the author and her stories.
There´s a question, I´ve asked myself hundreds of times ...
... why do I get so much satisfaction from reading and writing, from working with texts and exploring the beauty of the written word?
Maybe it’s because both my parents are deaf. From an early age they increasingly relied on me to be their ears, keeping them in touch with the sounds around us. The isolation brought about by their deafness weighed heavenly on them both, but my father felt it most strongly. He resolved to give me an aptitude for and a love of the world of words, teaching me to read and write from a very early age.
Looking back, this was the greatest gift he could bestow, unlocking for me an entire universe of stories.
To be honest, it´s an addiction. Romance, fantasy, crime, adventure, science fiction, comedy, drama, poetry ... I devoured everything. It was, I guess, just a matter of time until I wanted to start to write, beginning with short stories and poetry. I still blush when I re-visit my early poems reflecting, as they do, some of the darkest moments of my youth. I have nothing but affection and admiration for my teacher, who patiently encouraged me despite my early scribblings driving her alternatively to despair or delight.
Over the next 20 years or so my poetry and prose developed and matured until I felt ready to pen my first work for publication, “Ausgerechnet Soufflé!” which translates roughly as “It had to be soufflé!”. Surprisingly given its title, the book is a romantic comedy, a genre which I adore reading and which forms the core of my writing.
This and my subsequent two novels were published in Germany over a three-year-period, I am pleased to say, with modest success.
For my fourth novel I decided to adopt a different approach.
“Apricot Kisses” was self-published in August 2014. I was both delighted and surprised with it´s sales, especially when it reached 8th place in Amazon´s Kindle Download Charts in Germany. Even more pleasing was the phonecall from my literary agent telling me that Goldmann Publishers (Part of Random House Germany) will launch the book in Spring 2016.
We are currently working on the English translation which is planned for publication in the USA by Amazon Crossing at December 1, 2015. Now, one year after "Apricot Kisses" they also launched my second book "Kissed by the Rain" in Feburary 2017.
I am also delighted to now be supporting and advising other authors, as their editor and coach. As they put it: “Passing the handkerchiefs and cracking the whip!”
Another question I asked myself is: “Where will all this lead me?” Right now, I don´t know.
What I do know is that I am determined that my life will be ruled by books. I write from my observations of life, my own, my family´s, my friends´. Loves, losses, laughter, tears, all of them authentic and heartfelt, each a vital ingredient in the recipies of my books.
My reward? A smile. The smile on your face when you´re reading my work. If you have a moment, you might like to read what some of my German readers have been kind enough to say about my writing.