Tag: Interviews

Could you tell us about yourself? 

I am a leader with the heart to develop others. I grew up on the small island of Dominica in the Caribbean before immigrating to the United States for university. Upon graduation, I joined the Procter & Gamble company as a Mechanical Engineer where I served shareholders for 32years before retiring. I am now the CEO of Germain Empowerment, focused on empowering others through writing and speaking. My lovely wife and I spend most of our time on the paradise island of St. Lucia. I have two amazing kids and two of the world’s most adorable grandkids.  

What made you write your book? 

I was inspired to write by my many mentees who asked to continue our connections after my retirement. It occurred to me that it was an opportunity to share from my wisdom and vast leadership experience on a broader scale. I am now doing that through speaking engagements, my book as well as a blog I started at https://germainempowerment.com

What one thing you would give up to become a better writer? 

That’s easy. Watching TV (LOL).

Do you listen to music while you write books? 

I actually do! I love listening to spiritual music while I write. My favorite genres are Christian Reggae and Christian Socca. It energizes me and the ideas just seem to flow. 

What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused? 

Nothing. I can turn anywhere into a writing space. That’s because I can easily zone out the world to write. Whether I’m sitting in a doctor’s waiting room, or at an airport gate before a flight, I can, and usually do, pull out my phone and start writing either on my latest project or a new idea for a blog post. If I’m interrupted, I can easily get back into the zone.

Where do you get ideas for your book? 

My ideas come from my experiences, my mentoring efforts and seeing so many of my colleagues deal with what I write about. However, I must say that I have had the idea of a few books inside me for a while. The first one is out. The second is process and I can hardly wait to begin the others – but at the right time.

What is your writing process like? 

For my first book, my writing process was strictly recalling some of the pain I experienced in corporate America as a leader, choosing one and capturing what I did to overcome that pain point. That book, How to Demonstrate Effective Leadership, is about Christ-centered leadership. I captured how my faith in God gave me that competitive advantage to overcome the pain, and the lessons I learned from it. Then, I repeat for the next chapter. Once done, I organized my writing into a coherent marketable product and added some resources to enhance the readers experience and. My current process for my next book is to focus my starting point on the structure and concepts. I use a concept called a “Mind Map” for that. Basically, it’s throwing all my ideas on a large board then organizing them into a structure and flow before starting to write. I generally write on my laptop. However, I use my phone to capture thoughts, additions, and ideas on the fly, any time of day or night so I never lose valuable additions. I don’t have a dedicated writing time. That’s too restrictive to me and makes it seem like a job.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? 

That’s a great question. First, my research never ends until my manuscript is edited and ready for publication. I remain in constant improvement mode. That’s because quality is important to me. However, I believe in driving excellence, not perfection. Therefore, I devote a dedicated two months to do my research.  This includes reading other books, conducting interviews, and countless hours of online research using reputable sites like PEW and Harvard Business Review.

What is your favorite and least favorite part of publishing a book? 

Simple: my favorite part is hearing of the impact it has on people’s lives. The least favorite part is by far marketing.  

How did you come up with the title for your book? 

Research. For my first book, I had a title in my head for years. But I discovered through learning events that it was not the bestselling title. I therefore, research my topic headlines to identify a few options. I took them to members of a couple book clubs and ended up with four potential ideas. Finally, I did a poll of my launch team and selected the people’s choice. What’s crazy is I still sometimes refer to my book by the original title since I had it in my head for a couple years! No. I won’t share what it was ☺.

 

Are you working on anything right now you would like to share with our readers? 

Yes. I am working on a project involving navigating unwritten rules for minorities and women. This is a concept I wish I knew about when I began my career. I am hoping to change that for young leaders coming up, as well as sharing some insight to tenured leaders who are in the majority group so they can help those with less access to the inner circles of the corporate world.

After writing your book, what is your advice to people who want to become writers? 

I have two pieces of advice and one caution for aspiring authors. 1) Go for it. The fulfilment of completing that dream is worth the challenge. 2) Ensure you deliver a quality product. If people are willing to spend their money on your book, you should be willing to take the time to offer them a quality product. Finally, my one caution is to watch out for companies who want to charge you an exorbitant amount to publish for you. 

