Meet Our Writers Week 29 On Mindsinger

 Tell us about yourself  
 I aman author of several books, an artist, woodcarver and columnist.  I livein Indiana with my husband of 56 years.  Enjoy my children, grandchildrenand great grandchild.  My husband, John, has been disabled since 1974after being struck by Transverse Myelitis. 
Tell me about your blog(s), name(s), whatdoes it mean to you? 

 MINDSINGER was the first having been online for severalyears.  It presents poetry, prose, photos and graphic art. Mindsinger also serves as a launch platform for sub titles.     
AECHOES from the Heartland was second and acts as a platform formy newspaper column, Country Roads.  Granny Tales is the latest and is anoutlet for my children's  news paper column .
When have you started blogging? 
Around 2008.  I did not add the other two until about 2011.
What's the theme(s) of your blog(s)? What doyou write most? poetry, fiction or novel, or  short stories?
  Thegeneral theme of my blogs is communication.  Although I've written a dozenor so books, I still reach out to more readers.  My blogs are familyoriented and have posted nothing I would be ashamed to have my grandchildrenread.  My writing is pretty evenly spread over prose and poetry.  Ihave also shared excerpts from my books. 

What are the inspirations of your writing? 
 Life mostly. Beauty, nature, the big questions such as "Why are we here?  Isthere a God?  If so, how does He interact with us?  Sometimes thework of other poets I read here.
You are involved with Bluebell Books ShortStory Slam writing challenge? How do you feel about it so far? What's thebenefits of it?  
I would rather we be given a general theme about which to writeinstead of just words.  I've done that but do feel hemmed in by it attimes.  I've been rather remiss in writing for both this blog and theJingle Poetry blogs lately.  My husband and I both have had medicalproblems and I'm becoming more and more a caregiver for John.  It is veryhard to watch  him lose more and more mobility and it takes over myconcentration.
Sorry about your husband’s health condition, hope thateverything improves soon.
Now, Do you have a favorite bloggingfriend(s) to share? Tell us about his/her blog link and the writing in it! 
I especially enjoy Author's Den having been one of the first tojoin that community.  Matt Miller has done a tremendous job with it and ithas become great platform for showcasing an author's work.  He even has abook store through which an author can sell books.
Do you have a favorite book or author?  
The Bible is a given.  But I've also enjoyed C.S. Lewis,J.R.R. Tolkien Frank Peretti, Max Lucado among many others.
What's your writing plans in the near future? 
I am working right now on publishing the second volume ofThe Chronicles of Windfallow, a double trilogy written for youngadults and up.  It has been a challenging and very enjoyable project thathas been going on since 2000.  I am publishing with Create Space and findthem easy to work with and reasonably priced.  Since I create my owncovers, the fees are small.  Right now the weekly newspaper columns keepme writing.  I don't have a new novel in mind, but will be working onpublishing my autobiography, With Heart Divided.  It is written, but Imust learn how to embed graphics before I begin struggling to get it into a pdfformat that conforms to Create Space's requirements. 
Thanks for contacting me.Donna Swanson