Monday With Mike: Romance author Maggie Rivers

 

THE FOURTH OF the other authors at our Friday’s book signing at Chololaterie Stam is Maggie Rivers who I would say is the “ring leader” of the signing. Maggie was born and raised in Alabama and started developing her writing career at an early age by first making squiggles on paper that only she understood but were a story to her. Later she would use her brother’s typewriter to hunt and peck out stories. She sold my first piece of writing in her early twenties to a parent’s magazine.

Here is how she tells the rest of her story”

“After graduating from high school, I joined the U.S. Air Force to see the world. I served my entire time in Texas as a nurse (so much for seeing the world). While there, I did attend college, majoring in Journalism and Elementary Education. After leaving the Air Force, I moved to Tennessee where I met my present husband. I have a handsome son and two grandchildren (a boy and a girl). We moved to Iowa which is now our home. After moving to Iowa, I again attended college, majoring in Photography and Criminal Justice.

“I love writing. It's actually hard work. You have to connect your "tushy" to a chair in front of a computer (typewriter, or whatever it is you use) for hours. My friend and fellow romance author, Emma Robuck, e-mails the word "BICHOK" to me during the day which means "butt in chair, hands on keyboard". Writing is a solitary job. You can go for days without seeing anybody. You get lost in

the world you're creating, talking with the people you create. I guess it's like pretend play, except I'm pretending to be a type of God, creating my own universe and throwing whatever disasters at my characters I can think up. Believe me, I can think up some pretty great disasters, too.

“In addition to writing, I am also an award-winning photographer and specialize in nature and wildlife photography. My love of photography developed in my early years as well. I started out by making my pets (8 beagle hounds, one German shepherd, one squirrel monkey and a half dozen cats) sit still long enough for me to take black and white photos of them. After high school, I furthered my photographic studies while serving in the U.S. Air Force. Since then, I have attended the Rocky Mountain School of Photography's Nature Photography Workshop Series at Wildeyes in Kalispell, Montana, and graduated from the "Beginning Nature Photography Course" and the "Advanced Nature Photography Course" taught by Joe and Mary Ann McDonald at Hoot Hollow in McClure, Pennsylvania. I have continued my photographic studies by completing college level courses in photography and by attending photographic workshops and seminars held by such well-known nature photographers as John Shaw, John and Barbara Gerlach, Harry June, Rick Hobbs and Ty Smedes. I am a field contributor to Nature Photographer magazine and a member of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). I have won numerous awards and was selected to participate in the "Faces of Iowa" project which was exhibited at the Des Moines Art Center before traveling around the State of Iowa.”

Maggie has co-authored the books in the Stilettos series with Deanne Rowe. Maggie’s web page is http://maggierivers.com.

Plus, there’s one more little “secret” that Maggie and I share … but you’ll have to come to the book signing to find out!

 

Remember, 4-7 p.m. Friday, October 12, Chololaterie Stam, 2814 Ingersoll, Des Moines. Maggie, Deanne, Ann Morris, James Seloover and me … make it a date!