Can you tell us more about your background as a psychiatric nurse and how it influenced your writing?
I am an RN with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a Master’s in English literature. I fell in love with psychiatric nursing as a student nurse but became convinced that Shakespeare knew more about psychology than most psychiatrists. My husband, a social worker at the time, and I ran a group home for boys with emotional and behavioral problems. I wrote and sold a few articles/stories early in my career. I was published in Chicken Soup for the Sisters Soul.
How did the success of your first book impact your writing career?
My first book, How to Survive Menopause Without Going Crazy, sold to a small press in New York. It dealt with the emotional aspects of menopause. It was used as a text for nurses. I found that this book along with an article sold to the magazine section of a New Orleans newspaper about an Amtrak trip were both written with a sense of humor. I learned I could make people laugh. The next five books in the Sisters Series were humorous ones.
How do you balance the emotional and technical aspects of your writing, given your background in psychiatry?
All of my characters are fictional but all have characteristics of real life people I know or have known. One of my books, Jude’s Bench, contains several examples of “my life as written.”
You’ve written on a variety of topics. How do you choose the themes or genres for your books?
I write about what’s happening. Either in my life or in the world. One of my books I would like to promote these days, Senior Camp 2035 is a dystopian novel about Senior genocide in an America that is ruled by a dictator.
Can you give us a brief overview of "The Little House of Healing" and what readers can expect from it?
The Little House of Healing is about nine individuals—including a newly divorced woman and a resilient cancer warrior—who find solace and a fresh start in a peaceful Bay cottage. Hopefully the reader will be inspired and uplifted.
Your latest book, "The Little House of Healing," is set on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. What inspired this setting? How do you develop your characters, especially those dealing with psychological and emotional challenges?
The Little House of Healing is set in my happy place, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. My home is about a block from the Bay. I have rented out the small cottage next door to my house for years. And not one of my characters in the book is based on any of these real life renters. All of the characters, however, are developed from my personal and psychiatric experiences.
What challenges have you faced as an author, and how have you overcome them?
The greatest challenge as a writer is having my work read and appreciated by readers. I have been writing for many years and was one of the first to use print on demand. Saved lots of hours and agony trying to get published. Today, the biggest challenge is promotion. Most writers know how to write. That’s our passion. But we don’t know how to sell our work.
How do you manage your time between writing, personal life, and other commitments?
When I am working on a book, I choose a certain time to go to my office (writing space) and begin writing. I may write one word, one sentence, one paragraph, one chapter. It doesn’t matter. I write something! It usually takes a year to write a book. Writing is work. But writing is fun!
Are there any upcoming projects or books you are currently working on that you can share with us?
Between books now. One day, I will just know what my next book will be about and I will start writing.
How has your experience of being associated with AllAuthor been?
I love AllAuthor! I don’t do much advertising these days because it is so expensive with very little sales, but you guys are so much fun to work with. Thank you so much.
