Visiting with author Maryanne Raphael

I was born in Waverly,, Ohio , the oldest of ten children. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Ohio University , then went to the Sorbonne in Paris . I was an editor at Prentice Hall and an editorial assistant at Woman's Day Magazine. I taught at the New School in New York , at Ohio University,  at Parker School and the University of Hawaii . I met Mother Teresa and became a co-worker and with her permission wrote two books about her work. Now have ten books for sale on Amazon.com.. “Runways,” “The Man Who Loved Funerals,” “Anais Nin, The Voyage Within:” “Along Came A Spider, A Personal look at Madness”, Alexandria ,” “Mother Teresa, Called to Love” “What Mother Teresa Taught Me.” “ Garden of Hope ,” “Dancing On Water.” “Saints of Molokai .”

When did the writing bug bite and in what genre? 

I got my first rejection slip from St. Anthony Messenger when I was five years old. My grandfather typed up a story I dictated to him and we sent it out. I wrote short stories for several years and collected rejection slips. Grandfather says a rejection slip shows you are a professional writer. We write and send it out. 

What goals do you want to accomplish? Is there a message? 

My goal is to write about things I feel passionately about and share that passion with my readers.. My message is Life is Precious and I hold up various parts of Life to myself and my readers.

Tell us about your latest book.

Saints of Molokai is a Nonfiction narrative about the people with Hansen’s disease who were arrested, sent into exile with no prepared shelter, food, water or medicine. It tells of the Kokuas, healthy men and women who accompanied their diseased loved one into a life of isolation. It described Father Damien who cared for the exiles until he caught the disease and Mother Marianne and the Franciscan Sisters who lived in the colony until they died.

What is the hook for the book?

Father Damien was canonized on October 11, 2009.and President Obama praised him and the Congress made a resolution to celebrate him as an American Saint. Also there is an interest in National Parks and the Congress declared Kalaupapa, Molokai A National Memorial Park. 

How do you develop characters? 

I made a mixture of all the interesting people I know who remind me of the character in my head. It may be a movie star, a friend, a character from a book or play. As I write the characters take on their own personality and characteristics. 

Who is the most unusual/most likable character? 

My favorite fiction character from my own books is Charlie The Man Who Loved Funerals.  

8) How do you keep the plot moving?  

Almost all of the action comes from the nature of the characters. The conflicts, the relationships, the happiness and sorrows.

What is your writing style? Preferred Point of View?

My style is to use the shortest strongest words. I want my work to be easily read by young adults and be interesting enough that everyone will want to read it. I like to write Third Person Limited. 

How does your upbringing/environment color your work? 

I was raised Roman Catholic and growing up with 9 brothers and sisters I learned early to love and forgive, to have compassion and passion, that helps me understand all kinds of people. 

What was your best review?

Runaways Reviewed by Anais Nin:

“This is an important book. Nowhere else have I seen the theme of the runaways treated as thoroughly, honestly, unflinchingly. It is important because it not only describes the various stories fully, but because it offers suggestions for improving a tragic situation.”

Where can we learn more about your books and events?

My web site is www.authorsden.com/maryanneraphael. 

All my books are for sale on Amazon.com

Note from Sylvia: You can visit my other blog at: http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/that features a preview to my new book, Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts.

Talking about Feather Schwartz Foster about Her New Book, The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America

Feather Schwartz Foster spent more than 35 years in advertising and public relations.  She has also been an independent presidential historian for nearly four decades, with a personal library of more than 1,500 president and president-related volumes.

Her first book, LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities was published in 2003, followed by Garfield’s Train, and a children’s book called T: An Auto-Biography.  She began lecturing about the “old” First Ladies at various venues in New Jersey, her native state, including historical societies, libraries, woman’s clubs and senior organizations.  She has made more than 300 personal appearances, including dozens of radio and television interviews.  Recently moved to Williamsburg, she now lectures about the “old” First Ladies at adult education venues associated with both the College of William and Mary’s Christopher Wren Society and Christopher Newport University.  The First Ladies, released in February, 2011, is her fourth book.

Tell us about the genre of your work.  Why did you choose this genre?

I write history because I love it, and it has been sadly neglected for quite some time.  Obviously I am not in it for the money.  If I wanted money, I would have been an orthodontist.  Some people write what they “feel” – I am not like that.  I prefer to write what I “know.” 

