I’m
a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my
profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through
my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds.
Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more
through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.
Connect with the Author here:
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~ Goodreads ~ Parents/Educators Site ~
Even the Goddess doesn’t know who will Live or Die
“Think before acting,” her father always warned. But Princess Guinevere is
ruled by her heart. Her betrothal to King Arthur has not changed this.
When Guinevere and Cedwyn’s latest adventure takes a dangerous turn, they find
themselves embroiled in a life-or-death struggle as foretold by Merlyn’s
Goddess of the Stones Renegades—foiled in their attempt to kidnap the princess—steal the children of
Cadbury Castle to sell as slaves.
Guinevere and Cedwyn vow to rescue the
children, but a miscalculation puts them all in more danger. The plan quickly
unravels, and Guinevere’s impassioned decisions come crashing down as Cedwyn
chooses to turn his dream of becoming a knight into reality.
Will their courage be strong enough to survive, or will one make the ultimate
sacrifice?
Q & A:
1. If you had 3 wishes, what would they be?
Good health for my family,
A more tolerant human race,
Staying true to who I am.
2. Where do you write?
My writing cave is supposed
to be the bedroom off the living room, but this is also my oldest grandson’s room and the toy room for all four grandchildren! I
usually do my writing on the couch or on the patio in the summer.
3. How long does it normally take you to write a novel?
From initial idea to
finished product usually takes me about a year and a half.
4. What are your inspirations?
Joseph Campbell has
been a huge inspiration for my writing along with my high school students, my
kids, and my grandkids. Each of my stories is crafted along Campbell’s Hero’s Journey.
I write the stories I do to help kids of all ages understand themselves better
and encourage them to explore and accept who they are. That is the broad
concept behind the Hero’s Journey.
5. How did you come to write this particular
book/series about young Guinevere?
Back in 2007, when
I first conceived the idea of this story of Guinevere as a young girl, I never
intended on writing a sequel. Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend introduced
my young readers to this not-so-simple princess and gave them a glimpse into
that mystical world of Arthurian Legend which was my intention.
Through the
intervening years since Guinevere’s publication, a small voice kept
bouncing around in my head. Nothing I thought could silence it. Finally one
day, I gave in and listened. As I suspected, it was Cedwyn, Guinevere’s friend.
He insisted that I
keep my promise—made in On the Eve of Legend—and make him a knight.
Still I resisted and repeated that I never intended to write a book two. Then
Guinevere joined in. Her argument: I couldn’t just leave the two of them out
there without any closure.
Outnumbered and
continually interrupted as I worked on other projects, I finally gave in and
agreed to write not one more, but two more stories to give Guinevere and Cedwyn
their closure. Guinevere: At the Dawn of
Legend and Guinevere: The Legend
are the final books in the Guinevere trilogy.
6. What was the hardest part of writing your book, and
how did you overcome it?
At the Dawn of Legend had a very
strict timeline for the journey of Guinevere and Cedwyn. Right up to the end, I
had to keep changing/adjusting the story to stay within the timeline. In
addition, inside the timeline, the characters traveled, and I had to keep
checking that the distances could realistically be covered. Throughout I
tracked the characters’ movements on
paper. Finally at the end, I brought out the chart paper and white board and
did a continuous timeline for my final check. This took me nearly a day.
7. What is your writing drive? The power that keeps you going when
your writing gets difficult?
It is the story itself and the
characters. When something isn’t working out
or I don’t know what to do next, I walk away and let the thoughts
flow through my brain until I’ve found the
solution. Sometimes that’s an hour, a
day, or even several days. Instead of actually writing down on paper (which I
do for the first draft!), I write inside my head.
8. How did you come up with the title?
Already having On the Eve of Legend, At the
Dawn of Legend just followed as the dawn follows the evening. Also, the Eve
comes first in a time sequence, as we know from Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.
9. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family
members.
My friend and editor, Louise, is
always there for me. She was a library assistant at the high school where I
taught. She’s always there if I need to bounce ideas off another
person, and she’s always ready to re-read my pages.
Without her, I’m not sure that any of my books would have been
written.
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