Rebecca Winkler, Independent Author of Romance/Mystery

Describe myself in two sentences. Like I have every intention of keeping this short. :)

To describe me...hmm, well, I have been an avid fiction reader my whole life. I am an introvert and shy with a sense of humor; therefore, I'm going to interview myself.

Did you ever think you would write a novel?

Yes, one day.

What inspired you the most when you were old enough to read?

The words I read, made it so vivid in my mind I got lost in another world. The characters would come alive and I would get attached to them. I was inspired to find out how in the heck they did that to me?

Are you writing now?

Yes. I am the epitome of "it's never too late."

WINTER GARDEN is my most recent publication. THE ENGLANDS Book One - SOPHIE Lost and Found, and Book Two - SOPHIE Coming Home are available on Amazon. You can also check them out on Goodreads. Writing these two books showed me how hard authors work on their craft. A professional editor helped me decide it should be multiple books, not the epic novel that I was positive HBO would want to make into a blockbuster movie. This book duet has been three years in the making. Both are stand-alone novels.

I chose self-publishing, went online to establish my social network and find tools to accomplish publishing my book. Many of the tools were free. I even built my own website. I continue to receive tremendous online support and advice from published authors, beta readers, writer groups I have joined, made up of authors helping authors, and wanna-be authors.

Personal note: To all of you, I appreciate your kindness. I appreciate how unselfish you were, and still are, with your time. To a writer uninterrupted time is precious. Your encouragement keeps me going. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Believe me, there is stiff competition in the Independent author categories, but you will never find a more congenial group of folks.

What surprised you the most now that you're writing?

The first surprise came more as a shock to my system, telling me it's time. Now is the time to write.

What happened?

During a meditation/prayer session, happiness was within me, and--let's say an awakening of my creative potential happened. Some call it their muse, and I met mine, in a sense...we'll leave it at that.

A writer has no problem writing the first draft when inspired. It's unstoppable until it's finished. I love that feeling. A powerful inspiration given to me was why I wrote 180,000+ words over a period of a few weeks, beginning in January 2014. Day after day, sometimes up to 12 hours a day, pouring everything out of me from that inspiration. It became THE ENGLANDS novels. I've since started other manuscripts. My muse has been busy, prodding me along—a loving, relentless...I don't know how to explain it...but those who have one know.

Were there any other surprises?

The second surprise—I always prefer fiction over non-fiction, although very real experiences in my life weave into my stories. I'll never tell what parts are about me, I promise; however, random parts of my life insist on coming through. It may be in the narrative and I have to write about an emotion the character feels and I've been there, done that, so I draw on it. Or, in the dialogue, again been there, done that, and it almost writes itself—it happens, so there it is. I can close my eyes, be in the scene, in a character's head, and type until my laptop catches on fire. Just kidding, no fires, but it does get hot sometimes. Pardon the pun.

What genre have you chosen?

This is the third surprise. I write romance/erotic/mystery. THE ENGLANDS duet determined that for me. The inspiration I mentioned is where these two books came from. The other two manuscripts I've started are also in the same genre. It's a surprise about what I write, since I really am shy about it (...shh, you know—the sex stuff!) The mystery or whether I choose to escalate it to thriller, depends on the mood I'm in—how dark do I feel, and is the story moving in that direction? I like my heroes protecting their women. I love a happily ever after.

I would like to say one more thing. Look for your happiness within. I do this before I start writing. And, when I think—it couldn't have happened any other way, that's when I know I've had a good day writing.

Thank you for spending your precious time to get to know a little bit about me.