His novel, Crota, won the 1996 Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel, and was one of four finalists in the Best Novel category. (The Bram Stoker Award, an annual award by the Horror Writers Association, is considered the highest honor a writer can receive in the horror genre.)
His novel, Shaman Moon, draws on his Native American heritage to tell a story of supernatural suspense, as do his other novels, Darker than Night, Evil Whispers, and his latest, Breed.
His short stories have appeared in a number of anthologies, including Tales from the Great Turtle, Confederacy of the Dead, Phantoms of the Night, Excalibur, The Book of Kings, When Will You Rage?, Once Upon a Midnight, Quest to Riverworld, Grails: Visitations of the Night, and South from Midnight. His story, Grass Dancer, was a Nebula Award Nominee for best short story in 1995.
He is a member of the Authors Guild, Horror Writers Association, and Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. In addition to his writing, he has lectured throughout the country on the customs and folklore of the American Indians. He has also modeled and done a bit of acting. He now lives in Florida with his wife and two sons.
JVS:
Your children's books, Eagle Feathers and The Gift, have been well received by both parents and teachers; and Eagle Feathers is a Storytelling World Awards Honor Recipient. Have you written many children's books? Do you use them to teach or were you just writing a good story?
Owl:
Both of my children's books have been used in schools and classrooms across the country, and I've received a lot of positive feedback about them from teachers, parents, and even students. The stories incorporate the traditional oral storytelling methods of my people: tell a good story, make it entertaining, and toss in a lesson or a bit of wisdom. It was the way my elders used to teach the children, so I tried to follow in their footsteps. Judging by the feedback I've received, I must have done something right.
JVS:
Is your background something you draw on like any other writer using what he knows, or do you feel strongly that you should share it and maybe educate people?
Owl:
Writers usually write about things they know. I'm Choctaw/Cherokee, so I know a great deal about Native American culture, customs, folklore, and history. I've woven this knowledge into my books, scattering it in bits and pieces throughout the stories. It's my way of introducing readers to a culture they might not be familiar with; it's also a way of showing how various cultures often look at events differently. Again, I'm drawing on oral storytelling traditions when I write: tell a good story to entertain, but slip a bit of teaching in between the lines.
JVS:
You've ghostwritten novels for celebrities. That is intriguing. I know you can't reveal their names, but can you tell me how you feel about it? Do you miss getting the credit? Do you get a thrill when you see the books? Or was it only an interesting job? What about the pay?
Owl:
To be quite honest with you, ghostwriting for celebrities is an experience I'm not likely to repeat anytime soon. The money was nice, but it wasn't worth all the headaches I got in the process. I guess I might have felt differently if I was actually a fan of the celebrity I wrote for, but I wasn't. The publishing house wanted me to ghostwrite a second book, but I turned them down. I'm much happier writing my own stories, and having my name appear on the cover.
JVS:
I'm interested in promotion myself, and I couldn't help noticing that you're really good at it: cruises, book signings, Halloween Fest, the Author 2 Author Signing, powwows, etc. Do you have a formula for the amount of time you spend writing and the time you spend promoting?
Owl:
I really don't spend all that much time promoting myself. I might do a few signings when a new book comes out, and make an appearance at a couple of conventions or powwows during the year, but that's about it. I rarely travel out of the state, maybe once or twice every couple of years. My writing schedule is fairly hectic, so I spend as much time as possible in front of the computer.
Most of my promotion comes from word of mouth, with one reader telling another about my books. Winning the Bram Stoker Award also did a lot to help get my name out before the public, especially since I won the award for my first novel. Not only did CROTA win for Best First Novel, it was also nominated for Best Novel of the year. I think it was the first time that an author's first novel ended up as a finalist in both categories, which really generated a lot of free publicity for the book.
JVS:
It seemed to me that Halloween Fest really grew as each update from OASFiS came out. How did that start? Was it your idea? How did you get all those people (over 30 authors, artists, publishers, and media guests) to come, plus representatives of Ghost Tours of St. Augustine, Orlando Ghost Tours, and The Sci-Fi Files? With the author panels, costume contest, etc., it was like a mini-convention. Was that your intent?
Owl:
The idea for Halloween Horror Fest really started out in St. Augustine, Florida. I did a book signing there a few years ago, and was joined by a couple of fellow horror writers. After the signing, we all went out to dinner, went on the ghost tour, and spent the night bar hopping. We had so much fun that we repeated the event the following year, only the second time around we had three authors signing with another twenty showing up for the party.
Since the first two gatherings were held in St. Augustine, I promised to host the next book signing/party in the Orlando area. I figured that maybe a handful of writers would be interested in taking part in the event, but by that time a lot of people had heard about how much fun we were having at our gatherings in St. Augustine and wanted to get in on the party. Within days of announcing the event on the HWA message board, I had writers contacting me from all over the country.
Realizing that Halloween Horror Fest was going to be much bigger than the St. Augustine gatherings, I decided to put more into it. I still wanted the one day event to be a party, but I also wanted it to create an unique opportunity for those who attended. I wanted to bring fans, authors, artists, publishers, and writer hopefuls together in a friendly environment, allowing them the chance to meet each other and maybe make a few important contacts. And important contacts were definitely made that day: one unpublished author ended up walking away with a book contract. [He'll be signing his book at this year's event- JVS].
Since I had so much talent showing up for the festival, I decided to turn the event into a mini convention. We had author panels, readings, ghostly storytelling, a multiple author signing, children's events, even a costume contest. But the best part of Halloween Horror Fest were the parties that took place on Friday and Saturday night. On Friday night we gathered together for dinner, then partied in a haunted plantation house. And on Saturday, we went on an interactive ghost tour in downtown Orlando.
