Greetings humans,
half-breeds, and everything in between. A while back, I had the pleasure to
interview a wonderful author named, Penny
Ross. A good time was truly had by all and here’s how it went down.
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| image provided by author |
Hi there Penny! It’s so awesome to have you here
at the ECS Blog. Don’t worry about the darkness, your eyes will adjust.
So
tell me, who is Penny Ross?
I’m an author,
Aboriginal educator, storyteller, mother to two grown sons, and wife to an
amazing man. I’m a weekend/holiday writer as I have a full-time job. I’m also
an avid reader and love to travel. I’m
so glad to be finally talking with you. I’m excited to learn about Aboriginal
education. I too am a part-time write, but I unfortunately do it full-time
while also working. I drive myself crazy. I hope I get to hear about some of
your travels later on.
So
whacha got for me today?
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| image provided by author |
I’m doing the final
edit on my third and latest novel ‘Stolen Spirits.’ It will be published in
January 2014. It’s a young adult murder mystery about stolen spirits taken from
their loved ones. I’ve dedicated the novel to missing and murdered Aboriginal
women and girls of Canada and their families since one of the underlying themes
in the novel is missing and murdered Aboriginal girls. Wow,
this sounds like a very deep and touching book. I must admit that I was unaware
of the problems with missing Aboriginal Canadian women. Meeting you
prompted me to do some research. I like and appreciate that you’re using
narrative to inform adults and teens of this issue.
So
who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of Stolen Spirits?
My main character in
‘Stolen Spirits’ is Diane, a Métis teen who’s murdered in the first chapter. Through
the voices of her friends we piece together who Diane was and how her murder
impacts those close to her. Readers connect with Diane’s spirit, as she hasn’t
crossed over yet. Marti is another major character in the novel. As an
international author and amateur crime fighter, Marti is enlisted to assist the
police in the investigation. ‘Stolen Spirits’ is a fast-paced novel as it takes
place over the span of nine days.Again,
this story sounds very impressive. Fast-paced and emotional, I’m sure this book
will take off. I already like the sound of Marti.
Past,
present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
I write on my couch
most of the time with my laptop. I have background music on since it gets me in
the zone. When the weather is nice I sit outside in my gazebo and gaze at my
pool while I write. I love listening to the birds while I peck away at the
keyboard. I find it restful yet inspirational.
I prefer a lap top for
my novels and freehand for my children’s books. For my latest novel, ‘Stolen
Spirits’ I sketched out chapter outlines freehand on recipe cards partway
through the book. I have so many characters I got confused where some of them
were during the murder. LOL.
I’m currently working
on a story that combines all the elements I love…fantasy, time travel,
adventure, a princess and giant animals. We’ll see where the characters take
me.
I
like the idea of using recipe cards to outline characters; I may have to try
that myself. I love getting tips and ideas from other authors, thus my selfish
reason for interviewing ;). I really like what I’m hearing about the next book
you’re putting together. You’ll have to come back and tell me all about it.
What
author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?
I love Maeve Binchy.
She was the ultimate storyteller. I wish I had one ounce of her talent. As I
become immersed in one of her stories I find myself wanting to know the
characters, get into their headspace and see who they are and what makes them
tick. Her descriptions and settings make me want to travel to the locale she’s
highlighted.It
is bad of me that the only reason I ever hear of this wonderful author is that
her book, Circle of Friends, was turned into a movie. I hope not. I like to think
that sometimes, film versions of books make people interested in the writing. I
know some people just don’t read, but if the movie made me interested, why not
someone else?
Whose
brain are you just itching to scratch?
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| from IMDB |
Temperance “Bones” Brennan
from the TV series Bones.
So I guess it would be the real life actress Emily Deschanel I would interview.
I adore Temperance’s character and love the Kathy Reich’s
novels. OK, now I’ve confused myself. Perhaps it’s Kathy Reich’s I’d interview
since Temperance is the heroine of Reich’s crime novel series. I admire them
both as they’re strong, smart, independent women. I guess I’d love to interview
both of them. That would be totally awesome!I’m
with you on that. I stopped watching, but before I did, I really got into
Bones. One day when I decide to take up the tube again, it’ll be waiting for me
in my Netflix queue. Both the author and the actress are sure to have some
amazing stories to tell. What a great answer!
Who
is so you and why?
I’ve been compared to
Angelina Jolie, not that I’m as beautiful as her though. I think it’s because
we both have pouty lips, love children and support numerous causes. I admire
how Angelina uses her wealth to support humanitarian efforts.That’s
pretty cool, to be compared to a pouty lipped humanitarian. You go
girl!...Seriously, I like when celebrities try to give back, but sometime they
go too far. Maybe being famous is really hard :/ .
What’s
your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?
