Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
My family moved around so much, crossing the country three times by the time I was seven, so I am influenced by several parts of the U.S. I lived my early years in New England and almost as long in southern California as a teenager. Then I moved north with my husband and lived in the Northwest for several years. All of these places influence my writing. I love the woods of New England and the mountains of the northwest. I have many memories of New York City and can see myself building a story that could live in that city of abundant life. The rigor of the eastern seaboard and its puritan ethic is embedded in my psyche, and the relaxation and slow warmth of the west coast demands I look about myself and examine the world.
When did you first start writing?
I think every author writes at a very young age. I know I was telling stories as soon as I could talk. Words fascinated me from the beginning. I have loved to read since my elementary years. But I realized writing was important to me when I was in my teens. I wrote poetry all the time then, but never considered my writing to be professional. I felt that truly fine writing came with age and experience, and I didn't expect to become a "writer" until I had gathered enough material and skill. That kind of expression came in my thirties.
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