Wife and mother of 6, Rita Peterson is an ambitious woman. Along with enjoying time with family, she spends her time reading, writing, homeschooling, maintaining a small hobby farm, and sharing knowledge on her YouTube channel, Everything Homemade.
Rita loves to laugh and live life to the fullest on her property in northern Alberta, Canada.
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Q & A
Tell me about yourself. What got you
started writing?
I’m a wife and
mother to 6 children. I reside in northern, Alberta, Canada, and live a very
busy fulfilling life. I’m a self-motivated individual with a passion to never
give up no matter how hard it gets! I believe you can achieve what seems to be
impossible with hard work and determination.
This is how I’ve learned to
overcome dyslexia and make my dreams of writing come true. I’m a successful
YouTuber, the owner of Kitties Home Away From Home cat boarding business, published
author to A Heart’s Journey Series, and an animal and nature lover.
I have a passion
for writing since I was about 8 years old. It has always been my dream to be an
author. I’ve always had stories in my head, but it wasn’t until senior high that
I noticed I could move my English teachers emotionally with my essays or story
assignments that I really thought I could have a chance at writing.
I was
teased and bullied a lot at school because I didn’t fit in. So for a while, I
let the dream of writing fade. Then I married a wonderful man who encouraged me
to follow my dreams and the rest is history.
How did you come up with your book
idea? What inspired you?
Life inspired me. Heart’s Cry came from a passion I have inside me for labor
and delivery. I enjoy the medical field and the challenges doctors/nurses face.
The story around it comes from the love of the north mixed with my creative
imagination. A lot of the characters showcase bits and pieces of myself along
with personal struggles that I’ve faced.
What was the most difficult part of
writing this book? How did you overcome this difficulty?
The most difficult part was making the hospital chapters realistic and
possible. I overcame this with tons of research and watched many hours of
YouTube documentaries especially around the topic of opioid-addicted babies and
mothers and rare cases of pregnancies and emergency surgeries. The second difficult part was creating the
Kangaroo Babies-n-Teens program. The kangaroo program exists around the world,
but I wanted to take it a step further. This took many hours of thinking,
planning, and writing.
Who is your favorite character from
the novel? What about them makes them your favorite?
In all honesty, I can’t pick a favorite character. I enjoy all of them as
each one expresses their own individuality, as well as mirroring some part of
me.
Do your characters (or message) ever
seem to have a life of their own or agenda?
Absolutely. I loosely sketch out my character's description, occupation,
some quirks…etc. But when I’m writing is when the characters really come to
life and evolve as I go. Their emotional mindset and reaction to circumstances
grow as I write the book.
How has writing this book impacted
you personally?
I have proved to myself and to others, who know me well, that with hard
work, determination, and dedication, you can achieve your dream, and in my
case, overcome dyslexia to be an author.
How many books do you currently have
published? What genres?
Currently, I have published Heart’s Cry, the first book in the series A
Heart’s Journey. The second book, Heart’s Courage, comes out next month, August
2020. I also have an action short story, Impeccable Timing, in an anthology
called Little Bits. As for genres, I’m
definitely an adventure, romance, contemporary writer.
What is your favorite thing about
writing? Your least favorite?
My favorite thing about writing is escaping to another world and taking a
quiet break from the events of my day. My least favorite thing about writing is
picking names for the characters.
What authors in your genre inspire
you most?
I grew up reading Lurlene McDaniel. Janette Oak, Susan May Warren, Sherri Stewart are authors
that inspire me.
What would you tell a beginning author who wants to publish but doesn't believe he/she has enough talent?
Cynthia Hickey, the publisher of Winged Publications, gave me some sound advice, even though she rejected my first manuscript she saw potential. She said, 'Writing is a learnable craft. Very few writers are naturally gifted. Find joy in the learning.' This for me spoke to my heart.
Anyone with dedication, commitment, and perseverance can learn to write. The biggest advice I can give is to sit down and write and be open to constructive criticism.
Hearts Cry
Courageous
Actions...
True
Perseverance...
Unconditional
Love..
Lily Ann
MacBride, an accomplished and respected OB/GYN, is forced to transfer from
Seattle, Washington due to the jealousy of an overbearing boss.
On arrival in
Anchorage, Alaska, she meets a handsome rustic doctor, Clyde Nelson, who stirs
up all kinds of emotions, she would rather remain buried.
Both doctors
find themselves captivated with each other, but are unwilling to let their
guard down. Lily Ann’s internal battle with her own self-worth and personal
acceptance, mixed with past rejections, prevents her from falling in love.
Clyde, conversely, longs for a woman’s love, but needs to mentally and
emotionally move on from his tragic past.
Can Clyde
and Lily Ann overcome their barriers? Is true love right around the corner?
