When did you realize you wanted to write novels?
I realized I wanted to write in the seventh grade when I was writing non-flattering reviews of classmates. I've been writing ever since.
How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?
It took me eight years once I got serious.
On April 28, 2008, I was diagnosed with stage 4 squamous carcinoma During treatment, my doctor kept asking me what I wanted to do and had never done. What was I going to do when I got better? Recovery was slow, but once I got going, I chased every rainbow going to book signings and lectures, and I took classes. Then I met Harriette Sackler and Bruce Robert Coffin. One believed I could do it, the other said he'd meet me again when I did. I couldn't wait.
Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?
I'm a hybrid, though I recently pulled the procedurals to re-work them.
Where do you write?
I have a designated space in the spare bedroom, but I'll write anywhere words find me.
Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?
I like sixties music or traditional Christmas Carols while I'm writing, until I get to the red line, then I lock myself away.
How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?
For the cozies I draw a lot from real life, 50-50 from my own. The procedurals and fantasy are my brain just out there. I have to admit, I have some weird dreams.
Describe your process for naming your character?
A character is a fishing expedition--too weird, too tame, just right.
Real settings or fictional towns?
I pick a town; I go looking for a street map. I don't have a problem adjusting terrain for what I need. In the fantasy, it was like a game, I built as I went.
What’s your quirkiest quirk?
I can be driven, not seeing housework, living on Cheerios and ramen, then one day it's OMG, I gotta clean this place up and eat a real meal.
What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?
My characters have a tendency to be focused and unable to let go until they find an answer. Oh, and in an upcoming book, my protagonist works for a funeral home.
If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?
If I could have written any book, it would have to be The Viking’s Woman. I read it when I was in my twenties. It was a cross of everything I love--foreign places, exotic women, daring men, and adventure.
Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?
I'd go back to when my children were young. I was the breadwinner and missed so much. I envy my youngest daughter her relationship with her children.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People who don't use turn signals.
You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?
Ooh, on a desert island I'd like a deck of cards; a long, sharp knife; and a long-legged dog.
What was the worst job you’ve ever held?
The worst job I ever had was with Jo-Page Attractions. I didn't know I'd be cleaning out the candy apple machine and the latrines.
What’s the best book you’ve ever read?
The Legend of the Seventh Virgin by Victoria Holt
Ocean or mountains?
Ocean
City girl/guy or country girl/guy?
Country girl
Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?
I’m an eclectic individual; I learned all sorts of crafts because I wanted to, traveled around the US using my thumb, and have had many jobs. My writing is like that, sometimes my head is exploding with what I want to do. I'm sure many writers feel the same way. I can only hope when someone says they are believed in, each writer will savor the moment.
An It’s Never Too Late Mystery, Book 1
After 10 years gone, Katelyn Took returns home in 1974 to find the grandmother who raised her has been killed in the farm meadow. Gram’s will leaves Katelyn ownership of the now dilapidated farm but includes a stipulation regarding seventeen cats. Then there's the confused old woman still living in the farmhouse. Katelyn doesn't want to stay, but the longer she does, the more drawn into finding Gram's killer she becomes.
The anger she felt towards Gram fades, replaced by grief and loss. Katelyn takes a temporary job working beside Grandpa's friend. She develops a romantic interest in the Deputy Sheriff, and just when she decides it doesn't matter because she's leaving town, a stalker makes her a target. The need to run is constantly challenged by the anger at having what’s hers yanked away. Is she going to stay? Continue her new romance? What about old friends who are new again and rallying around her? What price is she willing to pay to be a big city girl?
2 comments:
A very fun interview! I'm with you on turn signals. Lordy. And loved Victoria Hold. Keep on.
Thank you, Vicki, This was fun and maybe we'll chat again some other day. Be safe.
DonnaRae
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