I’m going to try something new, beginning today, Sunday Spotlight. I’m going to focus on friends, authors, anyone who is willing to answer a few personal questions. I knew I could coerce my friend, Kaye Wilkinson Barley into being the first guinea pig, or subject. I can’t even tell you how many years I’ve known Kaye, as an online friend, then travel roommate, as an author. I love her mischievous smile and point of view, along with her occasional rants. She’s strong-willed, enthusiastic, and passionate in her beliefs and friendships.

I asked Kaye eleven questions. Despite the personal nature of some of them, she was willing to answer. Today, I’m mixing it up so the first couple answers will serve as an introduction. When I first asked Kaye to answer questions, she said, oh, there isn’t much left about her that the mystery world doesn’t already know. That doesn’t mean readers and friends here at Lesa’s Book Critiques know all about her.

Thank you, Kaye, for taking the time to write to us.

I may have met Kaye first through her site, Meanderings and Muses. I don’t remember. I do know I follow it faithfully.

One of my first questions was about her site. Kaye, tell us about Meanderings and Muses. What made you start your website? Does it still serve the same purpose for you?

The very first Meanderings and Muses post is one I actually wrote as a guest blogger for The Stiletto Gang – https://www.thestilettogang.com/ – in July, 2008.  About giving up smoking, and why.

http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2008/11/this-was-originally-posted-at-stiletto.html

I posted a total of 9 pieces that year.  September’s was a re-post of a guest blog I did for Murderati.  October’s was about my first Bouchercon in Baltimore.  I did another guest post in December.

And, I announced the very first group of Meanderings and Muses Dream Team.  http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2008/12/why-im-here-and-introducing-meanderings.html

” . . .  the guests you’re going to find here next year, as you can see they include writers who are well known, writers who are on their way to becoming well known, and some who are just getting started, bloggers, readers and mystery fans. If there’s one common thread, besides being lovers of books and words, its that each and every person you see here as a guest will write something that will touch you in some way. It might make you cry, or laugh, possibly anger you, or just make you think. Remember please, that it will not necessarily be an opinion that matches mine, but the very thought of censoring what someone says disgusts me as much as I’m sure it does you. It might be a light and fluffy piece about cooking or what someone did on their summer vacation, or it might be hard and tough. It might just be something they have on their mind and want to share or get off their chest. That’s what I’ve discovered blogging is all about. A sharing in which the writer invites others to participate and give back. An exchange of words, ideas and/or feelings in which things get tossed around and back and forth . . .”

I carried out that tradition through 2014.

During those seven years Meanderings and Muses hosted a wealth of kind, generous,  talented members of the mystery community.  I remain quite proud of this period of Meanderings and Muses.  I listed the guest bloggers and thanked them on December 12, 2014 – http://www.meanderingsandmuses.com/2014/12/thank-you.html – moving on to I had no idea what.  Ideas come and go.

And, truth be told, I still have no idea. 

Meanderings and Muses has been, and will continue to be, my place to “be.”

You never know what you might find there ’cause I don’t know either. 

It’s a repository of memories, photos, recipes, creativity, rants, tears, art, celebrations, loss, silliness, books, travel, friendships, politics, music, poetry etc etc etc

Or

In a word – Life.

Which is, I think, very good.

Here’s the first question I asked Kaye. She’s answering this one in parts. Today, I’m including her answers about “a dreamer”. I’ll always think of Kaye as a storyteller, a writer, a dreamer who makes her dreams come true. Here’s my question. Kaye, Introduce yourself please, as a writer, dreamer who has the courage to make your dreams come true, dog lover, poetry lover, whatever you would like to say that we’re not covering in other questions.

I don’t recall either of my parents ever directly telling me I could be whatever I wanted to be when I grew up, but looking back I see I was instead presented with opportunities to try a wide ranging variety of activities, and was able to walk away if they didn’t suit.

Like a lot of little girls, I wanted to be a ballerina and took ballet from a local dance teacher for several years.  My dad was a champ at helping me out with lifts.  I am quite certain we never looked at graceful as Nureyev and Fonteyn, but in my little girl imagination we did, and that was the important thing.

And if I wanted to put on a ballet recital costume on a random Tuesday, Thursday, or Sunday “just cause,” well, that was okay too.  Showing up at the dinner table wearing tulle was just not a big deal.

My imagination was nurtured and encouraged.

However, that’s not to say I didn’t learn the word “no”.  I did.  Pretty early on.  And once learned, never forgotten.

It’s not a bad thing to learn the word ” no.” It makes it easier for one to be able to say it when necessary.

Thank you, Kaye. I’ll have a few of Kaye’s other answers next week for Sunday Spotlight. And, don’t forget to check out Meanderings and Muses!