Interview with Larnette Phillips
Writer and Publisher

Dot Com Woman Of The Month (February 2007)

A writer by heart and by profession, Larnette has been in it since 1991 and has written and published a number of titles starting with Faces - The Sacred Journey, a spiritual novel. She wrote 'Sully and Me' in 2003 which went on to win the First Place in the National Gary Awards Competition by Fiction Works in the same year.  Larnette left Corporate America in 1991 when she gave up her sales job in a Fortune 500 company to pursue writing full-time. After selling her first fiction for local NPR affiliates she began writing nonfiction and fiction for magazines and newspapers. After life-changing experiences, she decided to form her own publishing company Leprechaun Rising, and is also planning to launch her film production company. Her 'Women & Success' motivational workshops for women are popular all around the country and her beautiful thoughts on life and women are here to inspire you in an exclusive interview. You can also Visit Larnette Phillips' Website for more information about her endeavors.

Larnette, tell us about your life before you chose a full time career in writing. How did your previous job (in sales) help you later in life?

Life, for me, before writing became my vision, was about doing the expected and to a larger degree, being what everyone else wanted me to be. Writing chose me; I did not choose it and I believe that is what a vision and a dream does. When I was growing up in my small hometown (a rural and farming community), my 9th grade teacher told me that if I did not write for a living, I would be miserable. But I followed "the expected" and chose to work my way into careers in public relations, marketing and sales instead of listening to that "still, small voice" inside of me. Sales actually came to be an enormous positive for me after I became a full-time writer and author because writing and creativity are not enough. You have to be able to execute an idea and bring it into fruition - that's where my sales background became one of my biggest assets.

How did you get drawn to writing?

Writing was my "shadow", if you will, because it was always drawing me to it. It was the echo inside my soul that would not let me go. I felt there was a message that I was "called" to give through my writing and when I realized the enormous vacuum created inside of my spirit because I did not listen to my gifts, I let go of expectation and perception, choosing instead to follow my heart and "the inner vision" God had given me.

You have some very interesting titles published. Please tell us about them.

Most of my works of fiction are based on truth - meaning, my own life experiences. I have been blessed with some extraordinary people and miracles within my life and these books are my way of sharing them with the world. "Seasons" is a love story and based on a May-December romance that lasted about 15 years in my life. It is, I think, a lesson for people about the magnitude and enormous power of real love and seeks to convey to people that some loves only last for a season. Having said that, some seasons are more than most people get in a lifetime. "Sully and Me" is dedicated to a man who was like a father to me and the book is based on his life and the relationship we shared as "father-daughter". The "real Sully Maguire" taught me so much about life, love and friendship - and the miracles that enter our lives every day, even when they are masked in disguise to the point that we cannot see their faces. Which brings me to "Faces--The Sacred Journey". That particular novel addresses one woman's quest to find God through her own personal journey and it identifies with me and places I have been in my life. My humor saga, 'Southern Shady Ladies--Tea and Scandal at Seven' is the use of humor to enlighten people and lift them up through laughter. The best remedy in the world sometimes for what "ails" us is the profound ability of laughter to heal each of us.

Tell us more about 'From the Front Porch Swing Down on the Farm'. Whom is its targeted towards and what issues does it address?

"From the Front Porch Swing Down on the Farm" is one of many visions I have since creating my own company. It is a serial publication, published quarterly and it is a project that seeks to reunite families and bring back tradition, family values, core values and "the days of yesteryear". As a whole, I think the written word has veered from its pathway and the material out there - in print and in film - has greatly served to erode the foundations of family and its ties. This publication hopes to bring back storytelling and literature that the entire family can share in and enjoy. It is targeted toward family and people who care about the bygone days of yesterday. It addresses family issues, aging, values, coming of age, relationships and bringing hope through the written word to all people.

How was it like to publish your own work? There must have been a lot of challenges involved.

In truth, it has always been exciting to see my work published but yes, there are always challenges. Writing is, in and of itself, an enormous undertaking that requires much self-sacrifice, discipline and "staying power".

You have conducted numerous workshops and online courses to help other budding writers. Please tell us more about them. What do you emphasize in your workshops and how and where can our interested readers enroll?

