Author Spotlight with Carol Koris

Welcome Book Dragons to our Author Spotlight! Carol Koris is in The Cave with us today! She is here to talk about her book Shadow and Light. She will also be giving us some insight into what makes this very sweet Gem Maker tick! Isn’t that wonderful? I am so excited! She is here with me in front of the fire and we are practicing Social Distancing. She is on the other side of my Library. Two of my Faery friends offered to serve tea as they can flit about and through the use of magic move the tea and serve without touching anything..isn’t that fantastic. I would like to thank Flora, Fauna and Merryweather for their help.

“Carol, thank you again for coming! ‘Shadow and Light’ looks so deliciously interesting with that beautiful cover. Can you tell us a bit of what it is about, please?”

“Drakon, I would be happy to. ‘Shadow and Light’ is about Maggie Miller who has lost all desire for life after her only daughter’s death. She can’t seem to run her local photography studio or show up for scheduled photo shoots, and she is watching her marriage become more and more difficult. The rest stops along the New Jersey Turnpike give her respite and solace as she sits in her car and takes pictures of the people going in and out of the service area. Her interest is revived after taking a picture of what she thinks is an abducted little girl. But is it? Or is she imagining things because she misses her own daughter so desperately? The novel follows Maggie as she tries to save another child’s life when she could not save her own child. Having purpose and meaning leads her back to life and to the beginnings of healing and acceptance.”

“Oh Carol! How beautiful and heart wrenching! May I ask what was your motivation for writing this novel? Or your motivation for writing in general?”

“Drakon, my motivation for writing has always been to understand people and life in general, having had a difficult childhood. A small goal, eh? I find that writing is thinking on paper. When writing, my mind takes over, and I begin to explore feelings and life around me. Life, many times, does not make sense. In fiction, you can make sense of life, even if it’s only for one character, one story, or one novel.”

“How very true, my Dear! I believe that is why so many people prefer fiction. Stephen King said in his early years that facing werewolves and other nasty beasties was preferable to facing the bill collectors and bad jobs he was actually facing in real life. You are in good stead. Would you mind, Carol, my friend, explaining the catalyst for this particular novel?”

“The catalyst for my novel ‘Shadow and Light’ was showing that the human spirit is resilient, regardless of the loss. Having not just survived but thrived, after many, many years of difficulty, I wanted people to have hope after crisis. My life was too complicated for a memoir, so I took one piece and attempted to make sense of it.”

“Well, it seems you did an excellent job. I am sure it took a lot out of you. I would love to talk to you about that part of it some time. I believe every artist leaves a part of them in their work. You have been so kind today, I have just a few more questions for you. Did you like school or reading when you were younger?”

“Drakon, to be honest, I had different feelings about school at different phases of my life. I loved, loved my three years at a traditional nursing school. I needed to know everything for every test and passed my RN boards on the first try. I absolutely loved the years in MFA program. Imagine that your job is to read and write! I was in heaven. I guess I like learning—but not always the schooling in K-12, if that make sense?”

“Carol, my dear, it makes perfect sense! I loved learning, I did not always love school. So what about reading?”

“I always loved to read to learn and to escape. I truly can fall into a book as if it were another world.”

“Ahh, Carol, I knew you were a Book Dragon! I could see your scales in the firelight. It’s something Dragons can see. They can tell if there is a Dragon inside another being and as soon as the firelight I hit you, I could see your scales, they have the titles of books on them, you know! Just three more questions and a wish to go! I do hope you are enjoying yourself! Could you tell us a bit about you?”

“About me? I am a caregiver by nature. I have three daughters. I am a wife, a mother and a grandmother, and would drop anything in my life if one of my family needed me. I am in awe watching my grandsons grow. I am the proverbial grandmother that tells more stories than you want to hear. As for careers, I was an RN in the Intensive Care Unit and a University English Professor. But I have never defined myself by my jobs.”

“I here a book in there somewhere, I think! What a lovely family. You must bring the boys to The Cave sometime. Speaking of family and children. I do hear from our Fellow Book Dragons that some of them are also trying to write. Do you have any advice for them?”

“My advice to someone starting on this path is to first define their goal. Is it to make money or to tell stories?  If you decide to write for yourself, you won’t be disappointed if you don’t get published quickly! Drakon, if they want to make it a career and count on the income, be lucky or learn the business end: marketing, promoting, etc. My book came out, and I was in no position to market it as I had a very demanding job and had no free time.”

“Carol, what wonderful advice, thank you so much. I don’t think anyone’s brain goes there. Very sound! Thank you. One more question and then a wish! Would you care to share your writing process or tips and tricks with us? If you don’t it’s quite alright!”

“My writing process is always the same. I start out with an idea or problem and try to predict what I think will happen, but then it is definitely by the seat of my pants. For instance, the whole plot of Shadow and Light shifted when my main character took a picture and as I wrote, I realized the little girl with the strange man was kidnapped. There must be some planning in a novel, however, or it never will resolve itself. Life is disorganized and has only one ending. Fiction must work out to some end to be satisfying. How often have you finished a book and said, really? Well—that’s life, but it shouldn’t be fiction.”

“Carol, I love that attitude! It has been so much fun having you here today. I know you are very busy and must get home. I have the Pegasus drawn Carriage ready for you as it is raining here again today. I do hope you don’t mind. I do have one last bit. If I could grant you one wish for you book what would it be?”

“I wish my novel could cure Covid-19. Short of that, I will take a bestseller and movie rights. To be more realistic, however, since I wrote my book because I wanted people to know you can survive unrelenting grief, I wish I could get it into more hands so it can help those whom it might. Of course, for those who are lucky enough not to have had that problem, it’s a very good mystery to follow, and love hearing from readers!”

My Fellow Book Dragons, please do look for Carol’s book and please drop a line below to thank her for being with us today. I hope you have enjoyed this as much as I have. Once you have dropped a thank you, someone will be chose by 11:59 PM EST 4/24 for a bit of a surprise. WINNER IS BOOK DRAGON PAM FRIES! CONGRATULATIONS PAM! Join me later this evening when I review The Gathering Storm by Sherilyn Decter!

Drakon T. Longwitten