1. Could you tell us a little about where you grew up and what your childhood was like?
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, which was like living in a small
town within a big City. I still call Brooklyn my home. I and my Sister
were raised by Italian-American parents, in a close-knit Italian
neighborhood. We shared fun times in our backyards with our friends and
parents, who sipped coffee and chatted loudly, as we ran about happy and
carefree. We were all family. My friends and I played “sidewalk” games
of hop-scotch, hide and seek, tag and jump rope, and rode our bikes
around the block until the day became the night. We listened to the
latest hits on our portable record players, while gathering on each
other’s “stoops” on summer nights waiting for the ice cream truck to
come by. The aromas of fresh bread and pizza lingered on street corners,
while the tantalizing “Scent of the Gods” (a mix of onions, garlic and
tomato sauce) made its way from our parents’ windows to our waiting
nostrils…Sunday Mass and Sunday dinners were big events as well;
visiting with our Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins – always a
loud, joyous gathering. It was all about family and community.
2. As a true fan of "Dark Shadows," what initially drew you to the show and what made you become so passionate about it?
The Original “Dark Shadows” came out in 1966 and ran through 1971. I
was10 years old in 1966; too young to fully understand the various story
lines, yet old enough to know I was intrigued by the Gothic soap opera
that introduced my young friends and I to vampires, werewolves, witches,
séances, and the magic that attracted us to every character. Today that
passion still exists, from generation to generation, as fans continue
to connect through social media and re-runs of this wonderful show. Some
of the original actors, who are still living today, stay connected to
their fans on social media; which is truly special... As bizarre as it
may have seemed, “Dark Shadows” was about family, friendships and dark
secrets; yet we enjoyed our daily visits (after school) to the
“Collinwood” home, where all were welcome!!!
3. What initially sparked your interest in poetry, and how has it evolved over time?
I became interested in poetry when I was in grammar school, and our
teacher asked us to write about a family pet. With that assignment, I
fell in love with expressing myself through words and rhyme. I
discovered something that truly excited me in a unique way. This
continued into adulthood, as I secretly found myself writing poetry for
myself only - until I decided to share it with others through online
writing communities, a blog, and self-publishing on Amazon. Opportunity
knocked, and I embraced it.
4. What led you to transition from a supervisory administrative position to pursuing a career in writing?
Great question. Writing was something I was always passionate about,
but not something I thought about as a career since I knew it would not
pay the bills. Writing, however, still remained my private “happy place”
throughout the years. It was an extension of who I was… I married at a
young age, had my son soon after, and realized that I needed to keep my
day job and take on higher positions that paid well. Years later,
“retirement” became the catalyst that turned my dreams of writing into a
reality. Self-publishing novels and poetry became a career, so to
speak, at a time when I was able to do it for my own personal
fulfillment and without financial concerns, as I had now left my day job
behind. No pressure, just a love of the art that I cherish on a daily
basis – and a retirement check! The rest is icing on the cake.
5. How has your background in a supervisory administrative role influenced your writing style or themes in your work?
I don’t see that my background in a supervisory administrative role
influenced my writing style or themes in my work all that much, but it
did contribute to helping me focus. What that job did do for me was
teach me how to organize my time, plan projects, delegate tasks, meet
deadlines, work under pressure and read people through daily
interaction. In that sense, my job provided me with the necessary tools
to simply sit down, plan my time, and concentrate on my writing in order
to develop plots, storylines and characters in contemporary fiction and
poetry. Organization is a huge part of writing. Without it, a writer
can be all over the place accomplishing little. So with my background in
a supervisory administrative role, I became more grounded on the job
and in life; allowing me to later pursue my writing goals with ease.
6. How do you come up with ideas for your blog posts and maintain a consistent flow of content?
Most of my blog posts are about fiction and poetry and include many
submissions to an online writing community at Spillwords Press
(Spillwords.com). Included on my blog are Newsletters promoting my
Amazon books and Written Word Media Promotions. I love to share photos
that accompany and/or complement my posts, as well – and there are many
miscellaneous posts on general topics personal to me, in order to inform
and start a conversation. Comments are always welcome.
7. Can you describe your creative process when it comes to writing
poetry? Do you have any specific rituals or habits that help you get
into a poetic mindset?
For me, poetry begins with just one word (and that is the theme of my
poetry at Spillwords Press). It all starts from just one word which
becomes one idea, one sentence, one story, one poem. That one word
originates from the daily interactions I have with people, places and
things (children’s laughter, meeting friends, romantic dinners, birds
flying, rainy days, summer nights, snowy winters, walks through the
park, visits to the cemetery, city traffic, tree-lined streets, cats and
dogs, beaches, seashells, gardens, aromas, etc.) - I’ve learned
writers view the world differently than most people. They see beyond
what is actually there, and turn those experiences into words and
poetry.
