Sandra Bolton
Raton, New Mexico
Welcome to Vision and Verse this morning, Sandra. Tell us a little about yourself.
My name is Sandra Bolton and I live in Raton, New Mexico. Raton is in the far northeast of New Mexico, about five miles from the Colorado border. I have written two novels. A Cipher in the Sand was published in 2011, and my current novel, Key Witness, is due to come out in March of this year. I also have a collection of short stories that I hope to publish in the near future. I consider myself a contemporary mystery writer with a little romance and a lot of adventure thrown in.
Favorite food?
As far as favorite foods are concerned, I love to cook and eat a wide range of foods and will try just about anything new. When it comes to choosing pizza or ice cream, pizza wins. I prefer savory foods over sweets. Coffee is a must first thing in the morning, and about three cups. I may have a cup of tea in the afternoon.
Where would you like to visit?
I've had the opportunity to travel extensively due to my husband's military career, but am happy to settle in one place now. I loved Italy and wouldn't mind returning for a visit.
I love Italy, too, especially Venice. Favorite musical artist? And do you listen to music when you write?
What makes Sandra Bolton laugh?
A lot of things make me laugh: the ridiculous, like Monty Python, silliness, and irony, my grandkids and my dog and cat.
How old were you when you began writing seriously?I did not start officially writing until my sixties when I retired
from teaching and had time, though I have been writing new scenarios
in my head all my life.
What is your idea of the perfect evening?
A perfect evening would be stranded at my cabin in a snowstorm with a mug of hot chocolate, maybe spiked with brandy, a fire in the wood stove and a good book.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I get my inspiration from studying people and listening to their life
stories.
What do you to when you get writer's block?
When I feel writers block coming on I take a long walk in the
mountains.
Who is your favorite author? What is your favorite book?
My reading is eclectic like my music.
At different times in my life I have had different "best books", so I
would say that too is difficult. "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by
Gabriel Gaarcia Marquez comes to mind.
Who is the one person who has influence your personal life the most and why?
We take something from all the people we encounter, but the person who has influenced my writing life would be Steven Havill, successful author of southwestern mysteries. I had the opportunity to attend several of his writing workshops and learned some tremendous lessons about writing. He is a great teacher.
If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?
I would like to talk to Mark Twain to learn some of insights on
writing, and to Nelson Mandela to learn about compassion and forgiveness.
What advice to you have for an aspiring writer?
I would remind all aspiring writers that perfecting the craft takes time and a hell of a lot of hard work. Don't rush. You can do that first draft fast, but that is just a shell. Rewrite, revise, and get a good editor.
Do you have some links so we can follow you?
Here are my links:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_5?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=a+cipher+in+the+sand&sprefix=A+Cip%2Cstripbooks%2C449
https://www.facebook.com/sandraboltonauthor
I am currently updating my author site, SANDRABOLTONWRITESTUFF.com and
it will be live soon.
Thank you, Sandra, for being with us this morning. We at Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors, wish you continued success in all your writing endeavors.
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Carol