Meet the Author Monday: Interview with Terri Wangard

Join me for Meet the Author Monday and my interview with Terri Wangard. Terri is the author of No Leaves in Autumn, the second in the Untold Stories of World War II series published by Scrivenings Press. I’ll talk more about the book after the interview. First, let’s get to know Terri. Welcome Terri. Please, tell us a little about yourself.

I was born and raised in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. I wasn’t a fan of the Packers. We’d have glorious fall Sunday afternoons and nobody would come out and play. They were all watching the Pack on TV.

Storytelling came early for me. My Girl Scout badge was the Writer. I wrote little stories in a notebook. Fortunately, it doesn’t survive. I also told ghost stories at a sleepover.

During my middle school years, I was a member of the Green Bay YMCA swim team and have several trophies and ribbons boxed up in the basement. I watch swimming in the Olympics. Those swimmers would leave me in their wake.

You say fortunately, but I’m sure there are several who might like to read your early stories. I have a few of mine, and it’s always fun. Do you give readers glimpses of yourself in the books you write?

Many of my female characters have talents I wish I had. In my first book, Heidi was a seamstress. I still have my mom’s Pfaff sewing machine (older than me), but we never became friends. Book two: Jennie was an artist. My father was disappointed I never took any art classes, but I must say, I draw a fairly good stick figure. WWI book: Maren worked in a library. Yes! I have a Master of Library Science degree and often wish I’d continued in the library field. In Seashells in My Pocket, Isabel was a seashell artist. I love collecting shells and have crafted a few pieces, but not on Isabel’s scale. In my new book, Marie grows plants. I kill them. Bought a mint plant and three weeks later, it’s dead.

I’m beginning to wonder if the sewing thing isn’t a writer thing. I can’t use a sewing machine either. And I also have only moderate success with plants. Maybe someone should do a study and see if writers are naturally bad at those things! If you could go anywhere to write for one month and money wasn’t an issue, where would you go?

The Florida Gulf Coast, but I wonder if I’d accomplish much writing. I’d be walking the beach every day, hunting for seashells.

That is the downside. You have to pick a place that inspires without distracting. What resources (books, podcasts, conferences, etc) would you recommend to someone just starting their writing journey?

Attend in-person conferences and join a critique group. Writing may be done in solitude, but it’s not a solitary endeavor. You need like-minded people in your life. By the end of the first conference I attended, I was feeling discouraged. Agent/editor appointments hadn’t turned out as I hoped. During worship, the author seated in front of me turned around and gave me a hug. I cannot describe how she buoyed me.

It’s amazing what support from a fellow-author can do to shift your mindset. What’s the biggest blessing you’ve ever received as an author?

My father hadn’t approved of all the fiction I read. And then I started writing it. After reading my Lusitania book, he sent me a note saying it was a very good book, engaging with emotion and concern to keep you reading, creating the illusion of the reader actually being there. I keep that note in my copy of the book.

That sounds like a treasure to keep forever. You write fiction, but what is the last nonfiction book (Bible not included) that you’ve read?

The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America by Kostya Kennedy. Everyone knows who Paul Revere was, but it hadn’t been that way until Longfellow wrote “Paul Revere’s Ride.” This book made him come alive for me. I don’t write Revolutionary stories, but the era is fascinating.

Do you prefer physical books, eBooks, or audio books?

My preference is physical books. They’re less breakable than ereaders, easier to thumb through, and they’re loanable. Ebooks are handy when traveling. The biggest problem is they need to be continually plugged in.

I want to thank you for being with me today. I hope you’ve had a good time. Readers, here are some ways you can connect with Terri. I know she’d love to hear from you. And don’t forget, if you have questions or comments for Terri, leave them in the comments.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard

Instagram:  @terriwangard

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/

Website: http://www.terriwangard.com

Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/1076843c6329/sign-up-for-terris-newsletter

 

No Leaves In Autumn blurb

Marie Foubert grew up in an orphanage and struggles with feelings of rejection. As a Red Cross recreation worker, she interacts with the American men based in Iceland during World War II. Her growing attraction to seaplane pilot Stefan Dabrowski excites and concerns her. Won’t he disappear from her life like everyone else?

Stefan hears his commanding officer describe him as exciting as last night’s bathwater. One of his colleagues constantly berates him because of his Polish heritage and his superior flying skill. Despite being the squadron’s most productive pilot, he is threatened with court martial. A showdown approaches to prove who’s the better pilot and the better man.

Marie’s cousin, passing through Iceland, tries to see her after spotting her photo in Life magazine. She declines to meet him, but Stefan encourages her to do so and learn why no one wanted her. She may gain a family after all.

Purchase No Leaves in Autumn