Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I approach life with curiosity. I’m a lifelong learner, deeply connected to the rhythm of nature, the whisperings of my soul, and the people I am blessed to love in my life. I am an adventurer at heart, not afraid to take risks (perhaps, because I was allowed to climb trees, wade in creeks, and sit on the roof as a kid). I’ve learned that when fear buddies up to me, it’s there as a friend, not an enemy, to be shushed. It’s asking, why is this uncomfortable? What here wants to stretch, to grow, to be more aligned ?
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Anasazi Vision”?
A2. The book was written in two phases, years apart. The original draft was written immediately following my vision quest. It came by way of nightly excursions INTO the story where I interacted with the characters and landscape. I BECAME a character WITHIN it night after night for seven weeks. By day, for those seven weeks, a “voice” dictated what I had experienced the night before, and Anasazi Vision became that experience. Then, in 2024, I rewrote the story, and it became what it is today. In the years between the first draft and the rewrite, I lived experiences that ripened the emotional fabric of the story. Remember, most of Anasazi Vision is fiction. It was the “voice” that originally wove experiences from my life into the story, and the rewrite gave them lungs and breath. As for my challenge? It was resisting putting too much of myself into the story, but that’s what it asked of me, and in hindsight, it is what makes the story the immersive, intimate, honest, and experiential journey it is.
Q3. The relationship between True and her mama is layered and nuanced. What did you want readers to understand about parent–child bonds through their connection?
A3. I believe in most cases, we need to give our parents a break. They did the best they could, given what they had to work with. No parent goes into parenthood thinking, “How can I screw up this kid?” In my case, my mama is a beautiful human; kind, thoughtful, and quite logical. She wasn’t tapped into her emotions, whereas I related to life through my senses. Adulthood (and unpacking and understanding my relationship with my mother with compassion and honesty) allowed me to see her with fresh eyes. We have high expectations of our parents. In truth, they are humans trying as best they can to raise another human. A little allowance goes a long way to heal our hearts… and theirs.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I live in Oregon. In a word, it’s stunning. My favorite spot is Tryon Creek State Park. It is on the outskirts of Portland and is home to miles of forested hiking trails. This is where I am most at home, among the trees.
Q5. The Four Corners desert feels almost like a living entity in the book. What drew you to this landscape?
A5. I’ve spent time in Four Corners, have fished the San Juan River, and spent time at the ruins, so am very familiar with the desert. It is a quiet place that invites introspection. As far as the book goes, it is a metaphor of the internal desert True is navigating.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Anasazi Vision’?
A6. The original draft took seven weeks. The rewrite took nine months.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Currently, Anasazi Vision is available through Amazon and Books.by.
Q8. Did you envision a specific type of reader for Anasazi Vision, or did the story guide itself naturally?
A8. This is such a great question. I wrote the story because it asked to be written. Actually, it wouldn’t leave me alone, and it was the one thing I knew I needed to do before I left the planet. It’s always had a life of its own and has wanted to be in readers’ hands, in their hearts, and in their souls. It is finding its way to them — to the ones it belongs to, and that brings a special peace to my soul.
Q9. When writing a book, how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and yourself?
A9. Anyone who knows me knows I have a close relationship with my spirit guides. That may be too woo for some people, but it is where I write from. See, words carry a vibration. A frequency lives between the actual words, and when I connect with my guides and write from the space where all exists, readers feel it. They may think they are connecting with the story, but in truth, they are connecting to the aspect of us that is shared. That’s why it feels so personal, so intimate, and transformative. I hope that answers your question.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Write to just one person, not ten thousand people.
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