Check it out here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KB06AIK/This Is How A Heart Breaks is one of your many published books. How does it differ from your others?
I had previously written one book which was 365 daily reflections which was nonfiction. This is my first novel and the first novel of my Healing Heart Series. Heart Breaks is a novel about loss and grief and what it means to love someone just as they are – warts and all. There will be 4 books to this series. Novel number 2 is called Falling to Pieces and is currently on Amazon and I’m currently working on novel 3.
What do you think makes a good story?
Characters that you can identify with and a story line that draws you in. I think it should have the elements of fun, romance, seriousness and either just be a story to take readers away from their daily grind or give them something to think about.
When writing This Is How A Heart Breaks, which writers/books inspired you?
I love Nicolas Sparks! I read everything he writes. I also enjoy reading John Grisham. Now that I’m an independent author I’m beginning to read novels by them. My favorite all time novels are The Count of Monte Cristo, Gone with the Wind and The Thornbirds.
What are your ambitions for your writing career? Full time? Part time?
I’m a bookkeeper by trade, but am taking a break from the workforce and writing full time. I’d like to stay writing full time, but if not, I’ll take whatever free time I have and write. Even if you write full time, daily life can get in the way.
When did you decide to become a writer?
I was about nine years old. We had to write a story for English. I had so much fun writing my story about “The Pumpkin Man”. From then on I was writing all sorts of stories on notebook paper – especially during middle school and high school study hall.
When writing This Is How A Heart Breaks, did anything stand out as particularly challenging?
Finding the time. It took me ten years to write it. I was working and had three teenage/middle school children. My husband had a job where he traveled and a lot fell on me. Fiction is much harder to write than non-fiction and I need peace and quiet to write.
How did you come up with the story to This Is How A Heart Breaks?
It was a dream I had one night – the first Chapter was. I got up and wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget it. I just continued the story on from there.
What do you like to do when not writing?
Right now, I do a lot of volunteer work for our church. I am a Stephen Minister and a mentor. I enjoy playing golf with my husband and watching old movies from 30’s-60’s. I love to watch football and hockey. I’m an avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan (my alma mater) and a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan. I am also a Pittsburgh Penguins fan.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
I have a website www.deborahdearth.org