Friday J Q Rose is visiting @https://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com and talking about Arrnging A Dream #BWLAuthor #MFRWAuthor #Memoir #Flowers

 

1. Tell me about your latest release or the book you wish to feature? Genre? This month we are celebrating Arranging a Dream: A Memoir’s first birthday. This “feel-good” book was released on January 1, 2021, by BWL Publishing. The story was a “heart work” for me, recording the first year we were in the flower and greenhouse business in Fremont, Michigan.

 

2. Where did the idea arise? I have taught life storytelling classes for many years. I am a life storytelling evangelist! I encourage everyone to record their life stories via writing or making a video. Leaving a legacy for your family is the best gift you can give them. I decided since I had “preached” about it, I’d better follow my advice and use those lessons and the stories I had penned during those workshops to write my memoir. A memoir is different from a biography. An autobiography includes all the life experiences from birth to the present. If your life is like a delicious cherry pie, then a memoir is just a slice of the pie dealing with just one theme such as your travel, careers, hobbies, etc. The slice of my life covers the first year we were in the flower business—December 1975-December 1976.

 

3. How much research was involved? Did you stay on point or be distracted by wanting to look at just one more thing? Researching to write a memoir or life story can be a delightful trip back in time. I had to look up what was happening in the news in 1975-76, talk with friends and family about what they remembered of our move to Fremont, Michigan, and their visits during that year, and travel to places I was writing about. I even called the weather person at the TV station to ask about the weather during Easter 1976!

 

4. How long did you take to write the book? Officially I have a file dated 2016. But I had started collecting stories years before that date. When I became serious about writing it for our daughters, I started submitting chapters to my critique group in 2018. With their support and encouragement, I decided to publish it for the world to read. The original release date for the book was June 1, 2020. But when Covid hit, my publisher realized how difficult it was to write, so she offered to all of their authors to put off the release date until later. I’m glad she did because when COVID hit, I could not focus on writing.

 

5. Now a bit about you. How long have you been writing? I have been writing since second grade. I used to have a bump on the middle finger of my right hand from handwriting so many stories! I continued writing poems all through college and as a young mom. But, as there are seasons in the year, I believe there are seasons for writing. I didn’t take up writing as a “career” until after we sold the flower shop. That was my season to dream and write because I had no responsibilities at work and my daughters were grown. What is your Sun Sign? Gemini, the twins.

 

6. Do you write in several genres or stick to one? I began freelance writing for newspapers and magazines and loved it because I interviewed so many wonderful people. But I turned from non-fiction writing eventually in favor of a new challenge, writing fiction. I loved mysteries by Sue McGrath and Janet Evanovich, so I decided to write mysteries with humor. I liked making up characters and worlds, so I placed the strong women protagonists in novels of romantic suspense and delved into the paranormal. I can tell you it is much more fun making up the stories than recording my memoir. A memoir has to be true, which means no making up places or fictional characters.

 

7. Where on the internet can you be found? J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

BWL  http://bookswelove.com/rose-j-q/