FAQ's
Here are some of the questions I have been asked by readers of my books.
1. Are the main characters in Once Upon a
Sandcastle based on real people you know?
2. Was Jacob’s father the Elvis Presley character
in Savannah’s dream?
4. Did Jacob’s mother also enter the sand castle?
5 How long did it take you to write
Once Upon a Sandcastle?
6 Will you be writing the next Savannah book
soon?
7 Some kids are hoping that the following
Savannah books would be equally thick books.
8 Will Jacob and Holly be in the next story too?
9 Will Jacob see his father again?
11 How do you come up with your characters?
12 Do you plan your stories before you begin to
write?
13 How long will it be till the second Savannah
book is going to be published?
14 Where do you get your ideas for your books?
16 Can you give some guidance on how to write
poetry?
18 Were you writing as a child?
19 As a little girl, what did you want to be when
you grew up?
21 Do you have sisters and brothers?
22 What is your favorite food?
23. What is your favorite music?
25 Would you ever move back to
Germany?
26 Where do you live at the present
time?
1.
Are the main characters in Once Upon a Sandcastle based on real
people you know?
Yes and no. Savannah,
Jacob, and Holly are real and extremely bright children. I used their names,
their intellect, and part of their personalities, but most of the rest is
fiction.
2.
Was Jacob’s father the Elvis Presley character in Savannah’s dream?
Actually several
readers wrote to me and asked that question. One young lady insisted that he
was. All I can say is that she is a very observant reader.
3.
All I am going to say
is, YES HE WAS. I hate to give anything away and spoil it for other
readers. I suggest you try to figure the when and where out for yourself.
Read the Prologue “Making Contact” again. Also go to the back of the book
and carefully read “Questions and Discussions” over again. You might want to
get your parents, friends, or teachers involved in a group discussion;
perhaps even read the book again. By doing so, I promise that you’ll enjoy
the book even more than before and that you’ll notice things you may have
overlooked the first time.
4.
Again, I don’t want to
give that away. But compare the queen’s dialogue with that of the mother.
Then listen closely to the mother’s dialogue in the car (at the end of the
book), she’s answering your question.
5.
I wrote the first draft
in three month or so, but never did anything with it. When I decided to
publish the story, I kept rewriting, adding new ideas and new plots. That’s
what took some time.
6.
I am doing some rewriting at present. It is almost done.
7.
Although I am happy to
discover, that many children sit down and read these thick books in spite of
the advanced electronic age, as far as the upcoming Savannah books are
concerned they will be much thinner…all of them. Sorry! Originally, Once
Upon a Sandcastle was supposed to be book number seven...a thin book
with Savannah as the central character – like all the others. But the story
ran away with me. I couldn’t stop writing, as if the characters took over
and I was under their spell. Suddenly Jacob became the central character,
which was never my intention. After all, I started out to write another
Savannah-book. When the story turned out to be a great deal longer than all
the others before, I put my foot down, insisting on teamwork. Who knows the
manuscript might’ve turned out to be twice the size; and we couldn’t have
that. I had to make a decision. Cut the book way down or take it completely
out of the series. Then friends, who read Sandcastle, insisted not to
cut out a thing. But I changed the beginning of the story and made it my
pilot book.
8.
Many readers have asked
me to include them again. But Savannah moves away from Los Angeles, leaving
her best friend, Holly behind. I am presently giving Holly and also Jacob
opportunities to visit with Savannah. That’s why I am rewriting.
9
Jacob’s father has
accomplished his mission and returns to the spirit world.
10
That is too soon to
say. The next books will reveal that in time.
11
Sometimes they are
simply there…all around them. I just need to reach out for them. Though I
have to choose which one of them fits into the story I am writing. Others I
have to invent and get into shape, giving them character, personalities,
likes and dislikes, manners or bad habits as it may be, etc.
Bart and Nyrup, the two
dwarfs in Once Upon a Sandcastle were complete when they stepped into
the story. I fell in love with them and could’ve written a whole book about
them, but they came in pretty much towards the end of the book. I also
enjoyed writing about the queen/Jacob’s mother in Sandcastle. She was
very real to me, so unlike me, but exciting.
12
Do you plan your stories before you begin to write?
I guess I should, but I
hardly ever do. An idea come to me and I go from there. Anything I’ve ever
planned, takes on a different direction every time.
13
I hope it won’t be too
long. The next step is sending the manuscript to Fernando Molinari, my
illustrator, who lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He then reads the
manuscript and designs the look and the new characters in his mind first,
before he begins with his sketches. I discuss my own ideas and visions with
him, before he starts drawing. He then sends the illustrations to me for
approval. They usually go back and forth a few times until completion.
Fernando will also design the cover of the next book again. Please, keep in
mind that Fernando is well known in his country and accepts a lot of work
from the USA and all over the world as well. So you can well imagine that he
is always very busy. While Fernando works on the images, my editor and
eventual my proof reader will read the book to check for mistakes.
When Fernando has
finished his illustrations the manuscript goes to the publisher, where it
could take another three to six month until completion.
14
I’m not sure. They just
come to me. I have a lively imagination and never run out of ideas. They
come to me any place, even when I’m in bed trying to sleep. Sometimes I get
up and write them down. But most of the time I forget them. I’m not worried.
There are always others. Perhaps I am blessed with this vast imagination
because since my early childhood, when we children had no toys, no books, no
television or movies to watch, etc. We had to rely on our imagination to
amuse ourselves.