Kennedy Germain Media Links

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Could You Tell Us About Yourself? 

I am arguably a “Renaissance man,” but not to be confused with the artistic giants of the period. I love the classics: Greek tragedy, Shakespearean drama, and classical music. I have also boxed, earned a third-degree black belt in karate, run marathons, and practiced hypnosis and reiki professionally.

I am a novelist, though lately I seem more drawn to the novella and even the novelette. My fiction runs across various genres: mythological, historical, romance (dark-erotic, paranormal, spiritual), mystery, and Jewish paranormal. 

An accomplished pianist and composer, I performed Bach’s Six Partitas to the highest critical acclaim in Carnegie Recital Hall and achieved even more recognition as a composer. More information is available on the musical half of my website

What made you write your book(s)? 

My most recent fiction was published in 2022: The Passion of Elena Bianchi (Volumes One and Two of a four-volume series) and Sherlock Holmes and the Mysteries of the Chess World. These have totally different origins.

(A)The series was prompted by various dreams, including one about Beethoven. I also discovered a song my father had written to a woman he knew before he met my mother. The “dark-erotic” elements of the romance probably arose from my disgust at the Fifty Shades series; I wanted to write something that involved “real” sadomasochism (and other kinks). My exposure to “soul fractions” led to the spiritual aspects: the need to forgive and to let go of anger.

(B) The Sherlock tales unfolded while I read about the possible murder of (world champion) Alexander Alekhine. Who better than Sherlock to unlock that and other mysteries?

What is the first book you remember reading?

I remember tackling The Swiss Family Robinson (Wyss) at an early age. A prose rendition of The Iliad (Church) was another favorite of my early childhood.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? 

I write rather effortlessly. Editing is far more time-consuming, and then the harsh realities of marketing are an absolute blight.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose and why? 

I won’t presume to call myself “popular”! However, I would love to spend time with Isabel Allende, whose works I admire.

Where do you get your idea (s) for your book(s)? 

Book ideas usually come to me in my dreams. Similarly, much of my musical material emerges from dreams.

What is / was your writing process like? 

I usually have only a vague idea of where I am going. However, when I decide to develop the core idea (from a dream), I slip into a trance-like state, and the story unfolds — sometimes in directions I did not even anticipate. I am not altogether certain whether I write or I am merely being written!

How did publishing your (first) book? 

Let’s focus on the recent ones. I was delighted when White Bird Publications accepted If Music Be the Food of Love, the first volume of The Passion of Elena Bianchi. However, the publisher’s demise (she died intestate, leaving a “zombie corporation”) precipitated a dreadfully time-consuming process of recovering my rights and self-publishing the last two volumes. 

Sherlock Holmes and the Mysteries of the Chess World, on the other hand, has been very enjoyable. The publisher (Hanon Russell of Russell Enterprises) connected me with Al Lawrence, the finest editor with whom I have had the opportunity to work, got grandmaster and syndicated columnist Andy Soltis to write the Foreword, and got blurbs on various chess sites (e.g., NewInChess.com et al.).

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book? 

(A) For The Passion, I had to research a fair amount of music history, relying on both peer-reviewed articles from scholarly journals and the general internet references. I also had to review some of my notes on Roman history. In addition, I am profoundly indebted to a number of people who shared material with me. For example, there are some lesbian scenes in the third and fourth volumes that were practically dictated to me by friends. 

(B) Sherlock relied on various sources, most of which were easily accessible over the internet. I also acknowledge correspondence with certain other people, who lent their expertise.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

My prose is plot-centered, and the plots arise from dreams and unfold through trance, as noted earlier. The characters develop with the plots. Let me give you an example:

The Passion was originally supposed to be the hero’s story, yet it is the heroine (Elena) who grows spiritually and whose journey ultimately brings the series to its climax (or, more accurately, climaxes). This was not what I foresaw as I began the narrative; it simply unfolded that way. She grows far more than he does, and her growth presents the notion of sadomasochism as a spiritual vehicle. Indeed, her masochistic pains enable her to grow spiritually and perhaps transcend the curse (if her clueless husband doesn’t ruin everything).

What’s your favourite and least favourite part of publishing your book(s)? 

