In Conversation with S.R.Mallery Author of Sewing Can be Dangerous

Welcome to my blog y'all .Today guest on my blog is S.R.Mallery Author of Sewing can be Dangerous. Today she will talk about her hobbies, her books and favourite authors.

1) Have you ever thought of writing a children’s book?

Not really, although I really admire authors who do. When my children were little, I belonged to a children’s book club, and together we read (well, I read, they oohed and aahed) some great, beautifully illustrated books. One of my favorites was a pint-sized work entitled, “Five Minutes Peace,” by Jill Murphy, all about a mommy elephant who just wanted to be left alone for F I V E  minutes, for goodness sake! Charming, well-drawn illustrations even showed the poor mama elephant at one point in the bathtub––with a shower cap on, of course––as her mastodon kids climbed in there with her.  It was aDORable!

2) What are the qualities of a good writer?

To me a good writer should pull the reader in, no matter the genre.  I have read beautiful, poetically written prose that bored me after a while, as well as very well written best sellers, whose characters were totally unlikeable. I’ve also read books with less than great prose, but which grabbed my attention and kept the pages turning. I’ve come to realize that the more I read, the more my idea of a ‘good’ writer will forever be developing as I come across different authors and their stories.

3) What inspired you to bring out such wonderful stories?

First of all, much thanks for the lovely adjective, ‘wonderful’!

The saga of how I came to write these stories is this: When my father told me about the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911, I had already been a quilt designer/teacher for over twenty years.  So, in doing my research on that horrific event, I was particularly drawn to those hapless immigrant seamstresses who, in spite of their overworked hours and low pay, were often the only ones in their families that could find work in the U.S.  I also enjoyed thinking about the sewing aspect, surrounded as I was by so many quilts and fabrics in my studio.  I therefore decided to continue writing short stories, connected only by one element of sewing/crafts. That actually helped focus me on future stories.  In other words, no matter what time period I was reading about, that context kept me asking questions like, how would sewing/crafting ‘fit’ into a story that takes place in this time frame? Who would be the likely characters?

4) What is your favorite time past?

I am interested in many different past periods, such as the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the kings and queens of England, WWI and WWII, Greek Mythology, etc.  But I’m particularly drawn to U.S. history and all facets of it––from its earliest beginnings up through the volatile 60’s and 70’s. In fact, my novel, UNEXPECTED GIFTS, features various time frames from America during the 20^th century.

5) Who are your favorite authors?

There are so many on my favorite list, but I’ll relate only the ones I read growing up that must have left an imprint: Harper Lee, Dodie Smith, DeMaupassant, O.Henry, Betty Smith, Alexandre Dumas, Louisa May Alcott, Margaret Mitchell, Mary Stewart, and Victoria Holt.