A California resident since 2002, Brenda started writing thirty years ago. An eclectic reader, she began a horror story, one of her favorite genres. "But someone I respected read the first few chapters and criticized everything so severely that I thought I couldn't write. I stuffed the chapters into a drawer and didn't touch them or any other writing for almost twenty years."

In the years that followed, she attended creative writing classes and she and her husband opened a book and gift store. There, she met published authors who asked her to critique their manuscripts. She found she enjoyed it, and, with her background as proofreader for an aerospace corporation, quickly spotted errors, But the longing to write her own novel never left. She attended more classes, went to conferences and started writing a suspense novel.

When she finished her manuscript, she sent it to agents who specialized in her genre. Most sent a form rejection letter. One told her she wrote well, but her structure was off. "I went on a quest to study structure and plotting, talked to other authors, and found plotting seemed to be the major stumbling block. What was so frustrating was that most books and instructors talked about plot in a general way, giving this vague esoteric explanation that didn't help at all. I wanted to learn a step-by-step process I could use for different novels. If anyone knew how to do it, they weren't telling."

So followed more classes, including online classes from New York, and the prestigious University of Iowa's summer sessions. Finally, she stumbled on the technique. She rewrote her entire story; this time an agent signed her. She also founded a successful editing business. But while her writing life started coming together, her personal life took a drastic plunge. Her mother's illness became terminal. Brenda's writing came to a halt as she cared for her mother. After two years her mother succumbed to the illness. Her father died the next year. Then her husband of thirty years wanted a divorce. That was in 2002.

She moved to California to be near her son and daughter in law, but was emotionally spent and had a difficult time functioning.

"It was a slow process, even trying to think was too exhausting for a long time. I tried working but couldn't concentrate."

It took almost two years, but she began to climb out of despair. With a new perspective, she revised her novel. Again. She queried several agents and small publishing houses. One agency got back quickly, asking for the complete manuscript. After reading it, they offered a contract.

"But I checked them out on some message boards and found their reputation wasn't the greatest, so I declined. I sure helped my ego, though," she says with a smile. "Then three small publishers asked for the entire manuscript. But I still wanted to wait until I'd heard from the agent I queried." While waiting, she's working on a new novel and trying to catch up in her editing business. "But to do a good job is extremely time-consuming and I don't want to get too busy for my own writing."

She's also had requests to teach, as she's taught privately and says it's a rewarding experience. She's also working on a how-to write booklet, condensing all she's learned about the craft of novel writing. "I sometimes think I must be a masochist to still pursue this dream. To find myself suddenly on my own at my age is terrifying enough, but I can't give up. I've lost too many things in recent years. I can't lose my dream, too."

Brenda's novel, Ten Times Guilty, is psychological thriller about one woman's struggle for empowerment.