Today, I'm thrilled to introduce to my great friend and critique partner, Bonnie K. Tesh.
I met Bonnie at Always Buying Books back in 2016 when we were both attending a book signing for our mutual friend, Diane Yates. When I learned that she had just moved to Joplin and was a writer, I invited her to join the Joplin Writers' Guild, and a beautiful friendship was born. Bonnie was instrumental in the development of both of my books, and I like to think I had a hand in her new book, Monarch Moon.
Biography
Bonnie K. Tesh is coauthor of the inspirational book, I’ll Push, You Steer; the Definitive Guide to Stumbling Through Life with Blinders On. Her work has appeared in anthologies, regional magazines, and newspapers. She has won awards for her short stories, memoirs, and poetry.
Raised in the Missouri Ozarks, a lot of her writing reflects that regional atmosphere.
She and her husband, Richard, spent twenty-one years living in a quiet cove on Table Rock Lake, near Branson, Missouri, where she saw her first Monarch butterfly migration. They now live in Joplin, Missouri.
1. For those readers who are unfamiliar with you, please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in the Missouri Ozarks and grew up on a farm with six siblings. I’ve lived in Missouri all my life except for a five-year period split between Oklahoma and Texas, because of my husband’s employment. We lived on Table Rock Lake, near Branson, Missouri, for twenty-one years before moving to Joplin, Missouri in 2016. We are retired, have three children and three adult grandchildren. My hobbies are reading, writing, and traveling.
2. What kinds of writing do you enjoy?
Fiction and creative nonfiction. An occasional poem as well.
3. What do you enjoy most about the writing process?
Throwing the rough draft out there, then seeing where it goes. I also enjoy researching. I love going down spectacular rabbit holes.
4. When did you start writing?
When I learned to write cursive, I started writing plays and strongly encouraged my schoolmates, family, the postman, hay hands, barn cats… to take on roles or help in some way to put on an amazing theatrical event.
5. To what or whom do your attribute your love of reading and writing stories?
My four older sisters took turns reading to me from the time I was a baby, but my sister Juanita was an avid reader. She taught me to read long before I started school, and I learned to appreciate good writing from her.
6. How have your past experiences impacted your writing?
That’s a funny story. I spent twenty years working as a Medical Records Director in a certain teaching hospital. Some things that went on there were soap opera worthy. I kept saying I was going to write a book. The word got around, and soon I was walking into my office and finding notes on my desk captioned for your book. I kept making the threat, and the notes kept coming until I left that job…of my own accord, I might add.
7. What are some jobs that you have held?
Sales clerk, merchandiser, medical transcriptionist, medical coder, medical records everything, and I worked for a short time in the taffy shop at Silver Dollar City, my forever dream job, but I had to leave for health reasons.
8. Does your past employment experience ever make its way into your books?
Sure. And that hospital book may materialize yet.
9. What inspires you?
So many things, but mostly the people who surround me, who always find the richness of life and the humor in it. For instance, there’s a young woman in our church you can almost see bubbles floating from. She’s effervescent. The woman volunteers for everything, including heading up the kitchen crew, works with the youth, reads to children at a local bookstore, and a million other things. She’s always up and running, but has time for anyone who needs something, big or small. I think she will be my inspiration for a character soon,
10. What made you decide to write about the subjects or themes of your books?
Monarch Moon is based on my experience watching a Monarch butterfly migration.
11. Have you met any interesting people while researching your books?
Most people are interesting to me. They all have a story. But, yes, the pastor where we went to church a few years back became my model for the deputy sheriff in Monarch Moon. That will make sense for your readers when they grab the book.
12. What is the most difficult part of writing?
Everything after the writing. Marketing is not my forte, but I’m learning.
13. Who are some of your favorite authors, and why do you enjoy their work?
It’s no secret that I love J.C. Fields' work. I call it political intrigue. He’s so succinct! Not a wasted word, yet he says so much. Pure excitement! I also like Julia Spencer-Fleming. I’ve read all her books. The idea for my two main characters in Monarch Moon came from her series, but they’re totally different.
14. What writing advice did you find most useful when you were honing your craft?
Dusty Richards was a big ole cowboy who gave great bearhugs and great writing advice. He wrote a zillion Westerns and loved to help new writers. He told me to write, even when I thought I couldn’t. To keep after it and believe in myself. David Morrell, author of First Blood, told me to dig deep down inside and write what I found. That’s where the good stuff is.
Do you have any new work just released or coming out soon? If so, would you please tell us a little about it?
September 26th was the release date for my new novel, Monarch Moon. It’s set deep in the Missouri Ozarks during autumn. Rally Chandler, a professional photographer, cancels upcoming photo shoots to run from a man who has escaped prison. Carrying a load of guilt, she arrives in Monarch Moon, Missouri, thinking she’s going to spend some quiet time visiting an old friend, but things go sideways. She soon starts to believe the old wives’ tale, that strange things happen when there’s a full moon during the Monarch butterfly migration. Chaos ensues. Oh, and there’s a handsome deputy sheriff in the mix.
16. Can you tell us a little about your current project?
I’m working on book two in the Monarch Moon series. The tentative title is Winter’s Moon.
To order Monarch Moon, click this link: https://amzn.to/3zQfJfX.
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Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please join me again next week for more Ozarks Maven.
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