In Conversation with Jane McCulloch, Author, Three Lives series

It’s time to feature another debut author on the blog. I love featuring interviews with new authors because it gives people the opportunity to learn from others who have had success in their life journeys. 

Featuring today are the edited excerpts of my interview with Jane McCulloch, the author of Three Lives Trilogy. Parallel Lines is the first volume in the series. 

How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or is there any other reason?
I began writing at a very early age.  At first, it was poems, then short stories and by the time I was at boarding school I was writing plays and sketches. My original intention was to become an actress and I went to a London Drama School. I married a theatre director and he steered me into writing for the professional theatre.  I began by writing biographical dramas and after that, I wrote a book and lyrics for two musicals, an adaptation of “The Pilgrim’s Progress” and one based on the life of “Buster Keaton”. I also wrote librettos for operas and various lyrics for songs.  It wasn’t until much later that I decided to write novels.

In Conversation with Penni Mannas Diefendorf, Author, Core of Steel series

I love featuring interviews on this blog because it gives people the opportunity to learn from others who have had success in their life journeys. 

This interview is with Penni Mannas Diefendorf, author of the Core of Steel series and Founder & Director of truthredux.com, an online community and repository of ideas and strategies to live life at your highest potential.

How did you begin writing? Did you intend to become an author, or is there any other reason? 

I don’t know that there was ever a point where I “began” writing, I just fell into the way of it because I love to write. It is an outlet, a way of clarifying my thoughts to myself and a supremely satisfying form of catharsis. For that reason, I have actually never pursued a “writing” career because writing was too precious to me to *work* at it or with it. Having said that, in most of my jobs, I managed to introduce a writing component in the mix somewhere. So, no, I would say, I did not intend to become an author, it was a happy synchronicity.

My Not-to-do-list this new year!

I was super thrilled to read this week’s Blogadda WOW prompt – ‘It’s Not My Resolution’, simply because this is unlike what most people are doing, their so-called 'Things-to-do-from-2016' lists. 

Another major way why I simply loved the idea of this week's WOW prompt is because there are very few people who actually know what they want, and like me know what all they don't want to do. We all might have our major goals in life, but the small things which matter the most remain unclear.

So without further ado, here's the list of things that I will not do from 2016, not in any particular order:

• I will not start a diet. Exercise may be irregular but my love for food will always remain the priority, esp. junk food :p

New Year ... New beginnings ..

With the start of another year comes another list of new year resolutions, new wishes, different dreams and hopes. Some might be hoping to start fresh this year, or some like me would just like to carry on our already amazing journey of life, no matter what everyone's thinking, I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.

The past year might have been good for you or you might have gone through some tough times. New relationships were formed and some people were lost or just simply taken away from us. And even though difficult moments and choices are part of everyone's life, it's up to us to keep our outlook positive and keep the hope alive.

So, on this first day of the year, I wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year, more aptly put through the following Neil Gaiman quote.