This Week’s Feature Author Interview with
Margaret Standafer
Hi Margaret Standafer, welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website. Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what do you enjoy doing, hobbies and interests.
Hi! I’m Margaret Standafer and I’m so happy to be here. I live in the suburbs of Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. I’m married with two grown children and a Golden Retriever who has helped ease the ache as I adjust to life without my kids in the house. I love to travel (actually, I love to be somewhere new, I hate the travelling part), I’m always reading something, I spend as much time outdoors as I can and enjoy both our short summers and our brutal winters here in Minnesota, and I enjoy exercise whether it be walking, hiking, swimming, biking or something else that gets me moving.
When did you start writing and why?
I started writing about three years ago after some unexpected surgery resulted in a longer than expected recovery and me leaving my full-time job. Once I felt better I needed something to do and my husband suggested I try writing the novel he’d been telling me for years to write. I thought he was nuts, but I gave it a shot. Three months later I had my first novel done and I’ve never looked back. It was one of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences of my life.
Which is your favorite book you have written and what gave you the idea for it?
My first, Misty Lake, because it was such a surprise to me as well as to everyone I know that I wrote it! When I set out to write, I drew on a lot of what I already knew. The book is set in Minnesota’s lake country, it features a woodworker adjusting to small town life…all things with which I had first-hand experience. There are some things in the book that I needed to research and I found I loved that part of the process. It’s amazing what can be learned on the Internet!
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Truthfully, the title was just there in my head. I did check to see if there was an actual town or lake in Minnesota called Misty Lake, there wasn’t, so it stuck.
Who helped you with the cover? Or did your design it yourself? What was your inspiration for your cover design?
Design it myself? Oh, gosh, no! That sort of creative design is really not a strength of mine. I used a website called 99Designs and loved the process. If you’re unfamiliar, the way it works is to create a ‘contest’ for the design you want, in my case a book cover for a romantic suspense novel, give a little bit of info, then designers from around the world can choose to submit a design. I had nearly 200 designs submitted. I thought I had an idea of what I wanted, but upon seeing so many different concepts, I went in a different direction. After narrowing my choices down and finally choosing a winner, I was able to work one-on-one with the winning designer to get everything just right. I have used the same designer, Kristin Bryant, for the second and third books in the series.
What are some of the themes of your story?
Misty Lake deals with learning to open oneself up to love after having dealt with loss. But in a light, sometimes funny way.
What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book? What is your process and do you have a system?
I guess my process is I don’t really have one. I start writing with a general idea of where a story is going, but I don’t outline. I’ve talked with so many other writers who simply can’t imagine writing without a detailed outline, but for me, that doesn’t work. The story unfolds, the characters develop, and I’m just along for the ride. It’s great fun!
Who are some of your favorite characters and why?
I love Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books. She’s feisty, smart, logical, and deals fabulously with being surrounded by boys.
From my books, I love Susan Taylor-McCabe. She’s feisty, smart, logical, and deals fabulously with being surrounded by boys!
Who are some of your favorite authors?
So many. I’ve been an avid reader all my life so that adds up to a lot of authors. I enjoy J.K. Rowling, Fannie Flagg, John Grisham, Nora Roberts, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Dr. Seuss to name a few.
Have you got anything you’re working on now?
I’m working on the fourth book in the Misty Lake series, Anchored in Misty Lake.
If you could have any super powers what would they be?
Ooh…teleporting! As mentioned, I hate the travel part of travelling. If I could just instantly be somewhere and avoid the planes, trains, and automobiles, I would be a very happy girl!
If you could travel to any location in the world where would you go?
Right now, Ireland is high on my list. I’d also like to see more of Eastern Europe after getting a taste of it on a trip we took last fall.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
Happy, healthy, writing books, enjoying my family and hopefully having figured out the teleporting thing so I’m off seeing the world J
Thanks so much for taking the time to do an author interview. Take a minute and check Margaret Standafer out on the links below. Margaret Standafer’s book, Misty Lake, is available now on Amazon!
Margaret Standafer Twitter
Margaret Standafer Goodreads Author Page
Margaret Standafer Facebook
Margaret Standafer Author Website
Misty Lake, Book One in the Misty Lake Series
Samantha Taylor has lost all those dearest to her…her parents, her brother, and now the grandfather who raised her. When his will is read and some of his secrets come to light, Sam finds herself back in Misty Lake, Minnesota, a place that holds countless happy memories but, as she quickly discovers, just as many questions.
Jake McCabe, Misty Lake’s sheriff, is as curious as anyone about the town’s newest resident but it isn’t until Sam becomes the victim of a particularly cruel vandal that he meets her and gets a look at the house that has everyone in town talking.
As Jake races to keep Sam safe from the escalating attacks, he also works to break down the wall she has built around herself and to convince her that a life without love isn’t a life at all.
