My mother died two years ago, and I’ve watched my 98-year-old father deal with this incredible loss with grace and fortitude. I never missed my job once and made an easy transition to one of those annoying retirees who say, “I don’t know how I ever had time to work.”Ĭhange is brutal when it’s forced on you. I was thrilled nine years ago to be able to retire and focus on writing.

Mary: Change is wonderful when it’s your idea.

How do you deal with change? Do you find it difficult? Do you have any tips for your readers how to deal better when change punches us in the gut? I started a newsletter as well and am really enjoying writing short pieces about my neighborhood, the postal service, and book reviews.Ĭhristina: Kirkus Reviews said The Lockhart Women is “An emotional portrait of three women dealing with unexpected change.” Change can be difficult, especially when it’s unexpected. I began blogging a year ago, thinking I needed to come up with some content to promote my novel. Online sites during the pandemic were looking for poetry, and I guess I decided what the hell else can go wrong, might as well hit submit.Įssays are new for me.

I don’t think of myself as a poet at all, although surprisingly I had five poems published in 2020. I wrote poetry in high school and came back to it recently. Since I’m primarily a fiction writer my poems usually take a narrative form. My second novel is a collection of linked stories about characters in my neighborhood. I enjoyed the space of the novel form when I wrote The Lockhart Women, but I love the shorter form too. I had a long career writing audit reports, which never allowed personal opinions, so I’m enjoying the freedom of making things up. Mary: I’m most comfortable in the fiction world. What genre do you enjoy writing the most and why?

I’m so very grateful she took the time to answer a few of my questions.Ĭhristina: You write poetry, short stories, essays, and you have your debut novel, The Lockhart Women, launched on June 1. Gabriel San Román wrote that Camarillo’s “engaging prose colors her characters with forgivable imperfections, but with purpose, giving readers more than enough reason to care about their arcs,” and Susan Straight said, “These women are vivid portraits-flawed and desperate and seeking redemption.” Praise all around for this debut novelist! Despite being retired, Mary leads a very active life, which includes a “terrorist cat, Riley” (who has his own Instagram page!). Her author photo is inviting, her own backstory is varied, and her debut novel, The Lockhart Women, features all three points of view of fascinating women (plus I love her short stories and essays). Like many of the authors I speak with, 2021 Debuts author Mary Camarillo is one I’d love to meet in person.

The Lockhart Women by Mary Camarillo