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Forever Friends - Shelagh Watkins (Editor)
Forever Friends
Shelagh Watkins (Editor)
ISBN: 9781409232902
Mandinam Press
Reviewed By Linda Waterson
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
"Love is only temporary…but friends are forever."
Kelly Wheeler
Kelly Wheeler
This quote, which opens the moving new anthology Forever Friends, is a perfect summation of the contents to which readers will be treated inside. Edited by Shelagh Watkins, administrator of PublishedAuthors.org, Forever Friends offers a poignant, profound – and oftentimes amusing – look into the various layers of friendship, as well as those who explore them. Featuring poems, short stories, and commentary from authors all over the globe, the anthology serves as a stark reminder that, though we may differ in our cultural approaches to relationships, the emotions with which we experience them are quite universal.
Compiled in various sections, ranging from "Family Friends" to "Lost Friends" to "False Friends" to "Spiritual Friends," the literary offerings contained therein just as equally travel the full spectrum of friendship, covering all imaginable ground in-between. There is reminiscing over childhood heroes, protectors of the four-legged ilk, and gracious musings over friends who were – quite literally – lifesavers. There are also poems that wish for the spreading of global goodwill, as well as verses rendered in homage to friends that are gone, but not forgotten. For added contextual flavor, preceding each section is an insightful blurb helping to foster within the reader a greater understanding of what that particular facet of friendship is really all about. Consider, for example, this literary jewel that precedes the "False Friends" section:
"False
friends are like our shadow, keeping close to us while we walk in the
sunshine, but leaving us the instant we cross into the shade."
Christian Nestell Bovee
Christian Nestell Bovee
Among its numerous virtues, perhaps the most salient aspect of Forever Friends is its ability to communicate universal truths about life, love, and the frailties of the human heart in such a realistic way that the reader does not have to have experienced the specific episodes recounted within its pages; the passion and inspired delivery of each contributing author provides the reader with the benefit of a vicarious ride through the depths of their seasoned souls. Such an ability does not come easily, and it speaks volumes of Editor Shelagh Watkins' innate sense of discernment to have selected such an eclectic mix of talented authors with the skill to pull it off.
An engaging and appealing read, Forever Friends will surely move the hearts and minds of readers of all ages, guaranteeing that you'll see the world around you – and even yourself – in a different light by the turning of the final page.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Shelagh Watkins (Forever Friends)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Shelagh. We're looking forward to learning more about your anthology.
Shelagh Watkins: Thank you for inviting me to do this interview and for the wonderful review of Forever Friends.
AR: What inspired you to compile an anthology based solely on the bonds of friendship?
SW: The inspiration for the theme of the anthology came from the friendships made on the Published Authors Network and Forum through discussions and the sharing of information about publishing and marketing books.
AR: Was it your goal to include both poems and short stories all along, or did you initially want to feature only one of those genres?
SW: The initial suggestion of putting together a volume of short stories written by members of the forum came from one of the forum members. When I set up Mandinam Press in January 2008 to self-publish The Power of Persuasion, I had no intention of publishing work by other authors. However, picking up on the suggestion, I said Mandinam Press would publish an anthology of poems and short stories if there was enough interest in the project. I wanted to involve as many writers as possible and knew that some of the members wrote poetry, not short stories. The poems add a great deal to the anthology and add to the attractiveness and appeal of the book.
AR: Our reviewer made special mention of the blurbs that precede each section of the book. How did you go about selecting them?
SW: The sections developed as the submissions increased. I did not include any of the poetry submissions until I had decided on the section headings for the submitted short stories. I kept some of the headings that I'd set up early on, but later, because I wanted to avoid having long sections and short sections, I deleted some section headings and introduced new ones. To accomplish this, I had to re-read the short stories to remind me of the content before I was able to move short stories from one section to another. By creating new section headings, I was able to maintain a reasonable balance with regard to length.
When I was happy with the sections and their headings, I inserted the selected poems to either follow on from a previous short story or lead into the next story. Then I began searching for the quotes that appear at the start of each section. I used the Internet, books of quotations, and my own library of books. I found the Internet search engines very useful for finding the exact quote I sought if I could only remember part of a quote or I knew the quote and was unsure of the author.
AR: How did you recruit the authors who contributed poems and stories to the anthology?
SW: I sent out messages to all the members of the Published Authors Network and Forum. I also moderate a writers' group on Facebook and invited members to join the network and submit to the anthology.
AR: What kind of response did you get to your solicitation efforts?
SW: The response was reasonable but not as good as I expected. At the time, the network had over five hundred members, and less than a tenth of those members submitted work.
AR: What kinds of reactions have readers had to the book?
SW: Everyone has been more than pleasantly surprised. It is clear from the responses that readers felt the anthology had exceeded their expectations. They like the cover design, the feel of the book, the progression of the stories, the variety, and the overall appearance. This is a book that definitely grows on readers as they dip into the book and find something new.
AR: How have you promoted the collection thus far, and how will you continue to do so in the future?
SW: I have added several press releases on the 'net, and many of the contributors have sent press releases to newspapers that have printed articles about their poems and short stories in the anthology. I have also set up a Virtual Blog Tour that can be followed here:
http://shelaghwatkins.wordpress.com
The biggest boost to our promotional efforts came from Amazon when they added the price to the amazon.com website. Having set the correct price of £9.99 on amazon.co.uk, the price on amazon.com appeared at $9.99! This did give quite a boost to sales!
As for the future, I will be seeking new and adventurous ways of promoting the anthology and grasping any opportunity that comes my way!
AR: In addition to being an author, you're also an editor and the administrator of PublishedAuthors.org. Please share more with our readers about your very busy life.
SW: I have set up a number of groups and networks:
Published Authors Network, with over 700 members since August 2007.
Published Authors Forum, with over 250 members since January 2008.
Published Authors Group on LinkedIn, with over 350 members since May 2008.
Published Authors Group on Goodreads, with over 270 members since August 2008.
In October 2006, I set up the Children's Fiction group on LibraryThing, which now has over 840 members.
I am also group leader of Aspiring Writers and Authors (over 370 members) on Facebook.
This year, as well as publishing Forever Friends, I self-published The Power of Persuasion, which is on the list for Wales Book of the Year.
It will be interesting to see if I can find more time to write in 2009!
AR: Do you have a website where our readers can learn more about you and your efforts?
SW: I have two websites:
http://shelaghwatkins.co.uk
http://mandinampress.co.uk
AR: Also, how can they contact you directly?
SW: There are contact links on both websites.
AR: What's next for you?
SW: A local radio station has requested permission to serialize my children's novel, Mr. Planemaker's Flying Machine. This is in the very early stages of development, and I am not sure if it will actually be broadcast. It is a very exciting prospect, but I will believe it when I hear it!
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
SW: Yes, I do. I would like to thank readers for showing an interest in me as a writer, editor, and publisher. I would like to say what a pleasure it has been in all my contacts with Apex Reviews. The high standards and professionalism of everyone here has been exemplary.
AR: Thanks again, Shelagh, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
SW: My pleasure, and best wishes for continued success to Apex Reviews!