Q. What kind of books did you like when you were young?

A: I loved horse stories, stories about Native Americans, fantasies, Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan, dog stories, the entire series of the Bobbsey Twins, Honey Bunch Morton, Trixie Belden, Nancy Drew, and the series written about twins of different countries. That’s just a few of the ones I remember. There were many many others I’ve forgotten right now.

But before books, I had my imagination . . . and I used it to tell stories to my sisters and brother at bedtime. Since we girls all had a love for horses, my early stories featured the adventures of four sisters-Big Marsh, her sister Little Marsh, and their friends, Big Denise and Little Denise. The older girls owned magnificent black horses, while the younger two rode white ponies. Once my sisters were familiar with my characters, we’d all act the stories out, careful to be quiet so my mom wouldn’t pay us a visit . . . since we were supposed to be sleeping . . .!

Q. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

A. When I was about ten. Although, when I began first grade, I thought I was only there to learn to read and write so I could write letters to my grandmother. I pretty much refused to learn anything else-until my teacher alerted my parents I was in danger of repeating the grade if they didn’t do something soon! So, my father explained that people went to school because they needed to know all the things Mrs. Chatfield was trying to teach us.

Reluctantly, I started applying myself to more than reading and writing. Then, in fifth grade, Mrs. Miller began reading to us each afternoon from the 1001 Arabian Nights, and that was all it took to inspire me to write my own fantasies.

My first stories were all about caves filled with treasure, small houses that were bigger on the inside and filled with mazes of mysterious rooms; other stories of untamable horses only the heroine could ride. Mrs. Miller let me read every single one of those stories to the class. Since I often featured my classmates in them, the kids loved them, and were disappointed if I didn’t have a new one to read every day. At the end of the year, with my mom’s help, I created a cover for them out of red construction paper, stapled the stories all together, and gave them to Mrs. Miller.

Q: Are you working on any projects now?

A: Yes, I’m working on several, in fact. A time-travel novel for 8 to 12 year olds called Stagecoach at the Old Gristmill, another story, A Purrrfect Napping Spot that’s going to be both a picture book for little readers, and a short book for 6-10 year olds, a young adult novel, called Marooned on Planet EARTH-The SCOVILLE Tragedies. I plan more adventures, too, for Jeoffrey and Jerrianna Kingsley, so I’m making notes for those books.

Q: Do you make public appearances?

A: Not as much as I used to. But, I have spoken in classrooms and at workshops about writing in general, epublishing and writing as a career. I wouldn’t mind doing that kind of thing again, though, as my time allows.

Q: Where do you live?

A: Well, originally I’m from Torrington, Connecticut. I moved to New York State in the early ’80′s where I met my husband, Andy. We have four handsome sons, Tristen, now, 25, Brett-Nathanael, 23 and Quenton, 21, and Paul, 33. Paul has a daughter, Mia, 12. We now live in Vermont.

We share our space with two cats, Chloe. 3, and Frank Sinatra, 2 and two Rat terriers—Neleigh, 9. and Kai Cei, her daughter, 4. Yes, Kai Cei was named for Jeoffrey and Jerrianna’s mom!

Q: What are your favorite things to do?

My favorite things are reading good books, writing, and riding—although I don’t any longer own my own horses. I ride whenever I can, wherever I can! I also like to bowl and play air hockey, ride bikes, and take hikes with my family and the dogs.

Q: What advice do you have for young aspiring writers?

A: Write! Write whatever’s in your heart and mind, and perfect it later. Not that I wait, myself, to perfect it later . . . I edit as I go, but it’s not necessary. Worry about all the technical stuff after you’ve got the story perfect. Then worry about spelling, grammar, etc. No teacher is going to want to know I said this, but some of those rules are breakable. . . AFTER you learn what they are! So do whatever they say in school for your schoolwork, and in your private ‘den’ write what you feel, how you feel!

Don’t give up. Don’t pay attention to people who put you down for trying. You might have to be good to become a published author, but to be a writer-you have to only be good enough for yourself. You’re a writer if you write. And if you write, you will, in time, get better. Some things just come with the doing, however long it takes.