Feisty Deeds II launch – and Editors’ interview
Sooooo excited that tomorrow our new anthology, Feisty Deeds II: Historical Tales of Batches and Brews, will be launched. You can order your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple Books.
This is a fabulous collection of stories by twenty-five talented authors, with stories spanning centuries and the globe. As one of the five co-editors of this collection, I’ve read all these stories multiple times, and I can tell you you’re going to love them! Be sure to pick this new release up for all the fabulous feisty women and girls in your life.
It’s been almost three years that my fellow co-editors and I have worked together on the two Feisty Deeds anthologies. Fellow Women’s Fiction Writers Association authors, Carolyn Korsmeyer, Christy Matheson, Elaine Aucoin Schroller, Kay Smith-Blum and I have had a wonderful time meeting weekly – virtually – to bring these anthologies to life. I have so appreciated this collaboration and friendship that has made our joint work (piles and piles of it) so much fun.
On the eve of our launch day, I thought it would be enjoyable to interview my fellow editors about the process, why we think you should snap up our collection for your holiday shopping, why all authors should try their hand at short stories and what’s in store for future anthologies.
Read below for the interviews, and the links to my fellow editors’ website, so you can explore more of their work.
How does it feel to have our second installment of the Feisty Deeds anthology coming out into the world today?
Carolyn: Really nice! The first volume was kind of experimental, as none of us had put together a collection of short stories before. The process was fun and I learned a lot. A LOT. And the outcome was highly successful. I have high hopes that this second volume will receive equal appreciation.
Christy: I’m excited to see how it does in the next few months! The first Feisty Deeds was a thrilling adventure, but we’ve all learned so much since then, as writers, editors, and publishers. There has been a different vibe this time around—less experimental, more professional—and I’m intrigued how that will play out once the book is in readers’ hands.
Elaine: In some ways I’m stunned that we did it again! An anthology project was only a twinkle in our eyes two years ago and I’m astonished that we’re already releasing our second Feisty Deeds anthology. Then, after I’ve blinked several times at the surprise, I’m so proud of our efforts and those of all the authors who’ve participated.
Kay: The launch of a second volume has a strength to it, the hint of longevity. A sign of an idea not being a flash in the pan, rather a legacy for the contributors to treasure.
Kimberly: It’s so exciting to have this releasing. It feels like such an accomplishment to have our second installment in what we hope to be a lengthy series of anthologies.
The holiday gifting season is upon us. Why would Feisty Deeds II: Historical Tales of Batches and Brews make such a great gift?
Carolyn: One reason has to do with the variety of stories. With twenty-five contributors, we present twenty-five different styles and subjects, as well as stories with varied emotional tones. The sweep of historical fiction is huge, so the book also offers glimpses of times past, whether fifty or a thousand years ago, as well as trips to different areas of the globe. Something for everyone!
Christy: I think anthologies and collections make a great gift because you don’t have to know one thing about your recipients’ reading tastes (historical fiction, in our case!), and then they’re sure to find something they like! Personally, I dislike getting novels and memoirs as gifts, because it’s such a time commitment and I don’t know if it will be to my taste. But every reader has time for a short story!
Elaine: Like Feisty Deeds: Historical Fictions of Daring Women, Feisty Deeds II is a perfect gift for those women in your life who don’t need anything but with whom you’d love to share something meaningful and enjoyable.
Kay: Anytime a story of a strong woman finds daylight, it begs to be shared with other strong women – be they teenagers of octogenarians. At holiday time, giving a gift that can be shared is always preferable.
Kimberly: I never need to be sold on short stories, although I know many readers do. One of the things that made me proudest in our last collection was how many readers said “I usually don’t read short stories, but I’m so glad I took a chance with this collection”. We have twenty-five fabulous authors in this collection. These stories average 10-11 pages each, so it’s a great way to try out new authors whose novels and other works you may want to explore. Plus, this collection has everything: romance, suspense, fantasy, magic. It’s a wonderful mix of genres, historical eras and locations – something for every reader.
What are the aspects you find most challenging about editing an anthology? What is the aspect you enjoy most?
Carolyn: Challenges appear at different stages of the project: First, what will be the unifying theme for the collection? Then once we select the contributions—how best to organize them so that they are more than just one-after-the-others? I found it quite enjoyable to work through those challenges.
Christy: I love the chance to work with different authors and participate in their process.
Elaine: While I’m not wild about untangling line edits, the former tech writer in me loves preparing the interior of the book for publication as an ebook and a paperback. On the flip side, I love discovering how twenty plus authors interpret the project brief and bring their personal and literary experiences to their stories.
