Where did you grow up, and how did this influence your writing?
I was born in a small town in Germany and grew up playing with fields and a brook in the backyard. When I was little, I had both a stutter and a lisp. Speaking was followed by ridicule, so I retrieved into a quiet, introverted world, and my creativity soared. Art and writing were my friends on long, dark winter days. I had a lot of imagination, too much to my parents' dismay, and everything seemed real to me. I rhymed poems for family birthdays and holidays, and decorated them with my own artwork. As I grew older, I wrote personalized stories to cheer up relatives and friends. And now I love writing novels, dramatizing events and people I have met or imagine.
What is the greatest joy of writing for you?
Writing frees my spirit. When I grew up, family drama was hidden behind closed doors and sealed lips. I believe that is not unusual in our world, no matter where we grow up. Creating characters and dramatizing situations, allowing the protagonist to grow and learn, feel, explore, laugh and cry, is fun. And to hear that my books inspire and entertain readers, who enjoy the journey and adventure I have created, makes me very happy.
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