The favorite is the act of creation itself — i.e., everything up through the completion of the first draft. The marketing is the least favorite, and I also hate the publishing aspects (i.e., cover, format, etc.).

What part of the book was the most fun to write? How did you come up with the title for your book (s)?

(A) I think that with The Passion, I most enjoyed writing the musical scenes, although some of the heroine’s perverse sexual antics were also very enjoyable.

(A) My titles have always been weak. If I had it to do over, I’d just go with The Passion of Elena Bianchi, and then add Volume 1, Volume 2, etc. Instead, I used literary allusions for the first two titles: If Music Be the Food of Love (from Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night) and Paradise Regained and Lost Again (deriving from the Milton epics). 

(B) My chess publisher, Hanon Russell, came up with the title for Sherlock (to my immense relief!).

Would you and your main character get along? 

(A) The Passion — I am absolutely in love with my heroine (Elena), with whom I would also have enjoyed concertizing. I’d get along well with the hero (Giovanni), also.

(B) Sherlock — Actually, I use three Sherlocks and six Watsons over a set of seven tales. If we consider “Sherlock” as one generic character therein, I’m sure he and I would get along, particularly given his love of classical music (and violin).

What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft? 

I knew that it would involve sadomasochism as a vehicle for personal growth and possibly spiritual growth. I never anticipated that it would also involve forgiveness, letting go of anger, acceptance of karma, and love of family. I’m quite surprised that a series with hard-core kink and blasphemy in the early volumes nevertheless develops the idea of family loyalties, unconditional love, and spiritual growth in the last two.

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader? 

(A) The Passion — probably “eclectic”! It is designed for someone who enjoys reading a romance involving classical music, hard-core kinky sex, the Holocaust, the Mafia, psychic phenomena, an esoteric notion of reincarnation (“soul fractions”), and the paranormal (a 2,000-year-old curse, personified as the Curse)! [Of course, some readers skip over parts that are not of interest.]

(B) Sherlock — Anyone who enjoys mysteries, particularly Sherlock Holmes-style. Readers do not need to know anything about chess.

What did you edit out of your book(s)? 

I had to remove scenes that served no purpose. Doesn’t everyone?

What was your hardest scene to write? 

(A) The Passion — The musical scenes moved me to tears, as did the last scenes, not because I was sad to reach the end of the saga, but because of the sentiment therein.

What do you hope your readers take away from your book(s)? 

(A) The Passion — I hope they will realize that while some people make love through the medium of sex, others make love through the medium of pain. While society tends to view the latter as “deviants” and “perverts,” we find many educated, professional, accomplished, and talented people who conduct themselves with honor and uphold the highest ethical standards within the kink community. If readers also reflect on the spiritual aspects, that will be wonderful.

(B) Sherlock — I hope merely that readers can appreciate the way deductive reasoning can apply even to “mysteries of the chess world.”

Did you get some negative feedback on your book? and if so how do you deal with that? 

Yes! I have lost friends because of The Passion. They apparently took offense at some of the material, which they denounced as “filth.” They had some choice words about me, also.

Where can people who are interested in your book, buy your book? 

The Passion of Elena Bianchi (complete)

Volumes One and Two are available at Barnes and Noble

The free prequel, Cursed Love

Sherlock Holmes and the Mysteries of the Chess World

Barnes And Nobel For Sherlock Holmes and the mysteries of the chess world

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your readers about? 

I hope to publish The Ibbur’s Tale fairly soon. This “Jewish paranormal” novella derives from tales out of the shtetlach of eastern Europe, yet it was spawned from an actual event in my mother’s family. I carry the narrative through World War Two and into the twenty-first century, where the story at last concludes.

After writing your book (s) what is your advice to people who want to become writers? What are common traps for aspiring writers, and have you faced any of them? Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones? 

(1) I advise people not to draft their Noble Prize acceptance speech and to put aside fantasies of getting rich. Most of us will never see much financial return, but the personal, psychological, and (dare I say?) spiritual returns are immense. (2) I have squandered time waiting for agents and publishers to get back to me (they rarely extend the courtesy of a reply), and I have also squandered money on marketing “specialists” who did absolutely nothing for me. Finally, I should note that publishers may overprice their books, while self-publishers can lower the cost of their titles and keep all the royalties: an argument worthy of consideration! (3) There are jerks out there who simply love to give one-star reviews, while there are some actual critics from whom we can learn. I deal with book reviews the same way I dealt with concert reviews: I read them but do not challenge or comment.

