Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m just a farm girl who has lived her life either north or south of the Missouri River. My husband and I own/operate a cattle farm and annually grow around 600 acres of corn, soybeans or wheat. We’re small beans so far as farming goes. We have two grown sons who are married to two wonderful girls and we have the two most fantastic grandchildren in the entire universe.
How many books have I written? Many. I still live in a world where an unpublished ‘book’ is called a ‘manuscript’. I have a lot of ‘manuscripts’ in my writing archives. I’ve published 10 books. One hardbound non-fiction, one paperback and eight e-books, all fiction
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
I recently embarked on a whole new adventure–new for me anyway. I published my Sweet Pea Trilogy in paperback. In 2017 I published the trilogy as three separate e-books (Demise of Innocence, Time to Deceive, and the Price of Passion), then updated those in Feb. 2018 as ‘Sweet Pea Gift Set, Books I, II, III’ because I felt the whole story needed to be under one cover. Since then, I have been asked by so.o.o.o many people to please print the story in paperback. I did that in time for Christmas, 2018. Also, from Dec. 20, 2018, thru Jan. 24, 2019 all of my e-books (but for the Gift Set) are priced at .99.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I’m a night owl. How unusual is that? My most productive writing takes place after 9 p.m. when my husband has gone to bed and the phone is not likely to ring, when I turn the t.v. off and let my muse take me into whatever imaginary world is at hand. If I’m not writing late at night I’m reading.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I’m a lover of romance and have a list of favorites that include Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, Jude Devereaux. My reading habits are actually very eclectic in that I also read action/historical from Newt Gingrich to science fiction from John Bowers. I also hold a very deep respect for the writings of Erma Bombeck. Mrs. Bombeck was an expert at being able to poke fun at herself while also pointing out the important things in our daily life.
What are you working on now?
After the New Year, I plan to push Sweet Pea out of my head–for good, this time,– and get to work on #5 and # 6 in the Birds in Peril Series. Here are the tentative blurbs for those stories
Birds In Peril Series Description: Five women met, fell in love with and married men who aided the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Sheldon Humsler. Even though the events that disrupted their lives, did not necessarily involve Humsler, they certainly invoked the conviction that, one day, Humsler would find a way to enact his revenge. All of these women and the men they married are in some way closely connected to Humsler’s arch enemies, Benton Cromwell, T.J. Harvester and Thad Hunt. Because of Humsler, Benton Cromwell’s life and livelihood have become so precarious he now lives as an invalid on borrowed time. However, his friends, T.J. Harvester and Thad Hunt, continue to grow in family and in deed. Both are well loved by many. The time is near when a final confrontation with Humsler must occur. Humsler has an accomplice…someone closely connected to Hunt….but who could that possibly be?
#5 Wise, Bold Eagle
Sylvia Pentherst is the fifth woman to marry into the Hunt-Harvester-Cromwell group. A widow in her mid-fifties, she survived years of hardship caring for her invalid husband and raising her three sons. Her now-seemingly-settled life takes a turn toward unpredictable when she leaves the comfort of managing County Hospital Housekeeping for the chaos of opening and maintaining two novelty shops along with Lisa, Jani, Susie, and Stephanie. Is it really possible to find that second chance at love with Thad Hunt?
#6 BlueBird of Happiness
After her mother died, Anne was raised by a loving father. She’s always led a sheltered life, even after entering college. Now she’s grown up. An opportunity to spread her wings arises but…Will she sore? Or, will she land? Is home really where her heart is?
Once the golden boy, Dan is the first to acknowledge the blessing in his remarkable recovery from a fiery automobile accident. But, the abrupt departure of the girl he hoped to be ‘the one’ left scars and uncertainties that haunted him during and after his recovery. Then he met Anne. Innocent, sweet Anne. Does he dare try love again?
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Amazon does really well in helping to promote indie authors. I also fill out interviews like these as often as I can and I list my books on as many forums as possible (many of those forums are free).
Do you have any advice for new authors?
After my experience with Sweet Pea, I can only tell new authors to stick to it, even if it takes years. Sweet Pea began as a short contemporary story in 1976. Over the years, it grew and developed into a trilogy now printed as an e-book and in paperback. I cannot tell you how many times I rewrote the story or how many times it was rejected by various publishers or editors. It was never far from my mind for any length of time, even when I worked on those other books. I knew that one day I would hold a printed copy of it in my hands. Now I have and it is a thrill beyond description. If I can do that, anyone can.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Finish it. No matter what it takes, how long it takes. Finish that story. Only you can draw that story from your mind into written word, whether that be on paper or computer screen. So just do it, get it done. The story will never be told if you don’t tell it.
What are you reading now?
I have a collection of new novels from unknown authors on my kindle. I need to get to reading those so I can leave my fellow writers productive reviews for their work.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I guess we’ll see. When the Bird Series is complete, I have another manuscript I wrote in the 80’s that I want to polish and publish. And, I have several more ideas that I will get to one of these days.
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?
my Bible and my Kindle (it’s got about 30 books store on it and a well charged battery)
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