By Deborah Brooks Langford
I am here interviewing my Author and Poet friend Susan Joyner- Stumpf, Susan is a good Christian woman that loves the Lord and has been writing since she was but a child. I want to ask everyone to pray for blessings for Susan and her wonderful writing..
On with the interview:
“Hello Susan so good to see you and talk with you, tell me Susan about yourself where were you born and explain the town etc. And where do you live now?”
“Debbie, I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. I have also lived in Mississippi and Asheville, NC. I now call the Colorado Rockies my home. My husband Howard and I moved here because we love the mountains so much. We raise and breed Tennessee Walking Horses and our passion is trail riding in the Colorado Natural Parks here on wonderful mountain trails. Absolutely get inspired when on horseback.”
“Susan, that sounds wonderful, I love the Colorado Mountains, tell me about your writing, why do you like it so much?”
“Debbie, I have been writing since a child at the age of eight. I’ve always been creative. But growing up abused like I did, I found writing an escape; writing truly saved my life, my sanity. I could create new worlds with writing. So at first writing started off as an escape mechanism. Then it became a Passion and I’ve never stopped since.”
“Susan, where do you get your inspiration from?”
“Debbie, I get inspiration from everywhere, that’s why it’s important wherever I go I need to bring along a notepad and plenty of pens that actually work because I could get inspired sitting in a coffee shop, or walking in the mall. Nature and my animals have always been a great inspiration. I also get the juices flowing when I read other Authors. Sometimes I get inspiration in the weirdest places, like in the shower, for instance, where I have to memorize what the Poem is in my head until I get it on paper, so it comes sometimes in my sleep, too. I’ve been woken up at three in the morning with poems pouring out of me. Some of my poems were written straight out of a dream, I actually dreamed the words.”
“Susan, who inspires you, please, who are your favorite authors?”
“Debbie, ever since I began writing, I’ve been inspired by the greats such as e.e. Cummings, T.S. Eliot, Edgar Allen Poe, Jack Marshall, Mary Oliver, Gertrude Stein, the list is long, but those are my true inspirations. Of course I could keep going, that’s just a start. There are too many to list.”
“Susan, have you written any books? If you have, tell us all about it and the links to your books.”
“Debbie, yes, I’ve written nine books. My ninth book, Soul Notes, will be released October 1st. So my first book I wrote at 22 years old called Dreaming White Horses; following that are
Tortured Light
Crimson Whispers
The Ragdoll Chronicles
Grief Shards and Other Remains
Language of Moon
Midnight Over Venus
Fatal Oblivion
Soul Notes
All available on Amazon.com
The link to my books on Amazon.com is :
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Susan%20Joyner-Stumpf
“Perfect Susan, I know you are so proud. Who are your favorite Authors?”
“Debbie, my favorite authors are Steven King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham, of course the Poets I mentioned above. That’s just to name a few. The list is too long, I have hundreds of favorite authors.”
“Susan, tell me about your writing style.”
“Debbie, I write in what is considered Free Verse, Stream of Consciousness style. I rhyme every now and then, but my focus in writing is more for emotional impact, to leave an imprint, to make you feel. I use a lot of metaphoric, imagery-charged wordplay.”
“Awesome Susan, now give some advice to new writers!”
“Debbie, never give up. I know that sounds corny, but it’s true. Don’t listen to negative people who tell you you’re no good, or you could do better. Like yourself, believe in you, because, if you don’t believe in yourself, no one else will. And write a little bit every day. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Don’t always go for the homerun, but write enough to stay in the game.”
“Susan, what wonderful advice, please tell us about something personal about you.”
“Debbie, I’m a big Animal Rights Activist. I love animals, almost more than people. I’m part of a wildlife organization that saves wolves (and other endangered species) around the globe. I’m proud of that; our organization was responsible for getting wolves back into Yellowstone National Park.”
