Interviewing Author Bernice Erehart
Q1. Tell us about yourself. What are your favorite books to read?
A. I was born in 1956 to Howard and Vincenza Mistretta, I have 5 sisters and 1 brother, and they each married and in turn have given me 22 nieces and nephews. I grew up in Long Branch, New Jersey and although I have traveled and lived in different places, home is here on the Jersey Shore where I live a very quiet life with my 3 kitties Boo, Chipee, and Lucy.
I enjoy reading many genres, among my favorite authors are Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Janet Evanovich, Sophie Kinsella, JK Rowling (The Harry Potter Series) & J D Robb.
Q2. Where did the inspiration to write come from?
A. When I was a senior in high school, I read Pet Semetary by Stephen King till 4:30 in the morning. Also that year my history teacher read A Sound of Thunder by Ray Bradbury and I wrote my first short story called Homer and the General. I knew then that one day I would write a book. And I did 40 years later.
Q3. How did you come up with the titles of your books?
A. The funny thing is I get titles from so many different venues. I might hear something someone says, read an article, even just something I say out loud. I’ll hear or read it or think and I’ll say ‘hey, that would make a great story title.’ Then I write the story around the title. I think in all the years I’ve been writing, I have changed the title of a story only once. It’s a short story that is part of my collection Life Lessons – Jane in Acrylics started out as The Picture.
Q4. Anything you're currently working in 2019?
A. This year I intend to release Donated to Science, Amy Paige in Santa’s Home for Christmas and another collection of short stories.
Q5. How long have you been writing?
A. I have been writing for 40 years off and on. My mother passed away in 2003 and I didn’t write again until 2010.
Q6. What advice would you like to give to other authors?
A. Prepare yourself for many edits, many long sleepless nights, but on those rare occasions when you do get to sleep, dreams involving your main characters and nightmares involving your minor characters. Be prepared for rejection, you cannot please everybody. Be prepared to stare at blank pages for hours at a time. Do not be afraid to start something new if you get ‘writer’s block’.
Q7. Where can we connect with you online?
A. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/writerb56/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/writerb1
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Bernice-Erehart/e/B00LF8Q7TY/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1460297956&sr=1-
Q8. Do you plan on writing any more
Books in the future?
A. Oh yeah, there will be many more. So many works in progress.
Q9. How many books have you written?
A. Out of Time
Earlier in Time
The Hunt
Amy Paige in the Dragon’s Keep
Life Lessons
Weekend Shorts (retired)
Homer in Time (retired until I write another chapter)
Q10. Did you go to college to be a writer?
A. I actually went to college to be a veterinarian. But even with all my biology classes I still took writing classes. I even took a mythology class that was so delightful.
I truly enjoyed this interview. I also come from a good size family, we were 3 brothers and 3 sisters, so total of 6 kids growing up in the same house hold. You know being that many I don't ever remember fighting over the bathroom or anything, and for the longest time we only had 1 bathroom. I don't know how my parents did it having to deal with 6 different personalities, but they did it and we all survived. Thank you God for my very loving and patient parents of whom both have passed away already. Your books sound awesome and I would one day love to read them. God Bless you and Thank you so much for sharing a little part of your life and for sharing your awesome imagination, I have a lot of respect for authors. Thank you.
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