Originally, from the East Coast, I moved to the California Bay Area for 30 years and now settled in the Midwest, St. Louis MO area.
My life has been full of excitement and adventure, from acting, singing telegrams, painting in oil and acrylic, poetry writing, management and now taking the plunge, writing novels, articles and short stories.
I also host a weekly internet live talk radio show called, It Matters, which airs every Thursday evening at 9PM EST and write two columns for the Authorsinfo Readers and Writers site.
Married for 29 years to Richard Brinkman, we opened our hearts and home to five cats and two dogs who have become member of our family.
What is the title of your novel and tell us in three sentences or less what it is about.
The Turn of the Karmic Wheel is the first stand-alone novel of a two part Karmic Wheel series. Okay, short synopsis:
Enter into the small college town of Raleigh, MO, where Universal Law (Karma) has prevailed. Decisions, acts, deeds, life choices of the prominent, rich and the working-class spiritual citizens revealed for all to see. Judgment day has arrived.
Tell us about one or two of your characters.
Angela Frank, psychologist, wife, mother of young twin girls, has suppressed and denied her psychic abilities for years. When they resurface, she finds herself unable to hide from the music, visions and messages growing with intensity.
Joshua Allen, tall, extremely handsome, vain, vulgar and self-absorbed works within the financial industry, using his resources for profit and personal gain at the cost of his clients’investments. He mocks the poor, the starving, and the needy until he finds himself helpless, friendless, and agonizing over the acts, deeds and choices he has made in life.
My main message is for people to take responsibility for the choices they have made in their own lives. Life is not always as it seems and each act or deed we perform has a domino effect upon not only our lives but the lives of many others.
I also wished to give the readers who have given so much to the world, validation and assurance that their actions hold great purpose and meaning. For they are the people who give us hope, belief and faith in mankind.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
First, believe in yourself and be true to your own style of writing. It makes you unique and is really the only way you can be creative. If you try to copy someone else or write of what you feel little passion, it will show. Be true to yourself.
Secondly, and this is by far on the top list of guidance, show gratitude and thanks to those who will assist you in both writing and promotional endeavors. If you reciprocate and give back to those who help you, many long-term relationships and friendship will ensue. Take the time to share others work, services, and ventures as they have shared yours. This important act of professionalism, common courtesy and gratitude will bring you many unexpected opportunities and surprises.
Name some of your favorite books or authors.
With so many, this is a difficult question but here is my top list.
1. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – the richness of his
words and ability to get such important messages to the readers while
captivating us with his characters and story lines, ceases to amaze
me.
2. The Stand by Stephen King – one of my all time favorites, shows humanity at its worst and at its best. I’ve probably read this novel ten times, gaining more from it each reading.
3. What Is Normal by Ginny Scales-Medeiros – No one will ever feel sorry for their lot in life after reading this fact-based fiction novel. What this woman has endured, and overcome, in her life is truly amazing. Yet she never feels pity for herself, instead brings inspiration, understanding and encouragement to those who face discouraging circumstances in their own lives.
4. Flashing My Shorts, 200 Shorts by Salvatore Buttaci are two examples of entertaining, short stories of life. So diversified are his characters and tales, everyone will go the full gauntlet of emotions as he takes you into the human factor.
5. I can’t help but mention The Healings by Oana – who else has the creativity and courage to make one of the two main characters a cat or the other nameless? And it works. Quite an accomplishment in my eyes. Then there is Kenneth Weene who weaves psychological novels such as Memoirs From the Asylum or takes us into the empty life of the widowed Mary in Widows Walk.
Tell us about your other published stories or novels? Or perhaps, do you have something else in the works that you’d like to share.
Thank you for asking this question. I am presently editing the sequel in my two part Karmic Wheel series called The Wheels Final Turn. It takes us to Sacramento, CA and will bring finality to the characters mission. Politics, animal abuse, greed and bigotry are explored, revealed and scrutinized. The future of mankind will be altered by the characters choices and actions.
Radio Show – It Matters
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/itmatters
A Touch of Karma-Website
http://theturnofthekarmicwheel.blogspot.com/
A Touch of Karma-Weekly Column
http://tinyurl.com/8sar58j
Join our 25 Years In the Rearview Mirror Group on Yahoo http://groups.yahoo.com/group/25YearsRearviewMirror/?yguid=403568634
MeaningfulWritings-Website http://www.monicabrinkmanbooks.webs.com/
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Thank you Monica for joining us!