build your character world?
Inventing a character I could sustain through a series was the biggest obstacle for me to start the Anastasia Raven books. I wanted a character I could understand and a world I could sustain without constant research. That let out any sort of professional law enforcement person, lawyer, medical examiner, etc. Although I often write from a male perspective, I decided this protagonist would be a woman. Since I know small towns and the rural north, that’s where the series is based.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would love to have 8-10 Anastasia Raven books on the market, and to be supported by my writing. Due to lifestyle choices our family made, we don’t have much retirement money, and it would be great to be able to pay the bills through writing.
How many hours a day would you say that you spend promoting your writing?
I average a few hours a week doing some sort of promotion. This takes many forms- social marketing, printing flyers, setting up programs (or giving them), talking to people, etc.
"The Family Christmas," a seasonal poem made it as far as the local newspaper when she was 12, proving that the serious child was already harboring an evil sense of humor.
As an adult, Joan has made a career of proving that she can bumble through life without ever deciding what to be when she grows up. She began with a degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis on theater. Realizing that drama, for her, was like whiskey to an alcoholic, she left a possible career in stage management for a driven man and 10,000 teenagers. (What was she thinking?) A few years later the couple had legally adopted one of the teens, and two younger children, but were still feeding most of the stray 10,000 teenagers as well. No time there for writing anything except grocery lists, and a journal of the wild ride!
In 1986, still longing for a career in sciences, she went back to school, taking higher math and chemistry in hopes of being accepted into the University of Michigan graduate program. From 1992-1995 she lived in Ann Arbor, and did receive a Masters in Environmental Engineering, cleverly getting U of M to pay for it too! Meanwhile, the writing bug still squirmed, and Joan worked hard at collecting rejection slips from a nice series of reputable magazines and publishers. Also during this time slot she began hiking the North Country Trail (NCT), the longest foot path in the United States.
Now armed with an "advanced degree" she returned home and attempted to establish a reputation as a wetland specialist. Well, she was one, but she wasn't very good at marketing herself, and when offered a job as a web site manager, that became the next career. Essays about her hikes on the NCT demanded to be written, and friends urged her to publish.
In 2005, /North Country Cache/ made its debut for the 25th Anniversary of the North Country Trail. Since then, more and more of her time has been spent writing. If only more and more money came from that endeavor, it could be called a career!
Recently, she has begun writing more fiction, including several award-winning short stories soon to be published by Twin Trinity Media, and the Anastasia Raven mystery series.
Young has enjoyed the out-of-doors her entire life. Highlights of her outdoor adventures include Girl Scouting, which provided yearly training in camp skills, the opportunity to engage in a 10-day canoe trip, and numerous short backpacking excursions. She was selected to attend the 1965 Senior Scout Roundup in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, an international event to which 10,000 girls were invited. She has ridden a bicycle from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean in 1986, and on August 3, 2010 became the first woman to complete the North Country National Scenic Trail on foot. Her mileage totaled 4395 miles.
The Interview
I have been reading since I was two and writing stories at least from the age of seven. I still have a copy of “The Adventures of Skippy the Field Mouse.” It’s not exactly literature, but there is some suspense when Skippy meets the Cat.
What inspired you to do it?
At this point I can only guess, but I’ve often had an urge after reading a story to write something similar.
What projects have you done?
I like creating all kinds of projects with words. My longest book is a collection of essays about hiking the North Country National Scenic Trail (called North Country Cache). I’ve created a number of multi-media presentations on a variety of topics including botany and hiking. I’ve written a number of short religious dramas. I write an outdoor column for two news sources, and have created two puzzle books. Recently, my focus has turned to fiction with several short stories, and now I’m writing the Anastasia Raven mystery series. (News from Dead Mule Swamp and The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp).
Any new projects coming up?
The third story in that series is Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp, which will be available June 1.
What are your habits when you sit down to create? Do you have to be in a certain room? outside?
Most of the story creation is done in my head before I begin writing. Actually, I think well in the car. Driving is somewhat mindless, and I have the time to string together plots without distractions. When it comes to the writing, I just need to flesh out the story with details.
How do you build your character world?
Inventing a character I could sustain through a series was the biggest obstacle for me to start the Anastasia Raven books. I wanted a character I could understand and a world I could sustain without constant research. That let out any sort of professional law enforcement person, lawyer, medical examiner, etc. Although I often write from a male perspective, I decided this protagonist would be a woman. Since I know small towns and the rural north, that’s where the series is based.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I would love to have 8-10 Anastasia Raven books on the market, and to be supported by my writing. Due to lifestyle choices our family made, we don’t have much retirement money, and it would be great to be able to pay the bills through writing.
How many hours a day would you say that you spend promoting your writing?
I average a few hours a week doing some sort of promotion. This takes many forms- social marketing, printing flyers, setting up programs (or giving them), talking to people, etc.
Stalker Links
personal blog: http://myqualityday.blogspot.com
author blog: http://joanofshark.com
book website: http://www.booksleavingfootprints.com
FB: facebook.com/jhyshark
Twitter: @sharkbytes
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2871176.Joan_H_Young
author blog: http://joanofshark.com
book website: http://www.booksleavingfootprints.com
FB: facebook.com/jhyshark
Twitter: @sharkbytes
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2871176.Joan_H_Young
(Anastasia Raven Mysteries #2)
The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp
Anastasia Raven has lived in Cherry Hill only two months and has already been been involved in one local mystery, revealed in an old newspaper. Now she finds a secret hidden in a hollow tree near Dead Mule Swamp. Ana thinks she's seeing things, as the discovery appears to have come straight from a Nancy Drew story. With some simple sleuthing, Ana catches Jimmie Mosher, whose grandfather used to own the house she has recently purchased, hiding money in the tree. But what else does Jimmie have to hide?
The Hollow Tree at Dead Mule Swamp is Free On Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/154647
Also available at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Swamp-Anastasia-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B007WMVMD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338664130&sr=1-1
Also available at Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Hollow-Swamp-Anastasia-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B007WMVMD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338664130&sr=1-1
(Anastasia Raven Mysteries #3)
Paddy Plays in Dead Mule Swamp
When Anastasia Raven agrees to keep Paddy, her cousin's Irish Setter, for the summer, she didn't understand the mischievous nature of a large puppy. As a volunteer with Family Friends, she meets Corliss Leonard, and his granddaughters Star and Sunny, whose mother disappeared seven years ago. The girls fall in love with Paddy, but can the dog solve their problems?Buy Links:
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/167641
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Paddy-Plays-Anastasia-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0087TFS4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338663796&sr=1-1
Tour brought to you by Tempting Book Tours
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