This summer I had the honor of working with a multi-talented and busy author of short stories, novellas and novels. Her name is Bobbie Cole and I met Bobbie through a mutual friend—another author, Diane Kratz, who I blogged about last month (see here).

Bobbie, or Sunny as she likes to be called, is the author of over sixty short stories and as many novels and novellas, written under various pseudonyms. Her latest publications were Memories Of You (Order here), a romantic suspense for Harlequin Carina Press, and the independently published women’s fiction, The Survivors series, at Amazon and Create Space.

She describes her world as a mix of writing, traveling, reading, and spending entirely too many hours on Pinterest. She lives by the mantra, “Let the adventures begin,” and you can readily see why she likes to be called Sunny!

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Bobbie co-authored a short story with Diane Kratz—called Flicker—and I featured it in an anthology of suspense-filled short stories called Unforeseeable Consequences that I edited and published in August of this year. This wonderful short story is a memorable example of unforeseeable consequences that is the common thread for all of the stories in this collection. The anthology is available on Amazon by clicking here. For non-Kindle devices and apps, please click here.

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Bobbie is such a versatile, experienced author that I thought you’d like to know a little more about her life, her published books and about what’s currently keeping her busy. So let’s take a peek into all that.

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself, Bobbie. I’m a stay-at-home-writer buoyed by one son and his girlfriend, a cat, a dog, and nine publishers. I’m old, cranky, and love books, music, and travel.

2) When did you first start writing and what inspired you? Have you taken writing classes? I began out of necessity. Had a head injury (garage door collapsed on me), and my son gave me the chance to get out of my funk. He said: You’re moving in with me, but there’s a catch. I know you can’t sit but fifteen minutes at a stretch, but when I leave for work every morning, I want your butt in the chair, writing. As for writing classes—yes, I’ve taken some wonderful classes! Instructors were Jack Bickham, Mel Odom, and Alfie Thompson, to name a few. I’ve also made marvelous friends and netted terrific critique partners. I can’t stress the invaluable support other writer friends and knowledgeable critique partners add to my life.

3) What sparked the idea for your writing? Currently I’m working on two series, one women’s fiction and the other Native American mystery. For the mysteries, I lived where they’re set, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, for five years. The stories and legends already in place lend themselves to fascinating tales. Plus…I’m Native. The women’s fiction is a different animal. I’m an 18-year cancer survivor, but friends of mine have recently experienced the C word on a personal level. I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have women who bond first over their diagnoses and then over friendships they form. – And ALL that entails. – Women are powerful. In the first book, A Near-Life Experience (as opposed to near-death), the protagonist swears a lot, lies all the time, and doesn’t have cancer. She stumbles into the group after attempting suicide and decides she has cancer of the soul. After that, following books deal with different women within the group and their life experiences.

4) What is your writing routine? Do you have the idea for the novel first and the character’s story develops or vice versa. Do you use an outline or just begin writing? Almost always, characters come first. I like to think up interesting characters then picture them in different situations. Now and then a plot forms first. But…I confess, I’ve had a title come first, as with a current WIP called Lethal Lasagna.

5) What are your favorite authors/books? Did any of these influence your writing? I love Stephen King and Janet Evanovich, especially their earlier books. Karin Slaughter, Lisa Gardner, Lawrence Block. My tastes are all over the map. I cut my teeth on Zane Grey westerns, graduated to science fiction authors like Heinlein, and then went onto romance and thrillers. I’m sure everything I’ve read has made me who I am today in one way or another.

6) Do you identify with any of the characters? I tend to see my friends more than myself in fiction.

7) If you could go back, is there anything you would change about a book? The latest books? Nothing. Once I’m in “the zone”, it’s a breeze. I wrote an essay for Gloria Gaynor’s book, We Will Survive, and if I could change anything, it would be the Oklahoma City bombing—I was a first responder. I wouldn’t change what I wrote, but I’d certainly not have that event occur if possible.

8) What was the hardest thing about writing a book? Have you experienced writer’s block and how do you get over it? The most difficult thing about writing The Survivors series was dredging up the fear and depression I had when I was diagnosed with cancer. Tempering the tragedy of cancer with the power of humor is hard but rewarding for me. I mean…survival is to be celebrated. Yes, there’s mourning. But weaving everything into a satisfying ending is my biggest thrill in writing these books. Some writers love beginnings. Others like typing THE END on a manuscript. Not me. I like laying down the bones then rewriting and solidifying what is known as the sagging middle. That’s where the real grist resides.

9) Have there been any challenges with getting your books published? I’ve had some goofy starts. A friend worked at Harlequin and called one day saying she was hosting a contest within a couple of days and didn’t have enough entries. She asked if I’d submit a blurb. I did. Mine was chosen and the editor wanted to see the completed manuscript! I had to write the entire book within the next ten days. Luckily for me, Harlequin Carina bought it.

10) What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer? Forget about writing WHAT you know. It’s WHO you know. Characters, characters, characters with lots of emotion. And if you’re mercenary enough, there’s plenty of work for everyone who writes. Think of it as choosing a date. If you’re too picky, your options are limited. But if you open your mind and pour out your heart onto the page, there are some real gems to be found.

11) Is there anything you would like to say to your readers and fans? Absolutely! THANK YOU!

12) Will there be a sequel? Lots of them, Lord willing. I have maybe eight to ten planned for The Survivors and so far about as many for the Native mysteries, with primarily Cherokee, Choctaw, Creek, and Apache characters. Once those are done, who knows? I may return to writing romance.

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Please take a moment to click into Bobbie’s social media site on Facebook to learn more about her published works: https://www.facebook.com/bobbie.cole.73