Achieving a Dream

1) Let's start from the beginning. What is your author name (pen name if you have one).

Rosemary Kubli

2) Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I know it’s a cliché, but I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have a burning desire to be an author. But as often happens, life got in the way and the stories roaming around in my head never made it to the page. I got married, my husband and I raised our two sons, we moved from NE Ohio to Southern CA then back to Ohio, and, although I started and ended many careers along the way, none of them were what I truly wanted to do.

Then, a few years ago, a young man was hired into the office where I was working. Although his job supported this young man and his family, I could tell his heart wasn’t in it. All he talked about was how much he wanted to be a music minister. One day, while he was confiding in me, I asked him when he was going to stop trying to be something he wasn’t. “If you truly have calling to music ministry, then do it,” I told him. Two months later, he left our company to take a full-time position at a church. Two years after that, he paid me a visit at the office to thank me for encouraging him to follow his dream and to present me with a copy of the CD he and his church group had just recorded with a well-known record producer in LA! Well, of course I was honored and delighted for his success, but I had to ask myself why I wasn’t following my own advice.

After dinner that night, I sat down at my computer and started writing. However, I had no idea what I was doing! I had no creative writing education or experience and not a clue as to how one goes about getting published. But I didn’t let that stop me. I was on a mission, and it was full steam ahead! I read a ton of books and articles about writing, talked to a few published authors, joined a local writers’ group, and took every criticism and suggestion to heart. I also started reading a lot more novels of varied genres, not only for the enjoyment but also to analyze those authors’ writing techniques. I edited my manuscript to death until it finally attracted the attention of a few literary agents and independent publishers. Then, one day, I was offered a contract. My lifelong dream had finally come true!

Funny how God (or fate or karma or whatever you believe in) has a way of bringing people together so they can help each other find their way.

3) What is something unique/quirky about you?

I’m a bit OCD, although I prefer to use the word “perfectionist”. You know how, for example at a White House dinner, they measure the distance between the place settings, so the table is uniformly set? Yeah, that’s me. I would have been the perfect butler at Downton Abbey!

4) Tell us something really interesting that's happened to you!

I once met and shook hands with Bill Clinton! Now, regardless of your political/personal opinions, I believe he deserves the proper respect for having served as the president of our great country. That being said, when I shook his hand, did I say, “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. President”, or “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Clinton”? Of course not! In my nervousness, I blurted out, “Nice to meet ya, Bill!” I will never live down the embarrassment.

5) What are some of your pet peeves?

My biggest pet peeve is people who don’t speak English properly! Sadly, I’m a self-appointed member of the Grammar Police.

6) Where were you born/grew up at?

I was the second baby born a hospital that had just opened its doors in Youngstown, Ohio. My mother told me she was upset that another woman delivered just an hour before her! I guess Mom wanted her fifteen minutes of fame. Other than the four years I lived in Cleveland while attending college and the seven years I lived in Southern California, I have always called the Youngtown area my home. And where, you may ask, is Youngstown? If you draw a straight line between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, you’ll find Youngstown smack-dab in the middle of the two cities.

7) If you knew you'd die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

Enjoying the pleasure of my family’s company. Oh, and eating ice cream until I was sick to my stomach!

8) Who is your hero and why?

Michelle Obama. She’s so intelligent, so well-spoken and poised, and possesses so much class.

9) What kind of world ruler would you be?

A really bad one! I would spend so much time being diplomatic, making sure everyone had a voice in the decision-making process, that I probably wouldn’t get anything accomplished.

10) What are you passionate about these days?

Travelling! Whether it’s by car, plane, or ship, my husband and I usually have a few trips planned at any given time. This spring, we have a family vacation to Napa scheduled with a stop in Las Vegas along the way. During the summer, we’re embarking on a cruise around the British Isles that includes a stop in Paris. We have our favorite spots that we like to return to periodically, but we also love to explore new parts of the world. I love being in this phase of our lives and having the freedom to go wherever we want to go whenever the mood strikes us.

11) What do you do to unwind and relax?

Oh, that’s an easy question to answer! I spend a couple of hours at the end of each day absorbed in either a riveting novel or a compelling series on television. Plus, I gather ideas for my own novels from what I read and watch. (Laughing) Now I’m not sure if that qualifies as down time or work!

12) How to find time to write as a parent?

Our sons are adults, so finding time to write is not an issue for me. However, I certainly empathize with and greatly admire those who manage to write while juggling children, a full-time job, and taking care of their household.

13) Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

I’m just now getting started.

14) When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I received positive feedback from my beta readers. These wonderful women read a lot of books written by respected authors and knowing that they were genuinely impressed with my novel gave me the validation I needed to think of myself as a real, honest-to-goodness writer.

15) Do you have a favorite movie?

Now you’ve hit on one of my favorite topics! I often pose this similar question when my husband and I are out with friends or sitting around with the family: “What three movies would make you interrupt what you were doing, no matter how important the task, if you walked by the den and saw one of those movies playing on the TV?” The responses have led to some very interesting conversations.

My answers – The Godfather, Jaws, and Jurassic Park (with National Treasure being a close runner-up for third place). Not only are these three movies my all-time favorites, but the novels remain some of the best I’ve ever read. If you haven’t read them yourself, I highly recommend you do so. While I agree with the general consensus that a screen adaptation is never as good as the book, in my opinion, these movies dispel that theory. Here’s why I love them.

I’m second-generation Sicilian on my father’s side which, in addition to the movie being just plain fabulous, may have something to do with my fascination with The Godfather. Jaws is a great man vs nature story that lands those tense scenes, tender moments, and humorous one-liners in all the right places. And Jurassic Park? A tropical theme park in which the attractions are live dinosaurs, and the dinosaurs get loose and terrorize everyone on the island during a raging monsoon? What’s not to love?

16) Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

Well…I’ve only published one novel so far, but I’m working on the sequel and plan to write a third. The trilogy would make a great 3-season series on one of the streaming services! Netflix, are you listening???

17) What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

While I’ve been to many of the locations where some of my favorite novels have taken place, the journey wasn’t specifically for that purpose. However, this July my husband and I are taking a 12-day cruise around the British Isles. While the ship is docked at Invergordon, we’ve scheduled a visit to Culloden Moor specifically because of the importance the Battle of Culloden plays in the Outlander series. We’re both fans of Outlander, so we’ll be channeling our inner Claire and Jamie Fraser!

18) Tell me a little bit about your book(s).

Gullible

by Rosemary Kubli

Genre: Suspense

Even the most cunning femme fatale has her weakness

Siena Ricci is shrewd, seductive, and an expert in the art of deception. Masking her identity behind the guise of Marie Lacroix, a specialist in antiques and objects d'art, she swindles her employer's wealthy clients out of their valuable possessions. She hasn't yet met the man she can't manipulate, but then the con she's playing on Jonathan Woodward has only just begun.

Jonathan proves to be an easy mark, but he's also enticingly irresistible. As their relationship heats up, her plot to steal his multi-million-dollar antique trinkets begins to unravel. Noticing a subtle change in Jonathan's demeanor, Marie questions whether she's still in control of the con or if she's blindly become the gullible victim of her own scheme.

Book Links: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Gullible-Rosemary-Kubli-ebook/dp/B0C1HKW5K1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/gullible-by-rosemary-kubli

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/124954326-gullible

19) Do you have a website?

Website: https://www.rosemarykubli.com

20) What social media do you use?