Women and Adversity: Jacqueline DeGroot
Jacqueline DeGroot
The featured writer this week for my new blog, Women and Adversity, is Jacqueline DeGroot. A mystery and sizzling romance writer with 18 novels to her credit, Jack (her chosen nickname), also has co-written two coffee table books with Miller Pope. “Sunset Beach, A History” and “Ocean Isle, Gem of the Atlantic Coast” chronicle two of southeastern North Carolina’s barrier islands and are replete with vivid photography.
I asked Jack what obstacle she had to overcome when she decided to become a writer, and she responded with a perspective that addresses modern technology. Many women will say, “I know what you mean. I understand.”
Jack said:
The biggest obstacle was learning how to do things on the computer. How to use Word (or in my case, ClarisWorks and Appleworks, as I’m a Mac user), how to format, how to save files to floppies and Superdisks . . . how to make things compatible to what publishers, editors and proofers were using at the time. Things are better now, but it’s always a learning process as software changes and operating systems need to be upgraded. Last May I got a new laptop, it wasn’t until September that I was truly comfortable using it as my primary computer.
When asked what obstacles she faces now with 20 books published she said:
Technology is still a big issue for me, and I find I am paying a lot of money to have people do things for me that I just don’t have the time to learn (or if I made an attempt to learn, I still would not be very proficient at). Being able to do my own digital formatting would take a lot of stress off me. I am constantly revising as I want the books as perfect as I can get them, so I have to keep paying for tech help and using more money to upload revisions. Being more technologically savvy, would be a real boon to me right now in my writing career.
Jack’s books are available at www.jacquelinedegroot.com, on amazon.com, goodreads.com, booksamillion.com and barnesandnoble.com.
A motivating discussion is definitely worth comment. I think that you ought to write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but usually people do not talk about these topics. To the next! All the best!!
Thank you. I don’t write erotica or sexy love scenes, but there are plenty of writers who do.
JAM
I simply want to mention I am very new to blogs and certainly loved you’re web-site. Probably I’m likely to bookmark your website . You actually come with perfect stories. Regards for sharing your website.
Thank you. I’m glad I can share with others.
[…] Read My Interview by JoAnn Matthews […]
Wonderful! So glad you posted this.
Jo Ann
JoAnn,
What a great job you did! Thank you. You have a very nice blog. I’m impressed with how well you’re doing with it. But then, I really shouldn’t be, you’re always into the next big thing, and it shouldn’t be a surprise that you do it so well. Again, thank you.
Jack
Thank you, Jack. Good luck with your writing.
Jo Ann