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Renee Writes Now!

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Renee interviews author David Edmonds

02 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by ReneeWritesNow! in Uncategorized

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author, books, history, inspiration, Teacher, travel, writing

Dave.jpg

David Edmonds is an award-winning author who recently took home the silver for his non-fiction short story at the Royal Palm Literary Awards.

Tell me about your background. Where you grew up, where you live now, education, work experience? Share some interesting things about yourself that we should know about.

I’m a Southern boy, raised in rural areas of south Mississippi and Cajun Louisiana. No surprise that I went to LSU where I later became a professor of economics. I also attended Notre Dame, Georgetown, and American University and hold a doctorate in international economics.

I moved from Nicaragua to Florida in the mid 90’s to be with my lovely wife Maria, who recently passed away. I now live on the Anclote River in beautiful Tarpon Springs, Florida.

My work background covers a lot of territory from the days I served as a US Marine, then Peace Corps Volunteer, Fulbright Professor of Economics, academic dean, and US government official or scholar in several foreign countries—Iceland, Norway, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Nicaragua and Brazil. And, yes, there’s a story in each of those experiences.

What inspired you to write this book? What is the story behind the story?

My most recent literary award at the Florida Writers Association was for a creative non-fiction short story called “The River of No Return.” It’s the story of my participation in an ill-fated drug raid in the Peruvian jungle in the early 1990s. I wrote a fictionalized version of the same event in Lily of Peru (Peace Corps Writers, 2015) about a professor’s search for his missing girlfriend. Lily was inspired by my participation in the search for a young American woman who threw in with the guerrillas during the dirty little war between the Peruvian government and Shining Path subversives in the early 1990s. It won a number of top literary awards.

My second novel, The Girl of the Glyphs (Peace Corps Writers 2016), is about a young woman’s search for a mysterious “glyph” cave in war torn Nicaragua. The cave was a native holy site in pre-Columbian times and also a hiding place for pirate treasure. Glyphs was inspired by my search along with former Sandinista soldiers for their hiding place in a Mayan jade mine during the war. I co-authored this with my late wife Maria, who encouraged me to write about it. Glyphs also won a number of top literary awards.

A third novel, The Heretic of Granada (Southern Yellow Pine Publishing 2018), is a prequel to Glyphs and also received a number of literary awards. It’s the story of a Jesuit priest who discovered the same cave in 1740s and refused to divulge its location to Inquisition fanatics who wanted to destroy it. He escapes on the day he is to be burned for heresy and is chased across the Spanish Main by soldiers of the crown, agents of the Inquisition, pirates, and even bounty hunters. Heretic also has a strong romance element.

What has been your biggest challenge or obstacle?

I began Lily of Peru many years ago when I was a young Peace Corps Volunteer in a dismally cold Mapuche Indian village in southern Chile. It was supposed to be a romance about my involvement with the girl who got away—a young Peruvian exchange student who had to return home. Graduate school and employment interfered so Lily remained on an old floppy disc until I was back in Peru in the early 1990s with US/AID (Agency for International Development). The story evolved during a period of intense danger and bloodshed, but was not completed until I retired and my late wife encouraged me to submit it for publication. Although the novel is fiction, it’s based on many actual experiences, so I had to change names, locations, and circumstances, hoping the bad guys (and there were many) wouldn’t find me.

What has been your biggest “aha” moment or success?

The success of my first published book, Yankee Autumn in Acadiana (UL/Lafayette, Center for Louisiana Studies 1979) was unexpected. The book was inspired by Civil War events that took place in and around my old family home in Louisiana. The house was constructed in 1790 and was used as a stagecoach stop from New Orleans as well as a meeting place for vigilantes in the 1850s and a Civil War hospital and headquarters during one of the Union invasions of 1863. Yankee Autumn won the top literary award in Louisiana that year and gave a big boost to my literary aspirations. It was also the basis for a couple of stage productions about the Civil War in Louisiana. My second non-fiction book, Vigilante Committees of the Attakapas, was adapted into the movie, Belizaire the Cajun, starring Armand Assante.

What authors do you like to read? What books have had a strong influence on you?

