Eleven Bookish Things About Me
- Current Book Crush? The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
- Favorite classic? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I know, everybody picks it, but there’s a reason it’s a classic.
- Earliest book memory? A fat book called The Story & Verse for Children. No pictures, only pages of unforgettable fables, nursery rhymes, and poems.
- Favorite genre? Historical fiction with a side of romance. Oh, and humor. For me, everything is sweeter with humor.
- Favorite place to read? Under a beach umbrella.
- Why did I write Three Little Things? My mom and aunts found a beautiful tin of letters their parents exchanged during WW I. Next thing you know, a pile of inspiration plops into my lap. Plus, I needed a project for a college class. After graduation, I stuck the manuscript in a box for far too long.
- Plotter or pantser? Soaring by the seat of my sweatpants but flirting with Mr. Plot.
- Other writing endeavors? A monthly cover article for Iowa Living magazine and reading passages for educational publishers. Once upon a time, I wrote a middle school novel, dozens of short stories, poetry, grants, essays, and a newspaper column.
- When did I start writing? Inspiration first struck in Mrs. Sullivan’s 11th grade English class. My peers handed in short stories of reasonable length. I forced myself to stop around the 28-page mark. Topic: slumber party. Grade: A-. Possible career path: Writing is an option?
- Education? While working on a degree as a nontraditional student, I enrolled in night classes at a satellite campus near my home in Pennsylvania. To my dismay, the school canceled World Civ. The only other option to fit my schedule – creative writing. Two weeks in, a portion of my assignment landed front and center on the chalkboard. The night’s lesson – write what you know. Somehow, I missed that detail. My story featured the Denver Airport. Had I ever flown in or out of Denver, Colorado? Nope. Mr. Wallace dissected my work like a biologist in a frog-infested lab. Did I die? A little. The temptation to walk away and never look back tempted like a hot, cheesy slice of pizza. But I stayed, which made all the difference in the world. Thank you, Terry Wallace.
- Best book ever? The Good Book. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11. To God be the glory.