15
I am writing the next
Savannah book. And there will be others after that.
16
I am not sure that I am
one to give advice. Having never studied poetry, I just write from the
heart. My poems often are short
stories, plain observations, or tributes to someone special in my life. I
believe that
tender moments, multi-layered thoughts, unforgettable memories, basic sweet
messages, mysterious dreams or nightmares, and simple beautiful spoken words
and phrases are worth writing down. I play with the words a bit, searching
for the right mood. And there you have it! A poem is born! I’d say to you
write down anything that captures your attention, something you overhear, an
editorial you read in the paper, a private reflection, something that makes
you think. Write about someone who impresses you. Of course, you could take
classes studying poetry and learn all about rhythm, meter, patterns, and
iambic pentameter and much more. I am confident, in time you’ll know what’s
right for you, and you will develop your own style.
17
No I
don’t. It's a lot of work. And I don’t seem to have the time anymore. But
I've been keeping diaries off and on in my younger years. Never under lock
and key mind you…mostly on note pads, which I often misplaced or stored away
after a while. For the most part, what I entered in my diary were inner
feelings, dreams, discussions with my conscience…things like that…sometimes
impressions about people I met. I should’ve used them for poetry.
18
I would have liked that
very much, because I loved to write and make things up. I wrote sometimes,
whatever subjects we had to write about in school. I was enthusiastic about
it, and my teacher praised me every time. Much to my regret, outside of
school there was no time for reading and writing in our family. The
housework needed to be taken care of, and I had to help to tend with the
garden, and help raise my younger siblings.
19
I wanted to be so many
things. I was full of ideas and dreams. Most of the time I wanted to be
involved with children…or teaching. Secretly I also dreamed about acting and
dancing, but I was a tall, very skinny girl, and wore glasses. No one ever
told me that I was pretty. And I’m sure I wasn’t. Once I read about Albert
Schweizer (we discussed him at length in school), my heart was set to help
him in his clinic in the African Jungle. I don’t think I would’ve been too
much help to him since giving shots and looking at someone bleeding would’ve
been out of the question. Though to this day I carry a little booklet in my
purse and look at it from time to time.
20
I was born in Danzig
(to be precise it was in a suburb called Marschauerberg, which was located
in the county of Danzig). It used to be Germany, but became Polish after WW
II. My mother with her three children fled and resettled in Rendsburg, in
the center of Schleswig-Holstein, the most northern state of Germany,
where I also grew up.
Do read my biography in
both of my books. I write about my childhood memoirs at length (about
growing up during post World War II in Germany) in The Joy of Being”.
21
Yes I do. We are eight
children all together. (Six girls and two boys.) To find out more about my
family life, read my biography. Again, my poetry/short story book “The
Joy of Being” talks about surviving and extreme hardships my family
endured during World War II and the post war years.
22
I love
to eat; I have so many favorite foods. I love fruit – especially figs,
grapes, and berries. I love vegetables – greens, mushrooms, corn-on-the-cob
- nuts, olives, wholegrain breads and pasta, all kinds of cheeses, yogurt,
fish and fowl, dark chocolate, and in particular Italian food.
23
I like
almost all music…some more and some less, but if I had to choose only one
type of music I think I’d say musicals. I like to sing their songs.
24
I’ve always enjoyed my
stay wherever I lived. You too can make it happen for yourself. There is
beauty and culture everywhere if you look for it. American culture stands
quite unique by itself, universal perhaps, since we’re a melting pot of
nationalities from all over the world, each bringing along their particular
distinct culture and traditions. Our country is young, but it’s a great
Nation with a culture of its own. The expression “Only in America” is used
around the world. There must be something we are doing right and are admired
for. Whether it’s the structure of our Government, our laws, freedom of
speech, our individual freedom, or the equal opportunities this country
offers. Though it may not seem so to some of you now, but unless you’ve
lived in other countries you might take a lot for granted. I am proud to be
an American.
25
Germany
is a beautiful country. It’s so green, flourishing and fertile! I have all
of my family and many good friends in Germany, and I miss them, of course.
But Germany has long, cold winters and up north where I used to live it
rains a lot. California has been good to me. It has been home for a long
time. I love what it has to offer, especially the warm climate, and I am
happily married here.
26
I live
in the high desert with my husband of 36 years…in Quartz Hill,
California...to be exact. It’s approximately a 90 minute drive north of Los
Angeles.
27
You can
order them right here through my website (just click on my books and go from
there). The appropriate links will bring you directly to the chosen online
bookstores. The books are available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com,
Borders.com (which is the same as Waldenbooks), and so many more, also at
online stores around the world. Furthermore you may order them from the
publishers like MillCitypress or AuthorHouse. Just click on the box of
your choice (and compare prices).
You may also order the books at your favorite bookstore in your hometown by mentioning the ISBN number or the title and author’s name of the book. However, if you don’t wish to order through the Internet or have no time to visit a bookstore in town, you can call AuthorHouse (for The Joy of Being) on the telephone and order the book that way. The toll free number is: (888) 280-7715. For local people who live in the Lancaster, Quartz Hill, Palmdale area, signed versions of both books (Once Upon a Sandcastle and The Joy of Being) can be obtained at Waldenbooks, 11oo West Ave. K in Lancaster, ca. 93534.