Lenny Cavallaro Media Links

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Free Prequel From The Author

Could you tell us about yourself? 

My name is Gary Blaine Randolph. I am a writer and storyteller and semi-retired software developer.  Over my career I have been a software company owner, a college professor, and a web programmer.  But in all of those roles I have always written — computer manuals, magazine articles, blogs, textbooks,  drama sketches, poems, novels, stories for telling, and more. My wife and I live in Indiana, where in  addition to writing, I cycle, play guitar, drink coffee with friends, and hang out with my grandkids. 

What is the first book you remember reading? 

A book of Sherlock Holmes short stories. I was just a kid — maybe ten years old. So the language was a  stretch for me. But I was struck not just with the brilliance of Holmes, but with the ability of Conan Doyle  to construct the plots. 

Do you listen to music while you write your books? 

No. I need complete silence so I can listen to the voices in my head. 

Where do you get your ideas for your books? 

This is probably odd, but I often, though not always, start with the title. The first book in my Galactic  Detective Agency series is A Town Called Potato. It was a random thing one of my grandsons said at  about eight years old one day while we were playing. I often keep track of the funny things my grandkids  say, but this one really stuck with me. I kept thinking about that town and why it might be called Potato.  I already knew I wanted to write a comedic mystery story with sci-fi elements, and the title just seemed  to fit. The book evolved from there, and I named the protagonist after my grandson. 

Most of my books have parody titles, such as The Maltese Salmon, which is a send up of the great noir  crime novel, The Maltese Falcon, written by Dashiell Hammett. The title came to me, and then I had to  figure out what the salmon was. What made it Maltese? How did that fit into the Galactic Detective  Agency universe? 

What part of the book was the most fun to write? 

I try to make the comedy, as well as the plot, as character-driven as possible. So the most fun is when  the dialogue and jokes flow naturally from the character’s personalities and perspectives, especially  when I have three or four characters talking past each other. 

What is your writing process like? 

I make several passes through a book I’m writing.

First draft – Tell a story. I will fix problems that I notice along the way, but mainly I am focusing on  getting the story in a rough form. 

Second draft – Write it better, patch up plot holes, and add the literary equivalent of what the painter  Bob Ross called happy little trees – the phrases and beats that make the writing sparkle. 

Use the AutoCrit program to check grammar and spelling and to check for problems in pacing, showing  vs. telling, etc. 

Line edit – Focus on grammar and punctuation while wordsmithing 

Proofread – Read out loud to find typos. And, because I can’t leave things alone, continue wordsmithing.  

Proofread again – Read out loud again, going through the book in bigger chunks to catch any remaining  plot holes as well as typos. I also use Word’s Read Aloud feature to hear the flow and to catch typos. 

Proofread one final time – Transfer the book to my Kindle app and read it there, going through the whole  thing over the course of a couple of days. 

How long did it take for you to write a book? 

Generally, two months to write the first draft plus another month or month and a half for the second  draft, followed by a couple of months for editing and proofreading. 

What do you hope your readers take away from your book(s)? 

First, some laughs, and don’t we all need a few laughs nowadays. But I don’t write it as pure escapism. I  try to hold a mirror up to human society, make fun of some things that need to be made fun of, and  hopefully give readers some new perspectives. 

Where can people who are interested in your book, buy your book ?

Website

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Interview With Author Gary Blaine Randolph Media links

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Could you tell us about yourself?

Hi Amelia, I’m an Irish writer who’s been exploring the strange stories behind English words since 2009 on my Wordfoolery blog. I love discovering history behind words. This week, for example, I wrote about anecdote which comes from a scandalous book written by a Roman historian who exposed the truth about his emperor. The book was hidden for centuries in the Vatican library.

