The Writer's View: Joyce Proell

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joyce will be awarding a $10 Amazon or BN.com gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Click on the banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Hello! Thanks for inviting me. I’m very happy to be here. Today’s blog topic is The Author’s View: Inside and Out. Quite literally, I’ve been asked to describe my writing space, including the view out my window. So here goes.

Most days, I can be found at my desk, in front of my computer, writing. I can scarcely think of a better place to be. As much as I love to travel, I find the voyage of my own imagination takes me to places which are endlessly fascinating and forever changing. To get someplace in my stories, I spend hours in my office, daydreaming, researching and writing. So what does this space that I inhabit seven days a week look like?

I’ve included a few pictures. As you can see, the walls are painted the warm color of a clay pot and white trim and crown moldings offer a nice contrast. I don’t have a desk. Instead, I use a long, rectangular table. I prefer simplicity and order but the oak table top is often lost to stacks of notes, folders and papers.

From my spot behind the table, I look out to the foyer and beyond that, to the yellow dining room. To my right are two windows which overlook the prairie. It snowed a few days ago and all looks brilliant. On my left hangs one of my favorite paintings of an Italian village done by the artist, Bela Petheo. Next to it is a door which leads into a bathroom—something I make great use of since I drink so much coffee and tea during the day.

At my back is a bookcase filled with books, baskets and bunnies. When my daughter was much smaller, she collected cuddly bunnies. Alas, she grew up, moved away and left them all behind. I didn’t have the heart to give them away. So by default, they are now my collection. To this day, I’m always on the lookout for a lovely porcelain bunny or some unique antique one.

Fortunate for me I don’t have eyes in the back of my head. Since my messy bookcases stand behind me, I never have to look at the confusion.

I live in rural Minnesota, on a golf course which lies next to a lake. In the summer I watch the golf carts roll by much of the day. Every year I observe, with much interest, a robin couple build a nest on my porch or in the nearby fir tree. Sadly, last year I witnessed a hawk swoop in and snatch one of the baby hatchlings. Maybe this summer, they’ll move sites. I can only hope.

But most of all, when I’m in my office, I keep my eyes on the words rolling across my computer screen, feeling blessed I have the time to write.

Thanks for letting me share my office space with you.

About the Author:

I laughed when my husband suggested I write a book. Me? What did I know about writing? Yet the notion held possibility, so I hatched a plan. A year later, I sent off my first completed manuscript and promptly received a score of polite rejections. Bruised but undaunted, I forged ahead, new plan in hand. Later, armed with the knowledge acquired from writing classes, seminars and the help of fellow writers, I finished my second story. Eliza is that story.

A little more info…

I grew up in Minnesota. In college, I studied psychology and earned a master’s degree in Social Work. After living in Chicago, Minneapolis, Portland and Reno, my husband and I make our home only miles from where I grew up.

I worked in the field of mental health as a psychiatric social worker, administrator and later settled into private practice. Retired at a reasonably young age, I write full time.

I’m an avid reader, a foodie and cook, a crossword puzzle fanatic and a daily walker.

Find the author online at

http//:www.joyceproell.com
http//:www.champagnebooks.com

A husband who wants you dead is the greatest motivation for change.

Posing as a widow, strong-willed Eliza Danton flees her marriage determined to bury the past and live a solitary life. Traveling by riverboat to the Minnesota frontier, her flight turns perilous when forces threaten to expose her deception. With problems mounting and her trust shattered, she is forced draw upon her only resource, a man whose captivating presence rocks the very foundation of her well laid plans. But love flourishes even in the toughest of times and when you least expect it.

Attorney and contented loner, Will Heaton hides his tender heart behind an elusive facade. Grief is nothing new to him having lost a wife and child. But when a pretty widow thrusts a baby into his arms, he’s hooked. When he sees Eliza harassed by the same man he believes killed his wife, Will grabs at the chance to redress past mistakes and vows to keep her safe.