A Storyteller at Heart

The Writer's Prompt Author Project 2022

Today we travel to the State of Iowa in the USA and get up close and personal with Grace Augustine, an internationally known author and editor.

Grace has been writing since she was old enough to hold a pen, and is a true storyteller at heart. Her love for the written and spoken word has seen her publish 22 books to date and lead many question and answer sessions at different public events.

Writing in a multitude of genres has given Grace a well-rounded backlist from which to choose. Whether you enjoy a good fantasy, contemporary romance, poetry, self-help or women's fiction, she has you covered.

Born and raised in Northern Montana, she now resides in Iowa. She is the mother of two grown sons and a kept servant to an adorable cat named Bou.

Full disclosure - Readers if it wasn't for Grace sharing this project on her Facebook page on November 7, 2021; it might not have come to fruition. I struggled with navigating the algorithm process for over a month and was just about to give up. I remember the post that was to be my last about the project; it went something like this, "WOW! I didn't realize how difficult it would be to find 365 authors who want to promote their work for free. And yet, here I am still searching."

I don't know how or why the "Algorithm Gods" allowed this post to be seen by Grace, but I am glad they did. Grace liked, commented, and shared it, whack-a-moleing those nasty algorithms, and setting the project in motion. Since then, the initial idea for the project has changed. I only found thirty-six authors to interview. But that is okay because now I have time to work on promotional videos for the project and each of the authors.

Grace, thank you so much for helping me with my project and visiting with me today; let's begin.

What inspired you to become a writer?

I've always been a storyteller, from weaving stories about animals to my dolls at 8 yrs. of age to teaching adult education crafting classes to writing newspaper articles and then my own novels. The English language fascinates me and has since 7th grade. I had some wonderful teachers who encouraged me to do the best I could in grammar and composition. To this day, I love the written and spoken word.

I have that same passion, but for creating art. How long have you been writing?

I took grammar and composition each year of high school, so I guess you could say I have been writing since 1971 in one form or another.

What type of writer are you? For example, do you plan out your storyline and have a bio for each character, or do you let the creativity flow and see where it leads you?

I have a 3-ring binder with a lot of lined paper. I first decide on names. A valuable resource for me is the book titled THE SECRET UNIVERSE OF NAMES. Then after reading all I can about qualities and traits associated with those names, I begin forming the characters to the story I already have mapped out in my head. Then I begin writing.

WOW! That is an interesting way to create characters; I might have to try it.

Do you follow a strict writing schedule, or do you sneak writing in when you have time?