Member Q&A: Page Pennington
Author: Jody Wallace
Original Publication Date in Love Notes: January 2008

One of our Jackson, TN, gals, Page Pennington, is this month's tell-all interview subject!

Q. We’re so glad to have you as a member of MCRW.  Are you a native of Nashville or somewhere else? If somewhere else, where, and how did you end up here?

A. Born in Nashville but raised in Huntingdon, Tenn. Moved to Jackson after I got out of college in '84 and been there ever since.

Q. What made you decide to try your hand at writing romance novels? 

A. I loved Walter Farley books so my first attempt at 11 or 12 was a horse story. Later I met other people weird like me. They were writers. Together we're trying to learn the craft.

Q. Tell us about your "WIP" or work-in-progress?  What in specific do you write?

A. My current WIP is a woman's fiction. Three sisters estranged for many years are brought home by the death of their mother. They must learn to deal with what their mother meant to them and find each other. I also write short stories.

Q: How do you balance your writing with your other responsibilities? (Yes, as always, I'm looking for tips...)

A. Obviously not very well or I'd have more done by now. But when I really want to knuckle down, I threaten my family to not bother me. I don’t worry about cleaning the house or cooking dinner. I gather my stuff, set the timer and try to make my goal for that day.

Q. What do you do when you're not writing?  Do you have a "day" job, hobbies, obsessions?

A. I home school my 11-year-old son and try to relieve the stress of that by knitting my way to a world record of unfinished but ambitious projects. Right now I'm trying to knit a sock. Notice I said one. I may frame it if I ever finish.

Q. Do you have children, pets, plants, a spouse, dust bunnies, a thimble collection or anything like that?

A. One child, one hubby, one dog and one cat. My most cherish possession is my back deck and all the birds I get to save from my cat.

Q. What are some of your favorite books, romance and other?

A. Jodi Picoult, Susan Wiggs, Sheryl Woods, Kristan Hannah, Luanne Rice, Nora. I read a wide range.

Q. If you could go on a dream vacation anywhere in the world on someone else's perfectly legitimate dime, where would you go, who would you take, and what would you do? 

A. "Under the Tuscan Sun” is one of my favorite movies so I guess Italy. I'd take my best bud's Trish and Betsy. For a month we'd rent a house in the country. Each of us would have a room with a view of the sunflowers and sexy Italian men. We'd sample great wine and write wonderful books that would fund our trip every year.

Q: Tell us a secret!

A. In my youth I showed Quarter horses. I represented Tennessee at the World youth finals.

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