Friday, August 10, 2012

Almost 86, Spunky Senior Author Jane Toombs Still Does Crossword Puzzles and Writes

  Our guest today will generously give away an ebook of Taken In to one lucky person who comments, so be sure to leave your email address to be notified.

Jane Toombs



Not only that, Jane will also send a CD with read-only excerpts of her recent books to any responders who take the trouble to go to her website at http://www.JaneToombs.com  and click on her email addy there. They would then need to send Jane their snailmail addy so she'll know where to send the CD.

And Now, Here's Jane Toombs, a Spunky Senior With Many Talents -
 

When my first book, a gothic called Tule Witch, was published back in 1973, I never thought I might one day be labeled as a senior, much less a Spunky Senior.  But I certainly am because to survive as an author, old or young, you sure better be spunky. 

Two days after Christmas I’ll be eighty-six and I’m still having  books published.  Why do you suppose that is? 

Here’s my seven takes:

   1. I’ve been lucky enough not to suffer from early senility.
Is that luck?  Maybe partly, because certainly heredity or disease  plays its part in senility at any age. But I do strive to stay active mentally. Who knows, maybe the thousands of crossword puzzles I do plays a part. 
   2.  I’m physically quite healthy despite surviving treatment for cancer ten years ago.  Also my SO has Parkinson’s. I take care of him at home and try to do the same exercises that PT gives him.
   3.  Screaming and kicking, I advanced into the computer age.  While I’ll never be a techie, I do enjoy writing on a computer instead of a typewriter with, ugh, carbon paper. 


Jane Toombs at WisRWA 4 years ago

   4. I’m a charter member of RWA, and belong to my own special interest RWA loops online. If you’re going to write romance, it pays to belong to an organization that promotes it. Not that I don’t find fault with the group at times.

  5. I’m usually up for trying something new, be it writing or clothes, music, shows, etc. Might not like it, but I’d never know that if I didn’t try.  Same goes for writing. 



I recently wrote my first YA, The Turquoise Dragon, not too long ago.  Not on purpose, but that’s how it came out. Mostly I write paranormal suspense romance, which is really what many of the early gothics were.  



  


   6. I write for multiple epubs today.  I do still have an agent if I ever decide to write for NY pubs again, but I enjoy the shorter format of novellas. Do I write about sex?  Sure, if it seems appropriate to the story, which it usually is. I’ve never been a prude.  Also I’m open-minded about most all the usual sexual variations, although I don’t write that kind of sex.

   7.  I keep trying new things. Right now  I'm scanning some of my old written-on-a-typewriter rights-back books for resale.  Making mistakes, but, hey, how else can you learn?  I also am smart enough to know there are some things I will never be good at, so why not let other people do them for me? 

My most recent sale was to Champagne Books, the first book, Taken Inin a trilogy called DAGON HOUSE.
                                    
About Taken In:

Gail flees New York City after witnessing a murder.  Afraid the hit man has seen her, she heads for the Adirondacks.  Jason, a secret agent, reaches her before the hit man, but with the hit man on their tail, Jason swerves onto a narrow mountain road, losing the hit man, but crashing.  Both are forced to take shelter in a old Victorian called Dagon House where a terrible danger awaits…

Jane's Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Jane-Toombs/e/B004B35EX0
Please welcome Jane Toombs to Spunky Senior Authors and Talents by leaving a comment and you'll also be in the drawing for an e-book.