Did you read this month's CSR by Headstall, Boundaries: An Old West Tale, or it's followup? @Headstall always takes great care to make the setting and events come alive in his historical fiction, and the character's tales pull at your heart, head... or, well...  What did you think of this month's feature? Share your thoughts in comments below, but first, the interview!

Do you eat your fruits and vegetables?

Absolutely! Berries and red grapes every day, and whatever looks fresh in the produce section. Love broccoli and Brussel sprouts. Actually, I like anything green.

What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)?

Sweatpants and a heavy Carhartt tee, and a hoodie cause it’s cold. Truth!

If you were writing a story about your life, what would the title be?

Maybe “The Long and Winding Road” or possibly, “If I Only Knew Then What I Know Now”

What brought you to GA?

Honestly, an only partly-acknowledged interest in writing, but I spent a few years just reading and lurking. I finally joined so I could comment on stories.

Has writing always been a passion for you?

No, but being creative was. My first passion as a kid was reading, and that stayed with me throughout my life. I used to draw and paint (watercolor, oils, pastels, pen and ink), and was even accepted at a well-respected art college, but any time I ever wrote something, be it a personal letter (yeah, that was a thing once) or a newsletter for our horse club, it was well received. I’ve also done a lot of woodworking and pretty much rebuilt two houses. For decades my passion was showing horses, but that had to come to an end. Eventually, as I neared early retirement, writing stories began to make sense to me, like it might be waiting for me, and here I am.  

What other passions do you have in your life?

Well, my last horse passed on October 22/2023, so I guess my only passion left is my children and grandchildren, and my Border Collie. Oh, and my lawns, trees, tomato plants, and hanging baskets in the summer.

What is the easiest versus hardest part of writing an anthology story?

Good question. Easiest for me is the idea and the beginning, but it took a lot of discipline to corral and confine my ideas so they fit within a shorter format, at least when I first started writing them. There are a few that ended up as long multi-chapter stories instead of what I originally intended. I highly recommend participating in the Anthologies, though. They teach us a lot… especially about what isn’t necessary in a story.

You said Boundaries: An Old West Tale spawned a longer story, Bearpaw: An Old West Tale. Do you have a preference for one over the other (and why or why not?)

“Boundaries” got the fire lit for me to write “Bearpaw” for sure, but they are not exactly connected just so potential readers know. I do prefer the weaving of a longer story, and “Bearpaw” was incredibly rewarding for how it was received. Maybe I prefer longer works because of how I started out, or maybe it is more satisfying for my fertile imagination. I love taking the time to show the layers of characters, something I usually do through dialogue. That slow reveal is fun for me, and I hope seductive for the reader. Don’t get me wrong, though. I’m not big on words for words sake, and I try to keep descriptions from detracting from the story and its pace.

On the other hand, it’s surprising how much can be fit into a short story, and there is a lot to be said for the economy of them, so I guess there is less of a distance between these formats for me than there used to be. “Boundaries” is almost an in-between because it had four chapters and that gave me a little more leeway. Still, I could have written about twenty.

What is your favorite line or scene from An Old West Tale?

Oh, that would have to be the staircase scene (no spoilers), but the bath scene was great fun.

Can you share anything new about your current or upcoming work with readers?

I have fourteen chapters written of a rather simple human drama/romance, and it will probably take another eight or ten to finish it. It’s something I haven’t really tackled before, at least not to any depth. Unfortunately, my muse is trying to get me to start another western set just after the American Civil War. It’s pretty much written in my head, so we shall see if I can withstand the pressure.