Almost three weeks of vacation this close to retirement is quite the self-imposed form of torture. You get a taste of what retirement can be, but alas, it's over. The sweet taste of lazy mornings and the ability to go see whatever you want when you want turns to ash. Three and a half years seems like a long time to wait. Yet, I know it will be here before I can say, "Snap out of it, old man." Life tends to fly by that way. We long for what's ahead, missing what's passing by at that very moment. And will we ever really get to that "dream-like" existence? I know of many who had dreams. They made their plans. They saved their fortunes or spent them, depending on the dreams they had, only to never truly see the full realization because of a life cut short. A tragic end that wasn't in the plans. Was never part of any dream.
It makes you realize how fortunate we are to be here. Period. At this very moment. Breathing in and out. Beggars on the verge of life in the spiritual realm tend to think that way (cf. Matthew 5:3). "Rich" people, not so much. That's why I sit here, torn between the life of a beggar and a life that can only made possible if God wills it, learning how to savor the ash and understand that the taste is of your own making. It doesn't have to be that way. The lazy mornings and the ability to jump in a car and see some of God's handiwork were gifts. Ones we will treasure for good. They were glorious because of "who" we were with, not just what we saw. Had my wife not been with me, I would not have even trekked to the mountains. Neither would she have. But together, the trip will be one we talk about for the rest of our lives. And this is where the "ash" turns to honey. Even sweeter than honey, straight from the comb.
Okay, enough with the devotional. :-)
We're here to introduce new authors (or at least ones who may be new to our readers). this next guest is brand new! Her debut novel just released, but she's been a friend for years. Cheering me on when I had writing successes, and now, I get to return the favor.
Donna, it's so cool having you as part of this blog series. For our readers out there who don't know you, we have a tradition here at ABTS that always kicks off our interviews. Give us a quick bio. Fifty words or less. Who is Donna Mumma?
I am a native Floridian and a former farm kid. I grew up in the country and now live in a large, metropolitan area on Florida’s west coast. Even though I live near the gulf, I don’t eat seafood. I think alligators are the coolest animal on the planet, and I’m no fan of snakes. Being around trees and water brings me peace. My favorite type of music is movie soundtracks, especially anything written by John Williams. I love books but to be honest, I love movies a little more. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had vivid stories and characters roaming around in my head. With some encouragement from my husband, I decided to write them down. And now I’m a published author.
I love John Williams. Have his "Best of" CD set. I, too, listen to movie soundtracks when I'm writing. Helps to block out the noise, both outside and inside my head. Must be a writer thing.
Before you ever got a notion of becoming a writer/author, how old were you, and what were you doing in that time of your life?
Since I was around six years old, I’ve always had a taste for monster movies and watched as many as I could. We had a local channel that showed the old, campy horror and monster movies on Saturday afternoons, and I would sit with my dad and enjoy those or the old Star Trek series. When I was eight, I started taking piano lessons and continued until I was a sophomore in high school. I also learned to play alto saxophone and was a very busy band geek though middle and high school.
My
parents owned a dairy farm in central Florida, and that kept me, my four older
brothers and my sister busy. I loved living in the country, going fishing,
climbing our giant oaks and swinging from their boughs in a swing my dad made
from a burlap feed bag. I swam in lakes and natural springs as well as a local
pool club. The tiny town where I grew up was filled with wonderful
storytellers, and I listened to tales about flipped airboats, alligators,
hunting, and wild things that always happened after midnight on Saturday nights
when the local bar closed down. I grew up in a tiny Baptist church, dressed as
an angel for the outdoor Christmas pageants, and sang in the choir with my
mother. When I was older, I played piano for the choir when our usual pianist
was out of town.
I
never liked school until I reached college. I started out studying medical
technology with hopes of working in a hospital lab. God had other plans and in
his own way he steered me to elementary education. I became a teacher in 1989
and taught for eight years. I also homeschooled our two boys for eight years.
I remember WTOG Channel 44! The Saturday afternoon Creature Feature with Dr. Paul Bearer...The Master of Scaremonies.
What educational background do you have?
I went to Wildwood High School, in Wildwood, Florida.
After
graduating from there, I attended Lake Sumter Community College (now Lake
Sumter State College) in Leesburg, Florida and received my AA. I went on to
earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in elementary education from the
University of Florida (Go Gators!) and am now officially a Florida Gator. My
oldest brother attended UF, and when I went with my mother to drop him off, we
walked around the campus. I fell in love and vowed at age nine that I was going
to go there when I was grown. And I did!
Go Gators!
Are you married? Single? Have kids?
I have been married to my husband and best buddy for thirty-one years. We have two adult sons.
For all the pet lovers out there, answer this question: Do you have any?
We have a collie, named Duke. Duke is mostly white, with a sable head and a sable spot on each side of his body. He is striking, and when we’re out walking him in our neighborhood folks often stop their car to pet him or gush over his looks. He is the sweetest dog we’ve ever owned, but he is also the most angsty thing I’ve ever met. Thunderstorms terrify him, which makes life complicated since we live on the coast in an area many deem as the lightning capitol of North America. He’s not fond of the tropical weather either. But, as long as he can sit with a human on either the couch or a bed, he will hunker down and shiver his way through the storm. I’m hoping someday he learns to cope a bit better, but until then we will snuggle up close and weather the storm together.
We know what makes Duke cringe. What makes you cringe?
Heavy metal music, especially when it’s played at a volume that allows it to seep into your skin, vibrate through your bones or rattle your dental work.
