Bernice Camp

CB: First, briefly tell us who Bernice Camp is, growing up and now?

BC: Cindy, thank you for having me. Growing up was very hard. I'm the eldest in a family of daughters and our father lived, and died, an alcoholic. During my childhood years one of the most difficult aspects of that environment was the stigma of being in an alcoholic family. My mother was a model of inner-strength, and I credit her for any goodness I have and any accomplishment.

Like most women, I have worn many hats. I am a daughter, sister, part-time caregiver for a sister, wife, mother, grandmother and now, a published author. Life - due to unforeseen circumstances, has pushed me to continually evolve and reinvent myself. As an adult I'm still experiencing what life has to offer, learning and growing as a person and a woman.

CB: You've one published book and one in production now. What is the first book and briefly describe what it is about?

BC: My first book, Broken Vessels-Tribute to a Family, traces the lives of five sisters born and raised in the shadow of alcohol and abuse. ‘Broken Vessels’ reveals the healing process from the crippling effects of our childhood through adulthood. And how one sister's prayer, "I want my family whole," brought us full circle.

The "Quality of Life" issue comes to the forefront when a sister becomes ill and her sisters come together to be life-long caregivers. ‘Broken Vessels’ was written to inspire, encourage and give hope to readers that find themselves in similar life circumstances.

CB: And this one now in production, what is it about?

BC: Forgotten Memories is again, a story of women of inner strength. Ella Martin is the main character, a young woman who seems to have it all - until the dreaming starts - forcing her to follow a chain of events that propel her back in time into a past she doesn't remember. Ella's quest is to reclaim her forgotten memories and her childhood.

CB: Which of the two was easiest for you and which more difficult to write, and why do you think that was?

BC: Broken Vessels-Tribute to a Family was the hardest to write. During the writing, I had to force myself back into my childhood and relive what I spent forty-five years trying to put behind me. My mother and I spent endless hours reliving the years of pain, living with an abusive alcoholic and later, the family tragedy of a terminally ill sister.

CB: What do you hope your readers will take away with them after reading one of your books?

BC: Broken Vessels-Tribute to a Family and Forgotten Memories are books about real, everyday families that find themselves in circumstances that seem insurmountable. I hope readers of my books can identify with the characters I bring to life and with hope and prayer in their hearts, push on, not giving up or giving in.

CB: Are you working on anything now and if so, what?

BC: Yes, I've started my third book, not titled as of yet. I again want to portray real women in real life situations. In this case, hint: the story line will be a situation that is unavoidable and eventually affects all women of any location and status.

CB: What motivates you to write and why do you think that is?

BC: I hope to honor my mother who passed away before my first book was in print and emphasize with my writings, women of strength. Maude, in my first book, and Helen in my second, found the inner strength to do what they thought was necessary to protect the family.

CB: What obstacles have you encountered in getting published and promoting your published work and how have you overcome those?

BC: I've been blessed to have two books published by PublishAmerica. Promoting and marketing has proven to be difficult. I live in a small southern Illinois town and exposure is limited. I have been fortunate that within a radius of fifty miles Barnes and Noble, and Borders, have regularly scheduled me for book signings. I was invited to participate in the 2008 Book Expo featuring seventy authors at Washington Square Mall in Evansville, IN.

CB: What advice would you give to aspiring authors still waiting to be published?

BC: Push on and don't quit. It's never too late to have a dream come true.

CB: Where can we learn more about you and your work?

BC: My website is www.freewebs.com/bernicecamp. I would like to invite all to visit and sign my guest- book. If anyone would like to email me, my address is bernicecamp@publishedauthors.net

CB: Where are your books available for purchase and do you offer signed copies?

BC: Broken Vessels- Tribute to a Family and Forgotten Memories, are for purchase at www.publishamerica.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, www.target.com, www.borders.com and most online bookstores.

CB: In parting, is there anything else you would like to say to your readers that we may not have touched on?

BC: I wrote Broken Vessels- Tribute to a Family and Forgotten Memories to inspire and encourage. I would hope that after reading one of my books, the reader keeps a "little something" in their heart. God gave us an amazing gift. The human heart can be broken and amazingly with his love, can be healed.

Cindy, thank you for the opportunity to share my thoughts and my books with you and your readers.