I’m saving my next
highly anticipated read for the beach. We’re off on a winter vacation soon
since I’m a ‘fun in the sun’ kind of gal. My version of the perfect spot to
read is on the beach or beside my pool. I love the sun! In the winter months as
snow wraps around my house I curl up on the couch with the fire roaring and
immerse myself in a paperback or ebook. During the cold months, which we have
many of, I imagine myself reading outdoors, soaking up the sun’s rays again!I
like that, it sounds very cozy. I have trouble reading at the beach. It has to
be a very exciting book to keep me alert, otherwise the sun and sea make me
sleepy.
What
was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?
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| from Goodreads, 1972 |
I loved all the
classics when I was young. Pippi
Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren,
was one of my favorite books. I always longed to be free of rules like Pippi. I
loved her adventures and hijinks. I took my boys to see a play about Pippi
Longstocking years back at a nearby city. We couldn’t stop laughing. When I
confessed I always wanted to be Pippi they weren’t surprised. Go figure? I
too was a fan of Pippi. I thought I had read all the books, but a few eluded
me. Then they made TV movies about her and I watch them all...
Now
this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?
Work with me baby. Alright
then, here we go.
If
you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
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| from IMDB |
I would have to choose Dirty
Dancing. I love that movie! I know all the words
to the songs and must confess as I watch it, I imagine myself dancing with Patrick
Swayze…swoon!I
think this is one of those movies that people just love, and if they don’t,
they don’t seem to mind that other people do. Anyone who has an appreciation
for music you can dance to loves this movie, but you know- it has a good and
eternally relevant story too.
What
makes you geek out?
I love singing and
dancing to two movies. I already mentioned one of them, Dirty Dancing. The
other one is Grease. I know all the words to the songs and every scene. I love
to blast them extra loud in my car when I’m alone as I sing to my heart’s
content.Grease
is definitely one of my favorites. I thoroughly enough belting out, with all my
tone-deafness, to those great songs. I’m so glad we connected. I’m enjoying
that we have so much in common and am appreciating our differences.
So
what’s testing your patience right now?
What tests my patience
is people that rush to publish their books and don’t get them edited. It drives
me crazy when a truly original, creative idea is ruined with spelling and
grammatical errors. I hate when I download a book onto my Kindle then have to
slug through it. Get some beta readers and an editor people! Don’t ruin the
quality of your work by rushing to get it published. Take your time!Yeah,
I know what you mean. I try to focus on the story as much as possible, but
sometimes it is hard. I do think though that this rush to publish trend is
starting to lessen. At least for me, I’ve been able to read a better quality of
books lately.
When
the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your
glee and what songs bring out your rage?
I love women artists
like Adele, Jewel, Jan Arden, Natalie Merchant, adult alternative pop I guess
you’d call it. I also enjoy classic oldies like The Beatles, The Eagles, Bruce
Springsteen and The Rolling Stones. I
can’t stand guitar riffs or electronic dance music. I want to pull my hair out
and gnash my teeth when I hear that kind of music.Whoa
there with the gnashing of teeth (great description by the way)! I feel you,
though I think my tolerance is a little higher than yours. I can listen to two,
maybe three, electronic dance songs before I start to turn green, but then I am
a lover of all musical forms deep down…In any case, I like your taste in music.
It’s good stuff.
What’s
the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?
I love going on family
holidays with my husband and two sons. We’ve travelled to many places, shared
adventures, had tons of fun, been daredevils, and created lifetime memories.
They love when we’re almost late for a plane as I remind them, “Someone has to
be last.” It’s one of our family catch phrases. They love to tease me.I
love it. Making memories with your family, that just can’t be beat.
Not
that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future
hold?
I hope to write
full-time soon and we want to travel down south somewhere warm for a few months
every winter. I live in the middle of Canada where we have frigid, cold months.
I long for warmth when winter arrives. I’m a summer gal that loves to read and
write outdoors in the sun. With regard to world issues, I think our youth are
passionate about saving our world and I see hope when I talk to them. Together,
I think we can work towards making Mother Earth a better place for future
generations.Through
your eyes, the future looks bright indeed. I like and hope for all your dreams
and goals to come to fruition.
Is
there a question you would like to ask me?
Q: Are you someone
famous? When I saw your picture on LinkedIn I thought I recognized you.A:
I get that a lot. Here’s what I think is happening. 1) I just have a very
familiar looking face. 2) I can think of three different actresses people seem
to think I look like. 3) In certain LinkedIn and online circles, my face is
around a lot. I’m not famous yet, but maybe one day.
Ok
humans, half-breeds, and everything in between, that’s all for today. Be sure
to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more from Penny
Ross, check out these great links:
GoodReads:
Penny
Ross
Facebook:
Penny
Ross
Twitter:
@PennyRoss2
Author
Central: Penny
Ross (Kindle books available for $2.99 just
in time for the Holidays)
Pending
the release of Stolen Spirits, check out another Ross book Bird of Paradise… at
ButterflyDreamsPublishing.com
Thank you for taking
the time to read this post. Click below to share your reactions and more.
Remember, I’ll be moving to the ToiBox full-time soon, so please, stop by to
check it out. Until next time, Toi Thomas. #cursescanbebroken #thetoiboxofwords
