carolynhowardjohnson

What inspired you to write "This is The Place," a novel which focuses on "the mysterious lives of the people who live in Utah and explores the loves, predjudices, and life-style of Mormon and Non-Mormons?"

Carolyn: I thought about writing it when I was in high school. I think it stemmed from a need to tell my own story and to expose a little-known area and culture to readers. I mean, the South has been well explored. Amish country reasonably well used as a setting. But Utah and its culture? Hardly at all. And what people know about it is generally inaccurate.

In your second book, "Harkening" A Collection of Stories Remembered," published Nov. 2000 by AmErica House, you write about "truth." Are these the stories of your childhood or other people's lives? If it highlights family memories, what has been your loved ones' response to seeing their stories in print?

Carolyn: These are all true stories - some about me and some about different members of my mother's side of the family. After a reader has been through a couple, she will begin to see a direction and by the end have a feeling for two things - how fiction relates to truth and why some people seek new, less repressive places to live without really even considering why they do that.
Two reactions:

My aunt: "Why don't you ever write happy stories?"

My mother: "I don't think you were listening to my stories very well!"

My reaction to my aunt was peals of laughter and then she started laughing, too.
My reaction to my mother was, "Guess you'd better write some stories of your own. That way you can interpret them the way you'd like to."

You certainly have done a great job promoting "The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't." Can you fill us in on some practical tips? How do you build a knock-'em-dead mailing list, get free advertising and create a media kit?

Carolyn: Ha! my first reaction to that is to get the book (it's only $9 as an e-book! http://starpublish.com/ for it is packed with whole chapters on those topics and dozens more! But the best "secret" to promotion is to never give up. Good publicity builds on itself. The other secret is that there are great side benefits. When you work at publicity you make friends--like YOU!

"Tracings," a chapbook of poetry has just been published by Finishing Line Press (Georgetown, KY) http://finishinglinepress.com . According to Tami Brady of TCM Reviews, "Tracings is an exceptional collection of poetry...elegantly written, expressing the experiences and feelings...in a way that few poets ever achieve." What was the theme of this chapbook and what were you hoping to achieve?

Carolyn: Excepting that "Tracings" traces my life, it is really a hodgepodge--a little like lives tend to be. I think the one adjective that would describe it though, is "nostalgic." One of my poetry critique partners, Lauren Hawley, said, "One of the things I love about your poetry is that how much I learn about words that are different from the ones we use now." She was commenting on my use of "mercerized" and "munsing." Both words are relatively transparent in the poems but people don't sew much any more so many may not recognize them.

I would need an entire web page to list all your awards. Tell us about the award you're most proud of receiving.

Carolyn: Well, the one I should be the most proud of was the award from the California Legislature: Woman of the Year in Arts and Entertainment. And though I love that big hunk of engraved crystal, the one I am most proud of was one in which reviewers nominated and voted for best book of the year. "This is the Place" won that Reviewers' Choice Award for literary fiction.

What UCLA Extension Classes do you teach? How long have you been doing this? What feedback have you received from your students?

Carolyn: I just LOVE teaching and adore my students. I teach for the Writers' Program, so far about one class a year. That works well--it gives me plenty of time to travel. Several of my students are so loyal -- appear wherever I am speaking, as an example. And I tease because he is about to surpass me as a promoter! His name is Abel Pena and he writes science fiction. My next one is a one-day-only class--perfect for people who might want to come to Los Angeles on a business-expense budget, take a class and go to Disneyland, too! It's Nov. 5th. To sign up or learn more, contact Marcus Hennessey at writers@uclaextension.edu or call (310) 825-9415.

Who has supported you along the way?

Carolyn: The entire universe.

When you have a free moment, what genres can you be found reading?

Carolyn: I love the classics and would like to go back to a recommended reading list from college and fill in the gaps I missed. I believe the world's greatest "truths" are told by fiction writers like Chekhov and Dostoevsky.

Tell us about your newsletter.

Carolyn: Oh, I'm so glad you asked! (-: Sharing with Writers evolved because people continued to want to know more about promotion after they read THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER, although I do include some writing "stuff," too! Then it became an arm of AUTHORS' COALITION, after some authors came together to do a booth at the LA Times Festival of Books a few years ago. The newsletter is free, Authors' Coalition costs $20 a year to join and we are working on tons of low-cost perks and materials that can be purchased in small batches at low cost for members. It is in its infancy-a perfect time for members to give their input about their needs. To sign up for SWW, just send me an e-mail with "subscribe" in the subject line. So far I am quite unautomated! (My e-mail is HoJoNews@aol.com.) The Authors Coalition site is under development and will help promote our LA Times Festival of Books booth-an example of how cyclical good publicity is. Go to http://authorscoalitionandredenginepress.com.

What's the next project you're working on?

Carolyn: I am letting a wonderful novel, Labyrinth, lie fallow. I'm working on a coffee table book of poetry tentatively titled "War, Peace and Tolerance." It will be published by Red Engine Press (http://redenginepress.com)

Thanks Carolyn. Good luck with all your current and future projects and their promotion! FYI everyone: to learn more about everything Carolyn has discussed above, log onto her website: http://tlt.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm

--Denise Fleischer
September 5, 2005