Bernice's books:

Interview with Rebecca Benston

CB: Let's begin with a little background info. Who is Rebecca Benston, growing up and now?

RB: Growing up I always loved to write. I wrote poems as early as elementary school and I was a member of the high school newspaper staff during my junior and senior years. Now, I am a writer who is currently working full-time as an elementary school librarian. Aside from that, I'm the mother of a wonderful, five-year old daughter and the wife of a grumpy, but lovable mechanic. I worked for years in the non-profit sector as a Human Resources Manager, but gave it up so that I could pursue things that were more important to me like spending more time with family and writing.

CB: You write in a variety of genres. What motivates you and why?

RB: People and relationships motivate me. Often, I get an idea for a story from some interaction that I have either witnessed or experienced. If I learn something from it, I often feel compelled to work that lesson into my writing somehow. I like to give advice, but I don't like to appear as though I think I have all of the answers. I most certainly do not. Unfortunately, I have managed to ask a lot of the questions over the course of my thirty-six years on the planet.

CB: Briefly give a description of your published works and what you hope your readers will take away after reading them.

RB: My books are mystery novellas which feature private detective Rona Shively. She's a sassy, smart-mouthed detective who really hasn't got a clue about the right way to run an investigation. She's really more of an intuitive problem solver than a true Private Detective. She hates her job, but she does what she can to help the people who come to her. Often, she finds the answers by being on the wrong side of the bad guys at exactly the wrong time. People who read Rona say that they enjoy how real she is and how her problems often mirror those of the average human being. There's nothing frilly about her and I think people enjoy that she is rough around the edges.

CB: What are you working on now and when is your projected publication date?

RB: I recently finished writing Keeping the Faith which is the third story in the Rona Shively series. It is also my first full-length novel in the series. I'm also starting to work on a young adult mystery series as well as the fourth installment in the Rona Shively series.

CB: What methods of promotion have you used and of those, what has worked or not worked for you?

RB: I have a website, a blog, a MySpace page, a Facebook page, Twitter, etc. The ones that work best for me are the ones I pay the most attention to. Sometimes, it's Facebook, sometimes the blog gets all of the action. It really just depends on how much time I devote to them.

CB: Writing was always a dream of yours, now fulfilled. Were you also an avid reader and if so, for how long and what types of books did you like to read?

RB: I have always loved reading. In the beginning, I read every Laura Ingalls Wilder book out there as well as the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew stories. Now, I've graduated to Kinsey Millhone stories, Lisa Scottoline's legal thrillers, and Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I also read a little James Patterson and J.A. Konrath and am waiting for the next book in Sarah Strohmeyer's Bubbles series. I read mostly mystery these days, but have been known to read six or seven writing books at any given time.

CB: Which of your works was the most difficult to write and why do you think it was?

RB: Keeping the Faith was tough. Literally and figuratively. It was a rough year personally and writ deing such a lengthy work was draining. Although I love writing Rona, I felt a lot of pressure while writing the longer work. It was as though her voice was struggling to keep up the conversation. Maybe it's just my own inner critic or my tendency to write more efficiently, but it seemed exhausting to write so much in one story. Fun, but exhausting.

CB: Which was the most easiest to write and why?

RB: Under Lock and Key was easy because I had it in my head for a long time before I set pen to paper. I spent a lot of time on it and I had fun putting the whole story together. It's a book that I am quite proud of.

CB: What avenues did you pursue in getting published once the work was completed, and how did that pan out for you?

RB: I really didn't try all that hard to get the first two published. I am however, trying to find a new publisher for book number three and am awaiting a response from a publisher as we speak.

CB: What else would you like to say to your readers that we may not have touched on?

RB: If you enjoy writing, by all means, write. Don't give up on it because someone in your life tells you it isn't practical or because you feel it's a waste of time. It isn't. If you love it, do it.

CB: Where can we learn more about you and your work?

RB: My website: http://www.rebeccabenstonwrites.com or http://www.theronashivelystories.com/ or the blog, www.benstonblogs.com

CB: Where can your books be purchased and do you offer signed copies?

RB: You can purchase them on my website and yes, I would be happy to sign copies for anyone who would like one. Thank you so much.

Rebecca's books: