Author Spotlight: Margie Seaman on becoming a novelist at age 86

I wrote a book, and that was a major accomplishment, especially at age eighty-five. However, I never knew how writing a book would change my life – not because thousands of books were sold and I am now basking in new-found wealth. No, the change came about from book signings, making appearances at book festivals, speaking to women’s clubs and book clubs. The contact and support that I have received from strangers was a complete surprise and renewed faith in my belief that most people in the world are kind and encouraging.

I also have discovered that I am “living” with my characters now with the help of my readers. My last two book club meetings were amazing. I discovered just how involved people actually got with words that I had written. The first hostess made copies of my book cover and turned them into coasters that she used to decorate the table and give as favors to the guests. I was amazed by the trouble she went to in preparing a wonderful dinner and making everything perfect for the presentation.

The most recent book club was done in a way that brought my characters to life for me. Since the story takes place on a cruise ship headed to the Panama Canal, the hostess cooked some of the same items that I had written about when describing the character’s dinners on the ship. I was especially impressed with the “infamous” French onion soup she prepared — soup plays a rather prominent role in the story. She had also made crème broulee for dessert just as the characters ate during the cruise.

But there was one thing that totally caught my eye. In the middle of the table, there was a wonderful figure of a pirate that the hostess, Diane, has borrowed for the occasion. She added a large letter “E” (for Edward) that hung from his belt, and she draped a pocket watch over his body to capture the time travel aspect of the book. He was beautiful and a perfect fit for the backdrop of the dinner.

Looking around, I felt that the setting of the dinner and the table talk of the guests was similar to the dinners my characters share in the book. It seemed as if my characters were with us, enjoying the repartee and the meal.

At home later that evening, I couldn’t stop thinking about the pirate statue. I just felt that if he were in my office, I would be motivated to write the next two books of the trilogy with lightning speed. The next day, I contacted Diane to see if the figure had any markings that would show who made it or where it came from. Unfortunately, there weren’t, and the pirates I found on Amazon just didn’t have the same character as the one she used.

A couple of days later, I received an email from Diane telling me that the owner of the pirate was getting ready to down-size, and he agreed to exchange the “Edward” for a signed copy of my book. I offered to give him a book plus buy the figure from him but he insisted on just making the exchange. I am extremely happy with our deal. It’s just one example of how supportive everyone has been.

I live my life now as the writer of a fantasy romance novel and everything that surrounds me supports that life. I have been changed and the change agrees with me. I can’t wait to finish the second book — which begins with some rather surprising news!

From all of this, I have discovered that an author may be the one who puts words down on paper to write a story, but the readers – as observers – are the ones who bring the book to life. I want to thank every person who has read my book for helping me attain this life-transforming experience at an age when it is difficult to be taken seriously. Maybe I can convince people that eighty-six is the new fifty-six!

Let’s Dig In

Welcome to the Word Mines.

Don’t worry. Unlike real mines, it can be a happy place. The name comes from a joke I started saying after my wife retired. When she was working, she used to leave the house before I woke up. Now, she gets up after me. I would grab my cup of coffee, head toward my home office, and say “well, I’m off to the word mines.” It became my morning catch phrase.

I’ve been fortunate to make a good living as a writer for most of my career, which makes me a lucky guy, because I love what I do. Writing, when it’s going well, can be exhilarating. And then there’s those days when you’re chipping away at a rock wall, hoping that something usable flecks off.

I’m starting this blog to capture that range of experience — the exhilaration, the tedious chipping, and the ins and outs of the writing life. I’ve written a blog since the early 2000s, when I was a columnist for the Houston Chronicle. After that, I wrote my “Writings and Ramblings” blog on my personal website, lorensteffy.com. Originally, that was supposed to be a place where I posted about freelance projects, shared follow-ups, and opined about issues that I felt compelled to write about.

But in recent years, the posts have become less frequent and more focused on book writing and publishing, which occupies more of my time these days.

Three years ago this month I started Stoney Creek Publishing with a simple idea: I knew a lot of good writers who were frustrated with the publishing process, and I knew a lot of good editors, designers, and other publishing professionals. I wanted to help writers bypass the frustrations of traditional publishing and avoid the hollow misery of self-publishing.

So far, none of us are getting rich. In fact, Stoney Creek remains largely an experiment, and I’m grateful for the writers, publishing partners, and others who have been willing to join me in the laboratory. Few things are more ripe for failure than a publishing startup — launched in the teeth of a global pandemic no less. But so far, we’re hanging on and having fun.

And that’s what this new blog will be all about. I’ll be sharing my thoughts about the writing life,   publishing, books, and probably a few other things that strike my fancy. I’ll be joined by others — authors and publishing professionals — who can offer their own unique perspectives. And we’ll have news and updates about new books, author events, and other Stoney Creek happenings. 

I hope that the discussion will be insightful, informative, entertaining, and perhaps even occasionally inspirational. There will probably be some rants as well. Because some days are pure joy, others are infuriating tedium. Some are defined by distraction and others by elation.

That’s life in the word mines.

Let’s dig in.