Thursday, October 3, 2019

Which/Witch Sarina Dorie: Fantasy/Comedy/Mystery Author

HALLIE EPHRON: The minute I met Sarina Dorie, I knew she was a one-off. A persona. She was literally wearing her multi-talented identity like a pro and greeting her many fans. She's a seriously prolific, award-winning author who juggles genres.

I wanted to know more, so I invited her to spend a day on Jungle Red and tell us about herself.


SARINA DORIE: As a creative person and a professional, I wear many hats. Some of these hats are very separate from each other and look quite different, while others are connected like with my writing, artist, and dance persona. The persona that is the most different from what I think of as my natural creative/expressive self is being a public-school teacher.

(Sarina promotes literary at a Middle School my posing with a book. Naturally, she had to do it with her special dentures to see if the kids noticed.)
When I am in teacher mode, I am Ms. Dorie. Part of my job is to make sure students are being appropriate. When they’re not, my job is to remind them not to swear, not to punch each other in the face, and not to draw images of rocket ships made with penises on their arms with Sharpies.

Meanwhile, when I’m a writer, I take all those things I see teens doing that they aren’t supposed to and I put those in my stories and novels.

Because I’m an art teacher, I get away with being a little more eccentric. I get away with dressing in clothes that other teachers might not consider standard business teacher attire. I express myself creatively as an art teacher though fashion design and that is considered to be okay. Fashion is probably an accurate metaphor of these different hats I wear—literally and figuratively.
(This is a photo from one of Sarina Dorie’s avant-garde belly dance performances.)
Another hat that I wear is a belly dance teacher and performer. When I performing, my stage name is Sarina as opposed to Ms. Dorie. This is the persona who wears glittery costumes that show my midriff and cleavage, and I get to dance to lively music that I would not necessarily be able to play at work. It is a chance for me to creatively express myself in a different way.

This persona is highly connected to my persona as an artist and fashion designer. The fashion design really does go hand in hand with being a dancer because I often design my own costumes. There was a time that I kept my belly dance clothes completely separate from the rest of my life and only wore them for performance, teaching and taking classes, but I have realized as I've designed costumes that I really enjoy wearing attire that creatively expresses my personality. That carries through into my belly dance clothes—which are not traditional belly dance clothes—and my daily attire just walking around being a professional artist or teacher or writer.
(Sarina poses with a book in steampunk attire.)
When I am a writer, I’m Sarina Dorie.

Being a creative person, that artist, dancer, designer style influences how I come across as a writer. When I tell people that I’m a fantasy author or a romance author, people tell me I look like I write fantasy or romance.

When I tell people I write mystery, people never tell me I look like I’m a mystery author.
I don’t know what people think mystery authors look like. Maybe I need to wear all black and look Gothic in order to be a fantasy mystery author.
(Sarina in costume before selling fashion items at a science fiction and fantasy convention.)
In any case, I feel like I’m walking a fine line between coming across as a professional and expressing my creativity. When I attend Romance Writer of America workshops, women often talk about being professionals, dressing as professionals, and presenting ourselves. And then there’s me in polka dots and stripes. I’m almost as bad as Barbara Cartland with my feathers, flowers, and frills. 
My persona might once have been as separate as peanut butter and jelly, but these days, it is more like peanut jelly, an interesting mashup of foods I once tried while I lived in Japan. In all creative outlets, I try to be professional in the way I present myself while interacting with people. I don’t dress or talk any differently when I am with my family. I’m really not different as a writer in comparison to my natural self, though I talk about topics that might make me an expert in my field when I am with authors or artists. On the other hand, I am a very different kind of professional when I’m working in my day job as a school teacher.
Many of my daily life experiences as a teacher influence my current writing projects, like my cozy witch mystery series Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.
(Sarina Dorie’s not-so-cozy witch mystery series Womby’s School for Wayward Witches.)
The idea behind this series: You think you know the world of magical boarding schools? Not from a teacher’s perspective at a school for at-risk youth.
GIVEAWAY: For a limited time, I will be offering Ghoulish Charms, the first book in the Vega Bloodmire Cozy Witch Mystery Series, a spin-off from the Womby’s series, as a gift for patrons of Indiegogo who donate to my endeavor to turn the Womby’s series into audio books.
Please go to Indiegogo to see Ghoulish Charms and other perks for contributions.


HALLIE: Phew! She makes those of us who write one genre and produce a novel every two years look like pikers. So here's my question: If mystery authors 'dressed the part' what would we be wearing?
Sarina Dorie has sold over 150 short stories to markets like Analog, Daily Science Fiction, F & SF, and Orson Scott Card’s IGMS. Her stories and published novels have won humor contests and Romance Writer of America awards. She has over thirty books offered through Amazon, including her bestselling series, Womby’s School for Wayward Witches
The best way to stay in contact with Sarina Dorie, hear about what she is writing, know when she has a new release, or books offered for free on Amazon is by signing up for her newsletter.
You can find info about her writing at:
sarinadorie.com

30 comments:

  1. Welcome to all three or four of you! What a wonderful post--you do make us look dull in comparison. I especially loved your description of curbing the teenagers' less acceptable tendencies and then putting them into your books:). I would love to know how you squeeze all these talents into a day? Are you sewing your costumes as well as designing?

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    1. I am closer to looking incognito on days I have staff meetings and parent teacher conferences, I suppose. On those days, I feel like I am trying to blend in with the rest of the humans. ;)

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  2. Whew! Dancer, teacher, artist, writer....I love this mash-up of talents and am awed by your productivity, Sarina! I'll be checking out the Wombly books in the very near future.

    As for mystery-author attire? A red leopard pashmina appears to be de rigour around here.... but as long as authors--like Sarina--are true to themselves , they can show up in jeans and a tee or a tux--whatever works for them!