Can you tell us more about your books and where to find them?

LADIES: A Conjecture of Personalities – PublishAmerica, 2003, ISBN-13: 978-1592863617

Historical fiction.  The OLD First Ladies (Martha Washington thru Mamie Eisenhower) each write their own chapters, and everybody – including the moderns up to Mrs. Clinton – chimes in with commentary.  It’s an entertainment! As a young nation grew into its own, it was not just the presidents who led the way. The remarkable women of the White House, often neglected by history, had a heavy hand in the shaping of America. The earliest First Ladies of the United States left countless untold legacies behind after their role at the White House was over.

Decidedly different from their modern day counterparts, the nation's first presidential wives made their impact not in terms of political policy or broad social and civic service, but instead with unique, personal, and often long-lasting accomplishments.

Read the unforgettable stories of how:

Martha Washington set the tone for First Ladies and walked the fine line between royal pretention and republican accessibility.

Sarah Polk worked diligently, constantly giving the high office her utmost attention.

Julia Grant not only adapted to the ups and downs of her husband's political career, but flourished wherever she landed.

And it was Nellie Taft's ambition that ultimately led her husband to the presidency.

Garfield’s Train – PublishAmerica, 2005 - ISBN-13: 978-1413769159

Historical fiction.  The Garfield family interacts with fictional characters in Long Branch, NJ.

Garfield’s Train is a novel of the New Jersey Shore, when Long Branch was the “Gilded Strand” of the Gilded Age. The wealthiest families in the country built elaborate 30-room cottages along the seacoast, frequented the casinos and racetracks, and lived the good life. Then President James Garfield was shot by an assassin in 1881. He lingered in pain for three months, and was finally brought to Long Branch to die. The fictional Dunbar family interacts with a supporting cast of General Grant, Roscoe Conkling, James G. Blaine, Susan B. Anthony, and of course, the whole Garfield family, recreating the bygone era of Long Branch’s proudest hours.

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T: AN Auto-Biography (children’s book) – Red Engine Press, 2007, ISBN-13: 978-0978515836

            Black Beauty on wheels.  The story of an old car and its many evolutions and owners.

NEWEST!  The First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Mamie Eisenhower, An Intimate Portrait of the Women Who Shaped America – Sourcebooks – 2011 - ISBN-13: 978-1402242724

Real stuff.   Brief bios focusing on certain aspects of their lives, rather than just the same-old, same-old almanac facts.  Ladies: A Conjecture of Personalities is a book of voices. First Ladies between Martha Washington and Mamie Eisenhower tell their own stories—or, to be more exact, whatever they want—in their own words and in their own styles.

 Ladies: A Conjecture of Personalities crosses boundaries between fact, conjecture, and, most importantly, centuries. Through dialogue-boxes, the ladies talk to each other across eternity, where anything is possible. The modern First Ladies, from Mrs. Kennedy through Mrs. Clinton, participate in commentary. They talk to the reader and they talk amongst themselves. And they sympathize, empathize, and quarrel amongst themselves. They talk about their husbands, their children, the White House, and the times they lived in. And, of course, politics. It’s chatty. It’s catty. It’s fun. It’s informative. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in history.Show More

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How do you come up with the names of places and characters in your books?

Real stuff.  I write either historical fiction – or totally non-fiction. 

Why and when did you begin writing?

Maybe ever.  Probably around age nine or ten. 

What is your writing schedule?

Schedule???  You must be kidding.  If I had a schedule I would have cranked out fifty books by now.  I have many virtues.  Strict discipline is not among them.

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future?

Ah.  I have spent the better part of 18 months working on a book (non-fiction) about Mary Lincoln, Julia Grant and Varina Davis (the Confederate First Lady).  It is not going well.  I do not like Mary, Julia, alas, is boring, and Varina can’t quite make it on her own.  I have put it aside for now.

So I started another project about First Parents.  Not the parents OF our Presidents (that has been done before) – but about First Families AS parents.  It will be short and snappy.  I am not a psychiatrist.

What kind of advice or tips to you have for someone who wants to write and get published?

Learn to write well.  Don’t worry about being published.  Anybody can get published today.  It has become practically meaningless.  Writing well is something else.

Are there any other comments, advice or tips that you would give to beginning writers?

Be literate.  Use good words and phrases.  Don’t be trite.  Pick good role models and examples to emulate.  And emulate, don’t copy.  Read a lot.

