I am so pleased to host Karen Ingalls at my blog today. Karen is a member of both Rave Reviews Book Club and Rave Writers International Society of Authors. RWISA is an exclusive branch of #RRBC, and some of the very best Indie authors can be found on its virtual shelves.

Karen Ingalls is one of those authors, and I hope you enjoy the following interview.

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• How long have you been writing?

I began writing as a preteen journaling, writing short stories and poetry.

• How many books have you authored? Please give us up to 3 titles?

Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir

Novy’s Son, The Selfish Genius

Davida: Model & Mistress of Augustus Saint-Gaudens

• Do you have a writing schedule?

No, I do not. I think it would be good for me and be better time management.

• You’re a member of RAVE WRITERS – INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AUTHORS (RWISA). Why do you think you were accepted into this exclusive group?

I was and am quite honored and surprised that I am a member. I believe my style and quality of work is the type of writing that RWISA looks for. My many thanks for the recognition and honor.

• Modesty aside, what separates your writing from the millions of other writers in the world?

I write about subjects of which I am passionate about. Social issues such as health related and family dynamics are my primary topics.

• If you could spend a day picking the brain of one author, who would that be? Why?

There are so many authors who I admire and love to read their books. Picking just one I would say Mitch Albom. I like the subject matter which is primarily spirituality that is in all his books. His style is simplistic and yet very deep. He also appears to be humble and approachable.

• Are you a die-hard INDIE writer who loves having complete control of your work, or, if you were offered a publishing contract today, would you sign on the dotted line?

If the publishing company would take away a lot of the burden of marketing, then I would give it serious consideration. Yet, on the other side, I would not to lose my control of my work.

• As an author, where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I would like to have completed the 8 short stories I am writing for my 8 grandchildren. Each story will let them know more about their Oma. And, I hope to have two more books published which are residing in my brain and heart patiently waiting for me to put the words on paper. In 5 years I also plan to be sitting in the same office overlooking beautiful Lake Dora here in Florida.

• What is the ONE tool that has been the most beneficial tool in the marketing of your books?

I would have to say that RRBC has put me in contact with some very amazing people who have encouraged and supported me. I have learned how to use Twitter, FB, and my blogs more effectively.

• Name one writer that you know of, member or non-member of RRBC, who you feel should be added to the RWISA Roster of elite members? Why?

Michael Lynes. His book is outstanding and I look forward to reading more from him.

• What is the one piece of advice that you could share that would be most valuable for those aspiring to not only be writers, but those aspiring to be great writers?

Follow your dream! Do not let naysayers or your self-doubt stop you. Also, I think it is good to talk to other authors and learn from their experiences.

• Do you believe that writers who churn out several books a year are really putting out quality work?

I have not found that authors who write many books in a year have the same quality and depth to their work. At least, I have not found any such authors.

• If you had promised your fans a book by a certain date only to find that your book wasn’t the best it could be, would you go ahead and publish your book just to meet that self-imposed deadline and deliver as promised, or, would you disappoint your fans and shelve the book until it was absolutely ready? No matter your reason, please explain why?

I would not publish a book until I knew it was ready. My fans would understand and would want and expect only the best from me. The book is coming from a deep part of me and therefore I would hope that my fans would appreciate my quality of work even if it missed the promised deadline.

• In your opinion, what makes a book “a great book?”

For me a book must have depth and inform or challenge me in my thoughts about life’s issues. The plot must be believable and the characters strong. I do not like “fluff.”

• If you received a review of your book which stated that there were editing & proofing “issues,” what’s the first thing you would do? And the second?

First I would be shocked to receive such a review. I have a highly qualified editor who has done all three of my books. I would go to her and we would sort out if there are any editing/proofing issues. If not, I would then contact the reviewer to further understand and hopefully resolve the concern.

WRITING FROM THE HEART

                As a young girl and now as a mature adult, I write from my heart. When I began journaling as a pre-teen I wrote about my unanswered questions, fears, doubts, and dreams. That process continued throughout the next seventy some years resulting in three published books and several articles.

I write about subjects for which I feel passionate. As a preteen growing up in a dysfunctional home I wrote about the heavy drinking, abuse, and abandonment I feared would happen. Expressing my emotions and dreaming what life could be like helped me to formulate my goals and hopes. Unconsciously I created the person I wanted to be which was different from my two primary role models.

