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Angela Giles-Klocke by Lisa Beamer

A long-standing and well-loved member of Momwriters, Angela Giles-Klocke is a giver at heart. As the 2000 KD McIntosh Memorial Award recipient, she embodies the essence of what it means to "give unselfishly" -- both in writing and in life. From the bevy of pets that have won her heart and cannot be parted with to the countless efforts she has put forth on behalf of young mothers and fledgling writers, Angela has a heart to give, and we are all the better for it!

Angela, her husband of three and a half years, John, and their four children reside in Cartersville, GA. "I am now an official Georgian," says Angela, "but I grew up in Williston, Florida, a small town outside of Gainesville - GO GATORS!"

It was in Williston that Angela enjoyed her first publishing credit. She was 17 at the time. "It was the Williston Pioneer newspaper. I will never forget my editor, who gave this young welfare mother a chance when no one else would."

Since then, she has dabbled in many different kinds of writing and enjoyed much success as the creator, editor and publisher of The Writing Parent (http://thewritingparent.com/) web site.

Of all the writing Angela does, she loves fiction the most. "No certain genre -- just the process of making things up." She recalls some of her earliest fiction-writing forays as co-authoring mysteries with a fifth grade friend on the school bus each day. "The one story that stands out in my mind the most, though, was LACEY.a short story about a girl named Lacey who had Leukemia. She died. What made me a proud writer even back then is that the story made people who read it cry. I liked touching readers so deeply."

She continues to be proud of her writing, especially when it comes to her personal experience pieces. "When I write about my own life experiences and it helps someone else -- that makes me feel the best!"

Like many writers, Angela can credit key people who have helped and encouraged her along the way. "To begin with, it was my old newspaper editor, Skipper Hammond. She corrected me when I needed it, but overall, she made me learn that I had all the right stuff." Her husband is also a huge support to her, never seeing her writing as a waste of time or fussing about a messy house when Angela's time has been spent writing instead of cleaning. "I owe him so much just for giving me that gentle push back to what I love."

Angela's mother-in-law has also been a big support to her, talking her out of quitting countless times. Angela also credits her MW buddies for keeping her going as well. "I fear listing names a I don't want to leave anyone out! But I brainstorm with Karen Lovett constantly, share woes and pains with Teraisa Goldman, and Abbi Perets is my wise novel buddy...the list of supportive MWs is endless." Angela has one self-published e-book out right now called, "I'll Write When the Kids are Grown," and she is currently working on a novel and a children's book. She is also working on co-authoring a book with Teraisa.

The best advice Angela can give to new writers is to just write. "Sometimes we spend more time trying to read about writing than we actually spend writing. You can only read so much. Don't get caught up in reading or talking about it -- just do it."

Along with her writing work, Angela gives much of her time to various charitable endeavors, including One Young Parent (http://www.oneyoungparent.com), an organization she began to help teen parents. She is also a member of Labor of Love, which creates afghans for needy children and families. Angela is also a Chemo Angel (http://www.chemoangels.com).

Some fun facts about Angela:

Pets: "I have four cats and one dog-cat. No, he isn't half dog, half cat. He's a runt baby flat-coated retriever (or so we're told) who thinks he's a cat. And of the four cats, we were meant to only have one, but when their mommy died, we were left to nurse and raise them, and then we couldn't let any of our babies go."

Favorite Author/Best book read this year: "I'm a horror fan, and the King is my fave. I'm not a fair-weather fan, so even when I don't like one of his books, he still remains tops. I also enjoy Dean Koontz, John Saul, Bentley Little, and more recently, Douglas Clegg. The best book this year so far: "Far Above Rubies" by Cynthia Polansky. A self-published wonderful book!"

Favorite way to relax: "I love to read, of course, and crochet. The art of creation is soothing to me. I also like puzzles - when I feel like aggravating myself -- as in, I have four cats and three kids that live here!"

Most memorable vacation: "My favorite vacation would have to be when it was our first wedding anniversary and we didn't have a sitter, so we all drove to Tennessee and spent the weekend as a family. It made everything and all of us even closer. We just had fun together, which we needed (as anyone who has blended families knows)."

Favorite quote: "If you wait for inspiration, you're not a writer, but a waiter." Author Unknown

If Angela could meet any one person in the writing world -- dead or alive, real or fictional -- who would it be?

"Tough question. As wild as it seems, I would love to meet the main character in the book I just finished (Far Above Rubies). She was a Holocaust survivor, and her story inspired me. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I would love to meet Stephen King, if only just to tell him I'm impressed."

You can contact Angela at agklocke@bellsouth.net. Her book is available from her web site, http://www.angelagilesklocke.com.

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