What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Cordelia Dinsmore.
I was born in Independence, Missouri, and I now live in Kansas. I’ve
moved around a lot, as far as Europe, Colorado, Alabama, Texas, so how I ended
up in Kansas I’ll never know.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not
what did you want to be?
Nope. Never even imagined it
until I got really old and realized I wasn’t going to be a professional dancer
or a country music star. Actually, when I was in high school I wanted to be an
airline hostess, but then I actually flew on a plane and realized I am
terrified of flying.
Do you work another job as well as your
writing work?
I’m a full-time mom and
grandmother. Plus I try to keep up with a house that’s over a hundred years
old, and a horse, dog, and numerous cats. Then there are thirty acres of
farmland, and a two acre yard that constantly needs mowing. And I garden, and
teach Sunday School, and volunteer in other ways, so I don’t really have a lot
of time to go out and actually make money. It would be nice, but being poor has
its advantages. It helps you appreciate the importance of small things. If I
had more time, I would love to find a way to eliminate dust, but I doubt if
anyone would want to pay me for that.
What
is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20
words what would you say?
Michaela’s Gift is the title
of my MG novel. Twenty words or less? Wow. Hard one there. Perhaps: Life’s
greatest gifts are often found through tremendous pain, but if we embrace them
we can find amazing joy.
Who
is your publisher? or do you self publish?
Michaela’s Gift is published
through the Euterpe imprint of Musa Publishing.
Do you have a "lucky charm" or
"lucky routine" you follow when waiting for your book to be accepted
by a publisher?
No, I don’t think I’m a
superstitious person. God rules my life. Once I scrounge up the courage to
submit, I turn it over to Him. That enables me to keep a lot of stress out of
my life.
What can we
expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of
a different genre?
I’m really hoping to
eventually attract the attention of a publisher for some of my picture books,
but I have several more MG novels in the works. I’m comfortable with MG, and
love reading that genre, so I plan to stick with that.
Do you have
a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
Michaela is one of my
favorites, because she is so much spunkier than I ever was at that age. I never
questioned things, or rebelled against my parents in any way. If my mother had
told me I couldn’t use my magical gift, it would have remained to this day. Fortunately,
my mother encouraged me to use every gift I was given, and told me often that
if I didn’t use them, they would be lost.
Where do
you get your book plot ideas from? What/Who is your inspiration?
I have no idea,
seriously. Sometimes the characters simply begin speaking in my head. I have no
idea who they are at the beginning. It totally freaked me out the first time it
happened. But it makes it a lot easier, for me, at least, to have them do that
than to try creating them on my own. Sometimes they are ghosts from the past,
or combinations of several people that I combine into one. I will probably
never know where the cow came from, but she’s another story.
Do you have
anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release
them? ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know?
I would never
submit something without having several pairs of eyes go over it. I use
critique partners from difference sources. I nag my brother into giving me
feedback. Sometimes I share with trusted friends, but they tend to be way too
lenient with me and so I know I’m not going to get a really good critique from
them.
Do you gift
books to readers to do reviews?
I have and I do. But I still
hope for an honest review.
Do you read
all the reviews of your book/books?
Of course. And I try very hard to be subjective. I can’t
grow as a writer unless I’m open to honest criticism. But I also realize that
not everyone likes the same thing. And when I critique, I’m pretty much a
tell-it-like-it-is reader. I think it’s important, however, when giving a
review, that I review based on structure and not on my personal tastes. If I
read a well-written book, even if I don’t care for it, I’m still going to
critique it based on it’s merits rather than my tastes.
What was
the toughest/best review you have ever had?
I haven’t had but a few, and
they’ve all been great, so I don’t really know how to answer this question.
Would you
ever ask a reviewer to change their review if it was not all positive about
your book/books?
Absolutely not. I’ve read
books from authors wanting reviews, and I am always honest in my feedback. If
there are problems with the writing, I will contact the author and tell them
the issues I’m having, and give them the choice of whether I post a review or
not – even though my blog is definitely not an official review site. I also
have to remember that not all people possess the ability to offer criticism
with tact. I fall into that category at times. If someone says that my book
sucks without offering some evidence of why they feel that way, I may be
slightly offended, but if they offer an explanation, then there might be
something I can learn in the comments that will help improve my writing.
How do you
come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the
Cover of your books?
Kelly Shorten from Musa Publishing designed my cover. She
asked me for ideas on what I wanted, and I told her. At first I wanted a girl
sitting under an ancient tree, with a sketchpad in her lap. But then I realized
that I didn’t want to limit my readers into my conception of Michaela, so I changed
it to the Black Newfoundland with the castle in the background. The
Newfoundland is Blackie, the dog in Michaela’s Gift, and since the black
Newfies pretty much all resemble each other, I figured that was okay. The title
may seem quite simple, but it isn’t. Although there is a magical gift in the
book, there are many more possibilities that the gift encompasses.
Where can readers follow you and your work?
Your Blog Details?
Your Facebook Page?
https://www.facebook.com/melody.peugh
Your Goodreads Author Page?
Your Goodreads Author Page?
http://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard
Your Twitter Details?
Your Twitter Details?
And any other information
you wish to supply?
Here are the buy links for Michaela’s Gift
http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=306
http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=306
