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D.C. Stewart
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Author Interview:
novelinspirations: How have your kids inspired your writing?
D.C. Stewart: Well, believe it or not, I began writing WWCH when I found out I was pregnant with twins. I began thinking about all the fun my brother and I had on our parents’ and grandparents’ ranches, and thought it would be nice to recapture some of our adventures in a book. Although we never solved mysteries like the characters do.
novelinspirations: As a writer and a mom, how do you juggle everything? How do you stay sane when you’ve got all those balls in the air?
D.C. Stewart: What gave you the idea I’m sane? I thought all writers were not quite right, mentally. Why else would we write? But as a writer and a mom, I do juggle, all the time. I check e-mail while feeding my infant daughter a bottle. I research and outline while my sons are in pre-school and my daughter is napping. Housework gets done, never…I mean, later. And my husband is VERY supportive.
novelinspirations: You seem to write fiction with a funny bone. How do you come up with so many funny situations to put your characters in?
D.C. Stewart: I tell everyone I meet, “My life IS a comedy. I might as well write about it.” Honestly, I just observe life, find the humor (it’s everywhere, even in the most dire situations), and re-tell it in my stories.
novelinspirations: What is your favorite part of writing (e.g. research, plotting, getting to know the characters), and why?
D.C. Stewart: I probably enjoy plotting the most. I know there are debates in many circles about which comes first, the chicken or the egg, the plot or the characters? As I plot out a book, the characters spring to life. They demand to have their say about where they are going, what they are doing, and they will stop me in my tracks if I am forcing them down a path that doesn’t work.
novelinspirations: What person has been the most inspiring on your journey to publication? What have they done that has influenced you the most?
D.C. Stewart: I wish I could point to just one person who has inspired me or encouraged me the most, but the truth is, I have a great support network. Since high school I have had parents, teachers, and great friends who inspired me at different points along the way.
novelinspirations: What’s your favorite Scripture verse, and why?
D.C. Stewart: Proverbs 16: 31 “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” I’ve had gray hair since I was 14 years old. I find that verse very…comforting.
novelinspirations: Are you a cat or dog person?
D.C. Stewart: Both. Dogs are loyal and lovable. Cats like to do their own thing, and will occasionally grace you with their attention.
novelinspirations: Tell us about your road to publication.
D.C. Stewart: My road to publication was a little unusual. My first manuscript, ever, was WWCH. I sent a query letter to the first publisher I found in Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers Market that I thought would be a good fit. After three weeks they asked to see the full manuscript. In three months they called to offer me a contract, and I signed a month after that. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I know that. Please no hate mail. But conflicts with the publisher’s schedule pushed the release date back by almost two years. Total time from when I began writing the book to publication—4 years.
novelinspirations: Tell us about the book – Where Would Cows Hide? What is the story about? How did you get inspired to write it?
D.C. Stewart: Where Would Cows Hide? is the story of identical twins, Brad and Charlie Parker, and their little sister, Zoey. They spend two weeks during the summer on their grandparents’ cattle ranch in Oklahoma, and discover thieves are stealing the prized bulls. Brad and Charlie are determined to help find the thieves, but get into all sorts of trouble along the way. And Zoey…let’s just say she’s special. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.
I was inspired to write this book because my favorite type of book to read as a kid was adventures. And if you’re going to have an adventure, who better to have it with than God?
novelinspirations: Where can readers find more info on this book and about you?
D.C. Stewart: Where Would Cows Hide? is published by Baker Trittin Press, and is available at Amazon.com and at the publisher’s website www.bakertrittinpress.com. My website is www.dcstewart.net, and I have a Shoutlife page at www.shoutlife.com/dcstewart.
Thank you for having me on your website. This has been wonderful.
About D.C. Stewart
D.C. Stewart grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and spent most of her childhood getting into trouble with her younger brother on their ranch. She began writing short stories in high school, and won a writing competition at a nearby college at age 17. After graduating, she attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University and earned a degree in History, and also met her husband, Scott. She worked for a church in Maumelle, Arkansas as the Communications Coordinator for five years. After moving back to Oklahoma, she chose to stay home with their four year old twin boys, and six month old baby girl, and to pursue her dream of being a full-time writer. The Stewart’s live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Where Would Cows Hide? is her first novel.
