Ask the Author: Viola Russell
Answered Questions (10)
Viola Russell
Some of my travels have been like novels--fun and adventure--even sometimes romance. My family's story is often adapted into my books. When my mother died, I read letters written home from family to family during WWII, and I was inspired to write of that era. From Ice Wagon to Club House was inspired by events of my father's generation. Many of my books contain elements of my family story--even if they are not directly connected to individual family members.
Viola Russell
The student raised his head when told to. Blood covered the whites of his eyes; I knew the signs of pandemic.
Viola Russell
The only way to deal with writer's block is to sit in the chair and write. I'm an English teacher. I tell my kids that the only way to write a paper is to start. You can't correct a blank page.
Viola Russell
I love creating other worlds. Even when I can't travel in these pandemic times, I still love to visit another world that I've created. My historical fiction takes me to another time in the world's history. My modern fiction helps me lose myself in other situations and visit other places.
Viola Russell
It's hard not to say anything that wouldn't sound like a cliche. The best advice for anyone is never to give up. I started writing at eight-years-old. I was only published in my forties.
Viola Russell
I am crazy enough to work on two major projects at once. One is the third in the series of the Mooney saga. The first was "From Ice Wagon to ClubHouse: The Life of Jude Mooney." The second was "The Progeny," which picks up with Jude's sons and other relatives. That book also has some very strong female characters. I also have begun a work based on "The Troubles." in Ireland. I love Ireland and love telling stories about that beautiful but troubled land. My novel "Buccaneer Beauty" is the life of Grace O'Malley, the female pirate. I'm also thinking of how I can write a meaningful tale about this pandemic.
Viola Russell
Sometimes, an idea will come to me when I see something on the internet, in the news, or newspaper. I often exercise to clear my mind and focus, but words don't always come easily. For me, I have to sit in that chair and write.
Viola Russell
Most of my historical novels have deep roots in family history. I wrote about WWI and WWII because of tales I heard around the dinner table growing up. My dad was a young man during Prohibition and The Depression. My novel "Jude Mooney" is loosely based on his experience. My mother was younger than my dad. Her brothers fought in WWII. One of her brothers didn't come back from Germany. I wrote "Love at War" based on her stories of that tumultuous time in our history. "The Progeny" is a sequel to "Jude Mooney," and I wrote it because I left readers hanging in "Jude." The Mooney family also stayed in my mind and heart. They had more to say. I'm currently working on the third book in that series. The contemporary fiction is based on current events or what I know of the life of teachers.
Viola Russell
I'm on a forced hiatus right now with the corona virus. I'm a teacher by day and writer by night. I just finished "Strawberry Fields" by Katie Flynn. I'm going to start a mystery called "New Iberia Blues" by James Lee Burke. I also am researching a lot, and I hope to soon start a non-fiction book titled "Ten Men Dead" by David Beresford.
Viola Russell
I would go back to Tudor England or the German Reformation. I love the time period and all of the intrigue.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more