I would like to introduce Nancy Walker to you. She is an author friend that I met through another mutual friend and social media. I’ve asker her to tell you about herself and her book. I read ‘ANYTHING For Anna!’ and enjoyed it very much.
Hi, Iona and friends, and thanks for your interest!
Born in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, I’ve been living in Switzerland for many years now. After acquiring my diploma in radiological technology, my plan was to work in Switzerland for two years, and take advantage of being in Europe to travel.
I found a job in the town of Sion in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Using my knowledge of school French, conversing with colleagues and patients, I was fluent in about two months. I did indeed return to Canada after two years, but it was an impossible time to find a job. After six months of unemployment, I wrote to the Swiss employment agency. Their answer was positive, but my heart pounded when I read, ‘If you can speak German, we have a job for you in Zürich.’ I had had taken one year of German in school . . . for fun! A week later, I was on a plane, frantically translating body parts from English to German in hopes of being able to know what it was I was supposed to be x-raying! It was the beginning of another great adventure.
Life happened . . . and I ended up staying here. I live in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, which I have grown fond of. The town I live in is similar to where I grew up. It’s medium-sized, by a lake with a huge park and beach. In the winter, a half-hour drive (up and) away are snowshoeing paths and well-groomed cross-country ski trails. An hour and a half and I’m in the Alps! Switzerland, geologically speaking, is bit like a miniature Canada. Nothing is far away. And it’s wonderful to be able to visit a city like Rome or Vienna on a whim, for just a few days, at little cost.
Ah yes; I’m here to tell about my writing! Since I was very young, many of my school projects were written story-style. My sisters used to find my postcards entertaining. When I had children of my own, I invented a new story every night for them. Once my daughter asked me to retell a story, but I couldn’t recall it. She was only three, but she solemnly suggested that ‘it would be a good idea for Mama to write her stories, so she wouldn’t forget them.’ The idea stuck. I became a student at the Children’s Institute of Literature, which not only helped me to learn to write, but also how to handle the marketing aspects; essential if one wishes to be published. I have now published hundreds of stories for children’s magazines (my first story was published in 2000) and have had ten picture story books published, translated into different languages, under the name of Nancy E. Walker-Guye. If you read High Five, perhaps you are familiar with Harriet, Felix and Max. I am their Mommy. 🙂
I soon acquired a routine of working at my day job in the mornings, and writing in the afternoons. All these years later, I still try to stick to this schedule.
As my children grew, I had more time, and decided to take the course with the Long Ridge Writers Group to learn how to write a novel for adults. It was a huge challenge, and I absolutely loved it. The first result was ‘ANYTHING for Anna!’
It’s a story about Karyn, a young widow, who struggles to figure out and use her gift to save her dear friend’s life. My book is available on Amazon and the link is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JSW11UY. (When writing for adults, my pen name is Nancy Ellen)
If you’d like to know more about the book, and my published works for children, please check out my website at http://nancyellenwalker-guye.com/
I am on FB: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.ellen.507, and I’d be thrilled if you’d like to visit, and perhaps ‘like’ my author’s page at: https://www.facebook.com/NancyEllenAuthor/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel.
Presently, I am completing a second novel; Ruby Love.
My novels do not fit easily into genre slots, such as mystery, romance, fantasy or women’s contemporary. There is a little bit of all those things in my stories. A golden ribbon of faith, love and magic ties them together.
Apart from writing, I enjoy piano playing, as I have since I was nine years old. I also have a lovable Bernese Mountain dog who takes me for walks every afternoon when I’m ready for a break!
Hope to hear from you soon!