Rose Marie Kern
My career was in aviation, my avocation is sustainable living and gardening, and my passion is literature. These are what anyone can discover simply by following the breadcrumbs strewn along my life’s pathway. What they don’t see as easily is the solid confidence instilled by growing up in a large, loving family in the American Midwest.
Vitus and Marie Kern married at Little Flower Catholic Church in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1953. Shortly after my birth in 1955 Dad was transferred by his company to Minnesota – the first of 10 moves before I was 12 years old, during which time I accumulated five lively siblings.
Moving around a lot refocused my concept of what Home is. Although I grew up mostly in the midwest, my preferred residence is in the high desert of Albuquerque, New Mexico. But Home is wherever my family is.
Between Dad’s high good humor and Mom’s calm, cheerful acceptance of whatever life threw at her, we were able to survive anything life threw at us. Their deep spiritual devotion still runs through our lives even though its essence has been modified by individual experiences.
These are qualities I hope I was successful in passing along to my daughters. Carolyn and Melissa live where their lives have drawn them, and I am grateful I live in an age where they are but a phone call away.
Although my career in aviation provided the springboard to my professional writing career, family has been an inspiration for a lot of my fictional work.
In retirement I am able to also pass along information I accumulated about gardening, solar cooking, sustainable living, and much more in my non-fiction books and the blog on my other website: www.solarranch.com.
Fifteen years ago I became a member of the SouthWest Writer’s Workshop which helped to refine my writing and through which I developed the skills to help others get published. You can find more information about that at www.rmkpublications.com.
If I have any advice for new writers it is this: Get a mentor or join a writers group and LISTEN to them. So many people have great ideas for stories and believe that all they have to do is write them out and send them off to a publisher and everyone will love them…Yeah. If that’s how you feel, put them in your diary for your own enjoyment when you get old. Professional writing, like any other career choice, takes practice and a knowledge of all the steps needed to go from idea to publication – even in a self-publishing world. Join groups like the SouthWest Writers where they have information on their websites, online and in person meetings, workshops and classes aimed at honing the skills you need.
You can also check out the writing information pages at RMK Publications, or send me an email if you have specific questions. (rose@rmkpublications.com)
