H. Schussman's Interview With Dee Owen

Marjorie Owen

Dee Owen Interview

Heidi:

First, Dee, tell us a little about yourself.

Dee:

I am not an author, but love to read. I am retired and decided to transcribe Marjorie Owen’s (my deceased mother-in-law) writings for publication. I have recently moved to Cyprus.

Heidi:

What made you decide to move to the Cyprus?

Dee:

We have lived in the USA for over thirty years. Born in England but travelled the world. The reason we left USA was for several reasons. The first was due to Hurricane Charley hitting us in Punta Gorda, Florida. We had spent nearly eight years re-modeling our ‘ideal home’ and it was very badly damaged in the hurricane. We had been away for a month in our motor home and could not get back to our home for two weeks, therefore more damage was done. Once we were able to get back to our home, three more hurricanes went over us!  We fixed up the house and sold it very quickly. Another reason for leaving was Mike, my husband, needed to retire. He was working all hours and getting burnt out. Also, both being self-employed, we found medical insurance very expensive to have proper coverage.

We chose to retire to Panama, Central America, bought a lovely house and stayed four years. Unfortunately, we had to have metal bars on all windows and doors for safety. It became more like a ‘prison’ and many of our friends had suffered home invasions, some even injured or killed. So we thought, where do we go in the world?  For some unknown reason Malta came up. We moved and stayed in Malta for four years. Loved it, but it is a very small Island.

Where next?  We have good friends in Cyprus and have visited several times…so here we are…giving it a try!

Heidi:

What genre did Marjorie Owen write?

Dee:

She wrote English Detective Mysteries. I would love to write and may try one day!  The only writing I do at the moment is on my blog, Book Readers. I still have two books and about fifty short stories of  Mum’s to transcribe.

Heidi:

When did Marjorie start writing?

Dee:

I am not sure when Mum started writing. But Mike and I believe she began back in the 50’s.

Heidi:

What are you working on now?

Dee:

Nothing at the moment, but I plan to start working on one of Mum’s love story books. She wrote two mysteries, now published with Vinspire and two love story books.

Heidi:

Who is your favorite character in her stories?

Dee:

Well it has to be Chief Detective Inspector Richard Haywood. Who couldn’t love him?

Heidi:

Do you see yourself in any of her characters?

Dee:

Not really. Perhaps CDI Richard Haywood’s wife Kate, or her sister Lucy.

Heidi:

Where did Marjorie write?

Dee:

Good question. Where did Mum write? We believe in her little flat over-looking the park in Burgess Hill, Sussex, England which is part of the setting in ‘Ladies of Class’ renamed Burshill.

Heidi:

Who were her favorite authors?

Dee:

Mum loved Agatha Christie, also Lilian Jackson Braun who wrote the ‘Cat Who’ series. Mum spent many hours in the Burgess Hill library, and was well know to the Librarians who would always keep books on hand for her.

Heidi:

Did you find writing a query letter a challenge? If so, how did you overcome it? Do you think there was a key phrase or idea in your query letter?

Dee:

As a novice I had to go to the library, read, and learn how to write a query letter. Many were rejected until our wonderful publisher, Dawn Carrington agreed to read and publish Mum’s first book.

Heidi:

What advice do you have for a writer aspiring to be published?

Dee:

Believe in yourself, write from the heart, and keep writing.

Heidi:

Would you like to acknowledge someone for their assistance?

Dee:

Yes, I give my sincere thanks to Dawn for helping me, in more ways that can be expressed, to honor Mum’s memory and writings.

Heidi:

How can Marjorie's readers learn more about her and her writings?

Dee:

Either Vinspire or Book Readers