Barbara grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with
her parents, sister and always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum
Laude from a small women's college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her
husband in Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as
self-proclaimed dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful
businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for breast
cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside in Southwest
Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She is currently working
on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.
1.
Do you have a usual writing process that you go through? What is it?
I
do not have an unusual writing process, per se. I do need total quiet in my
office when trying to formulate ideas. I do not like to be disrupted.
2. Did your
book end up the way you wanted in the end? Did it change from the first plan to
the final draft? Are you happy with how it ended up?
My
book did change quite a bit from inception to the finished manuscript. The guts
of it remained constant, but the beginning and end were originally totally
different. They evolved through the editing process to provide a more clear
beginning and end and ultimately a much better book. Apparently my readers
think so too, as the book soared to number one on Amazon a few weeks ago.
3. What was
the hardest part about writing your book? Do you feel you learnt anything from
it?
Since
it is a true story, the hardest part of writing the book was reliving the
memories. Some were very happy memories and some were quite sad. I involved my
family and friends to tell the stories as they remembered them and it was
challenging to incorporate some drastically different versions and write them
into one consistent tale. I am continually amazed at how two people in the same
room under the same circumstances and at the same time can remember a situation
so differently. I understand why eye witnesses to crime scenes cause confusion
to the police.
4.
Do you research for your novels? If so, how much?
my
research took the form of sifting through thousands of photographs. I was
amazed at the memories each photo brought back to me. If there is one piece of
advice I can give to anyone in this digital age is to remember the necessity of
printing physical copies of photos. They will transcend when placed into photo
albums for future generations.
5. How do
you find or make time to write?
I
do not force writing time. I start when I feel motivated. If I have a deadline,
it stifles my creative process.
6. Do you
have any tips for wannabee Authors?
My
advice is to write as much as you can. It will only serve to improve your
style. Take the opinions of others lightly. Learn from advice, but do not let
it tempt you to change your content. I have seen many a budding novelist
stymied by an editor or teacher who through poor skills or possibly jealousy
caused a fabulous book to be shelved. Be confident in your work, go to school
and learn as much about your language as you can. Become a great editor and if
all else fails, HIRE a great editor.
You can find Barbara's book Dogma, here:
Also available on iTunes, Nook, Sony and Smashwords
