Welcome to the 2023 ARIA Author Showcase and Giveaway Event! 

  

  

How to enter – Comment on the daily showcases to enter the daily giveaway. Comments close one week after the initial Showcase post. GRAND PRIZE drawn on Dec 8th (1 -$250, 1 -$100, or a 1 -$50 Amazon gift card. One grand prize pp) – For every showcase you post on, you automatically gain one entry to the grand prize. 30 Authors = 30 entries.    

Ann Watt will be at the Rhode Island Author Expo   

On to the Showcase! 

 

What name do you like to write under? Ann Watt 

Where do you call home? Northwest RI 

What genre(s) do you write? Non-fiction memoir 

What genre(s) were you drawn to when you were younger Was there a reason that genre(s) appealed to you the most?  I enjoyed mysteries, as well as many classic works of fiction. I didn't care what I read, I was just hungry to have a book in my hands, and I liked variety. 

What were some of your favorite books growing up? Why? As a child, I read all of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys mysteries. When I was older, I read every Sidney Sheldon book in the town library. My father was often sick when I was a young--these books were a wonderful distraction for me and made me focus on the plot, not what was happening at home. 

What are some of your favorite books today? Nowadays, my favorite books are usually found in the biography or outdoor adventure section of a bookstore. A couple of my favorites were "Following Atticus" by Tom Ryan, and "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. 

What inspired you to become a writer?  I've wanted to be a writer since I was in eighth grade, studying poetry in English class. But poetry was not meant to be my genre, I failed miserably at writing poems. But I always dreamed of publishing "something." Decades later, after many life experiences, I finally found my niche--a nursing memoir. 

 

When Being a Nurse Was Fun 

Besides taking excellent care of their patients, nurses enjoyed humor at work before the COVID-19 pandemic. Playing jokes on each other or finding hilarity in absurd situations, we devised ways to amuse ourselves while performing our duties. Glimpse into the medical career of someone who dares to say life as a nurse used to be fun. Follow my journey from being a student nurse to a critical care RN with 30 years of experience. Relive with me both the frustrations and camaraderie that I encountered as an RN. Filled with true tales from my life both in and out of the hospital, "When Being a Nurse Was Fun" will cause you to laugh, and may also make you cry. 

Tell us a little about how “When Being a Nurse Was Fun” came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?  Inspiration for the book came after a discussion with my publisher. He said something such as, "Write about what you know--some of the best books are written from personal experiences." I thought to myself, "What do I know better than being a nurse?" I decided to write the book while I was driving home from his bookstore. 

Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book? The first chapter changed the most. I wanted to write only about my nursing experiences. Then I realized I had to include some background information about my family and my feelings about what was happening when I was in nursing school. 

Which character was the most challenging to create. Why? Since my book is non-fiction, I can't say any of the characters were challenging to create. I wrote about real people who remain very vivid in my mind. If anything, writing about myself was the most difficult part--I wanted to convey my genuine feelings about being a nurse and emphasize the positive aspects of my life without appearing to see everything through rose-colored glasses. 

What do you like best about being a writer? I enjoy having a "voice." I now have the potential to send positive messages to a large audience in the world--to people who otherwise would never have known about me. 

If you could collaborate with any author past or present, who would it be? What would the title of the book be? (If possible) - Give us a one sentence blurb.  Jon Krakauer. A thrilling tale of how a mismatched pair of hikers escape potential tragedy and have the adventure of a lifetime. 

You can follow Ann Watt here - 

http://www.annwattauthor.com 

https://www.facebook.com/annwattauthor 

Ann is giving away a signed copy of her book – When Being a Nurse Was Fun.  To enter comment below -->  

 

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