Seven Things

I was recently tagged by fellow author Kim Rendfeld to list seven interesting things about my writing life. So without further ado, here is my list.

The best advice I received while writing and polishing my first novel, The Prodigal, was from an agent I met at a writers��� conference whose suggestions regarding the beginning of the book helped me strengthen my main character and make the story saleable.
The Prodigal is not my first novel. It is only my first published In my younger years I dabbled in Westerns and contemporary fiction.
I average four drafts before the final manuscript.
I hate first person point of view in stories, and I avoid not only writing it but reading it (though there are exceptions for the latter).
I taught myself how to type, using an old manual typewriter that my mother���s uncle sent to her from Europe where he fought during World War II.
My best time of day for writing is during the day; my creative energy dies out when the sun sets.
To write historical fiction, I firmly believe the writer must do everything possible to visit the actual sites/regions in which their stories take place. As much as I read about places like Charleston or Chickamauga, the topography still took me off guard when I visited those places and influenced aspects of my stories.