Ann Rearden, has kindly agreed to guest post about her inspiration for becoming a writer in honor of her debut release, Guess What She Did?.
About The Author:
Ann Rearden grew up in a Royal Canadian Air Force family that migrated among the provinces of Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and Quebec. After graduating from medical school at McGill University in Montreal, she immigrated to the United States and later became the first woman in her department at the University of California San Diego to be tenured as a Professor. She has an extensive record of scientific publications, is the inventor on two biotechnology patents, and has been listed in "Who’s Who in America" and "Who’s Who of American Women."Having accomplished what she set out to do in science and medicine, she has now embarked on a second chapter in her life, one that revolves around her wonderful family and freedom. She lives with her husband in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
“Guess What She Did” is her debut novel.
Guest Post:
As a teenager in St. Lambert, Quebec, a small town just
south of Montreal, I literally devoured the contents of the local library. From
time to time, for reasons I did not fully understand at the time, I put my
thoughts down on paper, just for me to see. But I had no ambition of making a
career out of writing. I was headed to medical school.
Later, caught up in the hurly burly of life as a wife,
mother and physician, I put writing for pleasure aside. But I was still
writing. A lot. As a professor at the University of California, I was subject
to "publish or perish." Possessing impeccable survival instincts, I
published and published and published some more, producing a tumult of
lectures, scientific papers, book chapters, and grants. Carrying out the
scientific work about which I wrote was exhilarating. The process of putting
words to the work was, however, very much an afterthought.
When I retired from the University to enjoy the three G's
(grandchildren, golf and gardening), I found to my surprise that I missed the
daily act of putting words up on the computer screen. The
interest in writing for its own sake resurfaced. I realized that what I had
been doing as a teenager was a very necessary form of self-expression. But
before I sat down to write "Guess What She Did," I asked myself what
I wanted to accomplish as an author. The answer, shown below, came to me very
quickly, actually within a minute.
Why I Write
To add meaning to my
life and to the lives of others,
To entertain and
inspire, and
To gain and give
insight into the ways of the world.
Finding such immediate clarity about my goals as an author
persuaded me that writing a novel was something that I needed to do. And
writing "Guess What She Did" turned out to be a total joy. At first I
wondered whether I could create a story from scratch, without the benefit of
laboratory data to use as a starting point, but, to my delight, the ideas
flowed exuberantly. No longer constrained by narrow scientific dictates, my
imagination was unleashed. Coming up with plot twists and turns was a ton of
fun. In fact, the whole process of writing the novel was unbelievably
liberating.
The tone of the early drafts was lighthearted. But as I delved more deeply into what made
each of the main players tick, I found that the storyline developed along two
intertwined paths. On one level, "Guess What She Did" is a fast-paced
mystery, but on another level, it's a nuanced study of the difficult choices
people confront in life. At its core, the novel explores how an individual's
character impacts those choices.
In the end, I hope that "Guess What She Did" gives
the reader a enjoyable escape from everyday reality while, at the same time,
offering up the encouraging message that each one of us can be who we truly
are, live by our values, and find happiness in the world.
Guess What She Did?:
Title:Guess What She Did?
Author: Ann Rearden
Release Date: July 28, 2012
Georgina Graham, a savvy young Wall Street dealmaker in the hunt for a quick score, puts the recently divorced Dr. Nate Carmichael and his California biotech startup in her crosshairs. When the deal turns deadly a strangely beautiful detective investigates. A woman with a bizarre secret obsession, Detective Sam Mori has far more than a professional interest in the case.
“Guess What She Did” is an exceptionally fast-paced mystery—the pages just zip along. Its entertaining mix of irony, suspense, relationships and redemption will appeal to readers who enjoy poetic justice served up with a light hand and a wry smile.
Find Guess What She Did Online:
Happy reading until next time!
Sounds interesting. Great guest post! I love how you describe retiring as enjoying the three Gs!
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