Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I was born in Texas but have lived in Oklahoma for over forty-five years. I’ve written short stories for a now-defunct magazine, wrote monthly devotionals, contributed to an anthology, and self-published the following novels—Self Ambition, Real Love, and Breathe for Me. I am a member of The Romance Writers of America, Inc.
I’ve been married for fifty years, am a mother of two, grandmother to ten, and great-grandmother to one.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
“Breathe for Me” is my latest book and the inspiration for this book came from Sandra Brown’s “Deadline.” The moment I read the diary of one of the characters, the idea for this book took off. The rest is history.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don’t have any unusual writing habits. Like most writers, I get up in the wee hours of the morning and work until 9:00 p.m. The one thing I do to prepare for publishing is run my novel through ProWritingAid, Grammarly, and WordRake one paragraph at a time. This process takes about two weeks, working from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Though this is very tedious and time-consuming, it yields a very polished end product.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
The authors who have most influenced me are: Judith McNaught – though Judith hasn’t been heard from for over ten to fifteen years, her novel “Until You” still inspires me. I’m also a fan of Sandra Brown. But the most notable writers who inspire me are: C.J. Box, William Kent Krueger, and John Hart.
What are you working on now?
My present work-in-progress is a family saga which is set in Louisiana. It’s a rich tale about a fifty-year-old widow who, due to the recent death of her husband, is forced back “home” to claim land she doesn’t believe belongs to her. The city holds secrets and she’s cornered into reliving them through someone who holds the key to everyone she once hated, including her own mother.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
To promote my books, I use Facebook.com, Allauthors.com, Bookbub.com, Goodreads.com, and my website: https://awriterfirst.wordpress.com
Do you have any advice for new authors?
My advice to new authors is to read in the genre they plan to write in. My second piece of advice is to invest money into good editing software such as ProWritingAid, Grammarly, and WorkRake. ProWritingAid is excellent at pointing out “passive voice,” a weakness of mine. ProWritingAid and Grammarly can sometimes cause glitches in your document if you enable both programs at the same time. Be sure to disable one while working with the other.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
SHOW don’t TELL: showing your readers what’s going on stirs their emotions and connects them to your characters. Readers don’t want a laundry list of events. They want their five senses and emotional state of mind twisted into knots. Accommodate them.
What are you reading now?
I’m reading several books: A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith, King of Lies by John Hart, and Redemption Road by John Hart.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’m actively pursuing a consult with my editor for my family saga I hope to publish in December 2024. I want to get the beginning of the book right because there’s a lot going on in the first chapter. I’m also finishing the outlines of two romantic suspense novels with detective-police and political elements. My hope is to complete these books and have one of them, if not both, published by 2026.
What is your favorite book of all time?
There are too many to name, but to narrow a few down, I would say my favorites are any of the books John Hart, William Kent Krueger, and C.J. Box write.
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