Echo’s Voice – In Six Episodes

Interview with Sarah Mankowski

Interview with Sarah Mankowski
October 11, 2012

This interview was compiled from questions asked by visitors to my store and by readers. In most cases the questions were formed from multiple questions.

Q: What inspires the designs in your store?
A: I design, or ask my son J.D. to design, things that interest me. I love butterflies, for example. Therefore, my store includes many items with butterfly designs.

For several years now I have added Christmas cards, these being the cards that I wished to send to family and friends. They include original poems. Since the cards remain in the store, we have accumulated quite an assortment. In this way I have cards to send each year. Items purchased are an added blessing. I am very grateful to our customers for shopping at our Christmas store.

Q: Christmas poems?
A: Yes. I’m not much of a poet, but I try to write poems connecting the birth of Christ to our present-day lives. The message of Christ is always for the present. This year’s theme is The Bethlehem Star. In the poem I attempted to convey the idea that like faith unseen, this star soul-seen, remains our guide through the frustrations of everyday life.

Q: Your store includes many products created using your photos. Tell me about your photography in relation to being legally blind.
A: I was born with cataracts in both eyes. When this happens the cataracts are usually removed while the child is still quite young, and then corrective glasses must be worn. My situation was complicated by detached retinas. This left me almost completely blind in the left eye. I can only see light. For this reason the doctors left the cataract in my right eye. My “good-eye” sight is 20/200.

When I take photos, I am only looking through the right eye. One reason I take so many photos is, by doing so, I can study distant objects more clearly on the computer screen. This is certainly true when observing butterflies.

Butterfly Close Up

Q: Living in Florida, and as you say fourth-generation Floridian, how does location influence your work?
A: Living in a climate where I can garden year round keeps me outdoors year round, and enjoying nature with all my senses. I do not know if I can express this correctly, but when you must examine things much closer, it makes your little space seem much larger. My garden seems like some vast world with all the plants and critters as inhabitants. I suppose this shapes perspective in some way.

Q: You have been quite open about your faith after being agnostic for much of your adult life. How has your faith changed the direction of your store and your writing?
A: Regarding the store, The Christmas Store for certain. Christmas meant very little to me before I found faith, or rather faith found me ready to pay attention.

Gratitude to God for showing me that even when I believed myself alone, He was always there. I do not believe I possess the ability to properly express my gratitude, yet I try with the designs.

In writing, I said what I wished to say about faith and science in my novel As The Dominoes Fall. I have no plans to write another work of fiction that deals so overtly with Christianity. If I felt the need to say something, it would more likely be expressed in nonfiction. I am not cleaver enough to write these things without sounding preachy, which I would rather not do in fiction.

This past year I have rewritten and lengthened my novel Echo’s Voice into a six-episode series for Kindle. This is a novel set in the future. Religion only plays a role in the novel insomuch as religion is practically illegal in this future time.

Q: Has becoming a Christian changed the way you write?
A:  Becoming a Christian has changed me inside, has filled me with gratitude for our loving God. It has made me think about my actions, including my creative endeavors. My boundaries, as I hope to be true with real-world neighbors, I do not wish to needlessly offend. Yet my characters will be who they are; just as real-world friends will be who they are.

Q: How do you think your writing is influenced by being legally blind?
A. That is really hard to answer. Because I do not see well enough to note facial expressions I tend not to add many details. I probably convey more through dialog.

Q: How did you become interested in writing?
A: My mother read to my sisters and me from babyhood. From earliest memory I was making up adventures for the characters, from the books she read. Many were the Doctor Dolittle adventures I invented.

Q: What are you currently working on? Future plans?
A: For the store, I am currently working on Our Christmas Store.

Writing: I am writing the seventh episode of Echo’s Voice. (Kindle only)

I am also working on a book about gardening. At this time I’m not sure if it will be Kindle only, or Kindle and print.

Q: How do you feel about reviews?
A: I am always grateful for reviews. Of course people will have varying opinions. Nevertheless, I am always grateful for feedback.

What’s Next?

