Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 20, 1994 TAG: 9402210314
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WYTHEVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The Blacksburg resident used to tell her stories at slumber parties, or writing scripts for church or civic groups, or in newspaper features. In retrospect, it seems inevitable that she would someday be a published author.
``Well, I never really had time. Life got in the way. You know, rearing four daughters,'' she said during a recent visit to Wytheville's Blue Ridge Books to sign a number of her recent titles and meet some of her fans.
They included teachers, one of whom has arranged a May 4 visit by Kassem to Scott Memorial Elementary School in Wytheville, and students who have read her books. ``I can't wait till May,'' one told her.
Kassem, who previously worked part time at the Blacksburg library and served six years on Blacksburg Town Council, seems a natural educator as she talks to youngsters about writing. She has also traveled throughout the country taking part in workshops on the Whole Language Program which stresses reading in schools.
``I'm a tremendous supporter of Whole Language. I've just seen it working in schools all over,'' she said.
``I wish I'd had some teacher training, really. I've just developed my own style, my own way of doing things,'' she said of her talks, which usually turn out to be conversations, with students. ``But, then again, I'm teaching teachers about half the time.''
Since 1984, Kassem has published eight books with a ninth due out in October - ``The Druid Curse,'' which she researched on a trip to the British Isles - and a 10th now going to prospective publishers.
``People say `Don't you wish you'd started sooner?' I say, `No, I was doing research!'''
Indeed she was. Research for her second book, ``Middle School Blues'' (1986), which has sold 250,000 copies and is still going like the Energizer Bunny, sort of just happened during the process of raising children with ages ranging over 10 years.
``Our house was always the gathering place for all the different ages,'' she said, with youngsters coming through for snacks, for bandages, to use the bathroom. ``And they talked. And I listened. So I didn't have any problems.''
She apparently caught some character types who never change. To this day, she has teachers who insist they know on whom she patterned the pretty but conceited Brandy.
``I know who Brandy was. I had her in my class,'' they insist, even though their classes were taught as long as a decade after Kassem wrote the book.
Her first book was a young adult novel titled ``Dance with Death,'' before she had a literary agent and when she was ready to sign any contract that would guarantee publication. Now it is her only book no longer in print, except for the occasional copy in used paperback stores.
Her third, ``Listen for Rachel'' (1986), may be her favorite of those she has published so far.
Raised in the mountains of East Tennessee, Kassem often heard the legend of the Civil War-era mountain woman in the region who was a natural healer and, some say, can even be heard today galloping her horse to where someone is ill or in trouble. It was only natural that Kassem would someday tell her story.
It took a while, though. The manuscript was revised seven times and rejected by 17 publishers before it hit. ``And each one hurts just as badly as the first one,'' Kassem said of publisher rejections.
In ``A Summer for Secrets,`` Kassem ventured into extra-sensory perception which was not the blessing one might assume to the girl who possessed it. ``Secret Wishes'' came next, followed by ``A Haunting in Williamsburg'' which gained the official approval of the Williamsburg Historical Association.
Kassem moved her locale to the Abingdon area for ``The Treasures of Witch Hat Mountain.'' Her latest, ``Odd One Out,'' touches on date rape among other contemporary high school concerns and the near-victim learning to trust again.
Kassem is serious about her research, whether it takes her to Williamsburg or the British Isles. By getting it right, she maintains, readers can learn more about how, say, the Civil War affected people from a novel like ``Listen for Rachel'' than from any number of statistics or textbooks.
Kassem still does first drafts in pencil ``so I can erase,'' but has been pulled ``kicking and screaming'' into the computer age.
``My computer's name is Beelzebub,'' she said. ``He is named for the devil because he ate 70 pages of my manuscript!'' She and ``Bub'' now manage to get along ``but I really am terrified of my computer.''
Turnabout is fair play. Her agent told her of being too terrified to sleep after reading her ``Druid Curse'' manuscript. Kassem's reaction? ``Good!''
by CNB