News

What awards have you won for writing all this wonderful books? Year

Comment:

List of awards You have won and the year? Do you write all your books on novels only? I love reading Shiloh!!!

 

Phyllis replied:

I really can’t take the time right now to list them.  “Shiloh” won the most, however.  I think that almost every state in the country has a state award for the book that their students vote for as “the best” for that year–24 state awards for Shiloh.   All together, I’ve won 52 awards of some kind.  The other Shiloh books, the boys versus girls books,  some of my young adult novels….

But truthfully, I don’t write with an award in mind.  I simply set out to write the best story I can, because I love stories.  I write for adults also,  and I have written a number of nonfiction books.  But I love stories the most.

History of The York Trilogy

Comment:

Hello from York, Yorkshire.
My wife and I were looking at some old photographs and among them were letters and cards from you to my father. George (Stan) pawson, who ferried you about for you to collect facts for your York trilogy.
Glad to see that you are still very active on the literary front, and wish you continued success with you work.
Best wishes,
BARRIE and GILLIAN PAWSON

Phyllis replied:

How lovely to hear from you!   Your father was such a gentleman, and we were so glad that we had chosen him to take us around.  I’m not sure I told him what I was writing about, because I didn’t want him to take us to places that might not have interested me, so we pretty much stuck to the list I had created. I loved his finding the troop of travelers out in the countryside.  But just before the trip was concluded, I think I mentioned the ghosts in the treasurer’s building.  And he showed up that night with a book about the ghosts of York, which was so perfect for what I needed.  I remember him with deep affection.  Thank you so much for getting in contact with me.

Letters to Marty

Comment:

Hi, I teach grade 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We just finished reading Shiloh and have fallen in love with Shiloh and Marty. The students wrote letters to Marty and they want to send them to you. Can we send the letters to you? If so, to what address would we send them.

Phyllis replied:

Students may write to me, but please send them all in the same envelope with the name and address of the school.  My address:  401 Russell Avenue, Apt. 713, Gaithersburg, MD  20877

Roxie and the Hooligans

Comment:

My second grade class and I just finished reading your wonderful book Roxie and the Hooligans. WE LOVED IT! We loved it so much we wish you would write another book about Roxie and her new friends the hooligans. We even think Roxie would make a great movie that many people would like.

Phyllis replied:

There IS a new Roxie book!  Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard’s Roost!  Enjoy!

Audio recording of SHILOH

Hello,

I am a school teacher in Thailand at the moment and my students will be reading your book ‘Shiloh’ this coming term. As a lot of my students are ESL learners, I hope to have audio versions of the book available for them to follow along with. I was thinking about recording myself reading the text so as they could follow along with a familiar voice. I imagine the audience for this would be my direct students, however, I was thinking about putting it on a youtube chanel for the students to access at home or school. I understand there is a copyright law and that your book is protected by that, so I suppose I am wondering if you have any suggestions for me based on this information. I do not want to step on toes or breach anyone’s rights, my goal is to to support my student with good literature.
If you will allow me to do so or have any other suggestions that may help, I would love to hear from you.

Phyllis replied:

There is a wonderful Bantam Audio Cassette put out by Bantam, Doubleday, Dell.  I suggest you purchase that CD and play it in your classroom.  It’s read by a professional actor.

Thank you for the inspiration

Comment:

Hi Phyllis, I just wanted to thank you. I’m Danish, and I grew up in a small village with a tiny school and an even tinier school library (no ordinary library). Your books were available at the school library, and they were some of the first ones I read. I especially fell in love with The Witch-books. They were a big part of why I wanted to become a writer myself. Luckily, I achieved my dream, and today I’m a full-time writer of children’s and YA-books. One of my first books was a horror story about witches, and I dedicated it to you. I recently reread the whole witch-series, and I’m very impressed about how well-crafted it is, and how great a story, even to a grown-up reader. So, thank you for being an inspiration!

