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My first novel "Farewell to Freedom" was released in December 2010. I've also written a collection of short stories and a screenplay based on the novel Farewell to Freedom. The novel Farewell to Freedom is centered somewhat on my true life experiences.
I consider myself a maverick--having proven time after time that I can survive in a tough man's world. I'm a strong, independent woman who has accomplished much in life using my own good judgment and ability. I have a great foundation and the ability to show my readers how to overcome hurdles and disappointments in their own lives. My integrity, character and tenacity are paramount.
I'm originally from a small town in North Central Washington. I grew up there spending time on my grandfather's ranch. He was a well-known rodeo stock contractor. Rodeo and cowboys were a part of my young life. I spent many hours listening to my grandfather share vivid, colorful stories about the west and the cowboy way. I’ve enjoyed story telling from a very young age.
While living on my ranch in Freedom, Oklahoma my marketing efforts attracted the attention of Warner Brother's Studio. They came to my ranch to film a reality television show about life on a western guest ranch.
The years I spent living on the guest ranch in Freedom provided the background and inspiration for my first novel. Daily life on the ranch, in such a remote part of the world, afforded plenty of unbelievable events and experiences to write about. Although Farewell to Freedom is fiction it's largely based on many true life situations.
After thirteen years, becoming fed up with the deception going on around me, I left Freedom; thus the title of my book is Farewell to Freedom. The book is receiving five star reviews, and won for Best Fiction in the 2011 National Indie Excellence Book Awards contest. I was named a winner in the 2011 Author Show contest “50 Great Authors You Should Be Reading.”
The most difficult thing for me in writing Farewell to Freedom was realizing the extensive time it took to write a book. A year and a half after I began writing, once the novel was finished, my focus turned to marketing. I sent out several query letters to agents and publishers; and thought that it went exceptionally well. I was accepted by a publisher three months after the book was completed.
I've overcome many obstacles in my life by sheer persistence. Writing a novel has proven to be no bigger an obstacle than many other situations I’ve faced. I'm not one to give up easy. In the case of Farewell to Freedom I believed I had a story that should be told.
From the time I was a young girl I’ve enjoyed writing letters and short stories. The fact that people seemed to enjoy what I wrote and their reaction to my stories kept me interested in writing more.
I began writing Farewell to Freedom by simply sitting down at the computer. I allowed my mind to wander and my fingers do the work. I found that I had no specific writing routine. If I woke in the middle of the night with an idea in mind, I got up and wrote. My writing seems to come in spurts. When I'm inspired I write nonstop for hours at a time. In general, I try to write at least five or six hours a day--three or four days a week. In between, if thoughts occur that I feel will be important to my story, I capture them on a note pad and place them in my "inspiration" file.
Writing is therapeutic. It helps me to release pent up emotions. I find that when I finish writing down thoughts about past life situations, I can let them go. Persistence pays off. People will support you as a writer if you are passionate about what you write.
It takes patience and a lot of hard work to perfect your writing. No matter how many times you read and re-read your work you'll continue to find mistakes. Editing can be a difficult job. It may be more important to trust your intuition than to place your trust in an unknown editor who may or may not have your best interest at heart.
I personally enjoy reading biographies, real life adventures, romance, and fiction; and I especially enjoy