It's a beautiful, cool 60 degree, sunshiny morning after so many days in the 80s and 90s. Makes me want to get out in the garden. Best of all I'm singing praises all over the place that I've finally recovered from the perpetual crud. I think it's really gone. Hallelujah!
We have with us today another talented author, Heather S. Ingemar. Heather is the author of A Slip of Wormwood and other stories.

Interview with Heather S. Ingemar

GRACE: Heather, I'm so glad to have you here. We seem to have a lot in common, both of us being librarians with a love of music and writing. I'd like to know more about you. Could you tell us a little about yourself?

HEATHER: I'm a rancher's wife, a librarian, and a writer. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a minor in Music, and I love my job(s). Life couldn't be better. I have a website, http://catharsys.wordpress.com. It's also my personal blog. Be prepared for some goofy stuff there. I post frequent news updates concerning my writing, release dates, and such. Feel free to swing on by; I love company!

GRACE: Now for a tiny peek inside you. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

HEATHER: Wow. Um, if I were still a kid, I'd say a horse because of their beauty, strength, and speed. Now, however I think I'd say a cow. They're really quite intelligent creatures, laid-back and gentle. How many cows have you seen die from a stress-caused heartattack? It'd be great to live a lifestyle like that. Eat grass, lie in the sun, sleep, hang out with your buds. No worries about bills or healthcare or any of the things we adult humans have to worry about. Not to mention, cows are really strong. If they don't want to be held up, they're not. That sort of freedom, free-thinking, is really cool.

GRACE: I'd never thought of it before, but I have to say cows live the kind of life I would like. It's easy to see you have the creative thinking of a writer. When did you begin writing, and what prompted you to write?

HEATHER: Oh, I've always been a storyteller, but didn't start writing seriously until I was in college. My early attempts at it—elementary school, junior high, and high school—frustrated me beyond belief; what ended up on the page was NOT what I had in mind. I had to learn the skills first before I could be satisfied with what I created. Beyond that, it's the drive to tell stories. I love reading, love making up things. I love being creative, being able to draw pictures with words. That's really where it's at.

GRACE: Yes, it is. Which writer or writers do you most admire, and why?

HEATHER: Oh, there are too many to count. Too many.

GRACE: What is the hardest thing for you personally about being a writer?

HEATHER: The hardest thing? Maintaining my sanity. (laughs) No, really, it's finding that place, that mental state of mind where I CAN write, where I can focus on the characters or plot or setting. It takes time, and unfortunately, life does not wait. All too often I have interruptions that can't be put on the back burner, and that's tough. However, and I think a lot of writers will agree with me, we have to adapt. Be creative with our time. Thankfully, that's fun, and it eases down the frustration that can so easily overwhelm us.

GRACE: Tell us about your writing–published and in progress.

HEATHER: Well, I've got a short story out now with Echelon Press, "Darkness Cornered" about sacrifices, love, vampires, and crimes in the name of science. I also have another short, "A Slip of Wormwood," about sibling rivalries gone too far, and a fantasy novella, "Prophet's Choice," about destiny and choices in wartime; both of these will be coming soon also from Echelon Press. About my works-in-progress, I won't give you any details just yet, but I have recently finished a short novel, "Of Shadows," that is currently being prepared for submission, and I'm working on its sequel.

GRACE: Thank you, Heather, for being here with us today and telling us about you and your work.

Heather S. Ingemar's stories, published by Echelon Press, are all available from Fictionwise as e-books.