If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

To be honest, although I loved reading books as a child, I didn't have a passion to write until I was 51 years old in 2004, when my husband was stationed in Iraq. I wrote to my husband faithfully every day, either by email or by letter, sharing news of life back home in West Hartford, CT. It was therapeutic for me to write creatively from my heart in a positive and humorous manner. It helped me to continue to be optimistic and lighthearted during a difficult year when my husband was so far from home.



What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?
I am a Christian and I am convinced that it was the Lord that put the desire in my heart to write to my husband words that would be uplifting and inspiring. In order to do that, I needed to keep a positive outlook. I found that the words I wrote had the power to help me stay hopeful and cheerful in the daily grind of life and also had the power to encourage and bless my husband as he looked forward to reading news about family and friends back home.

Have you read anything that made you think differently about fiction?

Most books of fiction that I have read are entertaining but I found "The Pilgrim's Progress" by John Bunyon not only enjoyable but also very inspiring. It is an allegory about the journey of a person called Christian from his home to the Celestial City or Heaven. He encountered much hardship along the way that threatened him many times and made it difficult to remain on the right path. I could relate to it as a Christian in my own life and was encouraged and inspired in my own walk with the Lord.

What is your favorite childhood book?

Although I enjoyed reading the Nancy Drew mystery books as a child, I think that my favorite childhood book is "The Diary of Anne Frank". It had a deep impact on me. I loved how she wrote so honestly from her heart about her daily life. When I first read the book, I was probably about the same age as Anne Frank when she wrote it. I could relate to her when she shared the mixed emotions she was having as an adolescent. And, In spite of the terrible conditions of her daily life, she wrote these profound words, "Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart." That statement really touched my heart.

What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
When I am in the flow of writing, I lose all sense of time and can easily write for hours. When I wrote my 1st book "From My Heart to Yours: A Legacy of Love" I spent many hours at a time sitting in my recliner using my laptop computer to write. I remember one time that I was literally sitting for hours writing and found that, when I finally did stand up, I was so stiff that I actually had trouble walking. :) So, for me, the most difficult part of the artistic process is to be patient, pace myself, and take breaks periodically.

Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is sitting in my recliner with either pen and paper or my laptop computer. And my favorite time to write is during my quiet time with the Lord in the morning. That is usually when the Lord places an idea about something on my heart. For example, my 2nd book "My Season of Writing: Bible Bedtime Stories, Poems, Prayers, and Songs" was written during my morning quiet time with the Lord. That is when I first got the deep desire to write some bible bedtime stories and prayers as nursery rhymes for my grandchildren to read at bedtime. After many months of writing, I decided to have the collection of poems published to share not only with my grandchildren but with my family and friends. I am currently writing essays about the importance of "hope" in different situations in life and posting them on my Facebook Community Page called "Hope for the Daily Grind: Morning Meditations on God's Word".