April
Kihlstrom
Spies, danger, uncoventional women and
their most conventional suitors, love and happily ever after: what do all these
have to do with a Master's Degree in Operations Research? And why would anyone choose
to spend so much time writing about the Regency (Jane Austen) time period?
Life rarely goes the way one wants so perhaps it's not
such a surprise that I traded in a career in operations research to write
romance novels when my son was born with down syndrome. Now 31 novels later, I
am still happy with that change. I also hope and believe that I am still
growing and changing as a writer.
As
a feminist, I really like pairing up honorable men and women and watching them
work out their differences. I believe it is one of the most interesting and
important challenges that face real men and women today: How to come together
in ways that empower one another rather than diminish either. I also find the
Regency time period (1811-1820) fascinating because it was a time of change
socially, politically, and economically—much like our own time period today.
I
also enjoy public speaking and giving workshops—particularly about
writing. Many of you know about my Book
In A Week workshop and recently I’ve added a number of other workshops
including 10, 20, 30 Minutes to Write (handout notes posted on this website at Workshop Handouts). I hope the ideas from my writing workshops
encourage writers to write better and faster than they ever have before—and to
have fun while doing so! And the other
workshops are geared to help anyone through life changes or simply challenging
times in their lives.
In
addition, I now offer personal coaching—specializing in writing and public
speaking. It is gratifying to me to be
able to share with others the things I have learned over the years and to watch
clients achieve goals they had not been sure were possible.
My
hobbies include sewing, knitting, needlepoint, hiking, swimming—and, of course,
reading. Life rarely is calm around my
household but I believe that how we deal with the challenges life throws at us
matters as much as what life throws at us.
I believe in positive thinking—perhaps to a
fault. I've seen things happen that I,
or others, had been told were impossible.
Good things. I've seen people who
faced what seemed like the darkest time in their life and have it suddenly turn
around. Often what made the difference
was having positive support and thinking and energy. I know that positive thinking can't overcome
every barrier/challenge we face in life, but it *always* affects what the
experience does or means to us.
It's very tough to write--or do anything!--when we're
scared. But if we can take that leap of
faith to do what it is we want to do—and know that we have a network of friends
to catch us if we fall—then we can accomplish far more than maybe we once
thought possible.
I hope that my characters and the stories I tell
reflect my belief in the importance of living our lives with honor and of
following our dreams. And my belief that
it is possible—for every one of us.
· I'd
love to hear from you! Please send email to April Kihlstrom
Causes, Hobbies,
Interests:
· Welcome to
the official Lion Brand Yarn Knitting and Crocheting Web Site
· Ken's Sewin' and Surfin' Page