Best of Family & Relationships
Best of Family & Relationships
"So Many Books, So Little Time!"
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Exclusive Interview with
When did you start writing?
I started writing ten years ago when I took creative writing classes.
What makes writing your passion?
I enjoy creating a fictional world and living in that world while I'm writing the story. Sometimes my world is more pleasant than the real one, especially during the era of the pandemic.
How long have you been writing?
I've written for all my life, mostly silly poems, but I've only recently started writing fiction.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
Pure exhilaration! It didn't seem real until I held the book in my hands.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
I make up my characters. I'm sure there's something of myself in some of them. I try to have a few characters who bring a smile to readers' faces.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
The marketing.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
Just start writing. Once I put a few words on the page, more follow. They may be dreck, but at least I'm continuing the story, and I can delete the parts that don't work later.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
Persevere. Never give up.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Have more confidence.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
Yes, always. I try to keep in mind that not everyone will like my books, so I will get some bad reviews. Luckily, so far the good ones far outweigh the bad ones.
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Happy that someone understood and found something to like about the book. Sometimes a review makes me see my own book in a different light and I love that.
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Yes. My novel Waterbury Winter has a parrot called Popsicle. She's modeled after a parrot my family had.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
I can compare myself (my younger self) with the character of Anne Gautier in ESTELLE. She is a twenty-two-year old recent college graduate and lives in New Orleans.
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
A great cover is important for selling the book, but the story should always be better.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
I love connecting with readers, either by chatting or through email correspondence.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
Happy, and a bit embarrassed.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
Currently Ann Patchett. She has the ability to make an engaging story in a limited setting or environment. Examples: The Dutch House, Bel Canto.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Can't answer that one. I have modest aspirations.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
I recently re-read ESTELLE. It was my first novel, and I now see things I would have stated differently.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
Jane Austen
What would you say to the “trolls” on the internet? We all know them – people who like to write awful reviews to books they’ve never read or didn’t like that much, just to annoy the author.
Just quit, please.
What would you say to your readers?
I hope you enjoy my books.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband. My two adult kids live in North Carolina and in Italy.
What is your day job if you have one?
Not working now.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
Watercolor painting.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Yes, in England.
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
My husband's fiction writing seminar.
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
Not telling. I have one work in progress, scheduled for publication in 2024.
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
Good instruction in reading, writing, and arithmetic. No social programming.
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
For the pandemic to end
An end to the horrible divisiveness in our country
A kinder, gentler world
What is your favorite music?
Classical, after that the music of the fifties and sixties.
Share a secret with us 🙂
I'm not a foodie, and I have real trouble writing about food in my novels. That was a big challenge in ESTELLE, set in New Orleans.