Hello Meira — I appreciate you taking the time to sit down with me for this interview. I’m looking forward to learning more about you, and your literary works, which brings me to my first question.
I noticed that you currently reside in Colorado (or you at least have a part-time home there), but I was unable to learn anything other than that. Have you lived in Colorado your entire life? If not, where were you during your childhood years?
Hi, Charline. Thank you for having me on your blog.
I have lived in Colorado (full time) for twenty-four years. Almost half my life now. I grew up in Seattle and attended the University of Washington. Seattle is also a beautiful city, but I’ve been spoiled by the Colorado sunshine. Even after a snowstorm, the sun comes out. It’s quite enjoyable to live here.
What sort of things did you do for fun? Indoor or outdoor activities and which did you prefer? As a child, what was your favorite adventure?
I hate to admit that in such a beautiful state, I’m mostly an indoor girl. I like to read, watch movies on Netflix, and go out to dinner. I’m also obsessed with board games like Settlers of Catan. Fortunately, I have a teenage daughter who loves board games too. We manage to recruit other family members on occasion. But I also enjoy walks with my dog and traveling with my family.
As a child, I really loved going to a cabin that my aunt and uncle owned on Camano Island in the Puget Sound. My favorite cousin and I would spend hours on the beach – swimming, wandering over the logs, and collecting agates. I should probably say searching for agates. The family often had campfires on the beach, and we roasted marshmallows. Definitely my favorite childhood getaway.
Coincidentally enough, I was in Colorado a couple months ago and wound up playing Settlers of Catan. It was fun. And next month, while I won’t be on Camano Island, I will be on Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound. I wonder if there are any agates on that island… *chuckle*
Alright, so in your website bio, I saw your mention of being married to a Dutch husband. Are you (or were you) a world traveler? How did the two of you meet? Is there a possibility that the two of you will relocate to his country down the road?
We met in Denver, but he turned me into a world traveler of sorts. We’ve been to the Netherlands (of course), London, Ireland, Costa Rica, Chile, and Iceland. This year we’re going to Germany. I feel especially blessed.
My husband is now an American citizen and has lived in America for longer than he lived in the Netherlands. We also own a business here, so I don’t think we’ll be moving. But we visit his parents very often.
Let’s move on to your writing now – because I certainly have some questions re: your broad span of genres. *chuckle* But first, why don’t you share with us how came to be a writer. Did you love books, and reading and writing as a child? Or was it something else entirely?
I’ve been writing in journals since I was twelve, and I’ve always loved reading. Both my girls are avid readers and writers too. I didn’t even think of writing novels until I turned thirty. At that time, I started many stories but never got past the first couple of chapters. In 2007, I completed the first draft of a manuscript that would eventually become Firefly Beach. After that, I was hooked. I can’t imagine my life without writing. It is soul-nurturing.
Okay… Let’s discuss those genres! Most authors I know write in one, or two, genres. But not you. *smile* From what I could see, it looks like you have four books published – and in just as many genres:
- Sarah and the Magic Mayonnaise Jar – YA Fantasy
- Nine-Tenths – Dystopian Science Fiction
- Firefly Beach – Paranormal Cozy Mystery
- Celtic Sister – Mystery
Leaving out Celtic Sister, what is it that piques your interest and inspires your writing diversity?
*grin* Yes, this is true. Frankly, I’d be more successful if I’d just stick to one genre, but different topics interest me.
Sarah and the Magic Mayonnaise Jar is more of a children’s (grade 3-5 chapter book) than YA. 
It‘s based on a story I used to tell my daughter while we walked through the open space to her elementary school. When she got to middle school, she often pestered me, “Why don’t you get Sarah published?” At that point, I’d already self-published Nine-Tenths (my second novel), so I figured why not? I solicited a talented illustrator, Rei Lothiel, and my favorite cover designer, Gale Haut, and we were off and running.
Firefly Beach, Nine-Tenths, and Celtic Sister came about because they seemed to 
be stories that wanted to be told. This will sound kind of weird, but I’m not entirely sure where the ideas really come from. I experience them as a flood of information descending upon me in a deluge. I can’t write notes fast enough to keep up with the thoughts. They are blessings more than creations, as if God wants me to reach out and touch other lives. That may sound presumptuous, but I don’t know how else to describe it. So I just go with an idea and see what happens.
