Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I’m an award winning author who writes dramatic fiction with strong, unforgettable women characters. I attack the hard issues and bring them to the forefront with a deftness that outshines most authors. I have the ability to sink my teeth into these headline issues and pull the reader in. I spent fifteen years in the corporate world writing computer user manuals and training others how to use computer systems. After a life-threatening illness, I chose to retire and write fiction. I also started my venture of helping others with life challenges. I was a founding member of the Florida Writers Association and a frequent speaker on the craft of writing while continuing to write fiction. Unfortunately, my health issues continued to grow worse, so now I help via social media platforms. My husband and I live in an airport community that provides him the ability to pursue his airplane flying hobby. We have two American Hairless Terriers and a Sun Conure parrot.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Shadow Man”?
A2. Deciding which short stories to use and in what order to place them so that they would have the greatest impact on the reader.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Stephen King has been like a mentor to me. I’ve adopted his format of less description is better. Nothing can replace the reader’s imagination and by giving just enough description to let them build the world in their mind, the scare is already there.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. The Florida Keys. Once you cross into Key Largo and drive into the rest of the keys, all the way to Key West. My favorite places among the area are in the Middle Keys of Islamorada and Marathon. It’s like stepping into a Caribbean island. Time doesn’t matter and it’s all about sand and ocean.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Shadow Man’?
A5. This book was a long time in coming. I didn’t realize throughout the years writing short stories, they’d end up in a collection. Especially a collection like this. To open up my heart and soul and bare it to the reader; the stories were cathartic, at best.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Shadow Man’?
A6. The short stories were written over 20 years. The compiling and development of Shadow Man was approximately three months.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. All of my books are in print, ereader, and audio on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/VMT-Books
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Shadow Man’?
A8. When I was five years old, my adopted father began sexually abusing me in the night. He would come to my room after everyone was asleep. He became known to me as the “shadow man” because it was as if he materialized from the shadows. I tried very hard to stay awake at night, because he wouldn’t do anything if I was awake. It was in this that I developed severe insomnia. The book cover was an abstract impression of my imagination developed by AI.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I got very lucky when I was writing novels. They were character driven. And I had very pushy characters. Plus, because I wrote character driven stories, I didn’t know the genre until the end. Which is why you see me with books of various genres. I didn’t try to force myself to write in the same box each time.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. There is an adage that bounces around the writing world. I belonged to a writing group and another member, who happened to be a NYT bestseller, gave us a piece of advice I pass along to you: Butt in chair. Nothing will get accomplished if the butt isn’t in the chair.
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