1. Evelyn, it is a pleasure to have an interview with such a talented and popular author as yourself. Many people are comparing you to Laura Ingalls Wilder and I can certainly see why. Did you know when you were growing up that one day you wanted to be a writer?
Thank you for those generous compliments. As a young person, I didn't think of writing as anything more than a hobby or a way of self-expression. I began writing poetry first. Two line rhyming couplets. These rhymes were for the most part, narrative or "story poems" for my own special pleasure. I also loved to write nature poems. As a child living in Texas on a farm, a love of the outdoors and a sensitivity to nature became part of my emotional make-up at a very early.
Also, in my youth, I was reading five books a week. I was an avid reader of Hans Christen Andersen and Grimm's fairy tales. Then I read all the Laura Ingalls Wilder "Little House" books, all of Zane Gray's novels of the West, Louisa M. Alcott's Little Women, Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer, and other similar classics for children. From those books my interests turned to historical fiction of the South, especially the Civil War time period; stories of the Westward Movement and the settling of the West; and stories of native American Indians, Cochise, Geronimo, and other great Indian chiefs; tribal leaders, who saw their hunting grounds fast disappearing due to the thoughtless invasion of white settlers pushing forward to advance the settlement of our young country. I was very interested in dramatics and plays. I performed "readings and monologues" for classmates in school productions and was often the lead star in plays. My teen hope was that I could attend Pasadena Playhouse in California and from there go into professional stage acting or become a movie star. My favorite actress was Betty Davis and many the other dramatic actresses of that time period. I wrote a few short stories in junior high and high school. When I became a teacher my writing aspirations were put "on hold." However, in my retirement years, after exploring several correspondence courses on the craft of writing, I discovered my genre was writing for children. I found success in writing both secular and religious stories. My good fortune has been to have had over 275 short stories for children, young people and adults published in over 80 periodicals. Then, in retirement, I decided about ten series came to me, and I began to write daily until all four of the books were completed. I drew upon my own experiences and the experiences of my grandparents and great-grandparents on the German immigrant side of the family years ago to write a novel for teens about my personal experiences while returning to my home roots in Texas to live with my relatives for a year. This book is yet to be submitted for publishing. Realizing, that I had experienced a unique childhood, as the remnants of the l9th Century spilled over into the 20th Century, via my grandparents who told me many stories of their adventures, customs and traditions of an earlier time, I decided I should write about these things so that children of today would know about a "kind of life" that has, for the most part, disappeared into modern times. A few years ago, the idea for the Jeannie and those on the Texas pioneer side of the family; thereby, blending the two cultures, lifestyles, and experiences into the Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl books. The historical series is based on family fact during the l880s in West Texas. Just as Jeannie in the series, I, too, have shared many of her experiences, and yes, I also have had the tiring experience of picking cotton! 2. Your book Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book 1 is gaining more fame each day. Tell me; is Jeannie a little bit like you? Yes, I suppose Jeannie is a little like me emotionally and in her character and personality. Her quick temper, her adventurous spirit, her love of performing, and her impulsive ways seem to represent me. Her human failings are also mine. 3. Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Book 2 is now available. I know many children and adults are looking forward to the second book. Will Jeannie grow older in each book? Yes, Jeannie and her friends continue to grow older. In Book Two, the children are one year older - They are now l3 or l4. In Book Three they become l5 and in Book Four the young people are now 20 years of age, but the content, reading level and interest level remains appropriate for youthful readers. The series is a "read-aloud" for children grades one and two. Grades three through eight will find the book comfortable reading. And for those adults "young at heart" it will renew their memories of a time their grandparents or great-grandparents will have shared with them. 4. Thanks to you for creating the Jeannie series, but what’s next for you Evelyn Horan? Will you continue writing about Jeannie or create something new? We all hope you continue writing and creating those beautiful characters. Your characters are an inspiration to children, teens, and adults as well. Thank you for the kind words. I have written a 40 page epic story poem of a family's daily experiences while traveling from Missouri to Oregon by covered wagon on the "The Oregon Trail." Perhaps, I shall write a book taken from my story-poem. Some folks have asked me to follow the young people in the Jeannie series further on in their lives. I will give it some thought. Whichever direction I go, my interest will be to write historical fiction of a time period long past. ©2000jpinkerton To learn more about Evelyn Horan visit: |
