It’s always great to get together with our fellow writers to learn more about our craft, to gain insight and ideas from each other whether it is in person or by virtual meeting. Many of us got together for our most recent workshop where author Steven James spent a couple of hours with us going over some great information and tips on character development.
 
These workshops have been a great way for guild members to learn and grow. It has also been a great way to develop friendships and subgroups that work together for beta reading and keeping each other motivated to write more consistently. The AAG has another workshop coming up on May 15th, our annual Spring Fling Writers Day.
 
Spring Fling is on a Saturday and begins at 8:30 at the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator in Abingdon. You have the option to attend in person or join us through Zoom. Make sure you register for the event. Even during these times, we are enjoying growing attendance and participation. Click the link below and join us for a day of fun and learning.
 
http://appalachianauthors.com/events.html
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​Welcome back, blog readers! We’re going to be doing something new and fun with this blog. Some of our blog posts will now be used as an Author Spotlight! It’s a great location and opportunity to share information about our members, their work, and their lives. In this first Author Spotlight, we welcome new member Dr. Christal Presley to the guild and she was gracious enough to share a bit about herself with us. So, we tossed a few questions her way and we’re happy to showcase her book Thirty Days with My Father: Finding Peace from Wartime PTSD.
 
AAG: Tell us a little about yourself such as your hobbies, where you’re from and your local passions.
Christal: I’m from Honaker, Virginia. My wife and I recently moved back home—to Abingdon—to be closer to my parents. We lived in downtown Atlanta for many years. My biggest passions are farming (we own a donkey sanctuary here in Abingdon) and running our Airbnb. It’s called Abingdon Donkey Lodge. I also teach full-time at Georgia Cyber Academy. My school is all-virtual, and I currently teach American Literature. I am very passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces for people, whether that be in my classroom or at home.
 
AAG: We noticed you have a PhD. What is your doctorate in and what got you interested in that field of study?
Christal: My PhD is in education. My specialty is mentoring and coaching other teachers to become more reflective practitioners—and to ultimately improve their craft.
 
AAG: Can you tell us a bit about Thirty Days With My Father? About the writing process of that…PTSD is such a hard thing for folks to deal with (soldiers and their families).
Christal: Thirty Days with My Father: Finding Peace from Wartime PTSD is a memoir about connecting with my Vietnam-veteran father in thirty days of phone conversations after being estranged from him for many years. I finally got to ask him questions about the war and what happened to our family back then--and the answers changed my life. I began my journey searching for my father and I found myself. In terms of the writing process, it was wonderful AND it was awful. I don't regret any of it. Writing about trauma and about PTSD is such a sensitive subject. You live through the trauma twice when you write about it. And then I feel like I lived through it again every time I did media about my book. The year it was published, I did over 100 TV and radio shows, including CNN (twice), CBS Sunday Morning, NPR, Canada AM, and more. It was very tough to talk about my own trauma that much--and sometimes several times a day.  
 
AAG: What did you take away most from writing this book?
Christal: Writing a book is one thing. Marketing it and getting it into the hands of readers is something else altogether, and equally as important. Authors don't talk about the latter enough. 
 
AAG: Any future books being planned?
Christal: I’m currently working on a children’s picture book. The subject is a secret—for now! :)