Richelle E. Goodrich

Biography

I was born in Odgen, Utah in 1968 and spent the next couple of years growing up in my mother’s care (helped by her family) while my father served as an Army Sergeant in the Vietnam War. Luckily, he returned home safely, and I made the adjustment to having a permanent dad in the house. My brother was born shortly afterwards, and all four of us moved to Washington State where my parents discovered that not every inch of the so-called Evergreen State is actually green. In truth, a large portion mimics the desert—which is where we set down roots.

My parents completed their family with two additional daughters that resulted in three girls to one boy, a circumstance that made sibling rivalry unequal and often unfair. My brother ended out with his own room while I shared a room with my two sisters—an already-small area that was divided with masking tape into personal corners. You can imagine the childish fuss that was made when someone had to step across a dividing line to enter the only closet or to make a run for the bathroom!

I was very blessed to have a mother who was willing to enroll me in ballet, tap dance, gymnastics, girl scouts, piano lessons, as well as a short bout with the viola and the guitar. She faithfully drove me from school to lessons to home for years. Any artistic talent I have is owed to my parents. My dad sketched cartoon characters for me and my siblings when we were children, while my mom created beautiful oil paintings. Their examples inspired me to pursue art in both high school and college.

After growing up in a small, desert town, I graduated from the local high school with honors. From there, I worked my way through college at Eastern Washington University where I received two bachelor’s degrees: one, a BA in Liberal Studies and the other, a BAEd in Math/Natural Sciences Education. It wasn’t until I was older, married with three boys, that I developed an interest in writing. That in itself is a long, curious story which you can read about on my author blog (click here.) Since then, I have self-published ten books. My book quotes have been published in a number of places including the Oxford Philosophy Being Human Course Book, in a Revlon magazine ad campaign, and in four Chicken Soup for the Soul books―Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Military Families, Chicken soup for the Soul: The Empowered Woman, Chicken soup for the Soul: Dreams and the Unexplainable.

Writing has become a sweet adventure. I write whenever and wherever opportunity presents itself, even during waits in line at the grocery store. I have learned to use bits of time wisely, knowing that small accomplishments add up quickly. I prefer to write in complete silence whenever possible; it seems my muses are more apt to visit me in a calm and quiet atmosphere. If you want a glimpse into my head, I am an Alice in Wonderland girl—curious, creative, observant, always pondering, always learning.

Smashwords Interview

Can you tell us what inspires your insightful quotes and words of encouragement?
Yes, I certainly can. For the most part my quotes have been inspired by personal experiences as well as some unpleasant trials. At times, however, they’ve resulted from a keen fascination for observing and evaluating human behavior. I like to ‘people watch’, perhaps because I never cease to be amazed by the actions of others. A popular one, for example:
“Courage to me is doing something daring, no matter how afraid, insecure, intimidated, alone, unworthy, incapable, ridiculed or whatever other paralyzing emotion you might feel. Courage is taking action…..no matter what. So you’re afraid? Be afraid. Be scared silly to the point you’re trembling and nauseous, but do it anyway!”

This quote came to me when I was facing a difficult challenge that resulted in taking a stand for what I heartily wanted despite strenuous opposition. I’m no super hero, I’ll admit. I cringe at the mere mention of anxiety and confrontation. But I’ve learned that courage isn’t reserved for the brave and daring only. Courage means taking action, period. And even a timid personality can do that—albeit trembling the entire time.
What helps you with the creation of new characters and the worlds they live in?
I’m a daydreamer to the very core. There are a thousand stories swirling in my head constantly, sort of like an inner library where I slip a book off the shelf almost daily for the purpose of entertaining an untiring brain.

If only I could write—had the time to write—all the adventures and fantasies that play on my mental view screen. I have my favorites memorized, and I tweak their stories often, hoping someday to jot them down on paper. I’ve always been this way, passing the time in another world, pretending to be some extraordinary character. I have to laugh because I actually wrote a quote inspired by this truth:

“I live in two unique worlds, traveling between both with just the opening or closing of my eyes.”
~Richelle E. Goodrich

That’s me. What inspires these stories—the characters and the worlds they come from? Well….what doesn’t inspire them? In other words, just about anything can act as inspiration for me, depending upon what I’m thinking about at the moment. A mangled tree once inspired an entire book, including the type of life that dominated a fantasy world. A touching scene from a movie sparked the idea for my novel, ‘Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher.'

Art is a strong stimulation when it comes to sparking stories in my imagination. I believe it’s because art is so highly interpretive, which means I must draw on my own creativity to evaluate it. And once the creativity starts to flow, quite frankly there’s no stopping what develops from it.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Richelle E. Goodrich online

Books

This member has not published any books.