Interview with award-winning author Debra Shiveley Welch

My guest today is multi-published and award-winning author Debra Shiveley Welch.

Debra, please tell us about your current fictional romantic release.
Lena Cedar Woman Young Bear, a daughter of the Lakota Sioux, opens the first high-end Native American restaurant in Central Ohio.

This is her story.

Born in May Hill, Ohio, Lena Cedar Woman travels to Columbus at age 12 after tragedy befalls her family. Here, in the capital city, a chance encounter leads her to her destiny.

Walk with her as she changes the lives and fortunes of those she loves.

Follow her to powwow where she meets her half-side – her true love.

Rejoice with her at the grand opening of her restaurant.

Cedar Woman allows the reader to learn the ways, and some of the language of The People, while also offering romance and discovery.

What inspired you to write this book?
My sister, Julie Spotted Eagle Horse. I wanted to honor her.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Ista Numpa, the sequel to Cedar Woman, and then Heads Are Gonna Roll! – A thriller about reincarnation, revenge, and murder. My publisher has already accepted the concept and story line of both books.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I was nine years old. I kept writing short stories about a little girl who found a dog. My mother never got the hint.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’ll answer the last question first.

When my son is in school, it’s easier to find the time. I write about six hours during the day, and then a few hours after dinner, if my muse is with me. So, I rise at about 7:00 a.m., prepare for the day, check email and watch the news for the weather and traffic report. I take my son to school and generally do my marketing on the way home. Once everything is put away, I sit down and begin to write. It’s now about 10:00 a.m.

I write until 3:30 – 4:00 p.m., jump in my Honda Element (It’s orange and I love it – I call her Punkin’) and pick my son up. Dinner is at about 5:00 and I resume writing at about 6:00 p.m.

I mentioned my muse. Sometimes I think she visits Colleen McCullough :-) and forgets to come to see me and sit on my shoulder. When that happens, I write poetry or articles or I watch old movies for story lines.

During summer vacation, my son is very good about giving me the time I need to write. As he is now 18, he gives me more than I need. It isn’t cool to hang with Mom anymore.

When Milly, my muse, isn’t with me, I also like to cook. Chris (my son) and I love to experiment with recipes and we are writing a cookbook together as a companion book to my award-winning memoir Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher, titled Christopher’s Family Table - Inheriting Family Recipes & Traditions From Adopted Kin & Clan.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I talk aloud to my characters. My husband thinks I’ve lost my mind!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a hematologist. When I was sixteen, my best friend, Patsy, died of Factor 8 Hemophilia. Her doctor was very good about explaining the disease to me and sparked my interest, not only in Hematology, but in research as well.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
A beautiful trailer, created by my publicist, Kim Emerson, was picked up by World News. The trailer is really beautiful, and I’m happy to share it.

Cedar Woman is now available at Barnes and Noble and at Amazon.

I'm also the author of other traditionally published books: Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher, which made its debut in November of 2007 (National Adoption Month), and made the Best Seller list on Amazon within the first week of its publication. Released in 2005, A Very Special Child, was a best seller at Amazon Japan and Amazon America. Written for children, it explains adoption in a spiritual way. Jesus Gandhi Oma Mae Adams, published in 2006, was co-authored with Linda Lee Greene, and is an Amazon Best Seller as well. All books are available through Saga Books and at Amazon.


Debra, you have quite a variety of published works. Thank you so much for sharing a bit of your writing life with us today.