Sis. Grace Brooks whom we've interviewed before for the Point Of View column chatted with us this month on the subject of her work as a writer, if you've read any of her books before you'll be more familur with her pen name "Heather Radford."
When did you start using a pen name and why?
In the era that I grew up it was expected of authors to use a pen name. I don't think it's quite as common today. I started using a pen name with the series I'm writing now. When I first published the books through LULU.COM, I used my real name. These books are no longer available. I wanted to use the name Heather Radford since I knew I wanted to write.
When and why did you start writing?
I've written almost from the time I started school. My favorite subjects in school were English and Composition. I remember in grade five it made my year when my teacher insisted my composition be posted on the bulletin board for all to read. I was so proud. The composition was about a girl frightened by what she thought was a ghost one dark night. At the end the 'GHOST' turned out to be a white birch tree.
What do you write about?
So far, I've written fiction for Young Adults up to adult. The story subjects cover just about everything. For example, The Asquinn Twins: Frontier Life is about a family that leaves Wales. The Father is a missionary and the family settles in a small Northern Ontario village and starts a New Testament Church. The story covers the twins lives, pretty much as they grow up in Forest Lake. Books Two and Three continue on until these children are grown up and families of their own.So pretty much every age group is included. All my books uphold Primitive Baptist Doctrine, and hopefully, help troubled youth through hard times.
When did you have your first book published? How long had it taken you to get published?
My first book, "A Dog For Keeps was published in Canada by Nelson, an 1987 and by Charlesbridge in the United States, in 1989.
What other books/series have you written?
I've written "A Dog For Keeps." This story is about fourteen year old Ivy Herman and her Canadian Eskimo dog, Snow Queen. Snow Queen is the lead dog in Ivy's dog team. When the family fall on hard times, Ivy's father tells Ivy they need to sell Snow Queen in order to get enough money to stay afloat. Before this happens, Snow Queen saves Ivy's life in a terrible, horrible blizzard. Ivy gets to keep Snow Queen. This is a grade five school reader and not available to the public.
What kind of feed back have you gotten from readers?
"I enjoyed reading your book, I've been blessed by what I read, the Asquinn Twins Series could be used by anyone in charge of youth in anyway as a manual, and these books should be on the shelves of ever Christian bookstore" are some of the feedback I get from readers.
What are some of the difficulties of being a professional writer?
I don't know if I'm a professional writer. Professionals bring in an income from writing, I don't.
Some of the difficulties is distance from larger centers, remoteness from professional writer, distance from editing services and publishing houses. In one word. Distance.
How has God blessed you through your writing?
God has blessed me every time someone tells me they have been blessed by my writing. Each time I check the Bible for scripture verses used in my stories, I feel the Holy Spirit teaches me more, also. Another book I've written is a Children's grade five school reader, 'A Dog For Keeps" This was a very popular book and I lived through several years of fame because of it. God blessed me in writing this book that fame is not to be sought after.
When did you start using a pen name and why?
In the era that I grew up it was expected of authors to use a pen name. I don't think it's quite as common today. I started using a pen name with the series I'm writing now. When I first published the books through LULU.COM, I used my real name. These books are no longer available. I wanted to use the name Heather Radford since I knew I wanted to write.
When and why did you start writing?
I've written almost from the time I started school. My favorite subjects in school were English and Composition. I remember in grade five it made my year when my teacher insisted my composition be posted on the bulletin board for all to read. I was so proud. The composition was about a girl frightened by what she thought was a ghost one dark night. At the end the 'GHOST' turned out to be a white birch tree.
What do you write about?
So far, I've written fiction for Young Adults up to adult. The story subjects cover just about everything. For example, The Asquinn Twins: Frontier Life is about a family that leaves Wales. The Father is a missionary and the family settles in a small Northern Ontario village and starts a New Testament Church. The story covers the twins lives, pretty much as they grow up in Forest Lake. Books Two and Three continue on until these children are grown up and families of their own.So pretty much every age group is included. All my books uphold Primitive Baptist Doctrine, and hopefully, help troubled youth through hard times.
When did you have your first book published? How long had it taken you to get published?
My first book, "A Dog For Keeps was published in Canada by Nelson, an 1987 and by Charlesbridge in the United States, in 1989.
What other books/series have you written?
I've written "A Dog For Keeps." This story is about fourteen year old Ivy Herman and her Canadian Eskimo dog, Snow Queen. Snow Queen is the lead dog in Ivy's dog team. When the family fall on hard times, Ivy's father tells Ivy they need to sell Snow Queen in order to get enough money to stay afloat. Before this happens, Snow Queen saves Ivy's life in a terrible, horrible blizzard. Ivy gets to keep Snow Queen. This is a grade five school reader and not available to the public.
What kind of feed back have you gotten from readers?
"I enjoyed reading your book, I've been blessed by what I read, the Asquinn Twins Series could be used by anyone in charge of youth in anyway as a manual, and these books should be on the shelves of ever Christian bookstore" are some of the feedback I get from readers.
What are some of the difficulties of being a professional writer?
I don't know if I'm a professional writer. Professionals bring in an income from writing, I don't.
Some of the difficulties is distance from larger centers, remoteness from professional writer, distance from editing services and publishing houses. In one word. Distance.
How has God blessed you through your writing?
God has blessed me every time someone tells me they have been blessed by my writing. Each time I check the Bible for scripture verses used in my stories, I feel the Holy Spirit teaches me more, also. Another book I've written is a Children's grade five school reader, 'A Dog For Keeps" This was a very popular book and I lived through several years of fame because of it. God blessed me in writing this book that fame is not to be sought after.