R.K. O'Brien interview
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
A little introduction:
Rosemary O’Brien (also writing as R.K. O'Brien) has loved
writing since she was a young girl and has made it her life’s work for over 30
years. She was a military spouse working for a writer’s organization in
Washington, DC when she realized she could do what they were doing. She left,
went home to write her first book and, aside from a few jobs for others over
the years, she has never looked back.
“I have always written through my travels around the world, my
experiences raising my children, and my cancer caregiver journey. Experience
and observation have been my superpower when it comes to ideas for stories and
poetry. My latest series is the Joanna Davis Mystery series about a reluctant
paranormal investigator who finds herself following through situations that
show up on her doorstep (or in her kitchen, the library, or a school...).”
Rosemary earned a B.A. in Creative Writing and an M.S. in
Digital Forensic Investigations. With an occasional side gig as a high school
director of musical theatre, Rosemary spends her days crafting stories and
enjoying time with her husband, two sons and two naughty, old cats.
When did your love of books begin?
I have been a reader all of my life. I remember a friend and I
used to visit the library every Saturday morning. Our mothers gave us the task
of dropping her little sister off at a local center where she participated in
some fun classes. Laura and I would visit the library and then have a soda at
the local soda fountain. No, I’m not that old, but we still had one of the last
soda fountains in my city! I remember us both having a stack of books and would
read most of them before returning them the next week.
When did you start to have the wish to become an author?
I remember loving the smell of the library and wishing my work
could be nestled in those shelves for all to read and enjoy. I was about seven
when I wrote my first short story and have dabbled ever since. When I was a
senior in high school, I took a Creative Writing class during which I was
introduced to poetry. My friend, now a retired college English teacher,
encouraged me to write poetry without any rules. She told me to follow my
instincts, which I did, and it has led to my own voice. During Covid, I took
several of my poems and finally put them into a volume that I published in
April of 2021. I think I’ve always had it in me to become an author. Plus I do
much better working for myself!
How have you found the process for becoming an author?
I can’t say it’s an easy path to take. Asking the reading public
to read your work, your baby created out of your imagination, is a difficult
process. Even finding your own process is difficult, but I have decided not to
work for anyone else again. First career was in musical theatre. Last year I
was in a very good job. I went to a show on Broadway and realized I used to
love every bit of working as an actress, even the difficult times. The first
workday of the week was always a joy. I was not experiencing that where I was
working. I had gotten promoted due to others hired after me, but they were
going to make me work all over the state for a while because they did not have
a permanent opening anywhere in the company. On the train home that weekend, I
informed my husband I was going to quit the job and did so as soon as my boss
got to work. I have never regretted it. I love my Mondays now despite the
missing paycheck. I have learned from other successful authors that it is
possible to make a good living from writing books, so I am following their
path.
What would you say to those wanting to become an author?
I would say you really have to love to write, be a storyteller.
You should also do it on the side of your full-time job if you need to earn a
paycheck. Don’t be all flighty about your writing career meaning don’t write
only when the mood strikes you or your moon sign is in the right place. Sit
your butt in the chair and write every day. Write things that have an audience.
Do your research about the craft, the marketing, the details, and go build your
career. There are many indie authors now due to the explosion of the internet,
and there are always readers for your work if it is well-written and
well-researched. Junk won’t make it anywhere, so make sure you hone your craft
and learn the business if you really want to become an author.
Tell us about your book/books & What do you love about the writing/reading community?
My eighth book is about to be published in
April, I believe. I just started writing it yesterday, but it is outlined and I
am ready to go. I write under my real name, Rosemary O’Brien, as well as under
a pen name, R.K. O’Brien. I developed the latter when I published my first
paranormal mystery on advice from some of the successful authors I mentioned
above. Readers can find them all on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.
As for the writing community, they are my
tribe. I appreciate every bit of advice and feedback they send my way. I
attended a conference last November and realized I was where I was supposed to
be, learning how to write and market my work amidst a couple of thousand
creative people. I now have to make the time I work at home productive. I do
that every day by writing first and doing all of the administrative stuff
after. It can be difficult some days because I actually enjoy the
administrative work on days when my arthritis acts up or I know I won’t have a
big enough block of time to write, but once I get going, I’m gone – into my
created world for hours.
I love what I do.
If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?
Enjoy your work and you will never work a
day in your life. That’s what I tell my sons. Another favorite of mine is,
“Follow your bliss.” The latter means work hard to figure out what you love to
do and then go make a career out of it. Life is truly too short to do anything
else with the time we have.
Where can people connect with you?
https://twitter.com/feed_my_reads
Website: http://www.AuthorRosemaryOBrien.com
Twitter: @writerobrien
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