Interesting Information:
New Life was picked as a top read for 2012!
Life Changes has been submitted to the Wisconsin Book Association for an award.
Interview questions I have answered:
- Which of your books was the easiest/hardest to write?
The first one - New Life was easiest. I did not really think it would go anywhere. It was just for entertainment for my husband and myself. But, after New Life, I had fans to report to, and wanted to do a better job with Life Changes.
- Which of your books is your favorite?
New Life because it was the first one published.
- Which of your characters is your favorite?
Olivia.
- Which of your characters is most/least like you, and in what way(s)?
Valerie would be most like me. I am married to a military man. My father actually did have a cabin outside of Presque Isle on Oxbow Lake.
- Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?
I would like to invite Forrest, I would like to meet that guy. Forrest or Olivia would be my favorites. I would least like to invite John Mingan.
- What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an
author?
School Counselor.
- If you were to do your career as an author again, what would you do differently, and why?
Learn more about promoting my work; earlier in my career.
- Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
Not many, but I do read them. I guess that all experiences, including critiques, have some kind of influence.
- Have you ever been surprised by a controversy among fans or reviewers - for example, you created a character without thinking too much about what people would think of him, and found some readers loved him and some hated him?
I did have a fan say that John Mingan should be run over by a truck. I found that interesting.
- Have you ever written anything that you thought would be controversial and found it wasn't?
No. If anything, the other way around.
- Which question are you most sick of answering in interviews?
None, yet.
- Where are you from?
Racine, WI
- Tell us your latest news?
Got my website operational, and did a promotional video for my books on Youtube.
- When and why did you begin writing?
Washington, DC. I couldn’t find a book that I wanted to read and was homesick for the Northwoods of Wisconsin and started writing. I felt I had a story to tell.
- When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Halfway through writing the first book; I got a lot of positive feedback. I really felt like an honest to goodness writer when North Star Press, Inc. chose to publish New Life.
- What inspired you to write your first book?
Homesickness. That, and I thought I had an interesting story to tell.
- Do you have a specific writing style?
Not really.
- How did you come up with the title?
Wanted something short and to the point.
- Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Prejudice and bias is real, but once a person realizes that they have prejudices and bias’, they can learn to overcome them. The more people get to know someone that is different, the more they will realize that they are the same, inside.
- How much of the book is realistic?
The Northwoods are real. Prejudice and bias are real. Love is real.
- Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some.
- What books have most influenced your life?
The Diana Gabaldon Highlander series. I also liked Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight
series. I am also a big fan of Terry Goodkind, J. K. Rowlings and David Holmes.
- If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephanie Meyers and Terry Goodkind.
- What book are you reading now?
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.
- Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Yes. There are many new authors at North Star Press, Inc. Go to the website. You will see a lot of interesting books.
- What are your current projects?
The third and last book of the wood nymph series. A lumberjack book about how teenaged boys were used by the logging industry, based on fact, but written as fiction. I am also researching a spy novel.
- Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Aron Dorsey.
- Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, but I also want to be a school counselor. I think I could do both.
- If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
- Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Homesickness and restlessness.
- Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The third book of the wood nymph series. Laurel is on her way back to Wisconsin and danger awaits her there.
- Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
How to keep the audience interested, and stick to my main ideas.
- Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Diana Gabaldon and Terry Goodkind. I love the detail and historical accuracy in Ms. Gabaldon's work, and I love the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I bought each book as they came out in hard copy, and then would burn through them, and then wait impatiently for the next book.
- Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Sometimes.
- Who designed the covers?
Jeff Holmes. www.loosepaint.com
- What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Sitting down and putting thoughts into words.
- Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I did not know how to write dialogue when I started writing. I was used to writing papers in APA format.
- Do you have any advice for other writers?
Really look at the writing of the authors that you like. Don’t just read the pages – see how they are formatted.
- Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Writing is an adventure. All adventures start with a first step. Don’t be afraid to try to start out on an adventure.
