I had the luxury to meet a new author with several books. Here is her interview. Please enjoy and be sure to check out her books, available on Amazon. Thank you!
I see you wrote a memoir. What drove you to write it? A newly published author in 2008, I prioritized increasing my visibility while adding to my credibility by binge-writing my way out of obscurity. Having grown up during the Sixties, I drew upon those experiences to write my first memoir, “A Mini Tribute to Twiggy,” and submitted it for publication at The Sixties Official Site. When the webmaster graciously invited me to write more and offered to set up my own page there, I eagerly accepted and turned out a memoir every week for approximately two years, contributing 100 in total.
Encouraged by a friend to compile them into a Nonfiction Memoir, I did so primarily to celebrate the spirit of my father, the inspiration behind many of these memoirs.
When did you begin writing? What was the force behind it? By the age of twelve, I began composing mysteries and spy thrillers which I proficiently typed on my girly-pink Tom Thumb typewriter. The force behind my first story, “The Mystery of the Midnight Doorbell” was the faulty wiring in our doorbell which prompted it to ring for no reason at all, and at any time.
The force behind my first writing endeavor during adulthood occurred several years after retiring from a career in elementary education. Midlife restlessness prompted me to write my first novel in 2008. ‘Underlying Notes’ is based on my ongoing obsession with fragrance. Soon after its publication, I was interviewed by a reporter from TIME Magazine. My contributions are forever preserved in the article, “Scents and Sensitivity,” inside the March 17, 2008 issue.
What are you working on now? What's the story behind it? I’m currently working on another Contemporary Fiction, my favorite genre in which to roll up my sleeves for featuring flawed and feisty females over forty. As I happen to be very guarded about sharing particulars until publication, I’ll just venture to say that, however different my books are from one another, I feature protagonists who come to terms with their drama, demons, and dilemmas along the precarious journey I set them on.
My signature is that of incorporating the local setting of Rhode Island, my native state. I take great pride in weaving historic events, geographic landmarks, and regional culture into the fabric of my storytelling, intent on blurring the lines of distinction between fact and fiction.
You have 5 books published. Where did all of the ideas come from? Well, having covered the ground for the rationale behind my Nonfiction Memoir, ‘100 Wild Mushrooms: Memoirs of the ‘60s,’ and my first Contemporary, ‘Underlying Notes,’ I’ll be brief about the others:
‘An Enlightening Quiche’ (2016) –Autobiographically inspired by the beloved, close-knit community of Manville in the town of Lincoln, Rhode Island, where I taught elementary school for 29 years. As well, I wanted to preserve my own history by resurrecting the antiquated, labor-intensive jobs I performed working at Sidney-Higgins Bookbinding Co. for two summers during college vacation: collating, hole-punching, feeding the saddle-stitcher, and combing. I incorporate all of this in the day-to-day operations of my fictitious, impoverished mill.
‘Mr. Wizard’ (2019) - A nine-year-old so smitten with Baum’s original, I signed it out from the school library several weeks in a row to read it again and again. Many years later, hard-pressed to write a story that would fit into the anthology, ‘Once Upon a Fabulous Time,’ a proverbial funnel-shaped cloud stirred up characters who evolved with a life of their own to convey the original’s central themes. Worlds apart from the classic, this novella is a stand-alone publication.
‘Etta’s Fishing Ground’ (October 2021) - The idea which gathered moss for me to write my latest release occurred when I happened to scroll by a controversial post on social media pertaining to the topic of marital infidelity. Essentially, the question was, "If you discovered your best friend's husband with another woman, would you tell her?"
It looks like you published traditionally. How long did it take for them to accept your story? What was the process like? Are there any regrets? I’ve only published two books “traditionally”—semi-traditionally or with a hybrid publisher. At that point in time, given the industry for self-published authors, and during those junctures in my life, I made the best possible decisions. In both cases, the duration from querying to acceptance did not take long.
In hindsight and with foresight, I prefer to navigate the publication journey, Indie all the way.
Congrats on the awards. How did you get into those contests? What was it like from the beginning to the end? Thank you! Respecting the amount of time I put into writing my novels—research, storytelling, and critical editing—I believe in the end product with every fiber of my being. It’s that belief that motivates me to enter my books in contests under the categories for which they qualify. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Sure, it’s great to have your literary efforts recognized.
You graduated from Rhode Island College. What was your major? How did it fit into a career of writing books? Or was there something else you wanted to do with your life besides writing? Do you use that expertise in your books? My major was Elementary Education with a Minor in English, none of which had anything to do with my writing career. The credit goes to my mother who read aloud to me, developing my love for the cadence of language. Also, being an avid reader of the classics during my childhood and adolescence stirred up my imagination.
What does a typical day in the life look like for you? I hit the ground running early in the morning, starting off the day with exercise. Then, it’s making the rounds on social media. The rest of the morning is spent doing housework or running errands. I’m back at the keyboard for a multitude of reasons by mid-afternoon. I don’t delve into serious writing on my current WIP until the evening when I feel liberated from the demands of the day.
How do you overcome writer's block? I don’t have writer’s block. What I do suffer from is the agony of meticulousness. Alluded to in a Readers’ Favorite 5-Star review for ‘An Enlightening Quiche’: One cannot know if such writing comes naturally to the author, or if she suffers from the agony of meticulousness required to produce such exquisite work.
For me, word building is akin to building the Roman Empire.
Of your books, which one was the hardest to write? Easiest to write? While none were a cakewalk, I always seem to think my current work in progress is the most difficult to write because of what I want to achieve. The easiest to write was my Nonfiction Memoir because it entails a compilation of 100 anecdotes that I’d originally submitted to ‘The 60s Official Site’ where I’m a featured contributor.
What would you like to tell people who are just starting out as a writer? Preaching what I practice: write to please yourself and go with the flow of your creative instincts.
Anything else you'd like to add? All of my eBooks and Paperbacks may be acquired at Amazon:
I wish to express my sincere appreciation for your invitation to participate in this author interview, affording me the opportunity to spread my wings.