As a descendant
of Judith and Baldwin, the author discovered their intriguing story while doing
a genealogical project. This journey inspired her to research everything about
the 9 th Century – including food, politics, travel, war, education, clothing, jewelry,
religion, holidays, marriage customs, and medicine. She loves talking about
this remarkable time in history when the European countries we know today were
being formed and fighting for their very existence.
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GUEST POST
What is something unique/quirky about you? I acted in local theater for several years, I love Yorkies, and I lived in Germany for 12 years total.
Describe yourself in 5 words or less! Serious thinker
Do you have a favorite movie? Black and white classics
Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie? The Girl of Many Crowns has already drawn attention and discussions about possible mini-series.
As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal? A Yorkie
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? I enjoyed it most, discovering all the surprising historical turn of events that happened in this story. They were exciting, delightful, and hysterical. I kept telling myself you can’t even make this stuff up. Fact is stranger than fiction.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick? Baldwin wanted to serve his king and country and protect the people. He was truly altruistic. Judith had a similar mindset although she did it in a different way. Her original sole goal was to help her father and serve him in his kingdom, but in the end, she had to choose between her desire to serve her father and not compromising herself.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? No, Judith was a young girl in the book.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers? Write your own family history stories. Let other descendants read about their family stories.
What is your favorite part of this book and why? When Baldwin finally tells Judith how he feels about her.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? I would love to meet, interview, and pick the minds of all of the characters in the book. But if there were only one, I could meet it would be Baldwin to watch him training for battle. To see his horsemanship and learn more about his battle style.
Have you written any other books that are not published? Yes. I have 1 children’s book I wrote for my children that is not published and 1 planned educational book that is my personal teaching method for teaching children to read. It has worked well for my family, friends, and neighbors. I also am starting on the Prequel to The Girls of Many Crowns. I also collaborated on writing the book and lyrics for a musical version of Pride and Prejudice.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be? It would be spice, intrigue, maybe a hint of sweet… I guess a Sandalwood scented candle.
What made you decide to get the book made into an audiobook? I know several people that prefer that format and I felt that it could reach more readers by having an audiobook version.
Who did the narration on the audiobook and what made you choose them? I chose to do it myself with an AI assist as I have training in audio recording.
What goes into making an audiobook? Lots of hours of recording sessions and making sure you are in the right environment for recording.
How many audiobooks do you currently have and are there any more on the horizon? This is my first audiobook, but when I finish the prequel, I will do another audiobook.
What’s the biggest challenge about producing an audiobook? Making sure the recording is just right.
Do you prefer to listen to audiobooks or read a book? Read a book
How long have you been writing? I’ve enjoyed writing ever since I was a child.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? I use everything from the internet, to going to the library. I use every possible resource I can find including dissertations or master theses. I research the era, the food, and the medicine before I write about it. I am someone that is very uncomfortable writing about things I do not understand. So, I immerse myself in research before beginning writing.
Do you see writing as a career?
What do you think about the current publishing market? It’s a complicated market that takes a lot of time and research to understand. It’s not something easily done overnight.
Do you read yourself and if so, what is your favorite genre? I like anything well written. I am very eclectic in my reading. My favorite would probably be Historical Fiction, Mystery, and Fantasy.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? I prefer to write in silence so that I am not easily distracted.
Pen or type writer or computer? Used to always be pen, but now I have transitioned to computer.
A day in the life of the author? No two days are the same. I start my mornings with my husband and Yorkie. My husband and I like to play puzzle games together. I do my best writing in the mornings so this is a good time to write. Then I work through my schedule whether it is shopping or chores that need to be done, appointments or events I have, family management tasks, or researching my next novel. Then I end my day with doing a puzzle with my husband and relaxing with my Yorkie, Max. Sometimes we will watch a movie before we go to bed.
Advice they would give new authors? Learn to love rewriting, because that is where your manuscript goes from a good idea into a polished gem. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism, use it to make your writing better. Also remember that not everyone will understand your journey so keep working on your manuscript and keep submitting it for review.
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers? This book was different as the outline was already provided for me by history. It was basically reading about the events that occurred during that year and making sense of it in my own mind, then sleeping on it, and I would write about it in the morning. If you want to write just to be a popular author, then you have to follow what the trend of the day is and do what other authors are doing. If you want to create something special and unique, then you can’t do what everyone else is doing.
What is your writing Kryptonite? Overthinking is my Kryptonite. I think you just have to start writing. The process of writing organizes your thoughts. As you get into the writing process, it all starts coming together. The initial writings are you just organizing your mind and you will most likely throw out anyways. So, if there is a phrase or anything that sparks your imagination then just start writing it.
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