Stolen Obsession

What was the inspiration for STOLEN OBSESSION?

After I completed a work of non-fiction for family and friends in 2009 and enjoyed the experience, I challenged myself to write a romance novel. It seemed like an exhilarating idea and I thought it would be easy. How tough was telling a story?

Looking back, eight years later, the inspiration for writing fiction was my burning desire to delve into another creative outlet I hadn’t tried. I expected writing would come as naturally as painting and photography had for me, but I was wrong. Of all the projects I’ve ever undertaken, writing has been the most time-consuming and difficult. It took me two years to write a first draft—the only work of fiction I’d ever written. Editing it to perfection seems comical today when so much was wrong with the original manuscript. It’s true that first drafts are supposed to stink like mine had. I didn’t know what genre fiction was, let alone what genre I had written. Time spent honing my craft made STOLEN OBSESSION a project I’m proud of.

Having said that, my personal experience with the sheep industry helped me to create a believable protagonist with the goal of a rural lifestyle, yet write her as the stronger, more outgoing person I wish I had been in my late twenties. It’s given me a “do-over.”

Describe your background.

I grew up in an era where a college education wasn’t the be-all-to-end-all. My family couldn’t afford a college degree for my sister and me, and attending a junior college had no appeal for me. I wanted to become a professional artist and felt that a college degree wouldn’t help me achieve my goals. It may have, but I had tired of schooling.

I went to work out of high school as a receptionist, which forced a very shy girl to interact with the general public. I was afraid to try anything new, including driving. I didn’t get my driver’s license until I was twenty years old! At the time, I lived with my grandmother. (She’d had a tough time adjusting after my grandfather passed away.) She’d drive me back and forth to work. Shyness was the hardest bridge to cross until I’d worked for several years and gradually built my confidence.

In 1978, I met my future husband on a blind date, set up by my boss’s son. I worked at the Modesto airport for a fixed base operator, and Gregg Bell was in pilot training at our satellite office in Tracy, CA. I was the city girl who loved animals, and Gregg had sheep. He lived on acreage and exposed me to the calming rural atmosphere I knew suited me and my art.

Constantly drawing and painting his sheep in the quiet of his little ranchette put the desire to break away from just any job—to working as a full-time artist on the front burner. I had a business opportunity in the early 1980s after marrying Gregg, when he suggested I create sheep related stationery and sell it in a catalog. While working full time in Pleasanton, CA, I put drawings onto paper in the office breakroom during lunch. The business even allowed me to ship my products via UPS from their establishment. I studied how to start a sideline mail-order business while I worked.

My husband was climbing the management ladder at the state’s major utility and finally landed a good position in the San Joaquin Valley — a place where I could work for myself full-time. My catalog venture, Ewephoric, became a reality in 1985.

We’ve raised several different breeds of sheep along the way and were heavily involved in helping families and 4Hers learn how to raise sheep. We grew our flock numbers to 120 head when we made our move to East Texas in 2012. We now exclusively raise purebred Horned Dorset sheep, which allows me to use my photography and nature artwork as models on over 200 products. Occasionally, I write articles for animal husbandry magazines regarding sheep health. In many circles, I’m known as “The Sheep Lady” although my husband still calls me “The Mail Order Queen.” I love mail order! Both buying and selling.

What is the message you want readers to take away from your Stolen Obsession?

Simply, that we take so much for granted when things go well. Excellent health and happy circumstances need a reality check once in a while. Be thankful every day for those around you—family, friends, and colleagues. In STOLEN OBSESSION, Annalisse experiences a great deal of personal loss. She transforms herself into a more thoughtful person by the end of the novel.

What have you learned from the experience?

I’ve found its okay to write sloppy sentences, move on, and go back to fix them later. Boggy manuscript drafts and editor criticism are part of the process for a good novel. Challenging yourself to work on something completely out of the box is invigorating to the soul!

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