Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz

Pen Name: Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz
Book: Mustang Summer: A Novel

CA: What genre(s) do you write?

CCR: I write both mainstream and literary fiction, albeit each with a definite and quite pronounced Southern flavor.

CA: Why do you write the stories that you write?

CCR: Years ago I read what I believe is the best advice any writer can receive, although, regrettably, I long ago forgot the name of who provided that advice. However what this person said was this: Write only the stories that haunt you, for those are the stories you are meant to tell. So that is exactly what I strive to do each and every time I sit down in front of my computer to begin something new—write the stories that haunt me. And haunt me they do, for characters often come into my mind at the most unexpected moments, and they remain there, incessantly demanding that I tell their stories and tell them as vividly and honestly as I can.

CA: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

CCR: When I was a little girl, probably around seven or eight, I would write stories, usually about horses, and then sell them to my daddy for a quarter. However, since I was quite a prolific writer, Daddy soon told me that I was going to leave him “broke” and I needed to find someone else to appreciate my work. So, then I began selling stories to my cousins, although I had to lower the price considerably since, like me, they received only a small allowance each week. In fact, I lowered the price to a penny. Still, since I was selling a good many, it didn’t take too long to accumulate enough to allow me to purchase a new tablet, pencils, or binder at Vickers’ 5 & 10 on Main Street. Of course, that was back when a nickel would actually buy something.

CA: Who or what was your inspiration for writing?

CCR: That is a very hard question to answer, and I really don’t know if there is a definitive answer. Then again, if someone said, “Carol, you have to provide an answer or else face the firing squad,” I would say that other writers have always been my inspiration. After all, even as a child, I was an avid reader; and the stories and novels I read provided me with a window through which to glimpse a world much broader and far richer than the one I saw around me there in rural Georgia. Then again, as I matured, I realized how rich and full my own environment happened to be, especially with colorful and often eccentric characters whose stories I could tell.

CA: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

CCR: Since I teach both at the local campus in Lafayette, Louisiana, and online for the University of Phoenix, my writing schedule is not set in stone. In fact, I have to be extremely flexible. That said, I do try to write at least a little every day, even if it’s only for half an hour or so at a time. After all, as the old saying reminds one, “Use it or lose it.”

CA: Your book is about to be sent into the reader world, what is one word that describes how you feel?

CCR: One word? Okay, what about “terrified”? Why terrified? Well, I’m terrified that the world will take one glimpse at my “child” and reject it as unworthy; but I imagine that is every writers’ innermost fear—that the world will reject that which you created with a lot of hard work, agony, and tears.

CA: What do you like to do when you're not writing?

CCR: I devote quite a lot of time to teaching, especially since online classes are extremely time-consuming. I also try to exercise at least an hour each day, normally walking or bicycling; and when I an allowed the luxury, I like to curl up on the sofa, under an afghan, and read a good book. I am currently reading Jonathan Kellerman’s novels. My husband, Chet, first discovered Kellerman, suggested that I might like his work; Chet was right. Kellerman writes good, tight psychological mysteries that are enjoyable reading. In addition, I am a big Stephen King fan, albeit not of his Dark Tower series but his deeper, more realistic tales, like Hearts in Atlantis, Misery, Bag of Bones, and “The Secret Window.”

CA: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

CCR: I have actually written three novels, although Mustang Summer was the first to appear in hard copy. My first novel was Remembering Della, which appeared at the rate of one chapter per week at Zine5, an online literary journal. My third novel, Objects Are Closer Than They Appear, which sprang from my short story of the same title (the story was published by Toasted Cheese in 2004), has yet to be published; but a major house has it under consideration. In addition, I am working on another novel, An Eye for an Eye, and although, at last count, I have only 105 pages, I hope to have it finished by early summer.

CA: Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally from your imagination?

CCR: Real or imaginary? Real of imaginary? Now, that’s another good question. And to be honest, I think my characters are both real and imaginary—a blend of fact and fiction—or rather a composite of people whom I have actually known and people who have existed only within the realm of my mind.

CA: How can a reader contact you or purchase your books?

CCR: Readers can contact me at carolrzadkiewicz@authorshomewebpage.com. They can also visit my Web page, http://www.authorshomewebpage.com/, where they can use the link to send a message directly to me. In order to purchase Mustang Summer, they can visit any of the major booksellers’ websites and do a search by my name or the novel’s title. However, I should perhaps warn readers that there are two other novels by the same title, since one cannot copyright a title, but then again, I don’t think they will confuse my novel with the other two. For one, my book jacket is much prettier; and, two, other authors have last names that are both easy to spell and to pronounce.