I’ve published four books about the history of words -“Words the Vikings Gave Us” (the English words we use daily which we stole from Old Norse), “Words The Sea Gave Us” (English nautical words, phrases, and sailors’ yarns), “Modern Words with Old Roots” (the ancient history of 50 modern words from avatar to zarf), and “How To Get Your Name In The Dictionary” (soldiers, inventors, stars, and villains who gave their names to English). I also talk about words on the radio and mentor writers each November during National Novel Writing Month (see NaNoWriMo about this free writing challenge).

When I’m not writing you’ll find me reading (I love fantasy, mysteries, and history), growing my own vegetables, or hiking up a hill.

What made you write your books?

They grew naturally from my blog. I wanted the space to explore word histories in more detail and share the stories I found with a wider audience. Having learned English, Irish, French, and German at school I’ve always had a fascination with words and the interconnections between languages.

How many hours a day do you write?

As any writer will tell you, there’s writing and then there’s the paperwork, but I put in about four hours daily. Sometimes it’s eaten up by interviews, guesting on podcasts (which I love doing), research, and marketing my books. Other times it’s all writing, with a little twitter on the side. You can find me there.

What is your writing process like?

I start with my giant word list. These are words I’ve had suggested, found in old dictionaries, stumbled across online or in novels, movies, etc. I group them in categories and when I have enough candidate words for a book I list them alphabetically, research them, and write them up.

Some will lack a good story (and are scrapped), others amaze me. Topics and themes emerge to group words into chapters, and soon enough I have a first draft.

Editing includes fact-checking, careful spelling (I need to refer to Latin, Greek, Norse, Old Dutch, German, and many more to explain a word’s evolution into English), and of course ensuring the book has a coherent story to it. History has to engage and entertain the reader.

How did you publish your first book?

Although my work has featured in traditionally published anthologies, magazines, ezines, etc I decided I wanted to have full creative control of my word books. I self-published with KDP, Kindle, and Kobo in ebook and paperback formats. This took a little tech know-how and hiring help for proof-reading and the cover designs.

What kind of research do you do and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

I never stop researching words! I’m building a collection of useful reference books, thrive with language resources online, and scurry around libraries when possible. I take about two years before starting a book. As a result I am often researching one, promoting another, and writing or editing a third in the same year.

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

My ideal readers love words and are interested in the stories of people in history rather than dates of battles. We can all adore a word like serendipity but my books are for the people who like knowing the Sri Lankan folklore behind it, or that the Bluetooth symbol on our phones are the runes for a Viking king who united two countries and had a rotten tooth, or that Maria Montessori had to do her cadaver dissection training at night, alone, because she was the only female in her medicine course. I want my readers to read a page, put the book down and say “wow, I never knew that. That’s fascinating.”

Where can people who are interested in your book, buy it?

“Words the Vikings Gave Us”, “Words The Sea Gave Us”, “Modern Words with Old Roots” (ebook only), and “How To Get Your Name In The Dictionary” are available mostly via online bookshops.

All the details for various countries are available at https://wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/

I also sell signed paperback copies via my blog because people like to give them as gifts (use the same link).

Are you working on anything at present that you’d like to share?

I’m currently correcting my proof copy of “Words Christmas Gave Us” about the influence of Greeks, Romans, Vikings, Tudors, Dickens, and of course Santa Claus on worldwide traditions, merry music, decorations, and feasts. I learned so much while writing it and I’m aiming to release it in August 2023.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I shouldn’t but I do. So far they’ve all been positive and it’s wonderful to see my books read around the world from Ireland to Australia and Canada to South Korea. I save the good ones to encourage me on tough writing days.

Is there something more you want to tell us?

As a long time library user I’m a reading ambassador for my local library service and publish weekly episodes of “The Librarian’s Secret Diary”, the humourous adventures of a young librarian in a small village library in Ireland, on the reading subscription site Channillo. It’s like Netflix for books. You can find the serial at and read the first chapter for free. I’ve always written both fiction and nonfiction. I love disappearing into my fictional library each week.

Grace Tierney Media Links

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Could You Tell Us About Yourself ? 

I’ m a Hungarian Woman, who lives in Poland and writes novels in English. I’m writing  novels to entertain myself and everyone else, who is interested in my stories. So far,  I wrote a romance novel series in Hungarian, and published few chapters as a blog and  my 2 fantasy novels are written in English and are available on the main platforms,  like Amazon, Kobo, etc.  