Well, my Historical Fiction books all begin from very vivid, true-to-life feeling dreams I experience — so I certainly understand what you’re saying.
How much ‘real life’ would you say goes into your books? Whether it be from your own personal experiences, or simply observances of the world around you?
A little bit of all of the above. I often fashion characters on a combination of traits I observe in friends, family members, and acquaintances. There is always a little bit of me in one or more of the main characters. I have visited all the locations used in my stories. Firefly Beach unfolds in a fictional community based on two coastal towns in Maine – Camden and Searsport. Nine-Tenths takes place in Colorado, but the story was inspired by my extensive research into the dysfunctional government and society of Soviet East Germany. Celtic Sister. . . we’ll talk about that in a minute.
Now let’s talk about your latest endeavor: Celtic Sister. Can you provide us with a brief story synopsis?
Brent Richardson is mean, manipulative, and wealthy enough to get away with anything. When he 
decides he doesn’t like having a pregnant wife, he throws her down the stairs. Amy Richardson flees to a dark motel room with a stillborn baby, a bottle of cheap whiskey, and her husband’s high school yearbook. A haunting yearbook. Emma Foster’s senior photo is decorated with hearts, but the girl disappeared right after graduation. Could Brent have been involved? When Amy meets Emma’s brother, Sam, she realizes she can’t hide in the shadows forever. Together they unravel a series of clues to uncover the fate of Emma Foster and bring justice to those responsible for her disappearance.
What sparked your imagination; causing you to write this book? Did you have an exact idea of what you wanted from this tale? Where you wanted it to go? Or did it just sort of write itself once you had breathed life into the characters?
Celtic Sister is the biggest risk I’ve taken so far as a novelist. It involves domestic violence and alcoholism. Its blend of cozy mystery, women’s contemporary drama, and spiritual fiction does not fit nicely into any genre. In making the decision to publish this book, I feel as if I’ve jumped off a cliff with no parachute. I have no idea where I’m going to land, and you better believe the touchdown won’t be gentle. Amy Richardson’s behavior may annoy some readers. This is especially risky for me as a person because, more so than any other novel I’ve written, this story is based on my personal experience. I was involved in an abusive relationship when I was much younger, and I have struggled with alcohol off and on since I was sixteen. Although I’m saddened when I think of the years lost to a mindless consumption, I am grateful to be able to breathe life into a character like Amy. I think she may have the power to touch lives, and if she does, it will be worth the leap of faith.
Did it write itself? This is an awesome question because, as I’ve said before, the ideas seem to flood my brain from somewhere else. It is as if this is a story that needed to be told.
Having also experienced abusive relationships — I am grateful that you’ve written Celtic Sister. Your book will certainly be inspirational to many readers (and writers) for a plethora of reasons. Not to mention that it’s important for us, as a society, to lift the mask of secrecy that hides abuse. The secrecy of domestic violence only benefits the abuser — while still forcing the victim to live in fear.
Let me put my soapbox away though so we can finish up our interview. *smile*
At this point, what’s next for you? Is there another book in the works – maybe this time an action/adventure or a political satire?
*smile* Honestly, I have no clue at this point because my mind is completely quiet. I’m waiting for the next idea to pester me and flood my brain.
Meira, thanks so much for all that you’ve shared today. I hope you have enjoyed our interview, and I wish you the very best in all your future endeavors (writing or otherwise),
Thank you, Charline. I have. Very much!
*****
About the Author:
On slow, snowy days in her Colorado home, Meira Pentermann enjoys cozying up on the couch with a novel. Naturally, snow is not a requirement; neither is the couch. In fact, she sees no reason not to indulge in reading three-hundred-and-sixty-five days a year. Dystopian science fiction, mysteries, and young adult titles top her Kindle list, but legal thrillers and chik-lit make an appearance now and then.
When not absorbed in writing or reading, Meira enjoys life’s little moments with her family – the love and devotion of her black lab, the quiet wisdom of her artistic twenty-five-year-old, the trials and triumphs of her petite ninth grader, and the unlimited encouragement offered by her Dutch husband.
Meira strives to write stories that deliver the unexpected. She prefers down-to-earth characters that look and behave like regular folks. The prom queen and Adonis take a backseat to reclusive, soul-searching heroines and quirky, introverted gentlemen.
