August is coming to a close, and with it summer for the northern hemisphere--the last hurrah for many families having those family/friend barbecues and spending time together. But not all families get to do that--which is exactly what we see in Headstall's Treading Water. Did you have a chance to read it yet? If you didn't, well be careful of spoilers in the comments but you can still enjoy my interview with Headstall.

Who do you like best: Tom, Jerry, or Huckleberry Hound?
Huckleberry Hound, without a doubt. I loved his ‘voice’ and with him we also got Yogi and Boo Boo, Pixie and Dixie, and Mr. Jinx. Even back then, as a kid, I loved that these cartoons were presented as fleshed out stories.

If you had 30 minutes of free time, what would you do?
That’s easy. Write, read, give a friend a call, or ride my bicycle.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?
Ironically, “Treading Water” would fit nicely, but so would “The Long and Winding Road.”

Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with?
One character? No. But there are many characters I’ve related to because I see bits of me in them or their experiences. A number of my own characters have traits of mine, but I don’t think I’d ever want to see all of myself in one character, or my entire life in a story. That would be a hard read to get through.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
That’s a good question. I could be flippant and say time and typing, because those are real challenges for me. The world’s worst typist here, but I’m getting better, and that helps with the time factor. It used to be such tough slogging at the beginning… tedious and frustrating. The first time I used a word processor (Wordpad) was the day I wrote my first ever chapter for “Cards on the Table.” Anyway, I guess my more appropriate answer is that nothing stands out in particular. I love the overall challenge of writing. It’s hard work, but is so rewarding when people respond to it.

On a personal level, I thrive on the challenge I give myself to improve. There are so many ways to say the same thing, with only the slightest nuanced differences, and I want to get to the point where I feel I mostly choose the best option… the one that most fits the voice, or paragraph, or the sentences and content around it. Actually, maybe my biggest challenge is keeping it short. J

What’s the best part of being an author?
Of course, the response and feedback from readers. But for me personally, I have always been creative. My original outlet was art, and I was one of a small group picked for an experimental five-year scholastic art program at the beginning of high school. Life got in the way, and my creative side took a back seat for a long time. There was an empty space where it used to be, and writing… being an author… has filled that back up. It makes me feel blessed.

Did the scene relating to the title, or the actual title, come to you first?
I don’t know why, but the titles have always come to me first, for every story. I should say though, I hear voices. J The story percolates in my head to some degree, and even lines of dialogue pop out of nowhere, but before I write anything I have the title.

There’s a lot of general contractor re-design elements in Treading Water. Did that come from life experience or research?
Life experience. I have completely rebuilt two houses all by myself, including large additions, and I have the same designer gene Craig has.

Do you have a favorite scene of the story?
Yikes. Toughest question of all. I loved the garage scene because it set the tone, and I loved the pond scene for the emotion and tension of it, and then there’s the diner scene and the freedom of it, but for some reason, the scene when Jared wakes up thinking he’s alone, and runs down the stairs in a panic is one that has always resonated with me. I think it’s the vulnerability he shows that makes it stand out to this day. That was only one, right? J

Do you have any sneak peeks or future stories you can share with readers?
Crap. My head is so full. I’ve had a lot of requests for Jeremy’s (from CotT) story, and it’s all pretty much written in my head (probably not at all what people are expecting). And then there’s the one about two horse trainers. Yes, I have its title already, but I can’t tell you. There’s also one about a man struggling to hold onto his farm, and another about a man who might or might not be swept downriver in an early spring storm. The most ambitious one floating around in my head takes place on another planet, but after “Morningstar,” it might be too much to take on. Did I mention the vampire with a difference? Yeah, he’s in there too. I also have a story for the ‘Blindsided’ anthology. My main goal though, is to get back to “Cards” and bring it to its close after I finish up “Morningstar.” That’s it… a partial look inside a very crowded head. Cheers.