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    1. Yes indeed! Let’s hear it for red leopard pashminas!

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  4. Sarina, you’re simply amazing!

    Mystery author garb? Whatever makes them feel comfortable. A deerstalker hat, perhaps???

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  5. Congratulations on your latest release! The cool art teacher...much admired by all.

    I have three grown children so it doesn't matter what I wear. I'm invisible to anyone under 40, which makes eavesdropping and taking notes much easier.

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  8. Oh, good question! A mystery author--depends. If that person is at home: sweatpants, t-shirt and a worried expressions. ! In public--black sweater, jeans, and a worried expression. Pencil behind the ear, and glasses on head. LOVE all these outfits! And Sarina, I love the idea of a school like that from a teacher's point of view. When did you think of that? Brilliant!

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    1. We met at a writing conference. Hallie heard me pitch my paranormal mystery novel Ghoulish Charms to agents and editors, and we talked afterward.

      I do love Halloween and wish it was October all year round. Because I know some people specifically look for witchy and ghoulish reads during October, I had been preparing my Indiegogo campaign for a month prior to October to raise funds for turning my cozy witch mysteries into audiobooks.

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  9. Wow, Sarina - I love all your different personas!

    Whatever a mystery author "would" wear, I hope it's comfortable!

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  10. Hallie, thank you for introducing us to Sarina. Did you meet Sarina at a mystery conference?

    Wow, Sarina! You definitely wear many hats! When I saw your name at first, I read it as Sabrina then I thought of Sabrina the Teen Witch, then I looked at your name again and it is spelled Sarina without the B. I wonder why someone said you did not look like a mystery author. Perhaps that person expects mystery authors to be older? I am always amazed at how young many authors are.

    This post is excellent for Spooky October. I am always looking for books about Witches, and other ghoulish characters during Spooky October. My favorite season is from Halloween to Christmas!

    Diana

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    1. I agree ! Great prelude to Halloween 🎃

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    2. I have read several books that take place at magical boarding schools like Vampire Academy, House of Night, and of course my favorite, Harry Potter. But I was already an a adult and a teacher reading these books. So I didn't envision myself as a student in my daydreams. I wanted to be Professor McGonagall.

      And then about thirteen years ago, I taught an an after school program and taught a class to Myth, Magic, and Muggles. I dressed up in a witch hat and cape each class, used a bad British accent and taught students "magic" a.k.a. science and read Harry Potter and history while we were having our Hogwarts lessons. I could have done that every day. Except the day we did Quidditch. That was chaos.

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    3. Hallie, thanks!

      Sarina, that art class sounds like fun! Have you read the Shadow of Night series by Deborah Harkness? Thank you for recommending Vampire Academy and House of Night books. I will look for these books at the library.

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  11. If mystery authors dressed the part? Each of the Reds has her own particular style, so I really don't have an the answer for this.

    So I would pose another: Who do I recognize from the back, every time?
    Catriona McPherson, without a doubt
    Hank, because who else is so tall, thin, and elegant?
    Jim Ziskin, the hair
    The Todds, the pair
    Louise Penny, another tall, thin, with a different elegance
    Ann Cleeves, ditto.
    Debs, because I'd know her anywhere.
    Hallie, ditto.



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  12. This is fantastic!!!! I desperately wish I'd had a teacher as cool as you, Sarina. Comedy always wins with me so I am most definitely starting your series pronto. As for dressing the part, I have no idea. A crime scene tape sash, perhaps?

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    1. If they have crime scene ribbon made of fabric that I find at the sewing/craft store, I probably would purchase it because I would wear it.

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  13. I'm a big fan of genre blenders so I'll be looking for this series pronto.

    I have enjoyed meeting and knowing many mystery writers. My sense is that they try to dress unobtrusively so that they can walk among us unnoticed and spy out all the bizarre things we do.

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    1. That's what I used to think until I went to my first Malice. Or maybe it was just during the hat parade. Do they still do that?

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    2. Thank you for your interest, Jim! Hallie, I am super excited to check out Malice too now. I was interested when you told me about it before but now that I know there is a hat parade, I am hooked!

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  14. Sarina, how lucky you are that you can choose to dress whatever part you choose to play! The kids must adore it. Or maybe wonder, uh oh. What have I gotten myself into? That's even better. I love the idea of writing a school from the teacher's perspective.

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    1. When I worked at the middle school, the students were enthusiastic and loved self expression and creativity. I like high school because the students have more developed skills but I am fairly certain I am weird and unhip because I am not trendy, I do not know anything about the Kardashians (only Cardassians and they don't get my nerdy Star Trek references at all), and I do make them do work. It is difficult to read the blank apathetic stares of teenagers which is probably why I write occasional stories about zombies.

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  15. When I read the question of what mystery writers would wear to dress the part, I had an image of the Reds and other of my favorite authors running around in deerstalker hats. And, then someone would say something like, "Which one is Hallie Ephron?" and the reply, "the one in the deerstalker hat." Hahaha!

    Sarina, you are such a great example of being true to oneself, and it's so impressive that you fit so many passions into your life. You're a wonderful role model for the students you teach. Telling students to pursue their passions is one thing; living it yourself gives them proof it can be done. I love the premise of your magical boarding school series. I'm off to read more about them now.

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    1. Kathy, Hallie looks like her photo. I recognized her right away at Bouchercon in Toronto. I also remember that she speaks clearly, making it easy for me to lipread :-)

      And I am going to check out the magical boarding school series too.

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    2. TRUE STORY: The first Bouchercon I went to probably back on '02... the woman who ran it back then (Dean...?) too one look at me and said, "you look just like your picture." And added, "Amazing!" Of course I was a newbie so OF COURSE my picture looked like me.

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