Sunday, May 5, 2013

Mystery Author of the Month, Rosemary Gard




Patricia: Welcome, Rosemary! Tell us, where did you grow up? Did your childhood contribute to your desire to be a writer?

Rosemary: I was born and raised in Gary, Indiana.  My siblings were 17 and 18 years older than I, so I spent a good amount of alone time in the Library where I devoured books and magazines.  Being in the Croatian community, I was different, so I spent a good deal of time day dreaming.

Patricia: Where do you live now? Do you use that locale for settings in your novels?

Rosemary: I live in Crown Point, IN.  The settings of my first two Destiny books take place in Croatia and Trieste, Italy.  I lived in Italy for a year and spent three months in a primitive Croatian Village.  

Patricia: What inspired you to write your most recent novel?

Rosemary: The Destiny series came about because my adult children wanted to know more about their grandparents and their heritage.  The Dowry part in the first title came about because the dress on the cover of “Destiny's Dowry” was actually part of my own dowry.  I am now working on the last of Destiny Series which will take place in Gary, Indiana in 1910 when the largest ethnic population was Croatian.  

Patricia: When did you “know” that you wanted to be a writer?

Rosemary: I believe I always knew it.  On my twelfth birthday, when a Croatian girl is considered on her way to being a woman, my mother wanted to gift me with a sewing machine.  I cried until my father agreed to buy me a portable Royal typewriter.  It started there!

Patricia: Name three of your favorite authors in the mystery/suspense genre. What makes them your favorites?

Rosemary: John Grisham, David Baldacci, and Clive Custler - I like a story that is not predictable and has good strong writing.


Biography:
Rosemary Gard was born and raised in Gary, IN. Her first language was Croatian. She grew up in what was the melting pot of cultures in Gary during the mid-20th century. Within the Croatian community she heard the stories of the ‘Old Country’ and in time was sent to stay with relatives in a village outside of Zagreb, Croatia for a period of three months where she learned more stories and the villagers’ way of life.

Links to purchase books:

Booklocker.com

Amazon.com

BarnesAndNoble.com

Link to YouTube video trailer of Destiny’s Dowry:

8 comments:

  1. You have an interesting background, Rosemary, and I'm sure there are more stories to be mined from it. Best wishes for continued success with your writing.

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  2. Very interesting background, Rosemary. I enjoyed the story about the typewriter, too. Fascinating ideas for your stories. I think I'll enjoy them.
    Marja McGraw

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  3. Despite the convenience of the computer,I loved the Royal my parents got me when I was in high school. Durable machines. I agree, your ethnic background offers a rich field for harvesting story ideas.

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  4. Thank you for your kind comments. While I was growing up I felt "out of the loop", never realizing what a colorful childhood I really had or the
    special people who touched my life.

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  5. A very interesting interview, Rosemary! I got my first typewriter as a gift from my mother at eleven. She taught me how to touch type at that time and I was in heaven.

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  6. I, too, got a typewriter as a young girl! It was an Underwood noiseless and sometimes I wish I still had it. Thanks for the interview.

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  7. Kaye, I, too, am sorry I didn't keep my wonderful old typewriter.

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  8. What an interesting upbringing. I enjoyed this interview. Don't hate me, but I only saw my first typewriter at a museum. I actually have been looking into purchasing one so I could experience writing on one. Thanks for sharing!

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