Something Or Other Publishing is proud to introduce Eve Gaal, an established writer and winner of the 1st Prize in the Religion & Spirituality Category of our 1st Annual Short Story Contest.
Eve Gaal, writer and former publicist. (Eve Gaal)
Over 25 years in advertising led Eve Gaal to write stories, poems, and novels. Her work has appeared in anthologies, magazines, and online. Born in Boston but a longtime Californian, Gaal currently lives in the Inland Empire with her husband and her dog named Baba, where she enjoys her time with hobbies including swimming, cooking, crocheting, and reading.
Her writing journey began as a freelance writer after several decades in the newspaper industry, frequenting The Los Angeles Times and The Daily Pilot, where she had an ongoing column. Today, you can appreciate her trademark humor and poetry among various journals such as “Writing for Peace” and books like her first the romantic novel, Penniless Hearts.
1st Place in the Religion Category of SOOP’s 1st Annual Short Story Contest. (SOOP)
Her winning story, Crocheting in Heaven, is part of an upcoming anthology from SOOP currently titled SOOP’s Finest: a collection of award-winning short stories, and it follows the tale of Colleen Poole, an elderly hospital patient, and Diane, a hospice nurse. Diane wants to give the frail, dying woman hope by sharing her understanding of heaven. However, time is of the essence here, and she must convince Mrs. Poole there’s a beautiful place waiting on the other side before it’s too late. But how will she be able to make the older woman believe?
Jesus E. Bracho, SOOP’s Director of Marketing, sat down with Eve to engage in a fun Q&A session to learn more about her:
JB: What inspired you to write “Crocheting in Heaven”?
EG: While visiting friends or relatives in hospice, I was inspired by kind nurses.
JB: What was the most challenging part of writing the story?
EG: While I love writing faith-based fiction, I never want to sound “preachy”.Â
JB: What genres do you personally like to read?
EG: Fables, fiction, humorous who-done-its, and romance, in that order.Â
JB: Do you have any other writing projects in the works?
EG: I have a column at In2uition Magazine titled Apple Blossoms and I’m working on my fourth novel.
JB: Who is your target audience?
EG: I write fairy tales for grown-ups and faith-based fantasy with a twist of adventure. When truth becomes stranger than fiction, it’s time to indulge in a romantic comedy taking place on an island, Vegas or Panama. In this case, I’m taking readers to Heaven.Â
JB: What do you hope readers take away from your story?
EG: If I can give one person hope, my story has made a difference.Â
JB: Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
EG: Yes! Read all the books you can get your hands on. Then, after you’ve read all the books your teachers and instructors gave you, read the ones you’ve heard about and always wanted to read. Read everything and don’t stop. Read the cereal box, the junk mail, and the newspaper. Read poems and read something wild on the internet. Go back and catch up on stuff you missed as a child. Read the classics, but if they bore you, that’s all right; read bestsellers. Rather than having an excuse, pick any book that looks good to you, and then do it again! Write reviews of every book, and post them on Goodreads. Share your reading journey. It’s your life, and your writing will benefit. No writer’s conference or book on writing can replace reading.
Readers can pre-order “Crocheting in Heaven” through her customized pre-order page right here. Learn more about Eve Gaal through the links below:
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