 

Phyllis replied:

It was wonderful to hear that you have become a successful author, and I’m so pleased to hear that my books had a tiny part in it.  I’ll have to admit that they scared even me to pieces as I wrote them, and I always pulled my writing chair up against the wall when I wrote, so that no family member could walk behind me when I was writing.  If anyone had touched my shoulder during one of those creepy scenes, I think I would have jumped shrieking into the air.  Here’s wishing you continued success and great satisfaction in doing what you love!

Would you write my life story?

Comment:

I saw your picture and short biography on the Asbury website. I understand you are a writer with many years of experience and I wish to ask you a question. Would you consider writing my story? My life story that is? I have always wanted my story on paper. I would like to think it is a story of triumph.

Phyllis replied:

It is always good to feel that one’s life story is one of triumph and I’ve no doubt that yours is.  But I will never be able to write all the stories and books that are already crammed in my head.  Ideas come to me like bees at a picnic, and its’ all I can do to write my own stories.  There are writers who do this for hire, I’m sure, and perhaps you can find the names of some in your area if you check Google.

Selection as MWA Notable Maryland Author for August

Comment:

The Maryland Writers Association (MarylandWriters.org) has selected you as their Notable Maryland Author for August. We are sending out an article about you and your work to all MD Newspapers (10 have committed to running the article – 100,000 readership). Also placing article on our website www.mwawritersroundtable.org. Would you care to review article before we release it? If so, please send email I can us e for the article. Thanks Jim Brewster, MWA 30th Anniversary Chair

 

Phyllis replied:

It’s an honor, I’m sure, and I tried replying to the email address attached to your letter.  Yes, I would like to see the article before you release it, just in case there are factual errors.  Let me know if you need a photo, and thank you.

Witch books fans

Comment:

I read your Witch Saga some thirty years ago – literally swallowed it holding my breath until the last page was turned. It was such a great pleasure which even became greater a few years ago when my eldest daughter had the same experience. Now, the turn has come to my youngest daughter. Unfortunately, it is impossible to buy the books in Danish anywhere – I only managed to dig up English used copies, so we are waiting impatiently for the reservations through the library. During my search, I see a lot of women like me trying to find the books for their children too. So I just wanted to thank you so much for creating this amazing series which evidently has given so much reading pleasure to many others than myself. With kindest and best regards and greetings from Denmark.

 

Comment:

Ah, yes, the witch books.  Witch’s Sister, the first book in the 6-book series, was the first book I ever sold to Atheneum, which has been my major publisher ever since.  That was 43 years ago, and all six of those books are still in print, now in paperback:  Witch’s Sister, Witch Water,  The Witch Herself, The Witch’s Eye, Witch Weed, and The Witch Returns.  They were so scary that they even creeped me out, especially the scene in which Lynn and Mouse are in her bedroom and hundreds of cats and crows are scratching at the windows.   And there was, or is, a Danish translation published by Forum.  At some point, a television program called Blue Marble bought the movie rights to Witch’s Sister and made a movie that was to show on their children’s program in episodes on Saturday morning.  I watched for two Saturdays, and then a soccer game took its place and I was so disappointed not to see the rest.  A boy wrote to me asking if I had a copy of the movie, and I had to tell him I did not.  Then, years later, the boy, now a young man, wrote to tell me that he had searched and searched until he found that movie (and made a copy of it to send to me).  Naturally, I don’t let it out of my sight and don’t make copies of it, but I’ve shown it to my grandkids and think that the movie was fairly well done and faithful to the first book.  Thanks for writing to me and bringing back old memories.

Crazy Love

Comment:

A thousand thanks for Crazy Love that I read MANY years ago, shortly after it was published. It hit home as I was in a similar situation at the time. The book was a blueprint for me in handling the situation. It took 20 years to get out but I finally did with your help. All the best of health and happiness to you and yours.

 

Phyllis replied:

Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me.  It is such a difficult situation to be in, and no one quite understands it until they have lived it.  I’m happy that you were able to work your way out, and so appreciate your letting me know.