8. How did you approach the balance between form and expression in your poetry, "Treasure Chest of Words"?
Well poetry is as the title of my book states; a “Treasure Chest of
Words”. There is something there for everyone to enjoy and relate to.
Form and expression go hand in hand, and appear as the writer intends.
For me it is an individual approach through words and images. There is
Poetic License and the Writer’s choice of Form that may turn a simple
poem into a masterpiece. That is the hope of every writer or poet.
9. How do you approach creating authentic and relatable characters in your romance novels?
I create authentic and relatable characters in my romance novels by
using personality traits I’ve observed from family, friends, strangers
and even myself. I try to capture the emotions most people experience,
positive or negative, in their romantic relationships, and take that
reality to create fictional characters/lovers. I may recall romantic
experiences people have shared with me (or my own experiences) and build
on that by adding more of the raw emotion, reaction, physical
responses; more tears, joy, love, hate, jealousy, desire - and bring it
all to new heights so the reader can experience each character’s life
through my words and imagery. I strive to have the reader feel, connect
and engage with the romance novel as if they were a part of it.
10. In your opinion, why is it important to advocate for animal welfare and conservation?
In my opinion, animals are our most vulnerable (like children and the
elderly), and it is our humane responsibility to look after and protect
them; whether they are our loyal pets, strays, or animals in the wild. I
also believe we must stop stealing/destroying the natural habitat of
animals in the wild in order to build housing or construct businesses
and the like. I find that so heartbreaking. Many animals are being
pushed out into unfamiliar territory, which is so very dangerous for
them. As far as conservation, it is so important to save the rain
forests. They provide medicines, miracle cures, food, and clean the
atmosphere. I am not a big advocate of “climate change” or “global
warming” as it is presented by the media and others, because I feel that
much of that theory is truly based on the ever-changing tilt of the
earth’s axis as time passes (going towards or moving away from the sun).
11. How do you envision your writing career evolving or expanding in the future, now that you have retired from your previous role?
Writing is my passion, and an extension of who I am as a person. It
brings me great joy and it truly is my “happy place” where I can unwind
and get the creative juices flowing. In retirement, I get to follow that
passion on my own terms and my own time. I will continue to write
fiction and poetry; add more blog posts to my blog; I will continue to
contribute to online writing communities; and I will continue to
self-publish as I share my works with the world. Hopefully, they will
sample it and come back for more. Writing will always be a part of me
and I would love for it to define who I am to others.
12. How do you handle writer's block or moments when inspiration feels
elusive? Are there any strategies or techniques you employ to overcome
these challenges?
I find writer’s block to be a nuisance, like a bad cold. It gets you
down for a few days, but you will be back to normal in no time. I’ve
been there many times, as most writers; but I just allow it to pass –
and it does. All writers will eventually find their way back to their
world of creativity or vice versa. It takes a bit of time and patience. I
find doing other things you enjoy while writer’s block visits you,
works out well; watch a movie, read a book, spend time with family and
friends, go shopping, go on social media – or just relax and do nothing.
Writer’s block is a very natural process that will always occur, like
the seasons. So let it happen and remember that “patience is a virtue”.
13. What advice would you give to others who are considering pursuing a
new career or passion after retiring from a long-term profession?
I would say go for it, but plan that new career or plan on following
your passion in advance of your retirement so, while you are leaving
your long-term profession which was a big part of your life for many
years, you will have something to go home to. That something, whether it
be a new career or a passion you love, will sustain you as you wake up
each day to the sound of your alarm clock, realizing you have nowhere to
go now that you retired. It is a strange feeling at first, but if you
have a “go to” plan, the transition into retirement will be easier and
the “go to “ plan will be your plan, on your time, and will fulfill you
throughout this next journey in life. It will be an extension of YOU.
Just be sure to seriously have it in the back of your mind before you
retire. You must have something to go home to or you will find yourself
in a rut, with no plan, floundering around with no direction… Just my
opinion.
14. Are you working on anything new, and if so, when can we expect it?
I am working on more poetry right now, and I hope to come out with a
second poetry book within a year or so. I share lots of poetry on my
blog and I contribute poetry pieces to the online writing community
website at Spillwords Press (Spillwords.com) under the theme of “…On
Poetry and Fiction”.
15. What do you think of AllAuthor and your experience with it so far? Got any feedback for us?
I truly am elated to have discovered AllAuthor through social media
and online searches, and I find your services helpful to authors, and
reasonably priced… truly worth the investment. Your promotional tools
for writers and your promotional efforts on the part of writers, work
hand in hand, and are great assets to writers. Self-published
writers/authors can truly benefit from your site as your services can
assist in drawing attention to self-published books, give them great
exposure, and help support writers on their literary journey.
