Why do you write?
There are two answers to that question. Initially, before I published and gained a readership, I wrote because the words whirled in my head until they demanded to be put on paper, where they seemed quite content to remain. Now that my books have been read and I’ve heard the reaction from readers I also write for more of that kind of connection. I’m no longer content to keep my writing hidden. Whatever the reaction of readers now, the relationship we share is strongly addictive.
Have you always enjoyed writing?
I probably wrote my first “piece” before my tenth birthday. I was always scribbling something in notebooks, although the stories rarely got off the ground. In my teens, I wrote constantly, badly, and for the sheer satisfaction of pushing words around into ideas and images. All it took was a teacher or two telling me I had a “way” with words, and I was a writer. Anyone who writes knows the enjoyment is more like a compulsion and often comes at a price.
What motivates you to write?
That varies. At times I write to meet a self-imposed deadline. At other times I write because I need to. Once a story is underway, I can’t wait to see where it’s going. I get attached to my characters and feel the need for their company. Then there are times when I just want to doodle with an idea, put down a scene that pops into my head, just in case someday it proves to have potential I don’t have the time to pursue at the moment.
What are you most proud of in your personal life?
Surviving. I’m proud to have survived parental suicide, my own bout with bipolar disorder, and an abusive marriage. I didn’t survive without help, by any means. But looking back, it was that determination I mentioned earlier that kept me looking up for a way to the top and not looking down at where I might have stayed.
What books did you love growing up?
Everything by Louisa Alcott. Historical fiction, particularly British. I read “Gone With the Wind” at age 12 and moved on to the classics before they were on the required reading lists for my grade level. Hemingway remains my idol for the stunningly photographic quality of his writing.
Who is your favorite author?
Impossible to name one. I’ve enjoyed everyone from P.G. Wodehouse and Agatha Christie to Maeve Binchy and Jan Karon. When I find a writer I enjoy, I try to read as much of their work as I can. Then I move on to another.
What book should everyone read at least once?
The one they always wanted to read, but haven’t gotten around to yet. Recently, I challenged myself to read Les Miserable. I’d started it half-a-dozen times. This time was the right time and it took me on an unforgettable journey.
~~Miracle at Valley Rise Series~~
Hearts Unfold~Book One
Entreat Me Not~Book Two
Heart of My Own Heart~Book Three
Offered for Love~Book Four
A secret Christmas homecoming, a blinding snowstorm, and in the course of one night two shattered lives will be changed forever.Nineteen-year-old Emily Haynes had lost almost everything she loved. Relying on what seems to be guidance from her invalid father, she returns to her past in hopes of discovering some sign toward the future. What begins as a joyous homecoming quickly becomes a nightmare when a badly injured stranger stumbles on the scene, his brief presence threatening to alter everything Emily believes about herself and the plan for her life. A less determined girl might have been shaken by such an experience, but not Emily. She is certain she's made the right choice, so certain that in the following three years, she almost convinces herself.
Superstar violinist Stani Moss appeared to have everything--fame, fortune and a career guaranteed to bring more of the same, until one hasty decision placed it all in jeopardy. Terrified and confused, Stani struggles not only to recover his former skill, but to find answers to the questions which haunt him. Throughout his slow journey back, one image lingers in his buried memories of that fateful night--the vision of a girl he's never met. The journey will eventually lead him to Emily, and beyond that day, everything about his life will be transformed.
Set in the years around 1970, Hearts Unfold begins the saga of two people whose paths should never have crossed, who defy the odds to create a place they can share. The first of four volumes in the Miracle at Valley Rise Series, this novel could stand alone as a triumphant tale of romance, but there's much more to the story, as Emily and Stani reveal their pasts and strive to bridge the distance between their worlds. Follow their progress, be entertained by their adventures, and perhaps be inspired by their unwavering belief in the transforming power of love.
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Genre - Women's Fiction, Saga Fiction
Rating – PG-13
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