What made you did you decide to get into writing?
I've always enjoyed writing observations on everyday life and I've been keeping journals for over 30 years. I've also been in a book club for over 15 years. I read voraciously. Each book is an inspiration. One day at a club meeting I told my friend about my secret desire to write a story. She said, "Sheila you have to stop thinking about it and just start writing." I knew what it was I wanted to write about so when the semester ended that May I sat down at my computer and didn't get up until three hours later. I did that everyday until August and didn't tell anyone that I was writing Ephemeral Summer. Not until I was done with my first draft. Little did I realize it would take at least six months to finish editing. Even then, I could have done more.
What are your three favorite books, and why?
A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
The King's General, Daphne du Maurier
The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
These books cover the gamut in terms of genre. I love Hemingway's style of writing and at times try to emulate it. I also love historical fiction and enjoy period pieces such as the Awakening and the King's General. And finally, I am an environmental scientist by training so I enjoy all of Kingsolver's books.
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