I grew up watching my mother pound stories out on her typewriter using her own hunt and peck method. If my typing teacher had timed us, I'm sure Mother would have beaten me hands down (lol). I won't tell you the age I started writing or how long it took me to finish my first novel, but you can be sure both numbers are higher than you want to count. Lest you think I stand alone as a late bloomer, you might be surprised at the impressive company I keep. Laura Wilder, of "Little House" fame, published her first novel in her mid-sixties, as did Frank McCort for Angela's Ashes. Raymond Chandler's first novel debuted when he was fifty-one, another author in her late seventies. James Michener, you've all heard of him, was a young whippersnapper of 40.
Transplanted from Michigan, I live with my husband in sunny Florida (at least compared to The Mitten--for you non Michiganders, that's the shape of the lower peninsula). I spend my days writing, golfing, and playing. When do I find time to write? I'm a morning person, rising at five A.M. I work until noon, sometimes longer if nothing else is going on. My hubby and I have five children between us and nine grands. Unfortunately, none live nearby.
I like to think of my first novel, Dance of Deception, as a legacy to the thirty-one years I spent as a teacher/counselor in an urban school district. It is a work of fiction and none of the characters or events should be misconstrued as real. But I will admit some of the scenes, not many, are based on my experiences over the years. I did have to research a number of issues, and I blame Alex for that. If she hadn't gotten into trouble every time she jumped on a clue, my job would have been a whole lot easier.
When I first got an inkling to write (long before I actually put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard) I thought nonfiction and I would be a good fit. Why? Because I didn't think I had a novel in me. I started out writing a caregiver's handbook after witnessing second hand the heartbreak and stress around-the-clock care of loved ones caused. Mind you, this was years before you could go into any bookstore or library and find a wealth of information on the subject. A lost opportunity. My next attempt was entitled The Second Time Around and I began writing it when I met my husband. That too ended up in the circular file. (The chapters I'd written, not my spouse.) I realize now I lacked the passion needed to bring either project to completion.
Dance of Deception evolved over many years. I wrote it, rewrote it, edited it, re-edited it countless times until I finally said, "Enough." I also changed the title over and over until I settled on this one. I stole it right out of the protagonist's mouth in the audio book I listened to in the car. I hope you enjoy(ed) it. Currently, I'm in the process of writing Death by Default. Another mystery, but with a whole new set of characters. Upon its completion I will begin an Alex T and Co. sequel. I don't think it'll take as long to write because the characters will most likely write their parts themselves. I already know the premise of the story and how I want to develop it. The working title will be Trapped in Deception.
Transplanted from Michigan, I live with my husband in sunny Florida (at least compared to The Mitten--for you non Michiganders, that's the shape of the lower peninsula). I spend my days writing, golfing, and playing. When do I find time to write? I'm a morning person, rising at five A.M. I work until noon, sometimes longer if nothing else is going on. My hubby and I have five children between us and nine grands. Unfortunately, none live nearby.
I like to think of my first novel, Dance of Deception, as a legacy to the thirty-one years I spent as a teacher/counselor in an urban school district. It is a work of fiction and none of the characters or events should be misconstrued as real. But I will admit some of the scenes, not many, are based on my experiences over the years. I did have to research a number of issues, and I blame Alex for that. If she hadn't gotten into trouble every time she jumped on a clue, my job would have been a whole lot easier.
When I first got an inkling to write (long before I actually put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard) I thought nonfiction and I would be a good fit. Why? Because I didn't think I had a novel in me. I started out writing a caregiver's handbook after witnessing second hand the heartbreak and stress around-the-clock care of loved ones caused. Mind you, this was years before you could go into any bookstore or library and find a wealth of information on the subject. A lost opportunity. My next attempt was entitled The Second Time Around and I began writing it when I met my husband. That too ended up in the circular file. (The chapters I'd written, not my spouse.) I realize now I lacked the passion needed to bring either project to completion.
Dance of Deception evolved over many years. I wrote it, rewrote it, edited it, re-edited it countless times until I finally said, "Enough." I also changed the title over and over until I settled on this one. I stole it right out of the protagonist's mouth in the audio book I listened to in the car. I hope you enjoy(ed) it. Currently, I'm in the process of writing Death by Default. Another mystery, but with a whole new set of characters. Upon its completion I will begin an Alex T and Co. sequel. I don't think it'll take as long to write because the characters will most likely write their parts themselves. I already know the premise of the story and how I want to develop it. The working title will be Trapped in Deception.