Favorite dead authors—H. Rider Haggard, Joseph Conrad, W.H. Hudson, Herman Wouk, Robert Louis Stevenson, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Michener, Cornelius Ryan, and Hemingway.
Favorite contemporary authors—Ken Follett, Nelson DeMille, Ann Patchett.
Strongest influence—For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms.

Do you write every single day? Any writing rituals?

I write almost every day, beginning in the morning until about 2-3 pm. As for rituals, I research every subject, every item, every period and location. This slows my progress but I want every detail to be as accurate as possible—the way people spoke or dressed, the issues of the time, what they ate, the cars they drove.

What are your interests outside of writing?

I enjoy international travel, exploring places I’ve read about but never visited. I also love exploring the streets, restaurants and docks of Tarpon Springs. I’m active in my local Rotary club, history society, and serve as moderator for a writers’ group, and am on a museum board. I have seven beautiful grandchildren and try to spend time with them and also time with relatives and friends at my old family home in Louisiana.

Share some tips: What would you do differently? What would you do the same? Please share anything you think would be beneficial to those reading this.

I have enjoyed my work and occupation but often wish I’d studied to become a professor of creative writing instead of a professor of economics. I also wish I’d worked harder at being an author when I was younger instead of waiting for summer breaks or retirement. On the other hand, my adventures/experiences in my occupation have been an important resource—sooo I probably wouldn’t have done anything differently.
As for writing tips, I have a few. When I switched from non-fiction to fiction I prepared myself by attending classes on creative writing, by reading dozens of how-to books, by joining writing groups (or creating my own groups) and studying the craft by analyzing every movie I watch and every book I read. I’ve since taught a couple of college level courses on creative writing centered on what I call the elements of best-selling novels (or blockbuster movies).
I believe serious wannabe authors can master the craft by using each book they read (or movie they watch) as a learning process. Focus on the following elements to see how it’s done. The protagonist. The inciting incident that sets the story into motion. The goal. The consequences for failure. The obstacles hindering the character. The supporting cast. The setting. The clashes of the character with the obstacles. The final showdown. The resolution.
Here’s the bottom line for me. In order to keep my attention, a good novel must have certain crucial elements.
1. A character faced with a BIG issue that he/she must resolve. This issue may have been thrust upon the character by circumstances or an issue the character takes upon himself/herself.

2. Serious consequences for failure.

3. Formidable barriers standing between the lead character and the goal.

4. Big clashes with these barriers. Conflict is what keeps the reader turning the pages. Will he/she succeed or fail?
In short—no big issue, no stakes, no barriers, no conflict = no interest.

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers. To suggest an author interview, email her: rgarrison@bestversionmedia.com

Travel tips

23 Friday Oct 2015

Posted by ReneeWritesNow! in Uncategorized

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Tags

airports, clothing, fashion, flying, Humor, travel

traveler (1) by Duane Hanson

I recently spent time in the Orlando International Airport and discovered the rules of in-flight fashion are vastly different from those on the ground.
Clearly comfort trumps style when you’re sitting for hours in the air, with your knees pressed firmly into the seat ahead of you. And I’m not suggesting that travelers should struggle with their wheeled suitcase in four-inch stilettos.
Yet I’m appalled to see adults wearing pajama pants (flying can hardly be considered a slumber party.), work-out wear (FYI, there’s no gym on the plane) or ragged T-shirts and shorts best worn during yard work. I understand that time is of the essence and your children are crabby or crying from their Disney vacation. (Everyone else on your flight will be, too, shortly after take-off.)
So I’ve compiled a few tips to help you look and feel your best while avoiding an in-flight fashion faux pas.
– Complicated Shoes
This seems obvious to everyone rushing to catch a plane who stood behind a traveler as they undid boot straps and shoe laces. Wear slip-on shoes or sneakers when flying, as you’ll have to take them off in the airport security line.
– Stifling Fabrics
Skip fabrics that hold sweat on the skin when it’s hot as well as prevent air circulation. You won’t feel very fashionable sweating in too-tight, nylon clothes as your plane rests on the tarmac under the hot sun. A foolproof way to find breathable clothes for the plane: Stick with moisture-wicking active wear or clothes sold from travel suppliers, which are designed specifically for travel.
– Fragrances
Avoid this one for the good of your fellow passengers. Strong-smelling perfumes, colognes and body sprays shouldn’t be worn in flight. While some seat mates may simply find it offensive, others might suffer allergic reactions. Better to pack a sample size and apply it once you land.
– Layered Clothing
It’s fine to wear lightweight fabrics on a plane if you’re flying to or from a sweltering climate. But planes are often very cold and your “Mickey Muscle Shirt” won’t do. The best way to fight the air-conditioning is by layering. If you get warm, just remove a few layers, bundle them, and then use them as a pillow. (Preferably under your child’s face, rather than over it.)
– Offensive Clothing
How do you know if your outfit is appropriate? In the past, passengers have been removed from planes for wearing everything from low-cut dresses (Southwest Airlines) to saggy pants (Spirit) to T-shirts splashed with expletives (American.) A good rule of thumb: If you can’t wear it to church or dinner with your mother-in-law, you probably shouldn’t wear it on a flight.

