Well, friends! It seems like I’ve been on a month-long
hiatus! And I feel as if I’m still a bit
jet-lagged from the holidays…is that a reasonable complaint? Or am I simply inventing excuses? *smile*
At any rate, I’m glad to be back.
We have a special
treat today. I’m excited to be hosting
Peggy Bird, a Crimson Romance sister, and a very
prolific writer. Although Peggy and I
are only just beginning a friendship, I’ve watched her interactions with other
writers for a while now and can honestly say she is a wonderful, tireless
cheerleader and a never-ending source of light and inspiration. I admit I haven’t had a chance to dive into
her books yet, but they are definitely on my TBR list! (If you’ve sampled them, please comment!)
Greetings,
Peggy! Thanks so much for stopping by. It’s wonderful to host such an experienced
writer as yourself! I know my readers – like me – are anxious to
find out a few intimate, intrusive things about you, such as… what your workspace looks like…?
Actually, I have two desks and at the moment, one is tidy and one a
mess. On the neat one, I have my MacBook
and a cup full of pens along with my latest manuscript in two piles—already
edited and to-be-edited. So far, so good, right? Take a glance at the other
desk that sits at right angles to my smaller one, the one I use when I
handwrite. On it I have two iPads, one iPod, a stack of books to be mailed to
my Bookmooch buddies, my “to-do” pile (unattended over the holidays, it
apparently reproduced and created new baby “to-dos”), and my paper calendar.
Oh, and my printer. And the new ink cartridges I just bought. And the box for
the new iPad. And the labeler my husband just returned. This week’s task? Clean it all up, of course.
I’m glad to hear I’m
not the only one who ‘foundered’ a bit over the holly-days. You’ve helped my spirits already! Now, let’s see, one MacBook, two iPads, one
iPod, and a labeler. Sounds like you’re a die-hard techie. I love it!
Can you share a
favorite quote?
One of my favorite writing-related quotes is from E. L. Doctorow:
“Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as the
headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
Brilliant! (And mighty encouraging, too.) Peggy, it’s a given that you write Romance,
but do you dabble in other genres? Do
you write other things besides novels?
I have written a mystery that got very good rejections from agents
and editors and I have a half-finished YA (Young Adult) historical I co-wrote
with a writing buddy. Both are buried someplace in my filing cabinet. I have
had memoir pieces published in a dozen or more anthologies, stories in several children’s
magazines and three plays produced locally, one in a grade school and two as
scripts for puppets in the Kids on the Block Awareness program.
Sounds like you are
equally at home in many genres. That’s
great! I’m sure that adds a lot of
diversity and range to your work. And I love
the ‘very good rejections’ comment. Often
an acceptance comes right on the heels of an encouraging rejection.
Tell me, how much of your
books are based on real life?
My latest book has a number of elements of my real life. Together
Again is the story of Margo Keyes, a woman born and raised in Philadelphia who
moves to Portland, Oregon and never wants to leave. We share a birthplace, an
addiction to sticky buns from the Reading Terminal Market and a love for
Portland and the Columbia River Gorge. That’s where it stops, however. I didn’t
marry my childhood friend, am not a lawyer and have never, to the best of my
knowledge, met a Russian mobster.
That’s probably a
blessing! What books would you say have influenced
your life most?
For my novel writing, two books I read when I was young from an old
box of my mother’s books were probably formative—one was Forever Amber, the other was a British romance, The Sun and the Sea. I changed the way I
looked at the world after I read Guns,
Germs and Steel and The Feminine
Mystique. And I’m a great admirer of/believer in Karen Armstrong’s books,
particularly A History of God.
What are your current
projects? Can you share a little here?
I can just about see the end of my six-book series, Second Chances. The third book, Together Again, will be released on
January 14th. The fourth book is under contract with Crimson
Romance. Book #5 is in the process of final editing before submission to
Crimson (see question re: what’s on your workspace?) The first draft of the
final book, number six, is finished. The book I’m editing is Believing Again which is, of course, a
romance, but it is also the story of two people who have lost faith—in
themselves, in their vocations or their loved ones. When they meet, their
attraction calls into question their cynicism about life and love. It may be my
favorite of the series. But then, I always say that about the one I’m working
on.
You are definitely a
brave soul. A six-book series! Wow.
Sounds like a project that keeps you hopping! Thinking back, what do you think was the
hardest part of writing your latest book?
I can so relate! I always think of the Chip and Dale cartoons…wasn’t
it Dale who was always distracted by the shiny, sparkly objects? That’s definitely a danger in our line of
work! *smile*
I realize you’re a
prolific writer. Have you ever hated
something you’ve written?
On a daily basis, some weeks, it goes with the territory. Some
days, if I wind up with one decent sentence, I’m lucky. On the other hand,
sometimes scenes I delete because I think they suck turn out to be not so bad
after all six months down the line and, with a little revision, can be used in
something else I’m writing. And I’d bet I’m not the only writer who, at a
public reading of his/her work, changes a word or two because he/she realizes
how much better it would be if THAT word was just different.
I agree. I’ve learned not to permanently delete any
passages. It’s best to let everything ‘percolate’!
What was your last
Tweet, Peggy?
I have resisted Twitter because I couldn’t handle the idea of Peggy
Bird tweeting. However, I finally caved. I’m not as addicted to it as I am to
Facebook and Pinterest—yet—but I can feel it coming. My last tweet was to RT
(re-tweet) an announcement about Crimson Romance sister Synithia William’s
newly released book Worth the Wait.
One of the things I’ve
learned is that a truly blessed writer has a great support system. Who makes up Peggy Bird’s support system? What do you do when the support isn’t
there?
I have the most amazing group of women friends anyone has ever been
blessed with. Some of the women I’ve known for decades, others for only a few
years. Some I’ve lived next door to, some I’ve worked with, others I’ve met
through my art interests. In addition, my husband and I have three adult
daughters between us who are as close to me as friends. I have no idea what I’d
do without this fabulous group of females. I’m lucky enough never to have had
that experience. They can interpret my emails and Facebook posts to know when I
need cheering up or a celebration—and they provide it. They show up for readings, launch parties,
birthdays, holidays or just because. We hash over books, problems, music,
politics, theater, children, and health on a regular basis, in person, on the
phone or electronically.
That is awesome. Sounds like you know just exactly how lucky
you are!
Now, Peggy, I have
some fun and unusual questions for you.
Please fill in the blanks:
If my closest friends could describe me they’d say I was smart
and well read.
Don’t be surprised to find me bragging about my perfect
grandchildren.
If I had a super power, it would be: the ability to make peace
between people and nations.
It’s the simple things that mean the most! A “small” thing that I
adore is: chocolate.
Most days I smell like clean clothes.
When I grow up, I’m going to be surprised.
You will never, EVER find me willingly in a grocery store. Except to buy more chocolate.
I want to send a Shout Out to someone special. My life is more
extraordinary because of all the women friends who always have my back.
And finally,
for your fans – let’s leave our readers with ways to get in touch…
Thanks
so much for spending time with us Peggy, and for patiently answering our
questions. You’ve been a great
sport! Good luck with your series! --
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