I was born in Austria and
my family immigrated to the U.S. I
loved living here as a child and considered the U.S. my
home. My family returned to Austria and
of course I had to tag along. I missed the friendly faces and the cultivation
of the free spirit which America
symbolizes. In Austria I
completed my education but always wanted to return, so here I am.
I traveled the world and lived in many
exciting cities such as Paris, Munich and London. I
currently work as an accountant for a large pizza company in Seattle by
day and passionately pursue a career as a writer in my spare time.
My new book, K-9
Cop, is adapted from my multi-national award winning screenplay. The
book has won several awards including first place in the 2009 National Good
Read Competition sponsored by awomenswrite.com.
Please visit my web site at http://www.k9cop-woofwoof.com for more reviews and other info.
For More
Information
Can you tell us what your book is about?
It’s about a surly cop who lands before the
gates of heaven but can’t get in, and about Justin, a 14 year-old teenager
who’s trying to find himself. The cop’s
only chance to enter heaven is to go back to earth in the body of his K-9
partner and help Justin and his
Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?
Spencer is a tough cop who capsules his feelings in the pit of his
stomach and whose main form of expression is anger.
Justin is the sensitive but defiant teenager trying to find his way in
this world.
Do you tend to base your characters on real people or are they totally
from your imagination?
Real people; in my experience truth is stranger than fiction.
Are you consciously aware of the plot before you begin a novel or do
you discover it as you write?
The need for the character catharsis molds the plot. They have issues
to work out and you need to challenge them at every turn. You can’t really get
to know a person sitting in a coffee shop, you know them when the ship starts
to sink and you have to get in the lifeboat with them.
Have you suffered from writer’s block and what
do you do to get back on track?
After your idea, the empty page is the worst hurdle to overcome but
once the words fill the void it’s easier to rewrite. In fact, writing is mostly
rewriting. I am not the most organized
being in the universe, so I sing praises of the keyboard with back buttons and
delete functions. Writing is just
rewriting - there you have it. How did writers work years ago without MS
Word? I bet Hemingway would have killed
for the cut and paste function.
What would you do with an extra hour today if
you could do anything you wanted?
Write. You got any extra hours? Is Father Time
having a sale?
Which holiday is your favorite and why?
Christmas time due to the following: Turkey,
Christmas tree, family, stuffing, cranberry sauce, funky Christmas socks. Did I
mention presents?
If we were to meet for lunch to talk books,
where would we go?
I live in a Burb in the Northwest near Seattle and we would
meet at a Starbucks. We’d be the book
junkies grazing with caffeine junkies and it’s raining outside, ah…the perfect
afternoon.
What do you like the most about being an
author?
Using your imagination. Albert Einstein hit
the nail on the head when he said “I am enough of an artist to draw freely upon my
imagination. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is
limited. Imagination encircles the world.” Wow, that gives me goose bumps and
makes my knees wobble.
What kind of
advice would you give other fiction authors?
Be persistent in writing and don’t give up. And learn your marketing,
what does a great book help if it’s buried and lost among millions of other
books? Get the attention your book
deserves.
GIVEAWAY
Erna is giving away one audiobook of K-9 COP!
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
- This giveaway begins October 6 and ends Dec 19.
- Winner will be contacted via email on Monday, Dec 22.
- Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!