Meet the Mamas

Grand Mama: Doree Anderson (Sundays)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

Growing up. We moved a lot and I used it as my imaginary friend. Then I set it aside for years and finally decided it was the only thing I enjoyed doing and have been doing it for the last three years, full time. First as a reporter, now writing manuscripts. I love my job because it’s who I am.

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

Coffee, Chocolate, Rogaine, Polident, and Fun.

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

I’m a grandma of the four greatest grand children in the world. My desk is covered in pictures of them so they’re never far from my heart…(for more, click here.)

Geek Mama: Danielle Monsch (Mondays)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

A: It didn’t so much bite me as it looked at me with beady little eyes until I finally got annoyed enough to swack it.   I first got the hint I might have some talent in this area by doing a homework assignment.  I never thought to write before, but, being a mostly good kid who wanted to keep her grades up, did the assignment and turned it in.  The next day, the teacher called me up and asked if I wrote this or if someone wrote it for me.  Being innocent of any wrongdoing, I told my teacher of course I wrote it.  Since no prepubescent lies worth a darn, she knew to believe me and gave me my very first review.  “You have a lot of talent.  You should keep writing.”

Of course I didn’t believe her.  It wasn’t until sometime later that writing would again enter my life.  You see, I couldn’t find enough vampire stories (I know, can you imagine such a time?  This shows how old I am, sigh…) and since I couldn’t find any, I wrote my own.  Sharing them with friends and being told over and over, “Hey, this is good!” started to convince me that this writing thing might be for me after all.

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

A: Music – Pretty standard there, I don’t know too many writers who don’t have loads of playlists to serve as background for their writing frenzies, and outside of writing, one of my favorite things to do is dance.

Anime and manga – I can’t live without Japanese cartoons and comic books.  I am otaku and proudly proclaim that fact to anyone.

Make-up – I’m a make-up junkie.  It’s costuming on a daily basis, and how cool is it that one little color can change so much?

New York Deli – introduced to me by my hubby, a Brooklyn native.  Deli encompasses so much, from great soups and mouthwatering sandwiches to sumptuous, decadent deserts.  Yum.

My Hubby – yeah, I know you said family aside, but I am so lucky and grateful I found my husband, no way I can forget him when ‘the list of things you can’t live without’ comes up.  My husband is the best man I know, loves me for me, supports my dreams, and gave me two beautiful children who he loves as much as I do.  He’s the answer to a prayer, and I love him so much… (for more, click here.)

Dragon Mama: Higley Browne/Amber Kallyn (Tuesdays)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

I’ve been writing since I can remember. When I was born, the doctor didn’t slap my butt, but let the bug take a quick bite. Ignoring my short stories and poems of childhood, I began writing seriously (IE towards publication) in 2007. That’s when I decided to write the great American novel—albeit one with magic and dragons. I founded a local critique group because I knew I needed help to learn the craft and become a better writer. I’m currently writing my fifth book, the second of a series. I find that with each new draft, I get better. The downside? I’ve learned it takes a lot of hard work, endurance, thick skin and perseverance to even attempt to become a published author. But I know that it will pay off in the end.

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

#1—Chocolate. Yes, I am an admitted chocoholic. Give me fudge, give it to me with nuts, give me it white, milky or dark. I will take it any way I can get it.

#2—Maybe it’s cliché, but I couldn’t live without my writing. I’m one of those people that even if I were to never be published, I would still write. It’s my stress relief, my escape from the real world into new ones I will never get to visit physically, but can go to every night in my dreams.

#3—Books. I don’t think I could deal with a world absent of books, those stories of mysticism and mayhem that I thank every writer for ever creating. I’m a speed-reader. I can devour a novel a day. Yes, I read it all, every single word. Yes, this is only reading when I find that spare bit of time between children yelling ‘Mom!’.

#4—I’ll admit it up front. I grew up in the southwest, on a farm. I talk with a southern twang I never have been able to get rid of completely. And, I’m a Country Music Junkie. To me, music is the short, sound-bite version of writing. It sounds great, and the songs tell their own short story.

#5—Steamy, hot baths. I love my baths. With a glass of wine and a good book, as long as the water is hot enough to be a sauna, I’m there. Summer, winter, doesn’t matter to me. It’s my place of relaxation, where the guys in my family don’t bother me. Of course, my girls still come in and talk to me, or test the water, but hey, that’s down to half.

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

I’m Dragon Mama. As a writer of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal, it should come as no surprise I believe in the fantasy of it all. I believe in dragons and shape shifters, even if the truth behind them doesn’t match the legend. I lump it…(for more, click here.)

Gnome Mama: Stephanie Beck (Thursdays)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

When I was in about 9^th grade I started writing romance novels. I’m sure before that time I enjoyed writing, but it was my freshman year that I decided romance was just the best way to go.

