Author Interview - Lin Wellford

*Describe your book in five words or less.*
The art of rock painting

*How did the ideas for your books come to you?*
My eight how-to books grew out of a hobby that turned into a career

*What is the hardest part of writing for you? What's the easiest?*
Sitting down and begining to compile information and outlining subject
matter is far harder than coming up with ideas. Ideas are everywhere, but
it takes discipline to work them into a book.

*What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future
projects?*
A friend and I have been researching a book that would help inspire and
motivate women to get out and embrace outdoor adventures.


*Why did you choose to write for specific genre?*
Writing how-to books seemed like a smart thing to do while I waited for my
fiction writing career to take off. But my first book, published in 1993,
is still in print and selling steadily. I realized that non-fiction has a
much longer shelf life, and it turned out to be something I'm good at doing.

*What's it like hearing that readers are eagerly awaiting your book's
release date?*
These days it's a little uncomfortable to have fans ask when my next rock
painting book is coming out, because I don't really feel motivated to
continue in that vein.


*What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview?
How would you answer that question?*
How did I know I wanted to be a writer?
Answer: Like many authors, I still have stories saved from childhood, and
was always fascinated by words. Though my writing career has combined
writing and art, to me words are like colors on a palette, and putting them
together is like painting a picture.

*What was your road to publications like?*
I have the requisite drawer full of rejections, starting while i was in
college. I would send out stories and queries, get discouraged and quit,
then find myself starting up again. My real break-through was when I was
filling out a medical form and came to the space for profession. I took a
breath and wrote in 'writer'. From that point, things started to happen. My
first proposal for a book on painting on rocks was held for 6 months by a
NYC publisher and I was sure I was finally going to be published. Instead,
I learned they had misplaced my material (I never did get it back.) That
fueled my determination to submit it again to another publisher, and within
two weeks, I heard back from an editor who was interested in the idea. I
went on to sell nearly 2 million copies all told, including foreign
editions in seven languages.





Lin Wellford Bio:
Lin Wellford is the author of eight books that explore the innovative art
of painting on rocks, transforming ordinary stones into lifelike looking
animals as well as flowers, cottages and more. She appeared regularly on
the Carol Duvall Show on HGTV, as well as on Handmade by Design and Your
Home Studio, and articles about her unusual art form have appeared in such
diverse publications as Ranger Rick, Grit, Michael's Arts & Crafts, Woman's
Day, National Geographic's World, and The Artist magazine. Her most recent
craft title, Painted Garden Art Anyone Can Do, is now in its ninth printing
and available at Lowes Home Centers as well as on Amazon.com.

In addition, she co-wrote The New Grandparents Name Book; a lighthearted
guide to picking the perfect grandparent name, which is available through
the Bas Bleu catalog as well as through Motherhood.com and Pea in a Pod
maternity stores.

An avid kayaker and outdoors woman, she is currently at work on a book to
introduce women to the joys of kayak camping. Lin Wellford