Interview with Rebecca Benston

Author of the Rona Shively series

 

Who or what inspired you to create Rona Shively? 

 Rona is actually a composite of some of my favorite characters.  She’s also a little like myself.  I’m an avid mystery reader and some of my favorites are Kinsey Millhone, Stephanie Plum and Lisa Scottoline’s Bennie Rosato.  Rona has the quiet intensity of Kinsey, the sassy attitude of Stephanie Plum and the independent streak of Bennie Rosato.  She get’s her sense of humor from me, though.
 

What do you like most about series writing? 

I like having the opportunity to make my characters grow and evolve.  I wanted to write a series that captured what it’s like to go through life with all of its ups and downs.  Rona is a very real character who reacts to things in much the same way I might react to them.  You’ll see more of this in book three when she is dealing with her father’s illness.  Rona’s emotional side will be coming through loud and clear and I’m hoping that you’ll have to have a box of tissues beside you just to get through it. 
 

When did you decide to start writing, and what made you want to write? 

 I have been writing for as long as I can remember.  I started with poetry, and then evolved to writing songs, and finally, I began to create characters and plots that I just couldn’t let go of until I had them on the page.  This has been almost a lifelong pursuit and I can’t imagine life without writing.
 

What other writers do you enjoy reading and why? 

I read Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton and Sarah Strohmeyer almost religiously.  When I’m up to it, I tackle James Patterson, J.A. Konrath, and Patricia Cornwell.  I really have to be in a good place to read the latter three.  They can get downright scary.  I’m never disappointed by these authors and I feel that I have learned a lot from reading their work.  Anytime I can learn from something, it becomes something that I truly enjoy.
 

What do you do for writers block? 

I let it ride.  Sometimes, you just have to step away from it and wait for inspiration to strike again.  It may take an hour; it may take a couple of months.  I just try to do other things that are related to editing or promoting my writing while I’m getting recharged so that I never forget how important it is to me.  I think that staying connected to your work in some capacity is the key.  Even if you’re not actually writing new pages. 
 

What has been your best writing experience so far? 

I think that so far, my best experience was placing in a Writer’s Digest contest.  Although I was only #23 out of the top 25, that’s something.  The cool thing about it was that I did so with a story that came from personal observation.  It meant so much for me to write it and then to be recognized for the piece.  The only thing better than that is hearing someone tell you that they really enjoyed reading your book!
 

What’s next for you, and Rona Shively? 

 As I said, Rona is going through some emotional stuff in Keeping the Faith.  It has been so emotional, in fact that I have had to step away from it a few times.  My year hasn’t been so great personally and some of what I was writing was hitting too close to home.  I’m sure that by the end of this year, we’ll both (Rona and I) be ready for number four! 
 

Aside from that, I’m going to keep writing short stories and articles.  I have lots of opinions and it’s not uncommon for me to be perturbed by something and then turn around and write an article over at Associated Content or on my blog.  While I love writing mystery, I also want to focus my attention on getting some opinions out there and writing the occasional substantive article on women’s issues.  I have a women’s self-esteem book in the works and some other autobiographical stuff I’m compiling.  One day, I hope to write something that will not only be entertaining, but also helpful to others.  



Thanks for your time Rebecca!

 
 

Author; David A. Wilson

David261975@aol.com

 

                             Tammy Dark

                                 A Love Story, A Nightmare, A Reality of unreality

 

 

 People often wonder if others that go through a dramatic experience, like a coma, if they see the light, or if they remember anything from their sleep. A lot of times the answer is no. Is that the whole story or the only story they wish to share. Delve into Tammy’s psyche and behold her many adventures.

             This is a suspenseful story, more importantly it makes the reader want to keep reading. This story makes the imagination come to life. I wrote this story with the hope of captivating the mind and getting the reader into the characters lives.

            It shows life from a nightmares perspective. It starts as a romance and then becomes a nightmare. Or is it a reality of unreality. Is the end really the end, or a new beginning?

 

Prologue;;

            Tammy Capshaw, 21, was a graduate, top of her class, from Business College,

A small prestigious business college, in Indiana, she grew up in Queens, New York, and liked her life so much better in Indiana. Her whole teenage youth she complained about living in such an overpopulated state and as soon as she got old enough to make her own decisions, she went to a business college, outside Shipshewana, Indiana.

           All throughout junior high and high school boys seemed to be drawn to Tammy, but she wasn’t going to be just another boys girlfriend. She saw love as a joke in a way.

            In her senior year of high-school she fell in love with a guy named Jeff Williams.

 He was the right man, even after they split up, so Jeff could soul search and become known as a writer and so Tammy could continue with her own dreams, she still believed Jeff would be back in her life, some day.

            She never met his parents; they lived in New York still she knew. She made a lot of friends in college, none the less, she could have had dozens of boy-friends, but she was saving herself for Jeff.

            Jeff respected Tammy; he never once pressured, or tried pressuring Tammy into having sex, or corrupting her morals, that drew Tammy closer.

 Every guy that came into contact with Tammy knew she wasn't just beautiful, she had a unique intellect as well, that scared guys away, yet they still were drawn to her beauty. Never once did she fear being alone the rest of her life.

Tammy had one thing on her mind, to start a business with her best friend, and colleague, Betsy Webber, they have been friends all throughout their school years. They planned to start a Hair Styling Salon together.

            The last year of college Betsy’s grades began to slip. Tammy feared Betsy wasn't going to graduate. But Betsy pulled it off in the last semester. After graduation Tammy’s mother called her, and told her she was going to send Tammy at least two thousand dollars for graduation. They (Tammy’s parents) had been saving up ever since Tammy got accepted to college. Betsy's parents lived right next door to Tammy’s in New York, but they died in a private plane crash, on their way to Miami. That may have been the reason Betsy’s grades dropped, they died the term before the end of the first semester their senior year.

            They stayed on the outskirts of Shipshewana, Indiana because they didn’t want to go back to the hustle and bustle of the New York, and bought an old warehouse, it had potential. They moved in Victory Apartments as soon as they got to Shipshewana. It took them, what seemed like an eternity, a year and a half to build the salon. Some of the young Amish gentlemen helped too, but Tammy and Betsy just thought this was kind hearted; Tammy paid them each day they helped with a warm meal. It was the only Salon in their little town, in Shipshewana, It was like a ghost town to them, but they loved it, no hustle and no bustle. They built the salon across the street from a coffee house; people like coffee so they figured, a lot of people must go there, so in turn, a lot of people would see the new salon.

            Tammy couldn't forget Jeff, his smile, his dimples, she wanted so bad to offer him her virginity, she wondered if he’d like to be with her in Indiana so they could always be together, but he had to follow his dreams and Tammy respected that. She stayed in Indiana with Betsy to start their salon to get Jeff off her mind, but she still found her mind wondering how he is, who he is with, if he is still waiting for her, like she is waiting for him. At times she felt childish, at times she felt crazy, but she never once doubted if Jeff loved her, like he had said, they would be back together.