I’m so happy to announce the local author feature is starting up again this month! I have met so many wonderful and talented writers and simply must share them with you! The first is the epitome of strength, Maureen Spataro. Not only a published and talented wordsmith, she is also embarking on a path to empower and share other writers’ books through marketing and book fairs.
Please meet Maureen Spataro:
Question 1- When and how did you start writing?
I always loved writing and telling stories. The stories I told were about people I knew with an exaggerated, funny twist. But, I didn’t start writing Press Pause until I was almost 50. It was important to me that I wrote a true story that had an important message attached to it.
Question 2- What do you like to write about most?
I enjoy writing about subject matters that people can relate to but will not talk about. I enjoy writing about subjects that make people think or can change their POV about a topic they never experienced first-hand, and through the story I share now have a broader view to potentially form a better informed opinion.
Question 3-What do you find to be the easiest and hardest thing about writing?
The easiest thing is the subject matter because I have either lived it, or I am in the process of living it. I don’t have to think about what I am going to write, or how to say it. The hardest thing about writing is reliving the emotions. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Question 4- What writers do you most admire and why?
I admire any writer who is willing to share the story they want to tell. Whether fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, children’s book, anthology contributor – any genre – the willingness to sit down, write and share a story is very brave. Who doesn’t admire a brave soul?
Question 5- How do you get your ideas for stories and what’s in the future for you in writing?
My life or the lives of those I know is where my ideas come from. I am currently writing “Life With Ronnie” which is the story I am currently living as my mother, Ronnie’s caretaker, and the lessons and blessings we share as she battles 9/11-related stage 4 metastatic kidney cancer. Being her caretaker is nothing I imagined it would be in all the best ways, and the reality of watching my mother prepare for her final sunrise/sunset is a revelation every single day.
Closing – Can you share a memorable experience you’ve had purely because you are a writer?
There are two! The first was when I was a guest speaker for a non-profit organization for abused women. I walked into the hall and on the stage were 30 copies of my book that the organization bought to give away as raffle gifts. I was so touched that they used part of their already very tight budget (I was not a paid speaker) to support Press Pause in such a beautiful way!
The second is any time a person who has read Press Pause tells me they love the way I tell the story and how they feel they have been taken on a journey. That is the best compliment, and every time a reader says it I choke up.
To purchase her book, please contact Maureen at: maureen.presspause@gmail.com