Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I grew up in Denver and considered the Rocky Mountains as home. However, I spent the following decades in Dallas working as a Developmental Psychologist and Program Evaluator for social service agencies. I conducted research in child and family development and was affiliated with The University of Texas–Dallas, as researcher, lecturer and Adjunct Associate Professor. In that time I collaborated on one self-help book and published research reports in the fields of Education, Psychology, and Program Evaluation. Meanwhile, I quietly wrote stories for pleasure and self-expression.
I’m a mother of two, grandmother to two, and now live with my husband and a feisty Aussie in the Salish Mountains of NW Montana. I’ve set aside a research career to incorporate what I learned into my fiction. My first novel, Burden of Breath, was self-published in 2013, and a short story entitled “Offerings” appeared in the Summer 2013 issue of Sixfold. My recently completed second novel, Serita’s Shelf Life, is in review. I’m working on a third which will be set in beautiful NW Montana.
.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
Burden of Breath is my only novel currently on the market. It’s about an emotionally and physically scarred woman who struggles to separate from her mother’s crippling influence–even from the grave–and transform her life. My inspiration came from individuals who overcome devastating effects of early abuse to build meaningful, independent lives.
Serita’s Shelf Life is my latest completed work and should become available in the fall of 2014.
Serita is a 55-year-old woman with bipolar disorder who goes off her meds to become a more interesting person and find love. I was inspired to write this story because uncomfortable side effects of medications often compel patients to stop taking them, believing that this time it will be different.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
During the summer I like to write on my back porch. We live in the mountains and a have a view of the peaks of Glacier National Park about thirty miles away. Talk about inspiration!
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I read everything, but my favorites tend to fall into the literary fiction category. One of my favorite writers is Kent Haruf. He tells heartfelt stories in lovely, straight-forward prose. Looking back through my iPad titles, recent favorite novels include: Defending Jacob (William Landay), everything Lisa Gardner has written, Jo Nesbo’s police dramas, The Son (Philipp Meyer), Elizabeth Strout’s work especially Olive Kitteridge, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (Ben Fountain), The Dog Stars (Peter Heller), The Fault in Our Stars (John Green), and Peace Like a River (Leif Enger)… to name a few.
What are you working on now?
I’m writing a story that finally takes place in Montana–the others had to be purged from my system before my writing could catch up to where I actually live now. The story is about a man who disappears from a previous life and responsibilities and starts over on his own in NW Montana. He soon learns that his pst catches up with him in unusual ways and that “no matter where you go, there you are.”
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I have promoted Burden of Breath as a free download six times since its publication in May 2013. Since I started with a small following of readers, this has been a useful tool for getting the book in readers’ hands. Free promotions, along with advertising on sites such as Awesome Gang during those promotions, sparks interest and the more my cover is seen, the better it will sell.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I’m pretty new at fiction writing myself, but I’d say, find a critique group or writer friends to read your writing ang give you honest feedback. We all need fresh eyes to read the work.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Dennis Foley always says, “Finish what you’re writing, even if it’s crap.” So many writers never finish.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty.
What’s next for you as a writer?
My immediate goal is to write my next blog post for Montana Women Writers. Long term, I intend to keep writing novels about flawed, interesting characters.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
Roget’s Thesaurus, All the Pretty Horses (McCarthy) and Peace Like a River
Author Websites and Profiles
Ann Minnett Website
Ann Minnett Amazon Profile
Ann Minnett’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Pinterest Account