I am including interviews here with several Echelon Press and Quake authors as part of a 2007 VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR! Be sure to stop by the authors' websites and check out their books. Enjoy! - Christine Verstraete
Cynthia's Attic: CURSE OF THE BAYOU , coming November 2007 - Quake, a division of Echelon Press LLC.
Good friends are usually never forgotten, but Georgian author Mary Cunningham found a particularly unique way to commemorate a special childhood friendship.
"The idea for Cynthia's Attic came about through the recurring dream of a mysterious attic,” says Mary. “Upon realizing that the dream took place in the home of my dear childhood friend, Cynthia, the dreams stopped, and the writing began.”
The result is the charming, middle-grade series, Cynthia's Attic, published by Echelon Press. LLC . The series includes book one, THE MISSING LOCKET (Dec. 2005); book two, THE MAGIC MEDALLION (Nov. 2006); and the latest, CURSE OF THE BAYOU (coming in Nov. 2007 from Echelon's new children's division, Quake).
In book one, THE MISSING LOCKET, it is 1964 when 12-year-old best friends, Cynthia and Augusta Lee, or Gus as she insists being called, find a magic trunk. Transported back 50 years to 1914, the girls meet their grandmothers at the same age and experience all kinds of unexpected adventures.
“I believe my series stands for friendship, loyalty, and family," says Mary. “Although Cynthia and Gus sometimes fight like cats and dogs, they are always there for each other. It's the same with family. They will risk their own safety to help a family member."
For Mary, who's worked as a bank teller to an airline computer training instructor, writing came naturally despite a lack of formal education. But that's not surprising since her father, Paul Bulleit, was a long-time newspaperman with the Louisville Courier Journal.
"My dad influenced my writing,” she says. “He was a journalist for 40 years and even after retirement he wrote a human interest column for a city newspaper. His stories were so inspiring, and I wanted to make readers feel the same way about my writing. I sometimes feel that he's standing behind me staring in amazement at the computer screen. Quite different from the old Royal (typewriter) he used.”
Now Mary enjoys sharing her own inspiring, family-oriented stories. Her main hope is that she can inspire children to learn more about their own families. She especially wants to encourage children to talk to their grandparents and write down their family histories.
"I'm hoping that Cynthia's Attic will inspire more young people to talk to their grandparents and great-grandparents,” she says. “Find out what their childhoods were like, and then write about them. Imagine the fun and satisfaction of recording your relatives' lives for future generations.”
Favorite Quote: "Good night, ladies. May your days thrive with wonderment, and your nights abound with angels." From Cynthia's Attic: Curse of the Bayou, Quake/Echelon Press, Nov. 2007.
Favorite Writing or Other Moment: "I believe my favorite writing moment was with Cynthia's Attic: The Missing Locket. I was into chapter two with no real direction when I typed one line, "Clara? Is that you?" I looked at the screen and read what I'd typed. At that moment, the whole book popped into my head.”
Writing Advice: “My advice to writers of any genre is, write what you know. Makes it a whole lot easier, and your 'voice' will be natural.” #
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