STORYTIME TAPESTRY
What Happens
When You Think?
By Nicole M. Stevenson
Carol Roach is the Brains behind
Storytime Tapestry which now is home to over 206 writers including myself
and a membership of 1,100 and growing. She is a beautiful and unique
person who draws people to her. She has been writing for a couple of years
and devoted to her craft.
When did you begin
writing?
Five years ago. I
answered a comment made in an online newsletter where the moderator wrote
she probably would think differently of a telemarketer if she had a chance
to meet one and talk to them face to face. I was a telemarketer at
the time. She published my story and my writing took off from there.
My second short story, My Guardian Angel was published in Ellie Braun
Haley's newsletter and Ellie is a writer for me today. I met my first
online friend, Norma Liles when she sent me an email commenting on that
story. She is also a writer for me now in Storytime Tapestry and my
surrogate mom.
What genre do
you write in?
My signature
writing is poverty and its affects. My first book is about my life growing
up in a dysfunctional home and living in poverty. Each story starts
off sad but ends on an inspirational note.
Recently I have
been doing more pure inspirational stories as my writing evolves.
How many of your
works have been published?
Gosh, I never
really took stock, my stories are all over the internet in so many
newsletters I can't begin to count, but to name a few: Storytime Tapestry,
Starfish, Insight of The Day, Inspired Buffalo, Blueprint for living,
Warmfussystories and New Mouse. I cannot remember the older ones.
I have stories
published in other books (anthologies) My own book: Picking Up The Pieces:
A Woman's Journey and I have just completed a novel: Angels Watching Over
Me
Tell us how
Storytime Tapestry came to be?
I was writing for
several online e-zines, and beginning to get frustrated as were my peers.
So many e-zines had restrictions for writing submissions. Some had
length restrictions; some required first rights but did not publish until
months later. Some had special themes and if the writer's story did
not quite fit it was not accepted. Some ran what I call the plague
of the unknowns. Even though they had real writers submitting their
work on an ongoing basis, they were filling their newsletter with stories
from unknown writers that have circulated the internet many times over. It
was clear to me, writers were not very appreciated.
It was because of
these reasons I decided to start my own newsletter. My idea was to create
a tapestry of love throughout the world, not only benefiting the readers,
but providing a place where writers could write from their heart
-no limitations imposed.
Being a writer
myself, I understood the frustrations of writers and the need to showcase
their work in the way their heart desired.
How many writers
are apart of STT?
206 actually
published and some new writers yet to be introduced.
Did you get
support from others once you decided to make STT a reality?
Definitely, when I
started out, I did not have a clue of how to open a newsletter.
Thelma Hartselle, of Messages of Hope, graciously agreed to open it for me
and get me started. She is a moderator for Storytime Tapestry and
has had extensive experience as moderator for several online newsletters.
Bob Johnston of
Starfish was also great help in showing me the ropes as well. Both Bob
and Thelma have been my friends and my major counsel all these years.
Joe Mazzella
started me off with over 40 submissions just to insure I had enough
stories to keep the newsletter going.
More recently,
Kathy Baker became my moderator and was instrumental in the move from
Yahoo groups to Zinester groups.
Clara Westerfer is
also a moderator for Storytime Tapestry and is always willing to lend a
helping hand.
Finally Tim Levin
from Inspirationlist has been a wonderful friend and has begun
constructing a website for me.
I owe a great deal
to all of these people, and to all my readers and writers alike.
You
may sign up to Storytime Tapestry by contacting Ms. Roach directly at
winterose@videotron.ca or visit the site: http://subs.zinester.com/98907
To purchase the book:
Picking Up The Pieces:
A Woman's Journey
Go to the publisher’s site:
www.publishamerica.com
www.amazon.ca
www.amazon.com
www.barnesandnobles.com
or any other online bookstore -
simply do a search for Carol Roach and the book will come up. You
can also purchase it through your local bookstore
