Happy Read an E-Book Week! Today I’d like to welcome author Beverly Stowe McClure on the blog. Hello, Beverly! It’s a pleasure to have you here. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a mom, grandmother and great-grandmother, and I’m so young. I live in the country with two cats that adopted me. I never wanted to be a writer. In fact, when I was a kid, I hated to read. Life’s strange though. I ended up being a teacher, which meant I had to read to graduate from the university and I had to read to teach my students to read. And now I write. My former teachers would never believe it.
Cats are truly amazing! I have found that they are great companions for writing, reading, and editing. (My cat, Xena the Warrior Catress, enjoys sitting on my lap while I type away at my computer!)
What is your favorite place in the world?
I haven’t traveled a lot, but Charleston, SC, with its beautiful old homes, plantations, lighthouses and history is one place I love to visit . My favorite place in the world, however, is my home of thirty-plus years: twenty-three acres of mesquite and elm trees, a pond that sometimes has fish, ducks, frogs, turtles and dragonflies. I can hear the coyotes, howling their song. Roadrunners peek in the door to see what’s happening. Deer stop by every evening for a handout, and birds share their beautiful songs. There’s no place I’d rather be.
Charleston sounds like a beautiful place. I’d love to visit there some day!
What is your favorite song?
Most anything by Elvis Presley.
Fabulous! When and why did you begin writing?
My first writing attempt was in eighth grade when I wrote a poem for an English assignment. The teacher sent it to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings. That was the end of my writing career until the late 1990s. I was teaching then and noticed how much my students enjoyed reading the kid magazines, like “Weekly Reader,” “Jack and Jill,” “Highlights,” etc. Since many of them had articles on classroom activities like those that we did in class, I started wondering if I could write for magazines. I had no idea how to go about it, so I signed up for a writing course and learned the basics. The first article I sent out was on having fire drills in the home, like we did at school. To my surprise, it was published in a TV type magazine called “Happiness.” I was happy and went on to publish several more articles on art activities and science experiments we did in class in “Humpty Dumpty,” “Jack and Jill,” “Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr.,” “Ladybug” and other fun magazines. My true love, though, is writing novels for kids and teens.
“Happiness”… what a perfect start to a happy writing career! What influences your writing?
My boys and my grandkids many times are an influence in my writing. Something they say or do may spark an idea for a story. Nature, articles I read in magazines and the newspaper, and just watching life are great influences on what stories I write.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I enjoy reading. Yeah, who would have thought it? I review books, also. Taking long walks are one of my favorite things to do. My tabby cat goes with me. Genealogy, photo albums, and playing the piano are other pleasures I enjoy. I also teach a women’s Sunday school class at my church.
Oh, books… it's impossible to not love books! What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun?
A story that will make me love the characters and hope they find happiness in the end.
If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?
I would like to meet Jesus Christ and tell him how much I love him and thank him for what he did for me and for others. I’d also like to meet my mother’s parents and get to know them.
What is your favorite place in the world?
I haven’t traveled a lot, but Charleston, SC, with its beautiful old homes, plantations, lighthouses and history is one place I love to visit . My favorite place in the world, however, is my home of thirty-plus years: twenty-three acres of mesquite and elm trees, a pond that sometimes has fish, ducks, frogs, turtles and dragonflies. I can hear the coyotes, howling their song. Roadrunners peek in the door to see what’s happening. Deer stop by every evening for a handout, and birds share their beautiful songs. There’s no place I’d rather be.
Charleston sounds like a beautiful place. I’d love to visit there some day!
What is your favorite song?
Most anything by Elvis Presley.
Fabulous! When and why did you begin writing?
My first writing attempt was in eighth grade when I wrote a poem for an English assignment. The teacher sent it to a high school anthology and it was published in Young America Sings. That was the end of my writing career until the late 1990s. I was teaching then and noticed how much my students enjoyed reading the kid magazines, like “Weekly Reader,” “Jack and Jill,” “Highlights,” etc. Since many of them had articles on classroom activities like those that we did in class, I started wondering if I could write for magazines. I had no idea how to go about it, so I signed up for a writing course and learned the basics. The first article I sent out was on having fire drills in the home, like we did at school. To my surprise, it was published in a TV type magazine called “Happiness.” I was happy and went on to publish several more articles on art activities and science experiments we did in class in “Humpty Dumpty,” “Jack and Jill,” “Focus on the Family Clubhouse Jr.,” “Ladybug” and other fun magazines. My true love, though, is writing novels for kids and teens.
