Author Spotlight July 2022
Book Review- I read "Son of the Sphinx" and
liked this Historical Fiction overall. I really enjoyed Rosa’s voice and the
whole concept of time traveling with King Tut. The book was pretty historically
accurate and well written. The few black and white illustrations fit
well with the book. I really liked how the author posted several index like a
map and a list of the various Pharaohs. Even though the concept of the story
was good I did want to see King Tut more developed he seemed like a background
character here. I also would have loved for there to be more interaction with
the past, it kind off did not work out when both characters looked from the
outside and could not have been seen. In general, this is a pretty good book
that could have been made better. It does give the readers a nice look into the
history of Ancient Egypt and is a good read for middle graders. Overall, I give
this book 4 stars.
I'm a lover of mythology, myths, legends, and tales from the
ancient/medieval worlds, and how all of these have transcended time and space
into our world today. The myths and legends don't fade away. They are just repackaged
for a new audience. As a high school English teacher, I continually
challenged my students to find connections between today and times long gone
by. Some took more digging than others, but the connections were always there.
One of my favorites, Star Wars,
borrows several concepts from the Legend of King Arthur. The Star
Trek series goes even further back into the
mythology of ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt as well as others.
I write Arthurian Legend for young readers and
teens (I never refuse to let mature readers enjoy my stories!). These stories
exhibit what I consider to be cornerstones of that Legend: Honor, Loyalty, and
Friendship. My tales from Egypt and my new series Feathers of the Phoenix meld
the ancient/medieval worlds with today. The
Atlantean Horse (Book 1 of Feathers of the Phoenix)
also brings forth the Four Horsemen of the Acropolis out of the Bible and into
the modern world. They and my main characters are after the feathers of the
Phoenix in order to bring Atlantis alive again. It is scheduled to be out in
Summer 2022.
P.S. I believe in magic and Unicorns!!
Interview
1. What or who
inspired you to be a writer?
While I’ve always written (I have two books that will never see the light of
day!), my real inspiration for writing came from my high school students. Over
the years, I encountered so many kids who didn’t like to read, or who just
didn’t read. Their interest and excitement in Arthurian Legend and the stories
from the ancient world determined what I would write when I retired from
teaching.
2. If you
could go back in time, where would you go and when?
I’d go to the ancient world (Egypt, Greece, Rome, Babylon, and others) and
travel around from around 5,000 BCE to 500 BCE. I want to see the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. I’ve seen the only one left today, the Great
Pyramid of Giza.
3. If
you can be one mythological creature for a week, what will it be?
So many to choose from! While I love unicorns, I’d choose to be a Pegasus and
fly above the earth like Aladdin did on his magic carpet.
4. Did being
an English teacher play a major role for you in becoming an author and why?
As I stated above, my students are my reason for writing. Upon retirement, I
decided to write for younger readers in hopes of getting them excited about
reading. I started with Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend from Arthurian
Legend because while my students knew about the other characters, they knew
very little about Guinevere. All my books target ages 8/9-14/15 as these are
crucial years in the development of lifetime reading skills but are enjoyed by
many others. I’ve also just finished my picture book series (Grandma/Grandpa
1, 2, & 3) for ages 4-6/7.
5. What
advise can you give our teens and young people?
Growing up in today’s world is challenging. Find good loyal friends and hold on
to them. They will help you through the hard times and celebrate the good times
with you. Remember to love and honor your family. They will love you no matter
what comes your way. And, in Shakespeare’s words: “To thine own self be
true.”
6. What wise
advice can you share with the writer’s community?
No matter how matter books, short stories, or poems you’ve written, there is
always more to learn. Keep learning and growing your craft and yourself.
Please
tell us about the process you go through when writing a new book?
I’m
just starting the second book in my new series, Feathers of the Phoenix, The
Norse Star. For my research, the story involves the island of Iceland, I’ve
read numerous books on Iceland and the Norse gods/myths represented there. I
have a general outline of the story in my head. Seldom do I write it out as it
usually changes. I keep a list of places/mythological beings that will be used.
However, my biggest research comes firsthand. Last year we spent 3 weeks in
Iceland and drove around the entire island. High on my agenda: the places I
will use in the book and the stories that go with those. You can only learn so
much from books and videos. Nothing can replace actually being there. I realize
that most writers can’t do this, but it’s part of my writing. For my Arthurian
stories, we spent 3 weeks in the UK driving to places I needed to see. The same
with Egypt.
8. How
many times did you edit and reedit your books?
Not as many times as a lot of
writers. I’ve learned to trust that my creative brain knows what it’s doing. I
don’t edit as I write. That pulls me out of the creative process. Each day I
quickly go over what I did the day before and then continue writing. Contrary
to most writers, I do not go back over the entire book when the story is done.
I send it off to my editors (copy and line) and then review their suggestions.
These two editors catch if I’ve dropped part of my storyline and any
grammatical errors (including spelling) that were missed. From there, it’s off
to my layout artist and then sent out into the world.
9. Where
did your ideas for your stories come from?
My ideas come from my love of the ancient and medieval worlds and from my
experiences with my students over the years. My ideas for my grandma/Grandpa
series come from my grandkids!
10. Please share some wise words with us?
Trust and believe in yourself. Listen to the creative side of your brain. Block
off the critical side of your brain that is telling you what you’re writing
isn’t good. Send it on a vacation! Don’t let negative comments deter you from
writing what you love. Your writing will never be for everyone, and that’s
okay. It isn’t meant to be.
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