If you had one person you could meet (think ONLY Bible characters here) and could spend as much time as you wanted with that individual, who would it be besides Jesus, and why?
I would love to sit and talk with John the Baptist. His story always fascinated me. He wore camel’s hair garments and lived like a wild-man, but yet spoke with such authority that he intimidated a king and queen. And yet, he understood true humility and what serving God was all about. I’m sure when he entered a space the entire atmosphere changed and probably felt electrified. I think he would be interesting to talk with, and I’d be very certain to get straight, no-holds-barred type answers from him. First question would be, what was it like and what went through his head when the heavens opened up and God spoke after Jesus was baptized? Once I got him talking, I’d just sit back and take in everything he said.
What Bible scripture has impacted your life the most, and why?
My favorite Bible verse, and the one I base my life on is Hebrews 12:1-3. I’ve faced many challenges along the way, and this verse reminds me to keep going so I can finish this race set before me. Good words for life and my writing.
Why do you live where you live?
I live in St. Petersburg because I met a city boy in college. When we married, he had a job here so I followed him to this area. He is a native to this part of Florida, and his family was here. Coming from rural Florida, it took me a while to become accustomed to the traffic, huge highways, and all the people. But being in love makes you take on new adventures and I adjusted to seeing palm trees, lots of cars, and sandy beaches instead of grassy pastures filled with cows. Now, both of our boys are in college here, and I’ve expanded my roots from rural Florida to the coast. To me, home is where the heart is, and since these three are my forever favorites, I’m right where I need to be.
When you are looking for a book to read, what are the things that are important to you?
The most important thing for me when choosing a book is how quickly it pulls me in. A good cover always catches my interest, and I read back covers. I also read the first page, and if I’m not intrigued and wanting to know more when it’s time to turn the page, I usually pass and put the book back on the shelf. My attention span rivals a mosquito’s, and if a book hasn’t engaged me after the first few chapters, I’ll stop reading and move on to another. My to-be-read pile is always tall, and I’m forever buying and adding new titles based on friend’s recommendations or new releases.
My favorite genre is psychological suspense and crime thrillers, but I love a good historical that explores the human condition. Always up for exciting science fiction and action/adventure too.
Of all the stories/books you have written, which one is your favorite? And what compelled you to write this story?
The very first book I ever wrote was a sci-fi/action/adventure story called Eripio. I had so much fun writing it because I threw reality to the wind and let my mind create this world where I combined modern day tech with whatever my imagination came up with. I love a good quest story, and this one included all the elements that make that genre interesting to me. There were no boundaries, and I kept making up things as I went along like I did when playing pretend as a child. The male lead is probably one of my favorite characters I’ve created. Can’t really say what compelled me to write it other than a love of the classic adventure stories like Robinson Crusoe and movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark. It never found a publishing home, but I promised my family I would pull it out someday and try again.
Tell us about what project you are currently working on.
I am currently working on a book meant to be a follow-up to my debut novel. It tells the story of a family pariah who was wrongly blamed for an event that shattered her large, close knit family, causing a rift that tore the family apart. She is now middle-aged and discovers that her dead sister, who was really the one responsible for the break-up, had proof of my main character’s innocence in this event. She goes on a sort of scavenger hunt to find it, planning to present it to her family at her sister’s funeral. It explores the concept of being right vs. doing the right thing.
Sounds interesting. What surprised you the most during the research for the book you are currently working on?
The characters in this story are from Louisiana, many of them are Cajun. I’ve had a lot of fun learning about their history and culture, especially the ways they made a living off the land and water. I’ve also discovered some very interesting parts of Louisiana history in the fifties and sixties that I never knew, such as many of the residents gaining jobs in the space program when it started expanding in Texas.
Tell us about your writing day. How do you go about writing?
I’m probably the worst person to ask this. I don’t have a specific routine. My real life is very busy, and my writing gets tucked in among all of my other jobs. Our youngest has a physical handicap, is also in college, so I’m his chauffer, scribe, typist, and aid whenever the need arises. On a good day I’ll complete all my regular life chores in the morning then work on writing from 1-5pm. I do sometimes stay up late to write, as I’m a night owl who also gets up early in the morning. And I do take off periodically and run away from home to a place where I can write without distraction for a few days.
Donna, it's been a pleasure having you on ABTS, and congratulations on your first book! There never is another debut novel. You only get one. That's why I always tell writers to try and make it the best one you have. :-)
Before we wrap things up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers about you, or anything we didn’t cover?
I
write about flawed people who have challenges but keep pressing on. My parents
taught us that it’s not important how many times you got knocked down but how
many times you got back up. I strive for my stories to show that life is often
hard, but we can survive and thrive if we keep our faith, look to God for help,
and just run that race to the end. Limping, crawling, and dragging ourselves
across the finish line count, and are often the only way we make it. And that’s
okay.
Good words to conclude our interview!
Readers, if you are wishing to get to know more about Donna and her writing, you can find her in these cyber locations:
On her website: https://donnamumma.me
On her blog: https://donnamumma.me/category/blog
On Twitter: @DonnaMumma1
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/donnamummawriter
On Instagram: dmumma748
Thanks, again, Donna, for being a part of ABTS!
Until next time,
Kevin
And did you know, Kevin's latest novel, The Letters, won First Place in the Speculative Category in the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference's 2021 Selah Awards? You can click HERE to find out more! When wondering about the story itself, think: A Christmas Carol Meets Frank Peretti. :-)
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