What do you do when you are not writing? 

I am in the retirement mode now.  We have a lovely life in Williamsburg, with lots of friends.  We drink a lot of wine.  I do a little theatre again (not acting – I am a writer!).  I teach at some adult ed venues affiliated with William & Mary and Christopher Newport University.  Life is good.

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life?

When I get there, I will let you know.  But, guessing at what you really mean, I suppose I feel modestly successful since I get stopped a lot in the Williamsburg area, and I have only lived here a short time.  Former “students” at my classes, attendees at some of my lectures, word-of-mouth, etc.  It’s nice. 

Note from Sylvia: You can visit my other blog at: http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/that features a preview and a book trailer for my new book that was just released...., Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts.

Non-fiction and Narrative Poet Author, Wanda Morrow Clevenger, Shares a Glimpse of Her New Book, This Same Small Town in Each of Us

Wanda Morrow Clevenger lives in Hettick, IL―population 200, give or take which way the wind is blowing.  With her sons grown and fled-the-scene, she occupies a quiet, sometimes haunted house and has grudgingly decided that from a relatively short distance weeds can pass for grass if clipped short enough―after all, haunted is as haunted does and green is the new neutral.  She is obsessed with recording the past and present by charting family trees and writing memoir stories.  Maintaining this mountain of paper was her first high-altitude climb; compiling her debut book the second.  She used to keep birds, but they consistently committed suicide on her watch.  Now she cultivates orchids.

Tell us about the genre of your work. 

Non-fiction is my priority, that and narrative poetry (the demi-glace of non-fiction).  This naturally was my choice to study the longest at Long Ridge Writers Group.  Styles of non-fiction are endless: essay―formal and informal, exposition, persuasion, description, narration, biography, article, and so many more.  The ways to regal an audience with this genre are as diversified as the authors using them.  Furthermore, I don't have to search material; it finds me with a random sight or smell or turn of phrase sparking a memory loitering just beneath the surface.  When I was young I had trouble keeping a diary because despite my desire to record every secret thought and deed, I was never satisfied with the scribbled end-product.  Guess I'm making up for lost time now.

Why did you choose this genre?

I chose non-fiction, at first, because I wanted to share my lifetime―if only with my sons and grandchildren.  This innocent pastime has since evolved into self-examination and ultimate acceptance of what was and why it was how it was.  Some “closure” in advance of the coffin lid. 

. . . serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

How is writing in the genre you write, different than other genre?

I have published nearly as much flash fiction (43 pieces) as non-fiction (55 pieces) with poetry slightly behind (31 pieces); fifty-six of these credits are reprints.  When prompted (I used to hold membership in online writing sites) I ventured further into fiction writing and am most proud of having slipped a micro piece into Boston Literary Magazine as well as publishing the three longer fiction works written at the finish of the Long Ridge course.  Writing fiction to me is a more panoramic view of non-fiction.  The tricks-of-the-trade learned for non-fiction apply for me personally when writing fiction, but with far more abandon in that I am immersed in someone else's psyche.  

Can you tell us about the works you have had published?

With eighty-three pieces appearing in as many online and print publications, I won't attempt to list these and will only remark on my debut book This Same Small Town in Each of Us, released on October 30, 2011―a collection of  forty-six works of memoir ranging from growing up in Carlinville, IL to married-with-children life in tiny Hettick, IL to the current state of affairs; poetry leaning heavy on the narrative side; and flash fiction.  The bottom right-hand corner of the book cover points the reader in the direction of the collective whole where it reads: Embracing the Human Condition.

I made the conscience choice to wait to compile the book until I felt the work had been legitimized by previous publishing, though there are some “new reads” in the book that a few of my loyal fans might not have read at one stage of revision or another.

I also decided to inscribe and sign every copy sold through the publishing house Paypal link and through me directly via the Facebook book page or my blog.  Unsigned copies of the book are, of course, available through amazon.com.

ISBN – 10:1466443162

ISBN – 13: 978-1466443167

Publishing house Paypal link: http://edgarallanpoet.com/This_Same_Small_Town.html 

Edgar Allan Poet publications: http://edgarallanpoet.com/publications.php 

Facebook book page:  https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/This-Same-Small-Town-In-Each-of-Us/264039466968699 

Amazon Review page:  http://www.amazon.com/This-Same-Small-Town-Each/product-reviews/1466443162/ref=sr_1_1_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Personal blog of random work, published and new, as the mood strikes: http://wlc-wlcblog.blogspot.com/ 

What is your favorite thing about your book?

