Well, Cat happened to chat by phone with our fabulous children’s author and writer, Mrs. Anne Fifield, and the bassets Piper and Finny not too long ago. Anne told me she is feverishly working on finishing the fifth book of her ‘Princess Caroline’s Adventures’ series.
That might mean the tots will have a new book to read for Christmas; we will have to see how that plays out. But without further ado, here is a more recent interview with Anne all about her doggie series for children, first seen on Deb Carney’s Book Goodies site! It’s where readers and authors meet! ~Cat Lyon
Interview with Author – Anne Fifield
By Book Goodies – October 2021
About Anne Fifield:
Anne Fifield is the creative visionary and best-selling children’s author of “The Princess Caroline’s Adventures” book series. Written for ages 7 to 12 and the young at heart, she is delighting kids worldwide. Her books are unique as she weaves in the elements of her rescued doggies, specifically basset hounds, into each of her stories and book covers.
Her first titled ‘The Princess’ Hand’ was released in August 2019, book two titled ‘Trip to Lake Ahrooo’ released in September 2020, book three followed in November 2020 with ‘The Hunt for the Jeweled Swords,’ and book four newly released in August 2021 titled ‘The Missing Knight.’ All are available on Amazon Books, Amazon Kindle, & many fine online book sites.
Anne is the youngest of three siblings and was born and raised outside Oklahoma City, OK. She met and married the love of her life, Tom, and they have been married for 24+years. Their kids are the four-legged variety who had adopted them over the years.
Anne’s career was also her passion. She was an ‘American Sign Language Interpreter’ for over 25-years and taught ASL at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Since both were her passions, she says she felt like she never worked a day in her life.
In 2006, she became heavily involved in basset rescue, and co-founded another one in 2011.
Anne, now retired, decided to move on to her next passion, the love of writing. She and her husband have rescued and fostered basset hounds for 20-years, so as Anne shares, “It felt natural to write children’s books with bassets as the characters. Our hounds provide the comic antics and inspiration for all my books.
Thus, ‘Princess Caroline’s Adventures Series’ was born. All the characters in her books are named after actual rescue dogs. Their pictures are in the back of each book. A portion of her royalties are given to various rescues. So, read a great book, and help a dog in need at the same time.
Anne and her husband enjoy retired life and reside in the ‘Great State of Texas.’
Meet Piper & Finny!
What inspires you to write?
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Keep your eyes and ears open, and be aware of your surroundings. You never know what might spark an idea for a story.
One day at the grocery store, I heard these two ladies chatting. One said something outrageous. It was sarcastic and full of humor. I loved it. When I arrived home, I wrote that line down and created an entire story from that one quote. And, of course, that line was in the book!
Now, my bassets are my inspiration. They’ll do something hilarious and I’ll think, “I must use that in the next book.”
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing?
I love mystery and suspense. I grew up reading Nancy Drew books and Agatha Christie. Now, I enjoy Patricia Cornwell and James Patterson.
Tell us about your writing process.
I’m definitely an outliner, plus my Type A personality keeps me focused and organized.
Once a story idea hits me, I’ll write a general outline in MS Word. I’ll list all the plot and story lines. I’m a visual learner. So, seeing it in black-and-white assists me to write it.
Once I see it on paper, I revise it to add the three acts. Then, I make sure the nine checkpoints for the basic story structure are there.
After I have the plot and story lines down. I work on character sketches. I continue developing the character arcs during the writing process. I make sure they have flaws to overcome. No one is perfect – not even a basset.
As I actually write the story, many times it takes me down a road I hadn’t thought of before. The same for my characters. Sometimes they take over and write their own stories.
For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Oh yes! I’ll say, “Caroline, what are you thinking? Why in the world are you doing that?” She’ll either answer me or stick her tongue out at me.
What advice would you give other writers?
Hone your craft. Take classes, webinars, and the like to learn and give you confidence. You’ll continue the educational process along the way.
Don’t be afraid to start writing, but realize writing is rewriting. Don’t be afraid of rewriting either. It’ll help to polish and smooth your prose. Even famous authors rewrite their stories numerous times before they’re ready to be published. Don’t be resistant or surprised by that.
How did you decide how to publish your books?
After conversing with my instructors and other authors, I decided to go the self-publishing route. Plus, the writing groups I’m with encouraged me to take that path, too.
I’m an Indie author. This means I have a professional team consisting of an editor, (she performs a developmental edit and later a line edit.) illustrator, formatter, and several beta readers and advanced readers. I’m thrilled I made that decision. I have total control over my books and the marketing of such.
What do you think about the future of book publishing?
Since it’s difficult for a new, unknown author to be picked-up by an agent or traditional publisher, I think the Indie publishing route will continue to grow.
What genres do you write?:
Middle grade children’s books, mystery and suspense.
What formats are your books in?: Both eBook and Print
Official Author Website
Anne Fifield Home Page Link
Connect With The Author on Social Media
Facebook
Instagram
https://twitter.com/AFifieldBook
Anne Fifield (Author)› Visit Amazon’s Anne Fifield Page
Since Anne and Cat Have Become New Friends and Fellow Authors, I can tell you what Anne’s #1 Biggest Passion is Basset Hound Rescue and Helping Them Get Foster Care and Homes! Readers need to know a portion of her SALES go back to help rescue doggies, specifically Basset Hounds across her state of Texas.
"CAT'S BOOK LIBRARY 4 READERS" 