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

1-fully stocked knitting basket 2-laptop 3-chocolate ice cream 4-company who appreciates my sarcasm and silliness 5-comfortable shoes

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

My handle is Gnome Mama (pronounced with a hard ‘g’ guh-nomes) . I write about lawn gnomes so the name fit well. I love lawn gnomes and all things of the cement ornament persuasion because I think anyone can look at them and find a story…(for more, click here.)

Swan Mama: Debbie Swanson (Fridays)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

When my kids went off to elementary school.

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

Writing, reading, good food, a garden, chai tea lattes

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

I love the ugly duckling theme and often use it in my stories, and I’ve never done anything with my last name so Swan Mama fits…(for more, click here.)

Rider Mama: Susan Schreyer (Every Other Saturday)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

For this I blame my son. When he got settled into the home schooling routine, and I discovered that he was very good at keeping himself on task without me breathing down his neck, I suddenly had time on my hands. Because I had to be home, but not disrupt what my son was doing, I also had to be quiet. Practicing tap was out of the question, and my singing wasn’t appreciated. However, I was in desperate need of a creative outlet so I decided to try my hand at writing a mystery – something I’d always longed to do anyway. Now, seven years later, I’m still at it!

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

1. My horse: He’s part of my soul. All horse are, if truth be told.
2. Silence: I love silence. I can hear the voices in my head…uh, whoops, I mean I can write with better concentration.
3. A book: Preferably on my Kindle. I’m a total Kindle addict. I love discovering new authors, and having my reading material with me at all times.
4. Coffee: Hey, I live in the Northwest. Shouldn’t coffee be on every Northwesterner’s list?
5. Computer: Something clicks on in my brain when my fingers touch the keyboard. It’s like a door opens and I have access to a source of inspiration that is otherwise inaccessible

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?
I really am a rider. Always have been, always will be. The moment my butt hits the saddle I feel like I’ve arrived home. Not only does it physically put me a level above where I was standing, but it takes me to a whole Zen-place where my mind can clear and become calm. I relish the smells and sounds associated with horses, too. The scent of a clean horse and leather probably makes my blood pressure drop (I should research that some time). The sound of a horse breathing, steady hoof beats, the light jangle of bits, the soft squeak of leather…well, they do the same thing for me!

Yo Mama:  Wendy Delaney (Saturdays, Once a Month)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

It nibbled at me throughout high school and college, but didn’t lock on with a big bite until I hit the big 4-0, when I realized with absolute clarity what I wanted to be when I “grew up.”  Shortly thereafter, I discovered RWA, joined a critique group, read, read, read(!), and committed myself to learning the craft of genre fiction writing.  

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

Coffee! I’m a caffeine addict. Carbs. Bad for me and my hips but it’s that addiction thing again. My treadmill (my stress-buster—helps combat the effects of the carbs too!). A good story to escape into. Sunshine to warm my soul.

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

“Yo!” It’s the short-hand greeting grunted on a daily basis by one of my geeky co-workers. You hear something enough times, it sticks.

Sassy Mama:  Lillian Fogg (Saturdays, Once a Month)

Q: When did the writing bug first bite you?

I believe I was 8. I wrote my first “book” for a class project and called it “Devil’s Island.” I even dedicated it to my brother. I know the writing bug had bit me by then because the bio in the back of the book stated that when I grew up I wanted to be a writer. I wrote a lot of stories as a kid, but didn’t realize I could be a romance author until 6th grade, when my teacher told the audience at my graduation that she expected to see a romance novel out of me someday. Best compliment ever!!

Q: Friends and family aside, what are the five things you cannot live without?

1. Coffee. Coffee. And more coffee. Or tea, if it’s the afternoon. Ah hell, better just make this one caffeine.
2. Pen and Paper—I’m counting them as one, because what’s the point without one or the other? I write by hand, so it’s more important to me than my computer. And writing on walls would only get me into trouble with the hubs.
3. Music. I am always listening to music or singing (and not well, I might add.) Music is something I feel. It rattles around inside me. The hubby says I have a low dance threshold, which means I start dancing VERY shortly after hearing a song start. Yep, doesn’t take much for my inner dancer to come out.
4. Books. But every writer says that. It’s a no-brainer. I wouldn’t be writing manuscripts with the goal of publishing if I didn’t love books. However, I am notorious for loving the smell of books, especially old ones, and I’ve even claimed I would pile all my books up and sleep on them . . . Yeah, it’s a sickness.
5. Humor. I love laughing until my sides ache and tears are streaming from my eyes. I especially love when my kids make me smile—which is pretty much every day.

Q: Every Plot Mama has a Mama ‘handle’? What is the story behind yours?

I picked Sassy Mama because when I let my guard down I am incapable of keeping my sarcasm to myself. When my hubby and I started dating our courtship was built on sarcasm. The hubs is always saying he fell in love with me because I’m feisty—and that’s the type of heroine I love to read and write. When you’re writing Regency-set historicals, a sassy heroine makes for the most interesting situations. I’ve always been proud to be a spirited woman . . . though I can be quick to anger, LOL!