I like that it isn't just a fictional novel, not that I'm knocking novel writers.  But that this is a collection of non-fiction shorts representing a huge sense of my personal being.  The nine poems (seven previously published) prove that I succeeded outside my comfort zone.  And the flash fiction section just flat out makes me smile because I did seriously doubt my ability to break into print to the degree I have in this particular genre.

The individual work is intentionally short for those who prefer a quick literary fix.  And the black and white photos included alongside some of the work heighten the nostalgic tone of the individual pieces.    

Why and when did you begin writing?  Is there any one person who had a big influence on you or encouraged you to write? 

Why? 

Because it was the most natural thing to do.  I had for the majority of my life sketched and painted and designed and created lace patterns and jewelry.  Writing stepped to the head of the line at the just the right time (my sons leaving home and my spare time expanding) as the next creative outlet.

When? 

That's up for debate.  I have several pages of angst-riddled poetry dating to 1973 (my senior year in high school and shortly after).  I hadn't done too badly with the verse considering I was totally winging it.  Still, I keep those pages to myself. 

I started playing around with memoir stories in mid-2007 during slow afternoon hours at a law firm where I was employed part-time.  At this time I did not own a laptop and our behemoth computer our sons used throughout their school years had already bit the big one.  By mid-2008 while enrolled at Long Ridge, and after I had grown confident in my writing ability, I showed a story to a long-time friend.  It was she who reminded me that I was writing stories in the mid '70s when we worked together for the State of Illinois―and she produced two such stories she saved, two of the weakest and most embarrassing pieces of blather you might imagine.  I immediately edited the work to my satisfaction and then realized this new occupation was an old one taking its sweet, slow time catching up.

What is your writing schedule?  What atmosphere do you need to write?

I write in the mornings when my brain is sharpest, in my pj's, with several cups of cranberry pomegranate green tea that go cold (you don't want to knock on my door before 11 o'clock.  If I'm lucky the only other sound besides keyboard taps is my yellow reproduction '50s kitchen clock ticking this coveted time away all too fast. 

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future? 

Book signings atop the holidays and my younger son's college graduation have slowed my writing routine to a crawl.  Though I do try to keep up with the bi-monthly writing challenges of the Carlinville Writers Guild―snippets that may expand and find their way into editors' in-boxes one day.  And as I have revised and published almost every memoir piece written since mid-2007, I'm now entertaining the thought of a second collection―but don't hold your breath, I'll be taking it one day at a time same as with the first book. 

In the meantime, Thematic Literary Magazine has taken me on as a fiction editor for slush pile reading.  I am looking forward to this new venture.  A little exercise for the “other” brain cells for a change.

What kind of advice or tips do you have for someone who wants to write and be published?

I don't subscribe to the notion that if you are born to create, in any medium, then you will succeed by genetics alone.  You must learn the craft, read what the pros have to say about the craft, and discover how much you don't know.  When this information gels inside your brain, then you're cooking with gas.  Until then, hone your craft while expect a lot of rejection letters.  Then learn what you can from the rejection letters and edit, edit, edit.  And remember, one editor's trash is another editor's prize. 

Are there any other comments, advice or tips that you would give to beginning writers?

Early on I came across the advice: a writer should get acquainted with his ego.  It will serve him well along the way.  I laughed when I read this―I wasn't sure where I had mislaid my ego.  But after getting clobbered on writing sites by resident engorged egos (not to mention the misguided editor-daddy-of-all-egos at Untied Shoelaces of the Mind.  You can lead a horse's patooty to water . . .), I vowed to keep my own ego in check even if it killed me.  I'd conduct myself in a professional manner at all times, no matter how hard the heel was that ground my feelings into bloody pulp.  Horse's patooty's defamation was spot-on wrong, and the piece that so repulsed his delicate sensibilities published twice.  Determination equals passive revenge―the best kind. 

And on a lighter note, in the words of Martha Stewart: cultivating a fan base from the get-go “is a good thing.”  My critique partners turned fans suffered through reading sloppy first drafts way back in the day; they stuck around while the work morphed and solidified―putting two cents worth in (sometimes heeded, sometimes ignored); congratulated each hard-earned publishing credit; and thankfully are still by my side to see my first book release.  I know I could not have come this far this fast without every single one of them.    

