Conjuring Up Cats (Especially Black Ones): An Interview with Author Bev Walton Porter

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

29 Feb 2008 12:23 PM

Turns out my next interview subject, Bev Walton Porter and I have a mutual friend in common: Families.com member Jade Walker. I don't know how Ms. Porter knows Jade, but I met her here at Families.com. That was a fun thing to discover!

But it wasn't the only fun thing I discovered after interviewing Ms. Porter. For instance, if she's ever heard the superstition about black cats, she doesn't heed it. This is one cat lover who looks forward to a black cat crossing her path.

Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? (Genre, subject matter, themes, what have you.)

Bev Walton Porter: Most of my work is non-fiction, but I do write some fiction. I tend to favor nonfiction because I'm more comfortable with it; however, lately I've been toying around with writing more fiction. My work usually focuses on writing, creativity, divination and metaphysics. My fiction tends toward genre fiction with a taste for horror, dark fiction and paranormal or contemporary romance. I write the latter under the pen names Star Ferris and Alexis Kourzha.

CM: What kind of pets do you have? (Or have you had.)

BWP: We have four lovely felines: KiKi (who's nearly 17 years old), Lucy, Isis and Osiris (the latter two are both black cats). I love all cats, but have a thing for black cats.

CM: Do animals appear in your work? Are they the focus of any of your stories or the main characters?

BWP: Yes, animals do appear in my work. Mending Fences, which is a contemporary romance set in the fictional town of Spayde, Oklahoma, features a dog and several horses. They are not main characters, but they play important roles in the story.

CM: Do you ever use your pets as the basis for any animal characters?

BWP: I haven't yet, but I can see that evolving in the future.

CM: Do your cats contribute to your work methods and help with the process?

BWP: Yes, they definitely do! They are GREAT stress relievers. The two black cats, Isis and Osiris, are very pushy about receiving attention when I'm at the keyboard, so they'll force their way between me and the computer, demanding pets, scratches and kisses. Sometimes they stretch out on the top-back of my office chair while I write. So when I'm stuck or just need a break, I grab them and love on them while my mind ruminates on the work at hand.

CM: What are you working on now? Any new releases?

BWP: I just submitted another fiction manuscript entitled Hidden Fire and I have three nonfiction books in the hopper, all of which are in various stages.

CM: Can you list your works and how/where we can find or get them?

BWP: Sure! My book, Sun Signs for Writers (Writer's Digest Books) is available at online bookstores as well as traditional brick-and-mortar stores both here and overseas as well as Australia and Canada.

I've also co-authored a book entitled The Complete Writer: A Guide To Tapping Your Full Potential (Red Engine Press).

Finally, my first fiction book, Mending Fences (Whiskey Creek Press, written as Star Ferris) can be ordered via online bookstores as well as through the publisher's website.

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Photo credit: Photo of Isis & Osiris provided by Bev Walton Porter and used with her permission.

Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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