Interview with Sherri Derr-Wille

Please welcome to Barb'ed Comments author Sherry Derr-Wille. Her featured title: Josephine’s Journey is a January 2009 release from Wings www.wings-press.com



Biography:
A country girl at heart, Sherry Derr-Wille has been writing since she was a sophomore in high school in 1961. Now that she’s retired she has more time to write and enjoy being at home.

By day Sherry is a wife to her husband Bob, a mother to her three grown children, and a grandmother to her seven grandchildren. By night she writes and writes and writes, creating new worlds for her myriad of characters. With over forty books in print, she feels she is well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a well-read author.


What do you find the most difficult about being a writer?
Realizing that the statement “it takes 15 minutes to get into character and 15 seconds to get out”. This is particularly true now that both my husband and I are retired. I just get started writing and he says something or needs something done and the train of thought is completely gone.

What is your hero's biggest challenge? Getting used to the idea that Josephine does not want to be dependant on him. Unlike his first wife, she wants to know what his decisions are not be told after things have done and this puts a strain on their relationship, especially since most of it is on a long distance basis. With him being in Denver and her in Montana, the mail is sometimes too slow for messages to reach either of them in a timely manner.

What is your heroine's biggest flaw? She has been burned by a bad marriage and when love comes for a second time, she doesn’t know if she wants to be dominated by another man now that she has become independent.

What prompted you to write this story? This is the third book in the Quade series. Josephine, Quade’s mother, was introduced in book one, Quade’s Quest, and played a part in book two, Wind Dancer’s Desire. It was only natural for this book to be written. Hopefully there will be at least two more books to this series. The one I am working on at present is Tall Elk’s Woman, and another character, Wolf’s Heart is making noises about wanting his own book as well.

What is your least favorite genre? Regency. Would you ever consider writing it? Probably not, because I don’t read that genre and I wouldn’t know where to start in writing it. Besides, I have too many other stories that are screaming at me to be written first.

Who has helped you the most? My friends and readers have been most influential. They have supported me and buy my books, so that I can keep creating the stories and characters that I so love.

Do you have a favorite theme? Eg: love conquers all; good vs evil; How do you use it? Not in the sense of the suggestions. My favorite thing to write is the older heroine. With the Baby Boomers growing in number, they are more interested in reading stories about women like themselves and this is an untapped area. I have several books out with the less the perfect heroine proving that there can be love for her whether she’s a plus size woman or one who has raised a family and is just about ready to give up on love.

What have you learned about yourself from your writing? That I can create something and I am an artist. My art is not in beautiful paintings or even photography. It is in the written word and what it can do for my readers.

Why will your reader think your book is different? I hope so. I have read a lot of Indian books where there are white people involved, but never one where a white woman has come to the reservation at a time of change for these people and made a difference.

Blub: Josephine’s Journey
Josephine has come west in search of the son she hasn’t seen in far too many years. Once she arrives in Montana, she is thrilled to find that her son is about to be married. Once her grandchild is born, she agrees to take over the duties of teaching the children of the reservation in exchange for being able to stay close to her son.
George Roberts came to Montana to judge not only Crooked Snake, but also the Indian Agent, Simon Leary. He never expected to a woman who would become important in his life. When he returns to Denver and his duties there, he realizes that Josephine is the woman he wants to be his and his alone. Before that can happen, he has to prove his love to Josephine when she’s not certain that she wants to commit to him.