What do you do when you are not writing?

Well, there were the many bird purchases and subsequent suicides, but let's not go there.  It's not my fault that I am pet-cursed. 

I'm low-key in person anymore, only fly my freak flag on the written page.  I watch decades worth of reruns and am currently re-addicted to The Waltons (just those episodes including John-Boy, though); I clean house when absolutely necessary; I antique when the opportunity presents; I drink Turning Leaf Merlot and impatiently wait for the return of Mad Men and Breaking Bad; I faithfully attend the needs of four orchids―one can never have too many orchids; I alternately love and hate to cook; and I casually consider owning a Dachshund I'd inflict with the cliché name Wiener, all the while calculating how big of a hole will be needed later. 

Include anything else you may wish to add.

Talent is cheaper than table salt.  What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work. ―Stephen King

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life?

Unless Publishers Clearing House knocks on my door, you'll not witness a public display from moi; I don't speak French either.  But the book release, the four years of hard work leading up to this, and the satisfaction felt holding that finished copy in my hands was the same great sense of accomplishment not experienced since giving birth to my sons.  Amazing isn't it, the things we humans can accomplish when we put uncompromising effort into something?

Note from Sylvia: You can visit my other blog at: http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/that features a preview to my new book just released, Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts.

 

Showcasing Mary Batten Award Winning Writer for Television, Film and Publishing

Mary Batten is an award-winning writer for television, film and publishing.  She is the author of some 15 nature/science books for adults and children, dozens of magazine articles and 30 television scripts for Time-Life Films, National Geographic, Walt Disney Educational Media, and others. She was nominated for an Emmy for her work on the Children’s Television Workshop’s 3-2-1 CONTACT series. Her books include Sexual Strategies: How Females Choose Their Mates, which The New York Times called “Fun and delightful to read, offering an abundance of fascinating facts.” This book led to an appearance on OPRAH. Her children’s book, Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems, won the 2006 Izaak Walton League of America Conservation Book of the Year Award and was adopted by New York City Public Schools in support of the 4^th grade science requirement for study of ecosystems. Her magazine articles have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Ladies Home Journal, Modern Maturity and others.  Her magazine article for Science Digest, “Sexual Choice: The Female’s Newly Discovered Role,” won The Newswomen’s Club of New York’s Front Page Award for best feature story.

She has recently published her first eBook, “How To Have Sex If You’re Not Human: Intimate Journeys in Natural History,” a collection of articles about the wild, often bizarre mating behavior of animals and the reproductive strategies of plants.   

Children’s books include Please Don’t Wake the Animals: A Book About Sleep (Peachtree 2008); Who Has a Belly Button? (Peachtree 2004); Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems  (Peachtree 2003); Hey, Daddy! Animal Fathers and Their Babies – Named Outstanding Science Read Aloud 2003 by the National Association for the Advancement of Science (Peachtree 2002); Wild Cats (Random House  2002); Anthropologist: Scientist of the People -- Named Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council  (Houghton Mifflin 2001) and Hungry Plants (Random House, 2000).

She is married to composer Ed Bland. They have two children: dancer/choreographer Stefanie Batten Bland and writer Robert Bland.  More information is on her website: http://www.marybatten.com 

Tell us about the genre of your work.   

I write nonfiction in the areas of nature and science.

Why did you choose this genre?

The genre chose me. I knew I wanted to be a writer from the age of eight or nine, but I thought I would write fiction. By chance, I wrote my first book, “Discovery by Chance,” about important scientific discoveries that were made because the inventor or scientist had the wrong formula or made a mistake. The underlying theme of each of the biographical stories in the book is that people with a curious mind can transform mistakes into great discoveries. Each of the scientists featured in this book might have thrown the failed experiment in the trash but because each wanted to find out what had happened, he made a serendipitous discovery. Some of the discoveries in this book include the x-ray, penicillin and chemical dye. I had to work really hard to write this book because I had no background in science. I was living in New York City at the time and I had a full-time job. In order to write this book, I spent a year of weekends in the New York Public Library doing research.  