 

I became a holistic nurse and developed my own practice as a nurse therapist. My writings were now newsletters and articles based on health/wellness and spirituality.  I was fulfilling the dream of helping people to become healthier physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

My first published book was definitely written from my heart. It started out as a journal about my experiences when diagnosed with cancer. It soon became a book, which has touched the hearts of men and women facing cancer or other difficult challenges.

The two novels I have had published are about family dynamics, which are very important influences as to the type of adults we become. The loss of the “Iron John” in the relationship between fathers and sons is quite evident in many families. Men must know how to raise their sons showing and teaching them unconditional love and respect.

When one writes from the heart, the author is in touch with those things of which he/she is passionate about. It comes from the deepest part of ourselves…our soul.

Add Karen’s books to your library 

Outshine: An Ovarian Cancer Memoir – http://goo.gl/bg0CpF

Novy’s Son: The Selfish Genius – http://goo.gl/9r78rg

Davida: Model and Mistress of Augustus Saint-Gaudens – http://goo.gl/nIzrKX

Social Media

Twitter: @KIngallsAuthor

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Karen-Ingalls/1473379352893458 (goo.gl/mgK8xW)

Blog

http://www.kareningalls.blogspot.com

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Thank you for supporting our RWISA (RAVE WRITERS-INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF AUTHORS) Members!  Please follow and support the entire tour by visiting 4WillsPub.

 

​CONGRATS to today’s #PUSHTUESDAY Winner, Patricia Guthrie (@paguthrie1). She is the author of IN THE ARMS OF THE ENEMY.

Below is the first chapter of my work-in-progress, One Dyke Cozy. I would love any feedback that you want to give.                                                 * * *

   We think of time differently depending on where we are in our life. When we’re ten, it’s almost impossible to imagine being forty, let alone twice that. The years stretch before us like a lazy summer’s day. No hurry, no responsibilities, nothing but wonderful, endless time.

   Even reaching the milestones of eighteen and twenty-one doesn’t register on our radar all that much. Sure, we’re adults now, but we’re still young, and the years have yet to touch us with any degree of harshness. 

   There is no set time when reality hits. It’s different for everyone, and some people are close to the end of the line when it happens. But at some point, we wake up and realize that we are middle-aged, and there is still so much left to do. So many of those childhood dreams are unfulfilled, but now we’re tied down with the various ropes that make up our everyday lives. Those little things that were so insignificant ten or fifteen years ago, but now have become insurmountable barriers that stand between us and everything yet undone.

   It’s at this point that we may take a brutally honest look at our life, weighing our incompletions against the time that we feel remains. And it’s then that we often pray for more. More time to make green the seeds we planted in our youth. All of those dreams that we once knew would blossom into reality because we had so much time ahead of us to make it happen.

   Most people ask for years, and they are the lucky ones. Lucky because they know that nothing but time stands between them and the achievement of their goals. They know that there are steps to take, and that those steps won’t happen overnight, but they are confident that they will succeed. All they need is a few more years.

   However, there are many of us for whom the concept of years has become as much a fairy tale as Cinderella’s glass slipper. Perhaps we are ill, and our doctors have gently told us to say our goodbyes and take what enjoyment we can from the days ahead. Perhaps we are simply old, with so much road behind us that we cannot see more than a block or two ahead.

   Whatever the case, we do not ask for more years. We simply ask for more. More time, in any denomination, is all that we want. A few more weeks, another month, even one more day. Just…one more day. 

   Amazing things can happen in a day. Medical Science may discover an uber cure for everything that currently ails modern man. Some technological genius could put the finishing touches on permanently young android bodies, so perfectly made the even the people inhabiting them could not tell the difference. Or maybe the Lord would call his children home, sparing us the trauma of having to die at all. So many miracles are just within reach and maybe only a day or two away. Someone once told me that the tragedy is not to die, but to die too soon.

   You may be wondering why I included myself in the group for whom each moment is a gift, and maybe I’ll write about that at some point. But that’s not what this story is about. This is my chance to tell you about the person who had the greatest impact on my life, and who was largely responsible for the person that I became: my best friend, Shy.

Through Shy I learned some of the most important lessons of my life. She taught me to fight like a champion, love like a poet, and live like it was my last day on Earth.

   So please sit back, get comfortable, and spend a few minutes bouncing through the years with Shy, and the one dyke cozy.                                                                                                      * * * 

   I hope that you enjoyed taking a peek at #Cozy. If all goes well, it should be on Amazon’s virtual shelves somewhere around the first of March. 

   Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. I apologize for being gone so long, but sometimes, life gets worky. I’ll be back next week with another post, and hopefully I’ll be able to stay on track. I appreciate your patience, and your understanding.