When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I love this question so much, because I wrote my first “book” when I was only seven years old 🙂
It was called At Home with Us and it even had illustrations!  I’ve written my whole life. I can remember curling up in our screened porch of muggy summer days and writing chapter books when I was in grade school … poetry and endless journals when I was in junior high school … short stories later on … nonfiction, later in my career, when I became a therapist for parents struggling to raise an out-of-the-box child.

Who were the authors that influenced you as a young girl, and in what ways?

As a girl, I loved Nancy Drew, the Melendy Family, Half Magic by Edward Eager, and stories about girls who pushed the borders of what people thought they should be. I was always drawn to female protagonists, especially those who were a bit prickly. I think that’s where I developed my interest in complex women struggling with issues that don’t have simple answers.

How did it feel when you got to hold your very first advance copy of your book?

It was an absolute thrill!   I loved the cover so much and was so glad the designer had talked me into it. Can you believe that  I hated it at first? Boy, was  I wrong! People have told me that they would have bought Queen of the Owls just for its cover!

What was the inspiration behind your book?

As you know, Queen of the Owls is the story of a woman’s search for her true self, framed around the art and life of iconic American painter Georgia O’Keeffe. People have asked if I was an O’Keeffe aficionado before I wrote the book, and the answer is no!  I knew very little about her, other than the fact that her paintings drew me in a powerful way.  The inspiration for the book was really my personal journey as someone who had always defined herself by her intellect (bookworm, brain, “owl”) and had to learn to embrace a fuller, embodied, beautiful self.  I wanted to bring that message to all women. The book is fiction, but its emotional essence comes from my own experience. It’s so timely, and yet it’s timeless too.

What was your publishing journey like?

Unlike most writers, I did not spend years querying agents and trying to get a publisher to accept me. I was in the fortunate position of having the time, resources, and temperament to “green light” myself and straight to the extraordinary She Writes Press—the visionary, industry-disrupting,  all-female hybrid press whose authors have won more than a thousand awards. She Writes was a perfect fit for me and allowed me to move forward swiftly to launch a debut novel that has garnered accolade after accolade, including several awards of its own and notice in places like Parade Magazine, Working Mother, Entertainment Weekly, and Pop Sugar. It’s been a wonderful launching pad, and I’m doing it again in April 2021 with my second book.

What advice do you have for aspiring young novelists?

“Advice” is a tricky subject, because what works for one person won’t work for another. But I do believe that you have to have a great story to tell, one that you feel needs you to tell it. It really has to matter deeply to you—everything comes from that. And then, you need the maturity and openness to be able learn from the tough love of smart people who are kind enough to want you to grow and become better. Read “up”—that is, read great writing.  Finally, be genuinely interested in people and in life.  That’s where your most authentic material will come from.

Where is your favorite travel destination?

Sigh. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to travel again?  I’ve been fortunate to have traveled all over—literally! From Turkey to Egypt and Israel, Costa Rica to Spain, Scotland to Italy, as well as the places in the American Southwest where Georgia O’Keeffe lived and worked, while I did background research for Queen of the Owls.  I’m longing to return to Iceland, which is the setting for my book-in-progress, and hopefully I’ll be able to do that before too long 🙂

When you’re not writing, what are your favorite hobbies?

I’m what they call a “serious amateur pianist” and study classical piano with an amazing teacher!
I’m also a serious cook, with my own herb garden, and love to travel and hike.

Where can people find you online?

The best place to learn all about me, my books, and my zany eclectic life is on my website, which I’m constantly updating. www.BarbaraLinnProbst.com
I’m also active on Facebook, under Barbara Linn Probst.

Thank you for joining me for Writer Wednesdays!

If you are a writer/author of any genre and would like to pitch yourself for an interview, please email me at info@alexismariechute.com

Catch you next week!

Happy writing,

   –   Alexis Marie Chute