Kathy Scanlon Opie
Seattle WA
Good morning, Kathy, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the Place for Art and Authors. Can you tell us what you have written?
A Little
Red Wagon full of hope: Tips and inspiration from a loving caregiver and Tell
Me A Story in Secret Histories and various
articles in cancer newsletters plus blog articles in my blog a little something
to chew on.
What is your favorite
genre to write?
Probably nonfiction
Favorite food.
Cheese and
anything Italian
Tea or coffee?
Coffee
Pizza or ice cream?
Pizza
Wine or beer?
Wine
Where would you like to
visit?
Europe. My husband Paul and I met when we were young (our freshman year
in college), got married a year out of college and had our three beautiful
children right away. They travelled more than we did, by our choice, and I am
now back in graduate school. I hope to travel once I have more time.
Favorite musical
artist.
REM, U2, and progressive rock. I went to school in the 80’s.
Do you listen to music when you write?
Not usually, I need to concentrate.
When you do, what?
Classical music
What makes you laugh?
My two pugs Darby and Dublin wrestling with their toys or with our cat Twister,
and our adult children interacting and teasing when they come home to visit.
Favorite work of art.
Anything by Monet
How old were you when
you started writing?
Five
Describe your perfect
evening.
Hanging out with my hubbie or close friends just talking, laughing
with nothing special to do or anywhere we have to go.
Where do you get your
inspiration?
Someone who has overcome something incredibly difficult or painful
and still has hope or positive energy and continues to give without complaining.
What do you do when you
get a writer's block?
Go for a walk, listen to some upbeat music, or start
baking something in the kitchen.
Who is your favorite
author?
I have several John Steinbeck, Leon Uris, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens,
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Best book you ever
read.
Trinity by Leon Uris
Last book you read.
How Can I Help? Ram Dass & Paul
Gorman
What would you do for a
living if you weren’t a writer?
Therapist
Who is the one person
who has influenced your personal life the most and why?
My Dad, because he had
incredible energy, drive, and continued to improve himself and give to others
until the day he died.
If you could sit down
and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who
would it be and why?
Nelson Mandela. His story of forgiveness and overcoming insurmountable
odds over decades of persecution inspired the world and brought nations together.
Where almost anyone would have succumbed, he not only survived but he thrived,
inspired, and led countless to freedom.
What advice would you
give someone who aspired to be a writer?
Love what you do and do
what you love. Don’t compare yourself to others. You have a voice that needs to
be heard. It is unique and special so let it shine, there is no story like
yours so let the world hear it. On that note, do let your story percolate, edit
and let it simmer a bit so the true flavor of you develops.
We went through a tough
journey as our son fought for his life surviving bone cancer. My best friend
was not as fortunate as she succumbed to breast cancer. What do you do when a
loved one faces a life threatening illness? I learned a few things along the
way as a caregiver, and I want to share that with the reader with poignant
heart felt stories and take-away tips at the end of every chapter. I hope A
Little Red Wagon full of hope can bring hope and compassion to those who find
themselves on a similar path.
Do you have some links for us to follow you?
My author page
Facebook page
.jpg)
