A Forget-Me-Not Interview with James Steeves

FMNP: Who are you? Please introduce yourself. Name or pseudonym, and whatever other information you feel comfortable sharing.

JS: Thank you for your interest in my work, and for offering a safe and interesting platform to share my stories. I am a teacher librarian in a middle school in Mississauga, Ontario. I have taught history and geography for many years, and love to use local primary sources during my teaching. Outside of teaching, I have always had a passion for local history and geography, with a particular interest in local cemeteries and haunted places, as well as for camping and canoeing. I live in Hamilton with my wife and our three boys.

FMNP: What made you want to be an artist/writer?

JS: Being a writer is fairly new to me, though engaging in creative endeavours such as musical composition and visual art has always been a part of my life. Over the years as a librarian, I have worked closely with many kidlit publishers and authors who inspired me to combine my experience as a teacher and my passion for history to writing history-based fiction for children. A whim during covid turned into a full manuscript, and I soon found myself joining writing groups and submitting work to contests and sharing stories with students. I’ve never looked back!

FMNP: What is your favourite piece you’ve created to date?

JS: Asking to choose my favourite piece is like asking who my favourite child is. Each piece was created for a different purpose so it’s hard to choose. But if I had to choose, I would say “The Woman From the Plaque” (and the larger unpublished novel it comes from, Haunted Hermitage) because the setting–the Hermitage in the Dundas Conservation Area–is one of my favourite places to visit (and one of the creepiest!) It was also the first piece to be published.

FMNP: What is one piece of advice you have to other creatives out there?

JS: When I finished a draft of my first novel, I felt completely lost, and without the help of a wonderful author friend, I would likely still be wandering! He introduced me to writing groups, which led me to joining a couple of critique groups. These groups have been so important to the development of my writing and to my perseverance to continue writing. You really need to find like-minded writers who can share their honest feedback and hold you up when you want to quit. Nobody should have to write alone!

FMNP: How did you discover Forget-Me-Not Press?

JS: I discovered Forget-Me-Not Press through Instagram when I was searching for somewhere to submit my work. When the first call for submissions had “Haunting” as a theme, I couldn’t resist sending in one of my ghost stories.

FMNP: What do you like about Forget-Me-Not Press?

JS: One of the things I like about Forget-Me-Not Press is the diversity of the content, which also reflects the diversity of the authors and artists who submit. Most of those who submit are likely used to focusing on a specific genre, so it’s interesting to see my kidlit stories, for example, mixed in with poems and artwork. The staff does a great job of tying together all of these different pieces with a common theme.

FMNP: Why do you keep submitting to Forget-Me-Not Press?

JS: This is a funny question for me. None of the pieces I have submitted were actually written for the press, and at no point did I intend to submit to every call for submissions. Two of the pieces were modified first chapters from novels, one was a reflection on how writing got me through Covid, and the other was a whimsical poem I wrote one day on the way to work. But I really liked my first (and second, and third, and fourth) experience with the press, so whenever a new call for submissions is made, I always wonder if there is something I can send that fits the theme. So far the answer has always been yes!

FMNP: What is your favourite piece from the Issues you have been a part of?

JS: I find Issue #4 as a whole to be my favourite issue, and a great new place for Bessie (the ghost in my short story) to haunt (she’s been haunting Ruthven Museum for over 150 years!) She especially enjoys keeping company with the poem, “I Look for Ghosts” (Lisa Alves) and the spooky images, “ ‘Tis Better Not to Know” (Harry Levene) and “Spirit in Limbo” (Gregory Dirr).

FMNP: Let us know where to find you! Please share any of your social media, websites, etc.

JS: I created a website and blog at https://jamessteevesauthor.wordpress.com/ although I’m not the most prolific blogger. I’m also on Twitter at @jsteeves71

James has work featured in all four issues here at Forget-Me-Not Press

Issue #1 Haunting: The Woman from the Plaque

Issue #2 A Cold Winter’s Night: Why I Write Ghost Stories

Issue #3 Nothing Gold Can Stay: Don Quixote Came to Hamilton

Issue #4 In the Dark: Bessie