Following publication of that book, I got a job as chief researcher for the Time-Life Films television series, THE WORLD WE LIVE IN. My real science education came through this job, as I had to do research on 13 subjects derived from the Time-Life Nature/Science book series. I was reading all the time and talking to scientists; it was like a crash course in all the science subjects I lacked. One of the topics was tropical rainforests. The producer sent me down to Panama where the Smithsonian Institution has a tropical field station, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, on Barro Colorado Island. This trip was life-changing for me. I met field biologists doing research on plants, spiders, monkeys, insects, bats and birds. Through these dedicated scientists, I was introduced to the stunning beauty and complexity of the rainforest ecosystem. I was hooked on the excitement of tropical biology, and when I returned to our office in New York City, I asked the producer, Lothar Wolff, for a chance to write the script.  Now I had never written a TV script and in the television business, if you haven’t written a script, you aren’t likely to get a job writing one. But because I had written Discovery By Chance, Lothar did something very rare in television. He gave me a chance to write the script. I will be eternally grateful for him. After writing that script, Lothar hired me to write almost 30 scripts for this and other series that he produced. Sometimes we worked on the scripts together. It was a wonderful working relationship and learning experience, more valuable than any college science courses could ever have been. 

How is writing in the genre you write, different than other genres? 

Writing nonfiction demands real-world accuracy; you can’t stray from the facts. When you write fiction, you create an imaginary universe that must have realistic details but doesn’t have to correspond to any real persons or places. For my nonfiction work, I interview scientists for each article and book that I write. With scientific subjects, it’s particularly important to provide readers with up-to-date research, which can only come from scientists working in the particular field. Interviewing scientists is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work. The other requirement is getting away from jargon and writing clearly so that non-scientists can understand the topic. In this regard, my lack of an academic science background is really an advantage because I have to explain the subject to myself before I can explain it to readers.    

Tell us more about your published books. 

My most recent book is the eBook, How To Have Sex If You’re Not Human: Intimate Journeys in Natural History (ASIN B006CVU7TU). This is published in formats for Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook. The book is available on both Amazon’s Kindle website (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006CVU7TU) and Barnes and Noble’s NOOK website (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-have-sex-if-youre-not-human-mary-batten/1037149130?ean=2940013442917).

It’s a collection of a dozen of my articles about reproductive strategies among a range of animals and plants. Despite all our love songs and romantic fantasies, reproduction is the name of the game in biology. All forms of life are genetically programmed to reproduce. Animals—plants, too—“do it” in wild, bizarre ways. With both a vagina and a penis, hermaphroditic snails form orgiastic daisy chains. In the ultimate form of togetherness, walking sticks (insects, not skinny people) stay locked in copulo up to 79 days! Some reef fishes change sex—male to female or vice versa, depending on whether their social structure is headed by a dominant male or a dominant female. Pygmy chimpanzees called bonobos use sex to greet each other: male-male, female-female, male-female, young old—nothing is off limits to these animals with whom we share 96 percent of our DNA. Among bonobos, sex helps to keep the peace. Plants also have sexual lives but for them, three is not a crowd; it’s a necessity. Plants trick and seduce a variety of animals to do their sexual bidding by carrying the plant’s sperm—the pollen—to fertilize the female part of another blossom. Avocados and orchids, no less than mammals and insects, are genetically programmed to reproduce.  

Sexual Strategies: How Females Choose Their Mates (ISBN 978-0-595-51039-9) an Authors Guild Backinprint edition by iUniverse 2008; Originally published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons 1992) This book explores the complexities of the mating game from fruit flies to humans and explains why females are in charge. By determining which males mate and father offspring, females play a directive role in evolution. Fascinating examples reveal the biology underlying courtship, deception, love and sexual conflict. More information is on the book’s website: www.sexualstrategies.com  

Aliens from Earth: When Animals and Plants Invade Other Ecosystems  (ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-236-1 / ISBN 10: 1-5645-236-X hardcover, Peachtree 2003; ISBN 13: 978-1-56145-450-1 / ISBN 10: 1-56145-450-8 paperback, Peachtree 2008) Aliens are everywhere! And they are not creatures from another planet, but real living things right here on Earth. This book introduces readers to the serious and ongoing environmental problems caused by invasive plant and animal species, such as gypsy moths, African honeybees, fire ants and the plant kudzu.  

