Joey's Quill

I like to know a little bit about the authors whose writings I choose to read.  A 100 word limit describing a person doesn’t seem to do them justice.  Here’s my story, in considerably more than 100 words.

Tell Me About The Early Years

I was born and raised in a small town in Montana, the third daughter of a hard-working, family man and his young bride.  Two sisters preceded my birth, one sister and two brothers followed.  At the young age of 26, my mother had 5 children under the age of 10.  My father, who was 10 years older than my mother, worked 2-3 jobs to keep the family fed and a roof over our heads.  Seven years after the birth of what was thought to be the last child in our family, a baby boy made his unexpected appearance.  Although he lived less than four short years, his birth was a joyous occasion.  Being the baby of the family, he was showered with attention and quickly became spoiled by everyone. 

We moved a lot during my growing up years.  Summers were spent on the farm where my father helped various relatives work their fields, tend the crops and farm animals.  Once the crops were harvested, the animals slaughtered for food and fall had faded away, we’d head back to town for the winter, waiting for the next spring, when the cycle would repeat itself.

My early school years were pretty uneventful but I enjoyed them immensely.  During the winter months, I’d attend a public school in town; the rest of the year, I’d go to in a small school in the country.  I remember being the only student in the third grade in one country school.  I had one hour of “private” schooling, followed by hours of studying, homework and playtime.  It was during this period that I learned to draw.  Our teacher had a stack of calendars in the back of the room.  Once our homework was done, we were encouraged to pick out a calendar, drawing paraphernalia, return to our desks and draw until it was time to go home.  I got pretty good at drawing birds, dogs, horses and elephants.

And Your Professional Years

For the past 20 years, I’ve worked in the legal industry.  I started out as a legal secretary trainee and worked my way up to office manager of a small law firm in the San Fernando Valley.  When the recession hit, the firm, like many others, lost clients and income.  I decided at that point to return to the City, which is where I work today.  During my years in the legal field, I developed an affinity for computers and software programs, and looked for opportunities to enhance my knowledge in those areas as well.  Any time I can combine my wealth of experience, skills and interests into the same career, I feel lucky. 

What Did You Want To Be When You Grew Up?

I have no idea!  I still don’t!  Growing up in a small town, in a large family, college wasn’t even an option, we didn’t have the money.  Most girls in my hometown got married right out of high school and started their families.  I was always babysitting for friends and relatives, so everyone, including me, just assumed I’d become a wife and mother.  Instead, I went to an airline school in Kansas City, Missouri, when I was 19.  It was a correspondence course followed by a one-month residency stint, and after finishing that,  I went to San Francisco where I lived with an aunt and uncle for a couple of weeks until I found a job.  I met a couple of girls who later became roommates and I started living my own life.  Having my own money and being able to do with it what I so chose, and dating for the first time in my life, I realized marriage and a family weren’t something I wanted right away.  Eventually, I went to college, majoring in Business Administration-Marketing.  As time went on, and the  husband and children didn’t enter the picture, I came to realize that that particular scenario wasn’t for me – at least not yet. It still isn’t, maybe it never will be, I don’t know.  So I was never encouraged to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, it was pretty much pre-determined, but I didn’t follow that path.   I’m still struggling with it to this day.  If it’s not something you seriously think about while growing up, it’s hard to nail it down as you get older.  At least it was, and still is, for me.

What Was Your First Writing For Publication Experience?

I wrote my first fiction story when I was about 8 or 9 years old.  It was a story about an orphanage, a Thanksgiving dinner that wasn’t going to happen, and the townspeople coming to the rescue.  I wrote it in pencil, on a yellow-lined pad of paper, and when finished, submitted it to one of the popular women’s magazines that my mother read.  Of course, my story was rejected, and I received a typed rejection letter within weeks.  I remember how thrilled I was to receive the rejection letter –someone had actually read my story and, even though it wasn’t accepted for publication, I was on my way.  Unfortunately, despite my less-than-stellar beginning, the only writing I did for years after that was homework.  I remember waiting until the last minute to write term papers, then jotting down whatever was on my mind, and turning it in.  How I don’t know but I usually got A’s on those assignments. 

How Long Was It Before You Tried To Write Again?

I was in my 30s when I attempted to write my first novel.  It was a rainy Sunday in Woodland Hills, California.  I had just spoken to a friend who lived in Ventura, a town about 40 miles from where I lived.  I’d been talking about writing a novel, “just to see if I could do it.”  Once I ended the call, I decided to give it a shot.  I got out a pad of paper and wrote 17 pages.  I was so shocked that I’d managed to get something on paper that I called her up again, read it to her, and said “what do you think?”  Her response was “Keep writing.  I want to know what happens next.”  So I did.  It took me about 3 months to write 425 pages of a mystery romance novel.  I submitted it to a critiquing agency, and gave it to two friends to read, asking for their honest opinion in return.  While the feedback was very positive, life got in the way:   I had a rough day at work, got discouraged, came home and threw the manuscript away.  I didn’t think anything would ever come of it, what was the point of even trying.  I didn’t attempt to write anything again for over 10 years. 

What Made You Start Writing Again?

I was watching too much television!  Seriously, I would come home from work, after working in an office for 8-10 hours a day, and all I’d do was sit and watch TV.  I had no motivation to do anything constructive with my time once I got home.  Out of boredom, I decided I’d better find something to do with my time before I went out of my mind.  So I started writing articles for Internet Websites.  I submitted my first article to Associated Content, it was accepted for publication, and I was hooked.  It was so exciting seeing my article in print!  From that point, all I wanted to do was write.  I didn’t realize just how much I loved writing, and how much I yearned for my words to be written down on paper and read by others.  It is so thrilling!

