Sharon CassanoLochman Interview Published on: 13, Jun 2018

I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Rochester, New York when I was a teenager. My parents were professionals employed at a well-known Rochester-based company.

I was a preschool and elementary school teacher. I witnessed firsthand that children have a preference for what they like to read and write. Also, if they fall in love with a book they fall in love with reading. Like a child, I write about issues and topics that are of interest to me; and if I’m writing for children, I write through the eyes and mind of a child.

The spiritual verses flow naturally without worry for the logistics of writing and leave me in a place of calm and serenity.

I do not write for any specific religious or spiritual group. We all know sadness, even though our suffering may be for different reasons. We all know grief, even though we may grieve differently. We share in the ups and downs of life. We share in our joys and our hopes for peaceful tomorrows—regardless our creed or nation.

I have a son that is a phenomenal writer; his debut novel is scheduled for publication in 2019. He is a constant inspiration in that he continues to dream and reach for the stars.

Writing is my reason for being. It is my passion. It is my joy and occasionally my frustration.

I love the outdoors and spend much of my time outside regardless the weather.

As a child, I loved Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. As an adult, I fell in love with John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. I felt as though I was in the back of the truck with the dusty road grit between my teeth along with the family forced cross-country.

The Thirty-One-Day Challenge encourages positive self-esteem. It is thirty-one days of changing old destructive thought patterns of insignificance and unworthiness. The Thirty-One-Day Challenge gently offers a new perspective on self-esteem from many directions.

I am humbled to be where I am at this stage of my profession. My mantra for success is to keep writing, and eventually, the writing skills will catch up with the story.

I wrote the rough draft for Man with the Sand Dollar Face in less than twenty-four hours. I tried to stay out of my way and allow the book to come forth on its own. The story played out in my mind like a movie. It was a fun and quirky way to write. I wrote without concern for where I was going or how the story would end. I believe Man with the Sand Dollar Face was inspired by my self-awareness of the honors and freedom associated with being a sixty-something woman—and possibly a little quirky in my own right.

I meditate periodically throughout the day which keeps me balanced in the moment and not looking back to the past or worrying about the future.

I like to challenge myself to try something new. I don’t put restrictions on myself or my writing abilities. Some projects are more challenging than others, but that’s what keeps my pencil sharp.

I’m working on an adult fiction that deals with Quantum Physics that I hope to have ready for publication in 2019 as well as a sequel to Man with the Sand Dollar Face.