BookEndsTalks with Barbara Gale
- By: Jessica Faust | Date: Feb 09 2007
Barbara Gale
Book: Finding His Way Home
Publisher: Silhouette Special Edition
Pub date: February 2007
Agent: Jessica Faust
Barbara Gale is a native New Yorker whose themes reflect not only her love affair with her beloved city, but with rural New York, also, where she does much of her writing.
Author Web site: www.BarbaraGale.com
Awards: 2002 Reviewers Choice Best Silhouette Special Edition
BookEnds: Describe your book in 50 words or less.
Barbara: Valetta Faraday is a widowed single mom in hiding from her past when Linc Cameron comes searching for her. An old family friend, and her teenaged crush, he awakens feelings she thought were long forgotten. Now that they are adults, the question is, how much will they consent to remember?
BookEnds: What do you think distinguishes your work from that of other authors of this genre?
Barbara: The themes I explore in my Silhouette Special Editions encompass family, life, and love. To my mind, these subject matters cannot be rushed. My leisurely pacing gives me the opportunity to explore these issues more thoroughly than other writers, which allows for a more realistic story line.
BookEnds: Where do you get your ideas?
Barbara: I regret to say that I am a panster—that is, someone who writes from the seat of her pants, as Stephen King says. Lately, I am trying to create outlines (so helpful to my editor!), but it is a hard-won battle, and against my creative instincts.
BookEnds: What’s your next book? When and where should we look for it?
Barbara: My next book is tentatively entitled The Other Side of the Mountain, the release date to be determined. It is about a doctor who finds herself lost in a thunderstorm, and finds more than she bargained for when she stumbles into a small town in upstate New York.
BookEnds: What advice would you give aspiring writers?
Barbara: A writer must write every day and not wait for the muse to appear, it’s as simple as that. Developing a schedule assures that productivity. And, of course, writing every day improves your craft.
BookEnds: What do you see as some of the biggest mistakes beginning writers make?
Barbara: Aspiring writers sometimes treat their writing as a hobby. If one intends to write, one’s commitment must be total. Even if a person writes part-time, a determined mind-set is pivotal to success. Completing one’s project is also essential. Finally, if a writer needs feedback, it ought to come from other writers, or professionals in the field.
To learn more about Barbara Gale, see Our Books at www.BookEnds-Inc.com.
This is funny because I almost bought this one just a couple of days ago. I think I hesitated because I’ve had terrible luck with contemporaries lately. Too many jerkwads trying to pass themselves off as heroes. Now, I have to go take another look at this one. Thanks!
Hi, Barbara
Fellow SSE author here…. Nice interview and great advice to other authors. Looking forward to reading your book!
Finally, if a writer needs feedback, it ought to come from other writers, or professionals in the field.
Sorry, but I completely disagree. Other writers will tell you how they would have done it. Listen to too many of them, and you will lose your own voice. I’m sticking with non-writers as Beta readers from now on. If my story pleases an avid reader, I’ll know it’s good, but there’s no way it will please every writer. They will pick it to death until there’s nothing left of it worth reading.