Are You Going To Write Another Novel?

Absolutely!  I have about ten ideas for novels, ideas that I’ve had in my head for years.  The only problem now is finding the time to write.  There just aren’t enough hours in the day.  I think this is a fact of life everyone faces as they get older.  I hate it!  I need about 48 hours in every 24 to do everything I’d like to do.  Doesn’t everybody?

Will You Be Publishing The Next Novel You Write?

I certainly hope so!  If not, it won’t be because I didn’t try. I’ll send you an autographed copy as soon as it hits the bookstores.   I’m excited about writing my next novel!

What Is Your Writing Schedule?

Right now, I don’t really have one.  I work all day, like millions of other people.  When I get home at night, sometimes I don’t even feel like turning on the computer.  That being the case, there are nights when I don’t do any writing.  The weekend is my favorite time to write.  I can spend all day writing if I have nothing more pressing to do.  I’m trying to set up a regular writing schedule, commit to writing at least an hour or two a day, but it’s hard to find the time on a regular basis. 

First Pets

I grew up with dogs,  cats and kittens.  At various times, we also had rabbits, a couple of hamsters, and a turtle.  I was devastated when the turtle crawled away, to be found week later under some shrubbery on the property.  Living on farms, we also had cows, sheep, pigs, and chickens.  I remember having a pet chicken one time.  I was sitting in the front driveway, petting this chicken, and my mother called me in to do the lunch dishes.  When I came out, the chicken had died.  I told my parents she died because I had to do the dishes.  For some reason, that didn’t seem to fly with them – I ended up doing the dinner dishes later that same day. 

First Memorable Outing

My mother told me they took me fishing when I was a month old, fed me ice cream, my lips turned blue, and I had the time of my life.  I guess that’s why, when someone told me years later that they “didn’t like ice cream,” I thought they were joking.  How could anyone not like ice cream?  Obviously it was a taste I acquired at a very young age. 

What Do You Wish You Were Better At Doing?

You mean besides writing?  I’d have to say cooking.  Food has become a complete mystery to me.  I love food, I love to eat, but I don’t like to cook.  Pretty much everything I eat has to be prepared in under 5 minutes or it isn’t going to happen.  I’d be lost without a microwave and convenience food.  I watch Food Network and am always amazed that they know what they are doing, what to do with each kitchen tool, how to pick out the bests fruits and vegetables.  I’m a vegetarian, but I’m not big on vegetables unless someone else picks them out and prepares them for me.  You should see me mangle a mango – one of my absolute favorite fruits.  Cutting one looks so simple when someone who knows how to do it does it, but when I try it – it doesn’t even resemble a mango!  I love eating out!

Greatest Wish

Seriously, my greatest wish is for world peace.  I wish people would stop fighting each other, I wish people would stop hurting each other, I wish people would stop abusing animals.  I wish people would learn to care about each other more than they seem to, to care about the other species that inhabit this planet, to care about the planet.  All we have is each other, the animals that bring so much joy to our lives if we let them, this planet that we live on.  If we can’t take care of each other, the animals and the planet, there won’t be anything left for us to care about.  Isn’t that sad?

Greatest Fear

Getting old.  It sucks!  It’s not the physical ailments that worry me, although that isn’t going to be a walk in the park either.  What worries me the most is how will I take care of myself, if I will be able to take care of myself.  I see myself sitting on a park bench in Santa Monica, living on cat food because that’s all I will be able to afford on my Social Security income.

Are You A Listener Or A Talker?

Both!  On one hand, I love listening to people talk, I love hearing what they have to say.  On the other hand, I can talk up a storm to anyone who will listen.  I remember one incident in particular.  I was working in the administration department of a manufacturing company in Los Angeles.  I walked into the office of a young associate and he asked me what I’d done over the weekend.  I told him I’d seen a movie that just came out.  I asked him if he wanted me to tell him about it.  He held up his arm, turned his wrist to see the face of his watch, and responded with “yeah, I have a couple of hours to kill, go ahead, tell me about the movie.”  Confused by his comment, I asked him what he meant.  He replied “Joey, by the time you finish telling me about the movie, I won’t have to go see it because you will have spent two hours telling me everything about it, right down to the last detail.”  He was right!  When I talk, I don’t leave out anything, even the smallest detail.

Are You Good At Keeping Secrets?

It depends on the secret.  If it’s meant to be a secret, then, yes, I am.  If the one telling me the secret really wants and expects me to divulge the secret to others, then I might not be good at keeping it.  Some secrets are meant to be just that, and no good will ever come from revealing one of those secrets to anyone.

What Is Your Passion?

Animals!  It pains my heart to see or hear about animal abuse.  Animals give us unconditional love and what do they get in return?  I wish I could put my arms around every abused, neglected, starved and mistreated animal on the planet and tell them they are loved and no one will ever hurt them in any way ever again.  They are truly God’s miracles. 

Something People Would Be Surprised To Know About You

I love fashion!  The clothes, the heels, the makeup, polished nails.  At heart, I’m a skinny girly girl struggling to come out.

What Do You Want The World To Know About You?

That I am doing my best to make a difference to the people and animals I care about.  I want to help make a better world for them than the one we live in now.  If I can do that, in some small way, my life will have had a purpose.

Final Thoughts

Stay tuned.  The best chapters of my life haven’t been written yet.  I’m excited to see what they have to say.