Tam's Palindrome: In Words Drown I

I’m leaving the Civil War behind for this post, to shift from the 1860’s to the 1940’s, the years of World War II. 

I meet every Thursday with five other writers in a critiquing group. Three of us email the others drafts of our newest chapters each weekend, and on Thursdays we sit down face-to-face and offer written and verbal suggestions—critiques. After three years, we are still learning how to be honest, but not snarky, how to step on the other’s toes sometimes, but not mess up their shoeshine, and how to praise without gushing.

One of the writers, Tam Francis, has just entered a novel set in the 1940’s in Amazon’s Kindle Scout competition, something I also plan to do with Defiant Honor when it’s done. More on Kindle Scout at the bottom of this post.

Tam is a writer whose books and blog posts I enjoy. Besides being a substitute teacher, wife, soccer/cheerleader mom, and local actress, she is a dancer, a 1940’s dancer.

 As I vicariously live in the 1860’s much of the time, Tam daily dances through the 1940’s. We never know when she’ll show up on Thursday afternoon dressed in vintage clothes from the ‘40’s, hairdo, stockings, and all.

Tam let me do a short quirky interview with her for this blog post, writer to writer. Here's a photo of her.

What punctuation mark best describes you and why?

Em dash. First of all, to say its name is very musical. It almost sounds like your singing. Parenthesis sounds like a disease, and period and colon—well, you know. Em dash also includes the word dash which is movement, fast movement, at that. I can picture all the little em dashes, sliding around in a jitterbug swing out. Then there’s the way em dashes can be used. They have great versatility, to replace commas, parentheses, and colons—which gives a writer the freedom to add information and even bring attention. Lord knows I like to bring attention.

How do you handle criticism?

Receiving criticism is a process that has become more refined for me with time, experience, and the abundance of it. I used to reject criticism or take it to heart so deeply I would cry and wallow in self-pity for a few days. Over time, I’ve learned to consider criticism as one of many possibilities and points of view, opening myself up to grow from it. How can I put my own spin and signature on a suggestion or correction?

What is your philosophy towards your work?

I tend to obsess and get hyper-focused when I’m writing. I have to make deals or play games with myself. You cannot edit UNTIL you do the laundry. You cannot edit UNTIL you’ve done the watering and weeding. Incidentally, those real world chores relax my brain and help me puzzle out manuscript problems.

What is your favorite palindrome and why?

In words, drown I.  I think, being a writer, the answer is obvious.

What things do you not like to do?

I do not like raising my voice at children or reprimanding them. It breaks my heart when I’m teaching when kids do not have the interest in learning or see the value.

What 1940s song best describes you and what song best describes your latest book, The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress?

For the book, it’s easy: The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing, Danny Kaye. It could easily be a tagline for the novel since even though I put the characters through some hell off the dance floor, everything comes together when they’re dancing.

For myself, Coming in on a Wing and a Prayer. I always feel a bit frazzled with two very active kids. On top of that, my hubby was active Navy and deployed a lot. Now he’s in school full time—driving me crazy. Plus, I just have to be in the PTO at the kids’ school and youth coordinator for our local theatre.

I squeeze the writing in everywhere I can and always feel like I’m creating on a wing and a prayer, even using that “moment of silence” when I’m at school—did I mention I substitute teach—to pray for patience, kindness, and creativity.

Pick two 1940s celebrities to be your parents.

John Payne, for my father. You might remember him from “Miracle of 34^th Street” and “Sun Valley Serenade.”  He’s handsome, humorous, and kind. And Hedy Lamarr for my mother, she was not only a classic beauty, but she was brilliant, co-inventing Spread Spectrum Technology. Google her name and read the story, she was one smart cookie.

If you could only do one dance move the rest of your life, what would it be?

The swing out from the Lindy Hop, of course. It has everything you need. It has distance, then togetherness, speed, centrifugal force, and enough counts and beats to forever play with the rhythm to create and improvise interesting footwork.

Now tell me about The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress and the Kindle Scout program.

GitJD is the parallel story of two women coming of age, struggling with loss, love, and redemption, united by a dancer’s dress. Anyone who liked The Notebook, or Water for Elephants will love reading the past come to life on the dance floor in GitJD.

The Kindle Scout program is a new opportunity for writers to eliminate the middle-man agent, but still have the benefits of a publisher.

Your novel must be ready for publication, with a kick-ass professional cover.

Here’s the cover to GitJD, so you'll know it when you see it.

You submit to Kindle Scout and if approved, Amazon posts a blurb, an excerpt, and your book cover on their website. You have 30 days to garner nominations or votes. After 30 days, Amazon counts your votes, and reads your book if there’s been enough interest. Then they decide whether to offer you a contract.

So, pop on over to  

https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/8DGVSKEE3VMQ

 to nominate The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress. Give me a shot at publishing with Amazon. And please check out my blog at

http://www.girlinthejitterbugdress.com

Phil says: I don’t really read girlie books, chick flicks in print, but I did read The Girl in the Jitterbug Dress and liked it a lot.

As for the Kindle Scout Program, it’s a sales deal for Amazon, sure. But, it’s also a viable way, even if a longshot, for independently published writers like Tam and me to get “kicked up a notch,” and join those novelists who have publishing contracts for their products.

So, I hope you’ll take a look at Tam’s novel on the Kindle Scout website and consider casting a “nomination” for her. I hope you don't mind my making theplug for her, because I'll be asking you do the same for Defiant Honor later this year.

Next week’s post will be about my new real-life prison pen-pal. His first two letters have already been an eye-opening and sobering surprise to me.