Straight from the Mouth of Cheri DeGroot, author of Dear Friend

Cheri DeGroot loves writing letters and journals of her life. Pen palling helps her make new friendships by reaching out through written letters and by computer. DeGroot has initiated several pen pal clubs. She has three grown children and seven grandchildren and lives in Milverton, Ontario, with her husband, Joe.

Can you give us a go-for-the-gut answer as to why you wanted to be an author?  

I wanted to be an author as I always kept diaries and journals all my life since I was ten years old. I always had a yearning to write a book. I took a Writing Course to write Children’s Books and passed the course and they said I would be a good writer.

Tell us (we won’t tell promise!) is it all it’s cracked up to be? I mean what are the perks and what are the demands? 

There are disappointments when you have to change some of your story parts to make it shorter. But my perks are just trying my best and my demands are doing my best when I write.

Which route did you take – traditional or self-published – and can you give us the nitty gritty low down on what’s that like? 

I think next time I will go the traditional way now that I know what the self-publishing is like. I think the self-publishing takes to long.

Tell us for real what your family feels about you spending so much time getting your book written, polished, edited, formatted, published, what have you? 

Well my family knows how hard it is to get a book published now so they are used to it after the second one. They support me and are very proud of me on all my accomplishments.

In writing your book, how did you deal with the phone ringing, your family needing dinner or your boss calling you saying you’re late? 

Well I guess you can say when you are retired you don’t have to worry about your boss calling you are your own boss. I arrange my schedule to suit them and it works out very well.