What made you write your book (s) ?  

I was on maternity leave and during my free time, I looked for a silent hobby and  decided to write a romance novel just for fun. I did it in secret, at the beginning, not  even my husband knew about my new hobby. When I had time, even during the nights,  I switched my laptop on and typed a few sentences. This was like a relaxation activity  to me. Later, I completed my romance novel series and the ideas of both fantasy  stories came to my mind, so I wrote them down.  

What is the first book you remember reading ? 

Orson Scott Card: Seventh Son. 

How many hours a day do you write?  

It depends. I have regular work and a family, and I treat the writing as a hobby.  When I have time and idea, I write.  

What’s your favourite writing snack or drink?  

I’m trying not to eat a lot of snacks, but I always drink tea while writing and I’m  crazy about peanuts.  

Do you listen to music while you wrote your book (s) ?  

Yes, I do, mostly radio music.

 

Where do you get your idea (s) for your book (s) ?  

During my studies I used to play role playing games and remembering of such games  gave me some tips, however both my fantasy novels are originals.  

Do you try more to be original or rather give readers what they want?  

I’m writing fantasy stories and trying to be original and write different outcome to  what I’d expect. Of course, I believe in happy ending.  

How did publishing your (first) book ?  

The romance novel series was published as a blog in Hungarian, the 2 fantasy novels  are self-published as I was not lucky enough to find a literary agent.  

How do you develop your plot and characters?  

Before writing, I always have the basic idea and the main characters, but sometimes  I need to rewrite the first chapters to change the reactions/behaviours of the  characters.  

How did you come up with the title for your book (s) ?  

Both of my fantasy novels had different titles at the beginning. The first title of the  “prophecy of the twins” was “fortune tellers” and “fate readers”, but none of them  sounded well and upon finishing the novel, I changed the title to the current one.

What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?  

At first, the novel “child of nature” was written from the boy’s perspective, like the  “prophecy of the twins”, but for the better ending, I added Elyana’s perspective and  re-wrote the chapters from the beginning. That prolonged the writing with a few weeks.  

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?  

Someone, who likes to read and enjoy fantasy stories.  

How long did it take for you to write a book ?  

Average half a year/ novel.

What do you hope your readers take away from your book (s) ?  

If my readers have a few enjoying hours, what the book’s adventure gives to them, I  reached my goal. 

Did you get some negative feedback on your book ? and if so how do you deal  with that ?  

For my first novel, I received very positive feedback, however, the literary agencies  didn’t think the same way, so I wrote another novel in another style, and I received  very negative feedback from the same company. It made me very sad and  disappointed, but I decided that I’ll keep writing and in the style what I like.  

Where can people who are interested in your book, buy your book ?  

The books are available on Amazon, Kobo, etc, many platforms, and the links for each  book can be found on my own website

Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with your  readers about?  

I’m working on the prequel of the “Prophecy of the twins”. 

After writing your book (s) what is your advice to people who want to become  writers?  

Just keep writing and never give up.  

What are common traps for aspiring writers and have you faced any of them ?  

As a non-native English-speaking person, it is a huge challenge to find someone, who  can edit and proofread your novel and you simply have to believe that a good-quality  job is provided and your novel sounds like a novel written by a native person.

Talissa Oshrigar Media Links

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About me

I am 80 years old, now a widow, after 53 years of a very happy marriage. I have two daughters, one of whom is married and has a teen-age son. I live alone in a retirement village, surrounded by other residents of similar age groups. We socialize together, and look after each other. I am a retired botanist. I studied Australia’s native plants for many years, and also taught in universities, secondary schools, and in adult education.

Why I wrote the book The Redgens of Redford

As a child in the 1950s, I grew up on a farm, long before the days of the internet, mobile phones, and most modern appliances. The farming methods my family used would now be considered antiquated. But very little has ever been published about the way we lived then. I wanted to record it, both for my own family members, and also for the wider Australian population. It is a way of life that has vanished, but should never be forgotten.

Reading

I have been reading books as long as I can remember. I can’t tell you the very first one, but it was probably one of the classic Australian books about our native animals, koalas, platypus, and kookaburras. There was also a book about little people who dressed in flowers of gum trees, and lived among the animals….’Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’.

