I
love the Ancient and Medieval Worlds! As a retired English teacher, I
hope to inspire young readers to read more through my Quest Books.
Please follow me on this adventure. On Carpinello’s Writing Pages, I interview other children/MG/Tween/YA authors. At The Quest Books,
I’ve teamed up with Fiona Ingram from South Africa and Wendy
Leighton-Porter of England/France/Abu Dhabi to enable readers to find
all of our Ancient and Medieval quest books in one place.
My husband and I met in college. We have been married many years! Our son and daughter are both married. Our son and his wife have a 5 1/2 year old boy and a daughter on the way. Our daughter and her husband have a 1 1/2 year old boy. We are thrilled to be grandparents to such beautiful children! Our oldest grandson is an expert on bugs! Colorado has always been our home, and we are both natives. Although we have traveled quite a bit, we have found nowhere else where the four seasons are so evident.
What book should everybody read at least once?
My choice would be the plays of Shakespeare. His histories, comedies, and tragedies contain such insights into the human character! Whether it was one man or several who wrote the plays, it is hard to deny the continued relevance to today’s world. I find that each time I read one, I discover something new I missed in a previous reading.
What is hardest - getting published, writing, or marketing?
Today, with the ability of writers to self-publish their work, I think that marketing has taken on a bigger portion of a writer’s time. Self-publishing opened up the somewhat hidden publishing arena. Writers are finding out that promotion is not simple; books do not sell themselves; and most writers are not publicists. I’ve found marketing to be a larger learning curve, in part, because I’ve had to learn so much in such a short time.
What other jobs have you had in your life?
I’m a retired high school English teacher. Teaching is a wonderful profession, and I probably wouldn’t have retired after 25 years, if I could have figured out how to teach writing and literature without having to read and grade between 900 and 1000 essays and research papers each year! I love working with young adults.
My love of traveling fueled my part time job with a major airline. After working nights and weekends for 12 years, I retired and now enjoy life-time flights benefits. I also volunteer at our airport and enjoy helping travelers find their way.
How do you write - laptop, pen & paper, in bed, at a desk?
I always handwrite all my first drafts. Throughout my 24 years of teaching writing, I have found that students who write on a computer rarely go back and edit. They regard the computer page as the finished product. I’m always amazed at the amount of editing I do when I transfer my written pages to my laptop. Along that same line, I’ve found that printing out the subsequent drafts facilitates my editing. Once again, the computer page is too often considered the final draft.
I try to follow a set writing schedule, but life interferes too much. When I’m unable to physically write, I write in my head. I can write just about anywhere: on the front porch, the back patio, or my living room couch. One constant element of my writing routine is that I either have music on, or one of my favorite movies.
What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
Without a doubt, that would be Las Vegas! Unlike so many people who go there to gamble and see the shows, I love Las Vegas because I like to stay up late and get up late! It’s the perfect place for me. That’s not to say that I don’t gamble a bit, I do. I also love to read by the pool and eat at the Flamingo buffet!
Do you have an organized process or tips for writing well? Do you have a writing schedule?
My writing does follow certain steps. First, I spend time just thinking about what I want to write. This encompasses who my characters will be, what challenges they will face, the background of the story, who my potential readers will be, and what the story may look like as a whole.
My next step is to do a rough outline of the story. This is usually a brief chapter by chapter synopsis. Then I spend some time reflecting on this.
As I sit down to write, I tend to write straight through to the end. This can take me several months depending on how quickly or slowly the story develops. I mark areas that are not working or that need further description and/or research to come back to later.
Once that first draft is written, I let it and me rest for a few days while I catch up on other things. Then I put my written draft in the computer.
From here on out, I print out copies, edit, enter my additions/deletions, and then start over again. I usually go through five or six rough drafts before coming close to my final draft. All of my drafts are read by my copy/content editor. What I consider my final draft goes through a professional edit which usually runs three rounds.
Action Adventure Kindle Book
Three Friends. Three Quests. Three Mysterious Predictions.
At Pembroke Castle in medieval Wales,11-year-old Prince Gavin, 13-year-old orphan Philip, and 15-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan, brought together in friendship by the one they call The Wild Man, embark upon a quest to save The Wild Man's life when he is accused of murder and robbery. If they have any hope of succeeding, the three will have to confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. But it is the arrival of King Arthur and what he reveals that surprises characters and readers.
Three Friends. Three Quests. Three Mysterious Predictions.
At Pembroke Castle in medieval Wales,11-year-old Prince Gavin, 13-year-old orphan Philip, and 15-year-old blacksmith's apprentice Bryan, brought together in friendship by the one they call The Wild Man, embark upon a quest to save The Wild Man's life when he is accused of murder and robbery. If they have any hope of succeeding, the three will have to confront their fears and insecurities, and one of them will have to disclose the biggest secret of all. But it is the arrival of King Arthur and what he reveals that surprises characters and readers.
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Purchase Links for Young Knights of the Round Table: The King’s Ransom
1 comment:
Thanks for hosting me!
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