The first one - New Life was easiest. I did not really think it would go anywhere. It was just for entertainment for my husband and myself. But, after New Life, I had fans to report to, and wanted to do a better job with Life Changes.
- Which of your books is your favorite?
New Life because it was the first one published.
- Which of your characters is your favorite?
Olivia.
- Which of your characters is most/least like you, and in what way(s)?
Valerie would be most like me. I am married to a military man. My father actually did have a cabin outside of Presque Isle on Oxbow Lake.
- Which of your characters would you most/least to invite to dinner, and why?
I would like to invite Forrest, I would like to meet that guy. Forrest or Olivia would be my favorites. I would least like to invite John Mingan.
- What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an
author?
School Counselor.
- If you were to do your career as an author again, what would you do differently, and why?
Learn more about promoting my work; earlier in my career.
- Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?
Not many, but I do read them. I guess that all experiences, including critiques, have some kind of influence.
- Have you ever been surprised by a controversy among fans or reviewers - for example, you created a character without thinking too much about what people would think of him, and found some readers loved him and some hated him?
I did have a fan say that John Mingan should be run over by a truck. I found that interesting.
- Have you ever written anything that you thought would be controversial and found it wasn't?
No. If anything, the other way around.
- Which question are you most sick of answering in interviews?
None, yet.
- Where are you from?
Racine, WI
- Tell us your latest news?
Got my website operational, and did a promotional video for my books on Youtube.
- When and why did you begin writing?
Washington, DC. I couldn’t find a book that I wanted to read and was homesick for the Northwoods of Wisconsin and started writing. I felt I had a story to tell.
- When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Halfway through writing the first book; I got a lot of positive feedback. I really felt like an honest to goodness writer when North Star Press, Inc. chose to publish New Life.
- What inspired you to write your first book?
Homesickness. That, and I thought I had an interesting story to tell.
- Do you have a specific writing style?
Not really.
- How did you come up with the title?
Wanted something short and to the point.
- Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Prejudice and bias is real, but once a person realizes that they have prejudices and bias’, they can learn to overcome them. The more people get to know someone that is different, the more they will realize that they are the same, inside.
- How much of the book is realistic?
The Northwoods are real. Prejudice and bias are real. Love is real.
- Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Some.
- What books have most influenced your life?
The Diana Gabaldon Highlander series. I also liked Stephanie Meyers’ Twilight
series. I am also a big fan of Terry Goodkind, J. K. Rowlings and David Holmes.
- If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Stephanie Meyers and Terry Goodkind.
- What book are you reading now?
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini.
- Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Yes. There are many new authors at North Star Press, Inc. Go to the website. You will see a lot of interesting books.
- What are your current projects?
The third and last book of the wood nymph series. A lumberjack book about how teenaged boys were used by the logging industry, based on fact, but written as fiction. I am also researching a spy novel.
- Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Aron Dorsey.
- Do you see writing as a career?
Yes, but I also want to be a school counselor. I think I could do both.
- If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No.
- Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Homesickness and restlessness.
- Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The third book of the wood nymph series. Laurel is on her way back to Wisconsin and danger awaits her there.
- Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
How to keep the audience interested, and stick to my main ideas.
- Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Diana Gabaldon and Terry Goodkind. I love the detail and historical accuracy in Ms. Gabaldon's work, and I love the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I bought each book as they came out in hard copy, and then would burn through them, and then wait impatiently for the next book.
- Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Sometimes.
- Who designed the covers?
Jeff Holmes. www.loosepaint.com
- What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Sitting down and putting thoughts into words.
- Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I did not know how to write dialogue when I started writing. I was used to writing papers in APA format.
- Do you have any advice for other writers?
Really look at the writing of the authors that you like. Don’t just read the pages – see how they are formatted.
- Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Writing is an adventure. All adventures start with a first step. Don’t be afraid to try to start out on an adventure.
