Welcome to my World

I've been told that as part of being a writer, I needed to get used to talking about myself.

I remember the first time I was told that, I responded with a mumbled curse followed by a silent glower and furrowed brow, only to be told that sort of response was not going to cut it.  I was told I was not only going to have to give witty, pithy comments, but come across as engaging, intelligent and not like a complete lunatic. I needed to have answers on the tip of my tongue about decisions I made in my books, my writing process, my politics and my life. On top of all of this, a lot of people  who don't agree with my politics are not going to like my novels. I was going to need a game plan for confrontations that are bound to occur.

I thought I was going to throw up just thinking about it.

I watched other authors give interviews, and I marveled over how relaxed they were while answering tough questions.  Even though I have an extensive public speaking background,  never did I have to talk about me. I had set topics of which I was an expert, and pre-planned examples depending on the topic. Never once was I asked about my opinions - everything I talked about was based on cold, hard fact and I was just fine with that.

Well, guess what? That's all changed. I've opened up my thoughts and my life to the world when I published The Governor's Daughter and it would be unfair of me to not answer the questions that no doubt have arisen in your mind. I promise I will answer them honestly, but please forgive me if  I stumble through answers at times. I may have to tell you I'll get back to you on that with others.  Occasionally I may decline to answer if something is too personal, but for the most part, I am an open book.

So, for those of you who I have not yet met, let me give you a glimpse of who I am outside of being a writer. I'm most at home on my little farm surrounded by my many critters in my own little piece of paradise. There's nothing I love more than taking one of my horses on a long trail ride in the woods, enjoying the camaraderie with my mount while we both enjoy nature. I am a staunch conservationist and hate suburban sprawl. I love farming, gardening and anything about the miracle of making plants grow and thrive. In the summer, I love sitting quietly on my deck and watching night fall over the pastures as my horses graze alongside the deer that grace us with their presence. In the winter, I love sitting by the fire surrounded by sleepy dogs and sleepier kitties who all pile in my lap like a living, breathing blanket. 

I love to laugh, although something has to really be funny to make it happen. I have a strong sense of morals and pride myself on my ethics, something you've probably already picked up on  in my writing. I like asking hard questions and debating the answers, and if there's a glass of wine in my hand while doing that, I'll be even happier.  I curse like a Russian sailor when I get excited, and at times, I really have a hard time with PG necessitated conversations.  I apologize in advance if I drop a F-bomb in front of your kids, as I find the word fuck to be a very useful word and am creatively fluent in its many, many uses. 

This blog page will be updated regularly, sometimes with entries about personal information about my life, like this one, but also with articles about the topics that mean the most to me: human rights, politics, land preservation and climate conservationism.  Although I have no "human children", that doesn't mean I don't have worries about the future of our country, the race of humankind and the health and well-being of our planet. I pray that future generations continue to enjoy the freedoms we have as well as ones we have yet to be granted. Some may call that naïve, but I do not. If we do not dream of a more perfect future, if we don't covet a better world, what chance will we have of making that dream a reality?

And if that means I have to stand up in front of a crowd and speak my truth, then it's time for me to put on my big girl panties and get to work.