Thanks A Million, Photoshop!

          After interviewing author Susan Abel Sullivan in March, I was asked by her publisher World Weaver Press to write a guest post for their website.  It was a thrilling yet horrifying endeavor.  Musing for a few paragraphs about what I'm reading or writing and the challenges of trying to accomplish either of those things in the daily whirlwind of chaos I reside in is one thing.  Writing for a publisher on a specified topic with a real honest-to-goodness deadline seemed like quite another.  I had the added anxiety of trying to incorporate the quirkiness and humor that flows effortlessly when writing about my own life into a commentary on science fiction and fantasy for the literary masses.  It's virtually impossible for me to be clever and funny on cue, people.  Everyone around me breathed a sigh of relief when I submitted the post to WWP, so tired were they of my yammering and exhausting pleas of, "Here, I know you have your own life and responsibilities, but read this and tell me what you think...and, I need you to get on that in the next 45 minutes."

          I'm posting a link to the guest post here.  I'd like to thank World Weaver Press for the opportunity and their great job with layout and graphics, my aunt GDR and Zac Morris for letting me bounce ideas for the piece off them, and Lea Isbell and Jeremy Hicks for their feedback, as well.  I'd also like to thank my seester Stacey Hardy and Danny Self for their fabulous photography and Photoshop work.  Never underestimate the value of great test readers, fellow writers' club members, a sister with a camera and a guy that can erase at least two of your chins and a bazillion laugh lines.  And, yes, that is correct, you just read a Thank You speech for an online article.

         
          Here's some of Stacey's better shots.  That twinkle in my eye is a burning desire to kill her for her less-than-professional commands of "Teeth, teeth!" and "Lazy eye, lazy eye!" when she prompted me to smile bigger and open my eyes wider.  I ended up submitting the very first picture (at top) out of the fifty-something that she took because of the way my hair kinked and frizzed in every subsequent picture after the outdoor shots.  I'd vowed not to take an author photo whilst still a fatty--but, oh well.  Maybe Stacey will be up for a re-shoot after I've lost more weight.

          I've been told that nonfiction is where I shine.  While that certainly feels good, I can't help hoping that it will one day open doors for my fiction, too.

          Here's the link.  http://worldweaverpress.com/news-and-blog/