The interview - Part 2

	Is writing a form of personal therapy? Are internal conflicts a creative force?   *With elbows on table and hands on face, I sigh.* Of course it is. Really. I tell a story for the sake of an interesting tale to tell. The characters dictate their tragedy, climax and reward. But, for the sake of psychology, yes, any writer uses what knowledge they’ve accumulated over the years to formulate a book. Words can be a reflection of oneself. Please, take me as I am – a writer.
	Does reader feed-back help you?   Most definitely. I need it, want it, but can’t seem to find much of it. Have you ever lived in a remote cabin in the middle of a vast and vacant frontier with the grocery store as your weekly outlet? Feedback is very difficult to find. However, now my sister is writing a book as well and promises to read my work as I do likewise to her story.
	Do you participate in competitions?   I have participated in several writing workshops over the years and received wonderful feedback. Authonomy being the most recent and most helpful with a complete editing of “Taylor Made”. The English ladies love the feisty and naughty nature of “The Enigma” and have spurred me on to finish it.
	Do you share rough drafts of your writings with someone whose opinion you trust?   Yes. Locally, a retired school teacher, a writer of children’s stories, has proofread some of my work, but alas, his genre is not the same as mine, and I prefer not shocking the dear fellow with my work.
	Do you believe you have already found "your voice" or is that something one is always searching for?   A voice is composed of poetic prose, the ability to make the words dance. I think I’ve found my voice however it changes with the seasons. Some days the singsong is there and other days I really need to work at it. Listening to classical music helps.
	What discipline do you impose on yourself regarding schedules, goals, etc.?   I push to keep going with fortitude, stubborn determination and a strong belief system. With two books finished I see hope.
	What do you surround yourself with in your work area in order to help your concentrate?   A clean work environment does wonders. Pictures of the Mediterranean, Native American scenes and photos associated with what I am working on at that moment. I make sure my research is up-to-date.
	Do you write on a computer? Do you print frequently? Do you correct on paper? What is your process?   Everything is on computer and saving devices. In one session I type on the story. I’ll come back at a later date and proofread, make corrections. I probably go over a book a hundred times, in a hundred different frames of mind, to polish things up.
	What sites do you frequent on-line to share experiences or information?   I have a blog site www.kathrynferrier.blogspot.com and use facebook as well. I am also on Authonomy.
	What has been your experience with publishers?   I don’t have any experience with publishers as of yet. Editors have been helpful and encouraging. Agents are the ones I would like to capture the attention of however they seem to be very elusive.
	What are you working on now?   I am working on an epic adventure which took an immeasurable amount of research. It is an interracial story of a Philadelphia debutant in the 1840’s. She builds a friendship with her uncles’ stable groom and together they run away. The pair travels the Underground Railway and crosses the vast western frontier on the Oregon Trail – all in search of the young man’s dream to own a ranch in California – and all before the Gold Rush. They eventually see their children growing up on the west coast. However situations from the east coast continue to haunt them up until the Civil War. I don’t want to give away too much. I’m also working on more than one contemporary romance.
	What do you recommend I do with all those things I wrote years ago but have never been able to bring myself to show anyone?   Keep them! Although I’ve burned the junk that was written as a teenager. In these past years of writing I’ve accumulated several books. Hopefully one day they can all be published – by a career author.