Today we have Melinda Lyons as a guest.  Melinda took a degree in journalism from North Texas University and for forty years has been free-lancing, publishing in many newspapers and periodicals.  She was the co-recipient of the Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Award for Best Western Song of the Year in 2004. She has stories in two of the Chicken Soup books.  And has two published books.  So, let’s visit with Melinda a bit.

JIM:   I’ve heard that you actually sold your first piece at the age of eleven.  Tell us about that early start.

Melinda:  I was interested in writing from a very early age. My Mother said that as a toddler, I would often flip through the pages of my favorite books—making up stories as I went along. I submitted a prayer to a Sunday School class publication. It was accepted, and I received a dollar for my work. I was thrilled and the rest is history!

JIM:   You’ve written a little of everything – short stories, poems, newspaper articles, books.  What is your favorite area of writing?

Melinda:  I love all types of writing but perhaps my favorite would be non-fiction. I enjoy doing all the research that is necessary for non-fiction, and I often find truth is stranger than fiction.

JIM:   One of your latest books is Crossing the Minefield.  Do you classify this as fiction or non-fiction?  Tell us a little about it.

Melinda:  Crossing the Minefieldt is non-fiction and is the story of my journey from grief to recovery. I started writing it to help me in the healing process after I lost my husband very suddenly in 2005. I began sharing it with other widows and discovered it was healing for others as well. I offered it to a small publisher and now it is part of bereavement programs, libraries, support groups and reading lists in nineteen states.

JIM:   You’ve had pieces printed in Chicken Soup for the Soul – Grandmothers and Chicken Soup for the Soul – True Love.  Tell us about that experience.  I’ve heard mixed reviews from authors who have written for Chicken Soup books.

Melinda:  I frankly enjoyed my experience with the Chicken Soup folks. But you have to keep in mind that you only make one flat fee for your article, so it isn’t very profitable. But I found them easy to work with and I continue to submit articles when I see a book topic that interests me. I guess the bottom line is that you don’t need to write for them if you want to make a lot of money.  Do it for the experience or just for the fun of it.

JIM:  Just seven days after Crossing the Minefield was released, you released Murder at the Oaklands Mansion.  Why did those two get released so close together?  Would you release books that close together again?

Melinda:  I didn’t find releasing the books close together was a problem since they were so very different. Murder at the Oaklands Mansion is a young readers’ fiction book. But I would not release two books that were quite similar close together.

JIM:   How about a little peek into Murder at the Oaklands Mansion, enough to convince the readers to stop what they’re doing and go buy a copy.

Melinda:  I will borrow a few sentences from the back of Murder at the Oaklands Mansion to give you a little peek:

Brooks Martin and his eccentric Aunt Mandy are always looking for a different adventure. But they never guess that their greatest adventure will involve murder. As rifles crack during a reenactment at their favorite Civil War historic site, a bloody stranger shakily grabs Brooks, thrusts a scrap of paper at him, gasps a few words and …dies!

JIM:   You’ve convinced me.It goes on my TBR list.. Shifting topics, there’s WOOF: Women Only Over 50.   Of course I wasn’t allowed to read it.  But, I take it this is not fiction, but I’m afraid to even speculate on what it covers.  Give us a hint.

Melinda:  WOOF: Women Only Over 50 is the result of three friends deciding that we would rather laugh at aging than moan about it. Everything is done with a “dog” theme and you are right—most men would probably not “get” our menopausal humor.

JIM:   What do you find the most difficult about being a writer and having books in print?

Melinda:  To me the most difficult thing about being a writer and having books in print is AFTER you write. I spend much more time on editing and revising my work than I ever do actually writing it. I think it is vital to have everything as clear and concise as you possibly can.  And—you don’t want your reader distracted by numerous mistakes with grammar, etc.  That is one of the problems I see with self-publishing. Writers often just crank out the words and get that into book form. Sometimes the result is a book riddled with mistakes. I also find the marketing difficult. It is hard for me to “sell” myself.

JIM:   And how do you deal with that most difficult aspect?

Melinda:  Discipline is how I deal with the editing process. I make myself check things over and over. I also ask other writers to help me edit my work. With Crossing the Minefield, I had other widows read the manuscript. I got some great suggestions that way.

The marketing part I am trying to improve. I am forcing myself to spend more time on marketing my books. There are some great marketing websites and I am trying to learn as I go.  It is hard, but you have to put yourself out there if you want to reach an audience. I am starting small—like offering to speak to various groups where I can sell my books after I talk. This seems particularly important with Crossing the Minefield. I can’t help other widows if I don’t reach out to them. With this book, I have also contacted various hospices and support groups and offered to send them a free copy of the book.

JIM:   Who helped you the most in your writing, and how did that person do it?

Melinda:  No doubt about it—Mrs. Alyce Sheetz was the person who helped me the most with my writing.  She was my high school journalism teacher. To be very honest, I was more interested in boys than I was in writing, so I often wrote my stories quickly so I could get on to my main interest. Mrs. Sheetz would throw the paper right back at me (often bringing me to tears), and would yell,“I know you can do better than this!!” So I would rewrite and rewrite until she was happy. I think she saw the potential in me and didn’t want me to just “get by.” I am so grateful that she pushed me. Her words, “I am totally bored with this story! Make me excited! Make me want to read through to the end!” stick with me today. I don’t write a word without thinking about Mrs. Sheetz and how she made me settle for nothing less than my best.

JIM:  What a great story, and an excellent lesson to students.  You can find out more about Melinda and her books at:      www.melindalyons.com

Here books are on Amazon at:     http://amzn.to/11T2hQW