“Susan, that is wonderful, I am so glad to hear that. Now something lighter, Tell me about your favorite bands. Music,”
“Debbie, having grown up in the 60’s and 70’s, I’m an old Rocker Chick. I grew up with the old style Rock and Roll, so I love the old rock classics. I love the Beatles the most, growing up with their music. I also love the Moody Blues and Pink Floyd, so all your classic 60-70’s rock.”
“Susan, what is your favorite thing in the world to do?
“Debbie, my favorite thing to do besides write Poetry is riding my horses. I become one with them and nature. There is nothing more beautiful than being up in the high mountains, on your horse, and you come across a waterfall. I love nature and being on a horse brings you close to nature. Yeah, I’d say my passion other than writing is riding.”
“Susan, have you got to travel and if so what is your favorite place in the world?
“Debbie, Yes, I love to travel. I love Mexico and the Bahamas. But I have to admit my heart belongs to Asheville, NC. I also love Gatlinburg, TN.”
“Susan, what is your favorite Book you have written about?”
“Debbie, you would think my favorite book would be my first book, Dreaming White Horses. But my favorite book is actually my second book, Tortured Light, which is, by the way, over four hundred Pages. It’s my baby.”
“Susan, do you like to write poems or stories best?
“Debbie, though I write songs, short stories, novels and Poems, I have to admit my forte, my passion, is Poetry. That’s what I write the most, though many of my books are poetry along with short stories and songs.”
Deborah Brooks Langford thanks for the Interview. Here’s one of my newest Poems that will appear in my Ninth Book, Soul Notes, to be released October 1st.
INTO THE DARKNESS
I peer into the darkness
Into its unforgiving thickness
And wonder, what rustles out there,
Nocturnal, seeing better than in daylight
Slinking on the ground
Or scaling the ebony air
Something, something
Fidgets out there
Is hungry
And looking,
Listening to the wind
Change colors
Feeling the moon shift high
Beyond the vacuum of stars
The smell of the swamp
Is visceral, primordial
In there lies things humans
Best not know about
Into the darkness
My eyes adjusting to the vast
Constellation of all that
Sings such invisible songs.
© Copyright 2013 ♥Susan Joyner-Stumpf♫
“Susan, what are your favorite thoughts?”
“Debbie, my favorite thoughts are thinking about sitting by a roaring creek, with my horse tethered nearby, with my husband and our friends, in the mountains. When I feel stressed, that’s where my mind goes back to heal, thinking of all the good times I’ve had on horseback, being one with nature. I love thinking about rivers and creeks, I love water, grew up on the water.”
“Susan, when you go to a bookstore what section do you automatically go to?”
“Debbie, Ha! That’s easy. I love Barnes & Noble and I hit first Poetry Section, and then magazines with Interior Decorating. In my next life, besides coming back again as a Poet, I want to be an Interior Decorator. I have a natural knack for decorating and I love it.”
Thank you “Susan for this wonderful interview, Here is a short bio of our Christian Author and Poet Friend
Susan Joyner-Stumpf is a Poet/Author completing her ninth book, Soul Notes, and now working on book ten. Susan has won many awards throughout her writing career for her achievements in poetry and short story competitions. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Ms. Joyner-Stumpf now calls the Colorado Rockies her home with all her furry animal friends and her husband, Howard Stumpf. They raise Tennessee Walking Horses.
Thank you for that BIO and now this is where you can find all her links
My Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/susan.joynerstumpf
My WordPress Page:
http://susanjoynerstumpf.wordpress.com/about/
Google Blogspot:
http://sonnetwolf.blogspot.com/
Story Star Page (in the Author search field, search Susan Joyner-Stumpf
And it will bring you to a Page listing all her Short Stories:
http://www.storystar.com/php/search.php
Many of my books are available on Amazon.com, here,
On Lulu.com
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/SusanJoynerStumpf
My Personal Website:
http://rainbowwalkers.tripod.com/
