I’m proud to feature Delores Topliff today, as she is an amazing author. Her most recent release is a real-life story of a North American frontier heroine in Wilderness Wife. Delores writes for Scrivenings Press and has other projects on the way.
What is your superpower?
Extensive worldwide travel, many times to join mission team outreaches like to Israel eight times, in the Philippines six, Indonesia once, Singapore twice, South Korea, Colombia, etc.—often alone. Even when things go wrong (and they do), the Lord turns problems into memorable adventures and sometimes lasting friends.
If you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would you like?
Starbucks Dark Roast Coffee.
What is the one thing we would never guess about you?
At age seventeen when I’d gone to Vancouver, Washington’s best hotel to arrange our senior high school banquet, I rose several floors in an elevator with the Three Stooges. I was shocked. We all stayed totally silent. They were returning from the basement cocktail lounge and did not look funny at all.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you be?
Kinsey Millhone in Sue Grafton’s Alphabet Mystery book series.
What are you working on right now?
Strong Currents, Book 2 in the WWII Columbia River Undercurrents series and sequel to Books Afloat that released in January 2021. Strong Currents will release November 29, 2022.
What is your next writing project?
With my agent’s permission, I’m self-publishing a fun memoir/travel-guide, Israel on a Budget, that major houses considered but didn’t contract during the pandemic. It will release later this year so stay tuned. I’ll also resume work on a romantic-suspense set in Israel.
How do you relax and recharge when you step away from writing?
Travel—more mission trips and visiting friends. I love people, new experiences, and nature. It’s always a plus when beautiful scenery is involved.
Do you journal?
Not consistently, but do when something really stands out to me. I take plenty of photos. I’ve written yearly Christmas letters since 1984 and find that when grouped together, they are a brief, basic family memoir.
What genre would you like to consider in the future that is different from that/those you do now?
Romantic suspense and I have begun to attempt that now.
What book or book series have you recently enjoyed reading?
Patricia Bradley and Kelly Irvin’s Romantic Suspense books. Leslie Leyland Field’s writings for Non-fiction.
What’s your best advice for other writers? Always keep going. Never stop—we all get better with practice, like repeating piano scales prepares us for skilled recital performances. And never give up. Celebrate every small writing and publication accomplishment. As we look back, we see they add up and snowball into more. Thank you, Ellen, for hosting me on your blog today.
Thanks for hosting me, Ellen. I really liked your questions 🙂
Update on Wilderness Wife! It has been picked up by the second largest publisher of large-print books to be offered via catalog to all public libraries in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Congratulations to Delores!