Favourite book and author?

Too many books to list them all! But probably ‘Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, would be high on the list.

How long did it take you to write?

The book probably took 40 years to write. I live far from my childhood home, and was often very homesick. I managed by writing down stories of my childhood, and they just sat on my computer hard-disc. It was only in the last 3 or 4 years that I set about pulling them together, adding to them, and getting them ready for publication.

The most difficult part?

I was the youngest of 4 children. My parents both died before 2000, and my 3 siblings have also passed away. So now I have no-one who can check my memories for accuracy. I just acknowledge that my memories may sometimes be faulty.

First publication

I used assisted publication. I employed a publishing house to edit my text, and to handle printing and distribution. I over-estimated the number of copies needed, so have quite a few remaining. This was an expensive mistake. However, I am very happy with the presentation of the finished product. The publisher also submitted the eBook to Amazon for me.

When it was finally printed.

The publisher sent me a proof copy of the book, and that was a major step in my life. Holding those pages made me so proud and excited. I was also very nervous to find out what my friends and family would think of my efforts. Thankfully, everyone seems pleased with the result.

Overall, I feel very satisfied that I published this book.

Extra information

There was not room in my book for all the memories of my childhood and early life. For months, I have been writing blogs about many more aspects, and I then publish them on my website. Maybe there will eventually be enough blogs to pull together into another book. Also on my website, you can buy a paperback copy of the book, direct from the printer. There are also links to Amazon kindle, where you can buy my other books.

My fiction books.

Since the Redgens of Redford was published, I have also begun publishing romance novellas, some linked to the writing of Jane Austen. I self-publish on Amazon Kindle.

My writing space

I have encouraging mottos pinned up over my desk e.g.:

‘I’m not perfect, but I’m enough.’ 

‘I’m not 80; I’m 16 with 64 years of experience.’

There is also my favorite photo of my late husband, smiling down on me.

How do I celebrate finishing a book?

I start planning the next book (or 2).

Music?

I usually have the radio playing classical music, as it makes the house seem less empty.

Where ideas come from

Now I write romances, which I set in Australian country towns. The ideas sometimes come from Jane Austen’s novels, sometimes from my own past experiences.

Process

I develop quite a detailed outline of the plot, so that it makes sense. [using Obsidian, a  very helpful online tool.] I make sure I have an introduction section, a problem to be solved, difficulties along the way, a climax, and somewhere a twist, that will surprise both me and the reader.

Then I start writing, and the characters often take me in unexpected directions, so the outline has to rewritten!

Am I Original or follow a path?

A bit of both. The memoir had to tell the story I promised. Romances expect a happy ending, which I have to provide. Not many such books are set in Australia, so I can introduce an Australian flavour, and that is original. Sometimes the expected romances don’t work out.

Research

My fiction stories are set in towns I personally know well, but I also check many details online. 

My characters

My characters are combinations of people I have known during my long life. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don’t. Sometimes they develop their own ideas, and take me in directions I did not expect. I check Google for lists of baby’s names in the years my characters would have been born. That gives me a better idea of what to call them.

Favourite part of publication

Getting good reviews. I also had some very bad reviews for my first fiction novel, complaining about the spelling and other editing mistakes. When I checked, I found I had uploaded an earlier, uncorrected version of the text. Of course, I uploaded the corrected version as soon as I could, but the negative comments are still there. Despite that, the book continues to sell well. A lesson learned.

My Happy Marriage

My darling late husband developed dementia when he was in his 70s. We lived with it together for 9 years, but then he went into residential care for more than 5 years. He died in late December 2021.

I contemplated writing a non-fiction book, telling the whole story of our long battle with this disease. But it would have been very traumatic for me, and I doubt I would ever have completed it. I dropped that idea, even though I have many diary records created over the years.

I am currently working on a fiction novel, in which my heroine lives with her father who is developing dementia. I want to show some of the heartache and problems involved, but also show, that life MUST go on for the rest of the family. My heroine will emerge from the experience a wiser person, with the rest of a good life before her. I don’t know yet whether she will have a romance, but I know she will be a great success at whatever she decides to do.

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