Good morning, Darlene, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site for
Art, Authors, and those who love them. Can you tell us a little
about what you've written?
What is your favorite genre to write?
I don’t know that I have one favourite
genre. I really enjoyed writing Inner
Sanctum: Remnant, which is
dystopian/post-apocalyptic. I didn’t set
out to write that. I thought I’d be more
romantic suspense – and I have written
one of those as well that I hope to release soon. I like writing about
people, though. People overcoming things. I find doing it in a fictional way connects better with people, I think.
Bacon; pumpkin pie; créme brûlée
Pizza or ice cream?
Yes. (but limited on the latter to lactose-
free)
Wine or beer or soda or what?
Bubly (I don’t do alcohol)
Where would you like to visit?
Scotland! Egypt, New Zealand
What makes you laugh?
Many things … Who’s Line is it Anyway, Carol Burnett Show clips, Graham Norton clips
Favorite musical artist.
Of all time? Probably, a tie between Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston.
What do I listen to now – Nils Molin of Amaranthe, New Horizon & Dynazty; and Home Free Vocal Band
Favorite work of art or sculpture.
I’m more of an architecture person. And my favourite things are libraries and old churches/cathedrals.
How old were you when you started writing?
7
Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards?
Or just write?
Yes. 😊 I do both. I have many “napkin notes” where I jot down any idea that comes to mind wherever/whenever it happens to hit me, if I’m not able to get to my laptop to get it down there.
I maintain pretty extensive notes in OneNote. Otherwise, I lose track of whether a character has blue eyes or brown eyes, etc.
I love that OneNote automatically saves so if I forget to hit save before I close my laptop my notes don’t disappear, and my brain likes the shape and structure and the simplicity of post-it notes with the advantage of being able to organize my notes and add more details with tables, as well.
I retain ideas better if I write them down first. And then with OneNote I can elaborate more.
you Do you listen to music when you write?
No. I usually have the TV on, though, as white noise; usually sports, and if it’s an off-sports night.
Lor Lord of the Rings, Hildago, Star Wars – something familiar with a good soundtrack.
Describe your perfect evening.
Peaceful room, dog snoring in a corner, laptop open, no distractions, just writing – or just reading. I love watching baseball, too … wish the off-season wasn’t so long (though it was shorter last year) … with a good jigsaw puzzle!
Where do you get your inspiration?
Everyone asks me that … especially about my songwriting – but that’s a different interview.
I really don’t know. It’s like I’m watching or reading something and then my brain screams something at me so I have to stop and make a note. And then, as I continue with whatever mindless thing I was doing, my brain keeps chewing on it which results in the generation of more napkin or sticky notes.
The path forward for the Inner Sanctum series after the initial tetralogy just kind of exploded in my brain when I was least expecting it
Same with my planned sci-fi planetary travel Stargate/Battlestar Galactica type series.
What do you do when you get writer's block?
I do something else creative – find some new décor for my home, move stuff around to new places, put things away, wash dishes (believe it or not, doing the mundane is the perfect way to relax the brain), play the piano and sing, work on a jigsaw puzzle – again, something mindless that’s also mentally challenging.
Who is your favorite author?
For many years, it has been Patricia Cornwell. I used to love CSI, FBI sort of reads, but I’ve found that those have tended to get gorier over time. I’m not really into the gore. I tend to appreciate the cerebral nature of solving a mystery – the science of deduction. So, I’ve started to lean more towards Sherlockian-type stories, as well as family secret sort of stories. But on the Sherlockian/mystery side, it’s Anthony Horowitz.
Best book you ever read.
Patricia Cornwell’s Portrait of a Killer – the Story of Jack the Ripper (and solving the mystery using modern forensics)
Last book you read.
War of Wyverns by S.F. Williamson (Book 2 of A Language of Dragons)
What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?
Recreational Therapist, with a focus on music as therapy
Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
I don’t know that I can pick just one. Each person’s life is a network, a patchwork quilt of an existence, with each encounter having a role to play. I’ve been fortunate to have many people in my life who have spoken into my life at just the right time, sometimes with words of comfort, words that have nudged me to make a choice I needed to make, or with just a hug.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
Malala Yousafzai – I recently read her first book and eagerly picked up the second. I find her story truly inspirational and courageous, and think she would be fascinating to talk to.
What advice would you give someone who aspires to be a writer?
1) Be patient with the process. Everyone’s “process” is different; everyone’s journey is different. Just because someone’s journey took so long doesn’t mean yours has to; just because someone else chose to do something one way doesn’t mean you have to choose that way; just because someone else’s journey seemed to happen overnight, doesn’t mean yours will.
2) Invest in a good editor; beware of AI pirates.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
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