|
Q: You wrote a book about the difficult GR20 hiking trail. Please tell us more about it.
A: Yes, my second book is called The Twenty: The Highs and Lows of Hiking Across Corsica on Europe’s Toughest Footpath. It was published in June 2023. My husband and I were about to turn sixty and we wanted to challenge what it meant to grow old. The book is part travelogue and part memoir about our journey across a rugged island of stunning beauty little known outside Europe. Very few Americans even know that Corsica is part of France.
It’s a narrative about hiking, about aging, about accepting the finite journey of life, and about the intimate friendship of a long-term marriage that is tested in unexpected ways. I tried to use the GR20 as a crucible for exploring what it means to be an aging woman in a youth-focused culture. I’m a physically fit person but the limitations of age sometimes get the best of me
Q:Can you tell us about your journey as a writer? What inspired you to start writing?
A: I didn't start writing until I was 54 and it's become my later-in-life companion. My husband and I took a gap year in 2011—we sold the house, the car, and most of our things—and I wanted to capture the adventure in writing. My first book, Gap Year Girl: A Baby Boomer Adventure Across 21 Countries, is the result. I found that I loved to write stories, especially about travel (my muse), and I now have two books and many essays under my belt. My second book, The Twenty: One Woman’s Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail, was recently published. It tells the story of hiking Europe’s toughest long-distance trail with my husband to celebrate our 60th birthdays. Writing these two books allowed me to relive the joy and discoveries of our journeys.
Q: Do you have an interesting writing quirk?
A: In my writing, setting is extremely important, so I suppose how I set up for my writing day is my little quirk. My rescue dog, Snap, is always on the overstuffed chair next to my desk with me and I always start by lighting a candle. My pup gives me a sense of warmth and security, and if the candle on my desk is lit, it tells my imagination to get to work.
Q: Where do you get ideas for your books?
A: Because my first two books are memoirs, the ideas come from my life, and they’re always about traveling and adventure. I try to encourage readers to get out of their comfort zones. Children love adventure and adults should too. It keeps us young! The people in my books generally become better, more interesting people after their journeys. I’m an avid hiker and always need another big hike on the horizon, so this June, my husband and I are doing the 200-mile Coast-to-Coast hike across northern England from the Irish Sea to the North Sea. And of course, our dog will be coming with us and I’m sure I’ll write about it.
|