“Happiness”… what a perfect start to a happy writing career! What influences your writing?
My boys and my grandkids many times are an influence in my writing. Something they say or do may spark an idea for a story. Nature, articles I read in magazines and the newspaper, and just watching life are great influences on what stories I write.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
I enjoy reading. Yeah, who would have thought it? I review books, also. Taking long walks are one of my favorite things to do. My tabby cat goes with me. Genealogy, photo albums, and playing the piano are other pleasures I enjoy. I also teach a women’s Sunday school class at my church.
Oh, books… it's impossible to not love books! What do you look for in a book when you sit down to read for fun?
A story that will make me love the characters and hope they find happiness in the end.
If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you say to them?
I would like to meet Jesus Christ and tell him how much I love him and thank him for what he did for me and for others. I’d also like to meet my mother’s parents and get to know them.
Tell us about the current book you’re promoting.
I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE is my latest story. It’s about a boy's struggles to accept his new family while he longs for the old. MG/Tween contemporary.
Sometimes a boy just needs a safe place to hide, like a doghouse.
I've never hidden in a doghouse, but I can imagine it would be a GREAT place to hide. I can’t wait to read the book! How can we find you? Website, Facebook, blog, etc?
Website: http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com
Blog: http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beverlysmcclure
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beverlymcclure
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/11462.Beverly_Stowe_McClure
Author Bio:
Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. To some of her friends, she is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.
For twenty-two years, Beverly taught children in grades two through five how to read and write. They taught her patience. Now, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class at her church.
Beverly is published in leading children’s magazines and Chicken Soup for the Soul Anthologies. She also has twelve books published and is the Gold Winner in the 2012 Children’s Literary Classics, and also the Silver Winner in the 2013 CLC. Her books have won other awards as well.
Book Blurb:
Eleven-year-old Nick Cassidy's stepsister delights in calling him gross names. His half-sister loves for Nick to push her in the stroller, to his embarrassment. What if the guys from school see him? All Nick wants is his father to come back and take him away from this crazy family. Is it any wonder he sometimes lives in the doghouse?
I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE is the story of a boy's struggles to accept his new family while he longs for the old. When his father finally returns, will Nick's dreams come true? Or will he discover that memories sometimes are faulty, and it’s best to forget the past and treasure the present?
Thanks so much again for the visit, Beverly! So nice to have you on the blog.Today my husband and I started looking for a second dog to adopt to be a companion for our fur baby, Lupo. Hopefully New Dog will be here soon. The dogs won't be living in a doghouse…more likely on the couch! This will be a great book to read along with my furry companions!
I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE is my latest story. It’s about a boy's struggles to accept his new family while he longs for the old. MG/Tween contemporary.
Sometimes a boy just needs a safe place to hide, like a doghouse.
I've never hidden in a doghouse, but I can imagine it would be a GREAT place to hide. I can’t wait to read the book! How can we find you? Website, Facebook, blog, etc?
Website: http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com
Blog: http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beverlysmcclure
Twitter: https://twitter.com/beverlymcclure
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/author/show/11462.Beverly_Stowe_McClure
Author Bio:
Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. To some of her friends, she is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats.
For twenty-two years, Beverly taught children in grades two through five how to read and write. They taught her patience. Now, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class at her church.
Beverly is published in leading children’s magazines and Chicken Soup for the Soul Anthologies. She also has twelve books published and is the Gold Winner in the 2012 Children’s Literary Classics, and also the Silver Winner in the 2013 CLC. Her books have won other awards as well.
Book Blurb:
Eleven-year-old Nick Cassidy's stepsister delights in calling him gross names. His half-sister loves for Nick to push her in the stroller, to his embarrassment. What if the guys from school see him? All Nick wants is his father to come back and take him away from this crazy family. Is it any wonder he sometimes lives in the doghouse?
I LIVE IN A DOGHOUSE is the story of a boy's struggles to accept his new family while he longs for the old. When his father finally returns, will Nick's dreams come true? Or will he discover that memories sometimes are faulty, and it’s best to forget the past and treasure the present?
Thanks so much again for the visit, Beverly! So nice to have you on the blog.Today my husband and I started looking for a second dog to adopt to be a companion for our fur baby, Lupo. Hopefully New Dog will be here soon. The dogs won't be living in a doghouse…more likely on the couch! This will be a great book to read along with my furry companions!
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