It was always my intention to continue, regardless of success levels, to give back to other writers. I feel that as an author, it is my responsibility and if I am too busy to do that, then, as the saying goes, I am too busy. The busier we get sometimes, the less attention we tend to give to those who are trying to accomplish what we have already done My courses are designed to show the aspiring writer the "nuts and bolts" of the process and what it takes to achieve success. It's a proven method that, if the writer will follow it, can assure him or her of success and publication. Readers may e-mail me directly at ChelseaRichards1@aol.com to receive specific information about the courses, fees, and deadlines.

From writing to film-making, how has your journey landed you here?

Ah, life itself is a journey. In 2004, I was seriously injured in a car accident. Six weeks later, before I had even a remote chance for physical healing to take place, Hurricane Ivan came through the Gulf Coast and completely destroyed my home. That, in turn, sent me to my parents. My father had been a stroke victim since 1995 and 8 weeks after returning home, he suffered a massive stroke and heart failure simultaneously. He was sent home to die, with hospice in tow. I could not leave my mother at such a difficult time and so I chose to stay, even though my own needs and healing were so great. I helped to care for my father in his last rite of passage for almost a year until he passed. All of these life experiences gave me such a greater insight into how blessed we are and how what we endure must be shared with others - and used to help those who find themselves in similar, or exact, "life positions" - thus, I chose to form my own company. I had believed my work would do well in film and after making the decision to form my own publishing company, a tremendous door opened for me to begin the process of film-making.

Please share with us some of your future plans.

Professionally speaking, I am writing the sequel to 'Sully and Me'; it is entitled 'Finding Eddie' and I hope to release it in early summer 2007 under my company. Both 'Seasons' and "Sully and Me' will be turned into film - it's a lengthy process - about two years for each book to be converted into film. I am planning to have 'Southern Shady Ladies--Tea and Scandal at Seven' sold for a television comedy and I will continue my efforts to reunite family and bring us back into family values through my serial publication and other endeavors.

It is wonderful seeing a woman doing so much in her life and achieving success throughout. I have one question though - Just how do you do it all? Managing time, balancing work and home and continuously expanding your horizons. You must tell us the secret to your management skills.

Believe it or not, one of the keys to any success is learning to say "no" - both professionally and personally. If something is not viable, or is counterproductive to your time and what you are trying to accomplish, then "no" is the appropriate response. It's important to recognize those who are takers and those who are givers and their respective entry into your life. I compartmentalize and prioritize. I also believe in the saying, "Do not despise small beginnings..." Large projects are not nearly so intimidating when broken down into smaller components where you can identify attainable goals. I also place God first, family second and then my career and I keep it that way - and keep all things in perspective according to that belief. I will not let those I love suffer because of my career nor will I let them be neglected because of it.

What about your family? How do they react to your work?

Those who are closest to me - those people that I love - come first and they know that. Work does not come before them and I don't think it ever will. Their reaction to my work is one of support and understanding. They know that I'm different in the sense that I have a vision not everyone has and they also understand that with that vision comes a great deal of hard work and focus.

What would you advise our readers who are interested in taking up writing as a career?

It's an arduous pathway but a worthwhile one. It's important for anyone who is thinking of taking up writing as a career to understand its implications: hard work, sacrifice, discipline and stamina. An aspiring writer should soak up knowledge like a sponge; be willing to learn from someone who knows what they're doing in the business and they should be more than willing to learn from rejection. Rejection is a gift. Learn from it and use it to help you grow. Be willing to take constructive criticism and learn from it. And above all, find a master at what he or she does (within your chosen field) and let them teach you and guide you. You'll never regret it!

As a writer of 'Women and Success', what would you say are the top five things that women should know/follow to achieve success in their lives.

(1) Remember that problems and adversities are divine opportunities and challenges. They are places where you will find real growth. Do not be afraid of what they are trying to teach you.

(2) Stay true to what and who is important to you. Do not place careers, money, material possessions above the things that are really important and crucial: the people that you love.

(3) Seek to utilize your gift and in so doing, use it to help people. When you do that, the money will find you.

(4) Have a realistic plan for achieving your goals - both short-term and long-term. Write them down and post them where you can read them every day. Stay focused on that goal!

(5) Remember that you can never achieve success alone. There are others in the world who have the gifts and abilities that we do not possess; those are the individuals who can help us achieve our own dreams if we will allow their talents to help them. Seek them out and surround yourself with them everyday. When they know how to do something you don't, there's a reason for it.

And always, always remember that regardless of what happens to you in life: You never really walk alone.