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I want to congratulate all of the Brava Writing With the Stars Finalists! They have worked very hard, and they should be proud of all they have accomplished.

I am a mentor in the contest, and I had the pleasure of being paired with Dale Mayer. Over the last few weeks, I’ve gotten to know Dale pretty well. Today, I’d like to share an interview I conducted with Dale. That way, you can get to know her, too. :-)

1. Hi, Dale! Congratulations on becoming a Brava finalist! That is such exciting news!! Will you please tell everyone a bit about your story?

Hi Cynthia, thanks so much for the invitation to be here today! You know in every career, there comes a time when you hit a crossroad? For me this point was deciding whether I wanted to continue as a writer or throw in the towel? Tuesday’s Child was my crossroad – my nemesis. At a bad personal time in my life, the manuscript was a very rough first draft. I couldn’t see a way to fix up the manuscript and I couldn’t start a new one. Tuesday’s Child wouldn’t let me. It’s like it was saying, “Nope. No more playing around. I’m up on deck. Either fix me up right or walk away forever.” How could I leave my characters hanging like that? Samantha Blair needed me! I’d created her and the mess she was in so I felt responsible for getting her through to a happy ending! This is the scenario that evolved:

SAMANTHA BLAIR, a psychic with a terrible gift, is forced to work with Detective BRANDT SUTHERLAND, a cop on the hunt for serial killer, in order to save not only her sanity but also the women falling victim to an unusual killer preying on their small town.

2. Have you always wanted to be a writer?

It’s not an idea I thought about when a young girl, but as I matured the desire took root and grew over time. Except I was so busy living life that I never gave it much thought. But once I did – there was no stuffing it back into the dark recesses of my mind.

3. What do you think is the most rewarding aspect of the writing life?

For me the creation is the most rewarding aspect. I’ve always been involved in a craft of some kind whether it was spinning, sketching, knitting, cake decorating, and the list goes on… But having words go down on a page in such a way that they bring events, places, and characters come to life – so you can almost reach out and touch them – is pure magic.

4. What is the most challenging part of being a writer?

The journey! Joking aside, to set out on a long term goal that might span years if not decades, and where you need to continuously hone your craft with little to no encouragement along the way is difficult. As a newbie writer you need feedback from other people to see what works and what doesn’t. You need to throw your work, your baby, out for criticism and judgement. It’s hard. That’s why you need to love what you do. I didn’t start out with the thought of getting published; I answered a compulsion. I continue to write because I love it and because I can no longer NOT write.

5. So Dale…what do you want readers to know about you?

Most people don’t believe that I am a writer. Not sure what the stereotype in their mind is but I’m a single parent of four and have been for over a dozen years. I’m an avid skier, gardener, and lover of life! I’ve lost people close to me, faced horrible financial challenges, and too many obstacles to count but I’m living my dream. I’m not perfect! I get depressed and lose faith sometimes, but I always get back up and carry on.

I’m also very approachable. I’m always open to questions on any topics, my craft, the writer’s life, my books – even my characters – they are real to me!

6. What should readers expect when they read a story by you?

Hopefully, each book will impart the things I love to write like chilling suspense, plots that twist in on themselves and often come with a surprise ending, and characters that stay with you long after the book has been finished – and readers have the added security of knowing that I am VERY prolific and the next book will already be in progress!


Thanks so much for answering my questions!!

If you’d like to learn more about Dale, you can visit her website, or follow her at twitter.com/dalemayer.

And you can check out all of the round one Writing With The Stars entries on the RT website.

Now it’s your turn to talk. I asked Dale what readers could expect from her…and now I want to know what readers expect when they open a Brava novel. The finalists are competing for a Brava contract–but what do you expect to find in a Brava book? I’ll pick one commenter to win any Cynthia Eden book (including an ARC of ETERNAL FLAME).