Photo of “The Traveler” sculpture by Duane Hanson at Orlando International Airport.

The perfect foyer

01 Monday Oct 2012

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costumes, Door, Family, Foyer, handshakes, Home, hugs kisses, travel, Welcome

 The perfect foyer would hold two adults and ten kids in Halloween costumes.

Every time we open our front door, we should be entering the most significant space in our lives. Celebrate your foyer. It is the overture of the house, the collection of every element, those things seen and not yet seen.

The foyer is a place of coming and going. Handshakes and hugs. Kisses and tears. It gives us the basis for a reoccurring ritual we practice everywhere… seeking the elusive feeling of being welcomed.

“Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Your Heart” by Renee Garrison and Tom Szumlic

Connect your home to the earth

24 Monday Sep 2012

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anxieties, bike paths, Dwelling, Earth, Home, nature, travel, Urbanism, Will Rogers

This act of connecting our dwellings to the earth is a symbolic union between nature and us. As we attach ourselves and dwellings to the earth, we are grounding our anxieties and insecurities.

  • “Buy land. They ain’t makin’ any more of the stuff.” ~Will Rogers

 

  • Go camping and experience the joy of locating the “perfect” spot for the tent.     One night in a tent will bring an immediate appreciation of your home, and connect you to the origins of dwelling.

 

  • Support or organize urban forests, pocket parks and bike paths in your neighborhood.

Excerpted from “Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Your Heart.”

Heartbreaking

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by ReneeWritesNow! in Uncategorized

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Tags

inspiration, Life, Memories, New York Fashion Week, Religion, Sept. 11, terrorist attacks, travel, World Trade Center

Charles Dickens was right: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Some of the worst occurred as I walked along New York City sidewalks, which were plastered with pictures of missing people. I struggled to maintain my composure as I looked at thousands of faces taped to every available inch of fence, lamp post, mailbox and store window. “HAVE YOU SEEN…” was emblazoned across the top of each poster by relatives or friends desperate for news. The never-ending gallery was heartbreaking.

Late in the afternoon my friend cruised past police barricades to photograph Ground Zero. I walked home with her daughter, Shane, when suddenly the unmistakable hum of an airplane engine buzzed overhead. Without thinking, I pushed the child up against a building and shielded her, while staring upward. People around us on the street also stood frozen with fear…each one thinking, “No, not again.” It turned out to be a military plane, our military, but the incident left us shaking and anxious. The horror was still too fresh.

That evening, I joined Barbara and her daughter at a prayer service in their synagogue. I might have been raised as a Roman Catholic, but that night, I understood Hebrew.

When we returned to their apartment, I made the first of many calls to US Airways to see about retrieving my suitcase, which had been impounded at La Guardia. After hours on hold, an airline employee asked for a description of my bag in order to locate it.

“It’s black,” I began.

“And I bet it has wheels and a pull-up handle,” she said.

This didn’t look promising.

She tried another approach. “Okay, if I open your suitcase, what will I see that tells me it’s yours?”

“Well, I have a pair of black slacks, a black turtleneck…um, a black skirt.”

I was in New York for Fashion Week, for God’s sake. Editors wear black, not Hawaiian prints. But I learned a valuable lesson: Something in your luggage must be easy to identify.

