HA: Why did you choose to work with Heart Ally Books?

CG: I’ve known Lisa for many years. She is the reason that I have a website. All of Lisa’s courses are stellar. Her teaching method is thoughtfully laid out for a no-stress experience. There are times when I think I’m her sole student. 🙂 That is how insightful her classes are. Through the ups and downs of my life, Lisa's words have always cheered me up and given me hope. For her publishing company to take on my historical western, “Wanted,” is a dream come true. I couldn’t be in any better hands, and I appreciate the opportunities that Heart Alley Books has given me.

HA: I love it when my students feel special! What was the most surprising experience you had while becoming an author for the first time?

CG: How my characters tend to write their own stories. My writing process is akin to conversing with a dear friend who calls out of the blue and says, “You’ll never guess what happened!” She proceeds to tell me, and I’m flabbergasted by her news. Then I pump her with questions. How did that happen? What did you do? What did he do? Is everyone okay? What will you do next? Etc, etc.

That’s how my characters are: I write down their news and, in the process, I discover all that took place. The events leading up to the calamity are as exciting as their plans to resolve it. From there, I just follow them around. Sometimes one of my characters does something so out of place and so contradictory to what I expected that I’m stunned. Regardless, I write it down, and eventually it all makes sense.

HA: Do you have a favorite or least favorite part of being an author?

CG: I love the solitude, which allows my imagination to wander where it will. Creating different characters and introducing chaotic circumstances into their lives to see how they cope is fun. I also enjoy the necessary research, as it takes me to interesting places I may not be able to visit.

 My least favorite part of being an author is marketing and promotion. I truly do not like to market. I have a paralyzed vocal cord that makes talking very difficult, but I can’t use that as the main reason because, “scouts honor,” I failed marketing in college. I prefer the backstage of writing, with minimal marketing, and Heart Ally allows me to do that.

HA: Well, you certainly haven't failed in Creative Writing! What is the story behind Wanted?

CG: When I was 12, I spent the summer at a Girl Scout camp at a Pony Express station in Utah. I loved the remoteness of the camp, the beauty of the landscape, and the history of the people who once lived and died there. The pony express station is now gone, and I have moved back to the eastern states, but that experience has stayed with me my entire life. Wanted was created from that experience.

HA: What is your top recommendation for new authors wanting to learn the craft?

CG: Just write. Never stop to edit, write freely for as long as you can, follow all trails, and allow your mind to chase rabbits. Don’t stop to freshen it up and check for typos. Editing is the killer of creativity. Many of your best scenes are the ones you deleted during your first edit (this I know from experience), and sometimes, when you are trying to find the perfect scene that your story has led you to, you realize you also deleted that in your first hatchet job. Even scenes that take you into a whole other plot should be copied and saved for your next book.

For the times when you have nothing to write, ask yourself why and write it down. Sometimes, just your pen touching paper or your fingers dancing on the keyboard are all the motivation you need to begin. When I come to a roadblock in my story, I write it down right in the manuscript. Such as: Where am I going with this? This conflicts with my character's background. Why? Why would she act so out of character? Did I miss something? 

The answers lead me back to the storyline. If I’m still bogged down, I will write the scene in reverse, switch characters, or change the POV to get to the core of the scene.

HA: Do you have other books coming out? Want to give us a hint?

CG: I have two historical romances almost completed. One is a time-travel story set in the American West of the 1880’s, involving a 21st-century novelist and an 19^th century outlaw.

The other one is also set in the American West, but it has a flight of fancy. Magic, in other words. Involving a young bohemian gypsy with a gift and an ex-sheriff bent on revenge.

My other stories are non-fiction and children’s picture books.

HA: Ooooh! I'm looking forward to reading your new books! Welcome!