Anthropologist: Scientist of the People  (ISBN 0-618-08368-5, Houghton Mifflin 2001) This book is part of Houghton Mifflin’s  Scientists in the Field series. It’s about Magdalena Hurtado, an anthropologist who studies a group of hunter-gatherers called the Ache who live in Paraguay. Hurtado says that our generation may be the last to witness our fellow humans living in a way that was typical for most of human history. Many of the ways that human beings feel and act today evolved in very different environments than we live in today. Learning about the great diversity of cultures on our planet teaches us about ourselves. It also inspires us to preserve knowledge of a fast-disappearing way of life. Named Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council.        

 Hungry Plants (ISBN-10: 0375825339; ISBN-13: 978-0375825330 Random House, 2004; also available as an eBook)  This book is about the strange and fascinating world of carnivorous plants, from the hairy “jaws” of the Venus flytrap to the pretty sundew plant whose delicate tentacles entrap its prey and the pitcher plants that “digest” their prey. This book has been translated into French as part of the U.S. State Department’s Cultural Affairs program for distribution in French-speaking Africa and Haiti. 

My books are available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. More information about all my books is on my website:  www.marybatten.com.

Where do you get your ideas for writing? 

My ideas come from anywhere and everywhere—a news item, especially a new scientific discovery, a conversation, a movie, books and science journals.  

What is your favorite thing about your books?

I enjoy the process of discovery that occurs when I’m researching a new topic, and I hope my books contribute to scientific literacy in the United States. American students are sadly deficient in their knowledge of science; we lag far behind students in other Western countries and Japan. Yet our highly technological world demands a greater command of science than at any other time in our history. I don’t see how anyone can be educated and hope to compete successfully in today’s world without a grounding in evolutionary biology. Yet, there are anti-science, anti-intellectual forces in our country--certain politicians and religious fanatics--that seem to be on a crusade to keep people ignorant by denying scientific evidence, most notably with respect to climate change and even to the established facts of biological evolution. In my books, I try to convey to readers the excitement and fascination that I find in biology, which is the science of life.   

Why and when did you begin writing?  Is there any one person who had a big influence on you or encouraged you to write?

I’ve been writing since I was around eight years old. I have no idea why I was interested in writing; there were no role models in my family or community. However, when I was in the second grade, my grandmother and I played a storytelling game with each other. Both she and I would make up stories and tell each other. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this really was a form of writing. Then there’s the whole Southern tradition of telling family stories. Since I grew up in the South, telling stories came naturally. For example, in the sixth grade, we had to learn 12 new spelling words each week. For homework we had to use each word in a sentence. I found this exercise quite boring and decided to write a story that used all 12 words. The teacher began calling on me to read my stories and my classmates seemed to look forward to them. So I’ve been writing in various forms for a long time. 

What is your writing schedule?  What atmosphere do you need to write?

I write most days, though it may not be at the same time. I don’t need any particular atmosphere to write, and I can write just about anywhere. I do like having a deadline because otherwise my tendency is to keep going with the research. When I’m writing without a deadline, I have to try to set one for myself. I say, “try,” because sometimes life intervenes and projects take longer to complete than I originally planned. 

What projects are you working on now, or plan for the future? 

I’m working on two books right now, one is fiction and the other is nonfiction. But I don’t talk about books that I’m working on.

What kind of advice or tips to you have for someone who wants to write and be published? 

Be persistent. Don’t let rejections discourage you. Every published writer probably has a stack of rejection letters. I surely do. You have to keep writing and keep submitting your work. Of course, the digital market has opened up an entirely new way to get published without an agent or a publishing house. Writers can publish their own work directly onto Kindle. The challenge for self-publishing digitally is marketing, as the writer is responsible for publicizing and marketing her book.  

Are there any other comments, advice or tips that you would give to beginning writers? 

First, learn your craft. Second, read, read, read. Study the writers you admire and analyze how they constructed their books. 

What do you do when you are not writing?  

When not writing, I’m going about the usual ordinary activities of daily life—cooking for myself and my husband, visiting family and friends, traveling occasionally and regular exercise to try to stay in shape and age gracefully.  

What “Made It” moments have you experienced in life? 

Giving birth to my daughter. Being reviewed in The New York Times. Giving a lecture at the Smithsonian. Being nominated for an Emmy. Receiving awards for some of my books.

You can visit my other blog at: http://love-faith-and-guts.blogspot.com/ that features a preview to my new book that was just released  , Traveling a Rocky Road with Love, Faith and Guts.