I’m pretty sure there will be an Episode 7 Echo’s Voice.  I do not believe the story is over. I know what happens next. Knowing it with this amount of certainty tells me the story is not finished. When? Can’t say.

I have a project that must be finished for my mother before moving on to anything else. Some volunteers at the nursing home helped her complete a story she has long-wanted to tell about a child she helped, back when she was young. My mother, now 86, lives out in Santa Fe. I am doing what I can from Florida. God bless all the volunteers at all our nursing homes. They do so much to give our elders a better quality of life.

One Final Freebie Friday!

Dear Readers,
Due to some unexpected circumstances, all six episodes of Echo’s Voice will be available for free on Friday June 27!

Originally I intended for this project to last through the five Fridays of June: A new episode released each Friday, free books available each Friday. I should have realized that everything takes me about twice as long as I expect.

As said before, I was dissatisfied with Episode VI Sorrow’s Dawn. Therefore, I have spent the past few weeks rewriting, filling out areas that I felt were rushed. The revised version is now available for Kindle. I have also uploaded a new version of Episode III Freedom’s Snare, with some typos cleaned up. A few paragraphs are added, but those changes are minor. Well, I have said it before: This is the novel that will always remain a work in progress.

As circumstances worked out, Amazon experienced a technical issue on one of the days the books were scheduled to be available for free. Therefore, they gave me an extra free day. This makes it possible to offer another free day. I had used all five free days for Choose, but since this project has lingered into July, more days became available. Therefore, I am able to make all six episodes available for free on Friday July 27.
Start With Choose: Episode I

This will be a one day event.

Again, let me say that I am very grateful for all the feedback.
Sarah

Sorrow’s Dawn Revised Version now Available

Dear Readers,
The revised version of Sorrow’s Dawn is now available. This version is about 5000 words longer. I believe it comes closer to the story I actually intended to tell. Warning to those who do not like the ending: the ending is unchanged. I stand by the ending. For those who have downloaded, but not read Sorrow’s Dawn, you should be able to replace the old version on your device with the revised version. To make that even easier, I will offer free download days this week. Much gratitude to all the readers who have offered feedback!

Sarah

Thoughts on Sorrow’s Dawn

Sorrow’s Dawn, Episode VI is free today, July 4.

Back when I first wrote Echo’s Voice, several readers wanted to know when I was going to write a sequel. As I’ve mentioned before, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write a sequel or prequel. The Kindle format allowed me to do both.

With this plan, 6 episodes, I think I restricted myself too much with the sequel. The general plot of 6 is the story I always intended for the sequel. While 6 is the longest episode in the six-part series, to fit with the others in length, the plot became too compressed—in my opinion.

I have no idea what readers will think of it, but I will say right now that I, the writer, am not satisfied with the result. My dissatisfaction relates to the compressed nature of the plot, not the actual plot, which is what I intended. Of course I realize that some readers will dislike certain plot developments.

Finally taking a break from the writing yesterday, and giving my gardens some much needed attention, I kept thinking of lines I should have included, or written differently. This tells me that it is not finished in my own mind.

So far the reviewers have been very kind to the series on Amazon, and I truly appreciate all the comments. There was some (absolutely justified) disappointment expressed with the plotting in Episode 3. I think I was having too much fun with certain sections of 3, and possibly not giving enough attention to others. Yet, other than cleaning up typos I really wouldn’t change 3. It may be flawed, but it carried the story forward as I intended. I say this because I do not have the same feeling about 6. To my mind, it remains incomplete.

Of course readers my have other opinions, other issues with the story that never even occurred to me.

Love it or hate it, I always welcome your opinions. In a sense it is like preparing a multi-course meal for guests. I hope my guests will enjoy the entire meal and leave feeling satisfied. I know perfectly well that might not happen.

At least with Kindle I can make changes and simply upload the revised version to replace the current in the cloud drive. I suspect I will do that with 6 after a little time has passed. Not to change the plot, please understand, but to smooth it out in a few places.

Many thanks to the readers. Again, all comments welcomed.