Featured Author Archive

For my first novel, Story of a Stolen Girl, my goal was to raise awareness of human trafficking in the United States. Most people mistakenly believe trafficking only happens in poor, underdeveloped countries by scummy-looking drug dealers. However, this is so untrue. Human trafficking happens in every country in the world and in every state in the United States. Doctors, lawyers, business people, hairstyling salon owners, mechanics, and folks from most any other profession you can think of as well as gangs and individual criminals commit this crime.

The stories of true-life survivors inspired me, so I wove their stories into Story of a Stolen Girl. Additionally, I had a burning desire to write a novel in which the women take charge when official channels fail. The heroes in this novel are female.

For my novels currently in the midst of the publishing process, Sticks in a Bundle was inspired by a woman who shared her life’s stories while riding on a rickety old bus between Zimbabwe and South Africa. My mother’s experiences as one of eight children abandoned with her three youngest brothers at a Catholic orphanage in Pueblo, Colorado, provided inspiration for Golden Boxty in the Frypan.

I was pretty successful with my nonfiction writing in that I traditionally published everything I wrote and was paid for it! The first and only publisher I queried contracted for my nonfiction book on color in the 1990s. Imagine that! I also wrote for a trade journal, a column for a large newspaper, and served as contributing editor for a tabletop magazine. With the support of a writing critique group and cover design by my husband, I self-published my first novel, Story of a Stolen Girl. For my next novels, I sent out queries and accepted contracts with small traditional publishers: A trilogy titled Sticks in a Bundle with Scarsdale Publishing and Golden Boxty in the Frypan with Pen It Publications. I expect these novels to be available later this year.

I suffer withdrawal when forced to go over two days without writing, so I try to write every day. When I am home the entire day, I carve out time (between the few household chores I do) in the mornings and then again in the afternoon until time to get in my jammies and zone out in front of the TV. My brain tends to fry after two hours of creative writing, so I take breaks. Sometimes we walk on the beach or ride our ebikes to the harbor for lunch and a glass of wine.

Names for my works of fiction often come to me as my main character channels through me. Others, I conduct internet searches for names that represent the appropriate era and country.

Technology! If the tiniest thing goes wrong, I am totally baffled as to how to resolve the problem. For that reason, and because I want help with marketing, I published my upcoming novels through traditional publishers.

With my nonfiction writing, the publisher handled visuals. In fiction, the only image of my own that I have used is the cover of Oceanside: A Healing Place, a short story published on Amazon. That image is a photo I took off my balcony while living in Oceanside, California.

Since I have no books set aside, let me share a marvelous personal experience now incorporated into my upcoming trilogy, Sticks in a Bundle.

My husband and I were on a jeep safari in South Africa when we stopped to watch a small parade of elephants with a single calf. As we waited for the herd to walk in whichever direction they chose, we spotted two giraffes peeking over the top of a Giraffe Thorn Acacia tree. I whispered, “How can nature watching get any better than this?” But it did get better. Three lions slipped out of the bush and walked in front of our jeep. They ignored us, the giraffes, and the elephants. These magnificent lions calmly padded across the dirt road, undeterred from their quest to get to the watering hole. Absolutely marvelous!

My favorite promotional activities are in person events such as readings, signings, book fairs, and guest speaking. I do presentations, including zoom, about my books, writing processes, and human trafficking to books clubs, community groups, and service clubs. I rely heavily on social media, posting on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to connect with readers and writers. I have a large email list of fans, friends, and other authors who seem to welcome hearing from me (that’s probably because I am frugal about sending emails. They don’t hear from me often.)

For books I sell in person, I created a hand-signed note that I slip in the back of the book telling the reader I would be honored if they posted a review on Amazon, Goodreads, and/or BookBub. I do lots of reviews for authors I meet at writing events or online.

I read the reviews I receive and thank the reader. My worst review so far (knock on wood) is a 3-star on Amazon with no explanatory written comments. I was wounded—for 30 seconds. Then I poured myself a glass of wine and went back to writing.

I prefer to read print books because I enjoy holding the book, turning the pages, and feeling the paper. Unfortunately, my close-up vision is worsening and reading on my eReader is easier on my eyes.

This past month I read and reviewed five books written by indie authors because my goal is to spend time every month supporting my fellow writers. The last traditionally published book I read was West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. I like way too many authors to list them all, but those who come to mind are Barbara Kingsolver, Lisa Lee, and Delia Owens.

I think this scary thing of AI writing is the big new issue.

I would spend more time plotting, outlining, and organizing my research notes before I go wild and start pantsing.

First, stay true to your heart. Second, be careful who you take advice from. Third, read everything you can about the craft of writing, attend classes and workshops, whether online or in person, join a good critique group, and never stop learning. Every skill you develop will make you a happier writer.