George T. Arnold Facebook Globe Amazon Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written. George T. Arnold, Ph.D. P.O. Box 983, Lancaster, SC 29721 1945 Hickory Drive, Lancaster, SC 29720 803/285-0404 Home 304/575-5224 Cell E-Mail: gtarnold@comporium.net Background. Born and lived three years in Kimball, McDowell County, WV. Lived next three years in Mullens, WV. Grew up in Beckley, WV, and still consider Beckley my home town. Lived 41 years in Huntington, WV – five as a student and 36 as a journalism professor at Marshall University. Moved to Lancaster, SC, in 2009 to be with retired siblings. Education. Ph.D., Ohio University, mass communications/journalism. M.A., Marshall University, American and European history. A.B., Marshall University, English, social studies, and a minor in journalism A.A., Beckley (WV) College. Teaching experience. 36 years, from instructor to professor, W. Page Pitt School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Marshall University; one year as a graduate teaching assistant at Ohio University; three years as an English teacher at Stoco High School in Coal City, WV. Professional media experience. Seven years as a reporter, copy editor and columnist for daily newspapers in Beckley and Huntington, WV, working full time while completing bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Advised student publications throughout teaching career. Publications. Books: Media Writer’s Handbook: A Guide to Common Writing and Editing Problems, Published continuously through seven editions since 1995 and purchased at more than 300 colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. It serves as a textbook for students and as a fast-check resource for professionals. A student workbook and an Instructor’s Manual are offered free to teachers. They may be used used to supplement writing and editing courses or to provide a complete language skills course with lessons, exercises, and examinations. The first edition in 1995 was published by Brown and Benchmark. Editions two through six were published by McGraw-Hill. The seventh edition was self-published on Amazon by the author in late 2019 to significantly lower the price of the print book from McGraw-Hill’s sixth editon cost of $85.90 to $22 ($9.99 for the Ebook). One Minute Past Christmas, a short story (self published in 2012); Wyandotte Bound, a western novel published in 2020 by Speaking Volumes; Old Mrs. Kimble’s Mansion, published by Speaking Volumes (2021); Serendipitous Hodgepodge & the Kitchen Sink (2021); The Heart Beneath the Badge (to be published in 2023}; and two short stories, Those Phone Calls and The Uniform (not yet submitted for publication). Wyandotte Bound, first place Laramie Award winner for Best Western in the 2021 Chanticleer International Book Awards competition. Media Writer’s Handbook, a Guide to Common Writing and Editing Problems, 7th edition, first place Gold Medal winner in the nonfiction/education division of the 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards competition. What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it? The Heart Beneath the Badge. At my publisher, Speaking Volumes now. To be published in 2023. Inspired by the critical success of my first western, Wyandotte Bound, which won a first place Laramie Best Western award in the Chanticleer International Book Awards competition. I grew up going to the movies every Saturday afternoon during the booming western films era of the late ’40s and ’50s. This is all explained in the dedication in Wyandotte Bound. Do you have any unusual writing habits? Because of my 46-year background as a journalist and as a journalism professor, I write short sentences, brief paragraphs, and use simple language. I try not to be overly descriptive (for example, getting carried away by the flowers on the hillside, cloud patterns, and the breeze blowing through the trees). I took up fiction writing at age 72, write for the pure fun of it, and do not sketch out stories. I get and idea, start writing, and then surprise myself about where the story goes. I am having a wonderful time writing without the deadline pressure of journalism and all the research involved in academic writing. What authors, or books have influenced you? None that I can cite. What are you working on now? For the first time, I am writing two novels at the same time. They are vastly different. One is a western about a sharpshooter; the other is set on a college campus in the 1960s and centers on a young professor whose extraordinary good looks clash with his ambition to be taken seriously as a great teacher. What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books? I do not know. All of my books are available on Amazon, and I do self promotion on Facebook. I am depending on you to do better than that. Which Websites you like most to promote your book Leaving that up to you Do you have any advice for new Authors? Learn punctuation and grammar thoroughly. Write short sentences, use simple language, and keep paragraphs and chapters brief. Do not write about yourself and your own experiences unless there is something extraordinarily rare and interesting about them. Write simply. Do not try to be too poetic or philosophical. What is the best advice you have ever heard? I presume you mean about writing? I guess it would be to trust your own style. Learn from others but do not copy them. What are you reading now? The Stories of Breece D’J Pancake What’s next for you as a writer? Just to write whatever I feel like writing whenever I feel like writing. If I were young, I would have a different answer. If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring? A dog, an endless supply of food and drink, a working cell phone, and books by John Grisham, Joy Callaway, Leila Meacham, Jeanette Walls, Robert Parker, and Julia Keller.,
