This week, we’re talking with Mary Teresa Flannery about her book, WHAT STIRS IN WINTER
Tell us something unexpected about yourself!
I write and draw with my left hand and do nearly everything else with my right.
Why do you write?
I'm a storyteller rather than a writer. Writing is a way of getting the story out of my consciousness. And I love making pictures with words!
Where did you get the inspiration for your current book?
After I moved to the Pacific Northwest of the USA. I saw that I was in a very historic place. The end of the Oregon Trail is only a few miles away! I ‘saw' the exhausted families from the 1840s reaching their destination after the long, dangerous trek across plains and rivers and mountains, a journey that took them six months by wagon. A story was born, an Irish lass Katie out for adventure and falling in love against her better judgement…and this area has a breathtaking beauty too. It's a love-letter to the Pacific Northwest.
What do you enjoy the most about your genre?
Happy Endings! I never read books that leave me aggravated and unhappy, and I want to guarantee the same for my readers.
How would you describe your writing process?
I begin with an idea, and it germinates. I never sit down and plot it out in full. I couldn't stick to that. What I think might be a minor character could assume a major role as the story develops. As for the physical process of writing, I'm a kitchen table writer. I can block out whatever else is happening around me. I use Scrivener and import into Word.
What do you think authors have to gain from participating in social media?
The fellowship of other authors, I find social media wonderful for the encouragement. We help each other a lot, with ideas and also practical things, even software reviews.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.' That's my philosophy. I wanted to be a writer since age 11 or 12. But life happened, and I had to earn steady wages. I retired 3 years ago, and now a steady writing job has dropped into my lap. Be attuned to God's will for your life – it is the secret of happiness. Though I did not make writing my career, I had rich experiences in my 40 years working and now i have a pension. (very important, that)
How do you select your books’ titles and covers?
For my self-published works – I brainstorm Titles, narrow them down to five or six, then one always stands out. For covers, it's a bit tricky. Covers are so, so important, especially in particular genres. I made a lot of mistakes and got feedback and have altered covers. I bought a premade cover for ‘Melody in Tea' and it was worth it. ‘What Stirs in Winter' is all my own artwork, but it took a lot of testing and tweaking.
What's your next step?
I have to get started on my next commissioned Victorian romance for my publisher, PureRead! They buy them outright. I lose copyright but get paid into my hand. It's an arrangement that suits me very well. I also have to write Volume 3 of my own Series, ‘Delaford', a follow-up to Austen's Sense & Sensibility. I never thought I would see the day when I could call myself a writer proper!
What book do you wish you had written?
Any of Jane Austen's! They're so light and funny and deep too.
How do you react to seeing a new review for your book?
Sheer Delight! Someone read it!
