Genres: Fiction, Nonfiction
What has been your most rewarding moment as an author?
I was walking down a street in Quito, Ecuador when an American family recognized me from my book photo and were thrilled at a chance encounter with the author. Their two teenage boys had read No Summit Out of Sight, The True Story of the Youngest Person to Climb the Seven Summits. Jordan was only 13 when he reached the top of Everest. He’d endured incredible hardships on eight mountains on seven continents but never given up. My book changed their lives. His story motivated the boys to never give up no matter what the odds. Jordan’s travels prompted the family to take a year off work and school to explore the world. They had carried the book with them and asked for my autograph.
Did your formal education or upbringing/background prepare you in any way to write?
My high school English teacher was featured in a major magazine as the best creative writing teacher in the US. He loved my stories and gave me valuable lessons I’ve never forgotten. I have a BA in English and Masters in Library Science. My mother was in mental institutions much of my life. I have a profound interest in what makes people tick and explore that in my writing. My Master’s thesis was on Psychological Abstracts.
What kind of research goes into writing your novels and how much time does it take?
I do extensive research on every detail down to the precise elevation of mountains, every aspect of a culture such as the Sherpas in Beyond the Summit: Everest Adventure and Romance, and a foot-by-foot description on the ascent of Everest. If a Scottish character is cleaning his bagpipe, I have to learn all about bagpipes. If a character is a sword swallower, I need to know the entire history and mechanics of sword swallowing. I spend many hundreds of hours researching information to ensure accuracy. I may take half an hour looking for the single best word to express what I want to say. I’m a slow writer and have been accused of spending way too much time researching, but I can’t break the habit.
Have you ever based characters on real people? Give us a couple of examples.
In Beyond the Summit, the male protagonist is based on my Sherpa guide. Scenes of the worst storm in Nepal’s history were based on real characters I interviewed. In A Fair Knight Slain, the lead detective, Sara, is based on Jordan’s mother, an adventure/endurance racer. The woman performing an exorcism on her sister is based on my aunt.
How do you find your ideas for a book?
I draw from my extensive travel and varied career. A deep interest in psychology, and I’m always studying people and asking intimate questions about their past and current experiences and how they cope with them. My writing delves into the psyche of characters.
Does the idea of writing energize you or exhaust you? Or both?
Writing energizes me. I feel lost and empty without characters and scenes milling about in my head. If I’m working on something, I eliminate distractions to open my mind and free it for new ideas. I take a long walk alone, soak in the bathtub, travel down a seldom used road. I’ve driven straight past necessary exits. The best thoughts surface while I’m dozing. Knowing they’ll disappear by morning, I reach for my phone and dictate for later transcription. At times, hours of research does become exhausting.
AWARDS
Colorado Authors League 2015 Winner Young Adult No Summit Out of Sight
Far West Ski Association Bill Berry Award No Summit out of Sight
BIOGRAPHY
Born in Denver, I spent my life in the Rocky Mountains. For 13 years, I led climbing, camping, skiing, canoeing, rafting, and spelunking trips. I’m a travel junkie and have been to 62 countries. Highlights were standing within inches of mountain gorillas in Uganda and caring for orphaned orangutans in Borneo. The Himalayas drew me to Nepal where I helped Sherpas create the country’s first lodge system. I then opened a travel agency and led treks to the Everest Base Camp, India, and Thailand. I’ve also been a reference and young adult librarian, caterer, flipped houses, and volunteered at the Denver Zoo. I moved to Sun City two years ago to be closer to my son (a hand surgeon in Houston) and granddaughter who graduates in pre-med from UT in May. I’m addicted to pickleball, play 7 days a week, and try to hike in every country I visit.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nepalwriter/
San Gabriel Writers' League 