Miraculously, the airline found my black-wheeled-suitcase-with-handle in the impounded baggage. However, when I returned to Michigan, I marched into “Frederick’s of Hollywood” and bought the loudest leopard bikini panties – with a strategically placed red heart – that I could find. For many years, they were the final item I packed on every trip. I wanted to be sure that if another airline employee ever asked, ‘If I open your suitcase, what will I see?’ I’d have a much better answer.

 

 

Renee Garrison is the award-winning author of The Anchor Clankers.

Boating

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

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boat, offshore, power, speed, Steve Stepp, transportation, travel, vacation, Velocity

As we motored away from the dock, I remember thinking to myself how nice it would be if the engines just fell out of the boat. Then I could go back to the marina and chat about riding in the world’s fastest pleasure boat. However, the twin turbo-charged 475 horsepower MerCruiser engines held fast – and soon afterward, so did I.

Standing in the navigator’s slot (you don’t sit in these boats – they come quipped with a three-position competition bolster) I was strapped into a massive life jacket and equally enormous goggles. There’s a thin bar on the dashboard, onto which I grabbed, and then turned my attention to the gentleman who was steering.

Steve Stepp, president of Velocity Powerboats in Sanford, Florida, is the fiberglass wizard who designs and builds the boats. A soft-spoken man with friendly eyes and a deep southern drawl, Stepp was just the tranquilizer I needed. Racing since 1964, he’s set national records in Outboard Performance Class racing.

Admittedly, when he hooked the kill switches to his belt loop and explained that they would shut the motor off automatically should he become disengaged from the boat, I felt a wave of panic. But he assured me with a smile that he had no intention of leaving the boat until we got back to the dock.

At the throttles stood Gene Whipp, owner of Gulfwind Marine and a 20-year veteran of offshore racing. So with auspicious companions, I was off.

I watched the speedometer creep to 60 then 70, when I noticed the engines, which had previously generated a tremendous amount of noise, were no longer audible. The wind, roaring in my ears, had completely obliterated them.

When the little needle lurched past 80, I stopped looking. I focused my attention on the throng gathered on the seawall. Moving at 90 mph, you don’t see them for very long.

I ventured a wave, but when my hand rose above the windscreen, it disappeared behind me. The force of the wind took me by surprise and I turned around, astonished, just to be sure it was still attached to my arm.

Once my hand was back in the cockpit, I found myself beginning to relax. My legs were functioning better in their role as shock absorbers. Initially (in order to remain standing) I’d sort of locked them in place, but now my body had become more flexible, moving with the boat.

However, the reverie didn’t last long: We hit another craft’s wake and became airborne. My jaw dropped in amazement – a big mistake. The air pressure turned my cheeks into great balloons and, worse yet, my teeth were instantly bone dry. This makes getting one’s lips back over them exceedingly difficult.

Anyone watching my facial contortions might assume I was having a bumpy ride. Wrong. The boat was extremely stable at high speed, largely due to Stepp’s approach to hull design. His hull begins with a deep-V shape that flattens out in a small section, near the stern. This design, he says, offers stability when it planes.

The exhilaration you feel while skimming the water at that speed defies description. Power surging from beneath your feet acts like a drug. It takes your breath away while it sharpens your senses. It’s….terrifying. Looking skyward once, I felt the goggles shift as though they were about to be blown clear off the top of my head. I returned to earth very quickly.

When the boat finally slowed on its return to the marina, Whipp noted that we’d been cruising across Sarasota Bay at 95 mph. The legs that, until then had so sturdily supported me, turned to Jell-O.

My next adventure? Perhaps a pontoon boat …..

Find reasons to stay at home

20 Friday Jul 2012

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homesickness, travel

  • Find reasons to stay at home, and not because of illness.  Resist the urge of always having to go somewhere.

 

    • “The worst feeling in the world is the homesickness that comes over a man occasionally when he is at home.” –Ed Howe

 

    • In your life at home, dedicate yourself to the art of living fully. Fill your home with priceless memories as well as breathtaking dreams.

 

Home: Celebrating the Spaces of Your Heart

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