Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
A Seattle native and a University of Washington engineer, I write raw true stories that crack the soul. Mothering five for more than twenty-six years while shaping dwellings to call home, I have established myself as a fearless, honest writer giving voice to social issues rarely voiced. Speaking engagements include national radio shows, University conferences, women’s groups, high schools, PTO’s , churches, and groups looking for inspiration. I live on an island in Puget Sound with my husband and children. I blog weekly about “things I want my children to know” and am currently at work on a lighthearted true story about the crazy world of planning a wedding, as told by the mother of the bride.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Heaven’s Child “is a true story of family, friends, and strangers.
Some years after the death of my twin teenage daughter Sarah, when I knew we could survive as a family, I wrote a book about it all. I wrote it so that her brother and sisters could remember details about Sarah’s life and also the details of what happened that awful night, and how we have survived. Originally I called it “A Wooden Cross on the Side of the Road.”
As I began sharing the story with friends and community and putting voice to social issues rarely voiced, I realized that it was a story written for all of us. We each have losses which call for healing. And each time I read “Heaven’s Child,” the story speaks to something new inside me. It’s a story that celebrates life as it celebrates death. It’s a story that inspires readers on their own journeys. It’s a story that gets people feeling, thinking, talking, and maybe crying. “Heaven’s Child” challenges you to live your best life.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write late at night when all is still. I write in remote parking spaces of soccer fields and swimming pools and grocery stores, stealing extra minutes when thoughts need to be recorded.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I find myself returning to the classics of my teenage years. The Alchemist. The Chosen. The Great Gatsby…those authors who shaped great stories that framed my life.
Today I pick up everything by Isabel Allende. She’s got something magical in her style, an authenticity that grabs me. I also love biographies and memoir where I find myself walking beside the author, as if he or she were a friend. But I also love all the new non-fiction that address social issues of today. I turn to works of non-fiction today whose messages speak to me, where I learn something new.
I guess you could say that the books I read are like the books I write and the blogs I post: well-written, inspirational, and something that gets me feeling and thinking.
What are you working on now?
Today I am finishing up a sequel to “Heaven’s Child.” It’s a lighthearted story about planning a wedding, as told by the mother of the bride. Guess who is getting married?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Hum…still trying to figure that one out!
www.CarolineFlohr.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
You can spend too much money promoting your book. I have learned it’s best to start with your own community. Gather support for your material on your home front first. It’s amazing the connections people have, and if you can garner interest locally, that spreads like wildfire.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Give Amazon a try! They don’t send out rejection letters.
What are you reading now?
Gabor Mate’s “When the body says no.” It’s about stress and disease. But really what it’s about childhood affects so much of our disease as we get older. If we can free ourselves of childhood baggage beginning from day one of our lives, we can celebrate life today, disease-free. It’s all an emotional thing!
What’s next for you as a writer?
Traveling more with my children and writing about the adventures!
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?
That’s a simple question!
My Bible
Meditations for Women Who Do Too Much
Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Soygal Rinpoche
Author Websites and Profiles
Caroline Flohr Website
Caroline Flohr Amazon Profile
Caroline Flohr’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account