A Visit From Zan Marie!

ellow Forumite Zan Marie Steadham is here!

I asked some odd questions, and she was kind enough to share her fun answers:


Would you like to be one of your characters, or do you the writer torture them too much?
How can I not be every single one of them? They have to be in my head, or they don't exist at all. Diana Gabaldon tells readers that even evil Black Jack Randall is in her head. ;)


Which of your characters is most like you?
That's an easy one! Laura Grace Chandler is largely my alter ego. She's a retired history teacher with a deep and abiding love of teens and a crusader for those who have been abused and neglected. Though, to be honest, I'm nowhere as courageous as Laura Grace. And, most important, I'm not a widow. But if I look in a mirror, I see Laura Grace's short, mostly pepper bob surrounding a slightly sagging angular face that sits atop a rather short, dumpy frame.

[You forgot to mention her tea cakes! Laura Grace is an amazing baker!]


Have you secretly chosen actors to play your main characters?
My SF WIP is full of actor-inspired faces from Sean Connery and Meryl Streep to Hugh Jackman and Halle Berry. It's only lately that the contemporary women's fiction has picked up a few famous faces--Dakota Fanning, Rena Sofer, Luis Guzman, Paulo Szot.

[Ooh, is this Paulo Szot? As Mack?

Very attractive!]

How's the indie/self-publishing journey been so far?
I'm not sure I'm a good representative of the indie/self-publishing scene. I did self-publish two devotionals -- An Easter Walk and A Christmas Walk -- both print runs were miniscule and sold mostly in my geographic area. Though, I do have a few sales across the US and two international sales. (Thanks, Deniz ;) ) I plan to go the agent route with my fiction.

[Good luck, Zan Marie! I can't wait to see Laura Grace and Samantha's story in print.]


Who was the last person that haunted you?
Does my abused foster child character, Samantha Smith count? For me, she's the face of all the tens of thousands of abused children in this country. My heart bleeds for these kids and the haunted adults they often become. Every new article I read about foster and abused children chills me further... and adds more reality to my plot.


Getting a good review from which author would make you freak out the most?
What!? You didn't hear me squeeee when Diana Gabaldon said one of my exercise scenes at the Books and Writers Forum had real people with great body language? ;)

[I love it when Diana comments on our snips!]


What's the weirdest thing you've researched?
How about saddest? In that case, I'd have to say abuse.


What's your earliest memory related to writing?
My momma still has some of the lamest poetry you've ever read. Of course I wrote it when I was eight! Since I'm north of 50, that's nearly four decades of attempting to communicate with the written word. 

Thanks for coming by Zan Marie!

Zan Marie Steadham is the author of two devotionals -- An Easter Walk and A Christmas Walk -- and was nominated in 2009 for the Georgia Author of the Year Award for An Easter Walk. She is a member of American Christian Writers Association and the Book and Writers Forum. Currently, she is writing a contemporary women's fiction trilogy. The first novel, Friendly Fire, is about a retired teacher and an abused foster child. Her other works in progress include a SF trilogy and a devotional titled The Valley Walk. She blogs at In the Shade of the Cherry Tree, and says:

"I've always loved words and have written since I realized that the words I love were written by someone. Poetry, prose, verse, lyric -- it doesn't matter what form or genre the words are. Words inspire, entertain, and enlighten. After teaching history and Latin for twenty-five years, I finally have the time to take delight in writing. My writing explores many wonderful forms -- fiction, poetry, devotional literature, and history."