Order Where Would Cows Hide?
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novelinspirations.com review of Where Would Cows Hide?
Reviewed by Lacy J. Williams
Charlie and Brad Parker may be twins, but they couldn't be more different.
Brad is a tech-geek - he loves to take apart and put together all kinds of gadgets. Charlie thinks that his kindly old neighbor is a government spy and tries to watch her through the telescope - when his parents don't catch him, that is.
One thing both brothers can agree on is they love spending time at their grandparents' farm. But when Charlie and Brad, along with little sister Zoey, arrive in Oklahoma, they find that things aren't as they remember.
For a farmer, what could be worse than losing cattle? Not much. Unfortunately, Grandpa Parker and many of his neighbors have recently been subject to thefts of one of their most valuable resources.
When Brad and Charlie overhear the cattle thieves making plans to steal more of their granddad's stock, they start making plans to catch the bad guys. But can they stay out of trouble long enough to help?
Stewart's debut YA novel is witty, action-packed, and appropriate for kids of all ages. This book took me back to my own childhood, when I voraciously devoured the Boxcar Children mysteries.
Brad and Charlie are typical boys, who get into scrapes and fight with each other and their sister... but they're also NOT just typical boys, because of the unique traits Stewart has given them. They love spying, but they're also good at it thanks to the information Stewart builds into what the reader knows about Charlie and Brad.
This book wouldn't be complete without the deftly handled details. Stewart slips some farming information into dialogue, lets us know that it's HOT in the summer in Oklahoma, shows us a yard filled with junk, all of it done without overloading the reader with paragraphs of information.
Lastly, humor seems to be the author's middle name. Stewart uses both funny scenes and silly dialogue to add another facet to a wonderful story.
If you've got a tweener who enjoys mystery, fast-paced fiction, and humor, this book is a must-buy.
novelinspirations: How have your kids inspired your writing?
D.C. Stewart: Well, believe it or not, I began writing WWCH when I found out I was pregnant with twins. I began thinking about all the fun my brother and I had on our parents’ and grandparents’ ranches, and thought it would be nice to recapture some of our adventures in a book. Although we never solved mysteries like the characters do.
novelinspirations: As a writer and a mom, how do you juggle everything? How do you stay sane when you’ve got all those balls in the air?
D.C. Stewart: What gave you the idea I’m sane? I thought all writers were not quite right, mentally. Why else would we write? But as a writer and a mom, I do juggle, all the time. I check e-mail while feeding my infant daughter a bottle. I research and outline while my sons are in pre-school and my daughter is napping. Housework gets done, never…I mean, later. And my husband is VERY supportive.
novelinspirations: You seem to write fiction with a funny bone. How do you come up with so many funny situations to put your characters in?
D.C. Stewart: I tell everyone I meet, “My life IS a comedy. I might as well write about it.” Honestly, I just observe life, find the humor (it’s everywhere, even in the most dire situations), and re-tell it in my stories.
novelinspirations: What is your favorite part of writing (e.g. research, plotting, getting to know the characters), and why?
D.C. Stewart: I probably enjoy plotting the most. I know there are debates in many circles about which comes first, the chicken or the egg, the plot or the characters? As I plot out a book, the characters spring to life. They demand to have their say about where they are going, what they are doing, and they will stop me in my tracks if I am forcing them down a path that doesn’t work.
novelinspirations: What person has been the most inspiring on your journey to publication? What have they done that has influenced you the most?
D.C. Stewart: I wish I could point to just one person who has inspired me or encouraged me the most, but the truth is, I have a great support network. Since high school I have had parents, teachers, and great friends who inspired me at different points along the way.
novelinspirations: What’s your favorite Scripture verse, and why?
D.C. Stewart: Proverbs 16: 31 “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.” I’ve had gray hair since I was 14 years old. I find that verse very…comforting.
novelinspirations: Are you a cat or dog person?
D.C. Stewart: Both. Dogs are loyal and lovable. Cats like to do their own thing, and will occasionally grace you with their attention.
novelinspirations: Tell us about your road to publication.
