Welcome to our first installment of our Local Author Spotlight Series. Our goals are to create original content for FURL readers, and to promote local authors in the surrounding region. If you are or know of a published author who would like to be featured who lives, works or otherwise has a connection to the area served by the Urbana Regional Library, please contact us at FURL@friendsurbana.com

The first author in our series is Kari Martindale. Kari has published two children’s books based on her Jack Russel Terrier, Flash. Additionally, Kari is the President of the Maryland Writers’ Association- Frederick Chapter, an adjunct faculty member at Frederick Community College, and a former linguist with the U.S. Air Force. She is also the creator of Karilogue.com. Kari recently learned her poem “Suburban Lies” has been selected for publication in January’s issue of Pen-in-Hand.

Kari’s books can be purchased on Amazon.

The Christmas Flash Couldn’t Even

The Time Flash had the Best Day Ever

Below are our FURL author questions, and Kari Martindale’s answers:

How did you get started writing?

I've always written in some form or another, from journaling in elementary school to writing a satirical magazine for friends as a teen and through my 20s. When I was in the Air Force, I was a writer and then the Managing Editor of the squadron newspaper. Here in Urbana, I wrote for the Urbana Town Courier when it was in publication. I've been writing travelogues for years and manuscripts since about 2013. Creatively, I have always fluctuated between writer's block and manic inspiration.

Where did you get the idea for your first book?

While living in Germany, there was a terrible heatwave. Our Jack Russell Terrier, Flash, was panting and exhausted; then suddenly, he began running through the sprinkler. I posted a picture to Facebook with the caption "Flash can't even," and someone commented, "Looks like Flash CAN Even." Another commenter replied, "Sounds like a children's book." Before you know it, I'd written a children's manuscript, The Day Flash Couldn't Even. That one didn't have a proper story arc and resolution, so it's still sitting on a shelf; however, I wrote several more manuscripts, two of which I self-published along with Flash's illustrator, Aaron Parrott. Unfortunately, Flash passed away before The Time Flash Had the Best Day Ever was published, but I love that he'll live on in the pages of the series.

How long did it take you to write it?

The Time Flash Had the Best Day Ever was written over a few-week period, then edited for at least a year. People are often surprised to learn how much editing goes into picture books. You only get so many words to tell your story, and then you have to let go of some of those words to allow for much of the story to be told in the pictures.

Was there any part of the publishing/promotion process that surprised you?

Promotion takes WORK. Personally, I am terrible at self-promoting, which does not bode well for a writer. And I didn't understand the publishing process at all when I wrote my first manuscript. I wrote, edited, and started querying willy-nilly. I acquired an illustrator before submitting to publishers, which is a no-no. One small publisher liked the manuscript but had her own illustrator in mind. I chose to stick with the illustrator who had first brought Flash to life on the pages, so we moved forward with self-publishing. The process of publishing through Amazon/Kindle and IngramSpark was the easy part. I now spend a lot of time supporting other writers, which I'm much better at.

Who are your favorite authors?

Bill Bryson, Carl Hiaasen, Jeffrey Archer

What's the best book you've read in the past year?

I really enjoyed Beantown Girls (Healey, 2019). In children's, I loved Three Squeezes (Pratt, 2020). I just started reading How the Girl Guides Won the War (Hampton, 2010) and am really looking forward to it.

Is there any advice you would give to “budding authors”?

Do your research. Take classes. Join relevant organizations--find one for your genre, e.g. SCBWI for children's lit, or for all genres, organizations like Maryland Writers' Association. Join a critique group and, importantly, learn how to take critique without taking it personally, and how to give effective critique to others. I think this is so important that one of the presentations I give to writers is Critiques: How to Give and Receive (and Hopefully Not Cry).

What do you like most about the Urbana Library?

I love walking into the Urbana Library. It's so bright and open. For my purposes as President of the Frederick Chapter of Maryland Writers' Association, we often hold meetings and presentations in the large conference room, which is such a bright, positive space to work in.

Anything else you’d want to share…

I have a Master's in Linguistics, my favorite topic being Semantics. I love words and nuance. A former translator/interpreter, I have at one time or another been fluent in Spanish, Arabic, and German, with travel capabilities in several other languages. I can often be found traveling, though Covid has certainly limited that. I've visited all 50 States and over 35 countries and I am looking forward to when we can all travel spontaneously and freely again!