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Because my family moved after my high school sophomore year, I registered late and was told the English classes were already filled. Did I want to take journalism? "What’s journalism," I wisely asked.

By my senior year, I was editor of the school’s newspaper and remained onboard that train through college. However, although counselors told me I’d be a natural as a reporter, I wasn’t interested.

The facts didn’t interest me nearly as much as fiction and except for a handful of side trips, I’ve always lied for my living. Yes, I was the staff for a small-town newspaper and wrote some 20 magazine articles, but sticking to the facts, for me, is much more work than making it all up.

I first attempted book length fiction shortly after I got married and was unemployed for several months. That bit of creative nonsense was a lot of fun to write, right up to the moment I realized I’d forgotten conflict. Remember, I grew up a mountain gal so of course I wrote about four wilderness explorers who fell into rivers, climbed mountains, were attacked by bears, and faced hostile Native Americans. However, they all got along famously and along about chapter five I realized a bear attack would only go so far. A job materialized and I put away my typewriter.

Two or so years later my first son was born. Suddenly I was alone all day in another rural area with this fascinating human being who wasn’t the world’s greatest conversationalist. It was either watch soap operas or start really listening to the restlessness inside me. I’d been a social worker for public welfare so had dealt with people in crises. Not only didn’t I have the courage to tackle another book, I lacked the interrupted block of time I thought it would take so decided to try my hand at confessions. Back then they were quite popular plus I’d learned a bit about how to submit by reading The Writer and Writers’ Digest. I typed and plotted, changed diapers, plotted and typed some more.

One day I opened an envelope from one of those magazines and out popped a contract. I was a published writer! I grabbed up my baby and danced around the room. Ah, the innocence!

Tomorrow: Vella Munn/Vonna Harper Day 3: From Hitting A Writing Wall to A New Direction

Bio
Vella Munn has been writing since dirt was new and has no other marketable skills so much continue doing the only thing she wants to in life--other than gardening, being part of her family, and walking the dogs. She wrote category romance and historicals as Vella Munn (most are being republished )and currently writes erotic romance as Vonna Harper. She lives in rural southern Oregon where she avoids shopping as much as possible and counts among her accomplishments going to Alaska and Omaha Nebraska for the college baseball world series. Her latest erotic release is Canyon Shadows with Kensington Aphrodisia.