Black Authors Network Literary Talk Show  

Show Notes

• Archived Blog Post

  Date / Time: 2/21/2008 10:22 PM UTC

  Struck By Lightning and other bolts of reality
  

  Struck By Lightning and other bolts of reality
  Category: Writing and Poetry

  

  
  Book Title: Struck By Lightning and other bolts of reality
  New Short Story Collection Explores Pitfalls of Relationships
  
  Available at AuthorHouse – www.authorhouse.com.
  This title can be ordered at bookstores or ordered at your preferred on-line retailer.
  
  Distributors: AuthorHouse
  Paperback: 140 pages
  Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 26, 2007)
  Language: English
  ISBN-10: 1425968147
  ISBN-13: 978-1425968144
  
  
  About the Author
  Cyd Webster was born in East Orange, NJ in 1958 and raised in Orange where she has spent most of her life. After graduating from Orange High School in 1976, she left Orange to attend college in Columbus, Ohio at The Ohio State
  University where she graduated with a BA degree in 1980. After attending Graduate School at Montclair State University, she moved on to a career in Information Systems Technology.
  
  
  Writing has always been her passion and she travels with a journal on all of her excursions. But those journals only add to her cache of writings that go back many years as she has a wealth of life to reflect on and express. Although she has had articles published in company distributed newsletters, this is her first endeavor to share her collection of short stories she wrote during convalescence in 2006.
  
  Visit her website at: www.cydwebster.com
  
  
  
  SLS Intimate Conversations Showcase
  
  Recently Ella Curry, CEO of EDC Creations (www.edc-creations.com) and founder of the Sankofa Literary Society (www.sankofaliterarysociety.org) had the opportunity to talk with the author of the book Struck by Lightning and Other Bolts of Reality, Cyd Webster.
  
  
  SLS Intimate Conversations Interview Questions
  
  Tell us something about the story that we can't read on the cover.
  These stories are social commentary that bring out issues that many people live with, but do not discuss. My hope was to get discussion going, and it is doing exactly that! Already I have had one person who read my book set up a 'discussion party' where everyone brought my book and we discussed our favorite stories and issues surrounding the characters. Ignoring these issues won't make them go away. We must confront dysfunction and realize that 'Happiness is a Choice'.
  
  
  
  What makes this novel different from others in it's genre?
  I think that my style of writing pulls people right into the stories where they can relate even if only by knowing people who are like the characters.
  
  
  
  Tell us a little something about your publishing journey. Did you have a manuscript that was submitted to several publishers?
  I chose AuthorHouse after doing some research on a variety of publishing avenues. I took some direction from Writer's Digest in making my decision.
  
  
  Is any of this story autobiographical? Were any scenes from the book inspired from what you know, or it is through your imagination?
  Its a mixture of my reality and my imagination... which is vivid and bizarre :)
  
  
  In what way did these characters reveal themselves to you?
  Some I sketched and others were born out of the flow while I was writing these stories.
  
  
  In your opinion, what is the absolute best thing about being a writer?
  I love expressing my thoughts and sometimes I m so intrigued about events in my life I just feel I have to write them down.
  
  
  As a new author, what would you say was your most difficult challenge in completing your novel?
  Forcing myself to make time to write. It's still difficult to do as I am working on my next book which will be a novel.
  
  
  What are your favorite things about the main three characters?
  There are so many characters in my book, but I character in the third story who is an independent woman who has learned to enjoy her life.
  
  Were they hard characters to depict?
  Not really... I had a lot of experience to draw from.
  
  
  What's the biggest compliment you've been getting on this book?
  That the reader was intrigued from the start and couldn't put the book down until they finished it.
  
  
  As a writer, what are some of the most important things you try to get across through your books?
  We can do better!
  
  
  What kinds of research did you do, particularly in terms of setting, since your book takes place in multiple locations.
  I mostly used my own life experience so it wasn't hard to imagine the settings I used.
  
  
  Who are your writing influences? Which books have impacted you and your approach to writing novels?
  Wow... It's very hard to say since I have such an eclectic taste in books.
  
  
  What is your definition of success? Serenity.
  
  
  What are some tips for aspiring authors who are interested in breaking into the publishing industry?
  Subscribe to Writer's Digest. It is a wealth of information.
  
  
  In your opinion, what is the absolute best thing about being a writer?
  I love expressing my thoughts and sometimes I am so intrigued about events in my life I just feel I have to write them down.
  • Permalink

Comments

	Shamontiel 3/10/2008 5:17 PM UTC You mentioned Karibu Books in this interview, and before, that didn't really effect me too much because I'd never been there, but I found out that Heritage Books (Chicago) closed yesterday, and that hurt my feelings. That was the FIRST bookstore that gave my books a chance and sold "Change for a Twenty" inside. I wrote a blog about Black bookstores on www.shamontiel.com. Now I understand why you were so sad about Karibu Books leaving. I guess it has to hit close to home before you see how you'll miss something. (By the way, I'm laughing at the "aggressive blogger" comment. Just heard it. True indeed. :-)
	Shamontiel 3/10/2008 4:46 PM UTC Hi Ella, I'm very sorry that I wasn't able to attend the last week's show, but you know the situation with the potholes in my car. Anyway, I'm back on the scene, and I'm listening to all of the shows that I missed. I just heard the part when you talked about me leaving comments every night. :-) True indeed. Got to leave my opinion. I definitely enjoyed listening and being apart of this event. Be back to comment on the show...
	Shamontiel 3/10/2008 4:45 PM UTC Hi Ella, I'm very sorry that I wasn't able to attend the last week's show, but you know the situation with the potholes in my car. Anyway, I'm back on the scene, and I'm listening to all of the shows that I missed. I just heard the part when you talked about me leaving comments every night. :-) True indeed. Got to leave my opinion. I definitely enjoyed listening and being apart of this event. Be back to comment on the show...

You are not logged in. Please log in to write a comment.