Q. What inspires you to get out of bed each day? I'll admit it's hard for someone like me to be "inspired" to get out of bed each day, but still I do. I have a very strong sense of responsibility and, in many respects, I feel the need to be "normal" and have an order to my day. Each morning I drink coffee, read the news, say prayers, and do other things that those who are not disabled do. Yes, sometimes I end up right back in that bed after two cups of coffee, but I attempt to get up each morning.
Q. Do you encounter obstacles while writing? Because Sjogren's Syndrome causes extreme fatigue, I am limited in the amount of time I can devote to writing each day. The dry eyes that Sjogren's brings also limits my time before a computer or tablet screen. And then there is the very-real problem of brain fog, where I cannot recall a word I need - much less know how to spell it. Writing and editing this book has been an slow process for me; an exercise in patience.
Q. What is you writing process? With this book it was spontaneous. If not, it would not have the qualities of being cathartic and confessional. But really, it's all about revision. . .revision. . . revision. . .
Q. What is your e-reading device of choice? Because my autoimmune disease has caused me to have severe dry eye, I now do most of my reading through Audible. It is much more pleasurable for me to sit or lie with a warm compress on my eyes and listen, than to continue to injure and dry my eyes further by attempting to read - especially on an e-device or computer screen. And it turns out that I just may be an auditory, not visual, learner because I seem to absorb more of a book's content while listening. A big plus.
Q. What is with the Dr. Seuss quotes? Horton Hatches the Egg was my hands-down favorite book when I was a child. I spoke earlier about my strong sense of responsibility and this book may just be where it came from. I also resonate with Dr. Seuss' sense of whimsy, his optimism, intonation, and count. I have written many a child's poem in my day, and they each end up sounding like a Dr. Seuss poem.