Mozark Press Author and Publisher--Linda Fisher

 As owner of Mozark Press, Linda Fisher wanted to keep her company small by publishing 1-5 books per year. But those few publications have garnered many awards for fiction and nonfiction. The first time I heard about Ms. Fisher, she was soliciting stories for the first Shaker of Margaritas anthology, A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, which won the Show-Me Book Award bestowed by the Missouri Writers Guild. Since that volume was published, two more in the anthology series have been released, A Shaker of Margaritas: Cougars on the Prowl, which came in second place for Best Anthology also awarded by the Missouri Writers Guild, and newly published, A Shaker of Margaritas: Bad Hair Day. I’m proud that I can say that my short stories have appeared in all three volumes. Please welcome Linda Fisher to WWK.  E. B. Davis  

Your writing has won awards for many years. In 2010 a nonfiction book you developed from your blog, Early Onset Blog: Essays from an Online Journal (2009), won the coveted Ozarks Writers League’s (OWL) Best Book of the Year Award. Why did you write the blog and turn it into a book?

The blog was part of my healing process after my husband, Jim, died. I kept a journal on tape during the five years he was in a nursing home. After his death, I spent months transcribing the tapes. I always began the recording with the date and when I listened back, I could tell if it had been a good day or a bad day by the tone of my voice during the routine part. The really strange thing I discovered was that I relayed entire incidences that I had forgotten, and some that were almost like they had happened to someone else.

I wanted to write Jim's memoir, but the volume of the transcribed journal was overwhelming and too emotionally distressing in parts. Anyway, I've used the blog to tell parts of Jim's story. Sometimes I return to the journal when I have trouble remembering details.

The blog is also my way of helping other caregivers or family members who are thrust into the world of dementia. It is scary and heartbreaking. I think if I can share some of my experiences or the knowledge that I've had years to learn, it can help someone who is just beginning their Alzheimer’s journey. I know how much time and effort I spent just learning about the disease and trying to find solutions to the myriad of problems that arose each day. Sometimes, caregivers   need to know someone truly understands what they are going through and is just willing to listen to their fears and emotions.

Because of my involvement with the Alzheimer's Association and going to the public policy forum each year, I've had an opportunity to meet other caregivers and people with dementia that I would never have known otherwise. Jim's dementia was tragic, but it also completely changed my life. I learned the value of volunteering and it propelled me to start the blog and take my desire to write to a new level. I'll never forget the fear I felt when I posted that first blog entry. I wasn't sure I was ready, or even wanted, to share our story with the world. It is a decision that I never regretted.

I don't want the blog to be depressing or technical, so I try to balance it with a little humor from time to time. I include stories about family, because Alzheimer's is a disease that affects the entire family. People like to know that they can survive the years of caregiving and the sadness of watching a loved one with Alzheimer's and find life still worth living. Love of family and friends, and their support, are an important part of that process.

I kept coming across people who didn't have Internet access and came up with the idea of printing the blog in book form. I use the blog book as part of my corporate sponsorship for the Walk to End Alzheimer's. I give a monetary donation and bring about a hundred books to the walk to give to the participants.

The Ozark Writers' League Book of the Year award for Essays From an Online Journal, from my first year of blog posts, came as a complete surprise to me. I had won a few other writing awards and was pretty excited about that, but when I won Book of the Year, I fairly skipped and hopped forward like I was afraid they would find they had made a mistake.

Of course, there's more of Jim's story that lives in my heart that was never taped or written.

When did you first start writing fiction?

I first started writing fiction when I was in high school. We could submit stories and poetry to a student publication. . I’ve always loved to write and in college had plans to write the great American novel. I started many and finished none. Of course, I was writing longhand or using my Underwood manual typewriter.  My re-entry into fiction began with a short story contest sponsored by a local bookstore in 2006.  I wrote “New Identity” and won first place with some great prizes! That inspired me to join a writers’ guild.

What prompted taking the next step from writing to publishing?

I began Mozark Press in 2010 when I decided to start the Margarita series. When I joined the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, I learned about self-publishing. I solicited stories for Alzheimer’s Anthology of Unconditional Love, and with the backing of the Mid-Missouri Chapter and Sandy Jaffe of Book Source, I managed to get it published and distributed in the Midwest. That success spurred me to publish my blogs in book form. Then, I became involved with publishing Well Versed, the Columbia Chapter’s literary journal, and realized that I enjoyed reading and editing stories.

Was there an event or other prompt that spurred the first anthology?

I remember exactly when the idea for the Shaker series hit me. I was on my way to my sister’s house and used the driving time for heavy thinking. It seemed to me that so few outlets existed for fiction stories. I thought instead of Chicken Soup or a Cup of Comfort, fiction should be something like “a shaker of margaritas.”  I liked the idea so much that I decided to run with it.

How do you create the concept for each anthology?

The names of the anthologies come to me in odd moments—usually when I’m in the shower.

The anthologies celebrate some aspect of being female. What are you looking for when you read submissions? Do male authors submit stories?

I look for a well-written, intriguing story that fits the criteria I’ve set for the anthology. I’ve had males submit to every book, and some have been chosen.

Which sales volume is greater, eBooks or print?

The print versions have sold best so far. I think there are so many e-books that unless someone specifically looks for a book, they won’t come across it.

Will Mozark Press expand? Are you hiring?

I plan to retire from my day job next summer so we’ll see! I hope to have more time to write too. I doubt if I could hire someone for the amount I make per hour at the current time. I have a business partner who creates the covers and helps me with all things technical. 

Bonus: Do you prefer beach or mountains, and why?

Mountains! I love the Rockies and have many happy memories of campouts at Moraine Park. Jim and I made annual journeys each year to the Estes Park area. I have a video of Jim playing his guitar and singing, “Colorado.” The song lyrics speculate that if God doesn’t live in Colorado that’s where he spends most of his time. Colorado was a part of heaven on earth for us because that was the one place we recharged our mental batteries each year. On one of our trips, we were on a hike and Jim said, “This is where I want my ashes scattered.” After he passed away, my sons, my mom and I went to that exact spot and scattered his ashes. The cover of my latest blog book, My Recollections, Our Memories, is a picture taken in Colorado with an image of Jim holding his video camera walking “on the clouds.” It looks to me like he is on his way to videotape heaven.  

The Shaker of Margarita series is available at Amazon and is available on Kindle. Linda's other publications are available at this Amazon site. or at Barnes & Nobel.