JVS:
I've heard that the second Halloween Fest was even bigger than the first.
Owl:
I hadn't really planned on Halloween Horror Fest becoming an annual event, but everyone had so much fun the first time they wanted to do it again. In addition to nearly all of the original authors signing up for the second festival, we had quite a few new names on the guest list, with guests coming from as far away as Canada to take part in the festivities. We had a huge turnout this past October; there were 43 guests, a night in a haunted plantation house with two live bands and live radio coverage, a midnight ghost tour in a cemetery, etc.
JVS:
Among other things, you gave a lecture and reading at Lucient Technology. What did you speak on? Was it similar to your lecture at the Orange County Public Library? And I'm really curious about Western Crafts & Gifts. Was that a book signing?
Owl:
At Lucient Technology, I lectured on the customs and folklore of the American Indians, did a little traditional storytelling, and then read one of my stories. (very similar to what I did at the Orange County Public Library). I also signed a few books. There is a group of Native American employees at Lucient that puts on an event each year, bringing in Indian talent from around the country. They've had authors, singers, storytellers, etc. I've been a guest twice, probably because I wear so many hats: author, storyteller, etc.
Western Crafts & Gifts is a little gift shop in Orlando that sells American Indian items. They host a signing for me every time I have a new book come out. They're great people, and I've known them for years, so I usually do a book signing there before I go anywhere else.
JVS:
I see that you will be/did address the Orange County Corrections Department's Literature-N-Living program. I remember that you said at Oasis 14 that you learned that the prisoners enjoyed your books and the prison officials thought this was a good thing. Can you tell me more about that?
Owl:
Two of my novels, CROTA and DARKER THAN NIGHT, are being used in a reading program for the youthful offender population at the Orange County Correctional Facility on 33rd St. in Orlando. The young inmates in the program meet once a week for eight weeks to read and discuss the books. For many of them, this is the first time they have ever sat down to read a novel. In addition to reading and discussing the books, they are also required to write a report about what they learned from the story. If they complete the course, and keep out of trouble during the eight weeks, the inmates are treated to a little celebration with family members bringing in home cooked meals.
In all honesty, I was quite surprised to learn that my books were being used in a reading program at the jail. I mean, there is plenty of violence in both CROTA and DARKER THAN NIGHT. People die in the stories, usually in horrible ways. But the jail officials looked beyond the violence to the Native American teachings that I had incorporated in both stories: respect your elders, love the land, being honest, etc. They also liked the fact that both books were classic stories of good versus evil, with good winning in the end.
I've been down to the jail twice now, meeting with the inmates in the reading program and with their parents. I've got to admit the inmates in the youthful offender population are some of the most insightful people I have ever met. It's a damn shame that they made some serious mistakes and ended up behind bars.
JVS:
I know that you attend powwows also. What you do there? I'm assuming it's more than just book signing.
Owl:
Definitely much more than signing books. Attending powwows gives me a chance to visit with friends and extended family members, while spending a few days in the great outdoors. There's nothing better than sitting around a campfire with loved ones, sharing stories, and catching up on the latest gossip. Well, there is one thing better at a powwow, and that's the dancing.
It's hard to describe the beauty of a powwow dance to those who have never been to one. Picture a dozen or so singers sitting around a very large drum, beating out a rhythm that sounds like a giant heartbeat. A deep base sound that echoes across the grounds, sending tremors through your feet and legs. Now picture several hundred Indians dressed in their finest regalia, dancing to that drumbeat, and to the songs, moving in a fluid motion of feathers and bells, carrying on a tradition that has been passed down for hundreds of years.
My entire family dances when we go to a powwow. No one is left out: my mother, sons, wife, we all dance. With the birth of my granddaughter, Brianna Little Hawk, we now have four generations of my family dancing in the arena at the same time. That's special to me. Very special.
JVS:
What are you working on currently? Is there a special project you're looking forward to?
Owl:
I'm working on the outlines for two different novels. I'm not sure which one I'll finish first; it's a question of which story falls in place the fastest. I'm also laying the initial groundwork for a screenplay.
Owl Goingback Upcoming Appearances
MegaCon 2003
Feb. 28-Mar. 02
Orange County Convention Center
Orlando, FL
I-CON 22
Mar. 28-30
Stony Brook, NY
OASIS 16
May 23-25,
Radisson Plaza Orlando
Orlando, FL
Relevant Links:
Owl Goingback's Official Web Site: http://www.owlgoingback.com/
Joy V. Smith's Official Web Site: http://hometown.aol.com/Pagadan/WhatsnewnowwithJoyVSmith.html
Joy V. Smith writes fiction and non-fiction. Her audiobook, Sugar Time was published recently by Hadrosaur Tales.
She has a few stories online right now:
The Haunted Garden at Twilight Times;Also an editing e-mails piece at Articles - Women On Writing e-zine.
Triumph at Raven Electrick - S.S. Raven;
You Are What You Don't Eat at EOTU Ezine;
Time of Horror at O*W*C : Fiction : Stories : Time of Horror;
Moovin' up at Fiction XV.
A few of her old book reviews are at: O*W*C : Fiction : Reviews.
Upcoming (in print) is a short story, Flashback, part of her time travel series (related to her audiobook, Sugar Time) in Hadrosaur Tales (scheduled for April 2003) and Old Rex in The Ghost in the Gazebo: An Anthology of New England Ghost Stories (scheduled for early 2003).