Exclusive Interview with
When did you start writing?
1998
What makes writing your passion?
Advocating for people to be as independent as they choose to be is my passion. Writing is a tool to help people become independent.
How long have you been writing?
24 years.
What was the feeling when you published your first book?
Exhilarating.
What’s the story behind your choice of characters?
This is a non-fiction book that draws from my own experiences.
What annoys you the most in pursuing a writing career?
Not being a good sales person.
How do you get over the “writer’s block”?
I stop until I figure out what I want to say.
We all know the writer’s path is never easy, what makes you keep going? What advice would you give to new authors?
I had an important message I wanted to deliver to my audience. This kept me motivated through the writing process. For anyone wanting to be an author, I'd recommend you research what is involved in the writing process and becoming published.
If you could go back in time and talk to your younger self, what would you say?
Start writing sooner.
Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with the bad ones?
What is the feeling when you get a good review?
Have you ever incorporated something that happened to you in real life into your novels?
Everything in my book is based on my experiences or others.
Which of your characters you can compare yourself with? Did you base that character on you?
What do you think, the book cover is as important as the story?
Yes. It grabs the reader's attention.
Do you connect with your readers? Do you mind having a chat with them or you prefer to express yourself through your writing?
My goal is to reach every reader, whether solely through writing or referring them to places that can help. During events, I speak to anyone seeking skills to become independent.
How do you feel when people appreciate your work or recognize you in public?
It feels good to be recognized. However, I wanted to be respected as an author and my accomplishments recognized before my disability.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
Karen Kingsbury. She writes about current issues from a Christian perspective and sometimes from an angle we never consider.
What’s the dream? Whom would you like to be as big as?
Since being an author was never my goal, I don't want to be as "big" as anyone but I would love to meet Karen.
Would you rewrite any of your books? Why?
I already have re-written my books. My passion is for people with disabilities but my audience is much wider than that. When I wrote my first set of books they were geared toward individuals who struggle with understanding written English. I wrote a second set of books that removed excessive definitions.
If you could switch places with any author – who would that be?
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.
What would you say to your readers?
Know what you like and don't like, and what you will accept and not accept in someone else.
Share a bit about yourself – where do you live, are you married, do you have kids?
I live on the West Coast of the United States. I'm very happily married and have two kids. Our oldest son has gone on to the other side and our youngest is a successful construction worker.
What is your day job if you have one?
I help others as much as possible on a part-time basis.
What are your hobbies? What do you do in your free time?
During my free time, I love to sing. I love to joke around and play with words. I love spending time with my husband. In general, I like being a problem solver. As much of a problem solver as I am, I have to be careful not to get too personally involved for my own well-being and to avoid burnout.
Did you have a happy childhood?
Kind of. I had a sheltered and overprotective childhood and that drove me to help others and eventually write my book.
Is there a particular experience that made you start writing?
As many times as I was being asked the same questions, including a couple of times a day and even a couple of times an hour. I decided I need to write this down.
Do you have unpublished books? What are they about?
No.
What do you think should be improved in the education of our children? What do we lack?
Individuality. We lack thinking for ourselves and not being tolerant of those with differing views. Specifically the Christian viewpoint.
If you were allowed 3 wishes – what would they be?
A roundtrip ticket to heaven to see my son and to let my other family who has passed away know that I'm doing well. I would also want to tell my extended family that I'm married and I may want to introduce Joshua to those family members.
What is your favorite music?
1980's Christian hymns and I like oldies.
Share a secret with us 🙂
I'm on an audio social media site called Clubhouse. I created a club called Responsibly Independent and the first room I hosted was called "Map Out Your Life."