Debra Parmley visits February 15

Here is a preview. Tune in February 15 for the rest of this interview with Debra.

Lynette: What is your perfect writing environment?

Debra: I used to write at my PC with my golden retriever, Trixie, by my side and we had a little routine. She would remindme when it was time to eat lunch and let her out. (I sometimes forget to eat, or even to drink the glass of water, which is sitting right next to me if I get wrapped up in the story.) After Trixie died, I was unable to write for almost six months. The environment only reminded me of her and I would get too choked up. So to break out of that grip of sadness and get back to writing again, I actually sat on my bed with a legal pad and told myself “I can write any time, anywhere, in the midst of anything.” And then I started to write that down on the legal pad and after a while I didn’t need to sit at that computer any more and eventually I was able to getback to writing my stories. 

Lynette: Wow, our pets can be a muse, but it sure hurts to lose them. My dog is about two feet from me right now.

Debra: My first book, A Desperate Journey, was dedicated to Trixie, in memory of, and it will always remind me of her.

Dangerous Ties, release Feb 15, 2012, Desert Breeze Publishing
A Desperate Journey, available now

Debra was born in Columbus, Ohio and raised in Springfield, OH but has lived in the Memphis, TN area since 1997. She attended Marywood University in Scranton, PA and was the first student to win first place in two categories of the Delta Epsilon Sigma Beta Epsilon Chapter writing competition, in creative prose and in informal expository. Her poetry was published in literary journals while attending college.  She holds a BA in English Literature.
Debra has traveled extensively and worked as an independent travel consultant for several years. She has visited thirteen countries. She has also worked in banking, newspaper advertising, as city recycling co-coordinator, as an office manager, and as a belly dance instructor.
Her first short story, published in the anthology More Monsters From Memphis, was a finalist in the Darrell Awards for best Mid-South short story.

Her first novel, A Desperate Journey, a western historical romance, was a finalist in the Bobbi Smith Creative Writing Challenge.  Not long afterward it was a finalist in the American Title II contest.  For those not familiar with the contest, she describes it as similar to the American Idol contest, but for authors. Readers voted online and the prize was a publishing contract. A Desperate Journey was published a year later by Samhain Publishing. Debra's second book, Dangerous Ties, will be published by Desert Breeze Publishing.

When not writing, Debra enjoys dancing, primitive archery and medieval reenactment, yoga, scrap booking, practicing Reiki, and traveling.

For Debra, writing is about joy. The joy of creation and the joy of connecting with her readers. It is one of her greatest pleasures to hear from her readers.