D.C. Stewart: My road to publication was a little unusual. My first manuscript, ever, was WWCH. I sent a query letter to the first publisher I found in Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers Market that I thought would be a good fit. After three weeks they asked to see the full manuscript. In three months they called to offer me a contract, and I signed a month after that. THIS IS NOT NORMAL. I know that. Please no hate mail. But conflicts with the publisher’s schedule pushed the release date back by almost two years. Total time from when I began writing the book to publication—4 years.
novelinspirations: Tell us about the book – Where Would Cows Hide? What is the story about? How did you get inspired to write it?
D.C. Stewart: Where Would Cows Hide? is the story of identical twins, Brad and Charlie Parker, and their little sister, Zoey. They spend two weeks during the summer on their grandparents’ cattle ranch in Oklahoma, and discover thieves are stealing the prized bulls. Brad and Charlie are determined to help find the thieves, but get into all sorts of trouble along the way. And Zoey…let’s just say she’s special. You’ll have to read the book to find out why.
I was inspired to write this book because my favorite type of book to read as a kid was adventures. And if you’re going to have an adventure, who better to have it with than God?
novelinspirations: Where can readers find more info on this book and about you?
D.C. Stewart: Where Would Cows Hide? is published by Baker Trittin Press, and is available at Amazon.com and at the publisher’s website www.bakertrittinpress.com. My website is www.dcstewart.net, and I have a Shoutlife page at www.shoutlife.com/dcstewart.
Thank you for having me on your website. This has been wonderful.
About D.C. Stewart
D.C. Stewart grew up in a small town in Oklahoma, and spent most of her childhood getting into trouble with her younger brother on their ranch. She began writing short stories in high school, and won a writing competition at a nearby college at age 17. After graduating, she attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University and earned a degree in History, and also met her husband, Scott. She worked for a church in Maumelle, Arkansas as the Communications Coordinator for five years. After moving back to Oklahoma, she chose to stay home with their four year old twin boys, and six month old baby girl, and to pursue her dream of being a full-time writer. The Stewart’s live in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Where Would Cows Hide? is her first novel.
Order Where Would Cows Hide?
.
--------------------------------------------------
WATCH BOOK TRAILER:
GO TO BLOG TOUR HOMEPAGE
--------------------------------------------------
novelinspirations.com review of Where Would Cows Hide?
Reviewed by Lacy J. Williams
Charlie and Brad Parker may be twins, but they couldn't be more different.
Brad is a tech-geek - he loves to take apart and put together all kinds of gadgets. Charlie thinks that his kindly old neighbor is a government spy and tries to watch her through the telescope - when his parents don't catch him, that is.
One thing both brothers can agree on is they love spending time at their grandparents' farm. But when Charlie and Brad, along with little sister Zoey, arrive in Oklahoma, they find that things aren't as they remember.
For a farmer, what could be worse than losing cattle? Not much. Unfortunately, Grandpa Parker and many of his neighbors have recently been subject to thefts of one of their most valuable resources.
When Brad and Charlie overhear the cattle thieves making plans to steal more of their granddad's stock, they start making plans to catch the bad guys. But can they stay out of trouble long enough to help?
Stewart's debut YA novel is witty, action-packed, and appropriate for kids of all ages. This book took me back to my own childhood, when I voraciously devoured the Boxcar Children mysteries.
Brad and Charlie are typical boys, who get into scrapes and fight with each other and their sister... but they're also NOT just typical boys, because of the unique traits Stewart has given them. They love spying, but they're also good at it thanks to the information Stewart builds into what the reader knows about Charlie and Brad.
This book wouldn't be complete without the deftly handled details. Stewart slips some farming information into dialogue, lets us know that it's HOT in the summer in Oklahoma, shows us a yard filled with junk, all of it done without overloading the reader with paragraphs of information.
Lastly, humor seems to be the author's middle name. Stewart uses both funny scenes and silly dialogue to add another facet to a wonderful story.
If you've got a tweener who enjoys mystery, fast-paced fiction, and humor, this book is a must-buy.
We are giving away ONE copy of WHERE WOULD COWS HIDE? during the month of April.
HOW TO ENTER:
- join the novelinspirations newsletter list
(winner is drawn from all subscribers at 4/30/08), or
- email Lacy
Drawing winners will be drawn on or around April 30.