Kay: The challenge is to make each story the best it can be, and that takes offering insightful suggestions for enhancements. The variety of writing styles, not to mention, dozens of authors with differing levels of experience, have to be navigated with a keen eye and heart.
Kimberly: I think the first time we did this, everything was challenging. But we really gained momentum “learning by doing”, and learning to lean on one another throughout the process. Now that we understand the process better, we understand the need to set a tight schedule and do plenty of backwards planning. That ran much more smoothly this time around, including tight turn-arounds for editing. I most enjoy starting to think of the stories we selected as a collection, and starting to seek out common themes and groupings – and working to reflect that on our gorgeous cover!
Would you recommend that all authors try their hand at short stories? If so, why?
Carolyn: I don’t know that I would recommend anything in particular to all authors, but for those like me, writing stories has been a real education. I think of myself mainly as a novelist, and the craft required of a short story is unexpectedly different. One needs characters, plots, settings, and dialogue—just like a novel. But the restricted space requires an incredible amount of imaginative discipline and attention to succinct structure.
Christy: I’m not the type to offer prescriptive nor universal advice. If someone dislikes short form, and especially if they don’t read it, I wouldn’t push them to write it. But I absolutely do believe that learning to design stories at the correct length, and a variety of lengths, will make anyone’s writing stronger. Mastering craft at different short lengths will help a novelist stay in control.
Elaine: I would! Writing a short story is an entirely different exercise than writing a novel. You’re forced to distill your characters and plot to the point that they shine in a limited number of words. It’s hard to do, but so rewarding! Even if a story is never published, dreaming it up may be fodder for another story or even another novel.
Kay: When I first began writing full time, in 2016, short fiction taught me how to be concise. Very generous editors at multiple literary journals – even when they rejected my work – helped up my “game” long before I completed my draft of my first manuscript. I highly recommend building your “street cred” with short fiction.
Kimberly: Absolutely! I think short stories are a great opportunity for novelists, especially between projects. Novels have so many characters and plot points, so it makes for a great change to distill a story into so few words and a central character. The brevity also forces authors to get quickly to the heart of the story. I always love to switch it up – passing between novels and short stories. In my mind, it keeps things fun.
We, the editorial committee, have been working together on this anthology project since the start of 2023 – and it looks like we’ll soon start planning for Feisty Deeds III. What has worked well about this collaboration and what would you like to see in the future?
Carolyn: We have been very lucky that our happenstance collective of five editors brought together people who are equally responsible and interested in working together—but who also contribute different skills to the project. What would I like to see in the future? A parade of Feisty Deeds books—all with different themes.
Christy: I’m just looking forward to where this adventure takes us!
Elaine: I’m constantly amazed that our personalities and talents meshed together so well from the start. Perhaps it’s because we’re all novelists who write in varying genres, but we all have an overriding love of historical fiction.
Kay: Accepting a number of stories that is “divisible” by the number of editors worked really well. The rotation of the same through the editing process worked really well. I would stick with this method for the future.
Kimberly: This has been an amazing collaboration. As someone who has served on countless committees for work, I am truly surprised to see how well this has worked over such a long stretch of time. Usually, committees come to a (blessed!) end at a certain phase, but I am proud to see that our editorial committee has been going strong for almost three years, and to reflect on how productive our joint work – and the pooling of our unique strengths–has been. This is such a talented team, and I’m hopeful our collaboration can help grow this collection over the years.
Learn more about the editors who are all award-winning authors & explore their web sites, sign up for their newsletters, and follow them on social media:
Carolyn Korsmeyer writes both fiction and philosophy. She is Research Professor of Philosophy at the University at Buffalo, and her specialties include aesthetics and emotion theory. Carolyn has published three novels.
When Christy Matheson is not throwing ordinary characters into fairy tales, she is busy raising five children. (Very busy.) She writes character-driven historical fiction with and without fantasy elements, and her “fresh, smart, and totally charming” stories have won multiple awards.
Elaine Aucoin Schroller is a former technical writer who writes about love, loss, secrets, and redemption during challenging historical times. Enthralled by stories of Americans and Australians working and fighting together in WWI France and WWII Australia, Elaine has published two novels set in this era in her sweeping Immense Sky Saga.
Kay Smith-Blum is a former fashionista turned author, who now spends her days debunking the tropes of mid-20th-century history. A sunrise writer from her home in Seattle, Kay has authored one novel and numerous short stories.
And be sure to check out our first installment, Feisty Deeds : Historical Fictions of Daring Women
