An Interview With Ann Howard Creel. :)

I'm SO excited to get this post up, so I'm not going to dilly-dally around and I'll get straight to the point! But for those of you who don't know, Ann is the author of several American Girl books, and also The Magic of Ordinary Days, one of my favorite books. :) I was so happy when she agreed to do this interview and I've been eagerly awaiting this! :) Without further adieu, here is the interview. :)
 
Interview:
"Out of all the characters you've created, who was the hardest to write?-  I suppose the most difficult characters to write have been Rose and Lorelei in THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS.  It was hard for me to put myself in their situation, and not being a part of their culture made me a little hesitant.  Thankfully, the feedback I've received about them from members of the Japanese American community has been positive. 


Before you wrote The Magic of Ordinary Days, did you know a lot about farming, rural Colorado or World War II in general? How did you research?-  I did not know much about farming or rural Colorado, and so I did a great deal of research on my own and also visited Otero County, where I was fortunate to interview some residents who had lived there and farmed during WWII.  I had general knowledge of WWII but also conducted research to make sure my facts were straight. 
At what age did you start writing?- I always loved reading and writing in a diary.  As a young girl, I read typical books that girls my age were reading, such as the Nancy Drew mysteries and a series about twin girls with titles such as DOUBLE DATE and DOUBLE WEDDING.  They may sound trite, but there was some serious story telling at times, and I learned how much emotion can be created on the page from those books.  I started wanting to write when I was in junior high, and I'm not sure I know why.  It was and still is simply a compelling desire to tell a good story.
 
Do you ever read reviews on your books?- don't search out reviews, but if I see them online, I do read them.

How do you deal with bad reviews?-There is nothing to be done about any kind of bad review.  I realize that everyone has a right to his or her opinion, and reactions to books vary so much, there is no way that every reader is going to love my work.  I think we've all had the experience of loving a book and recommending it to a friend, who doesn't like it, and then we're surprised.  I think there is that emotional connection that has to take hold, and sometimes it just doesn't.
 
There is a large TMOOD fanfiction website, have you seen it? What do you think of it? -I have heard of this and tried to find it.  I never have been able to locate it.  If you can tell me how, I'd love to see. 

When writing The Magic of Ordinary Days, how did you feel personally about Livvy and Ray's relationship? How did you feel about her decision to stay and her beginning to love her husband?-I liked the idea of strangers getting married and thought it worked as far as creating a tense situation.  I thought of them as decent people put together into an unusual situation.  I always wanted Livvy to fall in love with Ray, although as is so often the case in life, she had to give up something when she gained something else.  She had a difficult choice, but I don't think I could've written the book with any other ending.


Are any of your characters based on real people?-This will sound like a typical author's answer, but although the characters remind me of certain people, they are not actually based on people I've known.

Who are some of your favorite authors?- I love the work of Sarah Dunant, Ian McEwan, Olaf Olafsson, Tracy Chevalier, Sue Miller, Stephanie Cowell, and just too many to list.  I'm always reading and finding great authors.

Have you ever thought of writing a sequel to The Magic of Ordinary Days? If so, would Ray and Livvy continue their marriage as it seemed they would in the end of the book?-I collaborated on a screenplay for a sequel for Hallmark Hall of Fame, so the story has been told, only in screenplay format.  Alas, it looks as though Hallmark has given up on making the movie.  Years ago, my agent asked my publisher if they would be interested in publishing the sequel if I rewrote it in novel form, and they weren't interested at the time.

Are you working on any other books at this moment?-I'm working on another WWII-era love story for adults.
 
 Other than writing, do you have any other hobbies?-I love the outdoors and like to ski and sail.  Even a walk is always a good idea.  I would travel extensively and see all the rest of the world if I could, and I do manage to take at least one pretty fabulous trip each year.
 
Do you have any advice for amateur authors?-For amateur authors the market has never been tougher.  Sometimes I wonder if MAGIC would get published if I'd just written it and tried to get it in print in today's publishing climate.  So the best thing is to make sure your story is unique and then never give up.  Don't take rejections personally and learn from any advice you receive.  Good things are still possible.

If you or your readers have any further questions, don't hesitate to ask.  I enjoyed this!



My best,



Ann"

Once again, a BIG thank you to Ann Howard Creel, who proved to be not only an excellent author but a very sweet person as well! Find more about her at her website, http://annhowardcreel.com/. 

" Ann Howard Creel was born in Austin, Texas.  She grew up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, the second-born daughter of a professor and a teacher.  Reading was always a big part of her life, and her mother used to swear that Ann taught herself to read simply by following along as her first books were read aloud to her.  By the age of ten she was writing daily in a diary, and by the age of twelve she had written a novel on an old manual typewriter that her father was going to throw away.  Instead she dragged the cumbersome typewriter into her bedroom and began to hunt and peck away.
When it came time to choose a career, Ann didn't initially consider writing.  Instead she attended the University of Texas, received a degree in nursing, and became a Registered Nurse.  After moving to California in 1985 she went back to school and earned a Master's degree.  She loved her nursing career, but the urge to write never left her, so she began to write again at night after work when she moved to Colorado.  She took two creative writing courses in Durango, Colorado and then wrote her first novel, Water at the Blue Earth.  Currently she works as a school nurse in the Denver area and writes part-time.  Being in the schools on a daily basis is rewarding as a nurse and also gives her story ideas for children's novels.  Now permanently settled in Colorado, Ann feels grateful every day for the natural beauty that surrounds her and finds in them inspiration to write.  She has three sons and enjoys family get-togethers, travel, yoga, hiking, friends, and of course, books."