Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi everyone – I am a retired college instructor who writes books about food, family, and traditions. I live on the California coast with my Border Collie, Kismet, and I’m working on a novel set in the 19th century and the present.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My fifth book, Back to the Land in Silicon Valley, is a memoir of the near decade my husband and I spent with our family living on the land above Morgan Hill, just a stone’s throw from Silicon Valley. My daughter and granddaughter inspired me to write the story.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I love to write in coffee shops. Sure have missed doing that.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Flora Thompson, who wrote Lark Rise to Candleford, influenced me to write about everyday activities.
What are you working on now?
I’m working on a novel set in Saltaire, a village near where I was born in England.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’ve had fairly good success selling my books through my own website, www.marlenebumgarner.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just keep writing.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write what matters to you, and don’t worry about the audience
What are you reading now?
If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This
What’s next for you as a writer?
My rewrite of Organic Cooking for not-so-organic Mothers will launch in August.
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?
Gone With the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, and London
Author Websites and Profiles
Marlene Bumgarner Website